Favorite Tunes #247: Nah-Nah

This list is the Favorite Tunes of December 1, 2018. Kirby, Sonic, Fighting EX Layer. Go now and enjoy great listening! (I wanted to take a stab at some Engrish.)

Nature's Navel - Kirby Star Allies (NS)

The latest entry in the Kirby franchise initially got flack due to the its short length and high price point. Yes, the game is on the short side and $60 is a little too rich for my blood, but HAL has continued to support the game after release with free DLC waves of new playable characters such as Marx, Magalor and Gooey to name a few. The latest batch of free DLC characters includes fan favorite, Susie from Kirby: Planent Robobot.

Luminous Forest - Sonic Forces (PS4, NS, XBO, PC)

Sonic Forces isn't great, but it isn't an abomination of a Sonic game that sets the series back to the dark age either. I enjoyed my time with it as I did the soundtrack. I'm getting the feeling that techno and electronic music with heavy synth isn't a lot of people's cup of tea. The synth in particular is used a lot the music of Sonic Forces and that may detract from the score for some. Me, I love this game's soundtrack as whole.

Katamari Nah-Nah - Katamari Damacy (PS2)

If you didn't play Katamari Damacy when it originally came out on the PS2 back in 2004, I highly recommend you snag Katamari REROLL for the Switch and PC. I don;t think there is a better game that involves the action of rolling. Ever. Not only is the game brilliant in it's simplicity but the soundtrack is freaking awesome. This is just the first song in the game and it only gets better from here. I feel so envous of anyone that is gonna play this game for the first time when it hits the Switch and PC on December 7th.

Title Theme - Super Mario Party (NS)

After two games where all players were stuck traveling on a board in a vehicle, Super Mario Party finally allows players to travel the board solo once again. There are also more playable characters from the mook side such as Goomba and Hammer Bro. Now if only Nintendo would fix their online service and give Super Mario Party better online options. Well, at least this title theme makes me feel like I'm dancing on a beach in a Hawaiian shirt.

Mist Fortress - Fighting EX Layer (PS4)

The EX games have gotten such a bad rep. Sure they aren't the pinnacle of Street Fighter but they aren't bad by any means. Developed by Arika, the Street Fighter EX games includes a host of original characters and it was due to this that many believed we would never see the likes of Skullomanoa or Garuda again. Arika surprised us when news let out of Fighting EX Layer, the first game in the EX series since Street Fighter EX on the PS2 in 2000. The same crew behind the outstanding EX soundtracks has reunited for the music in EX Layer, resulting in another stellar effort.

Asteroid Run - Assault Suits Valken (Album)

Also know as Cybernator outside of Japan. This is from the arranged album simply called Assault Suits Valken. Like many arranged game albums of the time, it stayed in Japan and to this day, has never been reprinted. The music in the SNES game sounded fantastic and this album makes it sound just as good, if not better.

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Favorite Tunes #207: Rusty Bucket Bay

We're getting closer to Christmas, which means I've got to piece together some Christmas/wintery themed tunes for you next week. Until then, enjoy this week's selection.

Bonus Stage - Lode Runner 3-D (N64)

As much as I love posting old favorites in this feature, there's nothing like discovering a new favorite. I just found out about the music from Lode Runner 3-D. There are only a handful of tracks, but this music is quite good. There's some really nice techno, electronic and house beats in here.

Asteroid Coaster Act 2 - Sonic Colors (Wii)

I recently started a play through of Sonic Colors. The last time I played this game was when I finished it in 2011. The game is so much better than I remember and without a doubt one of my top three favorite Sonic games. Being a Sonic game, I really don't need to gush over how outstanding the soundtrack is, but yeah, it is really freaking amazing.

George Jensent - Fighting Layer (ARC)

It has been several years since I've featured music from Fighting Layer on Favorite Tunes. The series is making a come back with Fighting Layer EX. Both Fighting Layer and the Street Fighter EX games (the later also made by Arika) have splendid soundtracks and I cannot wait to see what they give us for Fighting Layer EX.

Rusty Bucket Bay - Banjo-Kazooie (N64, 360)

With the release of Yooka-Laylee earlier this year and now the recent release on the Switch, I think it's safe to say that Banjo-Kazooie is relatively fresh in gamer's minds. The 1998 release was a wonderful collect-a-thon  platformer what was colorful, funny and in some late game instances, pretty dang cruel. The mere mention of Rusty Bucket Bay, even with it's catchy tune, is certain to bring back dreadful memories for any player that tried to complete this level.

Park Avenue - Sonic Forces (PC, NS, PS4, XBO)

A game some are calling a steaming heap of trash, Sonic Forces  is not the dumpster fire that these people make it out to be. It certainly could have been better but for what it is, I had fun with it. The avatar stages have lyrics and while the move into the cheese territory, most Sonic vocal tracks are cheesy so they fit in just fine.

Intermission - Double Dragon II: The Revenge (ARC)

After years of not liking the original Double Dragon's arcade score, I've warmed up to it a bit recently. I still feel the NES version is superior and Double Dragon II's arcade music is a much better effort than the first arcade game. Repetition is the name of this theme, but it's the good kind. Makes me wanna groove like Dashie.

