61 Frames Per Second : game music

What's in my MP3 Player: LetThereBeLight, a Mega Man 4 OC Remix

Nadia Oxford — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 03:54:00 GMT

Line up to revoke any good feelings you have about me, because I think that Mega Man 4's soundtrack is better than Mega Man 2's.

”Oh my God Nadia how can you embarrass yourself like this?”

Though I thoroughly believe Mega Man 2 deserves its pedestal in the hearts of the people, I actually don't have the same nostalgic attachment to the title as other Mega Man fans. My first game was Mega Man 3, which I followed up with Mega Man 4. Mega Man 4's gameplay isn't exceptionally good, but the graphics and soundtrack are among the NES' best.

”So you say, but you still sound like you were dropped on your head as a baby and dragged away by a dog, poor wee child.”

Maybe so, but if you give the soundtrack a good listen, you can hear an attempt to go somewhere different. Dustman's stage is far beyond Mega Man's usual rock n roll du jour; it's a subdued tune, quite melancholy, that brings you back to those rainy days you spent indoors with your NES.

It also gave rise to the greatest OC Remix of all time.

LetThereBeLight by musician Stefan Ajax/AmIEvil is a rare instance of a remix I don't feel compelled to explain to any non-gaming company within listening range. The name is a bit deceptive, since one might expect a remix of Brightman's stage (also awesome, don't deny it), but what counts is how it sounds. LetThereBeLight is melancholy, like its source material, but also dark, tortuous, and mysterious. You would expect it to accompany a scene in a movie where the main cast has resolved to find their way out of a haunted forest, but will inevitably end up in the mouth of some hell-dog.

AmIEvil hasn't contributed any OC Remixes for a number of years, but he does seem to have a band that's touring around Sweden. So here's a “Hooray!” for a talented guy, though I do miss his automatically-accessible work.

Related Links:

What's In My MP3 Player: Super Metroid "In Your Prime"
What's In My MP3 Player: Castlevania II "Castle of Tears"
What's in my MP3 Player: Shadow's Theme

What's in my MP3 Player: Super Metroid "In Your Prime"

Amber Ahlborn — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 02:00:00 GMT

I could probably rename this feature “Amber's Metroid Mix Pick of the Month”. In my defense, Super Metroid has one of the best sound tracks ever and the Metroid Prime games have some really good moments too. This particular remix comes to us from “Big Giant Circles” who covers the Brinstar Red theme like never before.

In Your Prime is a massive electronica mix that just keeps evolving throughout its six minute run time. Quoting from the assessment at OCR, “...Big Giant spends the entire time upping the ante and bringing his A game. That's 'A' for awesome, aggressive, amplified, and arse-kicking, to name a few. This is a classic theme, and it's definitely been covered up one side and down the other, but I can't remember an arrangement that throws this many elements at it... if certain mixes are minimalist (and I think that's a helpful label), then this one's definitely maximalist.”

“A” game indeed. Click on over, read the rest of the write up and download! Wait, don't go anywhere yet, I have a bonus for you Metroid Music lovers. Reserve Tank: VARIAtions is a get well album that was put together for remixer “bLiNd”. The good news is that “bLiNd” is now doing fine, the other good news is this fantastic album is available for all to enjoy. Show it some love.

Related Links:

What's in my MP3 Player: Kindred

What's in my MP3 Player: Super Metroid “Jade Catacombs”

What's in my MP3 Player: Yellow Valkyrie

What's In My MP3 Player: Mother 3+'s "Pollyanna"

Nadia Oxford — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 03:29:00 GMT

There exists a song that's a perfect accompaniment to the sunrise on the first warm day of the year. That song, as I discovered though an example of ideal iPod shuffling, is “Pollyanna” from the Mother 3+ soundtrack.

Pollyanna is one of a few pieces of music that recur through all three games in the Mother/Earthbound series. The revision done for the Mother 3+ soundtrack—which you can buy on iTunes (do it)—is very pretty and, as I already stated, God's own theme song for springtime.

However, I dare say that the first occurrence of the song (Mother for the Famicom) is the most impressive. The 8-bit era wasn't lacking for ambitious and memorable game music, but retro-Pollyanna is especially heartfelt and spunky. The story for Mother was a bit less structured than most Famicom RPG offerings: not aimless, but not as urgent as “Holy crap, a Dragon Lord draws near.” Pollyanna, which serves as the basic world map theme for Mother, reflects the laid-back start to Ninten's adventure.

The name of the song is telling in itself: “Pollyanna” is a reference to the hyper-positive lead girl of a popular children's book initially published in 1913 (it's still being printed and adapted today). When things were looking down, Pollyanna played the “Glad Game,” which allowed her to see the good bad situations. “Pollyanna” is even a term in the English language that refers to cheerful optimism.

No surprise that the Mother tune of the same name is so upbeat. Even its lyrics are warm with sugary references to love, hope, and silver linings.

Yes, Pollyanna has lyrics. Karaoke time!

Related Links:

What's in my MP3 Player: Earthbound "Snowbound" OC Remix
What's in my MP3 Player: Castlevania II "Castle of Tears"
What's in my MP3 Player: Shadow's Theme

Unsolicited Scares: Threed, Zombie Central

Nadia Oxford — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 22:26:00 GMT

All this talk about Earthbound and related disappointments made me hungry for a Skip Sandwich DX. I ate the sandwich with a mayo packet and began remembering what parts of Earthbound I liked best.

