That opening fanfare hits and suddenly it's 1999 and four controllers are plugged in. Super Smash Bros. on N64, scored primarily by Hirokazu Ando and others at HAL Laboratory, took Nintendo's most recognizable melodies and ran them through the console's compressed sample engine with surprising personality.
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"Hyrule Castle Stage" turns Zelda's theme into a fighting anthem. "Planet Zebes" goes dark and atmospheric in ways Metroid hadn't really explored on this hardware. "Final Destination" builds this intensity that the series would chase for decades after.
And "Meta Crystal" is just cold, metallic pressure. The N64's audio limitations actually force a tightness that later entries lost in their orchestral ambitions. If you've never gone back to hear where the whole Smash music tradition started, you owe yourself this.