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Saturday, April 8, 2023

VGM Saturdays Vol. 2. No. 008

Keeping it even this week, we have three songs from games and three arrangements of game tracks that are not in games. 

The Conflict - Romancing SaGa (SFC)

Another week of VGM Saturdays, another track by Kenji Ito. This time we have the standard battle theme from Romancing SaGa. The Romancing SaGa games alone have all kinds of stellar battle themes but even when compared to greats like Beat Them Up!, The Conflict is still a big favorite of mine.

PLAYER SELECT - Art of Fighting 3: Path of the Warrior (ARC)

I haven't touched any of the games in SNK's Art of Fighting series but the soundtracks are not something that is lost on me. Personally, I think Art of Fighting 3 has the best music of the lot. More laid back character select themes, please.

We Ain't Came to Loose - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (Multi)

The soundtrack to Shredder's Revenge is GODLIKE. Of course they just had to have one of the most baller vocal tracks play when you fight Shredder. Even if rap isn't your thing, you cannot deny that this song is so hot. 

Stickerbrush Symphony - Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES) - Neon X

Donkey Kong Country 2's soundtrack needs no introduction. It is brimming with a plethora of amazing tracks from start to finish. A huge fan favorite is undoubtedly Stickerbrush Symphony, the track that plays during some of the more tense brambled filled levels of the game. I think David Wise would be proud of Neon X's synth fused cover of his classic track.

Sunshine Airport - Mario Kart 8 (Wii U) - Neon X

And here we have another remix from the very talented, synth lover, Neon X. I love Sunshine Airport, both the race track and the song that accompanies it. When I saw this pop up in my recommendations, I had to give it a listen. The addition of a boarding call is a nice touch.

Column Drive - Columns III: Revenge of the Columns (GEN) - amphobius

The first time I heard this song was in Sonic Megamix, a ROM hack of the original Sonic the Hedgehog. I never expected to come across a remix of this one, but once again, I have to thank YouTube's recommended side bar. 

VGM Saturdays Vol. 2 Database

Saturday, February 18, 2023

VGM Saturdays Vol. 2. No. 007

I went with the Arial font for the titles this week. Nothing against Georgia font, but I thought I could use a bit of a change.

K.K. Cruisin' - Animal Crossing (N64) - Funk Fiction, Tee Lopes

K.K. Slider is one of the best dogs in gaming. Not just for his super chill attitude, but for his wide selection of music. A big favorite of mine ever since the first game has always been K.K. Cruisin'. That is a jam that can be heard in one or sometimes two rooms in my house on New Horizons. Back in 2020, Funk Fiction and Tee Lopes worked together to give us this sweet remix and it just might be my favorite K.K. Cruisin' arrangement. 

Dice-Dance-Days / Dancing Smash Hero - Gunstar Heroes (GEN) - Monte

Since I plan a great deal of these VGM Saturday posts out in advance, I sometimes surprise myself when I look back on the music I choose. Legend of the Gunstar Heroes definitely deserves more listens. Since it has been a while since I heard this one, I'd forgotten how hard the guitar goes on this track.

Cyber Space 1-6: Go Back 2 Your Roots - Sonic Frontiers (Multi)

Well, would you look at that. More Sonic Frontiers music. That's two weeks in a row now. I changed things up a bit by using a Guardian track last week, but once again, we're back in Cyber Space. Yes, I use  a lot of Cyber Space tracks for VGM Saturdays (they are so FREAKING GOOD) but I adore the entirety of Sonic Frontiers' music. I thought the layout of this particular level looked familiar. It turns out it is Green Hill Act 1 from Sonic Generations. 

Lethal Strike - Final Fantasy Legend II (GB)

Back when I first got into the FINAL FANTASY series, I would pick up any game I came across if I could afford it. One such title was Final Fantasy Legend II, which is actually a SaGa game. Kenji Ito wrote this battle theme and I fell in love with this track the first time I heard it. This is high energy chip tune goodness and I am so happy it is available on streaming platforms legally. 

SUPER M.T.B. - Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (PSP)

The Danganronpa games intrigue me and I would like to get around to playing them sometime. Trigger Happy Havoc originally released on the PSP in 2010 and it has since been ported to the Vita, PS4 and mobile devices. I did listen to the soundtrack for the game shortly after it was released and this track as well as SUPER FINAL M.T.B. were huge stand out songs for me.

