Videos I Like #11: Zelda: The Musical

Do you like Zelda? Do you like Zelda music? If you answered yes to both of those, then I highly recommend checking out Zelda: The Musical. Now if the word "musical" next to Zelda makes you shudder, fear not. This three minute and forty four second video is made of wonderful sprite animation with excellent music and vocals. Its also laugh out loud funny. Special thanks to Kayleigh Powis at 8-Bit Girl for bringing this awesome video to my attention.

The Arrangements of BitSymphony

While working on a blog post and listening to Final Fantasy music over on YouTube, I came across some videos from BitSymphony, a gamer and video game music lover. The style used by BitSymphony is on the orchestra side and it sounds light but good without exaggeration in the music. BitSymphony has done a number of video game arrangements from the Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts and Sonic the Hedgehog series. Among my favorites are his arrangement of Chrome Gadget from Sonic 3 & Knuckles, The Oath from Final Fantasy VIII, Find Your Way (also from FFVIII) Judgement Day from Final Fantasy VII. Thus far, he's done 48 arrangements from numerous games. You can check out his channel here.

How Will the Wii U Fare?

If you listen to ignorant fanboys harp on about how the Wii has no games and is killing gaming by catering to the casual gamer, you're probably unaware of all the good titles you're missing out on. Let's face it, hating Nintendo has become quite popular over the last three generations of gaming. For the first time in years, Nintendo has managed to reclaim the number one spot and still gamers spew bile. With the coming of the Wii U, it doesn't look like the nay-saying will cease anytime soon.

Nintendo unveiled the Wii U at 2011's E3. At first it was said that the Wii U was more powerful with the PlaySation 3 and Xbox 360. But just recently, some anonymous developers have said that it isn't as powerful as either of the aforementioned current gen rival platforms. Visually stunning powerhouses like Batman: Arkham City have already been announced for the Wii U so the system can't be that under powered. Still, assumptions and speculation are running rampant when in reality, we really don't know anything because one, Nintendo hasn't divulged all of the specs and two, and the system isn't even out yet. Of course this hasn't stopped pundits from saying that Nintendo is doomed.

Let's say the Wii U isn't as powerful as Sony and Microsoft's next systems. Would that really be such a bad thing? The Wii was the least powerful system this generation and it ended up mopping the floor with the PS3 and 360. And in the previous console generation, the PS2, the weakest of the three consoles ended up being the market leader. Having the highest range of specs under the hood doesn't automatically make you a winner. And let's not forget that the Wii was also developed to be cost-friendly. Yeah, its specs couldn't hold a candle to the competition, but because it was essentially two GameCubes under the hood, nearly anyone could afford it. The same could not be said for the 360 and PS3 when they launched. The HD gaming generation is also making the cost of development skyrocket, which is why we're seeing more expensive games, something the gaming populace has not kept quiet about.

Nintendo hardware tends to be on the affordable side, but the company has said that the system won't be cheap. I wonder. Just what does 'not cheap' mean to Nintendo? A friend and I were talking about this a while back and we got to discussing the price of the Wii when it first launched, which was at $250 in America because it came bundled with Wii Sports. Apparently, Nintendo wanted to sell the system for cheaper but due to pressure from retailers, it was launched at the $250 price that it was. So we got to talking and thought that $300-$350 sounds about right for the Wii U. Don't quote me on that, though. The 3DS launched at a price of $250 and this was a huge turn off for many gamers. True the launch lineup was sub par, but when the price was lowered to $170, buying the handheld a lot sooner for me became a no brainer. I think it's safe to say that even if the Wii U "won't be cheap" as Nintendo says, it will still be cheaper than what Sony or Microsoft serves up.

There's talk from Nintendo about winning back the hardcore gamer (even though a selection of hardcore titles was on the Wii, but haters were too busy hating to give notice) and Nintendo has already taken steps to get them back on the Wii with the North American releases of Xenoblade: Chronicles and The Last Story. If games like Arkham City, Assassins Creed III, and Tekken are in the works, I think Nintendo just may make good on their word.

