Now that 2010 is winding down let's discuss the best VGM albums of the year.  Any new game music album released in 2010 is eligible - OST or arranged, official or fan-made, CD or download release.

Just click the "Answer poll" link above to place your votes - up to ten are allowed but fewer is fine.  First-place votes will receive twice the points of 10th place ones, with those in between weighted accordingly.

Let's see those picks!

1. Symphonic Fantasies - Music from Square Enix
2. Dragon Quest IX Symphonic Suite
3. Last Ranker Original Soundtrack
4. Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack Plus
5. Final Fantasy XIII Piano Collections
6. Red Dead Redemption Original Soundtrack

It's been slim pickings for new VGM for me this year compared to last, but Symphonic Fantasies matches any orchestral album I've heard from recent years (I can't wait for Symphonic Legends next year).  Dragon Quest IX Symphonic Suite isn't quite on the level of the series' best (IV and VI) but is very nice nonetheless, and though Last Ranker is quite the traditional fantasy JRPG soundtrack it has the high production values and memorable compositions you find only in the better ones.

Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack Plus and FFXIII Piano Collections feel more like 7th-10th place picks but get the higher rank due to lack of competition.  I'm insistent on the "Plus" part though - I'll have no part of the full four-disc FFXIII OST (except for the very best tracks, which is mostly what Plus is).

Red Dead Redemption pulls off the Western genre better than many Western films, with some subtle contemporary touches for good measure.

Close contender:
Darius Burst Remix Wonder World

The rest (in order of quality):
Xenoblade OST, Halo Reach, Gran Turismo 5 OST, NieR Gestalt & Replicant OST, Sekaiju no MeiQ³ Super Arrange Version, Benyamin Nuss Plays Uematsu, Lord of Vermilion II OST, R10 Image Album, FFXIV Battle Tracks, FFXIV Field Tracks

1. Metroid Metal - Expansion Pack
2. THE ANSWER - Armored Core Tribute Album -

Aaaaand that's about it. MM absolutely kills it with Expansion Pack ("Prime 3 Theme/Bryyo (MP3)" is goddamn amazing and one of my favorite MM tunes), and Another Soundscape's Armored Core stuff makes the originals sound like accidents. (That's how good his remixes are!)

1. Xenoblade OST
2. Last Ranker OST
3. NieR OST
4. End of Eternity OST
5. Mega Man 10 OST
6. PPPPPP

I'm not going to write an elaborate explanation for everything, but these were the ones that I found myself listening to most this year.
Xenoblade is amazing, no matter how long I listen to it. Last Ranker has to be one of Shimomura's best so far, which is damn SAYING something, NieR is captivating and mesmerizing, End of Eternity combines the beautiful melodies of Kohei Tanaka with some good old kick-ass Sakuraba ROCK (what MORE could you want!?), Mega Man 10 may not be as good as some of the previous outings, but even a mediocre MM soundtrack is still damn good, and PPPPPP (the soundtrack to VVVVVV) is just some of the best chiptune action I've ever heard.

Perhaps I'll mention my favorite tracks in the other music thread.

1. Xenoblade Original Soundtrack
2. SUPER STREET FIGHTER IV Character Sound Collection [Single Cut]
3. Contra 4: Rocked 'n' Loaded
4. Rockman 10: Threat from Outer Space!! Original Soundtrack
5. Valkyria Chronicles 2 Original Soundtrack
6. Super Mario Galaxy 2 Original Soundtrack
7. Symphonic Fantasies - Music from Square Enix
8. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game Original Videogame Soundtrack
9. NieR Gestalt & Replicant Original Soundtrack
10. Dragon Quest IX Symphonic Suite

Honorable mentions include:

Cave no Uta Black Label
Do-Don-Pachi Dai-Fukkatsu Black Label Original Soundtrack
Final Fantasy XIV Battle Tracks
Ghost Trick Original Soundtrack
Guwange Arrange Album + Original Soundtrack
Lord of Vermilion 2 Original Soundtrack
Lunar Silver Star Harmony Musical Selections
PPPPPP - The VVVVVV Soundtrack
Red Dead Redemption Original Soundtrack
Shantae: Risky's Revenge Original Soundtrack

