Other Game Music

[Ken Hisuag]

The first Monster Hunter game released in 2004 on the PS2 with approximately thirty-four officially recognized music tracks. Normally I don't bother with such details, but in the case of this franchise they can help mitigate confusion as to where specific tracks actually originate from; due to frequent re-use of older themes in newer titles, regular expansions and ports, and an inconsistent soundtrack publication system, it can be an ordeal tracking down the proper origin of a given piece. Yet I consider the effort to be worthwhile, because this series has consistently turned out some of the best non-jrpg orchestral soundtracks in the video game industry.

The major name for this feature is Masato Kouda, who composed most of the music, but deserves particular credit for the franchise's main theme "Proof of a Hero." Not only is this track the best composition of this collection, it has also stood the test of time as the series has grown with surprisingly little alteration to its arrangement. That being said, there are two other names associated with the volume, these being Tetsuya Shibata and Mitsuhiko Takano, and while I'm not completely sure which tracks these are responsible for, I have my suspicions; certain pieces are notably distinct in style from the rest, and I wouldn't be surprised if these more experimental contributions came from a different place than the main themes.

Overall, I'm surprised and impressed at how close to modern Monster Hunter this soundtrack still sounds. While this may bring into question the innovation across future entries, it also testifies to a strong start that set the tone for the series, and not many such long-lasting franchises claim as much. I was a bit disappointed with the lesser focus on melody in the monster themes themselves, but I also respect the intention thereof; besides, the town and activity themes make up for it well enough. Given the stronger melodies in X/Generations, I wonder if there was a change at some point between?

Spoiler

 

 

[Ken Hisuag]

This week's feature will be a bit shorter than usual, so I have a slightly bloated Fracture Feature to compensate, instigated by the previous feature.

While going through the Monster Hunter OST, one of the tracks that stood out was "Beyond the Fog," an atmospheric ambience piece that I presume served as an area theme. Several other tracks were similarly constructed, but this one was especially cohesive with its musical and ambient parts.

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As I continued research for the feature, I came across comments alluding to similarities between this track and another piece from a completely different game: "Serenity" from Resident Evil 4. I looked up this piece out of curiosity, and was surprised to find it more than just similar.

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It seemed obvious that both these pieces were using sampling for their compositions, and I started looking for further information. It didn't take long to track down "To Burble and Pine" by David Torn as the source. Interestingly, it seems unclear whether sampling was approved for the piece, yet it has been apparently been incorporated into a multitude of musical media.

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The linking factor in most instances seems to be the company Capcom, which published both Monster Hunter and Resident Evil, as well as other franchises in which "To Burble and Pine" appears. The most intricate incorporation I came across was in "Ancient Castle" from Devil May Cry. Ultimately I'm just fascinated that a single sample had such widespread usage.

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[Ken Hisuag]

Monster Hunter G, Monster Hunter Portable, and Monster Hunter Freedom are all technically the same game, being various iterations and ports of the original Monster Hunter. Additional tracks were added in one of these as an expansion, though it is not entirely clear to me which; whereas such tracks might be considered part and partial to the base release in most cases, publications of the music have made distinctions between them, calling into question the process by which I might cite their sources. I decided to make a distinct feature for them to highlight this confusion; technically the expansion isn't nearly big enough to justify it, but hopefully it will serve as clarification of the difficulties that arise from tracking down these compositions. For future features, I may simply look at the final form of an entry in the series, though recent releases seem to be reverting to a more standard format of DLCs.

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[Ken Hisuag]

By the skin of my teeth (as the saying goes), I arrive to feature Monster Hunter 2(dos). This one was trouble; I couldn't initially find a playlist with all the tracks organized properly, and I got confused with a few pieces that may or may not have been from the game. Nonetheless, I believe I've tracked down the answers I sought. Masato Kouda returns from the first entry, this time joined by Yuko Komiyama, Akihiko Narita, Shinya Okada, and Hajime Hyakkoku. That's a lot of names, but it's for a lot of music! 2(dos)'s soundtrack is twice the size of Freedom's, and seemingly spread more evenly between the musicians involved than that title -- as is stylistic consistency. I mentioned for the first Monster Hunter that I anticipated a stronger melody focus at some point in the series' progression, but I little imagined it to be so early! To my ears, this soundtrack is indistinguishable from its modern followups in quality and direction; I dare say this is the definitive entry for the franchise's music, to which future titles are compared.

All that being said, it's really difficult to pick standout tracks to represent the whole here, not only for quality compositions but exemplary structure: The first town theme alone comes in several variations, each a fully realized piece of its own. The main theme of the game is a prevalent leitmotif throughout, and I'm not sure of which piece best presents it. There's also plenty of monster themes, with some returning creatures from the first game being given entirely new pieces. Honestly I could easily do two features on this soundtrack, but I've only got one week left for the month so I'm just stuffing this one instead.