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Favorite Tunes #18: Fighting Themes

Two opponents enter the ring (or the street corner, or back alley. Why be picky?), only one leaves. The fighting genre is probably one of the most competitive scenes in gaming, if not the most competitive. I've been to a tournament or two, had some online matches but nothing as grand scale as something like EVO. Maybe someday. What's better than pounding the crap outta your opponent? Doing it to some sick beats. While I love me some Street Fighter, I've kept the number of tracks to that series to a minimum. Gotta show how diverse the genre is, ya know.

              Tetsuo Kato (Arrange) - Fighting Layer (ARC)

Developed by Akira (the chaps behind the Street Fighter EX series) and released in 1998 only in Japan, Fighting Layer is a 3D fighting game I've never played for obvious reasons. Regrettably, I can't tell you much about it. I can, however, tell you that the music to this game is sensational. The score was co-written by Takayuki Aihara and Ayako Saso, known for their renowned work on the Street Fighter EX soundtracks. The original Tetsuo Kato is a great theme on its own, but this will be one of those times where I'm gonna have to say that the arrange version trumps it.

              Sail Over the Storm - Soul Calibur (ARC, DC)

One of the first games I bought for my Dreamcast in the summer of 2001, Soul Calibur blew me away with its stunning visuals and deep fighting mechanics. If Donatello showed me that staffs could be good weapons, Kilik demonstrated just how deadly they could be. All of Soul Calibur's music is fantastic, but Sail Over the Storm is without question my favorite track from the game.

           Cafeteria - TMNT: Tournament Fighters (SNES)

When Street Fighter II dominated arcades and home fighters in the early 1990s, everyone and their mother wanted a piece of the action, including Konami. Their response to Capcom's fighting cash cow? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters. For crying out loud, there's even a jab at Street Fighter on the box art. As much as I love the Turtles, it didn't do much to make me forget about Ryu, Guile and the gang, but it was cool to see the green machines hashing it out in a fighter against Shredder and some others that sadly escape me. Since the game came from Konami, of course the music was awesome and to this day, I haven't met anyone that cannot say Cafeteria is awesome. Play this song during a cafeteria brawl and I guarantee it with be the best fight in the history of dinner brawls.

                   Guile Stage CPS II - Street Fighter II (ARC)

The fighting genre probably wouldn't have made so many leaps if not for Street Fighter II. Yeah, Capcom pretty much whores the series out these days, but there isn't a gamer that lived in the 1990s that doesn't look back on this game with nostalgia. Guile's theme is an audio masterpiece. I like a lot of versions of this theme, but the arcade CPS II incarnation is the best in my book. This song goes with anything. Anything. Just go to YouTube and type in "Guile's theme goes with everything" if you don't believe me.

              Mr. Karate - Nettou King of Fighters '96 (GB)

What's this? King of Fighters? On the Game Boy? Surly you jest. No jesting here. Yes, there were a few King of Fighters games released on the Nintendo's brick. None of them made it outside of Japan so that's probably why few people know of these games' existence. Despite the limitations of the Game Boy hardware, there was some good music in these pocket sized King of Fighters games. Nettou King of Fighters '96 gave Mr. Karate, an quick paced, drum pounding boss theme. With a name and theme like those, I would certainly not wanna screw with that guy. If you played rom hack Rockman No Constancy and wondered what the source of that killer boss theme was, wonder no longer.

             Kombat Tomb - Mortal Kombat II (SNES ver.)

Even with Mortal Kombat 9 being a smashing success (or Mortal Kombat as it's official called), many still contend that Mortal Kombat II is the best Kombat game. Like original 1992 Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II was ported to just about everything you can imagine. I played both the SNES and Genesis versions and found myself like the SNES music more, even over the arcade original. Despite the inferior hardware, the audio sounds a bit more fleshed out to me on the SNES.

       Blue Water Blue Sky - Guilty Gear X (ARC, DC, PS2)

Don't think a little girl carrying an anchor as a weapon is threatening? Think again. Think said girl will have some sweet and innocent theme as her background tune? Wrong again. Known for its rock soundtrack, May has one of the most well-loved themes in the Guilty Gear series. There have been a number of versions of Blue Water Blue Sky but I always find myself coming back to listen to the original.

     Multi-Man Melee 1 - Super Smash Bros. Melee (GCN)

Is Melee a fighter or not? Don't really care. All I know is that its a fine game, one of the best on the GameCube and a fine example of how to do a sequel. Melee expanded upon the formula of the original Super Smash Bros. added a ton of unlockable (I never did get every single trophy) and just made everything bigger and better in every conceivable way. This track is a rock arrangement of Melee's Main Theme. Thankfully, this song is also in the excellent sequel, Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

                        Urban Sight - Tobal No. 1 (PSone)

Tobal No. 1 came from a time when Square Enix did more than RPGs. Actually this baby came years before the two companies merged. Developed by DreamFactory, this was more ambitious than other fighters at the time. In addition to the standard fighting, there was a fully 3D Quest mode. It fared well in Japan but not so much in America. Contributors to the game's soundtrack, which covers a wide range of genres include Kenji Ito, Yoko Shimomura, and Noriko Matsueda to name a few. Character designs were done by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama. Tobal 2 never saw a release outside of Japan, much to fan's annoyance.

Without Hesitation - Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution (ARC, PS2)

Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution is my favorite game in the Virtua Fighter series. With its incredibly deep three button fighting engine and a lengthy Quest mode the featured AI modeled after real Virtua Fighter players, the game offers something for everyone. The addition of Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary was also a lovely bonus. This game taught me the joy of bashing heads as Pai and customizing your fighter's look, which in this game as I saw countless other fighters, was serious business.