Thank You, Sakurai

Sora is the last character to be added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, bringing an end to the added content to a game that launched on day one with a plethora of characters. Seeing Mario and Sora shake hands with the entirety of Ultimate's roster present was quite the image. Fans that have been dying to have Sora in Smash finally got their wish. As great a day as October 5th was, it also marked the end of an truly magnificent era.

Hard to believe it has been a little over 3 years since Ultimate was announced. That fire version of the Smash symbol was a great throwback to how Ultimate all began. Every now and then, I'll watch reactions to Nintendo's E3 2018 Smash Ultimate presentation. Revisiting the genuine excitement and hype from the "Everyone is Here!" trailer will never fail to amaze me. Not only do I feed off other people's joy when I see their reactions, but the trailer itself is just so dang good. 

Not only has Ultimate taken us for a wild ride, but Smash as a series has been insane. 

With Smash being the behemoth that it is, it can be easy to forget that Smash started out as a side project with a small budget. Smash has gone from a series about Nintendo characters pummeling each other to this massive celebration of video game characters. Brawl ushered in the addition of third party characters with Snake and Sonic. Smash Wii U/3DS opened the floodgates with Cloud and Bayonetta. You've seen people lose their minds when Sora was revealed a few days ago. I had that very same energy when Mega Man was revealed for Smash in 2013. I grew up playing and loving his games so while Sora wasn't a character I initially wanted, I am very happy for those that love Kingdom Hearts because I know exactly how they felt.  

Maximillan Dood said some time ago that we are living in the golden age of Super Smash Bros. with Ultimate and yeah, he's right. When you stop and think about it, Ultimate is a game that really should not exist. Getting Nintendo characters back in the game was probably easy but all those third party reps? The deals worked out to be them in had to be freaking insane, not to mention the licensing fees. There will probably never been another Smash game as ambitious as Ultimate. How do you top something like this? If I were Sakurai, when closing up the Sora presentation, I would have strapped on a jet back and blasted off into retirement. Real talk, those never ask me for anything ever again memes are the freaking truth. After this game, we really can't ask him for jack. Man is an absolute legend. If Ultimate is the last Smash game he'll have worked on, so be it. He'll have left the series on the highest of high notes.

It has been said so many times already but we really cannot say it enough. For everything you have done, for all the time you've dedicated to making Super Smash Bros. Ultimate this spectacular game that it is, thank you, thank you, thank you so very much, Masahiro Sakurai. You and you team have thrown so much passion into this game and for that. It has been an incredible journey and I am so happy I was able to take it.

Am I sad the book on Ultimate is closing? Of course I am. But Sakurai and his team deserve a long break. As the saying goes, don't cry because it's over. Be happy that it happened. 

#ThankYouSakurai

Sora is Finally Here!

Today was the day. Masahiro Sakurai had me wake up just before 10 AM for the reveal for the final character for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. As I watched the reveal trailer, marveling at the production values (seriously, these Ultimate trailers have been so on point), I wondered who it could be. And it turned out to be Sora from Kingdom Hearts.

Gotta be honest, I initially was disappointed in Sora being the final character. But happiness can be quite the viral emotion and seeing so many people beaming over Sora making it into Smash, I was quickly won over. Seriously, all you Kingdom Hearts/Sora fans know how to quickly bring a guy out of his funk. And your tears of joy are truly crowning moments of heartwarming.

I honestly didn't think Sora would EVER make it into the game. After all, Walt Disney, AKA, The Mouse has a stake in the ownership of the character. Getting him into Smash had to be a real legal nightmare and I shudder just thinking of everything Sakurai, his team, Nintendo and Square Enix had to go through to make this happen. Most people would rather have several root canals while bathing in acid than dealing with anything copyright related to The Mouse.

Like so many characters, Sora looks insanely clean in this game. True to his games, he kinda bounces around in his idle animation and he's quite the floaty boy. He also comes with quite the DLC privilege. What is DLC privilege, you? Why, it's all the good stuff that DLC characters get that base game characters don't get. Sepiroth's stupidly long sword can kill you through the stage, Kazuya has some super armor and several shield breaking moves, Terry has GO! meter at 100%, you get the idea. Sora has crazy high jumps, he can combo you to the blast zone, kill you and still return to the stage, and he's got fire, ice and thunder magic. 

Those alternate costumes though! Seriously, I think I am loving those alts better than his OG outfit! Call it blasphemy, but I think his Kingdom Hearts II alt trumps his original. That black just looks so dang sleek. But the one I will probably use the most is the Timeless River alt. Man, the effort that had to go into that one. Yeah, all those alts look amazing but Timeless River is gonna be my main Sora pick, much like how I always go Enderman when using Steve. 

Sora was a really good character to end Ultimate's huge roster on and I say that as someone who is not a Kingdom Hearts fan. He the most request character and all odds, Sora is here and he looks really freaking good. October 18th is gonna be lit.

Oh and I am totally getting that Doom Guy Mii Gunner costume and teaming up with Isabelle. I ain't even mad at all at that costume.

Kazuya Has Landed in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Image via Event Hubs

We saw Masahiro Sakurai demonstrate the intricate workings of Kazuya on Monday and I ain't gonna lie, I'm kinda shook. I'm not saying Kazuya is unstoppable, but the dude has so much good stuff going for him. And now he's available so we've been seeing for ourselves just how good he is.

Kazuya very much feels like a Tekken character. One of the most remarkable things Sakurai and his team have done throughout the Smash games is make characters feel faithful to the games they've come from. Having said that, it feels so weird to play as Kazuya in Ultimate. Like, his moves and the way he feels is freaking amazing but then I pause and think, "Man, is this really real?" I'm overjoyed that our Tekken rep is Kazuya but I guess I'm still reeling over the fact that this actually became a thing.

So many of his moves can kill. Even if you are at 60 or 70%, I would not relax around Kazuya. I'm not sure if I'd call him noob friendly. Despite being a casual fighting game fan, I have been playing the Tekken games since Tekken 2 and while I think some new players will certainly get some wins, he's gonna take some serious skill to use effectively. Forget the day one combos. I wanna see what invested players come up with in a few weeks/months down the line. 

You might wanna be careful shielding around Kazuya. Man has a couple of moves that are straight "Nah, son!" and a few are shield breaks. I already feel for Jiggleypuff mains. Pretty sure Hungrybox died a little when I saw those RIP shield moves.

When I hear some of the tracks being used during the Mr. Sakurai Presents "Kazuya" demo, I was getting excited. I am hype beyond hype that Moonlit Wilderness made it in. That track is a huge fan favorite and deserves all the love it gets. But when I saw that the song total for Kazuya was 39, my jaw dropped. I was expecting maybe 18 to 25 tracks. But 39? That places Kazuya as the second highest with songs from a third party series right behind Terry. 

There are 8 new arrangements and 32 original songs spread across almost the entire Tekken series. Even spin off titles like Tekken Tag Tournament and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 got song picks. Two tracks I did not expect to see are Opening Movie from Tekken Tag Tournament and Poolside from Tekken 5. Both of those rank pretty high on my list of Tekken jams so I'm stoked that they made it in.

Am I a bit miffed by the song list? Only a little. I would have loved for Eddy Stage and Nina from Tekken Tag Tournament to be among the tracks. Dragon's Nest is another one I wanted. But really, it's hard for me to stay sour. I mean, 39 songs, eight of them arrangements and a killer selection. Even if you aren't excited for Kazuya, you should get him anyway just to add these tracks to the game. And if you've never heard anything of Tekken music outside of what's in Smash, check out Bandai Namco's official Tekken soundtracks on YouTube. They are SO good.

No yeeting a losing opponent into a volcano/off a cliff as one of Kazuya's victory screens along with that smirk? Man, that is one seriously missed opportunity. 