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[Ken Hisuag]

Another lesson in the confusing nature of this franchise; while Monster Hunter Freedom can be considered the final form of Monster Hunter [1], Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is considered a unique release from Monster Hunter 2(dos). Apparently Monster Hunter Portable 2nd was less of a port and more of a remake, with certain parts of 2(dos) being replaced, even as most of the latter's content was reused. I gather that much of the music was still present from the original iteration, but enough features were replaced that I can't be sure where the line between the two is; it seems safer to me to simply consider the newly introduced tracks as their own entity.

Portable 2nd features an entirely new main town (presumably replacing the town from 2(dos)), which comes with one of the more iconic themes in the series; I'm previously familiar with the motifs from their presence in X/Generations, but this is their first iteration. The primary motif of the theme is adapted into several other town-activity tracks, forming the majority of Portable 2nd's musical additions. Subsequent expansions culminating in Freedom Unite were more focused on new monsters, the themes of which are amongst the best the series had hitherto produced. To cap off the month, I'm including what I presume to be the credits medley, which contains this game's rendition of "Proof of a Hero."

I've thoroughly enjoyed finally digging into this series' origins; as frustrating as the investigation can be at times, the discoveries to be had in the undertaking more than justify it.

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Also, Happy Thanksgiving!

Edited November 27, 2024 by Ken Hisuag

[Ken Hisuag]

It's December, and the Game Awards nominations have been announced. I don't particularly care for the fiasco, but I usually check in to see what gets included for the sake of potentially discovering something I'd have otherwise overlooked. This year has five nominations: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth probably deserves it, but I resent the nominations of large-scale remakes when there's so many original titles more deserving of the recognition; Silent Hill 2 is also a remake, but even if it wasn't I'd question the musical range an atmospheric horror game can have (I know there's music, but is it "best vgm soundtrack of the year" level?); I'm not touching Stellar Blade, the marketing made it pretty clear it wasn't meant for me; Metaphor: Refantazio probably has potential, and I'd probably do a feature for it if I had time, but on the other hand it's an Atlus game, and I suspect it will just be more Persona/Shin Megami Tensei style, which I've not been particularly fond of in the past; that leaves Kenneth C M Young's Astro Bot, which was already on the agenda for this month as of several months prior.

My initial checking instigated a backtracking through the series, leading to some amazing vgm discoveries. Those discoveries are particularly relevant in regards to this most current entry, since a plurality of the music here is reused or adapted from those earlier titles. Part of me is a bit disappointed at this; in my mind, if a composer reuses a track from a previous project without any adjustment, then it shouldn't be considered part of the more recent soundtrack (e.g., Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent shouldn't have included reused themes in their official album). On the other hand, there's plenty of original and properly remixed material to constitute a full soundtrack anyway, plus some of the reused themes aren't otherwise available (due to Rescue Mission's and the original Playroom's respective soundtracks being unreleased on distribution platforms). Overall, I dislike the precedent that seems to be developing for soundtrack releases in general, but it doesn't necessarily impact the quality of this soundtrack overall.

As with previous releases, arrangements are imaginative in instrumentation and general style. The game presents itself as a hall-of-fame sometimes, and I think the soundtrack reflects this with a variety of presentation angles; yet at its core, the music always maintains a sense of light-hearted fun, even in its more intense tracks. I tend to associate "triple-A" with scope-over-heart, but this has sufficient weight in both to give me pause. I'm hoping there'll be more like this to find in the coming year.

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[Ken Hisuag]

When I'm familiar enough with a composer's name to recognize it quickly, it tends to be enough to instigate investigation into a soundtrack I would have otherwise overlooked. I know Yann van der Cruyssen from Cave Story and Stray, and seeing his name on the album for Exographer put it on my list to look into later. Those two previous titles are significant as to my experience; Cruyssen's work on Cave Story was purely rearrangement, while Stray's soundtrack was heavily ambient, to the point that I didn't consider either of them to be indicative of his composition abilities. This soundtrack does lean toward ambient effect, but not so heavily as to lack melodic progression; I'd compare it to Richard Vreeland's work in that it instills a tone of stable existence that is nonetheless active. I can hear elements of Cruyssen's other work in these compositions, but they feel more properly realized then previously; I wonder if this is progression of skill, or greater freedom within the project? Regardless, I suspect I'll appreciate those other works more now after having heard this.

