• Touhou 6 New Classic Score Attack Ongoing!

    Read the submission rules, prizes and everything inbetween here:

    Good luck!

    Also check out the community art event here! Everyone is welcome!

Other Game Music

By this time I feel it's belaboring the point to explain my preference for the melodic progression of most VGM over the emotional enhancement common in cinematic soundtracks. Nonetheless, that there be no ambiguity, I feel obliged to remonstrate: Both instances are excellent and equally viable artistic applications, even as I find the one better suited for general listening than the other. In the case of the Uncharted series, the music bears indisputable qualities of the former, but ultimately identifies more strongly with the latter.

This is most especially the case in Henry Jackson's soundtrack for Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. Where Edmonson's scores only rarely took breaks from excessively dramatic compositions, Jackson favors a more encompassing range. The uniquely identifying ethnic incorporations of previous entries is less prevailent, replaced with a greater emphasis on leitmotifs (while Jackson did not technically arrange a version of "Nate's Theme" for this installment, he made use of its motifs throughout the soundtrack). I'm ultimately inclined towards Drake's Deception for purely listening purposes, but I acknowledge A Thief's End is objectively the better OST. Which, after all, is only fitting.





 
During the 1990s, the Japanese branch of Pepsi debuted a commercial mascot, accompanied by a special musical theme composed by James Shimoji. Later Shimoji would arrange this theme into several short variations to be used in the Pepsiman video game; which means I have sufficient reason to share it here! ;)

While most tracks suffer from extreme brevity (not helped by the lack of loop edits from uploaders), one can still appreciate the creative effort into making each arrangement unique in style, even as the core origin remains obvious. I don't imagine anyone would prefer soundtrack selections over the original piece, but it's a fun thing to be aware of.




For context (and superior listening experience):
 
I have to give credit where Credit is due. although Halo 4 may not be the most fondly looked upon game in the Halo franchise, it certainly has good music. Given that it was the first Halo game I played, I have a special connection to it, and I find it massively underrated. The Heroic yet mysterious feelings the tracks give off is something of note and honestly, they should be enjoyed.



 
It is my utmost pleasure this week to present Anamanaguchi's OST for Scott Pilgrim EX! The original game's soundtrack remains among the most overlooked masterpieces of VGM, not because of lacking appreciation so much as presumed fame (i.e. those who know it assume everyone else already know of it, so no one seems to talk about it), compounded by the tumultuous history of the game itself (temporarily a piece of lost media before being revived). I've gathered that Anamanaguchi has a significant reputation as a "chiprock" band, but I've yet to encounter them outside of this franchise (though that probably says more about me); regardless, the quality of their work here sufficiently attests to their skill. In both productions, motif construction, instrument arrangement, performance, and production is exemplary, while EX specifically rises further with increased range and variety.

I struggled to cut down the list of tracks for this one; be assured that, in spite of the larger quantity, this still only scratches the surface.







 
The instigation to check out Jonah Senzel's soundtrack for The Hex came from the inclusion of a few tracks therefrom in the associated game Inscryption; said association is somewhat unusual, but the simple explanation is that both were made by the same people, including Senzel. Similarly unusual is this game's OST, which is divided into six different "soundtracks," in accordance with the game's form. I had hoped this would imply six different musical directions, but IMO the delineation is more thematic than anything; not that there isn't variety across the full collection, but I failed to notice distinguishing elements applied to specific parts. Nonetheless, I appreciated the familiar marks of Senzel's work, especially as applied in forms not present in the work I'd previously experienced. I wonder about the composition process, whether the divisions were worked on one at a time or as a complete project?





 
Gonna be AFK for the rest of the week, so it's the perfect time for a Fracture Feature! Lately I've been looking for performances of the ballads from Skyrim, to supplement the OST.
Loreweavers - Ragnar the Red
My first priority, but a majority of covers seem inclined to turn it into a metal arrangement or otherwise stray from the ballad sound, which IMO is kinda important. This take is refreshingly simple, and exactly what I wanted.

Cole Staggs - Age of Aggression & Oppression
Part of this song's charm is its dual-identity, and only a few covers have bothered to incorporate that. Of them, this was my personal favorite, again for the lack of elaborate trimmings in favor of straightforward vocal performance.

