Other Game Music

[Ken Hisuag]

This was supposed to be a double-feature, but listening to two new soundtracks at once proved too much for me.

Sonic Superstars is the latest installment in its series, noteworthy for being the more official return to the 2D classical style (Mania being more of an official fangame, and Origins being a remaster). Several composers from previous entries were called upon to contribute to the soundtrack, making it something of a collaboration project. In theory, this would result in a nostalgic musical smorgasbord. Unfortunately, I think the variety of musicians ultimately hurt the project. With such a range of styles, the soundtrack lacks cohesiveness, and struggles to establish an identity. There are plenty of great compositions, but there are also a lot of mediocre ones which clash with each other.

I've tried to pick the most "Sonic" sounding tracks while featuring more of the different artists involved; this may not be an accurate depiction of what the soundtrack has to offer, but does highlight where my interest in it lies.

Spoiler

 

 

[Ken Hisuag]

I found Super Mario Bros Wonder to be exactly the imaginative musical experience I expected. The franchise has always had a reputation for this style of melodies, and while this certainly felt like they leaned in to it more this time around, I personally wonder if they shouldn't have leaned in heavier. Between the new themes, variations, and "wonder seed" tracks, I perceive a slight reluctance to commit too strongly to the various gimmicks. For example, each level theme has a unique variation for the new elephant power-up, which usually consists of replacing the main instrument of the piece with brass; I think they should have done something similar for all the power-ups in a level, or at least for the other new one, so as to reinforce the idea of the world being treated different based on available abilities. This isn't to say there's lack of variety; the wonder seed tracks alone ensure the soundtrack is interspersed with all manner of creative compositions, and despite being such a large album, I fully enjoyed the listening experience.

Spoiler

 

 

[Ken Hisuag]

On of the soundtracks I had "missed" last year was that of Infernax, a classic Castlevania inspired game that took its gameplay, visual and audio cues from that series. While I know very little about the game itself, from the music I guess it to have a darker aesthetic; the melodies feature limited movement and incorporate minor discordance in their progressions, resulting in a darker tone. While the compositions themselves are alright, I didn't find anything that especially impressed me; I suppose I'm spoiled by modern chiptune and its intricacies, but I've heard soundtracks that manage to be both reminiscent of their inspiration while still feeling creative (Shovel Knight and Cathedral come to mind).

Spoiler

 

 

[Ken Hisuag]

In an effort to be topical, I picked Stardew Valley for this week's soundtrack; as a farming simulator (I think), it can be loosely tied to the American harvest holiday of Thanksgiving. I anticipated the music to be mostly low-energy and relaxing, potentially interspersed with unique event-related tracks. The instrumentation and style reminds me very strongly of old JRPG soundtracks, and I found the listening experience to be oddly nostalgic as a result. Although no melodies stood out to me, the arrangements are pleasant enough and cohesive without being too similar. I've chosen to gimmick this feature by using themes from each season, both because of the significance to the time and because it genuinely seems to sum up the soundtrack fairly well.

Spoiler