Video Game Music Mashups

I've taken a liking to mash-ups in the past year or so.

My favorite mashup artists seem to be DJ Cummerbund and SiivaGunner's YouTube collection of video game music "rips".

It seems like a natural evolution from the YTPMVs of old with better music quality and heart put into them. Maybe that's not the right word...

My favorite one as of this post is the mashup which mixes The Beatles, Tears for Fears, and Nintendo.

This one from DJ Cummerbund is good too.

Selection of Video Game Music - Part IV

I'm honestly not much of a blogging mood today. I'm in a listening mood. So, I'm going to put some themes that I've been listening to lately. For parts I and II, click the label at the bottom of post and scroll down accordingly.


#32 - "Severnaya Installation (Surface 1)" - Goldeneye N64

I remember being 6 or 7 years old playing this game trying to figure out where to go, and I was stuck on this level for the longest time because I forgot that B button opened doors, or something like that. I have very fond memories of Goldeneye, and it's the only shooter I've tolerated, or maybe that's my anti-Xbox self speaking. I'm not sure.

Graeme Norgate was the composer of the Goldeneye series for N64, the whole soundtrack is great, but this one sticks out.





#33 - "Pulifia Flowers" - Lufia Series

This is one of my favorite RPG themes, and also one of the first I can remember. This plays in scenes where the hero and his love interest Lufia stand in the gardens near their hometown talking about their plans. Although it's strongly hinted that they like one another, the Hero feels like he has to go alone on his journey, but Lufia longs to stay near him, so they take off out of town together. Anyway, they have their talk, so to say, in the Pulifia flowers in the kingdom of Alekia. This music mainly makes its first appearance there.






#34 - "Beyond the Wasteland" - Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 1/2

I'd have to admit, I never got very far in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, I personally thought it was an awful game, or maybe I wasn't used to it. I gave the TA series another go when I bought Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2 for the DS in 2008. I liked it much better, and it was easier for me to ease into the game. The final boss was kind of a pain in the rear, though. Would heal itself if you "took your time", so to say.

Anyway, this song plays in some of the battles in FFTA2, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that this was in the first game as well -- I might give it another go. :)






#35 - "Hawaii - Jungle Bump" - Cruis'n World

Great racing game. You can do wheelies at will, go off jumps and do flips. (Or at least I remember flipping.) and a friend of mine and I did co-op until we got to the Moon and completed the game. It was a lot of fun. Cruis'n Exotica came out sometime afterwards, but I never got into it, mainly because by then the N64 was dying out and I was getting addicted to FF7 and FF9 on the PlayStation.

Anyhow, this is the music from the first level of the game.







#36 - "Hot Top Volcano" - Diddy Kong Racing

The level is easy with airplanes, sure. But try it on a hovercraft.




#37 - "Escape from the City" - Sonic Adventure 2

This Sonic game is a treasure, probably my favorite one out of the whole series. I rented it from Blockbuster (remember that store?), and I think I had it overdue for like two weeks due to playing the heck out of it. I got a large way through. Someone stole my GameCube memory card, though, and I'm going to play it again someday. Perhaps I'll complete it before the end of the year. After Super Mario Sunshine... Anyway, I'd be stupid not to have this song on the list.







Only five on this list now. The quality of music in games lately has really decreased, or maybe I'm not playing newer games as much. Too much importance on graphics, I tell you. Games need to appeal to all of the senses, and not just the eyes for maximum enjoyment. Just saying.

Selection of Video Game Music (May 2011) - Part III

Part III of my favorite video game music. To see parts I and II, you can check out this link and scroll down. It starts from most recent iteration and goes backward.

#21 - "Searching for Friends" (Final Fantasy VI)





Going to start off with a classic SNES-era Uematsu tune. This song is played during the world map of the "World of Ruin" in Final Fantasy VI after the airship has been recovered. It's a very enthusiastic song that plays that emphasizes the need of "searching for friends", the party members that were lost in the transformation from the first half to the second half of the game.