Colm R. McGuinness - Skyrim... but it's IRISH music
McGuinness has done several impressive vocal covers, but it was this instrumental remix that stuck out to me. I'm an established fan of Irish folk music, and this goes all in on adapting the source material to the genre.
 
Returning from a long trip, I made sure to have everything prepared ahead of time for the week's regularly scheduled feature . . . yet here I am, several days late! Some will say I was thwarted by ZUN himself; but I didn't give up, and was not let down! In spite of setbacks, I'm not about to let my plans go to waste; thus for what is technically my first proper feature this Spring, I'm sharing the soundtrack from what is technically the first proper video game I ever played:

Lego Star Wars: The Video Game! Not to be confused with The Complete Saga, this game was the first Traveller's Tales collaboration with the toy company, and set the standard for nearly all future productions in their line. This was an especially unique experience for me, whose experience hitherto was restricted to simple online Flash games and children's "edutainment." It quickly became a favorite pastime (arguably too much so), and as such I became fairly familiar with its music. Granted I didn't truly appreciate it until much later; the 'dynamic' sound design was more fade-in/fade-out than proper spliced arrangements, and many tracks didn't get the opportunity to play fully. In hindsight, however, many of these compositions were of a far grander scale than one might expect for such a game. Composers John Williams and David Whittaker are credited for the sweeping orchestral performances heard throughout, many of which wouldn't be out of place in a major motion picture!






 
Back when I started doing these features, I shared a track from Lucas Pope's Return of the Obra Dinn. At the time, I couldn't find an OST for the game, and the construction of the soundtrack was such that I couldn't rely on unofficial uploads. While I eventually did acquire access to the official compilations, I didn't think to expound upon the initial feature until recently. Oversight on my part; the arrangements are well deserving of further attention. The instrumentation is subtly varies between pieces, the major focus being orechestral, but with a unique element per theme for characterization. In addition to the escalating layering of the chapter themes, the OST also features select remixes in woodwind ensemble and expanded orchestra styles.



 
While aware of the existence of VVVVVV, and even having vague recommendation of its soundtrack, I hadn't heard anything specific enough to have me investigating further until this week. Turns out, Magnùs Pàlsson's OST is a compilation of chiptune masterpieces. I hesitate to classify the style in my usual manner, in as much as it's far more complex than what I would consider "retro," yet I somehow perceive an intent towards that perception. I suppose it's enough to say I'm thoroughly pleased with it, and hopefully that experience is shared with the more old-school enjoyers.


 
Had my eye on MOUSE: P.I. for Hire, the noir style of which is often paired with delicious big-band jazz. Patryk Scelina took that and ran with it, delivering tracks alternating morose and groovy, with the occasional stand-out to mix things up. I was at various points reminded of Nero Wolfe's "Boss Boogie" and Cowboy Beebop's "Tank!" Of course, the most obvious comparison would be Cuphead, but I'd argue both deserve to be estimated by different approaches; whereas the boss-rush game had the job of presenting a variety of tracks suited to individual scenarios, this FPS title had need of a more congruent soundtrack, and I believe the impact of those differing objectives is evident in their respective executions.



 
For all my experience with Red Alert 2, I wasn't particularly familiar with the music of its predecessors; some adaptations of more popular tracks were included in Mental Omega, but that was the extent of my awareness thereof. This week I decided to fix that by digging up the original OST for the first Command & Conquer (sometimes referred to as Tiberium Dawn). While not the first project Frank Klepacki composed for, the style he developed for this game would become his signature going forward, and an iconic part of the early franchise. Said style is difficult for me to define; elements of prog rock and electronic are obvious, but there are other components mixed in on a track-by-track basis which nonetheless contribute to the overarching tone. The use of sampling is frequent, though not pervasive; it seemed to me more tastefully applied than other examples of my experience. Overall I'm still somewhat surprised at my enjoyment of these compositions, given how different they are to what I normally listen too; more than ever I suspect the majority of musical genres can be adapted to appeal beyond their standard audiences . . . or perhaps it's just me? ;P



 
Next franchise up for exploration is Fire Emblem, for no other reason than its heavy representation in the Super Smash Bros. series. I've been curious about it for a while, but not enough to prioritize it above other investigations. The first installment was Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light (quite the mouthful), and its 8-bit soundtrack was composed by Yuka Tsujiyoko.