1. Espgaluda II Black Label Original Soundtrack
2. Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack
3. God Eater Original Soundtrack
4. Opoona Original Soundtrack
5. Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu Black Label Original Soundtrack
6. Lord of Vermilion II Original Soundtrack
7. NieR Gestalt & Replicant Original Soundtrack
8. Sekaiju no MeiQ III Super Arrange Version
9. Deathsmiles IIX Original Soundtrack
10. Darius Burst Remix Wonder World

Honorable Mention: Atelier Totori, Ar tonelico 3
Dishonorable Mention: Tactics Ogre (PSP), Akai Katana

1. Gran Turismo 5
2. Persona Music Live Band
3. FALCOM vs. jdk BAND 2010 SUMMER
4. Sekaiju no MeiQ³ seikai no raihousya Super Arrange Version

I know it may be too soon to nominate Gran Turismo 5, but the sheer amount of solid tracks makes it clear winner.

Persona Music Live Band: catchy, funky and fun. Finally, a Persona arrange done right. Love the rap vocals, too!

FALCOM vs. jdk BAND 2010 SUMMER: kick-ass guitars and classic Falcom melodies, tradition fulfilled.

Sekaiju no MeiQ³ seikai no raihousya Super Arrange Version: if only for "Battlefield: Those That Slay and Fall"... track of year. The most epic battle arrange to come along in awhile done with a jazzy twist.

1. Lord of Vermilion II Original Soundtrack
2. GUWANGE Arrange Album + Original Sound Track
3. Ketsui ~Kizunajigokutachi~ EXTRA Limited Edition Bundled Bonus Special Soundtrack
4. Dracula Densetsu ReBirth & Contra -ReBirth- Original Soundtrack
5. DO-DON-PACHI DAI-FUKKATSU BLACK LABEL Original Sound Track
6. ESPGALUDA II Black Label ORIGINAL SOUND TRACK
7. Sekaiju no MeiQ³ *seikai no raihousya* ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK
8. Sekaiju no MeiQ³ *seikai no raihousya* SUPER ARRANGE VERSION
9. Contra 4: Rocked 'n' Loaded
10. Tyrant Honey - Dangerous Mezashi Cat Alicesoft Arrange CD

1. I chose LoV II due to the strength of the compositions and the fusion of electric guitars with orchestration. I wasn't particularly impressed at first (like a Galouye novel), but it gets better as you increase your exposure.

2. This is for the arranged side of Guwange. I have already talked about this one.

3. This is a double pick, since it packages Ketsui and DoDonPachi Dai-ou-jou together. Both have been remarkably rearranged and have been a workplace savior over the past few months. I get requests to play this stuff.

4. I am addicted to Namiki's Castlevania arrangements.

5. Everything about this is amazing, especially the piano arrangement.

6. Better than the previous ESPgaluda II.

7 + 8. The Etrian Odyssey III OST is rated higher than the AST because I like the FM sounds a lot. Much more than the DS sounds. Plus, there are a few arranged tracks that I don't like.

9. Infinitely enjoyable.

10. Dangerous Mezashi's Cat latest album. MUCH better than their Ys arranged album. This is one of their very best, despite the complete unfamiliarity with the music.

Other notable 2010 releases:

Dariusburst OST + Wonder World Remix
End of Eternity (Sakuraba had some good stuff on there)
Xenoblade (too many boring tracks)
Nier Gestalt & Replicant (again, too many boring tracks)
Shooting Love. 200X
Last Ranker
Falcom jdk Band 2010
Rockman 10 Image Album

Still need to listen to Nier Arrange, Opoona, Sonic Colors, new Ogre Battle Basiscape arrange, and a few others.

Oops, how I could forgot this one.

1. ViViD SOUND x HYBRiD COLORS SONIC COLORS ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK
2. Gran Turismo 5
3. Deadly Premonition
4. Rockman 10 Uchu Kara no Kyoui!! Original Soundtrack
5. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 -Episode I-
6. FINAL FANTASY XIII Original Soundtrack
7. Heavy Rain: Original Soundtrack from the Video Game
8. FINAL FANTASY XIV Battle Tracks & FINAL FANTASY XIV Field Tracks
9. Super Mario Galaxy 2 Original Sound Track
10. SONIC FREE RIDERS Original Soundtrack - Break Free -

