Favorite Tunes #277: Just Friends

The subtitle may sound like a friend zone tune but I've never played the game but even without context, I don't think that is the case. Most of this week's selection comes from games of the yesteryear, but I did include some modern music.

Crystal Man Stage - Mega Man IV (GB)

Mega Man V on the GB is a really good game. It has brand new music, new bosses and was overall, a fine send off to the GB Mega Man titles. But I gotta be honest, I like Mega Man IV more than V. Yes, it remixes levels, has GB versions of the NES themes and recycles bosses but I still love it to death. Hey, if Sonic Mania can be the "best Sonic game ever" (GameSpot's words, not mine) I don't see why Mega Man IV can't be the best GB Mega Man game.

Emergency - Astral Chain (NS)

Cyberpunk, cops, stylish action by Platinum? Christmas came early for quite a lot of Switcher owners in 2019 when this baby dropped. I've only put 10 or so hours into this game but I really need to get back into it. I've heard this theme a lot, but it remains a favorite.

Just Friends [Secret Area] - Gimmick! (NES)

An visual and audio marvel released late in the NES life cycle, not many have played Gimmick! but those who have will be quick to point out that underneath the cute graphics lies a very difficult game. Maybe someday this will get a digital re-release but I'm not getting my hopes up.

Player Phase 1 (Friendly Fight) - Langrisser (GEN)

I've seen artwork and heard some of the music from the Langrisser games but never got to play them. That will all change in March when Langrisser I & II releases on the Switch. The games are getting the modern touch and updated music but I wouldn't mind if we had the option to listen to some of the older soundtracks.

Arctic Caverns - Battletoads (GEN)

I love Battletoad's soundtrack on the NES, but man, the Genesis just kills it with some tracks. Theme has so much more energy and I really love the way Ragnarok's Canyon sounds with the Genesis synth. Still not sure which version of Arctic Caverns I prefer between the two. They both sound sooooo good.

Staff Roll - The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)

Ending this week's Favorite Tunes with a staff roll piece. Seems like a nice way to go out. I never did play my copy of Skyward Sword. Perhaps Nintendo could give the game an HD re-release and do some quality of life changes. Even without having played the game, this is one magnificent staff roll theme and I like to think that even those that had issues with Skyward Sword could agree that this track is out-friggin'-standing.

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Favorite Tunes #173: Clash on the Big Bridge

We're almost done with the month of January, meaning there's just a little over a month until the Nintendo Switch releases. Even if I can't get one on launch day, I've got more than enough to keep me busy, both with games and game music. This week we've got music from Chrono Trigger, Gravity Rush and Gimmick! among others.

Clash on the Big Bridge ~FFXII Version~ - Final Fantasy XII (PS2)

Among the copious amount of thrilling battle themes from this massive series that is going on thirty years old, Clash on the Big Bridge from Final Fantasy V is a huge fan favorite. Hitoshi Sakimoto is a master at composing music and I never knew how much I wanted an arrangement of FFV's most memorable battle done by him until I had heard it. The classic 16-bit theme is given the orchestral arrangement and it is amazing.

Yoshi and Cookies - Yoshi's Woolly World (Wii U)

Yoshi's Woolly World was one of my favorite games of this console generation and I'm excited to go through the game again when it releases on February 3rd on the 3DS. (That Poochy amiibo is SO cute!) Anyone that has played Kirby's Epic Yarn will recognize the beginning of Yoshi and Cookies. Woolly World was a a bit of a spiritual successor to the aforementioned game, so it was nice to see a musical homage to it.

Volt Krueger - The Bouncer (PS2)

Another Square Enix title. The Bouncer was a launch title for the PS2. The game game didn't set the world on fire, but it had some nice ideas like multiple endings and allowing the player to switch characters frequently. The Bouncer has exceptional voice acting and each playable character has their own theme that plays when you fight as them.

Strange Memories of Death [Unused] - Gimmick! (NES)

No matter how many times I listen to the music from Gimmick!, I'm amazed. The NES library is full of some really great soundtracks, but Gimmick! is truly on a whole different level. This is actually an unused theme that can be heard in the game's sound test. One listen to this baby and you'll be left wondering why it went unused.