Cyan's Theme - FINAL FANTASY VI (SNES)

SQUARE ENIX may treat FINAL FANTASY VII with vastly more favoritism than the other games (OK, a LOT more favoritism) but VI is a grand game all it's own. It tackles a lot of themes such as acceptance with one's self and how the loss of loved ones can deeply impact someone. Terra is largely seen as the central character in FFVI and she has a great story arc but seeing my man Cyan pick himself up after losing his wife and child hits me in the feels something fierce. 

VGM Saturdays Vol. 2 Database

Saturday, February 11, 2023

VGM Saturdays Vol. 2. No. 006

I hope you like jazz, synth and battle music, because that's what we got on the menu for this Saturday. Pop in those ear buds or headphones and let the good tunes play. 

Guile's Theme - Street Fighter II (AC) - Mitch Murder

The theme that goes with everything. What could make it even better? A killer synth arranged version by our boy, Mitch Murder. The CPS-II version of Guile's Theme is the one that gets the most recognition and this rendition is played in the same key of said version. If this version of the theme isn't on one of your playlists, something is very wrong with you.

Mute City - F-ZERO (SNES) - Mitch Murder

Another Mitch Murder synth cover? What can I say, I'm a sucker for his work. And anyone that gives Nintendo's forgotten F-ZERO series some love in any way, shape or form is alright by me. There's a key change at the two minute mark and Mitch even put another tune in this one.

Steam Gardens - Super Mario Odyssey (NSW) - The Consouls

Jazz is one of my favorite music genres, so naturally, The Consouls are pretty ace. Steam Gardens is a banger of a track. I definitely need to make a playlist of their music and include this cover. It matches the same energy of the original to a T.

Guardian: SHARK - Sonic Frontiers (Multi)

It is soooo hard not to post Sonic Frontiers music every week. Yet, I remain strong to keep these weekly posts from becoming too over saturated with this game's glorious soundtrack. This cool dance number comes with it's own mini boss fight.

Battle - FINAL FANTASY VI (SNES)

The first FF game that I ever played wound up becoming my favorite. Looking forward to (finally) playing the Pixel Remaster on Switch. The music for the Pixel Remasters is freaking incredible but I will always love FFVI's original SNES music. This is definitely in the top 5 for my favorite normal FF Battle themes.

Canyon Run - Hotshot Racing (Multi)

The year 2020 was a rough one. Hotshot Racing uses '90s style polygons as well as music that sounds like it came out of that era to take you back to the past, which was very welcoming considering how craptastic 2020 turned out. 

VGM Saturdays Vol. 2 Database

Friday, February 10, 2023

Let's Discuss: That FIRE Feb 8, 2023 Nintendo Direct

The Big N announced that they would be dropping a Nintendo Direct on Feb 8 that would consist of roughly 40 minutes of gaming goods for the first half of 2023. "First half of 2023" is a bit misleading since some games won't come out until July or late August but this Direct was so freaking good, so I'll let that slide. Stuff that has me hyped for the Switch in 2023? Read on.

Pikmin 4

Image: Nintendo

We finally saw gameplay footage of this game. It looks just as cute, charming and as fun as the other games. Ice Pikmin were shown off and that makes me wonder if there are other new types in the game as well. There is an adorable two legged dog that doesn't have a nose and I need the plushie for him NOW! I suppose I should finally pick up Pikmin 3 Deluxe and finish it. I loved the demo.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe

Image: Nintendo

The demo was dropped after the Direct. I decided to pass on it because I already know I'm going to love this remake. The Magalor Epilogue makes for some nice additional content. After he tried to conquer the world, I'm tempted to leave him stranded but he turns over a new leaf and builds theme parks now, so I guess I gotta help him. 

Metroid Prime Remastered

Image: Nintendo
I place zero stock in rumors. Until things are officially confirmed, I don't care. Welp, Nintendo confirmed it, so now I'm on the care train. Despite owning the original on GCN and the Metroid Prime Trilogy for the Wii, I never played much of the first Metroid Prime. This remastered version looks amazing and has multiple control styles. Nintendo also shadow dropped this sucker. Only $40 for the digital and physical versions. I'm already buying  a lot of games this month and Nintendo is making me spend more money. 

Fashion Dreamer

Image: Nintendo
I legit thought Style Savvy was coming to the Switch, but my hopes were dashed. But it turns out the developer of Fashion Dreamer is Syn Sophia, the same devs of the Style Savvy games, which explains why it looks so similar to Nintendo's fashion series. The myriad of different clothing is gonna make for some killer combinations. This game looks like an excellent fit for the Switch and I am itching for a release date.