1. Sonic Colors is easily my favorite soundtrack of the year.  Some of the best stuff the Wave Master crew has done in a long time.  The lack of Hataya tracks (he only did two) was a little disappointing for me since I'm such a big fan but Ohtani definitely made up for that.  He's responsible for one of my favorite tracks of the year, Aquarium Park - Act 1.  Little trivia: Takahito Eguchi of The Bouncer and FFX-2 fame played the electric piano on that track.
2. The game itself, not the OST.  While the OST does have a lot of the best tracks, it's also missing a lot.  The game has 13+ hours of music though so I really can't fault them for not releasing it all on disc.  GT5 also wins for "best soundtrack to rock out to in the car while speeding and sipping coffee."
3. The best game soundtrack nobody heard this year.  I already went into extensive detail in other threads so I won't go on and on here.  Fans of horror/dark game music should check this one out.  A couple of my favorite tracks of the year are on here, "The Woods and the Goddess" and the cover of Amazing Grace.
4. It's another Rockman game with chiptunes, and a bunch of the previous composers returned.  What's not to love?  Liked this one a lot more than 9.
5. Sure, it had a few meh tracks but overall I really love how Senoue approached this.  He did a good job of keeping with the "modern retro" theme of the game itself and I thought his compositions were stellar, even if the synth itself wasn't as "Genesisy" as I would have liked.  With that said, do I wish Nakamura came back for this and let Senoue participate in Colors?  Hell yes!
6. On the fence about this one.  I loved it in game but I rarely find myself wanting to listen to it otherwise, except for the standard "best of" tracks.  As far as main FFs that aren't MMO, Sakimoto did a much better job with FFXII.
7. This is another one that I only seemed to love in game but never really listen to.  Damn good music here though, Hollywood needs to take a lesson.  The game had a very bleak plot and this score really heightened it.  Probably my most emotional gaming experience of the year and I give a lot of credit to the score for that.
8. I lumped these two together because essentially it's one album split into two releases just to make more money.  Lots of good stuff from Uematsu here but I'm pretty sure it's safe to say his signature Final Fantasy charm died with FFX, maybe even FFIX.  Also, if we were rating the packaging instead of the music, these two would not be on this list, ugh!
9. Only listened to about half of this but I can already tell that I'm gonna love the whole thing.  Still need to play/finish the game!  This OST has another one of my faves from the year, Throwback Galaxy!  Super Mario 64 Main Theme jazzy edition?  More like this please.
10. Wasn't expecting this to be good at all but gave it a shot anyway and was more than pleasantly surprised.  Go ahead, listen to "Theme of Metropolis Speedway" and try to get it out of your head.  Also, Crush 40 returns for one amazing song on this one!

-----

Honorable mentions:

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair
FINAL FANTASY XIII Original Soundtrack PLUS
Flower: Original Soundtrack from the Video Game
MEGA DRIVE LAST ACTION HEROES
NieR Gestalt & Replicant Original Soundtrack
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game Original Videogame Soundtrack
Tactics Ogre Unmei no Wa Original Soundtrack

Haven't (fully) listened to Opoona, RE Darkside Chronicles, Alan Wake, 3rd Birthday, No More Heroes 2, Valkyria 2, Last Ranker, Xenoblade, Vanquish, Sekaiju no MeiQ 3, Radiant Historia, or Yakuza 4.  When I do, I'm betting some of them will require me to edit my current top 10.  Man, 2010 was one hell of a year for good VGM!

Also, nod to the Dracula Box.  I know it doesn't count since there's nothing really "new" on it in terms of Castlevania music but it was my most expensive VGM purchase of the year so damn it, it's getting mentioned!

1. THE ANSWER - Armored Core Tribute Album -

2. Ketsui ~Kizuna Jigokutachi~ EXTRA Limited Edition Bundled Bonus Special Soundtrack
3. DO-DON-PACHI DAI-FUKKATSU BLACK LABEL Original Sound Track
4. Espgaluda II Black Label Original Soundtrack
5. PAC-MAN Championship Edition DX Original Soundtrack
6. Dariusburst Remix Wonder World
7. Megami Tensei Gaiden Last Bible II Soundtrack
8. Megami Tensei Gaiden Last Bible Soundtrack
9. NieR Gestalt & Replicant Original Soundtrack
10. Classic Dungeon ~Fuyoku no Masoujin~ Original Soundtrack
_________________________________________________________________________

1. This is kind of a joke since I made it.. but still! I've been working my ass off and I'm pretty darn proud so it's a sentimental, egotistical number one! (Also thanks Zane for the mention WOOT!)

