VGM Saturdays #287: Thanksgiving Was Not Cancelled

Saying that 2020 has been a rough year would be a huge understatement. A lot of usual events have had to be cancelled. Thankfully, one of my favorite holidays, Thanksgiving, was not one of them. Though it is been recommended that people don't gather in large groups as well as taking other precautions. I hope you're eating good and enjoying this four day weekend. Wash your hands, wear a mask and enjoy this week's selections.

The Champion Urbosa - Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (NSW)

The demo for Age of Calamity left me with some very good impressions of the music. Now that I've been playing the full game and have heard more, I am LOVING IT. I own the soundtrack to Breath of the Wild and if a soundtrack is released for this game, I will buy that sucker with the quickness. 

Platform Action - Turrican 3 (AMG)

I have no idea what the abbreviation for the Amiga is, so I decided to go with AMG. Get ready to hear more video game music from the Turrican series because I finally listened to the music from the first three AMG Turrican games and yeah, Chris Huelsbeck has the midas touch. 

Guile Stage [New Remix] - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (NSW)

I was really hoping we would get a remix for Chun's theme, but we did get the CPS-I and CPS-II versions of the original Street Fighter II jams, which is pretty aces. And we got this CPS-I inspired arrangement of a theme that goes with everything. And if Guile pops out of an Assist Trophy and you didn't summon him, please refrain from jumping.

Volcanic - Mischief Makers (N64)

"Shake, shake!" You smiled reading that didn't you? Wait, you didn't? You must be one of those uncultured swine that has never played Mischief Makers. Well, I don't blame you. This N64 Treasure title did get overlooked upon initial release and it has not seen a re-release in over 20 years. This is far from being the only bop in the soundtrack so if some more music from this game happens to pop up in your recommended section, don't hesitate to click.

Mathemabeat - Rage Racer (PS)

That first twenty seconds of this track may take some time to get used to. But once the 25 second mark hits, you'll be bouncing around like you're a club. 

Factory Action - Turrican Soundtrack Anthology, Vol. 3

I'm not anywhere near as well versed as other fans of Turrican but this track, is AWESOME. It was one the very first tracks from this series that I ever heard and I have loved it ever sense. It is full of action, adventure and is very upbeat, the later of which we could use so much more of these days. 

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Favorite Tunes #224: Industria

April is nearly outta here and crazy video game releases for May are almost upon us. Hopefully the April weather has treated you well because for us here in Virginia, it's been a bit of a mixed bag, hardly ever feeling like spring. For the last of April's Favorite Tunes, we've got music from one of my new favorite SHMUPs, Kirby's latest adventure and some Mega Man, but not the Blue Bomber you're expecting.

Airspace - Danmaku Unlimited 3 (PC, NS)

The Switch is loaded with SHMUPs so if you love that genre like me, you will not be disappointed. A PC release in 2017, Danmaku Unlimited 3 came to the Switch last month and it is well worth your time and money. This bullet hell shooter can be enjoyed by novice and vets alike and the rocking soundtrack by BLANKFIELD is nothing short of awesome.

INDUSTRIA (Remind Remix) - Rage Racer 20th Remix

In 2014, SuperSweep released a Ridge Racer 20th Anniversary Remix album, covering various games in the series, including Rage Racer. Last year, the same publisher rolled out a 20th anniversary album dedicated solely to Rage Racer. Of the many games in the Ridge Racer series, Rage Racer was the last one I expected to get super special treatment, but I love that game and the music from it, so I ain't complaining. The Industria is hands down my favorite track in that game and the this remix sounds pretty close to the original but has some subtle differences.

Digital Strider - Mega Man Battle Network 6: Cybeast Falzar (GBA)

The music of Mega Man Battle Network 6 was recently brought back to my attention thanks to +TEK's wonderful FM Arrangement Project. Central Town and Battle Field were always stand out tracks in my mind, but I'd forgotten just how good the rest of the soundtrack was. It certainly was a huge step up after Battle Network 4's disappointing soundtrack.