Disney Illusion Island

Image: Nintendo
Combine the words "Mickey Mouse" with "Illusion" and you have people's interest. Throw in a few of Mickey's pals, evoke the look and feel of Rayman Origins/Legends and you've got me ready to throw money on the table.

Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy & Game Boy Advance Games

Image: Nintendo
I initially wasn't really excited about the reveal of these games finally hitting the Switch. But once the Direct was over, I found myself checking the eShop to see when I could download the applications for both game sets. The GB was a huge part of my childhood, so I can't help but be gleeful about being able to play these games again. NSO GB games one-up the 3DS versions by having rewinds and classic GB, GB Pocket and GB Color filters. You can also go with the original GB motion blur. Which I absolutely hated as a kid so I won't be using it. 

Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster

Image: Nintendo
I was curious about these games back in the GCN era but I think I was turned off by the card battle system. These days, I play all kinds of games I think I can adjust to battling with cards. I hear the story and characters are some of the best in the RPG genre. The music is by Motoi Sakuraba? *faints*

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

Image: Nintendo
This game was originally on the DS  and I have only heard good things about it. I never got around to picking it up back in the day, so I won't make the same mistake for this HD version. Murder mysteries aren't my favorite genre but with all the praise I've heard for this one, I'm gonna give it a look. All you fans that played the original, I know you've gotta be on cloud nine right now.

Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection

Image: Nintendo
I never picked up any of these games, but a good buddy of mine always goes on about how good they are. These HD versions look dang good and while the price is steep for all three ($80), I'm still gonna give these a try. RPG fans are eating GOOD on Switch this year.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Image: Nintendo
Yes, I am beyond hyped for this game, GIVE ME IT ALREADYYYYYYYY!!!! *Ahem* Link can drive tractors now? How did his hand get all messed up? What happened to Zelda? Are there more runes in this game? Will rain strike when we try to climb stuff? I have so many questions. Yeah, it sucks that the game is $70 and I can in no way shape or form defend that, but dang it, I want this game sooooo bad, so I'm getting it. Gaaaaahhhh, I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on this game and roam around, putting off the main quest.  

Saturday, February 4, 2023

VGM Saturdays Vol. 2. No. 005

Dranius, Tales of Symphonyia Remastered, Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, Octopath Travler II, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line. This month is packed with releases, so much that I don't know if I'll be able to afford them all. Heck, I didn't even list them all. Momentary distractions are one of life's treasures, so here's some music to take your mind off of this month's wallet apocalypse.  

Ordinary People - Trials of Mana (SNES)

In 2019, the sequel to Secret of Mana (Seiken Densetsu 2 in Japan) was at long last released officially outside of Japan in the Collection of Mana anthology under the name Trials of Mana. In 2020, the game got a full remake and from what I hear, it was received much better than 2018's Secret if Mana remake. I'm nowhere near as familiar with the soundtrack to Trials of Mana as I am Secret of Mana's score, but Hiroki Kikuta wrote the music for both games. If you haven't heard the music to Trials of Mana and need an invitation, there ya go. One of my favorite tracks from the game, Ordinary People is a jolly, jovial town track.

SS Anubis - Jet Force Gemini (N64)

The N64 was the subject of much criticism. Since Nintendo stuck with cartridges and Sony went with CDs, the 32-bit machine one uped the 64-bit machine in the sound department. This didn't stop talented composers from bringing out some incredible sound. Rare had some of the most skilled composers in the field and while Goldeneye and Banjo-Kazooie often steal the show for Rare N64 titles, Jet Force Gemini remains one of the company's best works. Just hearing this one makes me feel like a teenager again, N64 controller in hand, stealthily walking around the Anubis. Snag a copy of Rare Replay on the Xbox One to get a plethora of Rare goodness, which includes Jet Force Gemini.

Step Careful (Lexis Theme) - 2064: Read Only Memories (Multi)

Cyberpunk is a genre I really get a kick out of, so when I heard that an enhanced edition of 2064: Read Only memories was headed to the Switch in 2018, I downloaded that sucker. Like any good adventure/mystery game, this one is loaded with interesting, memorable characters (that are superbly voiced), stylish retro visuals and tons of choices which can lead to numerous endings. Futuristic cop music is a head boper. 

