Favorite Tunes #198: The End of Summer

The leaves are changing color. Children have gone back to school and the temperature is starting to drop. Summer has ended and we are now officially in the fall season. Summer was a blast for me and while I am gonna miss some of that warmer weather, some of my most anticipated games are releasing in the next few months.

Solitude (Main Menu) - Tekken 7 (PS4, XBO, PC)

Supposedly, Tekken 7 is supposed to end all of the Mishima drama. Kind of a shame, really, but at least we see that Heihachi wasn't quite as bad as we thought. Tekken 7's soundtrack may be pretty loud in a lot of places but there are some good tracks in it. I find myself listening to Solitude, the game's main menu piece for a few minutes before jumping into battles. So peaceful.

The Last Dungeon (Version 2) - Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap (PS4, NS, XBO, PC)

You begin your quest in the Dragon's Trap in an area called The Last Dungeon (ironic, no?) with a ton of hearts. By the dungeon's end, your reduced to one heart and you're no longer a member of the dominate species. Once you gain "access" to a few new forms you can return to the now destroyed Last Dungeon. There are some goodies to be found. Also, the music is a bumpin' arrangement of the original tune.

Rock It - Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy (PS4)

When I first played Crash Bandicoot 2 ages ago, I blazed through it, beating the game in two days. I wasn't going for 100% completion, I was just trying to see the ending. Playing the game via the excellent N. Sane Trilogy, I'm amazed I beat the game as fast as I did so many moon ago. Even if you aren't trying to get everything, the game still has some fiendish levels. The controls of the jet pack are also just as terrible in the remake as they were in the original. At least the music in the jet pack stages is really dang good.

Conflict of Dragons - Breath of Fire III (PS)

Released in Japan in 1997, Breath of Fire III made it's stateside debut in the summer of 1998. When so many titles were going the polygonal route, Breath of Fire III stuck to 2D sprites with environments that could be viewed in a 360 angel. The bright, upbeat visuals contrast a story line that can get quite dark. This track plays during one of the most gut punching boss fights.

Mech Monster - Rage Racer (PS)

In the summer of 2001, I spent quite a bit of time with Rage Racer. Between upgrading my numerous cars, time trial and going for golds, I probably spent the most time with Rage Racer than any other game in the Ridge Racer series. I'd love for Bandai Namco to make another entry in the style of Rage Racer. Mech Monster isn't my favorite Rage Racer tune (that honor goes to Industria), but it certainly is fun to rock round the track to.

End Of The Summer - Sonic Runners (Mobile)

I know the blue hedgehog has been featured quite a bit in Favorite Tunes lately, but his music is pretty boss so I don't think people will mind too much. The effort that was put into Sonic Runners music is nothing short of astounding. Tomoya Ohtani, served up a console style Sonic soundtrack for a mobile Sonic game and I cannot thank the man enough for putting so much TLC into it. Sonic Runners is no longer available so do yourself a favor and listen to this soundtrack when you can.

Favorite Tunes Database