Origins of video game music samples - Spyro Edition 

90s composers really loved the Distorted Reality discs

It's so funny to see samples that were also used in Silent Hill. The same sample was used there for such an eerie and ominous atmosphere, but used here for a joyful and upbeat tone.

I love how everyone who grew up in the 90s had a childhood full of samples!

I chuckled a bit hearing that the calling sound in Beast Makers is actually called "Dove Call" when it is obviously someone trying to imitate a dove. "Tweak" from "Spectrasonics Distorted Reality II" got around a lot. That high-pitched syncopated synthesizer whistle was used by the composer of Rayman 2, Eric Chevalier, for "Top of the World ~Dance Mix~". I'm actually recognizing many samples that were also used in Rayman 2. And then there's the legendary Chinese Flute samples called "Chnstmpl" (apparently short for "Chinese Temple" Flute Sample Music) from "Spectrasonics - Heart of Asia" that Sierra Online used for their intro logo animations for games in the 6th console generation before they were absorbed by Activision.

3:17 - I swear, this sample is almost everywhere. Like a Wilhelm Scream, but for musicians.

Crystal fissure needs to see your video

It's amazing how he could make songs around such small little beats and sounds. I love his work!

5:39 It's used for Koopa's scream in some Mario games

the BD Roll is used everywhere, it's so common and so iconic

The homeworlds in Spyro 2 are beautiful and my favorite is Autumn Plains.

The "Werk" and "Tweak" samples were also used by Copeland in his theme for The Amanda Show

Omg I’ve been wanting to hear the Flute on it’s own in Cloud Temple for YEARS! Thank you!!

This is extremely interesting. I'm a tracker musician and I tend to sample a lot, and the early PS1 spyro series were some of my favourite games, specially their soundtracks had a very special vibe to them that I don't find in anything else. Thanks so much for this! Definitely something to learn from. Very inspirational to see this too. I'm pretty sure it's worth noting that Steward Copeland (the drummer from 'The Police') also handled a lot of the soundtracks for the first trilogy of the games if I'm not mistaken! Very interesting too. Will be sampling these :)

Heard the small drum loop from 17:09 on a slot machine in a casino one time like 6 years ago. Instantly knew where it was from. I was so excited to hear it randomly, I kept telling my friend to listen to it and tell me if he recognized it as well. No dice. I guess some people aren't as musically inclined as others.

I've got two to contribute to the list, Sgt Byrd's Base, the distant bell sound is 'Anvil Strike' from Spectrasonics Distorted Reality 2 and the ambient horn sound in Hurricos is 'Orchestra Pentanotic' from Peter Siedlaczek's Complete Classical Collection.

I NEED to hear the Magma Cone vocals in isolation lol. I recognize some of these samples from Sonic Adventure as well, another game I grew up with.

Stephan Vankov definitely could’ve used this video when remaking the music for the Reignited Trilogy. lol

That dove call scared the shit out of me as a kid when I went to beast makers

Seeing all these samples now explains why it has been so complicated for the music pieces to be released and why some have yet to be released officially.

I’ve heard Transforme a lot. It’s in Chrono cross, final fantasy x, the intro to one of Kansas the band’s live dvds. Hell even Crosscode has it. I can’t escape it but I also love it.

Sorry for the small rendering mistake with some screenshots in the extra section. I only noticed it after uploading and I already rendered the video twice so I'm not going to fix that. Edit: A few sounds are labelled incorrectly: At 1:41 the sample should be called TELLYVICE instead of METAL LOCK and the Saxophone samples from Crazy Chicken at 23:29 are from Zero-G - Phantom Horns and not from Univers Sons - Jazztastic. Thanks to Dmitri Leontev for pointing this out.

This is an incredible work of research. Thank you for compiling this.

This is so fascinating! Man, it must've taken ages to put this together! Thank you!

This is so amazing. Thank you!

I love how most of the time it sounds like he just hits a wine glass with a fork.

17:17 That's definitely the snare sample Copeland used mostly for Spyro 1 (Title theme) and 2 (Glimmer theme) and on some tracks for Spyro 3.

I remember hearing a lot of these on Animal Planet's The Most Extreme.

Stewart used a lot of the same samples in his film soundtracks from this period.

i didnt know i needed this. thank you

6:35 I'm starting to notice this sample EVERYWHERE

This is quite a nice sample list! One thing that might catch your eye if you're looking for Spyro samples is that Groovemaker contains most of Firework Factory and bits of pieces from other tracks.

20:36 - Is this where AOE's "wololo" comes from?

With my autism, I have the ability to recognize sounds, too. My family is always impressed with me being able to point them out whenever I hear them. I’m glad to know there’s someone else online who recognizes these sound samples. However, I know a few sound samples from Spyro that you forgot to add to that video. For example, that high-pitched echoing "Wooooow-wow-wow-wow-wow" guitar sound heard in "Sgt. Byrd's Base" is among the sound samples you missed while tracing the other sounds back to their sources. I also heard it on The Proud Family in the background music whenever Wizard Kelly was onscreen. If you like, you can take all the time you need while you find that one. I'll send more info on the other sounds you missed later.

Stone Hill uses Iceland 1 from Distorted Reality 1! I recognize it from Legend of Zelda Majoras Mask!

The STOOPIDFNK sound from Skelo’s Badlands was also used in the cartoon Xiaolin Showdown.

