SlobsofGaming.com

Video game music rocks. It has grown dramatically as a genre in the last 40 years, from the bleeps and bloops of Pac-Man to the wondergasmic orchestras behind the Final Fantasy series. Music in the gaming world has not only created an entire underground genre of entertainment, but it has also inspired many fans to pay tribute through their own masterful music.

These are the very best of gamers and musicians, the top video game cover bands. Here at SlobsofGaming, we're saluting class acts like the hardcore NESkimos, the metalhead Minibosses, and the enigmatic Black Mages. Sit down, take a listen, and enjoy the nostalgic gaming tunes...

Powerglove

Powerglove, birthed from Massachusetts, takes a metal tone with their favorite video game music. (Of course, they're named after a special sort of NES controller.) This cover band also as the best damn costumes you'll ever see on stage, looking like they walked off a Viking battleground. As far as pure metal goes, these guys really know their stuff. If you haven't checked out their first two albums, pray that they finish making their rumored third.

The Advantage

The Advantage takes a relaxed rock approach to the music that they cover, and they've been doing it since 1998 -- longer than most video game cover bands have been around. Any gamer-slash-music fan on the west coast knows their name, and for good reason. The Advantage's drum work is especially good, thanks to Spencer Seim's masterful efforts. These kings of California travel up and down the state with their van full of dreams, and they keep rocking till the sun goes ghost. Sit down and take a listen to the Advantage's take on the Metal Gear Jungle theme, then go get the rest of their music!

The Minibosses

These guys are one of the biggest successes in video game music. Only playing cover songs of original NES games, the Minibosses have traveled all across the country with many fans in tow. If you ever stop by their website, you'll be able to hear a ton of mosh pit-worthy covers of game tracks from Bionic Commando, Ninja Gaiden, and more. The Minibosses hail from Northampton, Massachusetts, and have been seen at over 170 venues like Defcon and PAX -- where will they pop up next?

ARMCANNON

Video game covers don't get more melodious than ARMCANNON's wicked tracks. With a moniker cleverly adapted from the Mega Buster, these guys use a plethora of powerful instruments to cover Zelda, Final Fantasy, and of course, Mega Man. If you pick ARMCANNON up for a listen, we recommend "Still More Fighting" and "Smegmaman 3" for your musical library. There's a little metal, some piano work, and even more for the curious gamer. Give these New Yorkers a chance, and you'll be hooked.

The Konami Kode

Although they're in the shadows of greater bands from the Massachusetts area, you haven't heard Sonic the Hedgehog music done right until you've heard The Konami Kode do it. Our short music sampling just doesn't deliver them justice, so we recommend that you check out their MySpace page in a hurry. In the meantime, enjoy a piece from their cover of "Chemical Plant".

The Megas

Ever heard of lyrics in a Mega Man song? We didn't until we came across The Megas, a video game cover band from the City of Angels. Their 2008 album, "Get Equipped", has themes based on each of the bosses in Mega Man 2, yielding a unique and memorable collection of gamer rock. Our current favorite, of course, is "Metal Dance". Buy their album if you want great music you can croon along to as you play through your next Mega Man adventure. The Megas RULE.

MegaDriver

Before MegaDriver, we had never heard a more epic cover for Frog's Theme from Chrono Trigger. This Brazilian metal band formed in 2003, playing music from titles as varied as Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, and many other Genesis games. If you want to see them on stage, listen up for Video Games Live when they come to your town -- MegaDriver just might be in tow.

Vomitron

"THIS is what happens when you give a f***** a guitar and an amp. If you ever have children like this, make sure you feed them to your pet anaconda." With that one sentence, you can imagine the kind of video game metal that Vomitron unleashes on the innocent. They're foul, crude, and game music mongers like you've never experienced. The kind of shows Vomitron plays are shows that make you bleed. Brutal.

Uematsu & The Black Mages

Who HASN'T heard of these guys? As if being known as one of the founding fathers of video game music wasn't enough, Nobuo Uematsu decided to make his own rock band, devoted solely to recreating Final Fantasy themes. Who better to cover "One-Winged Angel" than the master himself? The appropriately named Black Mages rarely make a live appearance, but their CDs sell like hotcakes. If you're going to be in Japan during August, you can see the Black Mages at Yokohama BLITZ pretty soon -- you lucky bastards.

The NESkimos

"We got drunk one night in Florida and decided to start a band, leaving the world to be saved or taken over by someone else for a change." For every force of nature, there is an opposite and equal force. The NESkimos, eternal rival to the Minibosses, have an extensive list of video game covers that include unlikely candidates like Kirby and the original Metal Gear. Their fierce fanbase makes them a force to be reckoned with! While only one original member of the band still exists, the music hasn't suffered in the lease -- and there's a new NESkimos album on the way from this Florida group.

The Video Game Cover Band

When someone says they're THE Video Game Cover Band, you know they can back it up. The VGCB plays plenty of classic covers from Final Fantasy, Zelda, and Castlevania, but you haven't lived until you hear their take on Street Fighter II's various stage themes. Hit the :25 mark on the track player to hear the magic.

• << prev
• next >>