Starting at the beginning of an older franchise such as this comes with drawbacks; the music here is very simple, serving its function but largely lacking in extraordinary attributes. The tone seems a bit inconsistent, but the impact is minimal due to hardware constraints enforcing subdued overtones; possibly this was considered advantageous, and I'm inclined to believe so myself. Two motifs stood out to me: The first was that of "Encounter," which felt familiar; I believe I've heard a version played with horns (SSB, perhaps?). The second was in the intro and "Ending" themes, from which I infer the game's main theme; it remains to be seen whether this would become the main theme for the series as a whole.




 
Some franchises take a while to get international distribution. It wasn't until The Blazing Blade, the seventh entry, that Fire Emblem was [technically] introduced to the worldwide market. Tsujiyoko was still composing for the series, and was joined by Saki Haruyama for this project. The size of this soundtrack is impressive, following the JRPG trends I've previously noted in Final Fantasy. Leitmotif work was appreciatively plentiful, in addition to incorporated motifs from the first game. These factors significantly elevated the listening experience for me, which was otherwise slightly tedious due to the poor sound quality of most uploads. I gather this results from the technical limitations of the GBA, though I cannot personally verify this. I eventually resorted to "remastered" versions of the tracks, which are comparable to the 'authentic' rips minus staticesque distortion. In any case, I'm still impressed by the compositional progression I sense between this and the previously featured installment.





 
A week is not long enough time to properly familiarize myself with the scope and grandeur of Fire Emblem: Awakening's soundtrack (but I'm committed to the schedule, so it'll have to suffice). As the definitive installment of the franchise (despite being the thirteenth), the sound and style holds up to modern standards, featuring full orchestral performances with wide range of tone and intensity. Area themes (at least I presume them to be) come in regular and "ablaze" variants, which in some cases denotes quite the contrast. Other classifications of variance are also applied to other tracks, and while I'm less confident in discerning their purpose, I greatly respect the arrangement skill displayed. Primary composition responsibility is this time upheld by Hiroki Morishita, with additional contribution from Rei Kondoh.

Every time I do these franchise features, I'm repeatedly surprised by familiar tracks I hadn't previously known the origin of. I take this as testimony to the prolific nature of the classics, that even without experiencing the games one yet may encounter the music out in the wild (so-to-speak). There's a degree of satisfaction to discovering the source though (which is part of why I do these ;P).


It says "Fates," but it's originally from Awakening.




Side note, this OST is contending with Touhou for elaborate track titles. I'm inclined to share some highlights as a bonus to the main feature, and anyways this soundtrack likely deserves the extra attention.


 
This was a hard one. I was well aware of Three Houses's reputation for music, yet was still quite unprepared to experience what it had to offer. Morishita and Kondoh were joined by Takeru Kanazaki, and between the three of them produced a colossal collection of tracks for the series's sixteenth entry well worthy of their legacy. Picking out specific motifs to feature isn't so difficult, but rather choosing between various performances of those motifs, while also respecting the range of mood present in the whole. A great deal of effort was clearly expended to make each piece sufficiently dramatic to preserve tonal consistency (perhaps more so than was strictly necessary, but I must respect it nonetheless). The soundtrack is also surprisingly self-contained, establishing its own leitmotifs and relying upon them more prevalently than those of the broader franchise (or at least those I've encountered myself).

In retrospective, it's fascinating to me the escalation that necessarily takes place with these long-standing series, especially those with an established reputation for "epic" proportions (particularly JRPGs like Final Fantasy). Comparing the earliest entry to the most modern, it may be difficult to find any resemblance; yet I suspect a prevailing influence or characterization can be perceived which ties them together, despite the progression of its more overt elements. Whether or not I'm right, I can still appreciate the results of such endeavors, so long as they continue to exercise creativity in their efforts.
All uploads I could find of this track were missing the intro from the OST, which pays homage to the franchise's main theme.





Note that "Rain" distinguishes the default version of the track, denoting a "Thunder" variant elsewhere in the OST.



