This week's first track comes Fallout 2, a classic post-apocalyptic RPG released on the PC in 1999. This track has an atmospheric side, but also a cool techno side. It's not melodic, but it is really interesting.
Developer: Black Isle Studios
Composer: Mark Morgan
You can download the soundtracks for the first and second Fallout games (remixed and remastered) here.
To celebrate the survival of our species past December 21st, when the apocalypse should've swallowed the Earth whole, I'm going to share six tracks from games showing different sides of the post-apocalypse.
This week's final track comes from the Super Famicom title Rockman and Forte (later released on the Gameboy Advance as Mega Man & Bass.) It balances a cool, jazzy side with a fast-paced pop side that could come from any Mega Man game. Certainly a great track.
Developer: Capcom
Composer(s): Naoshi Mizuta, Akari Kaida, Kirichan
This track comes from the 1994-95 SNES platformer Mega Man X2. The X series is an off-shoot of the original Mega Man series. This track has a hard-rock sound; I'm really fascinated by the high-pitch voice that chimes in at the beginning and the chorus- if you could call it that. The sampled electric guitars are also really cool.
Developer: Capcom
Composer: Yuki Iwai
This next track comes from the PS1/N64 polygonal action-RPG Mega Man Legends. This game has many aspects in common with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. This track has an island-y feel, a far cry from the rock/pop sound that dominates many Mega Man games.
Developer: Capcom Production Studio 2
Composer: Makoto Tomozawa
This next track comes from the 1990 NES title Mega Man III. This track isn't necessarily the best track in the game, in fact the whole soundtrack is incredible. I just really like the melody and bass in this song- it's a real Capcom-y jam.
Developer: Capcom
Composer: Yasuaki Fujita
This week's first track comes from the humble beginnings of the franchise, Mega Man on the NES. This track comes from the Elecman stage, and is my favorite track from this title. I especially like the melody and the bridge sections.
Developer: Capcom
Composer: Manami Matsumae
On December 17th, 1987 Mega Man was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System (known in Japan as Rockman). This classic platformer spawned a world-famous brand that now has over one-hundred titles. To celebrate Mega Man's 25th birthday, I'm going to highlight great some tracks from many different branches of his career. I won't even be able to scratch the surface of Mega Man music, so this is really only his introduction to the blog.
This week's final track comes from the 2001 PS2 JRPG Final Fantasy X. This track is from a sporting event in the game, so the synthy, poppy sound makes sense- the New Age element of the track is just cool and weird.
Developer: Square
Composer: Nobuo Uematsu
This next track comes from the 2006 open-world Playstation 2 title Bully. This track has a Danny Elfman kind of sound, which isn't a bad thing at all. A great little track.
Developer(s): Rockstar Vancouver
Rockstar New England
Composer: Shawn Lee
This next track comes from the the 1991 SNES title The Legend of The Mystical Ninja. This track feels kind of jazzy, with a really cool bass line and a brassy-section.
Developer: Konami
Composer: Kazuhiko Uehera
Harumi Ueko
This next track comes from the 2006 Wii title Rayman Raving Rabids. This song has a very Western sound, and I dig it.
Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier
Composer: Mark Griskey (an additional note: originally I had no composer for this track. After watching a Youtube video of the final credits I saw Mark was credited with original music while the credit for licensed music went to Didier Lord. At first I thought this was a band, but from what I can gather and assume I believe he was just the person who found the licensed tracks. At the time of this publishing, I don't know if this is original or licensed, if I uncover any further info I'll update the post.)
This next track comes Clover Studio's 2004 Gamecube/PS2 beat-em-up Viewtiful Joe. This entire series is very, very Japanese- and this track is no exception. A wonderfully Asiatic track.
Developer: Clover Studios
Composer: Sayaka Morita
Masami Ueda
This week's first track comes from the 2002 Gamecube, PS2, and XBOX FPS TimeSplitters 2. This track has a great early arcade sound, which is perfect considering this particular mini-game is a retro-arcade callback.
Developer: Free Radical Design
Composer: Graeme Norgate
The whole album is available for download here.
This week is all about minigames! For those who don't know, mini-games are short experiences separate from the main game. I am going to pick six tracks from six separate games that will take the readers on a musical journey.
This week's final track comes from the 1990 NES puzzle gem Dr. Mario. This is one of the most infectious, charming tracks on the NES.
Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Composer: Hirokazu Tanaka
This track comes from the 1994 RPG classic Earthbound (known on the Super Famicom in Japan as Mother 2). This track shakes up the focus a little as it sounds very salsa-y, especially with the sampled clapping sound and such. An awesome little piece.
Developer(s): Nintendo
APE
HAL Laboratory
Composer: Hirokazu Tanaka
Happy birthday Hirokazu Tanaka!
This next track comes from the 1992 Original GameBoy title X. This track is fast paced and awesome, easily one of the highlights of an awesome soundtrack.
Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Composer: Hirokazu Tanaka
This next track comes from the classic, classic 1986 NES game called Metroid. Not only was the game classic, this particular song is what I think of when I think of the series' first outing on the NES. Something about it is both catchy and alien, a perfect fit for the game.
Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Composer: Hirokazu Tanaka
This week's first track from Hip comes from the 1985 NES/Famicom game Wrecking Crew. This is a simple, yet catchy, little theme track- the epitome of catchy NES pieces.
Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Composer: Hirokazu Tanaka
This week's topic is Hirokazu (Hip) Tanaka, the famed composer notable for his work with Nintendo during the NES/SNES/GameBoy era. Hirokazu is going to be fifty-five on December 13th of this year and I thought it only appropriate to spend a week focusing on the music of this living legend. I'm not claiming to be able to hit every part of his career with six tracks, but I'm hoping to at least lay the groundwork for focuses on him in the future.
This week's final track comes from the 2000 Playstation One title Final Fantasy IX. This track is kind of experimental and weird, while also retaining some iciness.
Developer: Square
Composer: Nobuo Uematsu
This track comes from the infamously difficult 1991 NES title Battletoads (this game also ended up on the Genesis and several other platforms, but this is specifically the NES version.) A note about this video- it loops a number of times.
Developer: Rare
Composer: David Wise
This track comes from the 1994 Sega MegaDrive/Genesis title Sonic The Hedgehog 3. This track, in my opinion, is quintessential Sonic. An awesome poppy track.
Developer: Sonic Team
Composer(s): Michael Jackson, Brad Buxer, C. Cirocco Jones, Bobby Brooks, Darryl Ross, Geoff Grace, Doug Grigsby
This week's first track comes from Pokemon Diamond and Pearl a 2006-2007 Nintendo DS title; this track institutes the unofficial sleigh-bell focus that will proliferate the "Winter" focus.
Developer: GameFreak
Composer(s): Go Ichinose
Hitomi Sato
Junichi Masuda
Morikazu Aoki (all are possible composers)
It's winter time in my neck of the woods (southern USA) and while I'm not having a particularly snowy winter, there is plenty of ice. In celebration of the positioning of the Earth in space, I'm bringing you a week's worth of chill tracks centered around a snowy, icy theme.
I chose this track from the 1993 classic Day of The Tentacle to put a bow on the already LucasArts heavy focus. This track is quirky and a little jazzy, a perfect combination in my mind.
Developer: LucasArts
Composer(s): Clint Bajakian
Peter McConell
Michael Land
This next track ensures I sneak a chiptune into this focus. This track from the 1987 classic Maniac Mansion is just awesome.
Developer: LucasArts
Composer(s): David Warhol
George Sanger
This next track is an epic orchestral track from Myst III: Exile complete with all the singing children and loud adults you could want, plus plenty of percussion and strings.
Developer: Presto Studios
Composer: Jack Walls (performed by Northwest Sinfonia)
You can pick up the soundtrack on Amazon right here
This track comes from the Monkey Island 2 Special Edition. This track has a fun, islandy, jazzy feel.
Developer: Lucasarts
Composer(s): Michael Land
Peter McConell
Clint Bajakian
This next track comes from the classic 1998 Lucasarts Adventure game Grim Fandango. This whole soundtrack is full of saucy, jazzy tracks and this particular one is no exception. This track is without a doubt one of the jazziest tracks I've ever heard from a game.
Developer: Lucasarts
Composer: Peter McConell
The soundtrack can be purchased on Amazon, however it'll run you a hundred dollars, or 400 new.
