The ideal "final level" music

[adamaH_oriH]

EITHER:

Queen - Innuendo
OR...
Queen - The Show Must Go On.

[Oberron]

I find E3M8 to be action-packed.
Other songs that may be slow paced are: The Mansion/The Final Showdown from Last Ninja 2 (Turns into a fast paced song after 1 minute and 50 seconds or so), the ending cinematic from Sniper.

[Reactor]

E3M8 is action packed, and it WOULD be good, however I feel it is too repetative and singular (much like E2M8). As previously noted, the transition between E1M8 and E2M1 are perfect - E1M8 has that "all is lost" feeling, whilst E2M1 starts off with a "no problem, I'll can kill every monster just fine". E3M8 should've been given a more dramatic and longer music, after all, it was the very final level of Doom...

[NeuralStunner]

It was fitting enough a the time. Me vs You, winner takes all, let's do this, kickin' your ass, etc.

Nowadays we're too jaded, and a Mastermind isn't much of a challenge any more. Back in the day, this hideous, hulking monstrosity was enough to make one backpedal.

[MetroidJunkie]

That really depends on the mood of the game. Personally, I thought the action orientated Raptor Call of the Shadows had great "final level" music, it's the same track for the final wave of all 3 of its sectors and it really gets you in the mood.

[Reactor]

I remember Raptor: Call of the Shadows, and I finished it many times, although I didn't find any special "final level music" in it, which I really missed. The songs seem to repeat after a few waves. Tyrian didn't have any special "final level music" either, though the authors' idea was brilliant as a final level song - using the very first level's tune for the very last, kinda creating musical "brackets" for the entire game.
(Episode 5 does not count)

The night levels, however, do have a unique soundtrack - it's surprisingly soothing and calm, reminds me of a peaceful rowboating across a small pond

[MasterOFDeath]

The Big Money's okay, but the snare drum in the intro of the midi isn't as synthetically powerful as it is in the real version. I think I can fix this.

I'm seriously trying to imagine this song as a final boss theme and all I can imagine is a bullet hell game set on Wall Street where someone shoots money all over the screen and 80s CGI objects at you

[Big C]

The Big Money's okay, but the snare drum in the intro of the midi isn't as synthetically powerful as it is in the real version. I think I can fix this.

I'm seriously trying to imagine this song as a final boss theme and all I can imagine is a bullet hell game set on Wall Street where someone shoots money all over the screen and 80s CGI objects at you

So basically a vaporwave shmup?

[Shadelight]

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I liked this one as the transition into Ganon's theme was pretty neat.

[NeuralStunner]

I remember Raptor: Call of the Shadows, and I finished it many times, although I didn't find any special "final level music" in it, which I really missed. The songs seem to repeat after a few waves.

Raptor's music is pretty underwhelming in general, other than the "hangar" music and updated the Apogee theme. (Including the special one that plays on Paul Radek's birthday. )

[Matt]

Seconding MetroidJunkie re: Raptor, which also has an excellently implemented first level track. (It, D_RUNNIN and the first map music from Fox Ranger are my own personal baseline as to what an action game first level should sound like.)

The fact that it's the same "try time" music from earlier actually fits what's going on in Raptor - it's not a sudden dramatic reveal, but one in a long series of fights that happens to be the culmination of what had gone on before.

[Gez]

Replace D_RUNNIN by DN3D's Stalker and I'd agree.

[NeuralStunner]

Replace D_RUNNIN by DN3D's Stalker and I'd agree.

Yes.

Lee Jackson is a god among men.

[Reactor]

I see you've also noticed that the ideal "first level" music is always a rockin', upbeat and generally action-packed tune, let it be the music of "Hangar", "Entryway" or "Hollywood Holocaust". The song for "Deimos Anomaly" and "System Control" were also great examples for this. Since the first level is (mostly) very easy, featuring only basic monsters and weaponry, I felt that the "awesome first level music" phenomenon is the game's way of saying "hello" to you, and shows you what it has in store - now THAT's a warm welcome indeed!
Making the final level tune extremely depressing and sad in these cases makes perfect sense then - upbeat first level music, sorrowful final level music, as if the game regrets deeply it has to end

I simply couldn't envision tracks the other way around, it just doesn't taste right. Having a sorrowful first level music can be fine - witnessed at "Hell Beneath" - but a delightful final level song just ruins it, seriously.

[Oberron]

Two songs that are similar to Aztec and Egyptian from GoldenEye 007 for secret levels (one for episode 1, and a different song to episode 2, and one for episode 3).
and they might have action versions for scripted scenes.