DJ Yuzoboy did a very good remix of this song, also. With lyrics from the song "Holla If Ya Hear Me" by 2Pac.






#22 - "To the Future" (Love Theme/Ending Song) (Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals)





Note: Spoilers!

Probably one of the saddest themes in existence, but this is the song that plays as main characters Maxim and Selan are trapped in the crashing Doom Island and sacrifice themselves to save their loved ones and their hometown.

The scene in context:






#23 - "Sword Search" (The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening)

One of the best Game Boy games that was ever released. It's going to be released on the 3DS Virtual Console, too! Hip, hip-

This particular theme plays at the very beginning of the game when you wash up on Koholint Island.





#24 - "The Road" (Street Fighter Alpha 3)

As being the first main Street Fighter game since Street Fighter II to have all-new themes, I as shocked when I heard this song back in 1998. SFA3 had a very good soundtrack, even if they dumped all the classic themes to introduce them in. This particular song plays on Ryu's stage.





#25 - "Gym Leader Battle Theme" (Pokemon Ruby-Sapphire-Emerald)

Ruby and Sapphire are my least favorite in the series by far. I never bought them near release day, and I was generally disgusted with Pokemon back in 2003. I thought they ruined the formula after Gold and Silver (loss of backwards compatibility) and I didn't want any part of it. Now that I've gotten back into the series with Diamond and Pearl, I got the Emerald version a couple of years ago to go back and see what I missed.





#26 - Haunted Hideaway (Mario Party 8)

Most of the Mario Party games past 2 were flat out terrible. And MP8 is no exception. However, there is one board on the game that is pretty catchy. Plays in "King Boo's Haunted Hideaway".





#27 - Angel Island Zone 2 (Sonic Advance)

Sonic Advance for GBA had a largely forgettable soundtrack, but it was a solid game. Solid enough to get various sequels, at least. Anyway, the song that really stands out is this theme which plays somewhat through the middle if I remember correctly.





#28 - Corridors of Time (Chrono Trigger)

Oh yeah, this one. This song is one of my favorites in the game. Plays when the party goes to Antiquity in 12,000 B.C. The world is in an ice age of sorts and most of humanity lives on a floating island in the skies above called "Zeal".


This is the song that plays in this area:



DJ Yuzoboy also did two interesting remixes of this song with Michael Jackson:










#29 - Rainbow Road (Mario Kart 64)

A pure classic this song is. Played at the very last level of the game. If you've never played Mario Kart 64, you've missed out on one of the best games of the second half of the 90's. ESPECIALLY TOAD'S SCREAMING.





#30 - Snow Bags (Need For Speed III: Hot Pursuit)

One of my favorite PS1-era racing games. This was my first game when I played and raced from cops, before the widespread popularity of Grand Theft Auto and the PlayStation 2 years afterward.

This song plays on the Summit and Rocky Pass levels. The Summit has more of a rock theme to it while the Rocky Pass has more of a alternative rock theme to it by utilizing different parts of the song more. I like The Summit's version more.





My favorite part of the song starts at 4:48.

#31 - Fever for the Flava (Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2)

The sequel to the game (above). I played the Gamecube version for days and nights when I rented it. Absolutely loved the game, and it was the last NFS game I enjoyed. I don't like the ones they come out with nowadays. This was my favorite song out of this soundtrack. It's called "Fever for the Flava" by Hot Action Cop. I don't like the actual version of the song very much, but I like the one that has been edited for the sake of the game. Check it out.

Selection of Video Game Music (April 2011) - Part II

You can see Part I here.


#11 - "Ancient's Village" - Final Fantasy III (NES/DS)

Hard to believe you get such a emotional theme in an 8-bit generation, but Uematsu did pull it off well. It's a shame we didn't get this jewel of a game until its remake came out state-side in 2006, and now we can hear it in all it's remade glory.