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[Ken Hisuag]

Not by direct design, I had another soundtrack on the to-do list with a similar name to the previous week's, though there is hardly any other comparison to be made. Exophobia's OST is an upbeat synthwave style album by Pedro Joao Costa for what appeared to me to be a Doom style FPS. Despite that association, the music overall isn't particularly heavy, favoring a more measured pacing in tempo and progression overall (I was reminded of Axiom Verge, but I'd say this is a bit heavier than that, just with similar instrumentation). There's a limited range of tone, and the baselines can get repetitive, but there's clear thought put into the progression for each piece, and I didn't find it dragging at any point. Aside from that, I haven't much to say, so give it a listen and find out if it measures up for you.

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Added bonus: While doing the initial searching for videos, I found this DJ mix from the composer. I don't know anything about DJing, but I thought someone who did might appreciate this performance.

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[Ken Hisuag]

Day late, for obvious reasons, but I actually had a feature planned out ahead of time just in case. Said plans were somewhat contingent upon the Steam Awards nominations, just in case something turned up there that I wanted to prioritize. I needn't have bothered; three of the titles there aren't technically even viable (not being of this year). Frostpunk 2 might deserve some attention, but initial listening didn't interest me enough to change my schedule.

Nothing I've yet seen of Neva has indicated to me that I ought to play it. My appreciation of Gris was its unique integration of storytelling as an experience, equally shared between many components of production as a whole. Berlinist's music was especially important to that experience, and it stuck with me even as I struggled to comprehend its structure. When Neva was announced, and especially when I saw Berlinist attached to the project, I eagerly anticipated a more developed form of what I'd heard in Gris. Regardless of whether or not Gris's other strengths have transferred over, I'm satisfied that the music is everything I could have hoped for. Ambient in some ways, there is yet a lot going on in each piece which keeps the "experience" alive, implying reflection within its setting while simultaneously inspiring it in the audience.

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[Ken Hisuag]

As 2024 draws to a close, I have prepared some final statements concerning my overall experience with the year's VGM. I was fairly happy this year with my coverage; a few titles will inevitably slip by, but I believe I was able to feature all the releases that specifically caught my attention, and the "most memorable" category will be there to catch whatever I've missed next year. I will mention a couple soundtracks I was not able to listen to, for one reason or another:

Antonblast came out late, and even now has yet to release an OST. What I've heard has interested me, but if it isn't available, I can't be blamed for skipping it, at least for now.

Symphonia was also a late release, but while its soundtrack has received publication, such has been restricted to Steam. I don't mind purchasing soundtracks through Steam, but doing so means I can't listen to it on the go, requiring a greater time commitment that I couldn't make this late in the year. I look forward to listening through it next year, though.

Gestalt: Steam & Cinder was also a Steam-exclusive OST, and while I have the time, I was less enthusiastic with the necessary momentary investment. I prefer to hear some of what I'm buying before I buy it; only a few tracks were published, and I didn't find them quite impressive enough to prioritize the purchase over other available soundtracks. I'm sure I'll get to it before too long, but in this case time ran out before my to-do list did.

Additionally, I want to offer honorable mention to Indigo Park; I couldn't consider it for proper ranking, because from my perspective it's more of a demo then a fully finished game (a la Deltarune). Presumably more of the project will be released over time, and at some point it'll be considered "complete," at which point I'll view it as a whole rather than autonomous segments.

With all that out of the way, here are my top five* video game soundtracks of 2024!

#5:

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*I'm cheating a bit this year, and it requires explanation. I've made a point of distinguishing sequel soundtracks as needing to improve upon their predecessors for me to consider it for my favorites; my reasoning is that some series get by on redoing the same thing over and over again because it works, and even if I enjoy the result, I don't consider such practice to be commendable.

This year, Rivals of Aether II came out. Half the soundtrack consisted of arrangements remastered from previous titles; these were high quality remixes, but still technically reused content. The other half of the soundtrack had completely new compositions of equal quality. As a whole, this OST was probably my second-favorite of the year, but I worry some of that is due to my bias from previous experience with the series.

Meanwhile, I discovered the Astro Bot franchise this year through its latest release; said entry has risen in popularity to the point of winning "Game of the Year," and its musical quality is undeniable. However, as I pointed out in my feature, this game is similarly reliant upon previously existent compositions, in many ways more so than RoA2. I wasn't so worried about personal bias in this case, but desired to remain consistent in my rankings.

Thus, with two amazing soundtracks on the table with similar drawbacks, I've decided to "cheat" by ranking them both in the same place; they're both too good for me to pass by on, and this is my way of denoting my dilemma while still recommending them.