For a while it was either "Blue Skies" or this, but I simply couldn't decide between them. Ultimately I think this satisfies the feature's progression.
 
Last edited:
So now that Fire Emblem is out of the way, what sort of soundtrack do we follow up with?

Well, I've lined up Scam Line. ;P

In truth, there's not much to this one, but more than I would normally expect from this sort of project, and that subversion of expectation caused it to stand out to me. While the most obvious influence is 'club music,' I appreciate how the 'phone call' theme was incorporated as well ("Lobby" being a dystopian call center, "Results" sounding like actual hold music). Of course, there's a fair chance it's all just stock, and I can't find any conclusive information to prove otherwise. If not though, I suppose the composer would have to be the developer, RavenJm.



 
Thematic crosses between American western and steampunk aren't necessarily uncommon, but still often result in uniquely fun sounds. Far Far West composer Telurik favors a heroic tone to its music, constructed of heavy baselines under light orchestra with prominent western folk elements. The highlights are certainly the more intense tracks, featuring strong motif construction with decent progression. Lower energy arrangements are also present, but seem primarily intended to fill in the gaps between more active moments. This game is still technically in development, so there may be significant alterations or additions to the soundtrack before it becomes finalized; nonetheless, I felt it was worth sharing in its current form (if nothing else, one at least must appreciate the banjos).



 
The Last Cat in the Universe caught my attention with a few snippets of audio, and further investigation yielded a pleasantly atmospheric soundtrack. Synth sounds are utilized to capture a spacey mood, and while the tone is fairly consistent, minor alterations help give variety to the collection. Composition was handled by InSomne, with an additional performance by Diora Salazar, noteworthy for it's incremental variants leading up to a complete form at the album's climax. While the full OST is relatively short, I perceived clear intention to its arrangements, garnering respect and appreciation for its 'completeness;' there's a lot of love put into this soundtrack, but also a degree of professionalism I don't normally observe in similar projects.



 
Last edited:
While it's usually best to avoid over-reliance on comparisons, it would be presumptuous to not acknowledge the relationship between Shovel Knight and Mina the Hollower. Jake Kaufman has a range of styles at his disposal, but it's apparent to me he has affinity for retro chiptune, and a tendency to incorporate baroque elements into his jazz progression. The latter is easy enough to discern in other projects, but the former is more readily apparent in his Yacht Club Games work, hence it seems fair to highlight.

When it comes to chiptune, I'm more strongly inclined to modern exertions of the style pushing its potential beyond it's classic limitations. Kaufman is capable of this (see CotN), but Mina favors the retro style adhering to those limitations; and to be fair, Kaufman is probably the most adept at making this work of any modern chiptune composers I'm familiar with (especially in his utilization of the "noise" channels). His themes tend toward a balanced energy with rolling melodies, with his higher energy arrangements relying on rapid transitions. I sometimes have to listen through a piece more than once to figure out the progression, but they're always fun in any case.

On a final note, the soundtrack received light contribution from industry veteran Yuzo Koshiro; while I'm not familiar with his work myself, Kaufman denotes him as a childhood inspiration. The presence of his compositions here provides a fascinating contrast, highlighting Kaufman's signature elements.




 
Bi-yearly update complete. For the most part, it's the usual saboteurs . . . mostly just Nintendo actually. Everything's fixed for the moment though.

Part of me feels guilty for not listening through the original Yakuza in favor of Kiwami, but the latter is the soundtrack I'm previously familiar with. Mayhaps I'll come back for the former some other time? In any case, both were under the management of Hidenori Shoji, so any variance between the two should at least be conceptually consistent. As with the prequel, Yakuza Kiwami features primarily a mixture of rock and techno, and secondarily jazz and funk. Elements of other genres are sprinkled in, but are predominately subservient to the main styles. Tonally, the series consistently demonstrates a well-controlled yet still varied range; battle tracks may be urgent or suave, collectively serving excellently for the many contrasting moods the game employs.

I perceived this soundtrack to be better curated than Yakuza 0's; at the very least, its shorter length was more manageable, and I felt the track selection to be more consistently memorable. On the other hand, I still favor specific tracks from 0 over those of Kiwami; none of the latter's karaoke performances appealed to me, and the former's western intro remains by favorite track thus far.



 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top