So how will the Wii U Fare? It's way too early to tell. As I've already said, the system isn't even out for us to play yet. But I do know one thing: The Wii U will have games that can only be played on Nintendo's new baby. You will not be able to play Mario, Zelda, Kirby or Metroid on a Sony or Microsoft system. And who knows, there just may be a few killer exclusives that only hit the Wii U. You could end up kicking yourself for not having one. I still don't know about that tablet controller, but I've always been a supporter of Nintendo's consoles and handhelds. Nintendo has been in the game business for a long time and I doubt we can ever truly count them out.

Favorite Tunes #6: Final Fantasy Town Themes

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Final Fantasy series. The first game hit the Famicom in Japan in 1987 while the original Final Fantasy wouldn't be released in North American until 1990. I don't feel like waiting until 2015 for Final Fantasy's 25th birthday so I say, let the celebrates begin in 2012.

One of my favorite franchises in gaming, the Final Fantasy games boast some incredible music across each platform that the series has graced. From the NES all the way to current generation hardware, Final Fantasy music is some of the best out there. This edition of Favorite Tunes focuses on town musical pieces. Why a Favorite Tunes based on FF Towns? Because a Town Themes is the works for another edition of this series and I didn't want it to be dominated by FF tunes, so it gets its very own spot. Town themes aren't just limited to towns. For me, they can be used for a kingdom, a castle, or in the case of the very first entry, a cave that acts as a home.

Matoya's Cave - Final Fantasy (NES)

You walk into a cave filled with brooms that walk of their own free will. The only being of flesh in the cavehold is Matoya, a witch that can't see a thing without her Crystal Eye. Being the brave Warriors of Light that you are, you go and fetch it for her by beating the crap outta Astos. With her vision restored, she makes the Jolt Potion so you can wake the prince of Elfheim. Depending on which version of the game you're playing, she'll either tell you to get lost or that you're ugly as sin. What an ungrateful witch. Matoya's Cave has one of the most jovial themes from the entire FF series. The minute you hear it, it brings a smile to your face and makes you want to whistle along. The NES version is my favorite, but the PSX arrangement is also quite good. If you actually talked to those brooms that were cleaning up the cave, their scrambled text is actually a means to view the world map. Keen.

Doga and Unne's Mansion - Final Fantasy III (DS)

I can remember the first time I entered Doga and Unne's home and being blown away by this magnificent theme. This brilliant piece of music justifies the two characters very short existence in the game. I actually ran around the manor for a bit just to take this lovely song in a little more. Maybe it's because I heard the DS version first, but I must admit that I'm very partial to it. Still, the NES original is pretty rad. 

Troian Beauty - Final Fantasy IV (SNES)

When you enter a majority of the towns in Final Fantasy IV, you're almost always greeted with Welcome to Our Town! Not when you go to Troian, though. No, when you step into Troian, you're hit with this soothingly beautiful music piece. It just makes me let out a peaceful sigh. Even on SNES hardware, Troian Beauty is mighty fine work from Nobou Uematsu. Welcome to Our Town! is good. Troian Beauty is better. So much better.

My Home, Sweet Home - Final Fantasy V (SNES)

The only playable protagonist you can name in Final Fantasy V is called Bartz in localized versions but Butz in the Japanese version. His hometown's name? Lix. Make of that what you will. *Ahem* Lix is the only place in the game where you can hear the theme My Home, Sweet Home, an absurdly peaceful tune. I really adored FFV's use of the banjo in a number of tracks, especially this one. At one point in the game, Exdeath sends Lix to the Void, meaning you cannot hear My Home, Sweet Home anymore. That's reason enough to send him to the grave as far as I'm concerned. 

Cyan - Final Fantasy VI (SNES)

Cyan's theme also acts as the theme for Doma Castle, which was the home to Cyan and his wife and son. Doma fell when Kefka poisoned the water just for the fun of it. Valiant knight, Cyan was the sole survivor. Cyan's theme is the audio version of honor. Despite all of the hardships Cyan goes through (you could argue that Cyan got it far worse than any of the others when it comes to dealing with loss), Cyan pulls through and still goes on living in a world many would think isn't worth living in or saving. When I hear Cyan's music, I reminded of how he lost his kingdom and his family all in one day, but the tune also reminds me of courage, strength, and character, something the middle aged man has in spades.