Earthbound is an unsettling game for a number of reasons. First, the party consists entirely of kids, and even though kids have a deserved reputation for never shutting up, Ness and his pals are quiet, stoic and very much focused on the task at hand. Second, the threat they're up against is ethereal, but Giygas' influence on the grown-up world is unmistakable: adults' greed is amplified, corruption amongst authorities is rampant, and there's that one town with the whole cult thing going on.

The third and possibly most potent reason for Earthbound's dark humour is its masterful blending of innocent colour and mood-setting music. If something bad is going down in a scenario, the sound will tell you before the visuals do. Any game that starts you off investigating an unidentified falling object in the dead of night with disjointed alien percussion as background music is a game that's not going to deliver warm fuzzies if it doesn't bloody well feel like it.

Obviously, Earthbound isn't meant to make your heart stop at any one moment—final battle excluded, maybe—but I've come to think of the party's visit to the town of Threed as Resident Evil Crayola.. Zombies and ghosts have taken over the city, but they're pretty goofy looking critters (less so with Handsome Tom and Smilin' Sam; sorry, I hate puppets). Even so, the darkness surrounding the town is oppressive, and the background music hardly indicates that Ness and Paula are attending a kids' Halloween party.

What's more, it quickly becomes apparent that the citizens are fighting a losing battle. Everyone who's left is slowly being herded into the centre of town; the outskirts are crawling with the undead. They're closing in, slithering around the broken-down circus paraphernalia litters the town's greenery. The “haunted circus” angle is an oldie, but it's definitely a goodie. As was stated earlier, Earthbound is all about mixing innocence with corruption—but whereas most games and movies make sure said innocent themes are trampled into the ground by the adult world's stinking grown-up realities, Earthbound lets innocence triumph. After all, it's shy and quiet Jeff who saves Paula and Ness in their greatest time of need.

Until that moment, though, Threed belongs to the dead.

Related Links:

Unsolicited Scares: Terranigma and the Desert
Abandon All Hope: No Earthbound for the Virtual Console
Earthbound in 3D

Automated Musical Mario

Amber Ahlborn — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Probably something like a year ago I came across an amazing video on Kotaku. It was one of those self playing Super Mario World levels but this one was also musical. Alas, the video seemed to break on the page and there wasn't a YouTube version in existence yet. Ultimately I forgot about it. However, I've rediscovered this amazing little novelty and thought I'd share the love.

Keep in mind that nobody is actually playing this, all of the action is automated using Mario's momentum and reactions to obstacles. I don't even want to think about how much tinkering with timing it took to create this. I'll just say that I'm very appreciative of those wacky people out there who have the time and patience to create these masterpiece oddities.

Related Links:

Fandom: Gone to the Movies

WTFriday: The Mario Paint Music Showcase

I Only Took Piano Lessons as a Kid.

Unsolicited Scares: Terranigma and the Desert

Nadia Oxford — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 00:27:00 GMT

When we talk about games that made us scream like grandmothers treed on a kitchen chair by mice, we default to the obvious. “Ohhh, Resident Evil 4 made me poop myself in fear,” one contributor gasps. “That's nothing,” another counters. “Silent Hill made my poop poop itself in fear!”

And so on.

It's only natural that we think about the survival horror genre during these conferences of memory. But I've been thinking lately about games that gave me the chills when I certainly didn't expect them to. I won't say I have the hardiest soul around, but even JRPGs and Super Mario games have some genuinely creepy moments that can blindside you. Not necessarily the whole game (unlike Resident Evil or Silent Hill), but maybe a specific scenario that comes back to haunt me when I wake up from a nightmare and fail to conjure something soothing to help me sleep again.

First example: The “Desert” music from Terranigma.

Terranigma was Enix's follow-up to Illusion of Gaia for the Super Nintendo. It's best known for never showing its face in America despite demand. It's known almost as well for its haunting soundtrack.

“Desert” is a sound clip that tends to visit my memory when I'm alone in some dark place, usually when my imagination is already engorged with fear. The clip doesn't have to be taken in context for its haunting whine to skittle down your neck and back, but it helps a bit.

Terranigma's protagonist, Ark, is the video game equivalent of what Adam would be if Adam's reaction to getting kicked out of the Garden of Eden had been, “Well, okay.” Ark is evicted from his village after eating the metaphorical forbidden fruit—or opening the literal Pandora's Box, if you like—and he's charged with reviving the dead Earth that he had no idea existed outside his little hamlet. When “Desert” first plays, Ark is preparing to leave everything behind for the unknown. That, to me, is what the piece reflects so well: an uncertain future. Though the unknown is a more subtle scare than omg zombies blaaargh, it is by far mankind's greatest fear.

“Desert” hits me even more strongly thanks to personal context. I played Terranigma around the time 9/11 struck, and to a degree, I associate the track with the days of unease that followed the attack. Nobody in the world knew what, precisely, was going to happen next. A World War? Another attack? Indeed, the unknown is frightening.

Related Links:

Time For Terranigma
Question of the Day: Why Can't I Emulate?
Question of the Day: How Do You Make a Horror Game Horrifying?

Mother 3's Soundtrack Disassembled

Nadia Oxford — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 04:28:00 GMT

The Game Boy Advance never had much of a problem matching up to the SNES graphically. As for audio, well, that was another matter. GBA remakes of SNES classics like Final Fantasy IV and especially Final Fantasy VI tried really hard to ship the games' epic soundtracks. The end result got an A for Effort, but it was like listening to a favourite singer belt out a classic song with a wad of cotton stuffed in each cheek. Something about the whole affair felt off.

I can recall only two instances where I was genuinely impressed by the soundtrack in a GBA game: Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and Mother 3. You wouldn't accept a flimsy soundtrack from a Castlevania game (least of all one that has the stones to feature a subtitle with “Aria” in it), but Mother 3's soundtrack is an integral part of the title's gameplay because the player performs “combos” by tapping the attack button in tune to the game's battle themes. These combos make all the difference between an easy battle and a difficult one, not to mention the difference between taking an active part in the fight or sitting on the sidelines, dejected and bored, possibly with rainwater streaming down your face.

Mother 3 has a pretty huge roster of battle themes, but it's no sweat. Once you memorise the rhythm for a song, you have it in a lock for the rest of the game, right? Sixteen-hit combo city!

”WRONG!”

Harmonix employee Dan Bruno recently analysed Mother 3's soundtrack down to the last note—no, really, he has sheet music written out—and lays out the staggering amount of work that went into Mother 3's battle tunes.

Most games would be satisfied to let the player figure out how things work early in the adventure, then drift into a button-clicking hypnosis as the body count mounted. Mother 3 won't allow you the luxury. As battle themes become more familiar, they're liable to skip beats or change their pace, forcing you to pay attention and re-align your strategy accordingly.

The formulation and execution of said strategies is one of the things that makes Mother 3 a unique experience. If an enemy is accompanied by Fate or Accelerondo as battle music, I have the fight in the bag because I have little trouble keeping time to either piece. That's not the case for everyone, though. The pacing of Accelerondo is surely some other player's idea of hell.

I'm not exactly a musical prodigy myself. Bothersome Guys is considered one of the easier pieces to keep up with, but I just can't feel it. Thanks to Bruno, I now know I'm supposed to follow along to the high hat.

Pretty detailed work for such an underpowered sound system.

Related Links:

The Reason Why Mother 3 Never Came To America
Mother 3 Makes Me Feel Human Again
OST: Mother

The Duck Tales Moon Theme--With Lyrics

Nadia Oxford — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 04:41:00 GMT

Duck Tales for the NES presented a rare moment in my gaming history: it marked an instance in which my friends and I were all on the same page about a video game. I was the hardcore gamer (loser) of the bunch, meaning I often had my heart broken when we'd have a sleepover party and a Mega Man game rental would lose out to licensed slurry like Bart vs The World.

But Duck Tales...ah, Duck Tales was a familiar property, and it was one of the best platformers on the NES. My friends didn't have to cringe away in confusion from some anime mascot and I didn't have to watch them argue slowly about how to make Bart Simpson advance past the snow cave level.

Duck Tales' accessibility gave us another rare occurrence. An entire generation became familiar with one particular piece of game music: the Moon level. Even kids who didn't clock in all that many hours on the Nintendo slowly smile when they hear the tune and recognition dawns.

“Brentalfloss,” a gentleman who adds lyrics to classic Nintendo music, has given the same treatment to Scrooge McDuck's journey to the Moon. The lyrics mostly deal with McDuck's slow, sad spiral into a world of delusions fueled by his lust for gold. That's a grim picture: a millionaire mallard lying dead on a barren, cold wasteland at the end of a disastrous search for riches. But in his death-dreams, he's still jumping up and down on top of giant moon rats.

Related Links:

Chiptune Friday: Dangerous Disney Ducks!
Darkwing Duck: Disney's Secret Mega Man
Screw Attack Remembers Lion King: I Remember a 16-bit Hell

What's In My MP3 Player: Earthbound "Snowbound" OC Remix

Nadia Oxford — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 03:55:00 GMT

“Snowman,” the tune that has carried the Mother/Earthbound games through its wintry spots since the first title on the Famicom, is one of my favourite pieces of game music. I actually heard the song in Super Smash Bros Brawl some months before I played Earthbound and had a name for the it. It's a peaceful bit of music, if not a little melancholy—again, my first encounter with Snowman was the background music of the Abandoned Zoo level in the Subspace Emissary, and it wasn't a cheerful visit (If someone were to make a list of the least joyous places on Earth, I imagine an “Abandoned Zoo” would be close up there with a broken-down Disneyland inhabited only by snaggle-toothed hobos and sick dogs).

I rough out five months of the year in a harsh, dead climate, so the sleepy warmth of the Winters boarding school in Earthbound, accompanied by a soft version of “Snowman,” produced an atmosphere I appreciated. My brother believes winter exists to make snowboarders happy, my dad believes winter exists to swear at, but I believe winter exists to wind us down, bring us closer to our friends and family in warm, happy gatherings.

Until the cabin fever sets in and we kill each other.

“Snowbound” is a trance-style OC Remix of Snowman. It's not as peaceful as its source material, but it's just the thing to rouse you from your winter blahs, should you be suffering from them. There are still many, many days before the Earth once again feels Demeter's gentle kiss.

