I finally completed Big Bang Mini's "Arcade" mode today. The final boss was somewhat of a lifelong dream come true for me, so that was magical, but the part that really impressed me was the entire world preceeding the final boss, Abyss.
You see, if Big Bang Mini is "about" anything, its shooting off fireworks all around the world, and a major part of the experience of globe-hopping is the complete overhaul of graphics and sound between worlds. The graphics and sound are generally fantastic all around, but it was in Abyss that I would often just stop shooting to sit back and ponder on the sounds surrounding me. Embedded below, the music that accompanies you on your journey underwater:
It certainly helped, of course, that Abyss was also the world that made me completely rethink the way I was playing the game. Earlier worlds allowed you to fire frantically into the top screen, though at your own risk as fireworks that missed enemy targets would burst shrapnel back down into the lower screen for you to avoid. Abyss, however, featured both jellyfish-like mines that would explode and end the level if hit too hard/often and oxygen bubbles that you needed to catch just to stay alive. Suddenly I was slowing down, aiming carefully, and sending a lot of time just avoiding enemy fire and catching air bubbles. This new focus is amplified by the minimal electronic blips and coos of the soundtrack. Warm wahs and brushed snares slowly build urgency, and the music waits long enough to guarantee you're actually fighting something somewhat intense by the time the lead synth solo kicks in like Kanye West freaking out on his auto-tuner. Like fireworks themselves, this tune is both beautiful and devastating at the same time.
Previous OSTs:
The Great Mitsuda Music Heist
de Blob
Mother
Ducktales
Bubble Bobble
Chrono Cross
Soul Blazer
Everyday Shooter
Rule of Rose
Treasure of the Rundas
