Favorite Tunes #232: The Slugfest

If you get the subtitle for this one, give yourself a cookie. A peanut butter cookie. Because those are the best flavor of cookies.

Desert Mountain Storm (BGM 1) - Gun Frontier (ARC)

I happened across this game's music while looking for some music from King of Fighters '98 to post. Any game that has music by Taito (ZUNTATA) is going to catch my attention. And man, it is ever so good! Gun Frontier or Gun & Frontier as it is known in the west, received a SEGA Saturn port, at least in Japan. The game was also part of the Taito Legends 2 collection on the PS2, 360 and PC.

Konami Avenue - Over Drive (ARC)

Insert the obvious Konami sucks comment here. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, we can talk about this arcade game. Actually, we can't because I've never played it and the game's existence didn't reach my notice until recently. This is another one I happened across while preparing Favorite Tunes. As of this writing, I haven't listened to the entire soundtrack, but this track by itself has left a very strong impression.

Rumbling on the City (Ikari Team) - King of Fighters '98: Dream Match Never Ends (ARC, NG)

Among the many (and I mean many) King of Fighters games, '98 is widely regarded as one of, if not the best entry. The fight roster (consisting of 30+ characters) was huge and the game was well balanced. You can get this classic for chump change via Arcade Archives on the PS4 and Switch. Those digitized guitar riffs are immaculate.

Beyond the Galaxy - Galaxy Force II (GEN)

Sure, Galaxy Force II didn't fare well on the Genesis but the one thing that did not get botched is the music. Those strong bass lines sounds arguably better on this home port than they do the co-op version. Also, that cowbell!

Stage 1 (Moonlight Temptation) - Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (NS, PS4, XBO, PSV, PC)

Knock back, stiff jumping, the Belmont strut. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is a Castlevania game in everything but the name. Seeing as how Konami isn't doing jack with the franchise these days, I have no problem with Bloodstained being the new Castlevania. Even the soundtrack was done by Michiru Yamane, a name known far and wide to Castlevania fans.

Marina Stadium - Mario Tennis Aces (NS)

From the buzz, Mario Tennis Aces has put the Mario Tennis games back on the map after a few lackluster entries. I haven't really gotten seriously involved with a Mario Tennis game since the N64 original so I'm really stoked for this one (haven't picked it up yet.) It would be a Mario Tennis game without blasting Motoi Sakuraba music. The man really has flair for making Tennis music sound epic.

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Arrogance: The Worst Look Anyone Can Wear

Arrogance. In life and especially the business that is the video game industry, it is quite possible the worst enemy one can have, especially if you happen to be a console manufacturer. One could argue that due to a company's success that they have a right to be arrogant but more often than not, there is one nasty sludge hammer waiting to destroy that pedestal that the proud have propped themselves up on.

Sony is sitting atop the throne with the PS4. It is clearly winning this console generation but I'm getting the impression that Sony doesn't remember the humbling experience that was the previous console generation. This whole no cross play on Xbox One and Switch debacle is really showing that Sony thinks they are too cool for school.

Sony cleaned house during both the PS and PS2 eras. Winning two console generations in a row is enough to make anyone's head swell and it was at the point where the PS3 was revealed that Sony showed the world that they had an ego the size of a small planet. In a display of supreme arrogance, Sony priced the PS3 at $600 and had the gull to state they wanted gamers to work second jobs just to be able to afford one. Gamers response to that was to buy a Wii and a 360. Sure the PS3 eventually overtook the 360 but Sony's massive ego allowed the competition to win that era with the Wii kicking the PS3's teeth in.

Despite not having a whole lot at launch, the PS4 quickly gained traction due to the low entry cost at $400 and they were very pro consumer compared to Microsoft with the Xbox one at 2013's E3, which had to be one of the lowest points for Microsoft and played a large part in landing them where they are now. Sony even took a not-so-subtle jab at Microsoft when they demonstrated how game sharing on the PS4 would work, you know, the natural way, loaning games to friends instead of that stupid cloud nonsense that Microsoft thought was actually a good idea along with their always online DRM. Microsoft pretty much handed Sony the win for the PS4 vs XBO battle, if it can even be called such.

