Favorite Tunes #169: End of the Journey

Man. 2016 is already over? Its been some ride, filled with some really great as well as truly disappointing games. I'm looking forward to what 2017 has to offer. Not just in terms of gameplay but soundtracks as well. Enjoy this last 2016 edition of Favorite Tunes.

Staff Roll 2 - Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold (PS)

The Gold version of Alpha 2 features Cammy based off her X-Men vs. Street Fighter version as well as arranged music and a few theme themes. Between Gold's three different staff roll jams, it can be tough to pick out a favorite. Staff Roll 2 is super smooth.

The Credits Concerto - Donkey Kong Country (SNES)

Fun fact: I actually finished Donkey Kong Country for the first time around New Year's Eve in 1994. It was strangely calming to get an ending where the game lists all of the enemies and bosses as the go across the screen in DK's home. Probably because the last few worlds was the stuff of nightmares in terms of difficulty.

Reprise (Credits) - Shovel Knight (Multi)

Look, the good things to say about Shovel Knight have already been said and all of that stuff is 100% true. Go buy Shovel Knight. This game was more than deserving of a physical release and I was glad to see that happen. Jake Kaufman and Manami Matsume's work on the music of Shovel Knight soundtrack is nothing short of freaking brilliant.

Staff Roll - Final Fantasy VII (PS, PC)

I've often said that Final Fantasy VII's music isn't Nobuo Uematsu's best work. But I still think it is a solid score. The game's beautiful Main Theme is easily one of best of any Final Fantasy game. I didn't mind the many times it was arranged throughout the game, and it was wonderful to hear it one final time arranged with the classic Final Fantasy series theme.

Deep Drive - Rage Racer (PS)

Wildly different from the first two Ridge Racer titles, Rage Racer let you upgrade your car with cash won from races. The shift in tone was not just one from a gameplay perspective, but the visuals took on a more realistic (for the time, anyway) look. Of course Rage Racer was still an arcade style racer. even tough it was approaching things a bit differently this time around. The soundtrack still consists of electronica with some jazz and rock.

Credits (Super Smash Bros.) - Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)

I thought we'd end things on a lively note. I ended up missing a lot of tracks from Super Smash Bros. Brawl due to not playing on certain stages often and not finding all of the music CDs. A good portion of the Brawl remixes came back in Smash for Wii U, so I've been playing catch up on what I missed, like this arranged credits theme to the original Super Smash Bros., which I gotta say, is better than the original.

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