RESOFORCE & Moonsailor - Rivals of Aether II

Kenneth C M Young - Astro Bot

 

#4:

Spoiler

Evelyn Lark - Nightmare Kart
I had no expectation of this soundtrack enduring so much in my memory when I initially heard it, but in hindsight it ought not be surprising. The whole album is full of fast-paced jazzy melodies with a delightfully ominous bent, though that tone barely penetrates to the surface from underneath its overbearing excitement! The production itself is quite the feat as well; I hear tell these motifs were composed as alternatives to other preexistent melodies remixes from another game's soundtrack, and exist as the original counterparts to those initial arrangements. I personally consider that a significant accomplishment on Lark's part, and I'm happy to honor her endeavors in this small way.

 

#3:

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FFXX & others - Nine Sols
This game has turned out to be the underrated ghost of this year's releases; everyone who knows about it seems extremely impressed by it, but it ultimately received little official recognition. Well, I didn't forget about it. This is the closest to a true soundtrack in my ranking this year, by which I refer to its superior range in tone compared to the more melody-focused productions I usually favor. I may not listen to as many tracks as regularly, but the emotional impact of those tracks is far greater than all the rest.

 

#2:

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Dan Goodwin - Bears in Space
Another unexpected hit. Perhaps one would experience difficulty in intuiting the style of music from this game based upon the title alone, but as far as I'm concerned there could be nothing more fitting. This is what my preferred version of Doom would sound like, if that makes sense: just as heavy, but not nearly as dark; serious, but in a fun way. Second-place in my rankings has often been reserved for the more shallow, melody-for-the-sake-of-melody soundtracks; not-so-coincidentally, I also tend to more frequently listen from them compared to their respective first-place comparisons. Ultimately, I'm not looking for music from video games so much as I'm looking for video game music, and this is what that sounds like.

 

#1:

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Tee Lopes & Sean Bialo - Penny's Big Breakaway
All that being said, what I consider the "best" OSTs are the collective compositions that can do both jobs of standalone music and soundtrack. Chicory, Mental Omega, Octopath Traveler II, all feature the tonal range that a proper soundtrack demands while also being full of strong melodies and dynamic arrangements. Penny's Big Breakaway isn't quite on the level of those, but I'd argue it's by far the strongest entry of the year. Imaginative, memorable, and masterfully arranged at every turn; I am fully confident in presenting this as my top ranked OST of 2024.

 

In a near return to form, I've only played one of these games, and y'all could probably guess which one (hint: it's the sequel to one of my favorite games); I've already acknowledged the potential bias there, and hopefully my solution sufficiently addresses that. Otherwise, my experience with these soundtracks is purely with the music, supplemented by secondary sources (i.e., reviews and playthroughs).

Finally, I will present my most personally memorable discovery not released this year. Technically this would be Astro Bot's Rescue Mission, but since I finagled the franchise into the ranking proper I'll fall back on the secondary.

Bonus Feature (#0):

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Raito - Melty Blood: Type Lumina
One of the great disappointments of the year was my inability to procure this soundtrack for my personal collection, reminding me once again of the nonsensical complications of the VGM industry (btw, Mago OST still hasn't released). But if I can't preserve it, I can at least recommend it. If I might make a comparison to this year's rankings, this is the jazz of Nightmare Kart mixed with the rock of Bears in Space with the dynamic range of Astro Bot. So I'd say it's worth checking out!

 

That does it for me! If any of y'all are so inclined, please do share your own preferences for the year's releases! As this ranking purely reflects my own perspectives and preferences, it is inevitably limited, and I always enjoy having my horizons expanded! Otherwise, I wish everyone here a happy New Year!

[Ken Hisuag]

I figure 2024 is over for everyone by this time, so here's the annual OGM record.

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Features (in order of initial posting):

Inscryption – Botopia, The Angler, Leshy’s Theme, The Scrybe of the Dead, Captain Royal Dominguez

Cyberpunk 2077 – Never Fade Away

A Highland Song – Each Moor and Meadow, The Hills and the Sea, A Highland Song

Palworld – Proto-Palworld, The Beginning, Brutal Strike, Bosses

Kirby’s Dream Land – Green Greens, Float Islands, Roasted Sweet Potato Shooting, Ending, Dance!

Kirby Super Star – Together with the Spring Breeze, Marshmallow Castle, Halberd ~ Nightmare Warship, King Dedede’s Theme, Peanut Plains, Run Kirby Run!