Related Links:

What's In My MP3 Player: The Mother Mashup
What's In My MP3 Player: Shadow's Theme
What's In My MP3 Player: Endless Skies

What's in my MP3 Player: Super Metroid “Jade Catacombs”

Amber Ahlborn — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Today is a good day for Metroid related stuff, and that always makes me happy. I've rarely met a Metroid remix I didn't like but today's featured music immediately found itself among my top favorite picks.

Featuring the sort of electronic beats that fit Metroid so well, bLiNd's creation titled “Jade Catacombs” is a treat for the ears. A fast paced take on one of the Brinstar themes, it makes interesting usage of Samus' Speed Booster sound effect and just plain rocks overall. Click over and enjoy!

Related Links:

What's in my MP3 Player: Super Mario RPG - “Flubber Mountain”

Bad Games With Good Music: Tales of Legendia

The Art of Metroid Prime, Echoes, and Corruption

What's in my MP3 Player: Super Mario RPG - “Flubber Mountain”

Amber Ahlborn — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 03:30:00 GMT

Sometimes I run across a piece of music that I just can't categorize and this is one of those times. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, aside from being a really great SNES game was also the second RPG I ever played/owned (I was ushered into the genre by Chrono Trigger). One of the most memorable aspects of Mario RPG was its music, which perfectly matched the zany vibrancy of the game's look, play, plot and well, everything else about it. This remix by Mazedude over at OCR captures that quirkiness flawlessly.

"Holy timpani Batman" was probably my first reaction listening to “Flubber Mountain” but even though the drums are dominant there's a lot of other crazy fun stuff going on. I don't know what official genre Mazedude's effort might be placed in; I just call it music to smile to. Go check it out, it's lots of fun.

Related Links:

61FPS Q&A: David Lloyd and Larry Oji of OC ReMix on the Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix Soundtrack (Part 1)

Bad Games With Good Music: Tales of Legendia

What's in my MP3 Player: Shadow's Theme

What's in my MP3 Player: Earthbound "Bus" and "Funky Bookas"

Amber Ahlborn — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:00:00 GMT

So I was sifting through my music collection, picking out some tracks to burn onto a CD I could listen to while driving to work and I came across this very short and very sweet piece from Earthbound: Bus.

It's a funky little surf rock piece that will definitely make my commute to work a little more lively. And just because I like you, here's another Earthbound remix: Funky Bookas. This one sports an electric Arabic vibe for quite a unique sound.

Both of these remixes were created by “Shadow”, who really needs to produce some more excellent work.

Related Links:

What's in my MP3 Player: Kindred

Wii Music: A Rare Miss For Miyamoto?

Whatcha Listening To: The Earthbound Soundtrack

I Only Took Piano Lessons as a Kid.

Amber Ahlborn — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:00:00 GMT

I love video game music. I already post the occasional remix here on 61FPS but I also love listening and watching enthusiasts play classic game tunes straight. I am a science buff and enjoy digging up all manner of interesting and often esoteric facts and scientific oddities. Finally, YouTube is a strange and wonderful place. Add these seemingly unrelated statements together and you get...

And for the grand finally I give you: one Insulated Suit + two “light sabers” + Tetris + High Voltage =

And a shockingly good time was had by all.

Related Links:

WTFriday: The Mario Paint Music Showcase

What's in my MP3 Player: Kindred

OST: DuckTales

Seven Minutes With Mega Man 9's Music

Nadia Oxford — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 06:48:00 GMT

What are you thankful for this year? If your answer isn't "Mega Man 9" and "Bitchin' guitars," I don't want to talk to you anymore.

At this point in your life, you've no doubt heard Mega Man 2's "Doctor Wily Stage One" remixed on every instrument from the jew's harp to some dog's armpit. It's high time we start running Mega Man 9's fantastic soundtrack into the ground. Let this Freddie fellow lead the revolution with this lovely seven minute compilation/remix of every tune in the game.

Be wary of last boss spoilers if you're like me and haven't bested Wily yet. Ugh, the shame.

Related Links:

The Mega Man Robot Club
Mega Man 9 Bosses Look Like Mega Man Bosses
For Love of the Game: Rockman 7 FC

What's in my MP3 Player: Shadow's Theme

Amber Ahlborn — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:00:00 GMT

You know what? I have a lot of Final Fantasy remixes. It seems like the Final Fantasy series and Chrono Trigger have contributed more raw material to the remixing community than any other game or series. Maybe that's not actually true but that's the way it appears just looking at my own collection.

Today's MP3 is an oldie but goodie from OCR. In fact, if I were to make a list of my all time favorite tracks at Overclocked Remix, well, that list would be very long but it would definitely include Shadow's Theme by K. Praslowicz.

I'm not really sure what to say about this piece of music that isn't already stated in the MP3's write up at OCR. Is badass descriptive enough? However you might break down the musical merits of this track, I simply find that it fits Shadow (my favorite character) from Final Fantasy VI to a T.

If you enjoy video game remixes and don't already have this one in your collection, then I really can not recommend it highly enough.

Related Links:

What's in my MP3 Player: Kindred

What's in my MP3 Player: Yellow Valkyrie

Through the Fire and Flames on Mariopaint

How Chicago Inadvertently Penned an Anthem for Dead Anime Fathers

Nadia Oxford — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:47:00 GMT

The other day, I was browsing a retail establishment when Chicago's "You're the Inspiration" came over the store speakers. Suddenly, I felt very sad.

It was an interesting reaction and not one I would have had a few years ago. Having surrendered my youth to the modern day equivilent of potato mines (retail), I'm familiar with the safe music that's piped over the speakers to keep the masters and beasts complacent. I would never give Chicago another thought ever again if not for an Elite Beat Agents scenario involving an anime girl's dead father.

Surely I'm not the only one who's come to associate games with certain licensed songs. The Japanese have been sneaky about it since we were kids: Mario's invincibility music is lifted straight from Jesus Christ Superstar and more than one tune in the early Mega Man games sounded like a tribute to Guns n Roses and/or Metallica. But legitimate songs being used in games (or to advertise games) is quickly becoming popular and I'm increasingly interested in the association aspect. This doesn't apply so much to games like Guitar Hero or Rock Band, which usually have you belting out tunes in a club, or possibly a fancy club. I'm referring to instances where a song is used to define a game, or an in-game scenario like the ones in Elite Beat Agents.

For instance, I will forever associate the song "Mad World" with Gears of War--more specifically, a giant goddamn spider from Gears of War (Sidenote: I very much prefer Tears for Fears' half-frantic original to Jules' whiny lamentation). Gears of War 2's commercial has taken the song association route as well, though I don't remember anything about the choice. I am uncool--but perhaps the song is not as an effective choice as Mad World since there's no association in my head?

"Under the Sea," of course, belongs to Bioshock. In fact, Bioshock's licensed selection is brilliant and goes a long way in defining the game overall. "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window" is benign, but "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window" stuttering over and over on a damaged jukebox in a silent, busted-up bar is a memory that will visit your dreams often, if you're like me. Also, there is a specific instance wherein the player hears the sad drone of "Danny Boy". It is a brilliant touch of atmosphere.

I'm limiting myself by gushing on about my experiences alone. What songs have embedded themselves into your memory because of a game? Bonus points if your parents made out to the song as youth and are now horrified to see it squandered in a video game.

Related Links:

Warner Music Wants More Royalties
The Economist Weighs In On Music Games
Wii Are Not Amused

Read This Fabulous (and Translated) Rockman 9 Mini-Manga

Nadia Oxford — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:44:00 GMT

You have probably embraced every corner and fold of Mega Man 9 by now. If you haven't, you are a bad human being and I'll speak to God about revoking your humanity.

As for the rest of you, there's one last bit of Mega Man 9 love that you have been lacking...until now. The Rockman 9 arranged soundtrack came with a small manga put together by manga-ka Hitoshi Ariga. It relays Mega Man 9's story and depicts Dr Light's struggle before he's thrown into robot pound-you-in-the-output prison. It's surprisingly dark, but one hundred percent awesome. And now, it's one hundred percent translated thanks to The Mega Man Network. You can read it here.

You'll likely notice right away that Ariga is pretty fantastic at what he does. He's done a great deal of Mega Man-related manga in the past, so he's in his element with this bit of loveliness. I can't immediately think of another manga-ka who has so much fun with his characters' attire. Dig Dr Wily's skeleton tie and sunglasses. Awesome. Even Dr Light looks cool in his stylish trench coat.

Read and enjoy.

Related Links:

The Mega Man Robot Club
Mega Man 9 Goes Back To Your Roots. Way Back.
The Delights of Continuity in Mega Man and Abroad

You Won't Agree With This: GameTrailers' Top Ten Video Game Themes Ever

Nadia Oxford — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:12:00 GMT

Editors love Top Ten lists. There is so very little in this vast world that can be summed up with a Top Ten list, which is why readers go orangutan when writers try. And "readers going orangutan" is a proven traffic-booster.

The thing is, nobody can resist the pull of these lists. We want to see our personal favourites up on the marquee; we want validation in an anonymous world. Lord knows that when GameTrailers/Screw Attack uploaded its list of the Top Ten Video Game Themes Ever, I loaded the hell out of the video just so I could sit back and yell at it.

Not to say Screw Attack made bad choices. Most of them are pretty obvious. It's just impossible to please everyone, least of all me.

For instance, I'm not so sure about choosing the Prelude for the whole Final Fantasy series (Screw Attack limited suggestions to one per franchise). The Prelude theme is very nice and it certainly represents the series as a whole, but there are other songs that are far more striking. The Opera from Final Fantasy VI, for starters. Or the Redwings' anthem from Final Fantasy IV. I can at least give Screw Attack credit for not choosing One Winged Angel from Final Fantasy VII. I saw that performed as a jangling mess at Video Games Live, confirming a suspicion I've long held: the song is not particularly well-written.

Our blue friend Mega Man is represented, of course, through Mega Man 2's first Wily stage. Good choice, though I personally would have recommended Storm Eagle's rockin' rock from Mega Man X. Hey, you know what the most underrated Mega Man stage music is? Dust Man. Also, Shade Man. Also, Dr Wily's first stage in Mega Man 7.

I'm a little disappointed to see that a song from Donkey Kong Country was chosen over the ten million superiour songs from Donkey Kong Country 2. DKC 2 offered some great remixes of DKC's music--even K. Rool's nautical battle theme.

Ah, but if we all agreed on everything, what a dull place the world would be. A dull, peaceful place. I am, of course, very happy to see Secret of Mana's "Angel's Fear" on the list. Any song that still compels me to sit all the way through it fifteen years later has aged well in my book.

Related Links:

OST: DuckTales
Whatcha Listening To: The Earthbound Soundtrack
Chiptune Friday: Crystal Castles

What's in my MP3 Player: Castlevania II "Castle of Tears"

Amber Ahlborn — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:00:00 GMT

One of the things the Castlevania series is known for is its music. In fact, much like the Zelda series, there are some iconic tunes that tend to pop up again and again, songs like “Bloody Tears” which is the source of today's featured remix. “Castle of Tears” by remixer DigiE is a fast paced in-your-face electronica mix, ready to be downloaded for your listening pleasure.

Castlevania II was the first Castlevania game I ever played. I rented it and never finished it. I wandered around, collecting Dracula's body parts until I got to that point in the game where everybody got stuck. Earn yourself some Game Geek Cred and be the first person in comments to guess what point in the game stonewalled me. Damn those townsfolk and their crappy hints (and outright lies).

Related Links:

What's in my MP3 Player: "Kindred"

OST: DuckTales

Chiptune Friday: Little Nemo

Growl, Snarl, Bark: Screw Attack's Top 10 Genesis Games

Nadia Oxford — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:30:00 GMT

Nothing instigates Holy Forum Wars like Top Ten Lists. I've seen them all; I've smelled the blood as it flowed across the text. Top Ten Toothpicks. Top Ten Clothes Pin Brands. Top Ten Dog Breeds (From one to ten: German Shepherd, Newfoundland, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Pharaoh Hound, Corgi, American bulldog, Redbone Coon Hound, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Scottish Terrier, thine Mother, Ha ha ha).

Video game-related Top Tens generate the most fun through flaming bitchslaps and the subsequent weeping. Screw Attack, a site that normally never seeks cheap attention through tits and swears has put together a video collection of the Top Ten Genesis Games with the aid of tits and swears.

The list seems straightforward enough, though some boneheaded things are undoubtedly said. I never played Strider on the NES or Genesis, but I remember it being near and dear to the hearts of those I love. Did the NES version really, er, suck? That really wasn't the impression I got.

I also question Screw Attack's choice of Sonic game. I was blown away by the first Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic 2 perfected near-perfection. Sonic 3 made me aware that the formula was getting a bit old. And I've never, ever been a fan of Sonic 3's music. I know that Michael Jackson contributed to it. I'm not even going to go for the cheap child-diddling joke here. Heck, I grew up in an era (the '80s, far better than your era) where every kid worshiped Michael and wanted to be just like him. Wow, did we ever dodge a bullet. Still, Michael was going through, um, a transition by the mid-'90s and it didn't translate into any kind of video game music I enjoyed. When I listen to the digital equivalent of raindrops hitting an empty tin of beans, I demand the best.

There. I thought I was above Top Ten controversy and I went ahead and got myself sucked into a round of "Sonic 2 was better than Sonic 3, a-bloo-bloo-bloo." I can't wait for Screw Attack's next big project: The Top Ten Game Music Pieces. Ever.

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Whatcha Listening To: The Protomen (And So Should You)

Nadia Oxford — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:38:00 GMT

[The Protomen] have just released a demo off of their upcoming album, a song called "Breaking Out," and it's so incredibly high concept that it should collapse: Mega Man as viewed through the lens of Rock Americana? How could they possibly have succeeded in this? And, having succeeded, what task could possibly thwart them?

--Tycho, Penny Arcade

Overclocked Game Remixes and other video game covers take up a significant amount of real estate in my iPod. Some Remix artists have even tried adding lyrics to their songs, and to be honest, I feel kind of embarrassed when I listen to them, even if they're done in the name of self-parody. Even when I was Disney-aged, I never liked it when characters burst into song. Having my video game heroes serenade me makes me flush. It's a little different with Hyadain's stuff, since it's so silly and over the top to begin with, but English language attempts at character exploration through song just...never reaches me.

Then I heard there existed a Mega Man rock opera. A serious business Mega Man rock opera. And when a good friend of mine recommended it, I thought, "Oh God, this is going to be death."

I was very surprised to learn that The Protomen are absolutely worth a listen. For starters, they write their own music. The Mega Man games are an influence, of course, but there are no covers; everything is original. Coming from a musical family (not that I could hack it on anything but the triangle), I respect music composition very much.

Being a writer (actually, I just play one on TV), I especially respect The Protomen's rare ability to write non-idiotic lyrics. Their rock opera follows Capcom's basic story very loosely, with Mega Man and his brother, Protoman, occupying a post-apocalyptic world that Wily rules over with an Orwellian flair. Mega Man wants to save humanity; Protoman, having suffered terribly at the hands of Wily's subjects, thinks humanity should bite it. He tells his optimistic brother, "They don't want a hero, they just want a martyr; a statue to raise."

It's all melodramatic but incredibly fun for being so. The soundtrack is refreshingly varied, too. From the scream-heavy "Vengeance" to the sad, bonging piano in "The Stand" to the Western-sounding "Unrest in the House of Light" (which incorporates Protoman's trademark whistle), it's enough to make you stop and realise, "Hey...these guys know how to write music!"

Which is not to say that the beautiful talented people at OC Remix don't know how to write music, but I have to admit that putting together a rock opera with your own work is a hell of a feat.

