History MusicalSpoiler / VideoGames

* In certain ''VideoGame/{{Kirby}}'' games (such as Nightmare in Dreamland), the music completely stops before a boss room. That and there's usually [[SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity a few recovery items and free copy abilities]]. For the most part though, this series averts this- the [[BossBattle Boss Battles]] you'd expect to be the FinalBoss have unique music to them, even when there's a second [[OneWingedAngel form]] or even [[TrueFinalBoss another battle]] afterwards. It also often [[AvertedTrope averts]] the other forms of Musical Spoiler, for example, the fight music will often pause after you've beaten the first form of a boss, only to come back for the ''real'' battle.

** In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'', the "town in trouble" theme plays the moment you arrive in Seaside Town, immediately before you happen upon any of the townsfolk, who are obviously acting suspicious. That music immediately tips players off to how the Smithy Gang is in control of the town.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'': "A Tense Moment" is remixed, but it only plays for the Daredevil Comet on Bowser Jr's Boom Bunker--which is a pretty ominous level in itself, featuring the wreckage of [[HumongousMecha Mega]][[DropTheHammer hammer]], a castle with prison-style spotlights, a planet consisting of little more than a slew of spinning platforms and a [[UnrealisticBlackHole black hole]], a subspace swamp, and the sun as a massive fireball looming in the background.

** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'', the game's primary villain Agahnim and [[spoiler:the final boss, Ganon]] share a {{leitmotif}}, introduced in this game and reused in many later ones. In all of those later ones it is ''exclusively'' [[spoiler:Ganon's]] theme, so anyone who plays this game after playing those later ones will be clued in to TheReveal that [[spoiler: Agahnim is Ganon in disguise]].

** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', Shiek's theme contains snippits of Zelda's Lullaby [[spoiler:because Shiek is actually Zelda in disguise]].
** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'', the melody of the Goddess' Song, the game's main theme, is Zelda's Lullaby played backwards, foreshadowing the fact that [[spoiler:Zelda ''is'' the Goddess]].
** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', the piano theme that plays whenever you meet the Old Man on the Great Plateau sounds suspiciously similar to the opening fanfare of the traditional Hyrule Castle theme. [[spoiler:Because the Old Man is actually Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule, the last King of Hyrule before his demise because of the Calamity Ganon.]]
** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'', the main theme blatently gives away the twist of what happened to Zelda after the events of the prologue. More specifically, [[spoiler:it ends with Zelda's Lullaby being played on the erhu, an instrument that in both this game and the previous one was primarily used for [[ScaledUp the theme of the dragons that fly around Hyrule]].]]

** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'', the main theme blatently gives away the twist of what happened to Zelda after the events of the prologue. More specifically, [[spoiler:it ends with Zelda's Lullaby being played on the ehru, an instrument that in both this game and the previous one was primarily used for [[ScaledUp the theme of the dragons that fly around Hyrule]].]]

* The 3D ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' games all replace the normal music with a combat theme when an enemy is near. In addition, ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' also has a special remix of the Hyrule Field overworld theme that plays whenever you've exposed an enemy weakpoint, and is generally your cue to commence button mashing (or Wii Remote waggling) to get in as many sword-hits as possible before the boss recovers.

* In ''VideoGame/BanjoTooie'', an ominous theme (aptly named "There Comes Trouble...") always starts playing when the duo is about to face a BossBattle. Eventually, upon entering a curiously empty room, Kazooie [[LampshadeHanging points this out]] by declaring: "[[MediumAwareness The music's changed]]. Every time that happens we always end up in a fight," before, oddly enough, fighting Klungo for the third time.
** Subverted in the same game, in Terrydactyland. Considering the number of massive dinosaurs about, it helps add to the grandeur of the area, but it's still bizarre. An area obstacle (to be fair, an irritatingly difficult one) gets [[BossSubtitles the ominous theme and boss description]] ('''Triassic Steamroller'''). A minigame gets the ominous theme and boss description ('''Stomach-Cramped Carnivore'''). A completely harmless NPC gets the ominous th... no, no theme, but he still gets a description ('''Seeker of Beverages'''). Even the actual boss of the area becomes a friendly NPC after his defeat.

* In ''VideoGame/ProfessorLayton and the Curious Village'', the professor's theme has a subtle ticking as punctuation. This foreshadows the revelation that [[spoiler: the villagers are all robots.]]
** When Layton's about to reveal something about the mystery, the music stops.
* ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'' has one that, if you're paying attention to it, hints at the twist that [[spoiler:Fassad is really Locria, the seventh and final Magypsy. When he confronts your party as '[=New/Miracle=] Fassad,' the musical horns he now has fitted to him play an even further distorted version of the saxophone line in the Magypsys' leitmotif.]]