Kirby’s Return to Dreamland – Sunny with a Chance of Oasis, Slippery Steps, Crows in the Shadows, Woods Wayfarer, Underworld, Techno Factory, Fly Kirby!, Sky Tower

Kirby: Planet Robobot – Gorgeous-Go-Round, Pink Ball Activate!, Haltmann Works Co. HQ, Time for Dessert!, Bright Spinning Planet, VS. Star Dream

Superliminal – I Wonder, Darklight Escape, Extraordinary (Last Drinks)

Viscerafest – The Looking Glass, Cult Shuffle, Signal to Slaughter, End of the Line

Mad Rat Dead – plash plop gurgle, Distorted Graffiti, Passion in Blue, Black Fear

Penny’s Big Breakaway – Jig’s Up Penny, Refracting Feelings, Scientific Method, Balearic Birds, Call Me the Yotagonist

Crypt of the Necrodancer – Too Real (feat. Hatsune Miku)

Celeste 64: Fragments of the Mountain – Cassettappella

Plants Vs. Zombies – Crazy Dave (Intro), Grasswalk (In-Game), Zen Garden, Graze the Roof

Irisu Syndrome – About 10 hours looking at the ceiling, I Didn’t Talk to Anyone Today, A Cat A Rabbit and a Old Story, USAGI Note

Melty Blood: Type Lumina – Spirit & Technique & Body, Dive Diver Divest, Blooming, Calm Afternoon, Mysterious Dark, Magician’s Night EX, GCV2022 -New Genesis-, Before the Dawn

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven - Jonathan Joestar Battle BGM, Caesar Zeppeli Battle BGM, DIO Battle BGM, Josuke Higashikata (DiU) Battle BGM, Yoshikage Kira Battle BGM, Pannacotta Fugo Battle BGM, Trish Una Battle BGM, Narciso Anasui Battle BGM, Weather Report Battle BGM, Another World Diego Brando Battle BGM, Josuke Higashikata (JJL) Battle BGM

Final Fantasy – Opening, Castle Cornelia, Chaos Shrine, Victory, Prelude

Final Fantasy VI – Locke’s Theme, Terra’s Theme, Celes’s Theme, Searching for Friends, The Decisive Battle, Magitek Research Facility, Slam Shuffle, Overture, Prelude

Final Fantasy VII – Lifestream, Shinra Inc., Let the Battles Begin!, Cait Sith’s Theme, Listen to the Cries of the Planet, The Highwind Takes to the Skies, Aerith’s Theme, Fiddle de Chocobo

Sushi Ben – Sushi Rock No. 1
Chambers – Wellwater

What the Fog – Menu Theme

Final Fantasy X – Zanarkand, Calm Before the Storm, The Trials, Blitz Off!, Seymour’s Theme, Hymn of the Fayth, A Contest of Aeons, Suteki Da Ne (Isn’t it Wonderful?), Prelude

Chrono Trigger – Peaceful Days, Lavos’ Theme, Delightful Spekkio, Bike Chase, Corridors of Time, Undersea Palace, Battle with Magus, To Far Away Times

Dead by Daylight – Dead by Daylight, Unstable, Entity Brain

Nightmare Kart – Tutorial, Great Clocktower, Pocket Dream Course, Miralodia Expressway, Title Screen

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night – Dracula’s Castle, Marble Gallery, Lost Paintings, Wood Carving Partita, The Tragic Prince

Indigo Park: Chapter 1 – Welcome to Indigo Park, Rambley Express, BARNSTORMING, Rambley’s Regrets

Romancing SaGa 2 – The Ultimate Confrontation

Bears in Space – Arm the Bearless, Project: RADICAL, Where o’ Where is my Bear?, Kraked in the Head, Heavy Bear Picnic

Scratchin’ Melodii – Stir & Mix

Breeze in the Clouds – A Cloudy Day
Friday Night Funkin’: Mario’s Madness - MARIO SING AND GAME RHYTHM 9

Elden Ring – The Final Battle, Mohg Lord of Blood, Messmer The Impaler, Bayle The Dread

Lethal League Blaze – Headbangeren, Ordinary Days V2, AIN’T NOTHING LIKE A FUNKY BEAT

Nine Sols – Take a Tour in New Kunlun, Tempo of Growth, Beneath the Surface, Jaws of the Machine, Last Man Standing, Smile at My Cursed Dream, Main Theme II

#BLUD – Hospital Dungeon, Nighttime Trek, Funeral Home Dungeon Fight, Date Night

Metroid – Brinstar, Kraid’s Lair, Escape, Samus Aran Appearance Fanfare

SIGNALIS – Die Toteninsel Emptiness, MNHR, Orrery, Ewige Wiederkunft, Nue, The Red Gate, Memory, Warm Light

Super Metroid – Theme of Super Metroid, Planet Zebes ~ Arrival on Crateria, Maridia ~ Rocky Underwater, Brinstar ~ Overgrown with Vegetation, Norfair ~ Hot Lava, Big Boss Confrontation (Ridley, Draygon)