2. An amazing collection of arrangements. I'm partial to the Ketsui CD myself, there are some utterly amazing arrangements that are both well-produced, sonically attractive and musically complex. If only I know who did them! The DDP DOJ-side is almost as good and serves as icing on the utterly awesome cake.

3. One of the hardest hitting albums I've heard. Hits you right in the gut with strong melodies, clever compositions, fresh new sounds and a big dose of attitude. The only downside to this CD is the slightly too loud production and A/B versions. They might be a bit different but not different enough. Luckily the tracks are so goddamn amazing, I just don't care!

4. Ryu Umemoto delivers arrangements that, to me, sounds better than the originals. The sharp rave piano, the additional melodies, the new harmonies, it all comes together! The only downside is that the tracks seem to lack a bit of low-end, some odd mixing choices. No big deal though, overall this is one hell of a CD.

5. This should've placed higher if it wasn't so short! Brilliant electronic dance music that makes you actually want to go into a dark room with neon and take pills, JUST LIKE PAC-MAN! Akitaka Tohyama especially did a great job (as always) and was kind enough to send the soundtrack to me personally because I can't access US iTunes store.

6. Very unique arrangement collection, definitely surprised me. The calmer electronic mixes are amazing and the whole album sounds remarkably cohesive for such a big group of different people.

7 & 8. SuperSweep releasing this was the best thing ever. Clean, crisp Game Boy sound and remarkably good melodies. Both at a price that makes me feel bad buying them!

9. Yeah yeah, there was loads of hype. I still think it's a bloody good soundtrack with some unique ideas. They could've varied it up some more but what's here is really good in any case!

10. Surprise of 2010 for me! Does everything from Mitsuda-style to straight-up oddities AND gives you an 8-bit version of every track. Trés bien.

Honorable mentions:
Akai-Katana (what's with the hate Cedille? )
Ar tonelico III hymmnos concert side.Blue ''SAKIYA=RUMEI'' (Akiko Shikata delivers)
End of Eternity Original Soundtrack (the sheer volume of music!)
PRISMATIC SOLID (because sometimes you need some acid)
Super Meat Boy! Soundtrack (indie gem and I happen to be on it)
yorlga (Hirota NEVER disappoints)

1. God Eater Original Soundtrack
2. PrismRhythm Original Soundtrack -SPRING SNOW-
3. Symphonic Fantasies - Music from Square Enix
4. Yuusha no Kuse ni Namaikida:3D Giant Recital
5. Dark Void Original Video Game Score
6. Kisaragi GOLD★STAR Special Soundtrack
7. Tales of Graces ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK
8. Hanayakanari, Waga Ichizoku Original Soundtrack
9. Summon Night X ~Tears Crown~ Original Soundtrack
10. Ikusa Megami VERITA Sound Collection

Since the beginning of March 2010 I knew that God Eater would be my #1 by the end of the year. Before that I hadn't even listened to a single song by Go Shiina. Within 2 hours my entire view of modern game music was turned upside down.
PrismRhythm was less of a surprise, but Shigenobu Okawa's absolute masterpiece and a great performance by Masaru Teramae.
The best concert that took place in 2009 received the best symphonic game music CD of the decade. It will be difficult to top Symphonic Fantasies in a long time.
As for retro game music feel, I think Yuusha no Kuse ni Namaikida:3D Giant Recital delivered this better than Classic Dungeon. Loved the instrumentation.
It seems to me that Dark Void didn't receive much praise, and before it I didn't really have any opinion of Bear McCreary at all. Yet after reading the score discussion on his blog it was clear to me that he is a game music enthusiast and had put all his passion into this work. His attitude is admirable and Dark Void was certainly underrated.
Kisaragi GOLD★STAR was the first time three of my favorite composers worked together. Some game producer seems to share my tastes. The outcome was as expected, though perhaps a bit overkill.
Tales of Graces showed to me that Motoi Sakuraba still got it. While I would describe End of Eternity as my biggest disappointment, Tales of Graces took me back to the days where people would criticize that all of Sakuraba's music sounded similiar. In fact, never before has Sakuraba's music sounded so fresh.
Hanayakanari, Waga Ichizoku, what is there to say about this? The fact that Vingt et un Systems chose Yoshitaka Hirota to write the opening theme shows that they had some big plans for this game. Whoever the BGM composer is, his work really stands out among their games.
Summon Night X ~Tears Crown~ managed to sound more old school than any of the next-gen "retro" games, and it's not even trying to be a tribute or something. A rare treat in 2010.
Ikusa Megami VERITA Sound Collection showed once again that Choir Co.,Ltd. and RPGs match up. I like epic game music as long as it's not overused, and my places #1 and #10 gave me plenty of it.

