I'm pretty fond of David Wise's work. The easy pick is Donkey Kong Country 1 and 2 for the SNES, but he also worked on Iron sword: Wizards and Warriors II for the NES which has some great tracks too. Also the entire Battletoads and Snake Rattle n Roll soundtracks if I recall correctly (I was a Nintendo kid, if it isn't obvious).

If it isn't stretching too far forward, Einhander on the PS1. It's still the side scroller I judge others against and the soundtrack just feels "right" from start to finish.

Chrono Trigger has a few bangers

Guardia Millennial Fair and Frog's Theme are absolutely brilliant

Ducktales NES Moon Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF32DRg9opA

Mega Man II.

Dr. Wily's castle stage 1.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8tRMB0J4rM&pp=0gcJCYsCo7VqN5tD

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. They still haven't made a better Zelda or Zelda-like game. (No disrespect to the Ocarina of Time fans, but I consider 3D Zelda to be a different type of game... and not really one I want to play. I've tried, it's just not for me. I do love the 2D ones though.)

Top Gear - SNES:

https://youtu.be/cxAXTHBxgTw?si8nO81VKWhW6JohvY

This was better than a lot of electronic music available in the US at the time. Absolute bangers.

kirby!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnfL3tzFx1Y

Mega Man 2 still has the most consistently awesome soundtrack of any video game ever. Just banger-after-banger.

Sonic 2 - Mystic Cave Zone

Wonder Boy III - The Dragon's Trap on Sega Master System has some great tunes as well.

surprised i haven't seen much reference to Tim Follin's work! IMO the title screen music from Plok! is unquestionably the most impressive bit of sound i've ever heard from a SNES. just when you've picked your jaw off the floor from the amazingly convincing harmonica sound, the lead "guitar" kicks in and your jaw drops again.

for a bit of a more conventional chiptune sound, the NES Pictionary soundtrack (also Tim Follin) hits pretty damn hard considering that it is, well, Pictionary

all the MegaMan on the NES

The Thunderforce III and IV, the 3 (yes, three, including the experimental soundtrack of the third!) Streets of Rage on the MegaDrive Anything Nobuo Uematsu on the SNES (Final Fantasy IV, V, VI, Chrono Trigger, Actraiser, etc.) and U.N Squadron

Soldier Blade and Final Soldier (and Air Zonk!) on the PCEngine (that a small part of the world calls TG16 for some reason?!)

I'm very surprised no one mentioned Earthbound/Mother 2 yet. The whole thing is just banger after banger, but this one's my favourite:

https://youtu.be/oAKtSltDgfA

NES: megaman 2 - wily castle or megaman 6 - knight man stage SNES - megaman X - spark mandrill (really that whole soundtrack)

Goonies II and Blaster Master

I don't have exotic choices to give, but Final Fantasy VI is still my favorite soundtrack. Kefka's theme is iconic.

Also, the music for the first level of Castlevania 3 ("Beginning") is timeless.

Deep Blue immediately comes to mind:

https://youtu.be/LHhjnJP0VCo

But a deeper more interesting cut would be the entire Pictionary OST:

https://youtu.be/SJwh3erQlyE

That game's soundtrack goes so much harder than you'd think it should.

Chemical Plant Zone from Sonic

They went so unnecessarily hard on that one but it's great

The Spring Yard and Starlight Zones from the original Sonic game.

This is my cellphone ringtone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC-B3Q0cRrY

But I really like Road Rash 3 speed metal soundtrack https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZVx18ONA5M&list=RDMZVx18ONA5M

Can't mention best NES tracks without Tim Follin. Silver Surfer level 1 is insane. Also the soundtrack for the unreleased game Time Trax.

People know about the bizarrely complex prog rock intro theme from Sosltice (NES) but in case you don't, listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_gObHt1uZA

Yoshi's Island for the SNES was great I still hum some of those

Basically all the music from Final Fantasy 6, but in particular, the one from the haunted forest.

Here's the most of my playlist called YM2612:

Guess I'll save this thread for later >:)

Okay, so La-Mulana is technically a more recent game, but I remember the original version from 20 years ago looking just like an MSX game.
Anyway, the gate of guidance theme really stood out to me. Oh, and the village's theme too, and several others.

F-Zero - Big Blue Theme. Still stuck in my head decades later.

The Stunt Race FX theme also goes hard.

NES is Contra Jungle

SNES is Simon's Theme from Super Castlevania IV

N64 is probably most of F-Zero X

The 'Cube is rough since I grew up with it so I love a lot of it. Luigi's Mansion, Mario Sunshine, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess. Too hard to pick.

TG16 is the original Bonk. That level 1 music lives in my head.

Corneria from Star Fox is a fucking banger.

I'm quite fond of Italy, from 8 eyes.

R-type. Specifically the tg-16 version.