History Main / VariableMix

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' and ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' have this, with non-radio ingame music changing depending on various things, such as the player arriving at certain locations (or parts thereof) or being discovered by a passing enemy. In the latter, the music also changes between day and night, and with your KarmaMeter and faction allignment, most epically during the final battle at Hoover Dam.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' and ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' have this, with non-radio ingame music changing depending on various things, such as the player arriving at certain locations (or parts thereof) or being discovered by a passing enemy. In the latter, the music also changes between day and night, and with your KarmaMeter and faction allignment.

** Actually, this is part of the ''KI'' games since the originals. When one of the fighters reached the final fourth or so of their second health bar (when it flashes red), the BGM became more frantic, and the end of the song would play on knockout.

* Because of the importance of listening to your surroundings, the ''{{Thief}}'' games tended to avoid background music of any sort...until they wanted to make you jump out of your skin. The very first level of the first game had one notable moment where you would be following a side hallway, and once you got to a more central passage, the game would suddenly play a single deep, loud note. ''DOOOOOOM.''

* In some levels with ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'', the background music gets instruments or changes when various puzzle elements are used. For an example, music becomes muffled inside excrusion funnel or gets a line of instruments when running on propulsion gel.

* Sort of done in TombRaider, where there's a particularly jarring music sting as you enter a particular area where you're attacked by a Tyrannosaurus. The sting is cued to the location, ''not'' the Tyrannosaurus itself, so gamers who've managed to kill him while barely surviving and who then go back past the same point for some reason may mess themselves when they hear the sting again.

* In ''TombRaider: Anniversary'', the background music in Croft Manor changes slightly depending on whether the player is in the house, the gym or outside.

* ''VideoGame/VegaStrike'' has background music varying [[hottip:sets: (in current v.0.5.1 -- 58 tracks in 27 lists)]] by situation (which faction owns the system, whether it's peace/far enemy presence/battle) and for different planets or bases when the PlayerCharacter's ship is docked. Endlessly [[GameMod moddable]], since sets are plain m3u playlists and "dj" is a UsefulNotes/{{Python}} module.

* ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]'': There are two tracks for everywhere in the game, one for when you're walking around outside as Bowser and one for when you're inside Bowser.

* The 2013 ''VideoGame/KillerInstinct'' title will have a variety of themes for each stage that fade in and out depending on what characters do during the fight (and that includes plain nothing).

* ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion'' repeats the main theme of the game when you're in the Mansion, but it has variations for hallways, dark rooms, and outside. All have Luigi humming over the theme, except in lit rooms, where he whistles the theme. The tempo also decreases if Luigi's health worsens. The poor guy's humming even sounds more and more scared and shaky as his health lowers, too!
** ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion'' has different versions of each mansion theme playing depending on if you are inside or outside. A MultiMookMelee level also has the music get faster the more ghosts there are that remain uncaptured. A more subtle example is in E. Gadd's bunker, where Luigi will whistle along a little bit with the background music every so often.

** According to the previews, ''GrandTheftAutoV'' follows the suit.

* ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion'' repeats the main theme of the game when you're in the Mansion, but it has variations for hallways, dark rooms, and outside. All have Luigi humming over the theme, except in lit rooms, where he whistles the theme. The tempo also decreases if Luigi's health worsens.
** The poor guy's humming sounds more and more scared and shaky as his health lowers, too!

* Happens in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'', albeit not on the fly. The main hub theme has variations depending on whether or not you're near DK Island, near the Kremlings' fortress or in one of the level hubs.
** even if your character is not in an area where the music changes in a level, if you do something that triggers an event in such an area, the music will change as the ''camera'' enters that area.

** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze'' has a more relaxing, atmospheric mix of level themes playing when you go underwater, somewhat similar to former fellow Rare franchise ''Banjo-Kazooie''.

* In ''DonkeyKongJungleBeat'', the background music is often a simple, understated little tune. And if you play through the levels like a normal platformer, it'll stay that way. However, once you start using the combo system (doing tricks in midair and stringing moves together without touching the ground), things get interesting as you collect more and more bananas. More instruments will be added to the song. Then the percussion begins to pick up. Then a crowd yells "GO! GO! GO!" to the beat of the song. Then the crowd also yells "Wooo!" on the off-beats and claps along. Then the main tune is overlaid with some funky jazz riffs. And then the percussion starts drowning everything out...When you finally land and end your combo, the crowd breaks into a hearty cheer, and then it's back to the simple music again. Needless to say, playing well in this game gets you ''pumped''.
** Don't forget the boss music, which effortlessly switches from tense to triumphant, depending on whether DK is on the defensive or the offensive.

