Outstanding Openers Vol. 3

Not every game immediately thrusts you into the gameplay. While its common place to have some kind of introduction scene in games these days, even before the HD era, we had games that took a bit of time to provide some plot before placing you in control. Outstanding Openers centers around intros that managed to grab my attention, make my jaw drop or say, "Wow, that was neat." Just click on the title of the game to see the opening unfold.

Super Street Fighter II (ARC)

Flames are like the word "Super" add it to the front of something and it just sounds a whole lot cooler. While I do feel the best of the Street Fighter II games is Street Fighter II': Hyper Fighting, I must give credit where credit is due, SSFII introduced new moves, four new characters and one of the most badawesome intros in a fighting game. The poster boy of the Street Fighter series, Ryu is looking like a total boss as the screen flashes. He charges up a Hadoken that is followed up by literally an electrifying title drop. I still get hyped watching this brief opener.

Super Metroid (SNES)

Did you miss out on the previous two Metroid entries? Don't sweat it. Super Metroid fills you in on the story elements of the last two games, bringing you up to speed on how we arrived to the point we are in Super Metroid. Samus would have saved herself a world of trouble if she had killed that last baby Metroid in Metroid II. But that same Metroid ends up saving Samus' life not once, but twice over. This opener isn't really action packed, but is more text heavy and story driven. The plot of Super Metroid isn't overly complicated but seeing as how some games have stories that get too convoluted for their own good, I really like the simplicity of this one.

Mega Man 8 (PS, SAT)

Mega Man seems to be popping up a lot in this series, doesn't he? What can I say, the blue robot really knows how to hook me with his intros. Mega Man 8 opens up with a high octane anime cutscene showcasing Mega Man taking on Robot Masters from the first seven Mega Man games. We'd have killed for a Mega Man anime series like this. That is, until Mega Man opened his mouth. Thankfully, we're spared actually voice work in this flash first opening sequence. In the second one that gives us some of the plot, we're not so lucky.

Tekken 2 (PS)

The first Tekken game I ever played and the one that really got me take notice of the series and the boom of 3D fighters. Everyone has their reasons for entering the tournament in Tekken 2. King needs to get out of his drunken slump, Michelle seeks her mother's kidnapper. Heihachi is seriously peeved at his son Kazuya for dropping him off a cliff and wants revenge, This intro is exclusive to the PlayStation version of Tekken 2. This won't be the last time the Tekken games pop up in this feature.

Parasite Eve (PS)

Billed as "the cinematic RPG", Parasite Eve is loaded with cut scenes across this three disc Resident Evil meets RPG title. The opening is one that uses different scenes from the game all rolled into a spiffy intro to get you jazzed up to play the game, Throw in a sweet music number by Yoko Shimomura and consider my attention got.

Favorite Tunes #51: Like a Boss

Another day, another edition of Favorite Tunes and this time it's boss themes. I could easily go beyond the usual 10 for something like this, but since I already did that for Favorite Tunes #50, I'll just stick with the usual number. Enjoy!

CHAOS ver. 6 - Sonic Adventure (DC, GCN)

Sonic meets Chaos at the very start of his quest. As Sonic and Tails collect Chaos Emeralds, Dr. Robotnik, thanks to the duo's cut scene incompetence, acquires all of the hero's emeralds and feeds them to Chaos. With each Chaos Emerald gets, Chaos grows stronger. Chaos ver. 6, at this point has 6 Chaos Emeralds and you'd think the fight with the creature would be incredibly tough but in truth, he shatters like glass. Even so, the boss theme for this fight is one of the sickest boss beats in a Sonic game. Do I hear some Mission Impossible in this theme? 

M. Bison Theme - Super Street Fighter IV - (PS3, 360, 3DS)

Some players encountered their first SNK Boss in an SNK game. For me, it was Street Fighter II. I can't count how many loses this guy handed me. He wasn't the boss of the Street Fighter IV series but he did make a return and thanks to voice of Gerald C. Rivers, he seems more intimidating than ever.

Shudder -Against a Large Enemy Type 1- - Einhänder (PS)

Before there was Square Enix there was just Square and Enix. 1998 saw a large number of releases from Square, and many of those games weren't Final Fantasy titles. Einhänder is a fondly remembered shooter from the PS era that allowed the player to choose which type of ship or different Einhänder models they wish to pilot. The 2.5D gameplay and visuals made for some pretty impressive stuff as did the soundtrack. The voice samples in Shudder actually contains an F-bomb but the raping is done so fast that not everyone picks up on it in the first listen. That and I image most players are trying to stay alive since this game has some pretty ruthless bosses.

