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So update about a couple months later - I decided to not pursue this avenue for the time being.
I did a lot of research and such, and yeah. I will pursue this avenue when the time is right.
I think what I get the most joy from is listening to older videogame OSTs that have that "MIDI Music" quality to them, if that makes any sense. More specifically, Nintendo videogame OSTs from the mid 90s onward that use some manner of Roland Sound Canvas. Think game OSTs like Mario Kart 64, Zelda Wind Waker, Animal Crossing, Kirby Air Ride, and so on and so forth. I just love those OSTs, and I want to create music much like that. I want to nail "that MIDI sound".
So I have a handful of options...
Use the Roland Sound Canvas app (it actually seems to run on my M3 iPad Air believe it or not!) and Xequence 2 within AUM as IAA. (This would probably be the most "authentic" to the sound I'm going for.)
Download AEMS and use my huge collection of soundfonts within that (I have over 1000 of those things!)
Use GR-II with my huge collection of soundfonts (already installed).
I'm not sure which route I want to take to be honest to make that kind of music.
Kira studio would be a great app for making this kinda OST.
https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/kirastudio/id6754920847
I bought it upon launch, but didn't use it yet. I just watched a long tutorial video...
...and damn! This thing even has slide notes in it?! 😳 And its default soundfont is chock full of various general MIDI sounds?! Besides the synth generators, from generic waveforms to some specific waveforms for various game systems?! I think this is the "holy grail" of what I was looking for! Thank you Ecou.
Now your the one convincing me to buy it.😆
How is it on a phone ?
Very fluid to use, not gonna lie. Also, I forgot to mention this has custom curve envelopes which can be used as LFOs. This app is just mindblowing for what it can do, and it only costs around a tenner. Goodness! 🤯
In case you wonder, these are the soundfonts I swear by a lot.
https://www.dskmusic.com/high-quality-instruments/
Last time I purchased the soundfonts about a year or two ago, DSK had all the formats as separate purchases. I confirmed with him today that his soundfonts are now bundled in the $25 purchase alongside all the other formats. I honestly can't recommend these instruments enough if you're looking for soundfonts for Kirastudio, AEMS, BS-16, GR-II, etc. $25 for over 1000 sounds is reasonable in my opinion.
Back to topic of videogame music...
...this video was a lot of fun to watch and gave me a few ideas how I can make that "MIDI Music" style of videogame music on iOS. Hope you enjoy this video.
Those soundfont look interesting. Do they have good choirs ?
I'd say so.
I'd often have a choir patch mixed with a strings patch. Currently, my soundfonts are all jumbled into one folder thanks to GR-II not having soundfont folders, but I plan to repurchase the DSK soundfonts tomorrow so they come organized properly. Easy peasy. 
Actually, I think this is the DSK Choir Aah soundfont. Attached is a quick example I did in GR-II. (Note that this .m4a file is 128kbps in order for the file size to meet the forum's requirements, so it's slightly lower quality.)
Yeah that’s pretty good! I am a sucker for choirs. Thanks Jim!
Of course mate.
DSK makes some of the best soundfonts I ever used imho.
And now, an inspo video!
Undertale was a great game, not only for the gameplay, but also for the musical score contained within.
Enjoy.
Oh man, oh wow! I'm still bowled over by Kirastudio!
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/kirastudio/id6754920847
I haven't even gotten into automation yet, but already I've created something in it (see attached). It works great both on my iPhone and my iPad, making it ideal for nailing that "Nintendo OST" sound! Its default soundfont is perfect for "that SC-55 sound".
This thing has slide notes (I need to experiment with those soon), ghost notes and multiple tracks per channel (for keeping bass, chords and melody separate when creating a new idea using the default piano sound), and besides soundfont capabilities, it also has chiptune synths and basic synths as well! Holy shit, Kirastudio is incredible! 🤯 I love it! Less than 10 quid too?! How is that even possible?!
Of course. I try to be informative and helpful with my personal discoveries. Also, welcome to the forum.
Okay, I think I got the hang of this now. Listen to the attached. Best thing I created in a long-ass while imho. It's short and sweet, created 100% in Kirastudio, and mastered in Cubasis 3 with some light treatment by Bark Filter (rather than heavy-handed treatment), Cubasis' Brickwall, and monitored by Youlean's Loudness Meter.
Whoa, that sounds really good @jwmmakerofmusic! Did you use the synths or soundfonts?
Thank you so kindly, mate.
Two tracks are synths, and the rest are from the default soundfont which comes with Kirastudio. (It's a huge soundfont chock full of more sounds than one would ever need!)
Found this video to be a bit inspiring.
here's a fun talk by a man called mick gordon about making the soundtrack to doom.
a little tinder for your fire:
Nice find ! You gonna pickup his soundfont ?
Excellent find! Will watch this in a little bit.
Not sure yet. That General User Soundfont in Kirastudio/KQ Sampei pretty much covers the sounds I need.
Well, LinkedIn is now asking for my government-issued ID. Fuck them. I'm not going to become a "part of the machine", so now I need to find a different avenue or two for trying to get work as a videogame composer.
One thing that I’ve read is that it’s a lot easier to find work in this space if you also have the technical skills to implement the music and sound into the game itself. I don’t remember the names of the programs or which programming languages are involved. And I’m sure indie devs/studios have different needs. But it’s the main thing currently holding me off from pursuing this avenue.
I wouldn't know the first thing about implementing music and sound into the game itself tbqh. 🫣
That’s some good insight. I’d say knowing some game engine basics in Unity, Godot, etc. would probably go a long ways. I’d be very curious if you remember the programs.
This is a cool video on how game music really ties into gameplay and is more than just a soundtrack you’d write for static mediums like movies, television, lobby music, marching bands, etc. The case study in the video is Pikmim and how it dynamically changes based on gameplay.
8-bit Music Theory is a great channel in general.
I just started watching this one, seems cool: