|
Post by wyldephang on Apr 14, 2013 2:55:53 GMT -5
Anyway, quite a bit of "Cyan's Theme" sounds mystical/indian. Like Forrest Gump said, you never know what you're gonna get There's definitely an Eastern feel to that theme, and I believe it's intentional. Cyan is a Samurai warrior who embodies the virtues of loyalty, honor, dignity, and of course, bravery. In the English version, he speaks in a mock Shakespearean dialect throughout the game, using archaic pronouns like "thou" and "thee." His theme represents all of the characteristics of a man set in his ways and beliefs, set in his loyalties, and willing to die for his comrades. There's a hint of sadness to the theme, too, to contrast its majesty. Though I don't know if Nobuo Uematsu was aware of it, Cyan struggles to reconcile his family's death with his own feelings of guilt. He carries this sadness with him, and though he tries to disguise his pain for the greater good, he is an emotionally battered warrior with an intriguing background and a touching side quest. He's also damn strong, and is one of the only characters with "one-hit kill" capabilities in the early part of the game. Unfortunately, his stats begin to sag toward the middle, when I relegated him to the back of the party. Ironically, he came back into my party at the endgame (after having been neglected) and was responsible for dealing a deathblow to one of the final bosses--hurray for Cyan! What home consoles did it come out for? Sega Genesis & SNES. I've never played the original version, but the Super Nintendo one looks like a cool game! Classic run-and-gun gameplay--not as fast as Contra or Turrican, maybe, but it looks fun. Cool music, too, and I like the parallax scrolling effects on the SNES port.
|
|
|
Post by TrekMD on Apr 14, 2013 8:07:00 GMT -5
I've never played Jim Powers myself but heard the music for it and loved it.
|
|
|
Post by wyldephang on Apr 18, 2013 2:26:34 GMT -5
Some more tracks to be included on our ever-growing list: "Sunrise Boulevard" and "Make Me Dance" from The Revenge of Shinobi (Genesis/MD) "Machine Center" and "PS1 Dungeon Arrange 2" from Phantasy Star IV (Genesis/MD) This last one deserves its own short write-up. When I was seven or eight years old and living in scenic Temple Hills, Maryland, I rented this game from Blockbuster. It was spring time, just when the lush greens were washing back into the landscape, and I divided my free time between exploring the woods around our house and playing video games. The Secret of Mana combined my two passions--exploration and gaming--and provided the soundtrack that would play in my head as I whacked trees and bushes with sticks and pretended to be a wayfaring adventurer. This theme, "Into the Thick of It," plays when the hero first starts to explore the areas outside his village, much like the ones I fancied myself exploring as a youngster. Music tends to be interwoven with many of my fondest memories, but this tune also evokes the other senses. In particular, I remember walking through a shaded moss patch next to my house with this song in my head. The feeling of moss squishing under my feet, the smell of vegetation, the beautiful sight of trees cascading overhead--what a time that was to be a kid. I would think that any memory that carries these associations would be a good memory. Anyway, here is the song: "Into the Thick of It" from The Secret of Mana (SNES)
|
|
|
Post by VectorX on Apr 18, 2013 12:31:40 GMT -5
Funny how you put in the Shinobi ones in there; I can't remember if I played that one or not (I rented a couple of them but the music doesn't seem familiar). I know I have a couple of pieces recorded from Shadow Dancer from back then, at least. Nice write-up about exploration with the music going through your head
|
|
jammajup
Vector Runner
multi-format retro gamer
Posts: 47
|
Post by jammajup on May 17, 2013 4:36:17 GMT -5
Tomb Raider - Title Tune Streets Of Rage (title Tune) Streets Of Rage 2 (level 1) G-Darius (any of the music it is all AWESOME!)
|
|
|
Post by VectorX on May 17, 2013 8:02:24 GMT -5
What system is G-Darius on?
|
|
|
Post by wyldephang on Jul 23, 2013 17:49:42 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by gliptitude on Jul 24, 2013 12:26:25 GMT -5
I guess I'm someone who is generally unlikely to take note of good music in my video games, or at least very unlikely to commit it to memory. Most of what comes to my mind when I think about it is music that is so iconic that I can't recognize it as good or bad.
The one though that stands out in my mind is the music from the last level of Operation C (Contra) for Game Boy. Occasionally I will play through to that level and then just keep dying and continuing, in order to hear the very beginning of that track - a really cool and really quick bass line that perfectly leads into the level music.
...I actually really like the music as it is lacking on Vectrex, and some arcade and console games that are contemporary with it. I like the silence of I,Cyborg and the sound effect driven environment of Defender ... I like the very simple and repetitive sound of Scramble (Vectrex) and others, and I like the occasional baroque interlude or intro, (Bedlam).
|
|
|
Post by wyldephang on Jul 25, 2013 15:41:50 GMT -5
Great choice. Konami's Game Boy games in general featured some of the most memorable tunes on a handheld: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbgGxQGd4I4www.youtube.com/watch?v=joh2k1F4k6MAnd while we're on the subject of Game Boy soundtracks, this tune appears in the original run of Pokemon games: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNJJ-QkZ8cMThe Lavender Town theme has become one of the most iconic tunes from the game, and in my opinion, it's one of the most effective pieces of music ever composed for a handheld game. Lavender Town is a place where Pokemon trainers collect to remember their departed Pokemon. With that in mind, listen closely to the range of emotions being captured here: sadness, anxiety, a little fear. But there is a hint of childish playfulness coming through, as I happen to think the melody evokes the old schoolyard rhymes that we sang during recess. At the confluence of these emotions is Lavender Town: haunting and unnerving, but underneath the sadness lies the resolve to come to terms with the death of a friend. I think of a child mourning for a deceased pet, facing the melancholy of the moment with an inner strength that belies his or her age.
|
|
|
Post by wyldephang on Oct 9, 2013 2:25:17 GMT -5
This time it's a classic 16-bit face-off: Earthworm Jim, as interpreted by Genesis and Super Nintendo programmers. Genesis version: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqbzRwrZZ5kSNES version: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUeU_bGd8H0I believe the music was composed with Sega's FM sound chip in mind, as the track takes advantage of all of FM synth's best offerings: deep, aggressive bass lines and a techno-like sound palette. The SNES hardware simply can't match the Genesis sound chip in this department, but it does try to emulate the effects through sampling. So, I would argue that the SNES version is the more textured of the two, but I think the Genesis arrangement is more appropriate for this type of game.
|
|
|
Post by detonator on Nov 11, 2013 22:39:32 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by TrekMD on Nov 12, 2013 10:57:42 GMT -5
I like that.
|
|
|
Post by wyldephang on Nov 17, 2013 4:48:13 GMT -5
This soundtrack makes me very anxious, but that's an appropriate feeling for this type of game. There's a definite Phantom of the Opera quality to it. I suppose it reminds me of the intro from a track I posted a while ago: Castlevania (Game Boy)Speaking of the Castlevania series, the SNES game Super Castlevania IV had a creepy intro where fog rolled onto the screen as this music played in the background: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnvbNfhju-gOther horror games noted for their soundtracks include Silent Hill and the Resident Evil series. This tune plays in Resident Evil 1 as the player navigates the mansion: www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-QQz1cF-IYIn Resident Evil 2, the composers used more piano and ambient strings to impart tension, even in areas like the library where you're not attacked by monsters, yet fear their presence all the same: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTGIpfIrlRAAnd here's an atonal track from the Silent Hill game, better described as background noise rather than music. It's unsettling, and cues up when the player is being chased by a monster: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY92NAdGaR4
|
|