To celebrate the completion of Telltale's The Walking Dead series (games that are reinvigorating the adventure game genre) I'm going to be taking a look back on adventure games. If you were wondering what an "adventure game" really is, here's a definition from Adventure Gamers:
Adventure games focus on puzzle solving within a narrative framework, generally with few or no action elements. Other popular names for this genre are “graphic adventure” or “point-and-click adventure”, but these represent only part of a much broader, diverse range of games.
Adventure games are not based on what the dictionary defines as “adventure”. Some are, but many forsake danger and excitement for more relaxed, thoughtful endeavours. They are also not: role-playing games that involve extensive combat, team-building and points management; action/adventures such as Uncharted and Prince of Persia where puzzle-solving is clearly a secondary focus; side-scrolling platform games such as Mario or LittleBigPlanet; pure puzzle games like Bejeweled or Tetris.
This track comes from another N64 launch title that has been featured before, Super Mario 64. It's a weird, quirky track that is classic Mario and makes you want to dance.
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Composer: Koji Kondo
The soundtrack is available here
This track from Ubisoft's 2006 Wii launch game Red Steel deftly balances Asiatic influences, orchestral influences, and shrill electric guitars. An epic gem.
Developer: Ubisoft Paris
Composer: Tom Salta
The soundtrack is available here
This track comes from Luigi's Mansion a Gamecube pack-in title. This is, in my opinion, the best Ghostbusters game and the best game starring Luigi. This track captures some Halloweeen spirit.
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Composer(s): Kazumi Totaka
Shinobu Tanaka
Pilotwings 64 (the follow-up to the SNES title Pilotwings) was one of the launch titles on the Nintendo 64. This particular track could almost fit into the Tranquil Tracks topic; the sound is cool and jazzy. It's a series with excellent music.
Developer: Nintendo/ Paradigm Simulations
Composer: Dan Hess
Super Mario World was a 1991 pack-in title for the Super Nintendo/ Super Famicom (known in Japan as Super Mario Bros. 4). Not only was this a pack-in game for the SNES, it is still hailed today as a platforming classic. This track is also a classic.
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Composer: Koji Kondo
Today the WiiU hits North America. While I obviously don't have enough music from the WiiU yet (or any, actually) I feel it's time to reminisce about previous Nintendo launches. This week, I'm going to feature music exclusively from launch games on Nintendo consoles.
The final track in the Xbox 360 focus is rather fitting, I think. It's from the first-person-shooter series that put Microsoft on the gaming map; it is without a doubt the most important series in Microsoft's library. This symphonic track comes from the 2007 title Halo 3. The track balances whimsy and grand scale in a way that I love.
Developer: Bungie
Composer(s): Martin O'Donnell
Michael Salvatori
You can buy the soundtrack here
This next track comes from the 2005 Rare-developed action game Kameo: Elements of Power. Another beautiful Rare track.
Developer: Rare
Composer: Steve Burke
You can buy the soundtrack here
This track comes from Rare's 2008 life sim Viva Piñata. A beautiful game with an equally beautiful score. Developer: Rare Composer(s): Grant Kirkthrope Steve Burke You can buy the soundtrack here
Generally, I don't allow remixes of non-original game music on the blog. However, since I love this song from Crackdown so much and it's a nice change of pace, I'll let it slide.
Developer: Realtime Worlds
Composer: Atlus Plug
This track comes from a game we've seen before on the blog. Fez, Polytron's 2012 platformer, has an excellent retro-tastic soundtrack.
Developer: Polytron
Composer: Rich Vreeland
The soundtrack is available for download here
This week's first track comes from the 2007 Japanese RPG called Lost Odyssey. This track is heartbreaking and simple; it as good as anything Nobuo Uematsu did on the Super Nintendo- perhaps even better.
Developer: Mistwalker and feelplus
Composer: Nobuo Uematsu
You can buy the soundtrack here.
The Xbox 360 launched in North America on November 22nd, 2005. Now the console is on the verge of celebrating it's seventh anniversary. In celebration of seven years of existence, I am going to share six tracks from six games only available on the Xbox 360.
This week's final track comes from the 1992 Sega Genesis game Ecco The Dolphin. It's a weird, experimental track that sounds like elevator music. It also has a jazzy edge.
Developer: Novotrade International
Composer(s): Spencer Nilsen
Brian Coburn András Magyari
This track comes from the 1995 SNES platformer Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest. It is yet another New-Age-sounding track that is chock full of great naturalistic sound effects. A beautiful piece.
