Apparently, Demand is Needed for FINAL FANTASY Pixel Remasters to Come to Other Platforms

How many times has SQUARE ENIX re-released the earlier FINAL FANTASY games? A-friggin'-lot, that's how many. The latest series of releases comes in the form of FINAL FANTASY Pixel Remasters, remakes of the first six FF entries. And because SQUARE ENIX felt like being on some Nintendo ish, they decided to toss these games to the PC and mobile market. Because getting these remakes on consoles would take demand.

Psst. Hey, SQUARE ENIX. I don't know if you know but THIS IS FINAL FREAKING FANTASY!!! OF COURSE THERE IS DEMAND!!! Of all the tone deaf... *Ahem*

Bringing Pixel Remaster to consoles, especially the Switch, just seems like it would be a no brainer. We have updated versions of FINAL FANTASY VII, VII, IX, X, X-2 and XII on consoles. Why keep remakes of the first six games off those same systems? The Switch has sold over 80 million units in just a little over 4 years time. That sucker prints money. FINAL FANTASY is a cash cow franchise and the Pixel Remasters will have some people's favorites among them. My personal fav is FINAL FANTASY VI and I was hoping I'd be able to play a version of it on the Switch someday. Looks like I'll still be waiting since SQUARE ENIX has to see if there is enough demand for them to be on consoles. 

This is a wait and see approach that isn't even needed. Pixel Remaster carries the FINAL FANTASY name. On mobile and the PC market, these remakes are going to sell like gang busters. Now that Pixel Remaster of games I, II and III have released and word is getting out that fan's initial reaction was overblown, I suspect more people that refused to buy these remakes or were on the fence about them will be making purchases. 

Actually, let's talk a bit about said overblown reaction, shall we?

When the Pixel Remaster games were first announced, they drew ire from gamers that weren't digging the new sprites. I get that these aren't the original sprites, but I wouldn't call them awful and they are heads and shoulders above the character sprites from the mobile versions of FFI-VI. Warrior of Light actually keeps his fierce NES-era expression in battle and the sprites have the, well, old-school pixel look of early FF games. Basically, the Pixel Remaster sprites do a better job of portraying the original sprites than the mobile versions. 

If you're still having trouble adjusting to the new sprites, take comfort in the fact that Kazuko Shibuya, a pixel artist that has worked on the original six games FF games (and more), has returned to work on the remakes. So think of these new sprites as tweaked versions of the older ones. Lighter in color but still very expressive. Until I was writing this up, I didn't know Ms. Shibuya had a very important hand in creating some of my favorite games. So I learned something today.

I also wasn't aware that Pixel Remaster has new music arrangements, supervised by the man himself, Nobuo Uematsu. I'll have more to say about the music in these remakes in later blog post. 

I do believe we will see these games on the Switch sometime. A pity that sometime isn't right now.

Screenshots from SQUARE ENIX.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics Open with Video Game Music Playing During the Event

Yesterday was the opening of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. If you caught the opening ceremony and your ears perked up to the music that played during the the grand event and thought "Waitaminit, I KNOW that song!" No, you weren't going crazy. They really did use orchestral video game music during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and it is every bit as badawesome as it sounds.

To those that aren't super into gaming, it may come as a surprise to know that video game music is freaking huge in Japan. Sure, it has made some greater strides here in the states with more albums on Spotify and the like. But long before streaming music was even a thing, game music was always a big deal in the Land of the Rising sun. In Japan, stores regularly sell video game soundtracks. We aren't that lucky here in America, but I gotta say, the fact that athletes around the world got to take the stage while so many video game bangers were playing? That is unbearably cool! 

So what music was used for those of you that missed it or weren't familiar with all of the tracks? Well, you can view the full list here, but among the tracks used were Roto's Theme (DRAGON QUEST), Frog's Theme (Chrono Trigger), Proof of a Hero (Monster Hunter), Song of the Ancients (Nier), Star Light Zone (Sonic the Hedgehog) and First Flight (Ace Combat).

No, there was no Nintendo music used during the event. Fossil Falls (Super Mario Odyssey) would have been EPIC as would Gusty Garden (Super Mario Galaxy) but Nintendo sucks at sharing their game music with others and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

But what was played? Maaaaaaaaaan, that was LIT!!! There's a lot of tracks I've never heard before or some I haven't heard in so long they may as well be new to me. I've got some new favorite tracks and I'm gonna have to check out music from the Monster Hunter series as well as Tales of Graces. 

I never thought I'd see the day where the Olympics open with music playing from FINAL FANTASY, SaGa, Gradius, Kingdom Hearts, and Soul Caliber, but in 2021, that is exactly what happened and I am SO, totally about it!!!

Why Streaming Will Never Completely Take Over for My Video Game Music Listening

Streaming services have drastically changed the way we watch shows, get our news and listen to music. I've long been a user of YouTube and Netflix but it took quite some time before I made the migration to streaming platforms for my music needs. It is super convenient to have all of my music accessible in one place. Well, it would be if the primary music I listen to, video game music, were more readily available on music streaming apps.

