Favorite Tunes #64: Random Waltz

Much as I love music, especially of the video game variety, I know very little about dancing, nor do I know even know how to actually dance. But thanks to the internet, even a scrub like me can do a quick search to find out that a waltz is something of a ballroom dance. Anyone that really knows their video game music can probably guess which game the title for this Favorite Tunes comes from before scrolling down.

8 AM - Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3DS)

Did you kick the Animal Crossing habit when you cast aside the City Folk for the Wii? Well Nintendo's got gamers across the world hooked once again with the latest edition to the hit life sim series. New Leaf treads familiar territory but brings new features to the table like being the mayor and more customization options than ever before, making it the best Animal Crossing game yet. Like past installments, a different tune plays every hour. It's rare that I'm playing the game at 8 AM but when I first started playing, I happened to be up at that hour so it was nice to be able to hear this song during gameplay.

Random Waltz - Final Fantasy Tactics (PS, PSP)

Have I mentioned how much I adore this game's soundtrack? It truly is a masterpiece and represents some of Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata's best compositions. Since you spend so much time fighting in RPGs, it was a very wise choice to toss in a plethora of battle themes and yes, Random Waltz is battle music. It may not be what comes to mind when you picture strategic combat, but I find it refreshing when battle themes stray from the norm.

Say Hello to Bogey - Custom Robo (GCN)

The number of Custom Robo titles released in the West can be counted on one hand. There's Custom Robo Arena on the DS and then there's Custom Robo for the GameCube, which marked the first time the series ever saw a release outside of Japan. True to the name, in Custom Robo, you customize your robot and then duke it out with other machines. It may sound simplistic, but it's actually quite fun. If you missed out on this one when it was originally released, I definitely recommend tracking down a copy.

Exothermic - Mighty Switch Force! 2 (3DSW)

The original Mighty Switch Force, released in December of 2011 was hailed as one of the best original eShop games. It combined solid action platforming with puzzle solving for a terrific old-school gaming experience. The soundtrack was also the bees knee. A year and half later, WayForward brought Patricia Wagon back into action but swapped out her police pistol for a fire hose. Mighty Switch Force! 2 plays very much like it's predecessor and while some may view that as a negative, in this case, more of the same is certainly not a bad thing. The game's music is pure, unbridled awesomesauce.

Burn My Dread - Shin Megami Tensai: Persona 3 (PS2, PSP)

The Persona titles have gained a reputation of being Atlus' best series. The PS2 had a ton of different RPGs, but if you were fortune enough to pick up Persona 3, you were treated to an experience unlike anything else in the genre. Speaking of unusual, Burn My Dread, the final boss battle theme is just that, but it's an excellent kind of unusual.

Slow on the Uptake - Gran Turismo 5 (PS3)

The licensed music is all fine and dandy and I certainly don't have any problem with hearing stuff from underground bands. But some of greatest sounds in the Gran Turismo games will always be the original music. I'm pretty sure I mentioned how much I enjoy some good jazz in video games and this song is about as good as it gets.

Innocent Girl - Snatcher (NEC PC-88)

Hey, Konami. I have an idea. Much as I enjoy the series, how about you lay off the Metal Gear collections for a while and give us Snatcher, SD Snatcher and Policenauts in one nice little package with some bonus content? Even in it's original sound format, Snatcher's music is a phenomenal score. The music has been arranged for music albums and on the Sega CD version, but the original version of Innocent Girl cannot be beat.

Desperate Fight - Knights of the Round (SNES)

I usually champion Final Fight as my favorite Capcom beat 'em up but the company has made a dozen of them and some of the other greats actually slip my mind some times. Knights of the Round was a three player arcade game originally released in 1991. When it was ported over to the SNES, three player mode was scaled back to two players. Like many ports, the music also rings different from the arcade version, but given the SNES' amazing audio capabilities, that isn't a strike against the game.

Feldschlacht III - SaGa Frontier 2 (PS)

He may be well known today in the video game music circles thanks to Final Fantasy XIII, but even in the late 1990s, Masahi Hamauzu was still making waves. SaGa Frontier 2 has a copious amount of battle themes, all of which are extraordinary. As I mentioned with Final Fantasy Tactics above, a great deal of your time in RPGS is spent in battle. To keep things from growing stale, SaGa 2 has numerous battle tracks and not just various boss themes. The normal battle music changes over time with a total of four different battle themes, each containing an arrangement of SaGa 2's main theme. The above track name is Field Battle III for those that don't speak German.

The Boy's Got Wings - Ys III: Wanders from Ys (PCE)

Falcom makes some of the very best music in video games. I honestly cannot believe I've gone this long without mentioning a single Falcom game here in Favorite Tunes because even their early games have unfathomably high production values. The PC Engine version of Ys III brought with it CD quality sound, making what was already some of Falcom's greatest works even better.