Stewart Copeland did the soundtrack for the “film” Riding the bus with my sister where Rosie O’Donnell is developmentally challenged and some of the tracks I swear to god are from the cutting room floor of the first 3 Spyro games.

this is amazing. and incredibly interesting. thank you so much for all the work this must have taken

3:43 I recognise from "Dangerous Places" from the Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines soundtrack

OF COURSE!!! No wonder why I always pondered about certain voice and sound samples being rather similar to each other in Spyro and Worms World Party. Now this all makes sense.

25:15 It's also from the Cincinnati Zoo!

Stunning finds!

10:05 -- Thank you! I've heard this exact sample appear in Timesplitters 2 (return to planet X) and a KMFDM song (strut) so I have been trying to figure out where it came from! Now I've got a name.

The "AIRWAYS" and "CROAK" drumloops are also sampled in "Even" (#5) by Maksim Fadeev under his alias Oil Plant from the sountrack to the Russian film "The Red One: Triumph".

Samples: Distorted Reality Heart of Africa Heart of Asia

3:22 Metroid Prime Hunters menu theme

3:39 How It's Made opening theme

They really went all out with that cd

5:29 STOOPIDFNK is one sample I remember hearing from something else. Specifically, the Old New York level from Futurama: The video game!!

20:37 Narwini. All of you likers, stand guard. Say "Erectus." if you agree.

6:44 is also used in Daytona USA 2001's Mermaid Lake theme.

3:56 The intro to Cendrillon by Dios/Signal-P

6:45 Also Mermaid Lake, Daytona Usa (Dreamcast)

Sounds like a combo of a Kurzweil K2500X, Spectrasonic's and some custom samples were used.

MAGS 1A sample from East West - Scoring Tools in Heroes of Might and Magic 3 is the theme of finding the grail

12:09 What a sec? That sample was used in Delirium - Wisdom song. Now I know where it was originally^_^

Amazing work, thank you!!

Imagine if Koji Kondo used some of these in Mario games

23:57 YES!

6:47 That was also used in Conker: Live & Reloaded - The Ditch.

16:48 Dragon Ball Z Budokai 3 use that exact sample for the character select theme song

Wow! I never knew about this:D Thanks for sharing:)

0:23 the sample from zelda last day music 😂

FUTILE and INTRIGUE from Distorted Reality II were used by Mark Morgan in Planescape: Torment soundtrack and honestly I've been hearing these two sounds everywhere! (Rayman 3 comes to mind).

how much money did these composers have, jeesus christ .... and not just money as in cash, but the space to store all these GBs of data

Fantastic video. Great work.

Nice breakdown, must've taken ages

Very well done!

That last sample, and probably others from the same group, are definitely in Crash Bash's Papu Pummel.

3:43 that sample is also used in Splinter Cell Chaos Theory

This is awesome thank you.

IMHO, the flute in "Frozen Altars" sound exactly like in the song "Curtis Mayfield - Back to Living Again".

Interesting video

12:05 The same flute sample can be heard in the "Princess Robot Bubblegum" trailer for "Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony".

SPECTRASONICS WINS AGAIN

Baby Tv " Magic Lantern " brought me here.

You can make this on Rayman 2 ? lot of sounds are from Distorted Reality 1&2 also :), love your video! these samples are life!!

13:21 They used that sample in Breaking bad in that flashback scene where young walt and skyler are buying their house.

Excellent!

19:25 I got SF4 on the brain

3:50 + 3:56 Beast Machines!

There's one sample I've been looking everywhere for. It was used right at the beginning of the song Sudden Trouble from the Far Cry 4 soundtrack. The only reason I even know it's a sample is because you can hear it on the NBC show heroes. The scene is called "Peter Paints the Future " on RU-vid. and the sample happens at about 1:45 into the video. If you can try to find it I would be very grateful.

Can anybody tell me how i can buy or download the loop packs provided in this video and another thing can somebody time stamp If tree tops is on the list

thank you for this video!

the SCREAM sound effect is also in the Mario 64 files for some reason

You should do another part to this now that the new Spyro Soundfont update is here! There’s new samples like the Tibet Cymbal Horse from Idol Springs (the weird ghost like sound) and the breakup synth from Midday Gardens to name a few (I actually use those two a lot in my music)

6:38 CAT WOMAN is also used in Phineas and Ferb! 😃

Well done! This is a really thorough and deep video I love using these loops in music. I think you forgot the ones in Cloud Spires in Spyro 3 or maybe you couldn’t find them I dunno either way it was a great video.

25:21 Zuma Deluxe

4:12 This one was in an Age of Empires 2 Conquerors theme

There a Sample in the Games Spyro 4 (soundtrack Dragon Realm)we can here in the Games The Simpsons hit and run(soundtrack Legitimade Business)

0:21 I hear ICELAND

120FXDRLP4 is used in the SA2B intro, as well

Am I the only one who thinks that GLINTING sounds like an alternate of PARADISE (Autumn Plains?)

Can you do another video on this on Spyro again, i thought these Samples on Spyro was very interesting to watch

5:39 Jet Set Radio

Undulater1 is used in Age of Mythology, Atlantean theme

2:26 heard that in Silent Hill 3 - sickness unto foolish death

Curious if you could possibly do something like this for sound effects?

6:35 this one is present in Carmagedon

fabulous