Hello.

The keyword of this post, mingling, refers to “naturally interacting in a relaxed and open atmosphere while sharing hobbies or interests.” While thinking about what, among MapleStory-related things, best fits that idea, the first thing that came to mind was BGM.

Over MapleStory’s long history, BGM has been consistently praised from the game’s earliest days right up to the present, to the point that it is not uncommon to see people say it is one of the few elements that never really drew much negative opinion from players; newer town and boss BGMs are still well received too, but because the game itself has been around for so long, many players especially remember the tracks they heard as children with particular fondness, their memories softened even further by nostalgia.

When those players happen to come across these BGMs on YouTube after quitting MapleStory, they often end up sharing their thoughts in the comments, and those comment sections are genuinely fun to read, because each person’s memories come through in a slightly different way while still touching on things that anyone who remembers that era can relate to.

This is true not only for Korean players but for overseas players as well, and since the channel “SlipySlidy,” which regularly uploads MapleStory BGM, is watched mainly by foreign users, the comments on its videos mostly show the reactions of overseas players. Even across different countries, the feeling being shared is much the same, and that too is part of what makes it interesting.

In this post, I gathered a few representative BGMs that immediately come to mind when people think of nostalgia, and from the comments attached to them, excluding highly personal stories, I condensed the kinds of sentiments that appeared again and again because so many people could relate to them.

Victoria Island / During the Orbis Ship Voyage BGM

• I can still vividly remember the sight of tombstones raining down from the sky after Crimson Balrog appeared.

• When the music changed, it felt like I was about to have a heart attack.

• I was hiding in the cabin, then someone yelled, “Crimson Balrog is here!!” so I ran outside to check, and it turned out to be a prank.

• I sadly remember thinking that if I just held on while dead, I would still make it to Orbis, only to end up back in Ellinia instead.

• Waiting for the ship, riding it, and chatting with strangers along the way was fun.

• I still remember going into the cozy, safe cabin and playing mini-games.

• Back when I knew nothing, someone told me there was something amazing outside, so I went out and then…

• I remember telling my parents that the time spent riding the ship should not count as game time.

• If you went past the cabin ladder while drinking a potion, you would not go outside ㅋㅋ

• Looking at it now, the fact that the Crimson Balrog BGM is 4:44 long makes me wonder if even that timing was intentional.

• Even now, the Crimson Balrog ship and BGM still feel impressively well made in a genuinely frightening way.

<Orbis> BGM

• When I first got off the ship and heard this BGM, there was this rush of excitement, like I had finally made it into a whole new world.

• I loved how it really made it feel as though I had left the land of Victoria Island behind and arrived in a world above the clouds.

• I remember hearing the ship horn blare as it arrived and running over.

• I remember always losing to Teleport whenever we raced at the station.

• I liked the way snow started piling up from a certain floor onward in Orbis Tower.

• I remember seeing the snow inside the tower and thinking a Return to Town Scroll would surely send me to El Nath, only to end up back in Orbis…

• I remember leveling up through Orbis Party Quest.

Ludibrium Party Quest <The Crack of Dimension> BGM

• I still remember the sheer satisfaction of clearing the party quest itself feeling like an accomplishment.

• I do not think I will ever forget the password order 133 221 333 123 111.

• I remember the sense of accomplishment when I got in through frantic clicking, the screen went dark, and this BGM started playing.

• Having to gather the necessary classes and build a party was a hassle, but it was fun.

• More than the music alone, I always remember it together with the overlapping sounds of rats getting hit and tickets being picked up.

• Please do not pick up the portal coin ㅠㅠ

• I want to go back to those weekend mornings spent doing party quests.

• I still remember, a little apologetically, acting reckless and getting killed by King Block Golem…

• The number-matching stage was definitely hard.

• This brings back memories of getting ninja-looted for Red Heart Earrings and Skull Earrings in the reward map.

• I remember being surprised that the thing on Alishar’s body was actually an eye.

Ludibrium <A Path of Time Forgotten> BGM

• Set against the bright look of Ludibrium itself, the background and atmosphere here felt incredibly scary when I was young. The monsters there were strong too…

• It is striking how sharply the whole mood changes once the music shifts into a minor key.

• The deeper you went, the more the sense of mystery faded and the more the chilling atmosphere took over, which made it all the scarier.

• I do not know why the long ladder at the entrance to the Passage of Time felt so frightening. It felt like going somewhere I was not supposed to go.

• I remember it appearing as the final hunting ground in Maple DS.

• The broken toys and demon-like monsters were genuinely terrifying when I was young.

Each of these videos has hundreds of comments and all kinds of different reactions, so if these memories ever come back to you now and then, it might be nice to put on the BGM and read through them for a while. Thank you for reading.