Parochial Village - Final Fantasy VII (PSX)

As good as Final Fantasy VII's music was, I have to admit that I think it was one of Nobou Uematsu's weaker efforts. This probably has to do with time constraints. FFVII was an a behemoth of a game and he was only given six months to compose the score. I wasn't the biggest fan of the town themes in this game but I really dug Parochial Village. FFVII has a number of "chill" songs like the Turks' Theme, Coast of the Sun, Lurking in the Darkness and Oppressed People, but Parochial Village tops them all, at least in my opinion.

Fisherman's Horizon - Final Fantasy VIII (PSX)

One of the coolest towns in Final Fantasy VIII. The town layout was phenomenal, offering so many different views and areas to visit. Without question, it's my favorite town in the game. Along with all the lovely scenery and places to go, is one of the best pieces of music in the entire Final Fantasy series and one of my favorite town themes of any game, Fisherman's Horizon. Do you like fishing? I've never been fishing myself, but Fisherman's Horizon makes it sound like the best pastime on the planet. Or if you're not into fishing, just imagine you're self on the beach, looking out at the endless ocean, the sun in the sky reflecting on the water, light clouds passing by, millions of miles from your troubles. Now that's paradise.

Cid's Theme - Final Fantasy IX (PSX)

The red carpet has been rolled out. Don't slouch! Stand up straight! You have an audience with a king! Annnnnnd he's been turned into a frog by his wife for cheating on her. Well royalty is royalty regardless of what they've been turned into (and scorned women are not to be trifled with.) Cid's Theme plays whenever you visit Lindblum Castle and as it suggests, Cid is an important figure, with ruler status. He also gives you access to much-needed airships. His theme is made of awesome majestic goodness.

Luca - Final Fantasy X (PS2)

Who says only the good Final Fantasy music comes from Nobuo Uematsu? FFX was the first game in the main series to feature composers outside of Uematsu. Some of the very best tracks in the game were written by Masashi Hamauzu and Junya Nakano, the later of two being the composer of Luca. Luca happens to be one of the biggest cities in the game that you'll explore. As such, its theme gives off a vibe that is vibrant, making you feel that a lot is going on, as is often the case with large cities.

Latest Game Purchases #27

On April 6, 2012 Xenoblade Chronicles, one of the most critical acclaimed RPGs in recent memory was finally released in North America. I reserved a copy a few weeks ago since it was a GameStop exclusive. However, payday wasn't until Tuesday so I had to wait until April 10, to go pick mine up. I'd like to give a very special thanks to all the gamers involved in Operation Rainfall. Had it not been for their tremendous efforts, Xenoblade Chronicles may not have become available to a wider audience. Part of the reason I picked this game up was to show my gratitude for such passion that they've shown. I'll be giving further thanks when The Last Story hits American store shelves on June 19. Nintendo has said that it wants to win back the hardcore crowed and I've always felt they could start by releasing Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story and Pandora's Tower in all regions. Well we got two outta three. Here's hoping Nintendo of America will give Pandora's Tower a western release.

Retro Gamer turns 100! The 100th issue of Retro Gamer was on the shelves at my Barns & Noble so I just had to get a copy. I wasn't there when Retro Gamer began years ago, but I did start reading the mag in early 2011 and I've loved it ever since. Retro Gamer Load 100 also came with a reprint of Retro Gamer Load One, the very first issue of Retro Gamer. How many gaming magazines have done something like that to commemorate such an occasion? I'm actually way behind on my issues of Retro Gamer. I have lots of back issues from 2011 leading up to 2012 that I haven't even read yet. I've already got a massive gaming backlog. I don't need a backlog for gaming mags. 

Also picked up the new issue of Nintendo Power and who is gracing the cover? Why it's that lovable due of Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. I still haven't played my copy of Epic Mickey but it's nice to hear it is getting a sequel in Epic Mickey: The Power of Two. The 3DS game Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion is looking drop dead gorgeous and is a wonderful showcase for 2D graphics on the 3DS. Like Retro Gamer, I'm also behind on back issues of Nintendo Power but only by three months, and I tend to read through Nintendo Power issues a lot faster than Retro Gamer so catching up should be no problem.