Clickbait - Lame Genie, LongestSoloEver - Splatoon 3 (NSW)

In what comes as a surprise to no one, the music in Splatoon 3 is freaking amazing. I'm not just talking about the jams in multiplayer. Well, I am today, but the music in Hero mode is also dance worthy stuff. Lame Genie came to my attention thanks to his metal covers of songs from Kirby and the Forgotten Land. For this metal version of Clickbait, he collaborated with LongestSoloEver. Here's hoping they do more projects together and more Splatoon 3 covers.

Get a Weapon - Neon X - Mega Man 3 (NES)

Mega Man 3 has THE GREATEST Get a Weapon theme from ANY Mega Man game. That is an indisputable fact. Even if Mega Man 3 isn't your fav Rock game, you cannot deny that this theme is 11 different kinds of awesome. Neon X knows this theme is a super banger so he gave this synth cover everything he had.

The Shinobi - The Revenge of Shinobi (Remastered) 

What more needs to be said about the music of The Revenge of Shinobi? It is often praised as one of the greatest gaming soundtracks of all-time and that praise is very much deserved. In 2021, a digital version of the remastered soundtrack was released. If you're used to the audio from the Genesis version, it might be a bit strange to hear it on the NEC-PC 88 files, where it sounds more clear and uncompressed. 

VGM Saturdays Vol. 2 Database

Thursday, February 2, 2023

Control Issues: A Blessing in Disguise

 

Image: Reggie White Jr.

My past five years with first party gaming controls have been, how shall we say, enlightening. Usually, whenever I purchase a new game console, I stick with the first party controller. The concept of having multiple third party controllers never really occurred to me. And then I bought a PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

Drifting. A term associated with racing games to get around turns without sacrificing speed. I love drifting. It feels so good to do in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and it makes me realize how much I miss the Ridge Racer series. These days drifting is more commonly used to refer to the analog stick imputing movement on its own without any movement from the player. This results in unwanted movement and can really mess with your game. Drift is such a widespread issue on the Switch that Nintendo was hit with a lawsuit. If the Joy-Cons are used enough, drift is inevitable. I've had it happen on my first Switch. My nephew is on his second pair of Joy-Cons. My sister, who mostly plays Animal Crossing: New Horizons on her Switch, is drifting. The Joy-Cons that came with my OLED Switch are fine so far. I don't use them unless a game demands it like Nintendo Switch Sports. But, it is probably only a matter of time before my OLED model Joy-Cons start drifting. Can we go back to the time when drifting was strictly a racing term?

The Switch is a phenomenal system. It is under powered but it has a huge supply of games, which has made it the go to system for a lot of gamers. The fact that it can be played at home and on the go is also a very big deal. But the drift with the Joy-Cons cannot be overlooked and unfortunately, the problems do not end there. If I'm being perfectly honest, the Joy-Cons aren't enjoyable to use. Buttons are prone to sticking and analog movement feels stiff. Prolonged periods of play with the Joy-Cons is just not comfortable. This is the default controller that comes with the Switch it comes with so much baggage. 

As bad as drift is with the Joy-Cons and the stiff feel of the buttons, Nintendo isn't the only one at fault their system with a controller with a number of issues.

When I purchased my PS4, I bought Yakuza 0 and The King of Fighters XIV for it. Yakuza 0 felt perfectly fine to play on Sony's DualShock 4. KOFXIV was a different story. Movement and button inputs did not feel right. A few years later I would buy Tekken 7 and even with that game, I got the feeling that the DualShock 4 was not a controller I could play fighting games on and have it feel comfortable. Sony must have went cheap on the rubber because my analog sticks were showing serious peel wear. It is not good to have your thumb slipping off the sticks when you're playing the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and a boulder or angry polar bear are gunning for you. One of my DualShock 4 controllers, for unknown reasons got bricked. The only inputs it would take were left and down on the D-pad, leaving me with only one first party controller, lest I shell out a AAA game money for a new one. Nah, I'm good. 

The problems I've encountered with the Joy-Cons and DualShock 4 forced me to look into third party controllers. As much grief as the aforementioned controllers gave me, going third party for controllers has benefited me a lot in the long run.

HORI's Split Pad Pro is a must have for anyone who plays the Switch in handheld mode. It lacks rumble but the buttons feel amazing, the analog sticks aren't stiff and the D-pad is insanely precise, something you very much need when playing Tetris 99 or Tetris Effect: Connected. Unless you absolutely need rumble in handheld mode, the Split Pad Pro is a great alternative to Joy-Cons. Sadly, these things don't work with all games. I was bummed when I couldn't use them for Sonic Frontiers. 

