Glossary Entry: Chiptune

Quick Definition

A chiptune is a song produced by electronic beeps and whistles made by sound boards (or "chips").

More Details

Old systems, such as the Amiga, Comodore 64, Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis or the Nintendo Gameboy, were not capable of producing CD-quality music. Instead, they used their sound chips to produce the next best thing, and the iconic style of music this produced has become a popular genre of electronic music.

Many modern games use chiptunes as their soundtracks as a stylistic choice, and there are some bands that produce new and original chiptune songs.

For an example of what chiptunes sound like, here's a YouTube video featuring the song Positive Force from the indie game VVVVVV



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