Metroid Fusion – Sector 4 (AQA) Aquatic Control Level Area, Environmental Sound (Tension), Sector 4 (AQA) Underwater Area, Sector 3 Restore the Cooling Installation Timer Mission, VS. Ishtar/Gedo

Metroid Prime – Menu Select, Tallon Overworld, Vs. Space Pirates, Ice Valley, Vs. Parasite Queen

Arco – Riding into the Unknown, Red Company, Where Newcomers Live, Lágrimas de Cal

Fragile Reflection – SAVE ROOM

Thank Goodness You’re Here! – Rain Whistle, Herbert’s Theme, Seaside

Astro Bot Rescue Mission – Tite Mites, Sucka, Decidedly Spooky, Discotree, ASTROnomical

The Finals – Mitzy’s Ebb and Flow, Play Fast! (Here We Go), xX_TF_CNS_FreeDoom_Ver07_24bit_Wav_Xx, Destroyer, Showtime

Bloons Tower Defense 5 Deluxe – Main Theme, Jazz Theme, Bloons Rock Party

Astro’s Playroom – SSD, CPU Plaza, Cooling Springs, CRT-Rex

Hi-Fi Rush – Title Medley, Security Shutdown, Power Up! Tower Up!, Production Destruction

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater – Snake Eater, Select Cutscene, Sea Breeze, Life’s End, Don’t Be Afraid

Legacy of the Dragonborn – To Echo

Obscure’s College of Winterhold – Northern Magic

Skyrim Musical Lore – Stonewall District

Animal Well – Rabbit Hole, Dawn Chorus, Long Dog, Heraldic

Rivals of Aether II – Fight or Flight (R2 Version), Joy of the Ocean, Adventurous Gale, Sovereign of Fire, Decisive Battle Redux, Main Menu ~ Arrival

Monster Hunter [Freedom] – Proof of a Hero, Awakening, Roar ~ Rathalos, Beneath All the Stars in the Sky, Poisonous Mist ~ Gypceros, Scat Cat Fever, Beyond the Fog, Desiring Fame in the Land of Beasts, Cute Felyne, The Howling Lone Wolf ~ Yian Garuga

Resident Evil 4 – Serenity

Devil May Cry – Ancient Castle

Monster Hunter 2(dos) – To the Hunting Ground, Village of Deeply Blessed People, Dweller of the White Darkness ~ Blangonga, Bustle of Dundorma, Dragon Goblet's Liquor Game, Assassin Sent to the Burning Sand, Before the Performance, Ancestral Dragon ~ White Fatalis

Monster Hunter Portable 2^nd/Freedom Unite – Pokke Village Theme, Sleeping Bird in a Sea of Trees ~ Hypnocatrice, Absolute Zero ~ Ukanlos, Chill of the Water, Successful Person

Astro Bot – Crash Site, Marine Serene, Big Wave, Bot of War, Papa Tree, I Am Astro Bot (ASTRO BOT Remix)

Exographer – A Weird Greenhouse, Underwater, Searching the Source, Where is Waber

Exophobia – Infestation, Elite Zarkonians, Corrupted Machines, The Mecha

Neva – Amber Leaf Serenade, Mist of Apathy (II), Something Hidden, Dormant Kingdom (I), Lover’s Ballad, Winter Ride

Technicalities (special cases):

Mad Rat Dead – Mad Rat Dead Rap

Undertale Yellow – DANZA (+ Attacks)

BD FF/Bokudora – Crazy Motorcycle / Midgar Expressway Rock Guitar Arrange

Dead by Daylight – Nemesis Proximity & Chase, Legion Mixtape Addons, Unused Archive Theme

Black Ice 9 – Relativity

PrototypeRaptor – Premeditated Treachery

Rocktronic – Machines Collide

Nobody Asked For This So I Did It – Driving Force

ЁVOLUTIФN – Flowers

Bring Back the Happy – Whipz

Battle of the Year 2016 – Nasty Lovers

Leslie Sarony – On Ilkla Moor Baht'at

Undertale – Unused Power of Neo

FaceImplosion – The Truth Beyond the Gate

Bloons Tower Defense 4 – Volcano Party

8-Bit Big Band – Snake Eater

Starsailor – Way to Fall

Pandora’s Toolbox – To Burble and Pine

Zarc Attack – Exophobia OST Mix

 

[Ken Hisuag]

First feature of the year tends to be from a game I consider personally significant, being less motivated by the music. Of course, the most impactful experiences exhibit quality in all their properties, including the music. This time around I want to draw attention to what I consider to be the best multiplayer game in existence: Ultimate Chicken Horse! The genius of this title is in its mixed emphasis on creativity and interactivity, further elevated by the freedom of built-in customization. Accompanying this masterpiece of a game is Vibe Avenue's dynamically arranged jazz compositions; each track features curated instrumentation in favor of various themes, blending their unique motifs with the soundtrack's main theme. The OST edits do an excellent job at blending the separate sections of each piece into cohesive singles, but if familiar with their in-game usage one can additionally appreciate the dynamic quality of the compositions.

