Favorite Tunes #261: Metal Squad

Once again, Favorite Tunes is not in the usual Saturday slot. The reason is due to yesterday's editorial. Favorite Tunes should be back to the usual Saturday schedule this coming week, but I make no promises. Special thanks to Cat with Monocle for the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate wallpaper.

Bomb Man Stage (Mega Man) - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (NS)

The amount of remix love composers showed Rock in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate truly warms my video game music loving heart. It isn't just new Mega Man 2 remixes. Mega Man 3, 4, 5 and the original Mega Man all received fantastic arrangements. Bomb Man's music has always been a track I've adored and while this remix sticks very close to the original song (making it one of the shortest arranged tracks in Ultimate), it is still a fine jam to launch someone into the blast zone to.

Boss - Mega Man 11 (NS, PS4, XBO, PC)

I sure could have gone for some Mega Man 11 tracks in Ultimate, but that game's soundtrack is packed as is, so you can't have everything. The Blue Bomber's latest entry boasts some of the most enjoyable boss battles with Robot Masters of the entire series. Once they get down to half health,  they change up their attack patterns and become far more aggressive.

Bio Hazard Snatcher - Snatcher (PC-8801)

With adventure games making a strong comeback, you'd think Konami would re-release Snatcher. I'd really love to play it and a large part of my desire to do so is because of the amazing soundtrack. Packing heavy Blade Runner influences, Snatcher is one of those other games Hideo Kojima worked on that was not Metal Gear.

Metal Squad - Thunder Force IV (GEN)

If you've never played Thunder Force IV (known as Lightening Force in America) the game has been re-released for the Switch under the SEGA AGES label. Like all SEGA AGES releases, you get all sorts of options including one that let's your turn off slowdown, but this game is hard enough as it is, so keep the slowdown on.

Lor Starcutter - Kirby's Return to Dream Land (Wii)

The DS and Wii era treated Kirby extremely well. There was a remake of what was my favorite Kirby game, Kirby Super Star dubbed Super Star Ultra on the DS, original titles like Kirby Squeak Squad (DS), Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (DS), Kirby's Epic Yarn and what has been my all-time favorite Kirby game over the past seven years, Kirby's Return to Dream Land. From the multiplayer, to the colorful, popping visuals, the plethora of abilities to the soundtrack, I love this game so very, very much. Lor Starcutter is yet another Green Greens remix, but Hirokazu Ando and Jun Ishikawa manage to come up with some many different takes on the classic theme that it is always a joy to hear it get arranged.

Race 5 The Finale - Horizon Chase Turbo (PC, PS4, NS)

Bright, cartoon-like visuals and fantastic arcade racing make Horizon Chase Turbo one of the best racing games I've played that doesn't have a former plumber in it in a long time. The music has a retro flair to it makes burning rubber all the more enjoyable.

Favorite Tunes Database