Be it rock, classical, jazz, or gospel, I can make a playlist out of those genres easily on Spotify or YouTube Music. Finding stuff from Chicago, the Spinners, the Bee Gees or Imagine Dragon, most if not all of the music from those groups and more can easily be found on popular music streaming platforms. When it comes to video game music, however, the selection is really lacking. 

SEGA, Bandi Namco, SNK, SQUARE EXIX and several other game companies have gotten on the ball and brought some of their game soundtracks to music streaming platformers. I can listen to just about every soundtrack from the Tekken series or choose from the playlist of my favorites on either Spotify or YouTube music. A hefty supply of music from SNK's history is available including the Fatal Fury albums, The King of Fighters, Metal Slug as well as the short lived Last Blade series. Thankfully, more recent titles such as Katana ZERO, Pander Paladin and Hades are on Spotify. Music from indie titles as well as the newer game scores are more likely to pop up on music apps. But older stuff like FINAL FANTASY MYSTIC QUEST, Cybernator and such are far less likely to appear on music streaming services, at least legally. And due to the tricky nature of copyright such as more than one party owning something, a lot of game music just isn't gonna be available on these apps. Frankly, what is currently available, while it may seem like a huge selection, is really a drop in the vast ocean that is video game music.

The video game music community has been a treasure to me over the years. Long before some of the game soundtracks on some of these streaming sites were up, they would provide game rips of tons upon tons of game music. The sad reality is, there are a copious amount of games that do not get official soundtrack releases. And if if they do, they are often out of print or are not easily accessible. For every Streets of Rage 2, a game that is highly regarded for it's amazing soundtrack, there are hundreds of MUSHAs, a lesser known game with outstanding music that has never had any sort of official soundtrack release.

Quality is also an issue when it comes to official game soundtracks. Just because it is an official release, that doesn't mean the sound quality of the music is the greatest or even decent. It would be ideal for every official soundtrack release to have superb sound quality but even some of the kings of game music end up getting screwed. Mega Man, a series known far and wide for it's music has music from Mega Man 1-6 on Spotify in some of the most shoddy quality. Mega Man 3-6 sound decent-ish but Mega Man 1-2 got horribly butchered and there is no way I can enjoy Wood Man's glorious theme in that pee poor quality. Capcom should be ashamed of themselves for representing part of the Blue Bomber's music in such a subpar manner. I've got gamerips of Mega Man 1-6 that sound worlds better than what Capcom has offered. Mega Man 7-10's soundtracks aren't even up on Spotify but considering how the previous game soundtracks turned out, that may be a blessing. At least Mega Man 11 came out unscathed and the Mega Man Zero soundtracks sound good. Mind you, I'm, not an audio freak but when someone as untrained as me can spot this lousy audio quality, there's a serious problem.

Oh and it isn't just Capcom that's in on this meh-music quality. SQUARE ENIX has also dipped a few toes in the water. Much of the FINAL FANTASY music that is up on Spotify sounds really, really freaking good. But the NES versions of FINAL FANTASY I and II are based off of the original soundtrack release from the 1980s in Japan. This album release has awful sound balance leading to you getting more sound in one ear and far less in the other. What's crazy about this whole fiasco is that SQUARE ENIX has had so many chances to correct this issue but each time the company has released the 8-bit versions of FINAL FANTASY I & II's music, they always go with this off sounding version. Again, I've got gamerips that had more effort put into them than the official material. Sometimes the fans really do appreciate the company's work more than they do.

If there's one company that knows what's up when it comes to getting music on streaming apps, it is undoubtedly Falcom. Looking through their discography on Spotify displays no meager selection but a plethora of gaming soundtracks from past to present. No, everything they've done isn't up. But compared to every other gaming company that has uploaded music to Spotify, they have done far more than the bear minimum. Falcom is a company known for having stellar game music so it shouldn't be that surprising that they've got the most to offer. Ys, Sorcerian, The Legend of Heroes, Best Selections, Falcom Special Boxes; if you're looking for it, you'll probably find it on Spotify. Slacking game companies, take notes from Falcom. This is how you give your game music better exposure.

I am eternally grateful that I can listen to game soundtracks such as OutRun, Super Hang-On, the near entirety of TEKKEN, the mainline FINAL FANTASY series, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz, and so, so, so much Falcom material on Spotify. But there is just way too much game music that cannot be found on Spotify and other music apps. Because of this, streaming will never fully became my sole means for getting my game music fix. And until game companies start making more and more music widely available, I'll keep looking to the video game music community to let the music play.

Nintendo Switch LOLED (OLED)

Image from Nintendo

"Nintendo Switch Pro! 4K, baby!" If you're one of the many Switch owners, no doubt you've heard the rumors that have been spreading like wild fires about a new Switch model. This isn't the first time rumors like this one has made the rounds. Given Nintendo's history of updating their handhelds, thinking that a "superior" version of the Switch could be in the works isn't completely out of the question. And while Nintendo did put such rumors of a Switch Pro to rest, this didn't stop people's imaginations from running wild. Until Nintendo released this little video.

Meet the newest member of the Nintendo Switch family, the OLED model. Among the new features, it has better speakers, a wider screen and the ability to crush the hopes and dreams of leakers, rumor spreaders and those that believe them. 