8BitDo makes some excellent controllers, for the most part. I love the responsiveness I get from the D-pad and the analog sticks are some of my favorites from any controller, regardless of the type they've made. Issues I've had with their controllers. A few years back, I was using the SN30 Pro USB Wired controller. For a while, the thing worked great until it didn't work at all. I would plug it into my Switch and would get nada. To this day, I have no idea what caused that malfunction. There's also some noticeable lag in certain games. Mega Man Legacy Collection has it bad with my 8BitDo Pro 2 and so does Splatoon 3. Thankfully, the HORI Split Pad Pro eliminates the lag for Legacy Collection and Binbok's Wireless Switch Pro Controller (with Crack) is an all around great controller not just for Splatoon 3, but a lot of Switch games.

By owning various controllers, I've arrived at this conclusion: controllers are something you can never have too many of. Having an extra in case one goes awry is always nice. That and depending on the game you're playing, you might want a controller that is more suitable. When I'm playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, I use one of my three GameCube controllers. The thing was just built so dang durable and I worry far less about mashing on it and doing crazy analog moves than I would other controllers.

I was never an arcade kid, having gone to them very little growing up but the appeal of an arcade stick is still very much there for me. I have the HORI Fighting Stick Mini for my Switch. I have a ton of arcade titles and I wan

Even as I was writing this, I was digital window shopping for potential new controllers to add to my small but growing collection. I would like to have another arcade fighters and old school SHMUPs, maybe something bigger than the HORI Fighting Stick Mini. Being raised on pads, I'm not good at movements in SHMUPs when it comes to arcade sticks, but I'm willing to learn. I could use a Genesis controller for all those Genesis games on Nintendo Switch Online and the SEGA Genesis Classics collection.

I'm not saying a plan on owning a smorgasbord of controllers, but having more than a few of them around certainly doesn't hurt.

Saturday, January 28, 2023

VGM Saturdays Vol. 2 No. 004

I love me some lofi, so I've included two tracks this week along music from 2021's Cyber Shadow and SEGA's Fantasy Zone II among others.

Ridley - Tune in with Chewie 

This song was first heard in the 1994 mega classic, Super Metroid under the title Big Boss (no relation to the dude from the Metal Gear series). The theme would be so heavily associated with Ridley over the years that it would go on to become his theme with an arrangement of it playing during his reveal trailer for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. This lofi remix turns the tense, fist pumping track into a more chill piece and it works really, really well. 

Apparitor, Pt 1 - Cyber Shadow (Multi)

Cyber Shadow is like the NES Ninja Gaiden games. Except there's way, way less cheap bull to keep you from rage quitting. The game can be tough but fair. I'm hoping for a physical release of this game but a year later and still no luck. 

Secret of the Forest - Pontus Hultgren - Beyond the Flow of Time: Music from Chrono Trigger

I've come across the music of Pontus Hultgren through his FINAL FANTASY VI arrangements. Eventually, the YouTube recommended section placed his Chrono Trigger album before me. Check out the rest of his music on Beyond the Flow of Time. It's nearly an hour's worth of Chrono Trigger arranged goodness.

FLY HIGH [RD.6] - Fantasy Zone II (AC)

Unlike some game companies (Nintendo), SEGA is quite good at making their music available on streaming platforms like YouTube and Spotify. I would argue that they need to get more of their catalog out there, but some of the biggest names are already up, such as Out Run, Super Hang-On and a plethora of Fantasy Zone music. If you have a playlist for happy game music, be sure to add this track.

Power and Beats - Final Vendetta (Multi)

Despite the difficulty that I've heard it brings, Final Vendetta has been on my radar for some time now. The soundtrack is a banger and a half with this track oozing '90s sickness. 

Prologue - Curly - Animal Crossing: New Horizons (NSW)

The usual hourly music you get in Animal Crossing games is, at first, absent during your first few days on your island in New Horizons. What music you do get is serviceable, but I could see how quickly it would grate on the nerves for other players. Curly managed to make a head bopping arrangement out of that music most player probably tired of hearing. It is the track that kicks off GameChops Nook & Chill and as much as I loathe Tom Nook, I can let the name of the album slide when the music is packing this much dope chill.

VGM Saturdays Vol. 2 Database