“Although met with scrutiny, KINGDOM HEARTS turned out to be easily one of the best games available for the PS2, not to mention one of the most heartfelt. Obviously no expense or effort was spared in this tremendous labour of love, a fact which is brought to light even stronger by this impressive double-CD set.

Just one listen to a few seconds of the music stripped away from its accompanying game will impress anyone who aren't even enchanted by games: sweeping through a huge panorama of moods from the gentle wistfulness of the opening "Dearly Beloved" to the motion picture-style epic quality of the main theme that moves you with all the grace and dramatic sweep of a traditional Hollywood score, the KINGDOM HEARTS soundtracks swells with effortless varity offering both the gentle and the complex. It even has a pop song written specifically for it (translated "Simple and Clean"). And yes, KH fans, it does have every piece of music in the game. And even more so: Disc 2 sports the bonus cuts "Having a Wild Time (Previous Version)" and "Destati"”.

Sweeping virtual orchestrations and symphonic atmospheria.

- As befitting an action/adventure game steeped in the fantastical realms of Greek mythology, the soundtrack to God Of War is teeming with sweeping epic orchestral compositions that swirl, stomp, and storm throughout the hour of total running time. Granted much of the music was created virtually (sans real orchestra and choir in favor of electronic manipulation), but all but the most trained of ears would be hard-pressed to distinguish between what is real and what is virtual. by Spence D.

“Hideo Kojima's choice of composer for Metal Gear Solid 2 was highly publicized in the follow-up to the game's release. Kojima decided upon Harry Gregson-Williams, a Hollywood film composer from Hans Zimmer's studio, after watching The Replacement Killers with sound director Kazuki Muraoka. A mix CD containing 18 tracks of Gregson-Williams' work was sent to his office. Flattered by the research put into creating the CD (as some of the tracks were unreleased, and that what tracks he'd worked on for some films were undocumented), he joined the project soon after”.

Two decades after releasing the world's first soundtrack recording with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney achieved another milestone by releasing Sleeping Beauty, the world's first stereo soundtrack album. Nominated for an Oscar in 1959, George Bruns's lilting orchestral score was adapted from the Tchaikovsky ballet and recorded in Germany, where the most state-of-the-art recording equipment could be found. (Disney spared no expense on the tale of Aurora and Maleficent–it cost a then-unheard-of $6 million to make the film.) Featuring Mary Costa's ethereal vocals on "Once upon a Dream" and "I Wonder," Sleeping Beauty's combination of songs and score set a standard that soundtrack releases would follow for decades to come. –Bill Forman

Nintendo of America offers yet another second-rate soundtrack CD release from one of its games - this time to the Gamecube game "Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem". The game delivered not only some of the most amazing graphics the console had ever developed, but one of the most amazing soundtracks as well. The music and sound effects, composed by Steve Henifin, received considerable acclaim for their spooky, ambient rhythms and bloodcurdling, nightmarish atmosphere. It can probably best to say that, like the game itself, this soundtrack release will leave a powerful impact upon you.

Hideo Kojima's choice of composer for Metal Gear Solid 2 was highly publicized in the follow-up to the game's release. Kojima decided upon Harry Gregson-Williams, a Hollywood film composer from Hans Zimmer's studio, after watching The Replacement Killers with sound director Kazuki Muraoka. A mix CD containing 18 tracks of Gregson-Williams' work was sent to his office. Flattered by the research put into creating the CD (as some of the tracks were unreleased, and that what tracks he'd worked on for some films were undocumented), he joined the project soon after.

The World of Warcraft is more than just a game, it's a work of art – and you can enjoy these unique creations outside of the game with The Art of World of Warcraft. This beautiful hardbound book contains sketches, concepts, and final colored art for the following:

All eight races – Dwarf, Gnome, Human, Night Elf, Orc, Tauren, Troll, and Undead
Monsters – from the Ancients to Magnataurs to Yeti
Environments – landscapes and flora, from the magnificent beauty of Emerald Paradise to the bleak wasteland of Desolace
Structures & Weapons – buildings, transports, arms, and armor
Cinematics – from storyboard to finished art
Promotional – full-page artwork, special drawings from Korea, and the Blizzard 2003 Christmas Card

After the success of their score for The Little Mermaid, the songwriting team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken returned to Disney for their second fairy-tale adaptation. Sadly, it was the duo's last completed score before Ashman's untimely death at age 41. This soundtrack contains more-conventional show music than The Little Mermaid, owing in large part to Broadway stalwart Angela Lansbury and to Jerry Orbach's Yves Montand impersonation. Most of the songs here were included in the subsequent Broadway adaptation and its cast album, but this disc is superior in its studio polish and cast, which is better suited to the score. –John Sanchez

The epic score from World of Warcraft featuring exclusive bonus tracks.