Now here we are, five years later and Sony's ego is once again in the drivers seat, making mind mindbogglingly stupid choices. Thinking that just because they are sitting in the number one spot, that they are untouchable when it has been proven time and again for all three console manufacturers, no one is immune to failure. Regardless of what you may think of Fortnite and the popularity the game has garnered holding player's accounts to the game hostage is just plain scummy. To Sony it may be about their bottom line as a business but it still isn't a good move. Microsoft and Nintendo have taken advantage of Sony's idiocy and have shown that they are open to cross platform play with a brilliant Minecraft ad. Never thought I'd see the day where a Microsoft controller is shown in an ad on Nintendo's channel, but there really is a first time for everything.

Gamers remember what happened the last time Sony's arrogance was out of control but it is quite apparent that Sony does not. There could be a sludge hammer knocking on their door in a few years.

Favorite Tunes #231: Just How Do You Pronounce "Ys"?

Well, now that I've spoiled what two of the selections come from in the subtitle, how about we just get on with the show?

EXH* Notes - Rave Racer (ARC)

While Ridge Racer and Ridge Racer Revolution recieved home ports on the PlayStation, Rave Racer has forever stayed in the arcades, dooming the game to obscurity. Bandai Namco really should get in touch with HAMSTER and give us an Arcade Archives release of this baby. It has some wicked music.

Ultra Cruise - Ridge Racer 6 (360)

Just as the original Ridge Racer and Ridge Racer V were for the PS and PS2 respectively, Ridge Racer 6 was a lunch title for the Xbox 360, showing off what Microsoft's new hardware was capable of. By no means was Ridge Racer 6 a killer app, there were still far worse ways to spend $50-60 for a game a launch day. It should go without saying, but since this is a Ridge Racer game, of course the music was on point.

Burning Point - Thunder Blade (ARC)

A game most are probably familiar with thanks to the Genesis version of the game called Super Thunder Blade, which sadly has given the original Thunder Blade a negative reputation. The arcade version was given greater exposure being released on SEGA's 3D line on the 3DS, but Super Thunder Blade has continued to get more and more releases on compilations over the years. Not only does Thunder Blade play a million times better than the choppy Genesis version, the soundtrack is leaps and bounds ahead of it.

BGM 4 - Racing Hero (ARC)

Don't let this weak sauce of a title for the track fool you. BGM 4 is a phenomenal piece of music. I'd expect nothing less from the musicians SEGA employed. Racing Hero could be considered part of the Hang-On series despite not being anywhere near as well known as Super Hang-On.

Prelude to Adventure - Ys III: Wanderers from Ys (TG-16)

Ys VIII hit the Switch and as I have never completed a Ys game but have always loved the music, I think I'll pick it up and make it the first game in the series I finish. Ys III received a few ports and picking which version has the best music can be a difficult task.

The Boy's Got Wings - Ys III: Wanderers from Ys (X68000)

Yes, we're talking about Ys III music again, but this time from the Sharp X68000 version. That thing had a baller of a sound chip and in the right hands, magic was worked. One of Ys III's best tracks (saying a lot because the entire game's soundtrack is crazy awesome) sounds spectacular on the X68000. Those drums, man!

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Re-Releases You Should Play Part 5

If you've played them before, play them again. If you haven't played them, take them out for a spin.

Arcade Archives DONKEY KONG (NS)

There have been tons upon tons of versions of Donkey Kong. Nintendo's 1981 classic has been on NES as well as the Commodore 64. The issue with a lot of home ports, however, is that often times, they were missing a stage or two. Even the NES version, the one most are probably familiar with, only has three stages, omitting 50cm. Most players that wanted to play the arcade version of Donkey Kong either had to fire up MAME or Donkey Kong 64. Those days are long gone as HAMSTER has at long last rolled out the arcade version of Donkey Kong on the Switch.