K.O.! The Strongest Foe - Bangai-O (DC)

Bangai-O was first released on the N64 but had a limited print run of only 10,000 copies. Not only that, the N64 version was only released in Japan, which makes it one of the toughest N64 carts to obtain. The Dreamcast version saw a worldwide release, making it the best option to play the original Bangai-O. Being a game developed by Treasure, it has that unique charm and innovation that are associated with nearly all of it's games. It can also get pretty difficult as I got stuck after passing only the first few levels. Regardless of the steep challenge, it's a fantastic mech shooter with a memorable number of upbeat themes. K.O.! The Stongtest Foe is the final boss tune so it's naturally more serious than other tracks.

Burn Yourself - Dodonpachi DAI-OU-JOU (ARC, PS2, 360)

Yet another shooter by Cave with a score by Manabu Namiki and a game that I've never played. This is the fourth game in the DonPachi series and I'd considered importing the PS2 version but I've never been able to find a copy. Namiki sans composes incredible music and I absolutely love his titles for boss tracks. Seriously, you can't anymore menacing than a name like Burn Yourself.

Moskito - Rayman (JAG, PS, SAT, PC)

I was rather surprised to discover that Rayman Origins, one of the best platformers in the current generation of gaming had heavy dose of Nintendo Hard. If the game ketp track of all the lives lost, I can imagine my death toll would be insanely high. The original Rayman was no walk down the street and is by far the tougher game. But even intermediate level players should be able to make it to Moskito and hear his rocking theme.

Battle with the Boss - Kirby Super Star (SNES, DS)

My second favorite Kirby game, Kirby Super Star's eight mini games offer so much to do that's almost not fair to call them mini games. Collecting all the treasures in The Great Cave Offensive can take hours and as can finding all the Copy Abilties in Milky Way Wishes. I've never completed this game 100% though I've come awfully close.

Femmes Fatales - Parasite Eve (PS)

Opera in your boss battles? Eh, sure, why not? Although if you went to the opera and the entire audience around your burst into flames, you might be scared off from ever going to an opera for the rest of the life. But Aya Bre doesn't let this faze her (too much) In fact, after everything she's been through in the game, she's seen at the opera during the game's finale.

Dr. Wily Stage Boss - Mega Man 7 (SNES)

"The sprites are too big! The music isn't as good as the 8-bit games!" Meh, to all of that noise. I  still love Mega Man 7. We got Bass, Treble, a memorable (if not controversial) ending and in my humble opinion, a great set of tunes. I still say this is one of the better Wily Stag Boss themes. Come on, Capcom, how about a Virtual Console release?

Andross - Star Fox (SNES)

After a short (but very dangerous) trek through the Lylat System, you come Arwing to face with Andross. Yes, the big bad threatening the galaxy with a genius intellect is a primape. Said monkey tries to inhale you and shoots polygonal rectangles your way. It's quite the gripping fight and one that still makes me sweat even today.

Favorite Tunes Database

Favorite Tunes #49: Opening & Title Theme Edition

Title themes and opening music is the theme for this Favorite Tunes. When was the last time these themes took center stage in Favorite Tunes? Why, it was when I first started this feature 48 entries ago. So yeah, I'd say these babies are do for some more spotlight time.

Primal Eyes - Parasite Eve (PS)

I don't mean to sound like one of those old codgers that believes Square and Enix were better back in the day, but I have to admit, Square Enix is not what it used to be. These days it seems like the company does nothing but milk the Final Fantasy brand for all it's worth. There was a time when the company was far more experimental. In 1998 alone we saw the release of Final Fantasy Tactics, SaGa Frontier, Xenogears, Bushido Blade 2, Brave Fencer Musashi, Ehrgeiz and Parasite Eve. Parasire Eve added a dash of Resident Evil to the Action/RPG mix but was thankfully easier to control and was generous with ammo.