Understandably, there was some, ahem, disappointment.

See kids, this is why I place zero stock in rumors. I don't even follow the dang things, but this Switch Pro business has been so persistent that it keeping myself unaware of the existence of such a rumor was impossible. I don't give a rat's buttocks how credible the source is when it comes to rumors. Unless the company in charge comes out, lays down some confirmation, a rumor is just a rumor, not true. So when the OLED was revealed, I couldn't help but find the news very amusing.

Yes, rumor spreaders, leakers and those that believed in the Switch Pro rumors, I am very much delighting in your misery. You have no one to blame but yourselves for getting hyped up for something that you didn't even have confirmation that existed. The salt you guys are generating is almost as good as Smash fan salt.

I do like the look of the initial OLED model. Like the Switch Lite, it may get more colors, but this one is looking super sleek. 

But do I personally have a reason to upgrade to this version of the Switch? Nah. I don't even use my Switch's kickstand because it just sucks. I bought a very nice Hori stand a few years ago and it still works just as well as the day I unboxed it. I'm also not hurting for storage at the moment as I've still got space left on my 256 GB SD card. Yeah, the bigger screen is nice and the built in Ethernet port is sure to make online players happy. However, right now, there isn't much reason for me to buy an OLED.

Those of you that don't own a Switch and have been considering buying one, if you can get an OLED when October rolls around, I say go for it. I can see Switch owners that have multiple Switch coping this thing. If I ever do buy another Switch, I'll probably get the OLED. 

For better and for worse Nintendo operates on a level that pretty much no on else in the video game industry does. "Lateral thinking with withered technology," was the design philosophy that the late and great Gunpei Yokoi lived by. Make great games with technology that has been around for some time. It was the driving force behind both the Game & Watch line of handhelds and the Game Boy, the later, of which went on to dominate every single piece of vastly superior hardware that tried to compete against it. Yokoi's line of thinking still resides within Nintendo to this very day. The Switch is not as powerful as the PS4, whatever the new Xbox is and yet it has gone on to break records. This method of designing gaming systems also keeps the cost of hardware down. People that want a 4K Switch probably haven't stopped to consider what the asking price on such a Switch would be. For what the current models of the Switch families can do, they are really affordable. 

Here's a little something for you rumor spreaders and those of you that bought into those rumors.

Kazuya Has Landed in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Image via Event Hubs

We saw Masahiro Sakurai demonstrate the intricate workings of Kazuya on Monday and I ain't gonna lie, I'm kinda shook. I'm not saying Kazuya is unstoppable, but the dude has so much good stuff going for him. And now he's available so we've been seeing for ourselves just how good he is.

Kazuya very much feels like a Tekken character. One of the most remarkable things Sakurai and his team have done throughout the Smash games is make characters feel faithful to the games they've come from. Having said that, it feels so weird to play as Kazuya in Ultimate. Like, his moves and the way he feels is freaking amazing but then I pause and think, "Man, is this really real?" I'm overjoyed that our Tekken rep is Kazuya but I guess I'm still reeling over the fact that this actually became a thing.

So many of his moves can kill. Even if you are at 60 or 70%, I would not relax around Kazuya. I'm not sure if I'd call him noob friendly. Despite being a casual fighting game fan, I have been playing the Tekken games since Tekken 2 and while I think some new players will certainly get some wins, he's gonna take some serious skill to use effectively. Forget the day one combos. I wanna see what invested players come up with in a few weeks/months down the line. 

You might wanna be careful shielding around Kazuya. Man has a couple of moves that are straight "Nah, son!" and a few are shield breaks. I already feel for Jiggleypuff mains. Pretty sure Hungrybox died a little when I saw those RIP shield moves.

When I hear some of the tracks being used during the Mr. Sakurai Presents "Kazuya" demo, I was getting excited. I am hype beyond hype that Moonlit Wilderness made it in. That track is a huge fan favorite and deserves all the love it gets. But when I saw that the song total for Kazuya was 39, my jaw dropped. I was expecting maybe 18 to 25 tracks. But 39? That places Kazuya as the second highest with songs from a third party series right behind Terry. 

There are 8 new arrangements and 32 original songs spread across almost the entire Tekken series. Even spin off titles like Tekken Tag Tournament and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 got song picks. Two tracks I did not expect to see are Opening Movie from Tekken Tag Tournament and Poolside from Tekken 5. Both of those rank pretty high on my list of Tekken jams so I'm stoked that they made it in.

Am I a bit miffed by the song list? Only a little. I would have loved for Eddy Stage and Nina from Tekken Tag Tournament to be among the tracks. Dragon's Nest is another one I wanted. But really, it's hard for me to stay sour. I mean, 39 songs, eight of them arrangements and a killer selection. Even if you aren't excited for Kazuya, you should get him anyway just to add these tracks to the game. And if you've never heard anything of Tekken music outside of what's in Smash, check out Bandai Namco's official Tekken soundtracks on YouTube. They are SO good.

No yeeting a losing opponent into a volcano/off a cliff as one of Kazuya's victory screens along with that smirk? Man, that is one seriously missed opportunity.