You want that opening cut scene of DK climbing up the construction site with Pauline? Present. The "How high can you get?" tagline that shows before each stage? Here. All four stages? You got 'em. You get the usual options of toggling the screen display so you can play with scan lines, the original arcade output or turn them off completely to get a nice, clean visual appearance. There are also three versions of Donkey Kong to play that change the game slightly such as mixing up the stage order or cutting the game in half, only containing the first and last level. Your usual high score and caravan modes are also here

As Donkey Kong is an old game, Mario doesn't have the super smooth movement he does in his games today. Heck, he can't even fall very far without dying. Even though this is the first game to star Mario, I'm surprised at how well it still holds up. Though his movements are stiff, controlling Mario still feels comfortable. It feel incredibly satisfying to jump over a barrel or crush a flame with a hammer. I've lost count of how many times I've beaten this game since purchasing it earlier this week. The first loop is easy but loop 2 is giving me trouble.  If you're looking for a way to legally enjoy the game that introduced two of the biggest names in gaming, Arcade Archives Donkey Kong is the way to go. Oh, and TATE mode, baby!

Also available on: ARC, N64

Ikaruga (NS)

In the early 2000s, I found a new favorite SHMUP in Ikaruga for the GameCube. A game that was originally in arcades and later ported on the Dreamcast in Japan, both the GCN and DC versions will run you a pretty penny these days. Ikaruga has since been re-released digitally on the 360, Steam and now, the Switch, a platform that is quickly becoming a SHMUP and arcade lover's paradise.

There are no power-ups to collect to strengthen your ship in Ikaruga. Instead you have the brilliant polarity system. What this does it let you change your ship's polarity to black or white with the press of a button. If you see white fire coming your way, turn your ship's polarity white and you'll absorb the fire. Do the same for black bullets coming in your direction. The kicker to this is that your ship is weak to whatever color is the opposite of it at that time. There will be times when you'll have to reverse your ship's polarity at just the right moment to avoid death. White enemies are weak to black bullets and the reverse applies to black enemies. Absorbing enemy fire not only nets you points but you can build up a full meter to release a barrage of bullets on the opposition.

Anyone that has heard of Ikaruga knows it is not an easy game. Even on the easiest setting it can be quite brutal. Thankfully, there free play can be selectable from the start but you can forget about saving those high scores if you choose to play this way. Online rankings are sure to inspire competition and even on the easy setting, I'm surprised at how far ahead I was above a lot of other players (I'm in the 1000s if you were wondering).

There are achievements to unlock as well as the awesome ability to play in TATE mode, which is one of the best things about Switch game on the arcade. The Switch version just might be the ideal way to play Treasure's classic shooter.

Also available on: ARC, DC, GCN, 360, PC

Favorite Tunes #230: Ultimate Smashing

Originally, I had a different set of songs planned for this week's Favorite Tunes but Super Smash Bros. Ultimate got me hyped, so this is a Smash inspired set of music. Not every track is from Smash, though. I'm hoping some of these picks make it in the game.

Main Theme - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (NS)

While the Smash games are usually dominated by tunes from other games as well as remixes and arrangements, one of the few new pieces of music are the excellent Main Themes. I thought Brawl had the best Main theme of the four Smash games released thus far, but with the coming of Ultimate, well, this Main Theme is giving it some serious competition. Prepare yourself for that choir chiming in at the 2:18 mark. 

Rip Entry - Splatoon 2 (NS)

It was pretty much a given that the Inklings would be making it into Smash. I mean, what, with Splatoon being insanely popular. I'm probably the odd man out on this, but I love Moray Towers and I'm happy to see it being the stage to represent our favorite squid kids. I cannot wait to see the music tracks and juicy Splatoon and Splatoon 2 remixes we'll get. Rip Entry better be one of those songs.

Chemical Plant Act 2 - Sonic Mania (PS4, NS, XBO, PC)

Some critics *coughGameSpotcough* sure were quick to label Sonic Mania the greatest Sonic Game ever after only a few play throughs. It is an outstanding game and I love it, but I wouldn't go that far. With Sonic returning to Smash a third time, I'm hoping we get some Sonic Mania tunes or even a few remixes. Speaking of which, Act 2's Chemical Plant is lit,

Saria's Song - Super Smash Bros. Melee (GCN)

To the Melee player, this is the greatest Smash game ever. To everyone else, it is highly overrated and insanely unbalanced, with the majority of the cast not even being tournament viable. I can't say the Melee community hasn't had a negative impact on my perception of the game, but I still cheerish the many hours I sunk into this game and for me, it is still my favorite GameCube title. I'm glad this stage is returning in Ultimate.