Kazuya Comes to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to Yeet Cast into Volcano

Nintendo had their E3 presentation this week, via Nintendo Direct on Tuesday. As I suspected, they kicked things off with a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate character reveal. And since Masahiro Sakurai clearly wrote the script for this reveal, the trailer opened up with the death of a character, in this case, Gannondorf. Yes, the king of evil was chucked into a volcano by none other than Kazuya Mishima from the TEKKEN series. 

Looking at the third party reps we've gotten thus far, I didn't think a TEKKEN rep was out of the realm of possibilities. Sakurai did say in the past that he didn't think adding a TEKKEN character would be possible but I didn't hear of this until after Kazuya was revealed. But given the fighters in TEKKEN, if we were to get a rep from this series, my money was on two brawlers, Heihachi or Kazuya. Really, these two were the only logical choices to represent the series in Ultimate.

I'm not a die hard TEKKEN head but even as a casual fan, I do greatly enjoy the series, having played nearly every mainline entry. And Kazuya is a fun character even if you aren't maining him. There's just something about beating on your opponents with the scared Mishima that feels right. If you're worried about projectiles, fret not. Most of the TEKKEN cast are hand to hand fighters. Still, the TEKKEN fighters are some heavy hitters and Kazuya hits like a couple of tanks. That 10 hit combo you saw? That has been a TEKKEN staple since the very first game. It may be pretty complicated to pull off (I could never to the 10 strings) but even his normal moves look nasty. 

Kazuya is looking to have an impressive set of tools but his recovery is probably gonna be garbo. The TEKKEN crew aren't the best in the air and since he's from a fighting game, Kazuya will more than likely have the turn around mechanic that Ryu, Ken and Terry have during one-on-one fights, which I'm perfectly fine with. Being the dirty casual that I am, I can't wait to see how Kazuya is in free-for-all matches and with Spirits. 10 hit combo with Spirits? In the word of the late Captain Falcon, YES!

I gotta admit, it did sting to see Captain Falcon get yeeted like that considering how Nintendo has neglected the F-ZERO series for so long. 

But you wanna know the best part about Kazuya being added to Ultimate? We get TEKKEN music! Man, I don't think you can even comprehend how much I love the music from the TEKKEN series. From the first game up to the latest installment, TEKKEN beats are fire. Emotionless Passion is sure to be included in Kazyua's stage. We heard the original version as well as a sick arrangement during the reveal trailer. I would love for Bandai Namco to let Sakurai and the gang go wild like SNK did with Terry's music selection. However, if that doesn't happen, I do have some songs I'd love to make it in:

Man of Artificiality, I'm Here Now 7s remix, For Hidden Characters, Moonlight Wilderness, Moonsiders 1st, Eddy, Nina, Aim to Win, Dragon's Nest, Marine Stadium, Chicago, USA, Fiji, The Place, 1997, to name a few.

I'm hoping we get a lot of the PS versions of music from TEKKEN 1-3 songs. Not that the arcade versions are bad, but they really do sound like far less fleshed out tracks compared to the PS versions. 

And was anyone really scared for Kirby? Besides sucking, everyone knows the pink puff ball is famous for flying. Still, it was humorous to see Kirby shrug off being tossed into a volcano and just fly out like a G.

Oh and because I feel this post would be incomplete with out it, here's a GIF of Kazuya's (in)famous smile in the first TEKKEN.

Super Smash Bros. Fans & Anime Sword Fighters

Photo by NintendoSoup

Blade users. Sword fighters. Swordys. Whatever terminology you prefer, there are plenty of them in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The Fire Emblem cast alone accounts for 8 swordys but Byleth is highly debatable since his/her sword takes on many different forms, making him/her stand out from FE crowd, no matter how much players want to cry "Aggghhh too many FE reps!!!" Outside of FE, you've got the Links from the Legend of Zelda series, Mii Sword Fighter, Pyra/Mythra and Sepiroth. Yeah, that's a lot of people swinging around stabbing sticks. And while people love to complain that "Smash has too many sword fighters!!!", that isn't really the issue. When folks cry about Pyra/Mythra or Sepiroth getting in the game, that isn't what really triggers them. They are mad because the sword fighter they wanted didn't get in.

Dante from Devil May Cry and Sora from Kingdom Hearts are two of the most coveted characters to get into Smash Ultimate. Both are sword fighters. Any talk of "But Sora uses a Key Blade!" is arguing semantics. I've no doubt they would both bring something unique to the Smash table. But Sora is in that Disney web and I can only imagine the nightmare Nintendo and Masahiro Sakurai would have to trudge through to get him. But, the fact remains that Dante and Sora are swordys. Swords fans very much want, but swordys all the same. To some of these people, Pyra/Mythra are occupying Sora's precious spot.

Lloyd from the long running Tales series is another sword user fans have been clamoring. He had a Mii sword fighter costume in Smash 4 but it hasn't returned in Ultimate. At least not yet, anyways. He may not be as high on the gimme gimme list as Dante or Sora, but he's wanted. 

If we get a Smash Ultimate character reveal at this year's E3, I'll be happy for a number of reasons. 

1. It will be another character to add to the game's already massive roster. 

2. If it is a swordy fans will be peeved, leading to Smash fan salt.

3. If it isn't the swordy fans want, there will be Smash fan salt.

4. If it isn't the character fans wanted, there will be Smash fan salt and really, that is the best kind of salt. You can feed off of it for days. Delicious.

Being butthurt about sword fighters in a game of 80 plus characters seems pretty dang pointless. Are there a lot of sword fighters? Yup, but there are far more characters that don't use swords. Crying about sword fighters while also bemoaning the absence of the swordy you wanted comes off as hypercritical. But this is the Smash fanbase we're talking about. Good luck even trying to logic with this bunch. 

All Hail Pyra/Mythra, our Sword Waifus

A new character has been added to the roster of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Much to everyone's delight, it is another sword fighter. 

Pyra/Mythra aren't merely more sword fighters. They in fact are a sword. I can't really explain it because I've yet to play Xenoblade Chronicles 2. But I do plan on picking the game up. I just need to find a physical copy without having to pay through the nose.

I'm actually not peeved that the latest addition to Ultimate's massive roster is another swordy. Some of my favorite characters to play as are sword users like Toon Link, Sepiroth and Mii Sword Fighter. And after a few days of playing as them, I just may have to add Pyra/Mythra to the list of my favorite sword wielders in the game.

What we have with Pyra/Mythra are two characters in one. You can start the battle with either Pyra or Mytrha and swap between the two on the fly. Zelda/Shiek worked like this in Melee and Brawl but the difference between those two was night and day. Pyra and Mythra while not as radically different as Zelda and Shiek when they were a single character, have more than enough differences to set them apart. Like Pokemon Train lists Squirtle, Bulbasaur and Charazard as their own numbers, Pyra and Mythra listed as characters 79 and 80 respectively. Two characters for the price of one is a pretty sweet deal.

Pyra, clad in red, isn't speedy but she's powerful. Mythra, wearing white, isn't powerful but she's fast. I tend to lean more towards Pyra for big damage but when I need to strike quickly, it's Mythra's time to shine. I can see people gravitating towards Mythra due to her quickness. Me, I like to swap between the two on a regular basis. True, most of my death blows are landed with Pyra because she hits like a tank, but I've scored some KOs with Mythra. Her side B can make for a decent recovery and since I am an unapologetic, filthy casual, I use it to close the gap when I see opponents getting close to items. Meanwhile, Pyra's side B is a ultra fun edge guarding tool, also useful for keeping foes away from items. I do think Mythra has the better recovery and her jumps are definitely higher than Pyra's, which is great for keeping the Smash Ball upwards as opposed to left and right. Oh and I WILL totally trade a stock/point if I can kill with Pyra's down B or Mythra's side B off stage. Totally worth it. It should be illegal to have this much playing as Pyra/Mythra.

Oh and I am totally Team Pyra. FIGHT. ME.