Favorite Tunes Database

Favorite Tunes #19: Racing Themes

There's something oh-so satisfying about driving at high speeds, throwing your car around a sharp turn and leaving your opponents in the dust. Be it cart racing, arcade style racing or simulation, the racing genre offers plenty of fun for gamers seeking high speed thrills. Some excellent tunage to go along with the race certainly doesn't hurt.

Take It! - Auto Modellista (PS2, GCN, XB)

New IPs from Capcom seem to be rare these days but in the PS2 era they were all over the place. One such new franchise was Auto Modellista, a cell-shaded PS2 racing game that was later ported to the GameCube and then Xbox. Despite the game's stylish visuals, it received mixed reviews due to poor handling controls and bombed at retail. The game's soundtrack had some noteworthy songs thanks to Isao Abe and Tetsuya Shibata.

Industria - Rage Racer (PSone)

Rage Racer was much different from Ridge Racer and Ridge Racer Revolution that came before it. The Grand Prix mode was far more in depth, letting you earn money to upgrade your cars and even customize them. It was a pretty ambitiousness game and a major step up for the series. I remember investing a lot of time into Rage Racer in the summer of 2001. Like the first two Ridge Racers, it had some memorable tunes. I think I listened to Industria on more races than anything else.

Splash Wave Euro Remix - OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast (PS2, XB, PSP)

One of my favorite racing games and my favorite OutRun title, this updated version of OutRun 2 has a lot to offer. There's a ton of cars to purchase, lots of different routes to take as you drive through the country, and plethora of different OutRun songs from nearly every game in the series, including original songs and remixes.  This remix of Splash Wave is probably my favorite version of the song, yes, even over the original.

ESCAPE ~Cavern Course~ - Mega Man Battle & Chase (PSone) 

Mega Man Battle & Chase was all set to release in the USA. There were even ads for it in magazines. Yet for reasons, unknown, Sony brought down the axe and the game wouldn't see American shores until the release of the Mega Man X Collection on the PS2 and GCN. The game could be unlocked upon completion of the first three Mega Man X titles. Battle & Chase is a Mario Kart knock off but managed to stand out from the pack by letting you steal car parts from defeated racers to add them to your own ride. The music was also fantastic, featuring completely original themes. This game is also the source of Roll's Theme song Wind, Cary My Words.

King of Island - Sega Rally 2 (ARC, DC)

One of the first games I bought for my Dreacmast. I wasn't very good at it, but I enjoyed playing it, nonetheless. There's a lot of sensational music in Sega Rally 2 like Euro Fight, Night Groovin', Searchin' For My Dreams, and of course, King of Island.

Monkey Race 2 Expert Track - Super Monkey Ball 2 (GCN)

The Super Monkey Ball games may have dipped in quality, but I'll always have fond memories of the first two. OK, so the trials those games put me through made me wanna throw my GameCube out the window at times, but they were still some sweet games. Known for their quick paced arcade style gameplay, the Super Monkey Ball titles are also famous for featuring some of the most entertaining mini games in gaming history. Seriously, many of these games are so good that they can entertain you long after you complete the single player modes, if you ever do, that is. The first two Super Monkey Ball gamers were later released for PS2 and Xbox under Super Monkey Ball Deluxe.

Sky Garden - Mario Kart: Super Circuit (GBA)

When I first purchased my Game Boy Advance in the winter of 2002, Mario Kart Super Circuit was the first game I purchased for the system. Sadly, I no longer have it in my collection but I have a ton of fond memories of this game like shaving seconds off my time in Sky Garden. Not only did I love the design of this track, but the background music it carried quickly became my favorite track from the game. This course was one of the reused tracks for Mario Kart DS.

Strike Breaker - Gran Turismo 3: A-spec (PS2)

The Gran Turismo franchise is often praised for it's simulation racing physics and abundance of real life licensed automobiles. GT3 was a true showcase for what the PS2 could do on a visual level. Even today, the game still looks just as good as it did when it originally released. GT games usually have a lot of licensed music from some well known and underground bands, but there's also some original music crafted specifically for the games, such as the headbanging Strike Breaker.

Eight Guitars - F-Zero GX (GCN)

One of the most stunning-looking games for the GameCube, F-Zero GX is also the hardest game in the series. Few people (very few) have completed Story mode. Grand prix mode isn't as difficult, but unlocking everything without cheats approaches Battletoads levels of frustration. And for all that, I still love this game. There were some remixes and they were great but I really enjoyed the new music that was provided. Eight Guitars plays when you race on Sand Ocean.

Milky Lake - Wave Race 64 (N64)

The realistic water physics in Wave Race 64 still manage to impress. It says something when one of the earliest games for a system is still considered one of the best. Even at a mere four machines to select from, Wave Race 64 still manages to be a superb racing, probably the best water-based racing title in existence. Milky Lake was a more calming race course and so was the music. I absolutely love the flute in this song.