Cut Man Stage - Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Wii U)

Mega Man was my main in 3DS/Wii U Smash so I am very pleased that he is returning for Ultimate. He got a healthy dose remixes in the last Smash game. The same cannot be said for Cloud and Sonic. No doubt most if not all of the Wii U Mega Man Smash arrangements will return for Ultimate and hopeful some new ones as well.

Torkdrift Battle - Super Mario Odyssey (NS)

New Donk City is a stage for Ultimate. We already know Jump Up, Superstar is going to be one of the tunes for said stage. Other music I'm looking forward to hearing while seeing characters into the blast zone are Fossil Falls, Steam Gardens, Honeyloon Ridge (Caves) and one of the coolest fight themes in the whole game, Torkdrift Battle. Make it happy, Sakurai!

Favorite Tunes Database

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Let the Excitement Begin

I can just picture Masahiro Sakurai sitting in the development room with his team at a table, sipping his beverage of choice, shortly followed up by saying, "For this Super Smash Bros., we're going to bring everyone," before taking a drink. A team member questions "What do you mean?" Sakurai places his cup down on the table, smiles back smugly and replies, "EVERYONE."

OK, so it probably didn't go down like that, but a part of me likes to think it did.

We all have those games that we look forward to, games that stir excitement. However, some games garner much more excitement than others. For myself and I greatly suspect for a lot of others, Super Smash Bros. is one of those games that get people seriously jazzed with anticipation. Although when it comes to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, I don't think the word excitement even does justice to just how stoked people are for this game.

"Everyone is here!" Three simple words. Yet to many players, they hold so much meaning. Over the course of four games and nearly twenty years, we've all found favorite characters or mains that we love to play as. Sadly, we've seen some of those same characters dropped. As a huge fan of the Ice Climbers, I was super disappointed to not see them return for 3DS/Wii U Smash. The loss of Solid Snake stung for a lot of people and Wolf mains saw the number of Star Fox reps cut down to two. I had originally planned to do a feature of characters I wanted for the Switch version of Smash, including both new characters and those that I'd like to see return. Nintendo's E3 deep dive of Ultimate gives me little reason to even go on with said feature. All the characters I wanted to see return are coming back. Seeing reactions of people losing it when Snake appeared made it seem like we were back in 2006 when the character was revealed at the end of Brawl's trailer. Currently the roster consists of 65 characters. I'd like to see more, but if 65 is all we get, I really can't complain.

As someone that has always preferred Daisy to Peach, I am so happy to see her make it as an echo fighter in Ultimate. I will definitely be maining Inkling as I love Splatoon, It sucks that Waluigi isn't a playable character but at least he's still in as an Assist Trophy. I know many Waluigi fans aren't content with that, but getting some kind of representation in Smash is quite the honor. I'm excited to see my boy Bomberman make it as an Assist Trophy for this game! At high percentages, he looks like he could be series trouble if he isn't KO'd before those bombs go off.

And the title of "Ultimate" for this game is spot on. With so many characters, so many stages and three different stage options, new techniques, this is looking like it is going to be the ultimate Super Smash Bros. game. The only other title they could have gone with to top Ultimate is Everyone is Here! I mean, have those three words have never sounded so good. I want to play the old stages, the new stages, play with the new characters. the old characters, collect a ton of trophies, hear the glorious new remixes and oh so much more. Like so many of you, I cannot wait to get my grubby hands on this game. My hype thruststers have been activated to overdrive levels.

Favorite Tunes #229: Not Casltevania

Being ahead of schedule feels really good. Why do I say that. Well, not only is it true, but by the time you read this, I'll have typed all this in weeks ago. Enjoy the music.

Stage 2 (Frigid Hell) - Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (PS4, PSV, NS, 3DS, XBO, PC)

If you miss Castlevania or more specifically, old school Castlevania then Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon will be right up your alley. It looks and feels like an 8-bit Castlevania. Curse of the Moon even has Medusa head stand-in enemies that appear at the worst of times. Being a game modeled after Caslevania, the music is excellent.