Sepiroth, THE Anime Swordsman

"Sepiroth? Sepiroth?! Why are you talking about Sepiroth?! Pyra/Mythra are out in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate!! No one is talking about Sepiroth anymore!!" Well, I'm always late to do things. Life, even during a global pandemic is still crazy so blog posts have been behind as of late. And I'm starting to like the whole screw-what-isn't current-angle. I mean, I still need to write about Min Min.

Ahem, so Sepiroth, or as I will refer to him from here on out, Sephy. He's a lot of what I thought he'd be as well as some of what I didn't think he would be. For starters, I totally was not expecting THE anime swordsman to be a lightweight. Given his size, I had assumed he would be a heavy, but nope. Since Sephy is light, he's quite easy to launch, meaning you've got to play extra cautiously when at high percents. Sakurai and his team had to give some sort of trade off for all that power Sephy is packing.

Featherweight boxing division pickings aside, Sephy is really fun. You cannot talk about THE anime swordsman without getting into that super, ridiculously long sword. Range, range, range, RANGE. Sephy has it all day, every day. If you wanna stand across the stage and cut fools, Sephy is the pretty boy for you. No one can really chide you when you're swinging around a sword that's a big as a house. True, it does have a certain sweet spot and you'll deal more damage when connecting in the right places. But it is such a blast to just go ham, swinging that sucker all willy nilly, especially in free-for-alls. Nothing feels sweeter than forward Smashing two or three players into the blast zone. It really is the best.

The worst position to be in when fighting against Sephy? Off stage. Again, stupidly long sword. Which can actually go through the stage itself. If you're trying to recovery low, there is a very good chance you'll be eating a Down Aerith. You shouldn't just be worried about the pointy object he always keeps on him. Sephy has other methods to edge guard. Scintilla is great for stopping projectiles and as well as causing damage and good knock back. It should go without saying that have multiple Shadow Flares on you off stage is an almost guaranteed GGPO. But some players love to go for style points and it doesn't get more stylish than killing with Octoslash. Yeah, it'll cost you a point/stock if you go for the off stage kill, but at least you went out like a gangster. 

As much as I love FINAL FANTASY VII, I'm really not a huge fan of Sepiroth as a character but much like King K. Rool, I did not expect to enjoy playing as him this much. Now Cloud, I do really like as a character, but after using Sephy, Cloud just seems so meh. I'll probably use Cloud every now and then but I can easily see myself using Sephy on a near regular basis. He's just that enjoyable to use and I never thought I would love having him in Ultimate.

Cloud was massively screwed over when it came to song selection in Smash Wii U. We thought that maybe things would improve with Ultimate. No such luck. Every other third party rep looks like a king (well, Terry's 50 tracks is pretty hard to top) when compared to Cloud's messily 2 songs. Well, that's what we all said, but then Sephy came along and made it all better. Sephy's addition to Ultimate brought 9 more tracks with 4 of them being new arrangements. That alone makes Sephy's inclusion worth it. I never thought more FINAL FANTASY VII music would be in Ultimate. I think my favorite arrangement is the Main Theme of FINAL FANTASY VII, but Aeirth's Theme is also really good, celebratory even. I'm happy JENOVA made it in as it is one of the best tracks from the game. Woulda been nice to have JENOVA Aboslute, but I'll take what we got.

And Pichu and Sephy are good friends. Because why not?

VGM Saturdays #290: We Made it to 2021

Give yourself a round of applause. You survived 2020! Holy moly, what a brutal year that was. I would like to say the worst is over but, well, the COVID-19 pandemic is still very much a real threat. I realize you may be sick of hearing about it, but you need to stay safe. Wash your hands, social distance, wear a mask, all that stuff. I tried to go with some celebration music this week. And since Staff Roll themes represent accomplishment, get ready to listen to a lot of those. 

Main Theme of FINAL FANTASY VII [New Remix] - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (NSW)

When Sepiroth was revealed for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, I thought we were only going to get 2 new songs and not a single remix. I couldn't have been more wrong an I'm happy that I was. Sephy came with nine songs, four of which are brand new remixes. The Main Theme of FFVII has long been a huge favorite of mine. This remix is so celebratory and even contains the key change of the original theme. So, so, soooo good.

Staff Roll - Streets of Rage 4 (PS4, XBO, NSW, PC)

Play as old and new characters as well as the original sprite versions of the caste from the Genesis Streets of Rage trilogy. This super late fourth entry did not disappoint an was certainly a high point in 2020 for me. After multiple playthroughs, I'm still jamming out to then soundtrack. 

Staff Roll - Mega Man 2 (NES)

At first it sounds like Mega Man 2's Staff Roll is merely the Title theme being reused. But at the 43 second mark, you hear something new. And just before closing out, it returns to the Title theme.

Staff Roll - Street Fighter II': Special Champion Edition (SGEN)

The Genesis soundtrack of SFII sounds the closest to the CPS-I hardware, though I'm still quite fond of the SNES music. Yes, it is possible to like two things, despite what fanboys of the 16-bit console wars might tell you.

Guided Tour (Credits) - Sonic Mania (PS4, XBO, NSW, PC)

"Best Sonic game ever!" Not a claim I agree with but Sonic Mania is really, really good. The music, which featrures remixes and new tracks by the very talented Tee Lopes is on par with the soundtracks of previous Sonic games. Of course everyone remembers the Stardust Speedway remixes and Press Garden tracks but this credits tune needs more love.

Ending Theme - FINAL FANTASY V (SFC)

FF VII, VIII an IX are great on Switch but can we get some SNES FF games, please? I see you with those Collection of Mana an SaGa games, Square Enix. So how about some Collection of FINAL FANTASY? FFV has been re-released several times but it sounds the best on the SNES or SFC hardware.

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Mario (Almost) Dies and Sepiroth is in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Did you watch the Game Awards? Me neither. The only reason I had the slightest interest in tuning in was due to the fact that Nintendo promised the reveal of the next Fighter Pass vol. 2 character for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. I didn't have any ideas on who the character could be but when I found out it was Sepiroth, I erupted with laughter. I did not in a million years see it coming, as did a plethora of other games. And this, folks, is why I'm glad Sepiroth's reveal was not leaked. These kinds of things are just all around better when they don't get spoiled by idiots wanting their 15 minutes of fame.

I really like FFVII. It is one of my favorite games. I just replayed it on my Switch this year. And yet, I'm not a huge fan of Sepiroth. I think his design is cool but if you were to ask me my favorite FF baddie, I would pick Kefka over him any day. And yet, I can't hate on Sepiroth being included as a DLC fighter for Ultimate. Heck, I never thought we would get anymore FF reps, yet alone another from the same game. And yet, the pretty boy swords man is gonna be joining Ultimate's already huge roster and I am 100% cool with that.

We're going to get a Mr. Sakurai Presents Sepiroth on December 17th that will give us a deep dive into what Cloud's nemesis is all about in battle, but the trailer showed off a few things we can gauge on our own. For starters, Sepiroth's sword range is, understandably, loooooong. Like, why would you even bother trying to get close to your opponent when you can slice and them from that range? Most likely, Sepiroth will probably be a heavy. Some of his sword strikes look like they have some lag on them so faster characters may have an edge on him. Like any good heavy, Sepiroth will probably hit like a tank if he connects. If Ganondorf can kill with a few strong attacks, just image what Sepiroth is capable of.

Can we talk about that reveal trailer? I love it wasn't obvious for many until the music kicked in. The trailer could have shown Cloud right off the bat, giving who our new fighter would be away, but instead, Sakurai and company chose to wait until after that familiar track started playing to clue you in. Annnnnd then we see Sepiroth trounce the current roster of fighters. Be it with in-game footage or the gorgeous CG cut scenes, Sepiroth mops the floor with everyone that you can't even call it a fight. And what about that scene where Sepiroth straight up tries to murder Mario? I mean, sure he missed but Sephy really did try to kill Mr. Video Game! People were legit worried that Mario got stabbed, myself included. That trailer was one of the hypest things I've seen and did an excellent job of showing off how deadly Sepiroth can be.