On-Disc DLC "unfortunate reality"

Cliff Bleszinksi, game designer at Epic Games has given his thoughts in response to enormous fan outcry against Capcom's Street Fighter X Tekken's on-disc DLC, which has 12 characters locked away on the console and PC versions of the game, waiting to be released later this year when the Vita version hits.


"When you're making a game, and you're getting into a ship cycle, there's often three or four months where the game is basically done. And you have an idle team that needs to be working on things," he said.


"And often for compatibility issues, [on] day one, some of that content does need to be on-disc. It's an ugly truth of the gaming industry. I'm not the biggest fan of having to do it, but it is one of the unfortunate realities."

Well it warms the heart to know a developer isn't a fan of on-disc DLC but I still don't buy the argument for compatibility issues. It just seems like a way for companies to stiff gamers, to bleed more money out of them and in the case of Street Fighter X Tekken, this is exactly what Capcom is trying to do. But there's more.

"If we can get to fully downloadable games, then you can just buy a $30 horror game and just have it, and that stuff will thankfully go away."

No, Mr. Bleszinksi. There are digital games that still house DLC. I don't think we will ever see DLC go away and to think so is just foolhardy.

Source: GameSpot

Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures The Complete Series

Making his debut in the 1942 theatrical short The Mouse of Tomorrow, Super Mouse was based off of, you guessed it, Superman. Super Mouse was created by Paul Terry of Terrytoons and has many of the Man of Steel's powers such as flight and invulnerably. Even his costume was red and blue like DC Comics boy scout. After seven shorts, his name was changed to Mighty Mouse and eventually, he was given his traditonal yellow and red tights. Mighty Mouse shorts would be run through the '40s and early '50s.

The first revival of Might Mouse came from Filmation. In 1979, The New Adventures of Might Mouse and Heckle and Jeckle debuted on CBS, lasting for two seasons and 32 episodes. Mighty Mouse was far more talkative in this cartoon than he was in his theatrical shorts but thanks to the second revival, this series isn't remembered all that much.

HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAAAAAY!!!

When I think of Mighty Mouse, the Filmation series and early theatrical shorts aren't what spring to mind. True, the shorts are where Mighty Mouse began and the Filmation series will no doubt have a special place in the hearts of fans. But for me, my Mighty Mouse will always be the one from 1987, Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures. Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures was released on a 3 disc DVD collection on January 5, 2010. Yes, I'm super late to the party in securing my copy. Part of the lyrics from the opening song are "things won't be like they've been before." Man, they were not lying about that.

Mighty Mouse in his secret
identity, Mike Mouse.

Spearheaded by Ralph Bakshi, Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures was nothing like either of the two versions of Mighty Mouse that came before it and for that matter, a lot of cartoons that were out at the time. Bakshi's Mighty Mouse was laugh out loud, over the top, insane, gag-heavy, comedy gold that was delightful to kids and adults. On numerous occasions, the stars of the show would use visual puns, break the fourth wall and indulge in all manner of all the wall gags that other cartoons of the '80s weren't doing.

Fourth wall? At times, it's smashed with a
wrecking ball.

The crew under Bakshi was a powerhouse. The Ren & Stimpy Show is often credited for the style of writing and humor seen in a lot of cartoons today, but in truth, a great deal of that can be traced back to Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures, which is fitting since John Kricfalusi, creator of Ren & Stimpy also worked on this show. He's not the only familiar name associated with this fine cartoon. Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond Justice League), Andrew Stanton (Monsters, Inc. WALL-E), Tom Minton and a slew of others got their start in animation here and are a testament to why Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures is the great cartoon that it is.

I can fondly remember sitting down on Saturday mornings to watch this cartoon. Part of my fascination with it was that Mighty Mouse was a super hero. I mean, what kid didn't like Superman, Batman or Spider-Man? To me, Mighty Mouse was just as cool as those guys. He flew through the air, he was super strong and incredibly tough. He was also quite a funny guy. As much as I laughed watching this show as a kid, I laugh even more now because the humor that's aimed at adults doesn't go over my head.

