The limitations of technology has been a constant in the choices of what goes into a video game’s music. These very limitations defined how early eras of video game music were created and propelled their creativity (Cockfield, 2019).

 

Initial restraints meant that the most pressing issues of music programming were managing storage space and arranging the circuit board of the cabinet itself to implement and create the sounds required. This meant that game music was typically reduced to introductory/celebratory bleeps in the soundtrack and most storage was dedicated to sound effects (Collins, 2019, pp.9-12).

 

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Figure 1: The soundtrack to Space Invaders (1978) is merely four notes long.

 

Three consoles, the NES, MegaDrive and the SNES, used consecutively more powerful sound chips in accordance with their release times. Copetti (2019) Sums up the details of each:

 

• The NES’s Ricoh 2Ao3 sound chip, a Programmable Sound Generator, had 5 sound channels: 2 Pulse Waves suited for melody and chords, 1 triangle wave suitable for bass lines, a noise channel for percussion and a DMC (Delta Modulation Channel) for sampling. 

 

• The MegaDrive also had a PSG chip, the Texas Instruments SN76489, but more importantly it contained the Frequency Modulator Synthesiser: The Yamaha YM2612, which has six FM channels, which work by modulating a wave signal to effect a second sound wave. It also contains a modestly powerful sampler.

 

• The SNES contained the Digital Signal Processor chip: the SPC-700, allowing 8 different channels and programmable volume, panning, envelopes, delay, FM synthesis, frequencies, reverbs and pitch bends.

 

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Figure 2: In order, the Ricoh 2Ao3 chip, the Yamaha YM2612 chip and the SNES SPC-700 chip.

 

In Super Mario Bros., Schartmann (2015) points out that musical theory was cleverly used to overcome the limitations of the 4 basic sound channels utilised, such as:

 

• The use of jazz chords such as the fragmented D9 chord beginning the ‘Overworld’ theme and  the ‘Starman’ theme being composed of Dm7 and Cmaj7 chords, alongside the dissonant intervals of the ‘Castle’ theme.

 

• The use of rhythm, such as the syncopation in the ‘Overworld’ theme and the 3/4 Waltz in the ‘Underwater’ composition.

 

• Variety and contrast of each piece in their reflection of what is happening on screen, such as the contrast between the melodic, lively ‘Overworld’ theme and the chromatic, sparse and bare instrumentation of the ‘Underworld’ theme.

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​Figure 3: Demonstration of various musical techniques in Super Mario Bros. (1985)

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Super Mario World’s soundtrack simply utilises the same melody line through most of levels as a conscious choice to support a sense of consistency throughout the games longer run-time. The SPC-700 chip was used for a greater variety of instrumentation to better convey the mood and atmosphere throughout each level (Iwata).

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​​​Figure 4: Three examples of the music utilised in Mario World (1990).

 

One thing about the development of Mario’s soundtracks is, apart from more sophisticated hardware allowing greater variation in musical selection, is that the music itself is always composed as small, melodic loops. Although this initial choice was shaped by storage restrictions, this pervades the use of music in Mario games now as an intentional design choice to reflect the level and help progress the gameplay. (Laroche, 2012).

 

The release of the MegaDrive was considered to be a massive step over the NES and its relative hardware restraints. Sega took great leaps to emphasise the power of its Sound Chip - particularly emphasising its ability to mimic particular instruments, particularly utilised to replicate Progressive Rock instrumentation. (Collins, 2019, p. 43).

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​Figure 5: The Phantasy Star 2 soundtrack (1989).

 

Through the Toy Story port (1991) to the SNES and MegaDrive, we can see the difference that technology makes to the approach to sound design for these two different competing consoles - soundtracks with a more ‘real’ instrumentation seem to flourish on the SNES, while MegaDrive ports fares better with more ‘electronic’ style tracks.

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Figure 6: instances of the Toy Story (1995) 'Main Menu' and ‘Really Inside the Claw Machine’ music over each port.

 

Not only does the expanse of technology inform how game music can be utilised, the restrictions from platform to platform can also influence how music informs a gameplay and thereby the game itself. (Cerrati, 2006).