Since the NES days, Capcom has always offered incredible music in their games. Mega Man, DuckTales, and Bionic Commando were some of the great ones back then, but they've continued to deliver quality music throughout all console generations. As video game music evolved, their soundtracks did too.
In the PS2 era, you got fully orchestrated scores akin to the epic work you'd see in Hollywood films. In addition, Capcom has some of the most iconic songs in gaming. Their full catalog of scores is quite diverse, too, with certain projects being like nothing else.
10 Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
Devil May Cry 3 was a return to form for the DMC franchise after the second installment was a disaster. The combat, bosses, and story were the best yet. However, the soundtrack is equally amazing. DMC4 and 5 also had pretty good soundtracks, but they didn't have the impact that DMC3 did.
Throughout it, recurring musical motifs highlight key story moments, like when Dante and Vergil encounter each other. It does exactly what a good film score is, and that's to make the big dramatic and hype moments hit that much harder. Plus, some of the boss themes, like Vergil Battle 2, are ungodly awesome.
9 Bionic Commando Rearmed 1 And 2
The Bionic Commando games are a series of criminally underrated platformers. Rearmed 1 and 2, available on Xbox 360 and PS3, are still a blast to play. The platforming's still so unique and fun, but what also makes these two games amazing is the music.
Simon Viklund, who's most famous for making the music for Payday 1 and 2, worked on many Capcom games before that. This includes the two Rearmed titles, and they're such hard bangers it's difficult not to listen to them on their own after playing. A lot of it is remixed from the NES game, but the way Simon transforms these tracks makes them seem brand new again.
8 Final Fight: Double Impact
Another soundtrack Simon Viklund did for Capcom was the two-pack downloadable release Final Fight: Double Impact. It included one of the best beat-'em-ups of all time in Final Fight and the fantasy action game Magic Sword. Both games have been rereleased many times after this, but they're missing one big feature: Simon's remixed music.
The new soundtrack for Final Fight rocks so hard and fits the 80s theme. If you're playing with people around you, they'll likely comment on how awesome the music is. Final Fight's soundtrack is pretty iconic within the Capcom fandom, and Double Impact's remixed music is hands down the definitive version.
7 Resident Evil Outbreak
One of the best Resident Evil spin-offs has to be Resident Evil Outbreak. Its replayability and unique scenarios stand out, but the soundtrack remains special in the series. Composed in part by Tetsuya Shibata, who would later work on DMC3 and 4, it has that same epic, movie-like feel.
No other Resident Evil soundtrack is on the high cinematic scale seen here. The main theme of Outbreak is great and works wonders for the opening scene, but the final boss music is on a whole new level. It frankly should have been used in trailers for future titles, even if the track wasn't in the game itself.
6 Resident Evil 5
While not reaching the epic larger-than-life feel of Outbreak's soundtrack, Resident Evil 5 is the closest to it. First, it makes sense the soundtrack for this game is ramped up a bit due to the large scale of the story. The takedown of Wesker has been built up in the series since 2000's Code: Veronica, and nine years later, it's finally time to settle the score.
All the small pieces of music common in RE games are well down, like the results screen, item box, and viewer. The Mercenaries music is amazing, and it isn't recycled from another game, unlike what RE4 did. The boss battle tracks, though, are the standouts. Wesker's music fits him like a glove, and the track Sad But True perfectly complements the drama of the Jill fight.
5 Remember Me
Now this is a hidden gem of a soundtrack and game too. Remember Me is actually Don't Nod's first developed project and is often forgotten. A narrative action title, it depicts a fascinating dystopian world centered on memories, and the soundtrack is a one-of-a-kind in Capcom's library.
If you've played this game before, upon hearing its main theme, you'll immediately tell it's from Remember Me. It's so distinct and fits the dystopian world it's in perfectly. The combat music also totally rocks, and there's nothing like it. Even people who aren't fans of this game will, 100 percent of the time, agree that this soundtrack kicks ass.
4 Mega Man 9
Picking the best soundtrack in the Mega Man series is incredibly tough. Many will choose either Mega Man 2 or 3, and while those have some of the series' best tracks, Mega Man 9 is the best overall. All eight robot masters' themes are fantastic.
Concrete Man alone just hits differently than the NES titles, and it does a great job of hyping you up. The Wily Castle tracks are still good, but not nearly as quality as the robot masters' themes. It's still better than the Wily music in Mega Man 3. Overall, Mega Man 9 wins by a hair, mainly due to just how good the robot masters' themes are.
3 Dead Rising
Not every great soundtrack needs to have bumpin' hard-hitting music, as they can have chilled, relaxed music too. Dead Rising has a decent mix of both, but more emphasis is on the latter. Since the primary setting is a mall, six total mall themes are played in various sections.
It accurately feels like mall music and is pretty calming. The boss music, on the other hand, is much more unique and frankly awesome. The most famous piece is the Convicts theme, Gone Guru. It's so good that it's become synonymous with the Dead Rising franchise.
2 Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3
In terms of Capcom fighting games, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has one of the best soundtracks. The art style of MVC3 perfectly captures that Marvel comic book feel, and the soundtrack also feels that way. From the menu music to the sound of the character's themes, MVC3 screams 90-style Marvel Comics in terms of aesthetics.
What's also cool is that most of the Capcom character's themes are remixed tracks from their original games. These are great, with the two biggest highlights being Wesker and Vergil's theme. The music for the Marvel characters is also good, and overall, this soundtrack takes you back to a time before the MCU and the mass influx of Marvel movies, when it was all about Marvel Comics.
1 Street Fighter 2
Street Fighter 2 is iconic, from the game itself to the soundtrack, which contains some of the most famous songs in gaming. The themes for Ryu, Ken, and Guile are up there in terms of video game music you first think of.
Guile's theme even has its own dedicated meme, and yes, it does go with everything. Sure, later titles had better-remixed versions, but those wouldn't exist without this game. Despite being over two decades old, most of these tracks are still fire. Historically, Street Fighter 2's soundtrack is the best in terms of sure impact on the industry.