Set Up (USA) - Phantasy Star II (GEN)

Often herald as one of the greatest RPGs on the Genesis. It might be the best if not for Phantasy Star IV. Well, that's what most people that play it say, anyway. I haven't played either all the way through so maybe my opinions will differ.

A Submerging Titan - Super R-Type (SNES)

True story: I actually beat Super R-Type. Not the most difficult game ever, Super R-Type manages to make a series that is already know for being hard even more so by eliminating checkpoints from R-Type II, of which Super R-Type is a port of. The music quality is a step above the arcade version and few of the levels are brand new.

Vital Mission - Metal Warriors (SNES)

Metal Warriors is one of those SNES games I've heard of but never played.  I think I saw it at Blockbuster years ago but I never felt compelled to try it out even with that sweet looking mech on the cover. This tune just happened to pop up on the side bar on YouTube so I gave it a listen. Needless to say, I was not disappointed with what I heard.

Infinite - Sonic Forces (PS4, NS, XBO, PC)

I'm not gonna call Sonic Forces a great game but it isn't a horrible abomination that many would like you to believe, nor doesn't throw Sonic back to "the dark years." The music, while different from what most may be used to with a lot of synth, is really good. Regardless of how Infinite turned out as a villain, his theme song is a real banger.

Format X - Contra Hard Corps

Are you looking for a Contra game to really kick you in the junk and show you no mercy? Contra Hard Corps is your game. The game is even hard outside of Japan thanks to the removal of a life meter and your continues are very limited.

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Favorite Tunes #228: Cut Short

Ever find a music track playing in a game you really like but the game cuts it off to drop you into some gameplay? My favorite game in the Mega Man series has a track that this happens to (Hint for you new readers: it isn't Mega Man 2). Also in this week's music is a track from Chrono Trigger that is long overdue to be represented here as well as one of the more comical Final Fantasy games. Also, this was meant to be posted on May 26th, but by the time I realized I didn't post it, two days had already passed. I decided to just hold off until June 2nd, which gave me time to get ahead on future FT posts.

Set Up - Axelay (SNES)

Probably not the jam that springs to mind when you think of music from Axelay, but I really dig this one. I've been listening to a lot of SNES soundtracks as of late and I caught myself hitting repeat on this short tune a few times.

Schala's Theme - Chrono Trigger (SNES)

I know I've posted a lot of music from Chrono Trigger in Favorite Tunes over the years. To my surprise, I've never posted Schala's Theme. Well, that is a tragedy I'm making up for right now. This melancholy theme has been sampled by several hip hop artists. While I'm not a fan of a lot of today's hip hop music (I prefer the older stuff), I cannot fault them for using this theme.

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

It has been a while since I've listed a track from my favorite game of 2017. I've heard some complaints that Breath of the Wild's soundtrack is either too quiet or that there aren't enough remixes from past games. I disagree. Not every game needs to have every track set on blast and what few arrangements are here are really good. Much as I enjoy a soundtrack filled with remixes, its nice to let new music breath. The Main Theme of Breath of the Wild is a powerful, moving piece of music. The 1:06 mark of this song gives me chills.

Dr. Wily Stage Map - Mega Man 3 (NES)

This right here. This is the best Wily Map theme. At a run time of 20 seconds, it also happens to be one of the longest and you never get to hear all of it in game. I can see why that is because no one would want to be sitting at the Wily Stage Map for 20 seconds six times in a row. Then again, this short tune is so good, I could see myself doing that.

Schrage Musik - Danmaku Unlimited 3 (PC, NS)

I still haven't managed to beat this game on the easy setting but I am getting better and I managed to get over 12 million points, breaking my previous record of over 11 million. If you can actually stop sweating from all the bullets your evading, the music in Danmaku Unlimited 3 by BLANKFIELD is really enjoyable stuff.

Lenna's Theme - Final Fantasy V Dear Friends

The Main Theme of Final Fantasy V is a splendid piece of music. Like many main themes it was reused numerous times throughout the game. One of my favorite versions comes in the form of Lenna's Theme. Since I already posted her theme some time ago in Favorite Tunes, here's an arrangement from the album Dear Friends, which is named after one of the ending themes of the game.

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