Original (NES, 1990)





Remake (DS, 2006)






#12 - "Gunmetal Action" - Wild Arms 3 (PS2)

I originally got into this series through a demo disc I received about 10 or so years ago. I never got around playing the series until my close friend gave it to me as a birthday gift. I'm about halfway through the game, and I stopped playing it for some reason, now hearing this theme makes me want to go back and play it.






#13 - "Cascade Capers'" (Waterfall Theme) - Donkey Kong Country 3 (SNES)

Even though this game is considered by many to be the worst in the series (including myself), it's still a great game. It's like the bottom of a top-tier trilogy. Anyway, Eveline Fischer composed most of the music for DKC3 on its original Super Nintendo incarnation. David Wise (the composer of DKC2), scrapped all of Fischer's work on the GBA port of DKC3 and made his own soundtrack from scratch. So, unfortunately, this theme isn't in the Game Boy Advance port of this game, but still worth a listen.





#14- "Justice" (Leo's Theme) - Lunar 2: Eternal Blue (Sega CD, Sega Saturn, PS1)

Lunar has to be one of my favorite RPG series. They have two main titles, Silver Star Story, and Eternal Blue. Unfortunately, I've only played the second game in the series (this one) and haven't had a chance to experience Silver Star Story, but I heard it was re-released for the PSP recently, so I'll have to find myself a copy. Anyway, this is the theme when one of the main characters "Leo" is encountered.





#15 - "Athletic" - Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES/GBA)

Boy does this game bring back memories. I got all the way to the final boss on the SNES version, and bam the cartridge save battery failed, I was a very sad ten year old when that happened. I eventually ended up getting the GBA version and I have no freaking clue what happened to that copy of SMW2. I'll beat it eventually. But the sequel "Yoshi's Island DS" is way too hard and bland for my taste, and the music doesn't match up well like this game did.

This particular song usually played on the chaotic levels in the game, with lots of platforms and lifts and jumps. Oh, the memories!






#16- "Janus Control Center" - Goldeneye 007 (N64)

Back in the day, when Rare was actually good, they had a good slew of musical talent working for them, like David Wise and Graeme Norgate. The latter composed most (if not all) of the soundtrack for Goldeneye for the Nintendo 64. All of the soundtrack is actually very catch, but if I had to pick one memorable theme out of the game, it would have to be this one. This song plays at the Control Center, one of the hardest levels (in my opinion). I remember being really young playing this on my N64 and I kept getting Natalya killed on accident.





#17 - "Main Theme" - Animal Crossing: Wild World (Nintendo DS)

Have to admit, I've never actually played this game, but it is one of the main themes of the Smashville level of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. My friends and I have a certain inside joke that a hardcore biker gang would roll to this theme. (Yeah, I know. We're weird.)

Original:





Smash Bros. Version:






#18 - "Meet the Creeper" (Rob Zombie) - Twisted Metal III (PS1)

Now this is a classic. My best friend at the time got me into this series (and also introduced my brother and I to the PlayStation). I wonder whatever happened to him, haven't seen him in years.

I'd have to admit, Twisted Metal 2 was loads better than Twisted Metal III. But III had a far better soundtrack that made up for it. This song played at the intro (seen below) and as the final level on Calypso's blimp. (Primeval boss too, what a b*tch.)





#19 - "Ulara" - The Legend of Dragoon (PS1)

I got into this game last year (after wanting it for countless months) and beat it in about two months or so. It was a great RPG, hard to find nowadays though. But if you ever get a copy-, I highly suggest it.

This song in particular plays in one of the towns near the end of the game (I believe in Disc 4, I may be wrong. Memory fails me!)






#20 - "A Moogle Kupo d'Etat - Evil in Small Doses" - Final Fantasy XI (PS2/PC/XB360)

This was one of the add-on expansion final boss themes added in 2009 to the MMORPG in the Final Fantasy XI series. The player fights a giant moogle as a boss. It's meant to be a hilarious sidestory to the normal seriousness of the game.






Special Mention: The pause music from Battletoads.

If it weren't for the Angry Video Game Nerd, I'd have never heard of this jewel.








.