Since I clearly missed it, can someone link me to where one can purhcase this Contra 4 Arrange CD that's mentioned many times above?

"Come get some."

I don't think it's terrible; it's worth a 6 or 7 out of 10, but I just expected much better quality after I enjoyed another shmup score from Umemoto. Likewise, even though I was disappointed with Tactics Ogre or Operation Ragnarok, I don't doubt there was a number of worse scores released in 2010 I just don't care about (more recently, the 3rd birthday was as boring as expected, but it's not "disappointing" for me).

Overall, 2010 was pretty good.

Order placed.  Thanks!

I wish I could put Bayonetta's OST in here but the soundtrack was released in 2009 but the game came out in the states in 2010.  So obviously I bought the OST and game in 2010...

Oh well! I'll still just mention it.

1. Remastered Tracks Rockman Zero: Mythos
2. VanQuish Original Soundtrack
3. deathsmiles IIX original sound track
4. BLAZBLUE SONG ACCORD #2 with CONTINUUM SHIFT II
5. Final Fantasy XIII OST
6. ESPGALUDA II Black Label ORIGINAL SOUND TRACK

1. Symphonic Fantasies - Music from Square Enix
2. NieR Gestalt & Replicant Original Soundtrack
3. God Eater Original Soundtrack
4. Xenoblade Original Soundtrack
5. Last Ranker Original Soundtrack
6. Dragon Quest IX Symphonic Suite
7. FINAL FANTASY XIV Battle Tracks & FINAL FANTASY XIV Field Tracks
8. Lord of Vermilion II Original Soundtrack
9. Dark Void Original Video Game Score
10. Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack

1. Final Fantasy XIV Field Tracks
2. Final Fantasy XIV Battle Tracks
3. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game Original Videogame Soundtrack
4. Metroid Metal - Expansion Pack
5. Espgaluda II Black Label Original Sound Track
6. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Soundtrack
7. Rockman 10 Original Soundtrack
8. Super Mario Kart Album
9. Söldner-X 2: Final Soundtrack
10. Sounds From The Lighthouse: Official BioShock 2 Score

I missed out on a lot of great VGM this year. Even so, I still think my list is pretty solid. Note the distinct lack of any FFXIII albums and the fact that the FFXIV "promo" albums occupy both #1 and #2. I think that alone says quite a bit about my list.

Scott Pilgrim, Metroid Metal, and Espgaluda II Black Label all rocked my world through and through. The bottom five were all excellent as well, but there's a definite gap between the top five and bottom five. I suspect many of the soundtracks I missed would have fought fiercely to be in my top 10.

I didn't know about the expansion pack. While ordering it, I found another good one: http://vikingguitar.bandcamp.com/

1. Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack
2. Nintendo DS Pokémon Black · White Super Music Collection
3. Super Mario Galaxy 2 Original Sound Track
4. NieR Gestalt & RepliCant Original Soundtrack
5. Vivid Sounds x Hybrid Colors: Sonic Colors Original Soundtrack
6. LAST RANKER Original Soundtrack

1. Finally, my favorite composer got the big project that he's deserved for so long! Easily my favorite Final Fantasy soundtrack of all time, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. Sorry, Uematsu! Now that Hamauzu is a freelancer, he can finally branch out and get more soundtracks to himself. Sooooo excited for him!

2. The most ambitious soundtrack in the series yet. Combining a varied team of composers, amazing battle tracks, and that classic Pokemon sound make this an album that I just can't stop listening to. Plus, it's POKEMON! How could I not love it?!

3. Mahito Yokota makes yet another masterpiece. Combining Mario's whimsical musical style with an orchestra makes this nothing short of awesome. If Skyward Sword's soundtrack winds up being orchestrated, I really hope that he's at the helm.

4. If I had to describe this soundtrack in one word, I'd call it... "unique". I don't think anything like it has been done before, and that definitely scores it quite a few points. Emi Evans' voice is absolutely breathtaking, and the score itself is beautiful. On a technical level, I'd say that this was the best album of 2010. Before this soundtrack, I'd never even heard of Keiichi Okabe, but now I'm hoping that I can hear more of his stuff in the future!