By the way, I would poke each and every one of you in the eye for the chance to see these guys live. Apparently, the band acts out the whole drama. Even better, they're working on a prequel. The Mega Man series has never been sullied by prequels or sequels; let's hope this works out.*

*Warning: Joke.

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What's in my MP3 Player: “Bowser is Pissed”

Amber Ahlborn — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Ahh, three day weekends are great, unless you spend them cleaning house. I'm not big on dusting so I tend to let things go for longer than I should. When I do clean it's a big job. Thankfully, I have a large collection of MP3s to toss into a play list and listen to as I scrub away. This always leads to me becoming reacquainted with many older songs buried in my music folder. One such is a fun little remix from the original Super Mario Bros. that I thought I'd share with you: “Bowser is Pissed” .

If there's anything I regret about modern video game music, it is that it has rendered the humble melody all but dead. Movie like orchestrated sound tracks are great, but they're a lot harder to hum. Game music composers didn't have a lot of resources to work with back in the 8- and 16-bit days, thus they had to make every note count. The results were some of the most memorable songs ever written. It's no wonder that the favorite inspirational hunting grounds for remixers are among the classics.

Remixer “PriZm” found such inspiration in the classic castle theme from Super Mario Bros. The original music is a bare three measures long but PriZm milked it for everything it was worth with some rockin' breakbeat. When I listen to this piece, I imagine it actually being used in a Mario game. As the music begins, Mario sets out down a long, treacherous corridor, leaping over lava pits and dodging the usual assortment of death traps. Then, just as the music hits the 2'47” mark, Bowser bursts on the scene and yes, he is seriously pissed.

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Ne, Rokkuman! Yaranaika?: The World of Hayadain

Nadia Oxford — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:16:00 GMT

Yesterday afternoon, our hero John Constantine became frightened and confused when he inadvertently discovered Mario and the Western Show. In this jaunty showtune, which is set to music from Super Mario World, Super Mario and his nemesis Bowser haggle back and forth over which one of them loves Princess Peach more (and Bowser picks his nose hard enough to make it bleed). Both seem oblivious to the fact that Peach wants neither of them. In fact, she sounds like she's on the verge of initiating that sexual harassment lawsuit that should have been filed years ago.

Mario and the Western Show is written by a Japanese remixer named Hyadain. Whereas America treats its video game remixes with the awe and dignity you'd expect with a revered hobby, Japan's remixes tend to be a bit more silly. Hyadin has become especially famous for cutting loose and giving us beauties like The World Warrior.

The World Warrior features the cast of Street Fighter. Each fighter sings about what motivates them to get their face stepped on by M Bison. True to the series, Honda says, ”Sumo is the greatest fighting style in the world!” When is someone going to conjure up the stones to tell the dude that he's the #1 choice of n00bs? Nobody who doesn't want to be sat on, I guess.

Other delights by Hyadin include Appearance of Golbez's Four Lords of the Elements and (oh God) CRASH! Let's Do It!, which is Crashman's love song to Mega Man. Don't act disgusted, you only wish you could make love to your hero while Airman fans you gently.

Hyadin's stuff isn't all about bristly guys in costumes and flamboyant robot masters, though. He's also produced the Sabin Rap, which isn't nearly as uncomfortable as it sounds.

And for all you big tough men out there who think crying is for sissies: I dare you to take on My First Friend. Do it, punk.

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Whatcha Listening To: The Earthbound Soundtrack

Nadia Oxford — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 23:01:00 GMT

I'm in an Earthbound frame of mind these days, which is a good place to be. With the release of the Mother 3 fan translation inching closer and some very pleasant message board conversations that remind me why I actually sacrificed precious naps to play through Itoi's masterpiece, I've taken to thinking about what makes Earthbound special.

I could sit here for hours relaying all the reasons (okay, twenty minutes--I type fast), but one of the main reasons warrants its own entry: the music.

Earthbound is probably the most underappreciated title in video gaming's short but passionate history. Everything was overlooked: the expressive graphics, the innovative battle system, the emotional story that perfectly balances bizarre fun with a deep, subtle story about growing up and leaving home...and, of course, the music. Earthbound is not a game that can be appreciated with a glance ("God, what baby graphics. Who made them, Crayola?") or a quick listen ("This music is too cutesy"). You're required to experience it from beginning to end. Admittedly, the music took a while to grow on me, but when it did, it hit me like a Mr Saturn to the face.

I think the first track that made me aware of what I was listening to was Sanctuary Guardian, which serves as the boss music in some of Ness' Sanctuary locations. You'll notice I said "some:" the beauty thing about Earthbound is that the soundtrack is so blessedly mixed, you'll rarely get tired of any one theme. Unlike most games, there's no hard rule about a boss being introduced exclusively by some Bad Guy Ballad. It's all about how well the music fits an enemy or situation. Hence why Kraken of the Sea applies to Ness' battle with the Kraken sea monster, but is also used for battles with many robotic enemies.

Of course, each of the four heroes has his or her own theme, standard issue in most RPGs: everyone gets a sword, a motive, possibly an outrageous hairdo and their own theme. Earthbound does an exceptional job expressing what makes each character special through their music. Paula's theme is quiet but somehow indicative of bigger things at work, which is suitable for such a powerful character. Jeff's theme is shy and hesitant. Poo's carries a mystical Eastern flavour for obvious reasons and Ness' a Flash of Memory conjures images of home. The Earthbound soundtrack deserves to be on any iPod--as is, in all its 16-bit glory.

