As the current console generation comes to a close, we can all be forgiven for getting
a little bit nostalgic.
Remember how special it was, hearing those twinkling PS4 tones for the very first time?
Ahhh, yeah.
That’s the stuff.
But as nice as that sound is, it’s not quite enough to match the best of the best.
Those incredibly memorable tunes that so many gamers heard thousands of times, while nervously
waiting to see if their scratched copy of Metal Gear Solid would actually load.
We’re talking about the GREATEST console startup sounds of all time.
In celebration of these often overlooked audio experiences, we decided to bring together
eight of the most memorable for this video, ranked in order of console release date, not
in order of preference.
Feel free to share your opinion about your favorite in the comments.
We’re going to start post-video game crash (sorry Atari), at the point when consoles
began their great trek toward their modern incarnations. And so our audio journey begins
in the mid eighties, with the Sega Master System.
The Sega Master System is often overlooked, especially by modern audiences that think
the Genesis was Sega’s first home console, but it had some excellent games and sold upwards
of 13 million units.
More importantly though, the Japanese version had a seriously awesome boot-up screen.
Take a look and a listen.
These older console/computers had substantially longer introduction sequences as they waited
for you to insert software, sometimes consisting of entire songs as opposed to the seconds
long intros of later consoles. This thing goes on for almost seven glorious minutes.
We’ll have a link to the whole thing in the description for this video.
A fine counterpoint to the Master System’s long, complex intro, the Nintendo Game Boy
boot-up sequence is short and to the point.
Simple, iconic, and engaging, the boot-up sound for the original Gameboy left an indelible
mark in many gamer’s minds.This simple sound was expanded and repurposed for other Nintendo
portables down the line, which is indicative of the strength of its legacy.
Here’s all three Game Boy startup sounds.
The Sega CD was released in late 1991 in Japan, late 1992 in North America, and 1993 in Europe.
We tried to think of a phrase better than “totally radical” to describe the startup
of the USA version of the Sega CD - but there just isn’t one.
It’s unapologetically nineties in the best possible way.
Interestingly, the Mega CD startup (the Japanese version) is completely different.
Gone is the haunting cyberpunk melody, replaced with a blue sky and a much more upbeat song.
We don’t like that version quite as much, but you can check out the full songs linked
in the description and decide for yourself.
The post-Genesis era marked a low decline for Sega in the console world - but as this
list shows, they continued to produce killer startup sounds.
Here’s a couple of different versions of the Sega Saturn theme, which had minor variations
between the American and Japanese systems, and versions of the Saturn produced by third
parties, including Hitachi (Hi-Saturn) and JVC (V-Saturn).
The Saturn startup sequence probably qualifies as the first “modern” intro, and this style is
still used to this day: aggressive, short, and focused on showing off the technical capabilities
of the console.
The PlayStation was Sony’s first foray into the console market, and it was a doozy.
It almost immediately began to take market share from Sega’s underperforming Saturn,
and even the release of Nintendo's (relatively) powerful Nintendo 64 barely slowed it down.
This familiar sequence is going to bring back a lot of memories for a lot of people.
Part of that is the memorable sound design that combines synthesized pads with a digital
chime.
These are sounds that are still used all the time in games today, even though audio technology
has evolved.
The other reason this sequence brings back so many memories for so many is that the original
PlayStation had some loading issues.
Over time, especially in first generation hardware, the optical drive would often deteriorate
and fail to load your beloved discs.
That meant, for a large group of unfortunate PS1 owners, the first half of the sequence
would play and then it would freeze.
Because of these issues, there was often a little bit of nervousness that came with turning
on a PS1, and seeing the second half of the sequence meant your game had loaded, and you
could breathe a sigh of relief.
The Dreamcast was Sega’s follow-up to their woefully underperforming Saturn, and completely
turned around the company’s fortunes to make them the hardware powerhouse we all know
and love today.
Wait no, it got crushed by the PS2, and was Sega’s last console.
Bummer.
Sad.
Though the Dreamcast had its issues, it continued Sega’s streak of fantastic boot-up sequences.
A red spiral (or blue in the Japanese version) forms on the screen, while a wonderfully soothing
audio sequence welcomes you in.
Isn’t that relaxing?
Like slipping into a warm sonic bath.The GameCube was Nintendo’s follow up to the
N64, and the first of their consoles to use optical media as opposed to catridges.
As the name suggests, it was shaped like a cube, with a unique handle and small stature.
The GameCube has one of the strangest startup sequences of any console; not only because
of the lively and playful sound, but because you could manipulate the experience with a
controller.
If you hold down the Z button before the GameCube logo comes on screen, you’re greeted with
a somewhat unsettling...monkey and child laughing?
Weird.
Lastly, if you plug in four controllers and hold down the Z button on all of them, you’re
greeted with some traditional-sounding percussion music.
Hiding fun, interactive easter eggs inside
your console’s start-up music?
That’s a very Nintendo thing to do, and fits perfectly with the adorable weirdness
of the GameCube.
The original Xbox boot-up sequence is very sci-fi.
It feels like you’re witnessing something being created in a mad scientist’s lab.
It was a big contrast to its competition at the time - Nintendo’s strange yet charming
GameCube, and the comparatively chill PlayStation 2 startup sequence.
It’s effective at establishing the flashy, green Xbox brand, and gets straight to the
point: this is a brand new console like nothing you’ve seen before.
So there you have it!
Eight of the best console startup sounds of all time, ranked in order of console release
date.
What was your favorite from this list?
Or do you think we left out the true champion of console boot sequences?
Let us know in the comments below - and we’ll see you next time.