Now, let's talk about the music tracks, or really, the lack thereof. We have seen Cloud, one of the most recognizable video game characters get crumbs for song picks in two Super Smash Bros games now. I don't know all of the specifics, but the FINAL FANTASY series has been heavily gutted when it comes to representation in songs and in the case of Ultimate, Spirits, in the case of the later, there are none to speak of. That may change once Sepiroth drops but I'm not holding my breath. We'll probably get JENOVA, the original track from FINAL FANTASY VII, or JENOVA Absolute, since that song is played in the Northern Crater and that is where you fight the final form of Jenova. One Wing Angel is gonna be included because it is Sepiroth's most iconic tracks. It could very well be the original version from FFVII and not the killer remix we heard in the reveal trailer. After the way Cloud has been done dirty two games now, I don't see Square Enix suddenly becoming generous, but I would love to be wrong here.

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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VGM Saturdays #285: 5 PM in Animal Crossing

No fancy intro this week. Enjoy the jams.

Earth (Minecraft Earth) (New Remix) - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (NSW)

Originally, I had planned to post Halland / Dalarnna as the first Minecraft arrangement from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It was the song used in Steve's reveal trailer and it is a dang good song. But... well, just listen to Earth. The song sounds so freaking beautiful and is the kinda thing that restores your hope in humanity.

Adon Stage - Street Fighter Alpha (ARC)

Adon appeared in the original Street Fighter in 1987 but would become a playable character until the first Street Fighter Alpha in 1995. Sweet mercy, those guitars are working some serious overtime in this track!

Hey Cid! - FINAL FANTASY IV (SNES)

In FINAL FANTASY IV, numerous party members will come and go. Some awesome like Yang, and some super lame, like Edward. But no of them are Cid. Not only is he the engineer of Banon's Redwing airships, he's a tough old bird as well. This dude survived an explosion. He isn't quite Galuf tier, but as far as cool old guys go, Cid is more than OK.

Re-Boot! - Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection (PS4, XBO, NSW, PC)

Like the Classic and X series, the Zero/ZX series is available in easily accessible anthology releases a la a Legacy Collection. I would recommend getting Legacy Collection over hunting down the original carts since these come with extras and new features that make them more welcoming to new players. Plus, those old versions won't great you with this song every time you start them up.

Customization - Rivals of Aether (PC, NSW)

After delighting PC gamers for years, Rivals of Aether has finally come to the Switch and I can see what the fuss is all about. Rivals may be a Smash inspired game, but it is still it's own unique beast and it is taking me time to get used to the controls. What isn't taking time to adjust to is the music. This game's music immediately had me with this track. So dang, jazzy!

5 PM - Animal Crossing: New Horizons (NSW)

This is the best song in New Horizons. This funky, laid back beat is the perfect jam for 5 in the evening. Unlike every other mainline game in the Animal Crossing series, you do not get the hourly music right away. Until the resident services building is completed, you are treated to the same song day in and day out. So the hourly songs are something of a reward. 5 PM is one of my favorite times to play New Horizons because running around my island to this song is love and life.

VGM Saturdays Database

Steve: The Best Kind of Stupid Fun You Can Have

Man. I still cannot believe that Steve from Minecraft is in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Well, that's not entirely true. After using Steve for a few weeks, I guess I can kinda believe it but it still seems like some fever dream. Yes, I'm well aware that term has probably been used and abused ad infant-em in regards to Minecraft Steve in Smash Ultimate, but him being here along with Alex, Zombie and Enderman is best summed up as just that, a fever dream. 

Now that Steve and his fellow blocky companions are in Smash, I gotta agree with Chocotopus: this character is stupid. If you haven't seen the Smash YouTuber's video, basically Steve and the gang are stupid in a good way, hence the title of this blog post. If you are looking to have stupid fun in Ultimate, look no further than Steve or one of his alts. 

One of the best things about Steve is his constantly stoic expression. It does not matter what happens to him, the look on his face does not change, ever. That makes those flashing zoom ins when he is knocked out or lands the killing blow ring of heavy indifference to whatever the outcome. 

In a game where each character has a vast array of moves out their disposal, Steve is loaded for war. There's giving characters the tools to succeed and then there's giving them the facility that makes said tools. Behind that blank stare is the mind of a ruthless killing machine and both on and off stage, Steve is a force to be feared. The minecart functions as a grab so shielding against it is useless. Depending on the materials the cart is made with, it can hit like a truck. You can also use minecart to bait your opponent into jumping over it to hit them with something else. While I was goofing off with some CPUs to help better get the hang of Steve's abilities, I unintentionally used the minecart to stop Palutena from making it back to the stage. As someone that loathes fighting Palu, that was both satisfying and very amusing.

Using the minecart for damage is super fun and all but it is also useful for returning to the stage, especially if you struggle with Steve's recovery, which I most certainly do. I've gotten better at relying on other means besides Steve's up B to get back to the stage, but I still SD because I'm not very proficient with it. With that in mind, I try to use blocks to make it back or use minecart and then up B. 

It should go without saying but craft, craft and craft some more when playing as Steve. You do not want to be caught without materials, especially if you are off stage and your up B game is poo poo. Not only that, but you wanna have those hard hitting swords do dishing out hard hitting strikes. Oh and of course, TNT! Boy, TNT is one of the best things Steve was given! It is great for edge guarding, baiting your opponents and the fact that you have a great deal of control of where the detonator switch is just makes using it even loads more fun. Since it is a bomb, you can always set it off without the switch. If you foe has a much higher percentage than you, and you're both near the TNT, just let it rip and see who dies first. 

I really, really love Steve's neutral air. It is so fun to whack fools with that pickax and try to keep it going for as long as possible. The fact that it can spike makes it even better. I just wish I could remember to build blocks to extend my combos even further.

We all saw Sakurai use blocks to well, blocks a CPU Pikachu's recovery to the stage when he was giving us the Steve demo. I'm disappointed that we can't spell out "Lol nope," in full but we can place that "L" at the ledge. And yes, players have been doing that. You can even place a single block at just the fight spot near the ledge, grab and throw your opponent into it and get a kill. 

Steve is one of the very best additions to Ultimate's already beefy roster. I cannot believe how much I love playing as him. And just so we're clear, I do mean Enderman. Yeah, Steve is nice and all but Enderman is the best block boy and you cannot change my mind on that.

Minecraft Steve Broke Twitter

Sooooo, did you catch the new Super Smash Bros. Ultimate character reveal on October 1? I didn't plan to but I woke up 2 minutes before the stream and decided that, rather than watch after everyone already knew, I would catch it live. And man, am I glad I did.

I didn't know it was Steve from Minecraft until I saw his blocky silhouette staring back at Mario, because I am very much an uncultured weenie that has never ever played Minecraft. Even so, I am well aware of Minecraft's massive popularity. Despite not being around as long as other gaming franchises, Minecraft is the best selling gaming IP on the planet. I wasn't really excited watching the trailer, but I had a smile on my face the entire time because one, I knew how badly some people wanted Steve and two, I knew how salty it would make some people. Real talk, I do kinda like the taste of salty tears from fans that get upset when a character reveal doesn't make them happy. Like, sure, folks are allowed to be upset but I'm talking more about people that get super angry that a character doesn't cater to them. You know the types. "I wanted X character! What a waste of a character slot!" Their tears will never not be delicious.  