Happy Adventure, Delightful Adventure - Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (SNES)

Before Square jumped the Nintendo ship and swam over to Sony shores, they gave the SNES one last RPG hurrah in the form of Super Mario RPG. While having plenty of RPG elements, it still felt like a Mario game and could be enjoyed by RPG enthusiasts or those that have never touched a game in the genre. I believe this is the first game in which Bowerse (begrudgingly) teamed up with Mario. The intro song that shows many of the attacks your party can use is more than three minutes long. It sounds cheerful at first but it turns dark towards the end.

"Metal Gear Solid Main" Theme - Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2, XB)

The Main Theme of the Metal Gear Solid series has been in the series since the first entry in 1998, but I honestly don't think it has sounded better than it does in Metal Gear Solid 2. Originally composed by Tappy Iwase, film music composer Harry Gregson-Williams arranged the famous theme and would be a key music writer for future Metal Gear Solid titles. The pre-game opening cut scene is still astonishing to watch largely do to the arranged piece of music attached to it.

Title - Astro Boy: Omega Factor (GBA)

Osamu Tezuka has created plenty of characters throughout his works, but his most famous one is none other than Astro Boy. He's had a handful of video games but the only one worth playing is the GBA's excellent Astro Boy: Omega Factor. If you've seen the 1980s Astro Boy anime series then the title theme may sound familiar to you. It's an arrangement of that theme, complete with lyrics on the screen for you to sing along to.

Title Theme - Super Mario 64 (N64, DS)

The most recognizable piece of video game music was turned into a title theme for Mario's first 3D adventure. Have you ever wanted to play with Mario's face? Well by messing around with the buttons, you can make the cursor pull Mario's facial features every which way, hold them in place and restore them to normal at the time of your choosing. It's a wonderful diversion that became the mini game known as Face Lift in the first Mario Party.

Title - Animal Crossing: City Folk (Wii)

City Folk is essential a spruced up console version of the DS' Animal Crossing: Wild Wold. The big difference is that City Folk has a city you can go to, which contains an auction house for you to bid on items, and a salon that offers varying hairstyles among other places to visit. But just like real life, the city's stores all close at night, meaning you'll have to do your shopping and such during the daylight hours. Animal Crossing is one of my favorite "chill" games. No mad doctor plots to stop, no princess to save and no level grinding. Somehow, the most mundane of activities are super fun in this series.

Opening - Mega Man 8 (PS, SAT)

Electrical Communications is quite good. But I'm gonna have to be "that guy" and say I like the American version of Mega Man 8's electric guitar ending a lot better. My 16 year old mind was blown because it was the first time I'd seen Mega Man in anime form. I still watch the opening movie every single time I play Mega Man 8.

The Edge of Soul - Soul Blade (PS)

Namco sure knew how to do some solid ports back in the day. All three Tekken titles were given some sweet extras, my favorite being arranged soundtracks. Soul Edge was given the same treatment, allowing you to play with the arcade version's score, the PlayStation arranged music, or an orchestrated version of the arcade soundtrack. That's three different scores to choose from! Somehow, I always ended up gravitating towards the PS music in Namco's ports.

Black Winter Night Sky - Tekken 2 (PS)

Ported to the PlayStation in 1996, Tekken 2 was yet another reason gamers flocked to Sony's shiny gray system. Along with some extra characters and arranged music, a new attract movie was added and you can see some of the character's motivations for entering the tournament, like Heihachi wanting revenge on his son for tossing him off that cliff in the first game and Michelle's kidnapped mother.

Title Theme - WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! (GBA)

What would you do if you had a ton of mini games and only five seconds to complete each one? You could panic, but thankfully, the mini games in WarioWare, Inc. are extremely easy to play with simple controls. It's the combination of randomness and weirdness that make WarioWare such a hoot. One minute you're sniffing snot up some girl's nose, the next you're jumping over a hot dog that's out to make you roadkill. For me, this first entry in the WarioWare series is still the best.

Favorite Tunes Database

Favorite Tunes #27: Square Enix Edition

Once two separate companies, Square and Enix merged to form Square Enix in 2003. This company is widely known for the Final Fantasy series, but I'm not going to feature any music from that series in this installment of Favorite Tunes (I'll be doing that later). Other RPGs are gonna get their chance to shine.

NOTE: Games before the merger have also been included.

War in China - Live-A-Live (SFC)

Released only in Japan, Live-A-Live let's players choose from seven different characters each with their own story. The game's soundtrack was handled by the very talented Yoko Shimomura. This splendid track that was used for Wood Man's background music in the Mega Man ROM hack Rockman Deus Ex Machina. I've never played Live-A-Live, but if you're interested, there is a fan translated version on the net.