Title Screen - #Breakforcist (iOS, AND, NS)

Breakout may have been the father of blocking breaking, but Taito's Arkanoid, which added weapons and power ups to your paddle, really blew the doors off. Original an Android game, #Breakforcist made it's way to the Switch a few weeks ago under the title #Breakforcist Battle, allowing up to four players to battle to save breakfast. It's a pretty dang good Breakout clone with some funky beats.

Honey Hills (Forest Area) - Kirby Star Allies (NS)

I know Star Allies isn't the greatest Kirby game but calling it trash or saying it sucks is quite the stretch. I do think $60 is asking a bit too much, however. $40 would have been a more reasonable price point. Having said all that, even for the lofty standards of a Kirby game, the soundtrack to this one is absolutely amazing. From the new tracks to the arranged material, there is plenty here to leave you in awe.

Fossil Falls (8-bit) - Super Mario Odyssey (NS)

Selling 3 million copies in just a matter of days, Super Mario Odyssey is not only one of the best selling games on the Switch but the fast selling Super Mario game. The game is probably already in the double digits as of this post. I've already completed the game but I still fire it up to hunt for more moons, and hide balloons while I (im)patiently wait for Nintendo to give me my dang Frog Suit. Best 8-bit rendition of Odyssey's music? You betcha!

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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.

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Outstanding Openers Vol. 2

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.

Rage Racer (PS)

Bet you weren't expecting to see an opener from a racing game on here, were ya? Oh you were? Oh, well, never mind then. Ahem, released in 1997 on the PlayStation, Rage Racer was a radically departure from the first two Ridge Racer games. Your performance on the track determined how much cash you were awarded to buy new cars and upgrade them with more horse power. Rage Racer sports a slick FMV opening cinematic, showing off some of the game's tracks, cars, music numbers and even some of the announcers praise and snarky commentary.

Bomberman 64 (N64)

The opening demo gives you a glimpse of the worlds you'll be traveling through in Bomberman 64 as well as the adversaries you'll be facing. The actual opening shows that Altair and his crew, the bad guys of this game, don't screw around. Their first order of business when they invade Bomberman's world is blowing stuff up. Laser beams blast the planet as Bombermen scurry away for their lives, with a few of them being unsuccessful in their attempts to escape. White Bomberman arrives to see his world under siege and after some words from Sirius, he charges into battle. Gotta love it when cute games turn real dark, real quick.

Mega Man 4 (NES)

You'd think the origin story of the main character would be divulged in the first game. OK, well it was in the instruction manual, but, let's be real here, who actually didn't lose those? Kind-hearted, house hold robot Rock volunteers to stop Dr. Wily's mad ambitions, becoming the super fighting robot, Mega Man. As Mega Man prepares for his fourth adventure, we see one of the most badawesome train rides in the history of video games.

Sonic Unleashed (Multi)

This game opens with a bang. We see Sonic, single-handed taking on a swarm of Eggman's robots, and even taking on big cheese himself, outrunning machine gun fire and missiles. Just when Eggman gets a grip on our blue hero, Sonic goes super, breaking free and making short work of Eggman's latest toy in Super Sonic glory. Eggman flees and Sonic gives chase. Just as he has egghead cornered, the man with the 300 IQ springs his trap. Turns out this was all part of Eggman's plans to use the energy from the Chaos Emeralds to tear the planet apart and free Dark Gaia. As a side effect, this also turns Sonic into a Werehog at night that fans continue to bemoan to this very day. Still, a great opener!

Final Fantasy VIII (PS, PC)

How does one describe the intro to Final Fantasy VIII? In a word, whoa! In more words, a promise is made that won't become clear until you've advanced considerably further into the game and we see Squall and Seifer clash swords. Its only training but from the way these two are going about it, you can tell this is no mere sparing match. We get to see just how Squall got his scar and he promptly returns the favor to Seifer.

Favorite Tunes #79: Celebrate Good Times, Come On!

Well, here it is, the end of of 2013. It's a time of reflection, but mostly celebrations and of course, good music! Don't overdo it on the booze, be safe and happy new year!

