Video games with well-tailored soundtracks can produce memorable experiences for me.  The singular tune that I have always loved is the track to Green Hill Zone in the original Sonic the Hedgehog.  I had several arguments with my SNES-loving friends about which console was better, or who was the better character—Sonic or Mario.  In retrospect, the SNES was far superior to the Genesis, and I’ll concede that Luigi was a much more helpful sidekick than worthless Tails, but Sonic was, and to me, always will be, far cooler than Mario. 

Green Hill Zone, with nonsensical lyrics, easily could have been a hit 80s pop song.  As it was, Green Hill Zone provided the perfect melodic description of who Sonic is: optimistic, upbeat, motivating, and relaxing.  The tune just oozes cool.  Listening to the song now transforms me back to being ten years old.  I feel carefree, remembering a time when my most serious concern was freeing the innocent woodland animals from Dr. Robotnik.  Nothing else briongs me so readily back to that old, stress-free state of mind.

The recent (read: everything post-Sonic 2) bastardization of the Sonic franchise is a pity to watch, as I recall my beloved character that never got the respect I felt he deserved.  Thankfully, I always have Green Hill Zone’s beautiful melody (and the rest of the Sonic and Sonic 2 soundtracks were pretty dang good, too) to remember the video games I cherished when I was very young.