Selection of Video Game Music - (April 2011)

^ (Credit to "Leno" for this drawing of Mario.)


Today's blog entry: Some of my favorite video game tunes. I'm going to go ahead and make this a monthly series of sorts, where I choose 10 from a list of my favorite video game themes. I don't want to pick ones that are overly cliche, but some you may recognize.

Note: I'm going to jump around back and forth between newer games and older games. I like some of the old pieces with old-fashioned 8-bit themes and I like orchestral music that is used with some of the current generation games and systems.

These aren't in any particular order of interest, but they're numbered in order to note the same song in the post:

Anyhow!


#1 - Yoshi's Story - "Ending" (N64)

Anyone who knows my gaming habits will know that this is my stage/song of choice in Super Smash Bros. Brawl Matches. Stage: Yoshi's Island with this song playing. Personally, I like the cruel irony of four people beating the hell out of each other to such a sad song.





And the Super Smash Bros Brawl Remix!




#2 - DuckTales "Moon Theme" (NES)





Seriously, one of the most underrated songs of our time. I haven't even heard of the game or the song myself until video game music enthusiast Brentalfloss did a remix of it. (Below)





I don't know who at Capcom was doing the music for that game, but they are an 8-bit genius.


#3 - Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals - Sinistral Battle Theme (SNES)

This has to be one of the most badass boss themes I've ever heard. Ever. I used to beat this game repeatedly when I was 6-7 years old just to hear this over and over.





Taito and Natsume really had a good series going from them, Square-Enix owns the rights to this franchise now, and they recently re-did the game for the DS. While it is a great action RPG in its own right, the remixed soundtrack doesn't hold a candle to the SNES classic.

#4 - Final Fantasy XII - The Paramina Rift / "Seeking Power" (PS2)

This is one of the Final Fantasy titles that veteran of the series Nobuo Uematsu didn't do any of the regular compositions for and just contributed the main theme. Hitoshi Sakimoto contributed the other themes to the soundtrack, and this is my favorite out of the game.





#5 - Super Mario Land 2 - Star Maze (Game Boy)





I actually forgot about this game's soundtrack, I haven't played this game in years, since I had a Game Boy Pocket. Recently, I heard an interesting YTPMV remix of this theme starring Jack Black's appearance on Sesame Street by cs188.




#6 - Pokemon Black and White - "Emotion" (Nintendo DS)

My friend sent me a URL to this song a few months back out of the blue. I'm very surprised to hear this out of a Pokemon game, they really put some new directions in their pieces, and this one was an unexpected twist. (As I hadn't gotten that far in the game when he sent it to me as he completed the game before I did.)




#7 - Breath of Fire III - "Life's a Beach" (PS1)

Breath of Fire is an underrated RPG series by Capcom that was primarily developed in the 1990's. I only played the third in the series, but this theme is really catchy! Probably my favorite in the game for sure. (I will need to play through it one of these days.)




#8 - Final Fantasy XIV - Track 50 (PC/PS3)

I have not heard this theme in-game yet, but I have to say that it's one of my favorite newer themes from Uematsu. I think if the game didn't have such of a catastrophic launch, then there would possibly be more cutscenes in which this theme would be used, but everything got kind of put on hold. I'm looking forward to hopefully hearing this in game soon.






#9 - Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest - "Bramble Blast" (SNES)

Probably one of my favorite 16-bit era platformer themes. David Wise composed the music for DKC2 and I find it to be shameful he wasn't signed on for the new DKC:Returns for the Wii. Donkey Kong Country 2 had the best music and gameplay in the series by far, and this is one of my favorite themes out of them.





There was also a Brawl Remix and a fan remix involving the Fresh Prince.









#10 - Super Mario 64 - Bomb-Omb Battlefield / Super Mario Galaxy 2 - Throwback Galaxy

These two share the theme, but it's a classic. This game did a lot to the 3D platforming genre, and is probably one of the most memorable themes of the N64 and the 3D Mario era.

Koji Kondo FTW. :D