Stardust Speedway "B" Mix JP - Sonic CD (SCD) 

By GagaMan

When you first saw Metal Sonic, he kidnapped Amy Rose, or in this case Rosey the Rascal since we're talking about the Japanese version of Sonic CD. When you encounter him a second time, you battle it out to see who is truly the fastest thing alive. It's race of flesh against metal. Annnnnd they roll out this dance beat. Turn it up, get down!

Soft Collision - Mighty Switch Force! 2 (3DSW, Wii U)

The first Mighty Switch Force! was a splendid puzzle/platform game with a distinctively retro inspired soundtrack. The sequel is has you shooting water instead of ammo and the puzzle mechanics are slightly different but it's still more of the same goodness we fell in love with before. Like the original game, the soundtrack is also very dance-centric.

Growing Wings - NiGHTS Journey of Dreams (Wii)

After years of waiting and please from fans, Sonic Team delivered on sequel to the cult classic Saturn game NiGHTS into dreams with NiGHTS Journey of dreams. And there was much whining and complaining. Some said it was too long, other said there was too much dialogue and the voice acting wasn't needed. The game wasn't perfect but it's far from being the terrible game some fans make it out to be. The soundtrack had plenty of arrangements of familiar themes from the original as well as fresh music.

Zero Stage 2 - Mega Man X5 (PS)

What was originally intended to be the final game of the Mega Man X series. Rather than have a dark and ominous theme for the final level, the game assaults your ears with this kicking rave theme that is begging to be played at parties. It's an unexpected theme to be sure, but it's certainly a welcomed one.

Bitter Dance - Star Ocean: Till the End of Time (PS2)

What would you think if I told you this was actually a battle theme? Done picking your jaw up off the floor yet? This is one video game tune that probably isn't gonna win any sort of serious awards. It really feels out of place, but you know what? I love the left field nature of this tune. I guess this is one of my guilty pleasure songs.

Replay 2 - Rage Racer (PS)

The first game to truly shake up the Ridge Racer series, Rage Racer featured even more exotic cars than the previous games and a much longer grand prix mode where you earned cash and could upgrade your cars. Some fans may have bemoaned this new approach that meant far more time was needed in order to see everything the game had to offer, but I personally feel the gamble payed off and we were given one of the more standout entries in the series.

Buggie Running Beeps 01 - Rez (DC, PS2)

I don't mean to sound like "one of those types" but remember when SEGA was constantly innovating and putting out new IPs left and right? These days it seems as if Sonic is all that's left of the company since he's the only character that gets his own full fledged games. Anyway, Rez was first released on the Dreamcast and later ported to the PS2. The DC version was exclusive to Japan with the PS2 version seeing an American and European release. Rez also saw a digital release in the form of Rez HD for the Xbox Live Arcade. Rez is a very unique rail shooter with an incredible electronic soundtrack.

Degeneracy (Stage 4 - Plant) - Battle Garegga (SAT, Arranged Ver.)

A hard as nails old-school shooter that was released for arcades in the late 1990s, Battle Battle Garegga received a Saturn port in Japan and one of the most distinct features from the arcade version was the option to switch to an arranged soundtrack. Definitely worth adding to your collection of Saturn import titles if you can find a copy.

Expander - Streets of Rage 2 (GEN)

Yuzo Koshiro wowed Genesis owners with his brilliant work on the original Streets of Rage. His Streets of Rage 2 compositions are arguably his best work on the Genesis trilogy, pushing the Genesis sound chip to levels that were unheard of at the time. Expander in particular still amazes me to this day.

End Credits - Mighty Switch Force! (3DSW, Wii U)

When the Mighty series began, composer Jake Kaufman created a catchy reoccurring tune that I've dubbed "The Mighty Theme" it has since been used in every Mighty game, including both Mighty Switch Force! titles. I suppose it was arranged twice in the first game since you can hear it in Caught Red Handed and the End Credits theme, which is easily a contender for one of the best staff roll themes of all-time. It's perfect for parties that are winding down, relaxing after work or just plain chilling.

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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.