Unknown World - Dragon Quest I & II (SFC)

The first two Dragon Quest games were released on a compilation cartridge on the Super Famicom in Japan during the console's head day. In 2000, these two games were once again bundled together as Dragon Quest I & II for the Game Boy. Unknown World is the World Map theme that plays on your journey. In the very first Dragon Quest game, you are all alone, no party members to assist you. This theme is the perfect representation of a lonely warrior's quest. I quite like the extras melodies that were added to the SFC version of this tune.

Feldschlacht I - SaGa Frontier 2 (PS)

Kenji Ito wrote the music for the first SaGa Frontier, but for SaGa Frontier 2, the composing duties were handed to Masahi Hamauzu, a man that is closely associated with the Final Fantasy series these days. I can't recall too much about SaGa 2, but Hamaizu's work on the score was sensational. Feldschlacht I is the first of numerous battle themes and it gets arranged through numerous tracks. All of the soundtrack titles are in German. Feldschlacht roughly translates to Field Battle.

Pure Night - Secret of Mana (SNES)

This game is actually the sequel to Final Fantasy Adventure on the Game Boy, which is actually called Seiken Densetsu. While that does make Secret of Man Seiken Densetsu 2, most of us that don't live in Japan just call it Secret of Mana. There's a ton of breath taking music in Secret of Mana, but Pure Night is one of the few tracks that leaves you awe-struck. It's so hauntingly beautiful.

Bike Race - Chrono Trigger (SNES)

Most of Chrono Trigger's music was written by Yasunori Matsuda, but when he got sick, famed Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu stepped in to finish up. Matsuda tends to have the stronger tracks in Chrono Trigger, but Uematsu composed a very lively song in the form of Bike Race. This song plays in the year 3000 AD in the race against Johnny C. Bad, but you can hear it much sooner in the year 1000 A.D. by just exploring some houses and talking to people.

Field of Exper - Star Ocean: The Second Story (PS, PSP)

Beginning life on the Super Famicom, the Star Ocean series made it's way to the PlayStation and eventually the PlayStation 2 and then the PS3 and Xbox 360. Unfortunately, it looks like Star Ocean 4 will be the last Star Ocean game. Star Ocean music is generally handled by Motoi Sakuraba and he is to the Star Ocean series what Nobuo Uematsu is to the Final Fantasy series. Field of Exper plays on the world map and does a great job of making the world set before you seem endlessly vast. Second Story was ported over to the PSP under the name Star Ocean: Second Evolution.

Influence of Deep - Parasite Eve (PS)

Nobuo Uematsu gave me a reason to stop dissing opera in Final Fantasy VI and a few years later, Yoko Shimomura gave me even more reasons to stop mocking it. The beginning of the course has a lady belting out a few notes, which might lead you to believe that's all you're in for, but the song quickly shifts gears into a fast paced battle theme while the opera singing continues throughout. The first of many great battle themes in Parasite Eve.

Twin Mountains - Brave Fencer Musashi (PS)

Released in 1998, Brave Fencer Musashi, was one of Square's better attempts at doing something different. This action RPG had day and night cycles and if Musashi went too long without rest, he'd get tired and performer poorly in battle. This game really was a gem and to this day, I kick myself for trading it in.

Night of Fate - Kingdom Hearts (PS2)

Final Fantasy meets Disney could describe Kingdom Hearts in a nutshell. OK, so there's probably much more to it than that, but the only game in this series that I've finished is Chain of Memories of the GBA. This action RPG series takes original characters and has the meet up with Final Fantasy cast members and classic Disney characters. With music by Yoko Shimomura, you know your ears will be pleased.

Attack - Front Mission 3 (PS)

Front Mission 3 was the first Front Mission game to see a release outside of Japan and rather than just call it Front Mission and go the route they went with earlier Final Fantasy titles, Square kept the original numbering. When all was said and done, I invested over 70 hours into this mech turn based RPG and that was only playing one out of the two scenarios. How you answer a simple question at the start of the game will determine the path you follow. It's been more than ten years since I played Front Mission 3. Maybe I'm due for a visit.