5. It's Sonic the friggin' hedgehog. Next.

6. Yoko Shimomura + orchestra = HNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG. I find it amazing that she seems to be getting better with each soundtrack she composes, even with her workload. Pretty much the opposite of Sakuraba, IMO. At this rate, her soundtrack for Final Fantasy Versus XIII will likely make my head explode. XD

I honestly hate ordering. But both Nier and Last Ranker are two utterly fantastic entries...

...but what the hell is up with Last Ranker's sound quality? It sounds like a mid 80s recording from Eastern Europe (and that's not even mentioning that mono track, which I assume is some sort of radio source).

Either your CD player is broken, or you have a defective copy, because the sound quality is perfectly fine.

I'm postponing the tally date for the favorite VGM of 2010 poll to the end of this weekend, so if any of you would like to add or amend your picks you've got a few days left to do so.

I'm a little late (because I needed to listen to what I missed) but here I come!

1: Final Fantasy XIII OST - Hamauzu's best. Unlike most FF scores, there is very little filler here. I can listen to all four discs in one setting (and did once when driving home from Spokane).
2: Super Mario Galaxy 2 OST - Not as good as the first game but still plenty here to enjoy.
3: Symphonic Fantasies – Music from Square Enix - Some of my favorite music in great arrangements, beautifully performed.
4: Dark Void OST - Bear McCreary is always worth listening to and his first venture into video game scoring is terrific.
5: Xenoblade OST - I've only really sampled this (because I'm waiting for the game) but what's here is very good.
6: The Last Ranker OST - I'm not a big Shimomura fan but she does good work here.
7: NieR OST - Obnoxious and repetitive in the game somehow makes for a dazzling soundtrack album. It's all in the arrangement.
8: Dragon Quest IX Symphonic Suite - A lesser DQ score but there's some highlights here and the performance is solid.

1. Nier OST
2. Symphonic Fantasies - Music from Square Enix
3. Yakuza 3 OST
4. Persona Live Band
5. Ys Seven OST
6. FALCOM vs. jdk BAND 2010 SUMMER
7. White Knight Chronicles OST
8. End of Eternity OST
9. Remastered Tracks Rockman Zero: Mythos
10. Gyakuten Kenji OST

a few 2009 jp releases are also present. i hope that's fine, since i refuse to listen to OSTs beforehand if i itend to play the game

Well everyone's certainly welcome to post whatever they like for the discussion, but as for the poll results proper only 2010 album releases will be included.  Also multiple albums that had been listed as one answer (specifically FFXIV Field Tracks / Battle Tracks) have been split into two.

Thanks for all the responses, results coming soon!

From what I actually heard this year:

1. Super Mario Galaxy 2
2. Last Ranker Original Soundtrack
3. Xenoblade OST
4. Flower OST
5. Symphonic Fantasies
6. Okamiden OST
7. Falcom vs. JDK Band Summer 2010
8. Sonic Colors OST
9. Nier OST
10. Opoona (Finally!!!)

Also, Adam, the weekend isn't over here yet. 

Under the wire, hopefully.

