Every Monday, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Miami's airwaves -- historically reserved for the musical accompaniment to bumpin', shakin', grindin', twerkin', tweakin', and getting stuck in traffic on the 836 -- are regularly seized by sounds and scores typically reserved for marines fighting aliens, plumbers fighting dragons, and wizards doing wizard shit.
The gamer behind this weekly aural occupation is University of Miami music theory and composition major Jackson Alexander Parodi, and The Warp Zone is the name of his program on the college's highly acclaimed radio station, WVUM.
So stretch your thumbs and shake some ass ... Here are the ten best video game songs ever, according to Miami's foremost Nintendo, PC, Xbox, and PlayStation music enthusiast.
See also: Six Reasons to Never Have Sex With a DJ
10. "Pinna Park" from Super Mario Sunshine
North American Release: August 2002
Gaming Platform: Nintendo GameCube
Jackson says: "This lovely ragtime represents an accurate cross-section of the Super Mario Sunshine world's fantasticality."
9. "Titania and Macbeth" from Star Fox 64
North American Release: July 1997
Gaming Platform: Nintendo 64
Jackson says: "This is my favorite track from this awesome N64 game. It energetically captures the beat and pulse of the level where Fox drives a Landmaster tank instead of flying his usual Arwing."
See also: Skrillex Quest, the Dubstep Video Game: An Extremely Detailed Breakdown
8. "Around the Fire" from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
North American Release: November 2011
Gaming Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation, Xbox 360
Jackson says: "I have a very soft spot in my heart for the music of the European medieval and Renaissance eras. This tune warms those old chambers very sweetly."
7. "Grit's Theme" from Advance Wars
North American Release: September 2011
Gaming Platform: Game Boy Advance
Jackson says: "My friends and I would play this game in high school all the time. Grit was my favorite character option, in part because of his deliciously bluesy theme."
See also: Ten Worst Raver Cliches
6. "Koopa" from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
North American Release: October 1995
Gaming Platform: Super Nintendo
Jackson says: The epic final boss music from this SNES classic set the bar for all hard-rocking video game themes to come.
5. "Snake Eater" from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
North American Release: November 2004
Gaming Platforms: Playstation, Xbox 360
Jackson says: "Fans of The Warp Zone know very well what this song means. It explicates completely the toll of personal sacrifice. It's also about the consumption of certain reptiles."
See also: Six Shitty Music-Inspired Video Games, From Miley Cyrus to Motley Crue and 'N Sync
4. "Under Construction" from The Sims
North American Release: February 2000
Gaming Platforms: Microsoft Windows
Jackson says: "You don't always need a symphony orchestra or rock band to deliver a powerful message. Sometimes, a solo piano is more than enough."
3. "Hydrogen" from Hotline Miami
North American Release: October 2013
Gaming Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Playstation
Jackson says: "This is at the top of my list of new soundtracks. Composer M.O.O.N.'s track is infused with the exact primal force that makes up a game like Hotline Miami."
See also: Five Signs You Might Be a Shitty DJ
2. "Sweden" from Minecraft
North American Release: November 2011
Gaming Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation
Jackson says: "With this year's Minecon having just wrapped up in Orlando, its clear that Minecraft has firmly established itself as one of the most successful stand-alone video games of the century so far, and hearing its soundtrack for the first time remains one of my most salient musical memories."
1. "Otherworld" from Final Fantasy X
North American Release: July 19, 2001
Gaming Platform: Playstation
Jackson says: "It's not your typical Final Fantasy tune, but 'Otherworld' has always been the cornerstone track of my most favorite video game."
Follow Crossfade on Facebook and Twitter @Crossfade_SFL.
