Favorite Tunes #209: 2017 Was Really Somthing

Man, oh man, 2017 was quite a year, both in terms of gaming and in general. The PS4 continued to sell well throughout the year while Nintendo made a huge comeback with the Switch. There was no shortage of good to great games to play so unless you're an extremely picky person, that's the only way I can see 2017 sucking for games. With so many games to choose from, that also meant there was plenty of memorable music to go around.

City Ruins : Rays of Light - NieR: Automata (PC, PS4)

Yeah, yeah, it took me this long to post music from NieR: Automata. What is wrong with me? In my defense, I did start the game pretty late. NeiR has engaging combat and a wealth of SHMUP sections and both control magnificently. Oh and then there's the game's soundtrack, which is just, well, wow. I mean, listen to this theme.

Maverick - Tiny Barbarian DX (PC, NS)

Originally released on PC in four episodes, now you can get Tiny Barbarian DX in physical form on the Switch for $30. It takes a few hours to complete each episode so the game isn't as short as you might think. From the retro visuals to the chiptune soundtrack, this game wears its old school vibe loud and proud and that goes for the game's difficulty as well. Challenging bosses, platforming and enemy placement are plentiful in this game.

Die House - Cuphead (PC, XBO)

Have I mentioned how freaking awesome the soundtrack to Cuphead is? Because that stuff is baller AF. Between the fantastic jazz and swing numbers, you've got the occasional vocal number. In case the message wasn't clear in this song, King Dice is not someone you want to trifle with.

Shrine - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Wii U, NS)

There was very little in the way of dungeons in Breath of the Wild and personally, I didn't mind this one bit. So much of the experience came from explore the game's massive overworld. The game's numerous shines serve as mini dungeons and often times there is more than one solution to the puzzle driven ones. Some say this is an arrangement of a musical track from Link's Awakening, but I'm not hearing it.

The Abyssal Seas - Blaster Master Zero (3DS, NS)

The original Blaster Master was a pretty tough game. Blaster Master Zero will leave players far less frustrated while placing far more emphasis on the story than the original game did. The majority of the music is brand new, which may rub fans of the original the wrong way, but I've got no complaints from everything I've heard.

Staff Roll - Super Mario Odyssey (NS)

When I finished Super Mario Odyssey, I couldn't help but smile as the credits rolled and I was treated to a collage of all the locations Mario and Cappy visited. It truly did feel like the adventure of a lifetime. The Staff Roll theme is an arrangement of Fossil Falls, one of the game's very best music pieces. It seemed like the best choice to end of 2017. In spite of all the crap that happened this year involving the medium, 2017 was still one of the absolute best years in gaming. Here's hoping 2018 is just as good, if not better.

Favorite Tunes Database