Steve wasn't someone I wanted in Smash, but I'm glad he made it in. Seeing people's hype for him makes me happy for those people. Since October 1, I've seen dozens of reaction videos and I think their excitement has rubbed off on me because now I'm getting pretty jazzed about him. Steve just looks like such a super fun character and I am on edge waiting for him to drop. Really, none of the DLC characters in Ultimate have disappointed me. Sure, I find some more enjoyable than others, but not a one has flat out been a character I disliked. It is looking like Steve will be another fun addition to Ultimate's massive roster.

Steve's reveal trailer? That was just awesome and hilarious. Sonic Falcon Punch's Mario so hard he lands in the world of Minecraft. I love how Mario looks at Steven in bewilderment. Even when he takes out a steak and starts munching on it, Mario keeps that confused, slack jawed look. I get the feeling that Mario's reaction represented more than a few people who saw that trailer. It should make for some good meme fuel.

The Steve & Alex showcase on October 3 was very informative. Despite his simplistic look, Steve is a very technical character. I think anyone that has played Minecraft will be on some familiar footing as opposed to those who have never touched it. I may have to put in more practice with Steve than I have other fighters. He looks like a character that will be fun to watch both in casual and competitive play. If you're off stage, you might wanna chuck your controller out the window because the edge guard tools Steve posses makes it possible for him to gimmick even those with excellent recovery. Steven can literally block the ledges to keep you from making it back. I cannot wait to see how crazy players get with this. I've already thought about making an "L" in front of the ledge. Or perhaps I could spell out "lol". Ooo! Ooo! How about "nope"? 

As great as Steve looks to be, I may play as the Enderman alternate when I play. Enderman looks cute and but also creepy. Something about the way he peers inside Snake's box in the trailer that gives me a bit of a shudder. I think my shelf is in need of an Enderman toy and or plushie. Eh, I suppose I could spring for Steve, Alex and Zombie, too. 

The best thing about Steve coming to Smash? We get block Kirby! I didn't think it was possible for the pink puff to get any cuter but somehow, becoming square makes it happen. The other best thing about Steve coming to Smash is that he broke Twitter. No joke. Twitter was down for a good ten minutes due to the flood of traffic Steve's Smash presents brought. Any character that breaks Twitter can't be bad. 

October 13 is gonna be a fuuuuuun day.

All screens from Nintendo

Byleth Sucks Because Some Members of the Pro Smash Community Said So

So  I'm getting ready for work, checking my phone to see what new videos are available on YouTube. Being a huge fan of Super Smash Bros. and playing Ultimate on a regular basis, I often get recommended Ultimate videos. Even though I hadn't had a cup of coffee yet, I still had to raise eyebrows over ZeRo's video titled "Byleth Is The Worst Smash DLC Character, apparently..." The video isn't really click-baity and I found myself agree with a lot of the points ZeRo brought up. It is a very good vid, but if you don't wanna watch a fifteen minute video, to summarize, well, you see the title of this blog post? Yeah, that.

Anyone that messes around Byleth even for a short period of time will notice two key things: they are slow and the moves they use have a lot of lag. The trade off for those two negatives is that Byleth hits like a truck. Byleth's Down B will break even the healthiest of shields and can kill early. If that weren't enough, Byleth's neutral B is a shield breaker that can reach opponents across the other side of the screen. Every single character in Ultimate has pros and cons. You've got some members in the pro community only looking at the cons.

What makes me roll my eyes about the "Byleth sucks" talk is that such claims are being made when the character has only been out for a week. "B-but, a pro player said they suck!" Yeah, and? They may know the game better than a lot of us mere mortals but that doesn't mean they don't make mistakes. Pro player or not, saying a character sucks when said character's meta is still being discovered is really freaking dumb.

I'd like to point out that there is an aspect of playing Ultimate that the pro "Byleth sucks" crowd isn't taking into account: there's more than one way to play this game. Free-for-alls, stage hazards, items are all a part of Smash's makeup and the competitive crowd's refusal to view the game outside of the bubble they've created for it isn't going to make those ways of playing go away.

Part of me thinks the "Byleth sucks" mentality is in effect is due to them being another Fire Emblem rep. I guess it doesn't matter that Byleth is the most unique rep from the series and that Three Houses has been a very well received game. Byleth is a Fire Emblem rep so we gotta hate 'em. We have so many reps from the Mario games because those games are insanely popular. Same with the number of Pokemon characters in Ultimate and now Fire Emblem is a huge deal for Nintendo, hence the large number of reps from that series. Haters are just gonna have to deal.

As I said above, the meta for Byleth is still being worked out. For crying out loud, Ultimate is only a year old and is going to have long, healthy life ahead of it, no matter how you choose to play. I'd love to wake up to world where casual Smash play is acknowledged by more pro players and people would stop taking pro players word as if it were the gospel. Yeah, reality is often disappointing.

Byleth Joins Ultimate and the Salt is Realer than Real

At 8:59 AM, my phone's alarm went off. I wanted to be ready for the reveal of the final fighter for the first wave of the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighter Pass. Who would it be? Some were speculating that it would be Dante from Devil May Cry. Despite not playing a single game in that series, I thought he would have been a cool addition to the Ultimate roster. However, people's hopes for Dant were quickly dashed when Sakurai revealed the character was Byleth from Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

How did I react upon seeing this?

Every time I think of Byleth getting revealed, I bust out with laughter. Members of the Smash fanbase have let their disdain for the amount of Fire Emblem reps be known. Byleth's inclusion has given them something else to be salty about. I can already hear some fans cursing Sakurai's name. The really extreme fans are probably saying that this is so bad that they will never buy another Smash game, even though Byleth is completely optional. Sakurai saying "I hope there are no hard feelings" before the final reveal and that smug smile as he put the Byleth posters up? That man knew people were gonna be mad.

Some folks are taking things a bit too far, however. Take this article from ccn. Not only does the writer call Byleth "another wasted slot,"as well as a "mistake," but also calls into question the whole first Fighter Pass as a whole and thinks fans should be hesitant on picking up the second Fighter Pass. So due to one character that "nobody wanted," players that bought the Fighter Pass got robbed and and shouldn't feel hopeful about the next Fighter Pass that will contain six characters? If I roll my eyes any harder, they'll pop out. The writer of that article comes across as an entitled brat.

People wanted Ridley? Sakurai gave them Ridley. People wanted King K. Rool? They got King K. Roo as well as Joker, Banjo-Kazooie and the entire cast that has been in every Smash leading up to Ultimate. To get so butthurt over another Fire Emblem rep when the roster will have close to 90 characters when finished is silly to me. Sakurai and his team have worked so hard, bending over backwards to make Ultimate be the phenomenal game it is so I think they have more than earned the right to add characters they want.

Byleth looks like a slow, but fun character. I like that he/she has three weapons and isn't just limited to a sword, putting a dent in the whole "another sword character" argument. I haven't played Fire Emblem: Three Houses, but Byleth's reveal was a reminder that I need to pick that game up.

Concerning the stuff that isn't about Byleth, the Cuphead Mii Gunner costume is looking super clean and could pass for a full blown character, much like the Sans costume. I'm happy to see Mega Man X Mii Gunner returning as well as MegaMan.EXE. I can't wait to see videos of  Rabbids hats on people's Mii's. You know the montage videos are already coming.

If you feed on people's salt, you'll be feasting for some time to come because Byleth's reveal made the sodium flow like wine.

Oh and I am all about that blue alt for Byleth. That will be the main color I choose whenever I play that character.

EDIT: It turns out Nintendo has a big say in what characters can be added to the game. Regardless, my I stand by everything I said above.

Favorite Tunes #276: Catroidvania

The first Favorite Tunes of the year and I actually got 'em posted on a Saturday. We're starting the year off right.

Title - Gato Roboto (PC, NS)

Describe Gato Roboto in five words. Metroid with a cat, cute. From the level layout/design to the bulky shoulder power suit Kiki wears, Gato Roboto proudly displays wears the Metroid love on its gun arm. Some of the music can be more on the ambiance side but some tracks go pretty hard.