Black Omen - Chrono Trigger (SNES)

Boy, I sure am giving Square Enix a lot of love in this week's Favorite Tunes. The Clockwork album I've been listening to did having something to do with a track from Chrono Trigger making the cut. It reminded me just how amazing that game's score is, even the tracks that don't play as often as others like Black Omen.

Old Town - Gravity Rush (PSV, PS4)

Originally released on the PS Vita, Gravity Rush recieved a re-release under the name Gravity Rush Remastered, giving the game even better visuals and exposure to wider audience on the PS4. The game's absolutely wonderful soundtrack was written by Kohei Tanaka and anyone that watches One Piece will know of his work.

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Favorite Tunes #154: Sophia

The Olympics are on, which means it is one of the few times I turn from Cartoon Network. Its also absurdly hot outside, so unless I absolutely have to leave the house, I'm saying inside where its nice and cool and rooting for Team USA and grooving to game music.

Warrior - Guilty Gear Xrd Revelator (ARC, PS3, PS4)

The last Guilty Gear game I played was X2 on the PS2. I haven't really kept touch with the series in years but when I think of the games, the type of music that springs to mind is metal and hard rock. There are plenty of rocking vocal tracks in the game's soundtrack but I was surprised to hear songs like Warrior in the mix. Not a bad surprise by any means.

Duel - Metal Gear Solid (PS)

Even after all of the technological advancements the series has made, the original Metal Gear Solid still has a movie-like score that still manages to impress almost 20 years after its release. Duel is an arranged, more intense driven version of the Encounter theme.

Vento Brasileiro  - Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Wii U, 3DS)

The Rio 2016 Olympics are in full swing. I've been a big fan of the Olympics since I was a kid and I've been watching as much of the events as I can when I'm not at work. The Mario & Sonic games have been a thing since 2008, but the 2016 version will be the first one that I pick up. The events look like a lot of fun (especially boxing) and the original music along with the arrangements have my ears burning.

Macho Grubba - Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (GCN)

Fans want a Paper Mario game more line with the original and The Thousand Year Door. I've heard Sticker Star spoken of as if it were the spawn of Satan, while Super Paper Mario doesn't get nearly as bad of a rap, it still didn't get a warm reception from fans. I didn't finish Thousand Year Door, but I was very impressed by the hours I sunk into it, both with the gameplay and the incredible soundtrack.

Sophia - Gimmick! (NES)

How good is the music in Gimmick? Really darn good. Like, among the best chiptunes you will ever hear. Gimmick's soundtrack is bouncy, upbeat and deadly serious when the mood calls for it. Despite the cutesy looks, Gimmick! is also a very punishing game to any and all who dare to approach it.

Lava Dome - Final Fantasy Mystic Quest (SNES)

This spin off Final Fantasy game gets a lot of hate for being an oversimplified RPG to get newbies into the genre. It may be a bit dull and flawed, but hardly a turd. Now id you hear anyone dis the music, please punch them in the face. 16-bit rock and metal has never sounded this good.

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Essential NES Soundtracks Part 4

Here we are with Part 4 of Essential NES Soundtracks. Let's do this.

EarthBound Beginnings

Composers: Keiichi Suzuki & Hirozaku Tanaka

June 14, 2015 will forever be known to EarthBound/MOTHER fans as the day the first entry was finally, officially released outside of Japan. The game was originally released in the land of the rising sun in 1989 so yeah, it sure took its sweet time getting to North American and European shores. Themes like Pollyanna, Bein' Friends, Snowman and the Eight Melodies are jams many an EarthBound fan are familiar with either through the SNES game or the Super Smash Bros. series, but each of those tracks have humble chiptune origins and they sound wounderful in their striped down form. EarthBound Beginnings is loaded with a diverse score of happy-go-lucky, moody and atmospheric themes that will stay with you long after the adventure is over.