Mighty with fellow heroes Bat-Bat and
Tick, the Bug Wonder.

The cast of characters in Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures are outrageous. To give the main star a bit more depth, he's given a secret identity in the form of Mike Mouse and he works for Peal Pureheart, another character from the old theatrical Mighty Mouse shorts. Mighty's old nemesis Oil Can Harry also shows up few times. There's plenty of new characters as well. Scrappy Mouse is Mighty's pal, Bat-Bat, one of the best new characters to come out of this series is a parody of Batman and probably could have had his own show. Petey Pate is a lunatic that just wants some respect and all the left shoes in the city. I kid you not on that last one. Old faces from Terrytoons cartoons also make appearances like Heckle and Jeckle, Gandy Goose, Sourpuss and many others.

The Littlest Tramp is completely unedited
on this DVD release.

The writing, considering the names attached to this cartoon is very exceptional. All episodes are comprised of two cartoons per episode. Some of my personal favorite episodes are Night on Bald Pate / Mouse from Another House. In episode 1A we meet unhinged Petey Pate who's tired of being life's butt monkey. The later episode is the debut episode of Mighty's pal, Scrappy Mouse and gives us Mighty's origin story, which is a hilarious parody of Superman's origin. 3A, Night of the Bat-Bat is our first look at Batman spoof Bat-Bat, who cannot live without spouting bad puns. In a later episode Bat with a Golden Tongue, Mighty tries to get Bat-Bat to kick the habit of telling bad jokes, very similar to drug addiction. 17B, Don't Touch That Dial is a fan favorite, showing Mighty exploring different cartoons and shows in a very obvious Take That to shows from the 80s. The ending to this episode has got to be one of the funniest things I've seen in animation.

One of the show's most notable episodes is 7A, The Littlest Tramp. It contains a scene for which the series is infamous for. Polly Pineblossom, a flower girl can't seem to sell her flowers because Big Burray is making her life miserable because, well, he can and that's how he gets his kicks. Earlier in the episode, Big crushed her flower and she gave it to Mighty Mouse. Thinking of the Polly, Mighty Mouse sniffs the crushed power petals but it looked like he was inhaling cocaine. The first time this episode aired, it was left untouched but in 1988, Donald Wildmon of the American Family Association, blew the whole thing out of proportion and the scene was cut it on reruns. On the DVD, its left uncut. This show had a knack for getting crap past the radar and John Kricfalusi fully admits that there's things parents could have gotten upset over that they didn't even notice. Sadly, it was this scene and sour relations with CBS and Bakshi that led to the show getting killed in the middle of it's second season.

Mighty with Pearl Pureheart.

Despite excellent animation and high quality writing, Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures is not without it's flaws. Some episodes are comprised of entire footage from old theatrical shorts with cover songs. A few episodes use stock footage, the most notable example being 13B, Stress For Success, which barely contains any original animation. However, one of the best episodes to make use of animation from the theatrical shorts has got to be 10B, Animation Concerto, which plays a jazzy, boogie rendition of the awesome Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures theme song.

The Cow, one of Mighty's many rogues.

In case you haven't guessed, I have a pretty high opinion of this DVD set. All 19 episodes from the the series are contained here along with some sweet extras. There are some informative audio commentaries on episodes Night of the Bat-Bat / Scrap-Happy and Mighty's Benefit Plan /See You in the Funny Papers. Three Terry Toons Mighty Mouse shorts are also a part of this collection. The theatrical shorts are He Dood It Again (1943), Gypsy Life (1945), and The Mysterious Package (1960). I'm all about The New Adventures, but these shorts are a very cool bonus. Breaking the Mold: The Remaking of Mighty Mouse is a near 30 minute feature with gathers the crew behind The New Adventures including interviews with Ralph Bakshi, Bruce Timm, Andrew Stanton, John Kricfalusi, Libby Simmon and too many other names to list. The audio and visuals have also been remastered and look and sound almost crystal clear.

I loved Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures when I was a kid and I still love it as an adult. It sits right alongside Freakazoid! as one of my favorite super hero comedy shows. If you like Mighty Mouse, if you like to laugh, this DVD set is highly recommended. Buy this collection and let Mighty Mouse save your day.