* In the GBA version of ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry 3'', which has a new soundtrack, the riverside levels have this, with the ambient+bongo track when out of the river, and an aquatic theme for when you're in the river. Of course, [[ThatOneLevel with most of the river levels eventually hurting you if you end up in the river]]...

* A large number of classic LucasArts games, beginning with ''MonkeyIsland2'', used a system called iMuse to provide interactive music, one of the first such examples of this. The most famous example is probably [=MI2=]'s Woodtick, where the music has dozens of transitions meaning that each piece of music comes to a natural end, ''wherever it is in the track'', before moving on to the next piece. The result is mindblowing, and it's the kind of thing which is only possible with MIDI.

* The ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfSpyro Legend of Spyro]] games do this, especially ''Dawn of the Dragon''. The music will fade from a sweeping string melody or a haunting chorus that is the level's normal music to epic horns or fast drums when enemies appear, and then back again when all the enemies are dead, using a quick sort of fade for the transition. Anyone well-versed in music will hear the break quite clearly, but to most people it's almost completely seamless.

** In ''YoshisStory'', the music changes depending on your health. When you're down to your last health point, the music slows to a crawl. When you're invincible, it changes to an electric guitar version of the level theme.

The music for a non-interactive story, like a film or TV show, is expected to change and adapt to the action taking place. However, games have a limited ability to do this. It's not practical to have JohnWilliams watch the player's actions and spur up the London Symphony Orchestra every time [[Franchise/MetalGear Solid Snake]] gets seen by a passing guard.

* SlyCooper

*** Also in Galaxy, every time you activate a sling star a harp will be added in tempo and harmony. If you activate the bigger ones with two stars (to go to different planetoids, etc.) the harmony will be longer; if you use the single star ones for shooting you short distances, the harmony will be shorter. This occurs with every single song, even with the Rainbow Star (invincibility) and power-up songs (Fire Flower, Ice Flower, etc.)

**** same case with Buoy Base: above water, it's Symphony Orchestra, below water it's synthesiser and Organ.

** ''NewSuperMarioBros2'' adds a wood-block to the soundtrack when ever Mario uses his Raccoon form.
* The Legend of Spyro games do this, especially Dawn of the Dragon. The music will fade from a sweeping string melody or a haunting chorus that is the level's normal music to epic horns or fast drums when enemies appear, and then back again when all the enemies are dead, using a quick sort of fade for the transition. Anyone well-versed in music will hear the break quite clearly, but to most people it's almost completely seamless.
* In the ''{{Banjo-Kazooie}}'' games, the music would change slightly depending on where the player is in the level. For example, the music would always change to a harp arrangement when diving underwater. And in the first world, Mumbo's Mountain, a military drumbeat would be added to the track when the player approaches the termite hive.
** Gruntilda's Lair alone had at least 11 different themes that would blend seamlessly from one to the next: The base theme music, the underwater music, and one for each world that would play when you approach a world's portrait or entrance, with an arrangement appropriate for that world. Cheato's theme may also count - it's not a variation on the Gruntilda's Lair theme but the music switches from the lair theme to Cheato and back when you approach/walk away from him, with one fading out at the same time the other fades in so that it feels seamless.
** In ''BanjoTooie'', there was a glitch where after beating Mr. Patch, sometimes every variation of the Witchyworld theme would play at once until you exited the tent.

* The games in the ''JakAndDaxter'' series add new layers to the background music when the player mounts a vehicle or takes out a weapon.

* Used in ''KnyttStories'', as the player transitions between areas.

** The same game also featured different background music depending on which captain you were currently in control of, with Louie's sounding more silly. When you cleared a level of its treasures, the Pikmin following you would also occasionally sing along with the music.
*** Technically, Olimar's themes have a standard 4/4 beat, while Louie's themes have a jazzy swing beat.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' and ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' have this, with non-radio ingame music changing depending on various things, such as the player arriving at certain locations (or parts thereof) or being discovered by a passing enemy. In the latter, the music also changes between day and night, and with your KarmaMeter.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' and ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' have this, with non-radio ingame music changing depending on various things, such as the player arriving at certain areas or being discovered by a passing enemy. In the latter, the music also changes between day and night, and with your KarmaMeter.

* At the 2012 Video Games Unplugged concert in Melbourne, a ''real-time'' version of this was done for the segment featuring the final round of a [[SoulCalibur SoulCalibur V]] tournament. ImpracticalButAwesome.