Pollyanna (I Believe in You)
Battle with a Dangerous Foe
Bein' Friends
Snowman
The Paradise Line 
Eight Melodies


Mega Man 3

Composers: Yasuaki Fujita & Harumi Fujita

Its isn't hard to see why so many champion Mega Man 2 as the greatest Mega Man game. The first entry was good, but Mega Man 2 was a vast improvement in every single way possible. And yet, it is not my favorite Mega Man. No, that honor goes to Mega Man 3, which added even more advancements to the series, even if there were slight. Mega Man 3 is the longest game in the classic Mega Man series so its a very good thing that there is never a dull moment in the soundtrack. The Title music with it's slow build up before it erupts into a killer beat, Magnet Man's jovial stage music, Snake Man's insanely catchy tune, Proto Man's mysterious whistle that gets extended for the game's epilogue; its all a text book example of superb NES music.

Title
Magnet Man Stage
Spark Man Stage
Snake Man Stage
Dr. Wily Stage 2
Ending

Gimmick!

Composers: Masahi Kageyama & Naohisa Morota

The 16-bit SNES and Genesis were all the rage in the early 1990s but you had some developers still proving that the 8-bit NES hardware could impress. In 1993 there was Kirby's Adventure and a year before it, there was Sunsoft's Gimmick! that was sadly, never released in America despite plans to do so. If you're the type that is easily fooled into thinking a game is simple based on cutesy, child-like appearances, Gimmick! will be one nasty wake up call. Sure it may look like a Kirby game but the bright colors and the peppy soundtrack is where the similarities between the two games end. Gimmick! is a thinking man's platformer that demands the player's attention at all times or else much frustration will abound. But leg's go back to that upbeat soundtrack. Most NES games stick to the five channel sound format with a few exceptions and Gimmick! is one of them. Gimmick! uses Sunsoft's FME7SUNSOFT5 memory mapper chip, which adds three more sound channels for glorious additional audio. Sure, most of the music is of the light hearted variety, but the game still knows when its time to get serious and this is evident in themes like Aporia, Identity Believer and Long Tomorrow. Even if you never play Gimmick! at the very least, you should hear the soundtrack. This stuff is chiptune gold.

Happy Birthday (Stage 1)
Slow Illusion (Stage 3, Part 1)
Paradigm (Stage 4)
Aporia (Boss Theme 1)
Identity Believer (Boss Theme 2)
Sophia (Take 2) [Stage 7]
Long Tomorrow [Final Boss, Part 2]

Metroid

Composer: Hirokazu Tanaka

The first Metroid game, sadly, has not aged well. The lack of an in game map in a game world so massive is a huge downer and having to replenish your energy to max after you die really hurts. This isn't to say Metroid is a bad game, but the GBA remake, Metroid Zero Mission is the way to go if you wish to experience Samus Aran's first steps. Hirokazu Tanaka's soundtrack on Metroid, however, definitely holds up exceptionally well. That Title theme is just the start of many haunting tracks this score offers. Norfair, Tourian, and Ridley's Lair really do an excellent job of capturing the feeling of being on a hostile alien planet. Kraid's Lair is a huge fan favorite track and has been the subject of plenty of rock, metal and piano covers.

Title
Brinstar
Norfair
Kraid's Lair
Escape
Ending

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game

Composer: Kozo Nakamura

A port of the 1989 arcade game, the four player aspect is stripped down to two, but it makes it for it with two console exclusive stages and bosses. In some cases, home conversions made arcade music sound better. It worked wonders for the likes of Contra and Double Dragon when they hit the NES. TMNT has outstanding music in the arcade so I can't really say that the NES conversion is superior. I can say is that TMNTII: The Arcade Game is a wonderful companion soundtrack to go along with the arcade tunes. The two exclusive stages use brand new themes and Scene 2-2 also houses a completely new track. The new themes are welcome additions and you'll hear plenty of riffs from the 1987 TMNT opening theme mixed in throughout the soundtrack.

Scene 1: Building on Fire
Scene 2-2: Sewers
Scene 3-1: Winter Wonderland 
Scene 4-2: Industrial District
Boss Battle
Scene 7: Technodrome