Favorite Tunes #8: Town Themes

This installment of Favorite Tunes covers town themes. There's something special about entering a town or a city and be greeted with its theme music. The bulk of town themes tend to be on the calm and cheerful side. But every now and then you'll get a highly energetic melody or a melancholy song to reflect the downbeat nature of the happenings in the town. Whatever the case may be, there's just an undeniable awesomeness to these themes that make exploring towns in RPGs such a treat.

Concert Hall - Opoona (Wii)

Never played Opoona? Neither have I. However, I have had the pleasure of hear it's amazing soundtrack, which boasts contributors such as Manabu Namiki, Hitoshi Sakimoto, and Masahru Iwata to name a few. I would call Concert Hall a stunning piece of music, but that wouldn't even come close to doing it justice. Beautiful, heartfelt, moving, peaceful; there really aren't enough words to describe how much this particular track touches my soul. Make no mistake, the entire Opoona score is grand, but Concert Hall is video game music perfection.

Rogueport - Papere Mario: The Thousand Year Door (GCN)

As a huge fan of Mario, I've played nearly all of his games. I finished Paper Mario years ago and I bought Super Paper Mario late in 2011. This one I've never played because I do not own it. But after hearing this theme, I really want to check this game out and see what Rogueport is all about. What kinda town is it? Is it as lively as this track suggests? I must know!

Welcome to Station Square - Sonic Adventure (DC, GCN)

Sonic Adventure wasn't perfect but it was far from being a bad Sonic game. Generally viewed as the first of the 3D Sonic titles (Sonic Jam, a compilation Sonic title for the Saturn sported a 3D world that you could move Sonic in), this one still has some of my favorite music from a Sonic game. Since you begin the game in Station Square and make frequent trips here, this is a song that you'll quickly become familiar with. With all the people wandering around, the train that departs to the Mystic Ruins, and be located right on a coast, Station Square is a very hustle and bustle city.

South Cape - Illusion of Gaia (SNES)

1996 was a great year in gaming for me. Super Mario RPG, Super Mario 64, and a few games I missed playing upon original release like Illusion of Gaia. Developed by Enix, this action RPG was unique in that it let the hero, Will, who already gets awesome points for being telekinetic and using a flute to fight, take more powerful forms by transforming. Like a lot of SNES RPGs, the game had a memorable musical score, staring out in Will's hometown, South Cape. The seagulls in the background add a great deal to this calming piece of music.

Town - Lufia & The Fortress of Doom (SNES)

The SNES had some fantastic RPGs and not all of them were made by Square and Enix. Taito also got in on the act from time to time. The first in the Lufia series has one of the biggest bombshell reveals towards the game's climax. The soundtrack,  is an excellent reminder of why I love SNES music. Fans of this series argue that this game has superior music to it's sequel, which is actually a prequel to this game. Lufia's first town theme is very quaint and homey, which works just fine for me.

Village of the Elw - Wild Arms (PSX)

One of the first RPGs for the PSX, Wirld Arms wasn't a bad way to pass the time before a steady flow of the genre began to rain down on gamers. By the time you hear this tune, some pretty tragic events have occurred so it's fitting that this theme isn't so perky like the last few towns you've visited up to this point. Or course, it's not really sad either. It's more of a mysterious-sounding tune over anything.

Matrix - Parasite Eve (PSX)

Would you believe there was a time when Square released RPGs that weren't just Final Fantasy games? Parasite Eve combined RPG and Resident Evil elements to create a unique take on the genre. With it's intriguing story and magnificent score by famed composer Yoko Shimomura, it isn't hard to see why Parasite Eve attained the cult status that it did. Matrix is actually a theme that plays when you're going through Chinatown sounds like a sort of industrial, techno theme. Very cool.

Baccarat - SaGa Frontier (PSX)

A long running RPG series, the SaGa games were first introduced on American shores on the Game Boy in the form of the Final Fantasy Legend series. SaGa Frontier marked the first time the franchise was released outside of Japan under it's original SaGa name. Kenji Ito is to the Saga games what Nobuo Uematsu is to the Final Fantasy games. The man has struck gold since day and one and his work on the Saga titles (a series that can be quite difficult) has been masterful across all platforms. Baccarat makes you feel like you're in a huge city at night with bright lights all around. Or at a casino, rolling the dice hoping you'll get lucky. I've never been to Las Vegas but I firmly believe this tune should be that city's anthem.