Gumos Hideout - Ori and the Blind Forest (PC, XBO, NS)

What can I say about Metroidvania games? Indies love them. Maybe a little too much, but I digress. Ori and the Blind Forest, like Cuphead, was exclusive to PC and XBO but Microsfot has been all buddy buddy with Nintendo, so the Definitive Edition of the game came over to the Switch. There's a plethora of calming, soothing music to listen to as you make your way through the forest and die a lot.

HQ - SaGa Frontier (PS)

You'd be forgiven for thinking SaGa Frontier was the first in the SaGa series to be released outside of Japan. In truth, the GB Final Fantasy Legend games are SaGa titles released under the FF name to give them a more broad appeal. For some 20 years now, Square Enix has been more confident to release the SaGa games under the original name. That said, some of the SaGa games can be really freaking difficult, strangely designed and are not for everyone. Kenji Ito's music on every SaGa game he's worked on is a high point for the series.

Big Blue (F-ZERO) [New Remix] - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (NS)

The latest entry in the Super Smash Bros. series was jam packed with so much content and characters on launch day. And yet, the game continues to get more content with free updates, and even more characters to be added throughout the 2020. My favorite of the new F-ZERO arrangements have been the glorious F-ZERO Medley and Sand Ocean tunes, but I gotta admit, this new Big Blue remix is fire.

The Hard Corps Blues - Contra: Hard Crops (GEN)

Even for the standards of the series, Hard Crops is ridiculously brutal. Stages are littered with mini bosses, endless waves of mooks and you only get a measly 5 continues to help you beat the game. That is, in the American and UK versions. The Japanese version gives you a life bar and unlimited continues. If you want to play Contra: Hard Crops, I recommend buying the Contra Anniversary Collection, which lets you play the Japanese and American versions of every Contra title on the arcade, NES, SNES, GB and GEN, with the exclusion of Contra Force. Even some UK versions are in there. Hard Corps has a lot of hype, high energy music so a much more laid back track like The Hard Crops Blues is unexpected but welcome.

2PM - Animal Crossing (GCN)

The excitement for Animal Crossing: New Horizons is real. Giddy with anticipation for the game, I thought I'd post a track from the first Animal Crossing game I played, the enhanced GCN version of the N64 title that never made it outside of Japan. Despite being a night owl, I would always play Animal Crossing during the day time so I heard all of the PM and sometimes sunlight AM jams. Realling looking forward to the new game's soundtrack in March.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate wallpaper by Cat with Monocle

Favorite Tunes Database

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: The Ultimate Smash Game

They say you can't really judge a game before playing it for yourself. There is certainly some truth to that saying, but there are some games that you know, without a shadow, will be mind blowingly awesome. For many a gamer, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was such a game.

Ultimate was a highly anticipated title long before it released on December 7, 2018. Sure, people were excited with the teasing of the game at the end of the March 2018 Nintendo Direct, but it was Nintendo's E3 2018 Direct that really got the hype train going. Masahiro Sakurai presented us with a video that showed off the fighters that would be returning for the new Smash. The entire 25 minute video could be summed up in three words: Everyone is HERE! If you could pinpoint a specific time when the entire Smash fanbase was overflowing with joy, those three words gracing the screen with Solid Snake would be it. Every single character that has ever been in a Smash game would be in Ultimate. Pichu, Young Link, Wolf, Ice Climbers, Mega Man. Everyone. That right there is truth in advertising and was the game's tagline.

A large part of Ultimate's appeal is the roster. On launch day, Ultimate came packed with over 70 characters right out of the box. I have my mains such as Mega Man, Terry and Toon Link but with a cast this huge, I feel like I'd be doing myself a major disservice if I didn't use other characters. King K. Rool is a character I didn't want in Smash but he was among the earliest that I unlocked and he's an insane amount of fun to use. You couldn't pay me to play as Peach but I'm all about Daisy and I'm not even bothered that she's an Echo Fighter. When I feel like mixing some Street Fighter with my Smash, I pick Ryu or Ken. Not even Little Mac's terrible off stage game can prevent me from having fun using him from time to time. The wealth of fighters in this game ensures that are are a couple dozen characters for anyone of any play style to gravitate to.

I never realized how awesome different rule sets could be until we were allowed to save tons of different ones in Ultimate. Like, I'm one of those weirdos who has always loved to play on time rather than stocks. In the original Super Smash Bros. my friends and I would always see who could get the most KOs in 10 minutes. Since 1999, time has been my proffered way to play. This changed a bit when the 3DS and Wii U versions of Smash released and I became more accustomed to switching up to stock games every now and then. With Ultimate letting us save a myriad of different rule sets, I've got so many ways to play. Sometimes I do quick games of four stocks, and sometimes I'll do stamina with two stocks to make it play more like a regular fighting game. I even have one rule set called "Stuff Blowing Up," which consists of nothing but bomb items. When I'm craving something truly chaotic, I'll play on my "Chaos!" rule set, which has items set to a high spawning rate. Seriously, having a variety of different rules is an excellent way to spice up your Smash games. If a filthy, item-loving casual like me can play on stocks with items off, I think even those in the competitive crowd can turn on some items and have a free for all from time to time.

Ultimate also boasts a very lengthy single player mode in the form of World of Light. As much as I enjoyed Subspace in Brawl, I've never felt the desire to replay that mode again.Yes, the cut scenes were epic but the Great Maze was Ocarina of Time Water Temple levels of frustrating. If some Spirit are giving you a tough time, you can come back when you're better equipped and have a better chance at winning or just steamroll the opposition. With multiple paths to take and many fights being optional, there's a great degree of flexibility for players. Some players such as Nairo and ZeRo have done self-imposed challenges and went through World of Light without using Spirits, which has made for some hilarious streams and YouTube highlights. Recently, we've seen Nuzlocke runs on World of Light from various Smash players on YouTube. For those not in the know, this means that when you lose a fight with that character, they are gone for good. Think of it as a self imposed permadeath system in place. I'm almost tempted to try a Nuzlocke run.

Don't even get me started on the amount of stages you can battle on in Ultimate. Without taking into account the Battlefield and Omega forms you do to every stage, there are over 100 stages to choose from. Sometimes you may not even be sure what stage to choose from. If music determines where you battle but you aren't crazy about the stage, you can turn stage into the aforementioned Battlefield or Omega form. Want the stage to be normal without hazards? You can battle that way too. Ultimate is not a game that is starved for stages, whether you play casually or competitively.

Spirits in general are just all kinds of fun to use. I never even used the Stickers that Brawl had but I engage in Spirit battles on the regular in Ultimate. I have so many Spirit teams formed that I kinda think 99 teams isn't enough as I think I'm dangerously close to hitting the limit. Finding ways to make your fighters stupidly broken is some of the most fun I've had playing video games. As I was working on this, I came across Lizard Leliel's YouTube channel and he has a ton of videos demonstrating how insanely powerful some fighters can be with the right Spirits equipped. It can make getting some extra Spirits on the Spirit Board a whole lot easier. Lizard helped me discover the joy that is OP Ridley and I gotta say, hyper buffed Down B is too good.

On top of having a ton of stages, the biggest roster of any fighting game and an engaging single player mode as well as multiplayer modes out the wahzoo, Ultimate has a soundtrack that is so grandiose that it should be considered cheating to even bring it up when discussing the best game soundtracks. What other game can you play that has the CPS I & II versions of Street Fighter II's iconic soundtrack, 50 SNK tracks of original and new remixed tracks, Mega Man music, Sonic music, Super Mario music, Fire Emblem music, Castlevania tunes, Banjo-Kazooie themes and a whole lot more? Before the DLC fighters came, there was over 900 music tracks. Now there are more than 1000. Ultimate is worth having for the soundtrack alone. The crazy thing is, there is sooooo much more to come.