1. Xenoblade Original Soundtrack - I haven't played the game it belongs to yet, but the quality of this soundtrack won't be denied. It has beautiful field and town themes and utterly asskicking battle themes, all without giving up its identity as a GAME soundtrack. Great, great stuff. Now give us the dang game, Nintendo. Favorite tracks: Unfinished Battle, Colony 9, Those Who Bear Their Name
2. R10 Image Soundtrack - More straightforward in presentation than the Rockman 9 Arrange album, and a good job throughout. I chose to spotlight the remix album because many of MM10's weaker OST tracks are vastly improved here. Favorite tracks: Nitro Rider, For You, Against the Pressure
3. Sonic Colors Original Soundtrack ~Vivid Sound x Hybrid Colors~ - Wave Master is still one of my favorite sound teams of all time, and here's a good sampling of why. In particular Ohtani and Nanba seem to have the style and energy the series needs down pat. It's not quite all good news though: Tokoi's Planet Wisp tracks are all duds. Favorite tracks: Tropical Resort Act 1, Vs Rotatatron & Refreshinator, Area - Sweet Mountain
4. No More Heroes 2 Desperate Struggle Original Sound Tracks - It's missing Takada's guiding hand, but there's still some damned good material here. A pity the OST only has the inferior autotuned version of Philistine, though. Favorite tracks: Sound's Asylum, Money Shot, Shoegazer Watched the Stars
5. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game Original Videogame Soundtrack - It doesn't work 100% (the tribute to Rockman, Technoman, is a miss), but the 8-bit love letter has lots of genuinely good pieces, with or without the trendy retro motif. Favorite tracks: Suburban Tram, Cheap Shop, Subboss Theme
6. Shantae: Risky's Revenge OST - A little nostalgia mixed with a thumping good Arabian rhythm. She's Got Moves especially has the best beat of any track I heard all year. Favorite tracks: She's Got Moves, Burning Town, Sand in My Potion
7. NieR Gestalt & Replicant Original Soundtrack - Late coming to this one, but there's some beautiful material here, and the idea of using evolved language for the lyrics is novel. Favorite tracks: The Wretched Automatons, Song of the Ancients ~ Devola, Gods Bound by Rules
8. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker OST - Any concerns I had about post-Hibino MGS music were clearly unfounded. I would be OK with the business part of the the Main Theme becoming the next official MGS music. Favorite tracks: Main Theme, Heavy Arms, Highland
9. Remastered Tracks Rockman Zero: Mythos - Solid arrangements, but considering these have all been remixed before, more creativity (like in the Neo Arcadia mix, which blends all three versions in the series together) would have made it so much better. Also...Resistance? Really? Who even likes that piece? Favorite tracks: Sand Triangle, Neo Arcadia, Cannon Ball
10. Donkey Kong Country 2: Serious Monkey Business - This one is a little uneven (why do they insist on doing some vocal arrangements in these projects?), but the good parts are really quite good. (I've actually been listening more to Project Chaos, which I only discovered last month, but that's from back in 2006. C'est la vie) I hope the Maverick Rising gets as much love as this one did. Favorite tracks: This Chase is Haunted, Rhumba Rumble, Dance of the Zinger

Best soundtrack ineligible for listing: Puzzle Agent: Nelson Tethers, a nice mix of Perry Mason-style suspense and coffee-house cool, but there's no album or even a full gamerip. Alas.

Top poll results out of 65 unique answers submitted, as calculated by Soundtrack Central's automated poll system.  In parentheses are the percentage of respondents who selected that answer and the average ranking it was given.

1. NieR Gestalt & Replicant Original Soundtrack (53%, 5.4)
2. Symphonic Fantasies - Music from Square Enix (41%, 3.1)
3. Xenoblade Original Soundtrack (35%, 2.5)
4. Last Ranker Original Soundtrack (35%, 4)
5. Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack (29%, 2.4)
6. Super Mario Galaxy 2 Original Sound Track (29%, 3.8)
7. God Eater Original Soundtrack (24%, 3.5)
8. Rockman 10 Original Soundtrack (24%, 4.3)
8. Sonic Colors Original Soundtrack ~Vivid Sound x Hybrid Colors~ (24%, 4.3)
10. Espgaluda II Black Label Original Sound Track (24%, 4.5)
11. Dragon Quest IX Symphonic Suite (24%, 6.5)
12. Falcom vs. jdk Band 2010 Summer (18%, 4.7)
12. Final Fantasy XIV Battle Tracks (18%, 4.7)
14. Final Fantasy XIV Field Tracks (18%, 5)
15. Lord of Vermilion II Original Soundtrack (18%, 5.3)
15. Remastered Tracks Rockman Zero: Mythos (18%, 5.3)
15. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game Original Videogame Soundtrack (18%, 5.3)
18. Dark Void Original Video Game Score (18%, 6.3)
19. Metroid Metal - Expansion Pack (12%, 2.5)
19. Persona Music Live Band (12%, 2.5)

Hugely surprising (yet happy) to see Espgaluda II BL at such a high spot (without my vote, mightn't it have made it, right?) I thought it wasn't particularly as acclaimed as other Cave scores released in this year.

hey, i got the first two votes right!

good to see jdk band made it in as well.

I am generally pleased with the top 10.

Okay, so I've been seeing Symphonic Fantasies pop up a lot here, and I was under the uninformed impression that this was just another collection of old arrangements, but I decided to listen to the samples on this site and BOY WAS I WRONG.

Well, that changes my top 10.
Again.