Be wary about mixing popular culture and Earthbound, though. You get horrors like Ronald McGiygas. You cannot grasp the true form of Giygas' Big Mac Attack.

What's in my MP3 Player: Kindred

Amber Ahlborn — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:00:00 GMT

I do not usually like music with vocals. There are exceptions. “Kindred”, a Super Metroid remix over at Overclocked Remix is truly a lovely, hauntingly atmospheric piece. The source music is the Maridia 1 theme and it suits the arrangement by remixers Pixietricks (vocals) and Zircon perfectly. I have a real soft spot for, well, pretty much anything related to the Metroid series but “Kindred” would have grabbed my attention even if it had been from something truly repugnant like Halo. I kid.

This particular track also has an interesting back story. Beloved remixer bLINd, an OCR veteran, has been stricken with a nasty medical condition called colitis. While I have never suffered from colitis myself, I certainly have a lot of first hand experience with it as a good friend of mine suffered from an extreme case of ulcerative colitis and, frankly, it nearly killed him. “Kindred” was created specially as part of a “Get Well Soon” project put together by the OCR community. Inspirational effort and heartfelt results. Stay strong bLINd.

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Through the Fire and Flames on Mariopaint

Through the Fire and Flames on Mariopaint

Nadia Oxford — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:40:00 GMT

I've never been able to tell if I'm supposed to take Dragonforce seriously. I guess the fact that their fame comes from being the creators of Guitar Hero III's most insane song should be an indication--I mean, you have to guitar-battle Satan while these guys babble on about evil wizards or something. I guess I'm not going to take them seriously no matter what.

Anyway, the music compser for Mario Paint really suits Dragonforce's flagship song, Through the Fire and Flames. I love listening to song adaptations over Mario Paint, even if I can't tolerate them for long. I remember attempting to compose music on the SNES classic and winding up with a bunch of jingly-jangly noise.

Anecdote: when I was younger, I went over to the house of a friend of mine who had Mario Paint. When we walked in the apartment, the SNES was on and there was a flashing message on the television telling us both--by name--to eff off. The greeting was courtesy of my friend's brother, who didn't count on the fact that plans had changed and we'd be getting picked up and let into the apartment by the astonished matriarch of the brood.

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What's In My MP3 Player: Endless Skies

What's in my MP3 Player: Endless Skies

Amber Ahlborn — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Who here has over a gig of music stored on your computer? I want to see a show of hands. I'm a big fan of instrumental music in most genres. Most of my music is of game remixes and I have so many files and so many folders that I forget what I have. I'm sure we all do this, collect a pile of songs but only listen to a fraction of them regularly. It can't be helped really, you listen to what fits your mood or activity.

For example, I've been working in Photoshop a lot at home for the past couple of months. While working, I either prefer silence or a song with a good beat that doesn't insist on my full attention. Something energetic to groove to without it being hyperactive. At the moment “Endless Skies”, a Final Fantasy X remix by Overclocked Remix newcomer “PrototypeRaptor” really hits the spot. It's a smooth trance piece that incorporates Auron's Theme into it and is well worth checking out. Take a break from E3 news and click on over.

What's in my MP3 Player: Yellow Valkyrie

Video Games Live

Listen to Video Games Live in your Car

Nadia Oxford — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:10:00 GMT

Tommy Tallarico isn't everyone's bestest friend, but his project, Video Games Live, is certainly worth seeing (listening to?) if it comes to your town. Video Games Live combines orchestrated versions of classic gaming tunes with recorded footage from the respective games. It's a relaxing, memorable way to spend an evening.

It might not be possible to attend Video Games Live if you live out in the middle of yemesvelt with coyotes for companions; the show tends to stick to larger cities in North and South America as well as Europe and Asia. Well, hang on to your opossum pelts: this summer, EMI Classics will be distributing a Video Games Live collection over iTunes and on CD.

If there's one weakness Video Games Live can be faulted for, it's the lack of retro remixes. Sure, mainstays like the Super Mario Bros theme and the famous Tetris jingles are present, but for all the leaping and yelping Tallarico does about being oldskool, you won't hear much from the pre-Playstation era at his show. At the show I attended, Tallarico mentioned he got a lot of requests for Chrono Trigger music. He finally obliged...with Chrono Cross.

Ergo, don't be surprised when you look at the playlist and notice a lot of material from the current and last generation.

The track listing includes:

Kingdom Hearts

Warcraft Suite

Myst Medley

Medal of Honor

Civilization IV Medley (They played this when I attended the show; it was sexcellent)

Tetris Piano Opus 1

God of War Montage

Advent Rising Suite

Tron Montage (Okay, a little oldskool slipped in)

Halo Suite

Castlevania Rock

What's in my MP3 Player: Yellow Valkyrie

Amber Ahlborn — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:00:00 GMT

I love video game music. Specifically, I like game music remixes. Naturally this means I check sites like Overclocked Remix daily to see if something new has been uploaded. I do not have a singularly favorite song but “Yellow Valkyrie”, a Metroid Prime 3 remix by “DarkeSword” has been looping in my MP3 player for a while now. Click on over and have a listen. Oh, and to the remixers at OCR, give me my Metroid Prime 3 Rundas Battle Theme remix! Please?