Developer: Rare
Composer: David Wise
This track comes from the 2006 PS2 RPG Okami. It is more busy than other tracks in this theme, but I like it for it's Asiatic qualities.
Developer: Capcom
Composer: Hiroshi Yamaguchi (this is the knowledge I got from the game's wiki)
You can buy the soundtrack on Amazon here
This track comes from the 1993 SNES classic Secret of Mana. Like many of the classic RPG's of that time, this game has an incredible soundtrack that is well worth listening to. There is a New-Age feel to this track, which I adore.
Developer: Square
Composer: Hiroki Kikuta
You can buy the soundtrack for the Japanese version Seiken Densetsu 2 here
This next track comes from the classic Nintendo 64 title Super Mario 64. Following in the Tranquil Tracks theme, nothing about this particular track is very demanding- it's just chill enough to be enjoyed in quiet time.
Developer: Nintendo
Composer: Koji Kondo
The simplest way to get a physical soundtrack would be through Amazon. Check out your prospects here
I thought it would be appropriate to start this week off with a personal favorite of mine. I can't articulate exactly what I love about this track; I can ultimately only describe the tune from Knytt Stories as jazzy and cool. A great tune for chilling to for a few minutes.
This is a stressful time of year for everyone. Whether you are worried about the holidays, the well-being of your family in endangered areas, or anything else- there is great merit in finding time to just relax. This week's topic is all about video game music that can facilitate relaxation. So take a few moments every day for yourself to enjoy these great tracks.
This 1995 Point-And-Click survival horror game's title is provocative enough to get in the running for this week's focus. This swelling orchestral track speaks for itself, listening to it is like going on a short journey.
This track comes from the Playstation 2 game Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly. In a week centered around Halloween, the beauty of this track starkly contrasts some previous music selections. Regardless, I would be silly not to include this gem.
This track comes from Clock Tower, the first installment in the point-and-click survival horror series of the same name. This game was released in 1995 on the Super Famicom, and was subsequently re-released on the Playstation, Wonder Swan, and PC. I love this particular track for its balance of ambiance and melody. In a lot of horror-themed games the music is very slow and atmospheric. This track certainly has some chilling personality, but it's also driven forward in a compelling way.
Developer: Human Entertainment
Composer: Kouji Niikura (side note: the game has two possible composers. Ultimately, the choice came down to the listings by Brent Weinbach over at the Legacy Music Hour- he's an expert on this stuff, and I feel I can trust him)
The 1989 NES adaption of Friday The 13th published by LJN isn't a good game. Many video game outlets go so far as to consider it one of the worst games of all time. Regardless, this particular track is at least worth sharing.
This track comes from UbiSoft's troubled survival-horror game I Am Alive that went through development hell from 2003 until 2012. The game that emerged from Ubisoft Shanghai had plenty of interesting ideas but botched execution. Regardless, this track is very atmospheric and memorable, especially in-game. Developer: Ubisoft Shanghai Composer: Jeff Broadbent I Am Alive is available on PSN, XBOX LIVE, and PC. The soundtrack is available for download here
This week's first track comes from a game that some believe is the first survival-horror game. Suīto Hōmu (as it is known Japanese) was released only in Japan on the Famicom by Capcom in 1989. Suīto Hōmu, despite having the lowly beginnings of being an RPG based on an obscure Japanese horror film, has significantly impacted the games industry: it is the reason an entire genre exists. That's what I call transcending source material. Developer: Capcom Composer: Junko Tamiya
This week's topic is very seasonal. We are entering the final stretch of October; Halloween is but a handful of days away. Because of this, I thought it would be a good time to celebrate games that try to encapsulate the Halloween spirit.
Be warned- this focus isn't necessarily about "scary" tracks. In fact, when I was digging through soundtracks the truly creepy ones seemed more boring. The focus on ambiance, mood and atmosphere in scarier tracks doesn't always work outside of the game.
This track comes from the unreleased NES title, Bio Force Ape. The game, a lost gem that was once hyped in Nintendo Power, has resurfaced twice. The first time was a hoax. The second time, in 2010, the game became available for real.
I couldn't get any info on the developers or composers.
Read more about it here
This track comes from The California Raisins: Grape Escape for the NES. The game, developed by Interactive Designs, is centered around the California Raisins.
