Game music of the day: F-Zero

Game: F-Zero

Song: Silence

Composer: Naoto Ishida, Yumiko Kametani

Nintendo knew it could successfully launch the Super NES with little more than Super Mario World to back it up, but rather than rely on proven franchises, the company kicked off its 16-bit era with a handful of brand new ideas that would eventually become mainstays in their own right. Most notable would be the Mode-7 powered F-Zero, which dazzled us with screaming speed, rotating raceways and an immediately classic soundtrack that has more than stood the test of time.

Which song to choose, even? Just about everything's good, but for my money I'd go with Silence, a pretty little tune that starts off rather somber and picks up halfway through (dig that bass guitar!). Honestly not the best racing music, but inarguably beautiful when listened to on its own. That opening also makes a great ringtone.

Above: Big Blue is one of the most frequently remixed tracks on the internet - with good reason

F-Zero remains one of my favorite franchises, and I'm still baffled why we haven't seen a new entry since 2004's GP Legend on GBA. No DS game, no Wii game, nothing. I didn't get the sense that F-Zero had become some kind of sales liability, and now that Wii/DS have online capabilities it seems like the perfect series to update - especially considering how utterly brilliant F-Zero GX was without online play. Take that winning formula to the web and you've got a furiously good time. 30 hovercraft blasting down rollercoaster tracks at 60 frames a second? God YES.

YOU ARE DEAD by someone who will remain nameless

Chilling dance tunes from db soundworks

Main title by Kazumi Totaka