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
