NES
1983
NES Game Pak 'Band'
The NES introduced two more channels of sound than the Commodore 64, but with more restrictions. Instead of being dynamically swappable, the NES placed restrictions on each channel, keeping them playing the same sound constantly. The underlying philosophy was to create a consistent 'band' that composers could use. There were a total of five voices - two square waves for the melodies, one triangle for the bass, one noise for the percussion, and a sparingly used sampler. Although this is the first system to introduce a true sampler (PCM), it was rarely used due to the memory restrictions.
The Legend of Zelda
Nintendo, 1986
Composer Koji Kondo had planned to use Maurice Ravel's Boléro as the title theme, but was forced to change it late in the development cycle after learning that the copyright for the orchestral piece had not yet expired. As a result, Kondo wrote a new arrangement of the overworld theme within one day, which has become an iconic motif echoing throughout continued entries of the series..
Zelda cover art.
You had to employ techniques to trick the listener into thinking there was more going on than there actually was.
Neil Baldwin
Super Mario Bros. cover art.
Super Mario Bros.
Nintendo, 1986
One of the most famous video game themes of all time, composer Koji Kondo commented that the theme reflects the action-oriented gameplay of the series.
...you have such limited resources. The way that you have to write, in order to create rich textures, you have to write a lot of rhythmic kinds of stuff
Rob Hubbard
Metroid
Nintendo, 1986
Composed by Hirokazu Tanaka, the theme from Metroid reflects the ability of the sound capabilities to create a dreadful atmosphere that matches the game's environment.
Metroid cover art.