There are certain games that become so popular when they come out that end up embodying a time period. For most gamers in the 2000s, there were a number of major releases on platforms that became benchmarks for the era they were in. Part of this was due to the constant crossover between video games and other aspects of pop-culture, more specifically the music industry. With franchises like Halo and other big budget titles making such a splash in the public eye, some musical artists would release tracks to pair up with games that were going to be smash hits. You could go anywhere and see a popular video game marketed alongside a trending artist, or a song that would stick with people.
These are the kinds of games that people would associate specific songs with, often giving a deep sense of nostalgia from that time period. Whether it was hard rock music that was popular in the 2000s, or something completely different and unexpected, they helped make the sound that gamers heard every day when they were popular. You couldn’t really separate them from the games at all. Here are three major video game releases with popular songs connected to their legacy that everyone remembers.
Kingdom Hearts
A simple and clean song
The release of the first Kingdom Hearts game was a massive turning point for role-playing game fans. Not only was it a combination of two iconic franchises that nobody ever thought would work, but it was the start of a franchise that would go on to become legendary in its own right. But what intrigued and pulled everyone towards the release of Kingdom Hearts on the PlayStation 2 was the main song included in commercials for the game. The song is titled “Simple and Clean” by Utada Hikaru, and is included in the official soundtrack for the game. But it wasn’t the original version of the song that got everyone’s attention, but a remix that would become part of a legacy that is still going strong to this day.
The PlanitB Remix of “Simple and Clean” is the track everyone hears in the North American commercial for Kingdom Hearts. It flashes images of Disney characters and a few Final Fantasy heroes on the screen, culminating into a catchphrase that coincides with the music playing. It tells players outright “you never know who you’ll run into next” while the legendary track continues to the end of the commercial. This was no more than 30 seconds, but was more than enough to entice RPG players to pick up the game on PlayStation 2, and has been associated with the series for years. In some versions of the commercial in Japan and other territories, the original slower version of the song was used with similar gameplay being shown. But it was just as effective as getting people on board with the release.
Various remixes of the track have been done for sequels and spin-offs of the first game, but none have had the same impact as the original remix for Kingdom Hearts when it released. Many people could claim that was the point they became invested in role-playing games, or became more curious about the Final Fantasy series.
Halo 2
Blowing us away every time
In the early 2000s, the Halo franchise was on top of the world. The first game was a massive success on the original Xbox, and the sequel from Bungie was highly anticipated. Upon the release of Halo 2, fans had a new rock song that was constantly being played with footage of the game at events and commercials. Breaking Benjamin has written and created a song for the game called “Blow Me Away”, which is also featured within the game itself towards the final stages. However, only the music plays during gameplay and doesn’t include the lyrics of the song. Most gamers instantly think of Halo 2 when this song comes up on the radio or music playlists online, since the track was always played whenever the game was shown during gaming events or award shows.
The song itself was created for the original release of Halo 2, but was later included as a track on one of the band’s album releases titled So Cold in 2004. To this day, Breakin Benjamin plays the song during their concerts and always includes footage of Halo 2 in the background. Unfortunately, the instrumental of the song was changed for the Halo 2 remaster that was released with Halo: The Master Chief Collection in 2014. This was most likely done because of the license for using the song expiring years earlier. But every fan of Halo will tell you that the song will never be disassociated with the series. They’re always going to imagine the Master Chief fighting the Covenant as Breaking Benjamin plays in the background.
Grand Theft Auto Vice City
Running so far away with it
When it comes to style and flair mixed with chaotic mischief, nobody does it better than Rockstar Games and their Grand Theft Auto series. The PlayStation 2 era was dominated by the impact of Grand Theft Auto III, which influenced so many other titles to adopt open-world elements into their gameplay. But while Grand Theft Auto III took the world by storm with its new approach to open-world gameplay, the sequel to follow it was when the fun really began. As the hype was building for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City on the PlayStation 2, commercials for the game popped up on television, showcasing the 1980s theme and vibe the sequel was going for. And Rockstar was fully committed to going all the way with it, including the music.
Commercials for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City had the track “I Ran” by the group A Flock of Seagulls. It’s an iconic 80s pop song that is emblematic of the decade, and has been used in many other projects that either took place in the 1980s or alluded to it. But what made this such a perfect match for the Grand Theft Auto series was the song’s implied message with the gameplay shown during commercials. The phrase “I ran” coincides with footage of the game’s main character, Tommy Vercetti, running away from explosions and other craziness he causes. It’s almost an homage to the crime stories of the 80s and the over-the-top nature of the Grand Theft Auto games at that point, which looked and sounded cool to everyone.
The song was also included in the game’s soundtrack during gameplay, which is part of the radio stations in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City that players can cycle through. As far as doing the 80s justice in their own way, Rockstar went above and beyond with the music selection, which was only further enhanced by the all-star talent they enlisted for the voice acting, including Ray Liotta as Tommy Vercetti. Nowadays, one cannot listen to the song from A Flock of Seagulls and not think of roaming the neon-lit streets of Vice City to complete missions and cause a little chaos.
The sound of great times