** Played straight in Kirby's Adventure, where Dedede's battle uses the normal boss theme.
* Used in many ways in the ''Franchise/SilentHill'' games. If you hear particularly ominous ambient noise/music, it usually means enemies are nearby or something big such as a BossBattle or transition to the DarkWorld is about to happen. However, sometimes it's just a [[NothingIsScarier false scare]].
** Interestingly, starting in the second game, the presence of an obvious "combat theme" renders the radio item redundant. The radio is ostensibly there to alert the player to the presence of monsters, but almost every encounter features a clanging music score, making the radio somewhat moot.

** Wrong for Hisao at least. Nothing could prepare the player for [[BreakTheCutie the awakening of]] [[spoiler:Rage-Hanako]].

* Along with [[spoiler:Wheatley's [[EvilLaugh innocent-turned-sinister laugh]], the ambient lighting turning red, and THE F**KING PANELS BOUNCING WHILE HE LAUGHS]], the music suddenly becoming a lot more dramatic makes us realize that maybe it wasn't such a great idea to [[spoiler:install him into [=GLaDOS=]'s body]] in ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}''.
** Similarly, [[spoiler:Wheatley's boss theme, Bombs For Throwing At You, is labeled as a "Five Part Plan". But he only goes through four parts at the start of the fight. Eventually, he reveals the fifth part- rig the stalemate button with bombs in the event someone tries to push it.]]

* Who could possibly forget [[spoiler: [[BigBad Lumine]]'s]] theme in the eighth installment of ''Videogame/MegaManX''? The tune is just so ominous when he first appears that [[spoiler:it's almost a dead giveaway that he's the true villain... [[HardModePerks even if you don't get to fight him if you play on Easy]]]].

* In ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', you know when Lucca, Frog, Robo, or Ayla is about to do something cool because their {{Leitmotif}} starts playing.
** Although in his first appearance (a BigDamnHeroes moment), Frog uses Lucca's {{Leitmotif}}.
*** Poor Lucca's theme is so awesome that the developers simply stole it from her. It serves as a general victory or something-awesome theme, especially in ''VideoGame/ChronoCross''.

** Same goes to music in ''VideoGame/SeriousSam''.

* The 3D ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' games all replace the normal music with a combat theme when an enemy is near. In addition, ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' also had a special remix of the Hyrule Field overworld theme that plays whenever you've exposed an enemy weakpoint, and is generally your cue to commence button mashing (or Wii Remote waggling) to get in as many sword-hits as possible before the boss recovers.

*** Even the very first ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI'', which didn't use boss music, warned you when you were approaching boss territory. If any of the adjacent rooms held the Dungeons boss there would be "roaring" sounds every few seconds. Though some boss like monsters would make those sounds while onscreen anyway.

* In ''VideoGame/CaveStory'', [[spoiler:it is immediately obvious when the fight with PerfectRunFinalBoss Ballos begins that the form you start out fighting won't be the only form, as the music then playing is the miniboss or minor boss theme.]]
** Even before that, you can be certain that [[spoiler:the Doctor isn't the final boss]] because of the music.

** The same thing happens in ''VideoGame/{{Bomberman}} Generation''. The music switches to a variation of the Standard (Multiplayer) Battle theme when a boss is in critical condition.
* ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'', if you know your Sonic music. While standing outside a stage / boss, a medley will play. If you can correctly guess where the medley comes from, then you have an idea of what to expect.
** Averted for the last two bosses. The sixth boss plays a remix of E.G.G.M.A.N. from Sonic Adventure 2 [[spoiler: it's actually the Egg Dragoon from Sonic Unleashed]], and the final boss plays no music at all.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld2YoshisIsland'': The fourth world's BrutalBonusLevel subverts the trope. The "Room Before Boss" theme usually plays when Yoshi is approaching a boss (and it gets an extended play in the room before the FinalBoss, where Yoshi has to dodge Kamek's attacks). But in this level, it's the only theme that plays in the background, hinting that there's a boss at the end when there actually isn't (when Yoshi reaches the end, all he finds is the standard LevelGoal).

* In ''VideoGame/AlienVsPredator 2'', xenomorph encounters would be accompanied by the orchestral soundtrack...of ''[=AvP=] 1''. For some reason the original installment, though packaged with a soundtrack, never utilized it in-game, which is why it is [[NightmareFuel much, much scarier]] than the sequel.
** This is also the reason that the actual film ''Film/{{Alien}}'' cut back on its original bombastic musical score, replacing it with mostly silence.
*** The original score ''was'' cut back... but most of the film is actually scored. It's just so subtle and nuanced that it contributes to the atmosphere without you realising. It's still an aversion of the trope, just an aversion born of ridiculous amounts of compositional skill.

* In ''VideoGame/YoshisIsland'', the room before (or with, in many cases) the boss always has the same ominous BackgroundMusic playing to indicate a battle will start. Comes with a long corridor for build up.

* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'':
** There's an example heard in a few cases, there's a certain ominous theme appropriately titled "A Tense Moment" in the small section of the level before a boss battle, as can be seen when on the UFO before fighting Topmaniac, the small section of level before Tarantox and before the first King Kaliente battle (although really, it's kinda ironic the only bosses this happens for are those that don't need the warning because they're generally easy). Similarly, there's a kind of dead obvious giveaway of the boss battle about to start in Bowser Jr's reactor levels, in that his theme tune starts just before the boss starts attacking (and Bowser Jr himself will fly in and taunt you.)
** This game and its sequel also use a method similar to [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]], in that during the fights with Bowser, OminousLatinChanting will be added to the music when he's vulnerable to attack.
** ''Galaxy'' subverts this with Bowser Jr's appearance in the final level, where at first it looks like you're going to fight him before actually fighting Bowser for the last time, [[BaitandSwitchBoss but it turns out that you actually fight Bowser directly instead.]] Although he does rain meteors down on the stairway.
** "A Tense Moment" was remixed in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'', but it only played for the Daredevil Comet on Bowser Jr's Boom Bunker--which is a pretty ominous level in itself, featuring the wreckage of [[HumongousMecha Mega]][[DropTheHammer hammer]], a castle with prison-style spotlights, a planet consisting of little more than a slew of spinning platforms and a [[UnrealisticBlackHole black hole]], a subspace swamp, and the sun as a massive fireball looming in the background.

* In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'', the "town in trouble" theme plays the moment you arrive in Seaside Town, immediately before you happen upon any of the townsfolk, who are obviously acting suspicious. That music immediately tips players off to how the Smithy Gang is in control of the town.

* ''VideoGame/MarioParty2'': Each board ends with Bowser showing up to cause trouble, accompanied by his ominous theme song, followed by the Super Star (the winning player) showing up to do a BigDamnHeroes moment with a triumphant and heroic theme song. [[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers In the last board]], Bowser's theme continues when the Super Star makes an appearance, and the Super Star is unable to defeat Bowser alone. When Toad, the other players and the Koopa Troopa, who give the Super Star a star, the aforementioned heroic theme plays, and the Super Star manages to turn the tide and win.

* In many ''Pokémon'' games, legendary encounters have different battle music than normal wild encounter music. If the legendary Pokémon in question is encountered randomly (instead of as part of a scripted battle), this music (along with, in many but not all games, the unique [[FadeIn fade-in]] animations) can clue a player in that they're about to face something special.

* There's a severe difference in style between the normal BackgroundMusic and the fight music in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry''. Thus, if you enter an area and the music abruptly shifts gears, get your sword out. This is especially true for the [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening third game]], where the fight music has ''vocals''.

* If the music in ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' makes you think "How did they MAKE those sounds?!" then load your shotgun and bare your Energy Sword, you're about to be [[IncrediblyLamePun Flooded]].

* ''VideoGame/{{IMGCM}}'': At the beginning of the scene at Chapter 4 Episode 5 in the main story, when eerie music plays in the background, you know something [[NightmareFuel extremely]] [[CerebusSyndrome bad]] [[WhamEpisode will]] [[SurpriseCreepy happen]]. [[spoiler:Kaori, one of magical heroines, [[KillTheCutie screams in pain and dies from fatal injuries after being ambushed by a demon.]] The next scene is even worse: [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie She's subsequently corrupted into a demon.]]]] SpoilerTitle is also involved in that episode as the title of it is [[spoiler:"The End of Daily Life".]]

*** Even the very first ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda'', which didn't use boss music, warned you when you were approaching boss territory. If any of the adjacent rooms held the Dungeons boss there would be "roaring" sounds every few seconds. Though some boss like monsters would make those sounds while onscreen anyway.

** The dragons of ''Skyrim'' are practically the spiritual successors to the Cliff Racers in that regard. And come with convenient [[ConLang Dovahzul]] [[OminousLatinChanting chanting]], often in the form of TriumphantReprise of the game's main theme, to let you know annoyance-from-above is on its way.

* ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'' has musical cues for a lot of things. Zombie hordes attacking, special events, atmosphere cues, etc. Most prominent of all would be the leitmotif that kicks in when certain special zombies are nearby. And yes, people have already figured out how to replace said music with renditions of Yakety Sax.
** Here are the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow1uKuTxpnA Witch]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhiGnj7QX2A Tank]] themes. If you hear them in gameplay, you know that you're in for a near-death experience.

* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' has an example heard in a few cases, there's a certain ominous theme appropriately titled "A Tense Moment" in the small section of the level before a boss battle, as can be seen when on the UFO before fighting Topmaniac, the small section of level before Tarantox and before the first King Kaliente battle (although really, it's kinda ironic the only bosses this happens for are those that don't need the warning because they're generally easy). Similarly, there's a kind of dead obvious giveaway of the boss battle about to start in Bowser Jr's reactor levels, in that his theme tune starts just before the boss starts attacking (and Bowser Jr himself will fly in and taunt you.)
** VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy and its sequel also use a method similar to [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]], in that during the fights with Bowser, OminousLatinChanting will be added to the music when he's vulnerable to attack.