A few months ago, a co-worker asked me what character I would like to have in Ultimate. I thought it over for a bit before responding that I had no idea. With previous Smash entries, I could come up desirable picks no problem. Ultimate has such an insanely huge, diverse roster that I really can't think of any characters I'd like to see add, even when it comes to the future DLC characters. Heck, I'm happy to have Shovel Knight and Sukapon as Assist Trophies, blasphemous as that may sound. I really can't be upset that this or that character isn't playable because we already have so dang much in Ultimate. Sakurai and his team have and continue to work so hard to make Ultimate live up to the name it was given and I cannot thank them enough for that. I'm dead serious when I say that we  do not need another Smash game for a very long time. Ultimate truly is the definitive Super Smash game and I'm excited for whatever else the game has in store for us.

Let's Discuss: The 50 SNK Tracks for Terry's Stage

What had to be one of the biggest jaw dropping moments during Masahiro Sakurai's 45 minute presentation of Terry was the divulging of his stage coming with 50 music tracks. Sakurai and his team went beyond the bounds of FATAL FURY and THE KING OF FIGHTERS games and much like Pac-Man's stage does with the music, the King of Fighters arena's music list serves as a representation of SNK as a whole and I couldn't be happier for that. Bravo to SNK for allowing Sakurai and his team to use all 50 of the tracks they submitted to them. Because of that list (and the cool wall mechanics) Terry's stage is one of my favorite places to smash on. There are a lot of original songs and tons upon tons of new remixes and I thought it would be fun to go over all 50 tracks. If you're an SNK fan, you've gotta be hyped to see so many of these awesome songs make it in to Ultimate. For those of you that aren't familair with Terry or haven't heard much or any SNK music, these are some of the best bangers in the history of video game music.

01. Kurikinton - FATAL FURY 2 [New Remix]

You can't have Terry in the game and not give him his stage theme. That would be like having Ryu without his music from Street Fighter II, it just isn't done. Like Ryu, Terry gets multiple versions of his famous FATAL FURY 2 theme in Ultimate. Its a very lively, upbeat theme, that perfectly matches Terry's high energy personality. It is impossible to hear this theme and not wanna get up and move.

02. Soy Sauce for Geese - FATAL FURY SPECIAL

Geese Howard, murderer of Terry's father. Taker of countless quarters. Falls off buildings a lot. Once it was revealed Terry was coming to Ultimate, everyone and their dog knew this theme was gonna be in the game. I wouldn't be surprised if this one among the first of the 50 tracks Sakurai and his team placed on their list. Even without context, I think anyone that hears this theme can guess the intent behind it: evil, sinister, villainous. Without a doubt one of the greatest bad guy themes in video games. I would have been perfectly fine with the version from the first FATAL FURY but this one from SPECIAL is all kinds of killer.

03. Haremar Faith Capoeria School - Song of the Fight (Believers Will Be Saved) - FATAL FURY [New Remix]

Oh, man, that is one mouthful of a song title. A few days before Terry dropped, I was listening to the soundtracks to the fist two FATAL FURY titles (along with SPECIAL). I'd assume Sakurai and co were going to go the route they went for Ryu's stage in Ultimate and have all of the original music from the first FATAL FURY, which would mean we would get the original version of this theme. We all know how Terry's music selection turned out and this theme winded up getting a really good remix.

04. The Sea Knows - FATAL FURY

This right here is one of my favorite tracks from the original FATAL FURY and I was so happy to see it appear in the song selection.

05. Kurikinton -FATAL FURY 2

A FATAL FURY 2 original. That Ultimate remix is fire, sure, but make sure you pay some respect to the tune that made that remix possible.

06. Kuri Kinto Flavor - KOF XIV

The third and final version of Terry's theme to be included in Ultimate comes from the latest entry in SNK's long running THE KING OF FIGHTERS series. It has been so long since I heard the KOF XIV score that I'd completely forgotten about this song was in there. Glad it made its way to Ultimate.

07. Pasta - FATAL FURY 2 [New Remix]

We could gave gotten the original Pasta theme and I would not complain. What we got, however, was a Pasta remix by none other than Yoko Shimomura. She must have been a huge fan of the original theme because this remix sounds sooooooo dang awesome.

08. A Poem That the South Thailand Wants to Tell - FATAL FURY 2

Joe Higashi's theme. I don't normally go for this style of music but I really like this theme.

09. Tarkun and Kitapy - FATAL FURY 2 [New Remix]

If you wanna fight to some whaling guitars, you've picked the right theme. This is a track that sticks really close to the original tune and while that may make it sound like a more souped up version of the original, it is no worse for doing so.

10. Let's Go to Seoul! - FATAL FURY 2[New Remix]

This is the fourth FATAL FURY 2 remix. Starting to think composers for Ultimate really dig that game's soundtrack and for good reason. Just like Kim's baggy pants, this theme is filled with great justice. Sorry not sorry.

11. The London March - FATAL FURY 2 [New Remix]

Billy Kane is one of the coolest characters in the FATAL FURY and THE KING OF FIGHTERS series. Ditching that overalls getup was probably one of the best things he ever did. This is another one of those themes that is so good I would have been fine with original but this remix slaps really hard.

12. The Working Matador - FATAL FURY 2

Again, this usually isn't my type of music, but I can't hate it on. I can and will however, hate on the fighter this theme belongs to, Lawrence Blood. See, I just played some of the REAL BOUT FATAL FURY titles and Blood is so stupidly OP. I will hate on Blood whenever I get the chance.

13. Duck Dub Dub (Duck, You Too) - FATAL FURY SPECIAL

Duck King screams 90s character design even more than Terry. Dude looks like he jumped right out of an episode of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. This guy gets some of the most happening beats in the FATAL FURY series. As much as I love his music in the REAL BOUT titles, I can easily see why Sakurai and company went with this one. A shinning example of early awesome NEO-GEO music.

14. Soy Sauce for Geese - KOF XIV

It isn't the Tekken 7 arrangement but man, is it fire. A rocked out version of Geese Howard's famous theme. Whining fools be gone.

15. Big Shot! - FATAL FURY 3

The only track from FATAL FURY 3 in all of Ultimate. Like Terry's theme from FATAL FURY 2, Big Shot! has a lot of positive energy behind it. In certain THE KING OF FIGHTERS games, an arrangement of this theme is used for Team Fatal Fury, which often consists of Terry, Andy and Joe.

16. 11th Street - FATAL FURY WILD AMBITION [New Remix]

If you need a break from all that rock, turn this sucker up. WILD AMBITION may not be fondly remembered but the soundtrack is where its at.

17. 176th Street - KOF '99

Fun fact, THE KING OF FIGHTERS '99 was released the same year WILD AMBITION released. This track is an arranged version of 11th Street from that game, which served as Terry's stage BGM.

18. Ne! - KOF '94

If I'm being honest, there are a number of songs I would have picked for THE KING OF FIGHTERS '94 song. ESAKA, JUNGLE BOUNCER, or SLUM No.5. Having said that, Ne! is still a good song choice.

19. DESERT REQUIEM ~Operation02UM~ - KOF 2002 UM

UNLIMITED MATCH is one of the KOF games I never played and as such, I'm not too familiar with the music. If you want to have some rock blasting as you knock fools out of the ring, this is a good pick.

20. ESAKA!! - KOF 2002 UM

Another track from UNLIMITED MATCH, but it does ring a bell since it is an arrangement of KOF '96's ESAKA theme. My favorite ESAKA track will always be from KOF '94, and while I really, really wish that track could have made it, this is a perfectly good ESAKA remix.

21. Stormy Saxophone 2 - KOF '96 [New Remix]

Rival of Kyo Kusanagi, Iori Yamgami may have been the first edge lord many a gamer laid eyes on. I don't think anyone gets an evil laugh that chilling without tons of practice. Stormy Saxophone 2 is a big fan favorite, so no surprise to see it get arranged.

