Favorite Tunes #156: 16-Bit Power

This month marks the 25th anniversary of what is arguably Nintendo's greatest home console, the SNES. The 16-bit machine was a remarkable step up from the NES in every aspect. SNES music still impresses me to this day so music from my favorite Big N machine is taking center stage this week.

Circuit Theme B - Top Gear (SNES)

I never played any of the Top Gear games but I can remember the cover to Top Gear on the SNES as if I saw it only yesterday. That sick looking sports car surrounded by flames is a simple but oh so effective image. I've only recently heard some of the music tracks in Top Gear in it has some really cool themes that stand out. Gotta love the continuous bass in this one.

Dhalsim Stage - Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (SNES)

Yoko Shimomura did a fantastic job of writing music to represent 12 fighters from other countries. The music carried over quite well from the arcade to the SNES, with some themes sounding better than the CPS-I counterparts. Those claps, though.

Counter Hunter - Mega Man X2 (SNES)

Moving along from one Capcom game to another, X2 wasn't on the same level as the original Mega Man X, but it was still a fine effort, nonetheless. The sound font for X2 is a bit different than that of X1, and while I do believe the first X game has the better soundtrack, X2 still has plenty of memorable jams. You gotta wonder if the guitarist lost a few fingers with the intro to Counter Hunter.

Guessing Game House - The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES)

The Main Theme, Hyrule Castle, and both the Light and Dark World Dungeon themes are among the game's most memorable tracks. But some of the game's shorter music pieces have also stood out in my mind.I don't think the Zelda games have had a better mini game theme than this one.

Fire Scramble - Gradius III (SNES)

The SNES conversion of Gradius III may suffer from slowdown and flicker when too many sprites are on screen, but it is a far more forgiving game than the arcade version. The music also sounds better. Fire Scramble sounds even more intense and rich on the SNES.

Save Them! - Final Fantasy VI (SNES)

The game that got me into the Final Fantasy series is my favorite of the lot. The game has an intriguing plot, a diverse cast of characters, and some of the best music Nobuo Uematsu has written. Save Them! is one of those themes that doesn't get used often, which sucks, but the few times it does play during battles, its always a treat.

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