Favorite Tunes #65: Fear Factory

Gears, chains, crushers. The factory or industrial levels make for some pretty interesting stages in gaming as well as some of the most dangerous. Given the nature of these levels, they tend to be reserved for the end or near end of most games. Can you imagine if your first level was something like Scrap Brain Zone? Yeesh. Anyhoo, factory stages take center stage in this edition of Favorite Tunes.

Fear Factory - Donkey Kong Country (SNES)

Donkey and Diddy's long trek through DK Isle leads them to Oil Drum Alley, which is industrial territory. The journey through the factory inspired stages is often remembered for the level tune that plays, which was named after the industrial metal band, Fear Factory. Donkey Kong Country is packed with solid music all around but Fear Factory really does rank among the game's stand out songs.

Scrap Brain Zone - Sonic the Hedgehog (GEN)

Some gamers (foolishly) believe Sonic games are all about speed. Of course speed has always been a key element to the Blue Blur's games, but at heart, the Sonic games are all about platforming. Try blasting through Scrap Brain Zone like you did Green Hill Zone and you'll die over and over again. Like Marble Zone, this death trap factory must be traveled with caution. This was a Zone where I always struggled to hang on to my rings and to this day, I still get edgy going through it. I do love this theme with those heavy drums.

Techno Factory - Kirby's Return to Dream Land (Wii)

The Kirby game that was eleven years in the making, Kirby's Return to Dream Land was worth the long wait. It actually dethroned Kirby Super Star as my number one favorite Kirby title. Egg Engines is the sixth world in the game and this is where things really get dicey. The second level of this world can lead to dozens of lost lives and game overs. Just ask the Runaway Guys and Brain Scratch Commentaries. My nieces and I have also endured a bit of suffering in this level.

The Devil's Lab - Final Fantasy VI (SNES)

Industrial music with a touch of creepiness. That's Devil's Lab for you. The SNES sound trip truly is a marvel. Of course it takes good hands, (or ears) to bring some good sound out of any musical device. Thankfully Nobou Uematsu was more than capable.

Junk Man Stage - Mega Man 7 (SNES)

Every game series has a black sheep and I guess Mega Man 7 is the odd game out in the classic series. Even so, it's still one of my favorite Mega Man games. Junk Man's stage has a fair bit of hidden items that can only be accessed using the Freeze Cracker to freeze the lava and the Thunder Bolt to turn on a set of lifts to reach areas you wouldn't be able to reach otherwise.

Frantic Factory - Donkey Kong 64 (N64)

I love the way this theme starts off. You hear the winding of a music box and once it's finished, you get this eerie theme that leads into Frantic Factory's main course, which is overall, a really creepy tune. If Dr. Frankenstein had his own demented toy factory, this would be the theme that plays.

Moody Clouds ~ The Meacha Factory - Rayman Origins (PS3, 360, Wii, Vita, 3DS)

Rayman Origins was a fantastic platform but it was no picnic. It rightfully earned it's place in the new Play Hard feature as one of the hardest platforms in the current generation of gaming. After you've overcome insane odds to make it to the final level, you have to escape a crumbling factory complex using all of Rayman's abilities he's acquired throughout the game. Failure means having to start the whole thing over again. Saying I died over 50 times is not exaggerating.

Greblin - Inside the Factory - Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (PS2)

I really wish I could say something about this game, but I haven't played it or any game in this series for that matter. Though I do own all of the PS2 games. I just haven't gotten around to playing them. That said, this is some sweet factory music.

Toad Factory - Mario Kart Wii (Wii)

Mario Kart Wii has a tendency for punishing you for doing well (if you can go through a GP race without being hit by that Blue Shell, you really got off lucky) but it's still another fun entry in the Mario Kart series. Toad Factory mat not be what you had in mind for a factory themed music, but then it isn't your typical factory race track.

Industrial - Command & Conquer (PC, PS, SAT)

Quite possibly my favorite song from the original Command & Conquer. It's amazing what the addition of an instrument can do to a song after hearing it loop a second time. The first time Industrial plays, the drums are absent but after it repeats, the drum beat kicks in, giving the song a slightly more aggressive feel.

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