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[Ken Hisuag]

Sonic CD is far from a recent discovery for me, but I've held off doing a thorough listen through to the soundtrack for some time; its structure is notoriously complex, and I wanted to give it time to fully appreciate its qualities. Considering how influential it's been, both to its franchise and to me, it's about time I attempt a feature for it.

Composers Naofumi Hataya and Masafumi Ogata were assigned to construct a soundtrack according and subject to the game's design, which hinged (hinges?) on a time travel mechanic. Each stage has four variants: the present, which serves as the default version; the past, or "P Mix," which is uniquely arranged on older hardware; the bad future, or "B Mix," often a darker/distorted form of the piece; and finally, the good future, or "G Mix," ostensibly a lighter counterpart to the "B Mix" version. Rather than arrange these compositions in an ascending order (as might be presumed as the most efficient strategy), Hataya and Ogata seemed to treat each version as a unique project, resulting in surprising variance between each "mix." Each is significant in its own way, especially when the formula is temporarily altered to contrast the consistency (as with "Metallic Madness"), but I find the most noteworthy aspect is in the contrast between each "mix." "Quartz Quadrant" is an especially poignant example, with each version featuring distinct instrumentation and incorporating the primary motif in a unique yet recognizable way.

A proper assessment of this soundtrack would necessitate a presentation of at least one stage's complete lineup, but this would make for a rather boringly straightforward feature. I've tried to select tracks that showcase the general style each "mix" generally follows. Additionally, I should mention the presence of the series's first vocal songs in the intro and credits; I'm not particularly partial to them myself, but the instrumental versions demonstrate strength of composition that's worth respecting. Many of the franchise's standards for music were set with this release, and its influence can still be discerned in modern Sonic titles (if perhaps more in the 2D entries then the more heavily propagated 3D productions).

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All this would be enough to establish the Sonic CD OST's iconic reputation. Yet there is more to the matter than this, due to an complex situation involving international marketing and differing opinions between executives. The resulting production is worthy of unique consideration . . .

Edited January 8 by Ken Hisuag

[Jaz:3]

Wow, another year for this thread huh?  Hello, I'm finally back, again :( , I got caught up with exams and all that so didn't really have time for Moriya shrine. But that is no excuse! Because I really really have to make time to do the things I wanna do (like going to this place and much more!), otherwise I wouldn't be able to do it and you'll be inactive for 2-3 months... like me lol. Anyways I just wanted to say I'm back! And I'm going to make it possible to have time and space for this site, besides doing stuff in my day to day life! Well, lets get back to metal gear!!! There's so much other posts 2, ah...

OH, hello Ken, I just saw you made a post. I was going to sent this post too! Lol, what a coincidence (I spelt it right :D).

[Ken Hisuag]

From what I've heard, localization can be quite the ordeal. Translation is the most common consideration, but at times there can be disagreements between different company branches leading to substantial changes being made to the product itself. In the cases of Sonic CD, the marketing department of SEGA of America seemed to think the original soundtrack, present in all other international releases of the title, would not be suitable for the audiences of the USA. Based on this position, orders were given to have a new soundtrack composed for this specific release. The task was laid upon Spencer Nilsen and David Young to rescore almost every aspect of the game, including the opening animation. Exception was made of necessity to the past-variant levels, due to the unique coding of their themes.

I would describe the US soundtrack as "comparatively modern." By this I mean of course to compare Nilsen and Young's work to that of Hataya and Ogata which it was meant to replace; and here lies the imminent dilemma of the situation. The US soundtrack is not bad; in fact there are several creative ideas utilized, especially toward the end of the game. But no matter how interesting some aspect of it are, it will always be in competition with the original "JP/EU" OST, which is noteworthy for its experimental sound. While the US soundtrack may be easier to approach for someone unfamiliar with the style of music utilized in the original OST, it's simultaneously less memorable overall to someone more attuned to such sounds. This isn't helped by the forced contrast in style between the new tracks and the preserved "P Mix" themes, nor by the discontinuity between variants in the US version that worked so well in the original production.

All this may seem a bit negative, but I want to emphasize that these considerations unavoidably arise out of the comparison between the two soundtracks. Taken on its own, the US soundtrack is more than just serviceable, featuring many interesting themes and arrangements. If this hadn't been the "alternative" option, I suspect it would have been much better received. The replacement vocal theme for the opening and credits even seemed to fare better than its JP/EU counterparts (while it still doesn't match my standards for English lyrics, I can at least say the words are more coherent than those of the song's predecessors).