Developer: Interactive Design
Composer: Unknown
To learn more about the game, visit the Lost Levels article
Do you remember the hit 1995 film Congo loosely based on a Michael Crichton novel of the same name? Well, you probably don't because the film was really only a hit during June of 1995- it pretty much faded to obscurity afterwards, even though the Michael Crichton novel- like most of his novels- is excellent. Of course, the film was released in the 16-bit era which means that a game adaptation was almost required for a summer blockbuster. The Super Nintendo adaptation Congo: The Secret of Zinj never released, which might be a good thing. According to SNES Central's article on the game, it certainly wouldn't be heralded as a classic now.
Most of the soundtrack is even pretty poor; there is only one track on the soundtrack worth sharing in the game. I uploaded it as an MP3 here (please keep in mind that my method of capturing the audio isn't the best and therefore the quality isn't as high as I would usually like it to be).
Batman: Revenge of The Joker was set to be published by Sunsoft in 1992. The game was already released on the Genesis and NES under the name Return of The Joker. I include this game in good conscience because from what I've heard the soundtracks are different and are on different hardware under a different name. The NES soundtrack has some hits, too.
The wheels of improving technology crushed Star Fox 2. Faced with the imminent (but not really imminent) release of the Nintendo 64, Nintendo made an executive decision to never published the near-finished game. Apparently, Miyamoto decided that there should be a clear-break between the faux-3D of the Super Nintendo, and the polygonal N64.
Developer: Nintendo/ Argonaut Games
Composer(s): Either Kozue Ishikawa or Yumiko Kanki
If you want to play the game, there is a fan translation available.
For more info on the history of Star Fox 2 check out SNES Central's awesome article
This week's topic is a little different. Generally, I like to focus on games that you can buy and play in some way. Indeed, the whole purpose of this blog is to generate interest in video game music and the people who make it. This week, however, I decided to dive into games that have- until recently- never seen the light of day. The topic this week is unreleased games that, for some reason or another, were never published and have only recently gone onto the internet.
At first I thought this theme would be fraught with posts that stem from technicalities. In fact, I completely changed the focus on the second time through writing these posts. Never fear, dear reader, there will be no technicalities. Every game on this list never came out, and that's just the way it should be.
The final track of this week's Indie Game Music focus is from Limbo. For those not in the video game "know", when we pompous writers discuss video games as art- this game often comes up as a point of reference. It's cold, hostile, and terrifying yet personal and beautiful in a dark way. This track is more ambient, but it gives a good insight into the general creepiness of this game.
Developer: Playdead
Composer: Martin Stig Anderson
The game is available on Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network store. You can order a hard copy with the game, soundtrack, and various other trinkets here. You can download the soundtrack online here.
This track is from the critically-beloved, recently-released Fez (side note- this game and it's creator Phil Fish were the subjects of a fantastic documentary entitled Indie Game: The Movie check it out). This track "Forgotten" has a tranquil, New-Age-esque sound that I love.
Developer: Polytron
Composer: Rich Vreeland Fez is available for purchase on the Xbox Live store; the soundtrack is available here
This track is from Super Crate Box a free PC game that feels like something you would throw tons of quarters into an arcade back in the day. (Thanks to Yishaimke for posting this to Youtube) This track is called "Construction Yard" an apt title considering it's from a construction yard stage.
Developer: Vlambeer Games
Composer: Eirik Suhrke
The game itself is free for download here
The soundtrack can be purchased here
To celebrate the release of Brian Provinciano's love-letter to retro games Retro City Rampage I thought I should start the focus with the "Theme" from the game. It's a fast-paced, energetic track that could have been torn straight from the NES.
Developer: Brian Provinciano
Composer: "Virt"
The game is available on PSN, Xbox Live, WiiWare, and PC (you can purchase it on PC here)
The last three or four years have seen an unprecedented boom in the popularity of independently developed video games. Titles such as Braid and Limbo and distribution services like XBLA, PSN, and Steam have popularized the once-dead idea of guys and girls making great games in their basements, occasionally with some close friends.
This week I'm going to highlight some incredible indie game music worth your time and money from some equally incredible games. The purpose of this blog isn't just to share music, it's to get people interested in cool stuff. If you hear something you like there will be links where you can buy the albums or individual songs.
If you have any suggestions for future focuses, comment or email them to Armchairnerd@gmail.com
Enjoy
(image courtesy of Giant Bomb) 
