I give up. My four finalists. I can't seem to find the initiative to order them. So, because I just want to be rid of this list and move on, here they are, in non-order of importance... I suppose...:

Sonic Rush (DS)

If this isn't "what you need" on your DS' speakers, then I don't know what else is. This is an OST that I think needs no explanation. It doesn't just rock. It kills. And here ye this: Sonic's coolest soundtrack ever. Word.

Sonic Rush Adventure (DS)

Taking another route away from the first game from an audio standpoint, SRA still shines. I think SRA takes a more melodic approach to its score, and this, in turn, helps the entire experience feel more old school than ever. Boasting great orchestral BGM during the ironically bad dialogue scenes, and lively tunes throughout every stage, SRA is deserving of standing next to its brother.

Advance Wars: Dual Strike (DS)

Man, did Dual Strike have all the variety you could ask for in the world! The dudes scoring their sheet music must've had split personalities or something, or maybe Nintendo hired 50+ musicians for the role. Dunno. So much care was placed into everything AWDS did, and the music wasn't spared one bit.

Drill Dozer (GBA)

Dang, this game kicked tail on every front! Every. Front. And the music was AWESOME. Yeah, that's right. In CAPS. That means I'm serious. Srsly. Haven't I made this known before?

I'll admit to nesting my GBA underneath my pillow at night, headphones secured, sound test at the ready, and just chillin' to the music that can't be cIassified. You might not notice the sheer awesomeness of the BGM during play, but if you slow down a bit and take the time to really tune in, you'll love every bit of what you hear. And when you finish the story, expect some of the best credits music ever. EVER.

Scars have been left behind from critics that say that "the music's forgettable", "expect to be let down in the sound department", and the ever-offensive "soundtrack that sounds like it was written by drug-induced chipmunks". ...Say what? Then call me an inebriated rodent when I finally start on, and finish, my Drill Dozer remixed soundtrack.

Oh, yes. And if you happen to not have this masterpiece of a platformer in your collection, I will hunt you down and hold you for ransom so I can compile funds into a bank account so I can buy plane tickets to travel to Japan and force Game Freak, Inc. to make a sequel. Here's the link. Buy. Enjoy. And live. Mwahaha.

Samba de Amigo Wii impressions to come!

Seen the Samba de Amigo advertisements floating about the site? Dang, Sega never fails when it comes to promoting its games! Think about it. Can you remember ONE Sonic game that hasn't gotten its own click-ad on GameSpot in recent memory?

...

Yeah, that's what I thought.

It was because of a Sonic Riders ad I came across while browsing GS two-and-a-half years ago that lured me into visiting the official site. Consequently, I bought the game and hunted down as much Sonic-themed merchandise as I could within the past few years. And it all stemmed from that little ad. Curse you, commercialism!

These new Samba de Amigo advertisements are worse. They encourage folks to buy a game that'll surely make them look retarded in front of their fellow humans. Kudos, Sega!

Keep an eye on your feeds for OSTs #4-#1. I assure you, my final pick will baffle the mind!

Elite Beat Agents sports an attitude that's as much ridiculous as it is charming, and if you've played it before, I'm sure you'll agree that the DS needs more rhythm games like this. I was shocked from the sheer amount of replayability I sucked out of this game, and even after I obtained S-ranks on every mission, EBA's all-star music lineup failed to stagnate.

Over a dozen zany scenarios married with familiar songs that everyone's come across at least once before, including popular hits like Cher's "Believe", Destiny's Child's "Survivor", and the imfamous Village People's "Y.M.C.A.". Now, most, if not all, of EBA's tracks are high-quality/high-clarity covers, NOT master recordings, and I can confidently state that they get the job done very, very well. (Click on the above links for proof.) A good example is Jackson 5's "ABC", which is sped up in order to match the events on-screen. (Which just so happens to be an anthropomorphic feline protecting a curious baby from a construction zone's hazards. Curiosity killed the cat, in reverse.)

Nintendo was no slouch in its song-selecting skills, as many have accompanying storylines that fit like a glove. Indeed, it was as if the lyrics were inspired from EBA, not the other way around.