Disclaimer: I wasn't happy with most of the uploads I was finding, which I attribute to this version of the soundtrack never receiving proper digital distribution. I came across a fan's "remaster" of the soundtrack, which purports to have altered nothing but some of the instrument balancing, and as it does seem to remain unchanged aside from the better quality, I've decided to go with these uploads instead.

Disclaimer 2: Where's the spoiler tab function? This isn't the first time it's disappeared without warning . . .
Welp, guess I'm stuck with the quote box for now.

Quote

Disclaimer 3: This first track technically combines the "G" and "B" mixes into a single piece, likely motivated by their near identical structure (this was one of the few instances in the game where there was compositional association between thematically related pieces).

 

 

[Jaz:3]

Alright! Gotta continue now, ugh.. but there are so much stuff I wanna read. Lol, whatever.

CHeck this out!

 

Match by Takahiro Izutani (GEM Impact Inc.)

Spoiler

Hello hello! If anyone remember what I said in my post about MGS3's OST, you'd know that I talked about how the 1st song of my next  Metal Gear Solid's OST post is going to be really, really cool. But I don't have to tell you how cool it is, don't I? Because the song is quite short and smooth. The into is just done so good! Give a listen!

 

*Bonus: I first heard this song when I'm at the select game screen on the psp emulator. And this song played when I controlled my d-pad over to Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops Plus.

 

Hot War by Nobuko Toda, Kazuma Jinnouchi

Spoiler

HOly shit.... I accidentally put the music to max, and the intro scared me...lol. Anyways, this one is all about atmosphere, wait... or should I say ambience? Yeah, that's more like it. But it slowly changes into this heroic kinda feeling. Maybe this was used in a cutscene? The contrast between the beginning and the end is quite noticeable, but it was smooth tho. Pretty cool.

 

 

Gene by Norihiko Hibino (GEM Impact Inc.)

Spoiler

I didn't know if I should add this but hm... sorry I don't have much to say about this 1, it feels calm and exciting at the same time.

 

 

Elisa by Nobuko Toda, Kazuma Jinnouchi

Spoiler

Woah, I didn't expect this. This one felt even more exciting and calm at the same time, like a build up to something.

 

 

Comradery by Kazuma Jinnouchi

Spoiler

With this song, you'd think this is the end, well... so do I, haha. I think this was also played during a cutscene too.

 

 

Revelation by Kazuma Jinnouchi

Spoiler

Hmm... I feel like I purposefully picked this song so that it connects with the previous song in a way. So far, some of these songs have a build up kind of feeling.

 

 

Sad Man's Theme by Norihiko Hibino (GEM Impact Inc.)

Spoiler

 

 

 

Calling to the Night by Akihiro Honda (vocal by Natasha Farrow)

Spoiler

All that build up... to the finale!! Calling to the night is definitely one of the series' highlights. It made me cried at some point, lol. The song is really good tho.

 

The calm after the finale... take care~~~

 

 

Stay tuned for my next post, ahhh, so much to shareee

 

 

Edited Monday at 05:56 PM by Jaz:3
edit guy here: I definitely should have put all of these in a spoiler, oh well

[Stan]

Ultrakill. I just love the Ultrakill soundtrack. dont really have words to describe it  other than I just love it and the soundtrack is epic as hell

here are some good songs from it 

(5-1's theme around the 1:40 second part sounds oddly nostalgic to me and the song is just weirdly soothing even during the breakcore part)

(this songs motif at 50 seconds in is quite iconic and this is one of the most iconic tracks in the game)

(war without reason theme of the earthmover is such a great song, some may think it starts off bad but if you just take 6 minutes to listen to it in full you will understand the power this song holds for one of the best bosses of the game possibly one of the best bosses ever)

 

yeah I love this game

Edited 5 hours ago by Stan
added extra stuff

[Stan]

theres also the terraria soundtrack. a very nostalgic one indeed. I remember playing this game when I was 9 a lot. never got past the mechs at the time, although I have beaten the game multiple times now. I absolutely love this soundtrack and game too so im just going to post some songs here.

(one of the most nostalgic tracks for me right here, good vibes for the night)

(this song has a more upbeat feel compared to its counter evil biome the crimson. the crimson also has a good theme and I would recommend checking it out however I personally prefer corruption music. although I do prefer crimson overall)

(this song fits the wall of flesh fight very well and I think it is one of the best songs in the game. the beginning is definitely a bop. sad that the song is so short compared to boss 1 and 3 and essentially every other boss theme)

I definitely love this game