22. KD-0079+ - KOF 2002 UM

The third track from UNLIMITED MATCH. The Ultimate team must really love the music from that game. of the songs in Ultimate from UNLIMITED MATCH, I find myself selecting this one the most.

23. W.W.III - KOF XIV

I was recently listening to the soundtrack from KOF '99 again and there are quite a few tracks on that one that I really like. A number of tracks from KOF XIV made it into Ultimate and this just happens to be an arrange of the Ikari Team from KOF '99.

24. Terry115 - KOF 2000

I'm guessing the composers at SNK really loved giving Terry more mellow themes in WILD AMBITION and KOF '99. When KOF '00 rolled around, our boy was once again give some mellow jazz. This one just barely beats out his KOF '99 theme for me.

25. Street Dancer - KOF XI

Turn it up and get down.

26. New Order - KOF XIV

You might look at this track and think some imperialistic music is going to assault your ears. Instead, you're treated to whaling guitars and a killer saxophone.

27. Undercover - KOF 2002 UM

I hope you're not sick of music from UNLIMITED MATCH because there's another track from that game after this one. Yeah, KD-0079+ is my favorite  of the UM tracks in Ultimate, but this is a very close second.

28. Cutting Edge - KOF 2002 UM

The fifth and final track from UM. I like to think that at one point the Ultimate team  had someone speak up and say "OK, that's five tracks from one game. We gotta move on." The quality and number of tracks they included in Ultimate has stirred up interest for me to check out KOF 2002 UM's soundtrack.

29. The Second Joker - KOF XIII

KOF XIII is a game and soundtrack I am not familiar with. I must have been too busy with other games because before I knew it, KOF XIV was out. Of the KOF XIII track included, this is my least favorite.

30. Esaka Continues... - KOF XIII

This is no ESAKA from KOF '94. I mean, what is? You should still be jamming out to this one, though. Another freaking good Esaka theme.

31. Wild Street - KOF XIII

I'm gonna have to check out the rest of that KOF XIII soundtrack. This one is a real finger snapper. Yes, I realize saying that may make me sound like a boomer, but I'm almost 40, so deal with.

32. Tame a Bad Boy - KOF XIII

With a track title like this one, you'd think it belonged to a character like Iori. I looked it up and it turns out this is the theme that belongs to Kim's team. Makes sense. I mean, last I checked, he was still rehabilitating those two dimwits.

33. KDD-0063 - KOF XIII

Some of these titles come off as just strange to me. I looked this one up and it belongs to K' and his team so now it sorta makes sense. Despite the "tude" vibe his appearance may give off, his design still rocks. Ditto for this theme.

34. Yappari ESAKA - KOF XIV

This is another Esaka theme, what more do I need to say? You already know this one is a major banger.

35. Departure from South Town - KOF XIV

The way that guitar leads up to the main course and further riffs throughout the course reminds me of Trigun's soundtrack.

36. Theme of SYD - Alpha Mission [New Remix]

I did not expect to get an arrangement from Alpha Mission but as they say, we take those. I recommend looking up the original version sometime. As Sakurai said, SNK music has always been great, even before the NEO-GEO came along.

37. IKARI - KOF XIV

A rocked out version of the Ikari Warriors theme? I'll take twelve!

38. Forest World - Athena [New Remix]

I played Athena via SNK 40th Anniversary Collection. I was not impressed and can say that this is one o those games that has not aged well. Still, it was nice to see the Ultimate composer's recognize the game and remix this theme.

39. Psycho Soldier Theme - Psycho Soldier [New Remix]

If the views on YouTube are an indicator, this songs is getting a lot of love and for good reason. The Psycho Soldier Theme was the very first video game track to feature vocals. Athena's team has often had arrangements of the Psycho Soldier music in the KOF games but Ultimate marks the first time in over 20 years the song has had the lyrics return. The song was composed by Yuzo Koshiro and purposely made to evoke a 1980s anime opening. Lyrics were sung by the very talented Kanako Kotera, known for her work on the Falcom game soundtracks. This is the Japanese version of the track and if you think the only difference between it and the English version is only language, you are wonderfully mistaken.

40. Psycho Soldier Theme - Psycho Soldier [New Remix] (Overseas Version)

The English version of the loved Psycho Solider Theme. When Psycho Soldier was brought to the states, the song was given an English translation. A very cheesy English translation. The English lyrics are quite different from the Japanese version. Actually, the English version doesn't have as many lyrics as the Japanese version and while it has been over 20 years since the Japanese version had its lyrics restored, the English lyrics for the Psycho Soldier Theme have not been used in over 30 years. For those that did hear the original English version of Psycho Soldier, the cheesy lyrics have been kept, word for word in this remix. Kanako Kotera also sung this English version. What's more, the way she pronounces the words "Fire" and "Psycho Solder" is different between the two versions. Since the English track doesn't have as many lyrics as the Japanese one, this version gets a killer sax solo at the one minute mark.

41. ART of FIGHT - Art of Fighting [New Remix]

This track got me to check out Art of Fighting soundtracks and now I'm a huge fan of them. Makes me wish more tracks from that series made it in, especially the ones from Art of Fighting 3.

42. Art of Fighting Ver.230000000.0 - FATAL FURY SPECIAL

Did this track really have to have 8 zeros in it? Terry can have a special fight against Ryo from Art of Fighting in FATAL FURY SPECIAL. The requirement for unlocking this fight? As Terry, fight your way through arcade mode without losing a single round. Not an easy task since the AI in SPECIAL is on some serious BS. I imagine most probably didn't get to hear this tune because of those conditions.  Not a problem in the current year.

43. Tuna - SAMURAI SHODOWN

That heavy percussion and flute work make this song for me.

44. Banquet of Nature - SAMURAI SHODOWN [New Remix]

Nakoruru easily has one of the best stage themes from the original SAMURAI SHODOWN. This arrangement of her theme was done by Masami Ueda, who made the song soound even more Japanese than the original. Ueda has written music for games such as Bayonetta, Resident Evil 2 and a little game called Okami.

45 Gaia - SAMURAI SHODOWN [New Remix]

One original track and two arrangements, all from the first SAMURAI SHODOWN. I think that soundtrack has a special place in the hearts of the Ultimate team.

46. Main Theme from Metal Slug - METAL SLUG [New Remix]

I thought it would be crazy to expect songs outside of FATAL FURY and THE KING OF FIGHTERS to be used on Terry's stage but Sakurai and the gang made room for one of the best run 'n gun series on their song list. I would have loved to see some song from METAL SLUG 5 but I can't fault the team for remixing this theme. Such an iconic song.

47. Assault Theme - METAL SLUG 1-3 [New Remix]

One remix for the METAL SLUG series would have been fine but me, but they went and gave us two.

48. Final Attack - METAL SLUG 1-6

I've got this tune playing as I finish this feature up. Why have I not had this sucker blasting more often on Terry's stage, I had no idea.

49. Judgement - METAL SLUG 2

Awww, why couldn't this be Livin' on the Deck? Yeah, Judgement is a really cool theme and awesome for a first level song, but Livin' on the Deck is the GOAT of METAL SLUG 2/X.

50. Blue Water Fangs (The Island of Dr. Moreau) - METAL SLUG 3

The more I let this song play, the more I find myself nodding my head to it. The Ultimate team did a bang up job on their song picks.

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And we all thought Dracula's Castle had the biggest selection of songs from a third party rep at 34. Terry rolls up with 50 tracks, further reminding everyone that Cloud got crapped on with his measly two songs. Sakurai said that this was more than likely a one time thing, so unless whatever company that owns the next character is feeling more generous than SNK with their music, I don't think we'll ever get it this good. If your appetite for SNK music has been wet with this song list, I recommend heading over to Spotify. There's way more SNK music where this came from.

And with that, I'm off to enjoy Thanks Giving with my family. I hope you're doing the same and staying fed as well as safe.