Favorite Tunes #180: Let's Assault the Base to Happy Music

Welp. April is here the weather is being extremely bipolar and Breath of the Wild is still being heavily played by myself and many, many others. For this week's Favorite Tunes, there's music from said game, Final Fantasy II and Splatoon 2 among the lot.

Inkoming - Splatoon 2 (NS)

The music played during Splatoon 2 reveal trailer back in January. You've probably heard it a lot if you took part in the Splatoon 2 global test fire in March or if you checked out some of your favorite YouTubers that  participated. This is already becoming a huge fan favorite track.

Waterblight Ganon Battle - The Legend of Zlda: Breath of the Wild (Wii U, NS)

I went for my first Divine Beast earlier this week, Ruta. I knew going in that it would be a dungeon but moving the trunk to control water and being able to walk on the trunk? I was not expecting that. This kind of interaction has me stoked to checkout the other Divine Beasts. Waterblight Ganon wasn't tough for me since I had a ton of food, good armor and arrows for days but the fight was really fun and the music was amazing. I can only hope the other Divine Beasts have tracks this good if not better.

Dungeon - Final Fantasy II (PS)

Largely viewed as a misstep for the series, Final Fantasy II still introdcued quite a few series staples like a Cid, chocobobs as well as being more plot driven. Nobuo Uematsu wrote the original score for the NES game but Tsuyoshi Sekito arranged his music for the PS version of FFII. I really love his arrangements of Uematsu's music. Those horns and drums really make this track for me.

C. Viper Theme - Street Fighter X Mega Man (PC)

The fan game turned official product, Street Fighter X Mega Man was released as a free download on Mega Man's 25th anniversary back in 2012. The game pit Mega Man against various members of the Street Fighter crew as well as blending the music together from both franchises. This theme is a very cool mix of Dr. Wily Stage 1 from Mega Man 2 and C. Viper's beat from Street Fighter IV. I prefer this over her original theme.

Hill of Fate - Final Fantasy Mystic Quest (SNES)

Mystic Quest may be mocked among RPG fans for it's brain dead simplicity but dang if the music is not spectacular. It has beautiful, calming, ambient tracks, rock music and intense battle themes. Mystic Quest itself isn't really a bad game either but if you sample anything from it, at least check out the soundtrack.

Mechanical Base - Gradius III (SNES)

Gradius pops up in Favorite Tunes again? OK, I'll level with you. My Gradius playlist has been getting the most attention over the past few weeks and that's why a lot music has been showing up from the series. I can't promise to tone it down anytime soon so we'll just have to see. Anyway, this highly upbeat theme may seem inappropriate fort a base assault but Gradius thrives on peppy music.

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Favorite Tunes #179: Mostly Old School Saturday

The music in this week's Favorite Tunes is mostly comprised of jams from older titles. I hope isn't too much of a bummer because as much as I love modern gaming music, the old stuff is still pretty ace to me.

Fortress - Gradius II (NES)

A physical copy of Gradius II on the NES is painfully expensive so I'm hoping Konami gets off their can and gives this version a digital re-release someday. Gradius II was a step up from the original NES Gradius, letting you use all four options in addition to being visually impressive. This version of Gradius II also had some tracks that were not in the arcade version. If you watched Captain N: The Game Master, I'm sure this track will sound awfully familiar to you.

Hooked - Splatoon (Wii U)

Did you take part in the global test fire for Splatoon 2 last week? Even if I did have a Switch I'm not sure I would have participated because I want to come in to Splatoon 2 fresh and Breath of the Wild is taking over my life. I did watch some YouTube videos of the test fire and of course it looks like a blast to play and the music sounds very clean. I cannot wait to hear more of it and I home will get more crazy piano jams.

Area 1 - Blaster Master (NES)

Whenever I hear this theme start, up I can always see Sophia flooring out of that cave in the intro and it gets me so freaking pumped. This is a theme of adventure! Really freaking hard, brutal adventure, but adventure, nonetheless.

Ending - The Legend of Zelda (NES)

If you've died in the original Legend of Zelda (I died A LOT) then the first few notes of the game's ending theme will no doubt ring a tune of familiarity. The remainder of the song is super freaking catchy.

Battle in the Dense Forest - Contra (ARC)

Most of my time spent with the first Cotnra is the NES version. Even so, I do enjoy the arcade game and while I lean more towards the NES soundtrack, I really love the synth of the arcade music. The classic jungle/forest theme sounds spectacular as ever.

Stage 1 - Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose (SNES)

Tiny Toons was one of my favorite cartoons growing up so of course I was stoked to play the SNES title, Buster Busts Loose. The game did not disappoint, using a fun dash mechanic to run up walls. The game captured a lot of the feel of the '90s shows and thee music was full of classical themes as well as those lifted from the show.

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Favorite Tunes #178: Blast From the Past

Two weeks without Favorite Tunes? What gives? Well, you see, this game came out and it has made it really hard to not only play other games but do usual blogging. I'm pretty sure you know what that game is. *Ahem* Anyhoo, there's music from Gradius Gaiden, Blaster Master Zero and Space Megaforce among others.

Area 2 - Blaster Master Zero (3DS, NS)

Despite owning the original Blast Master both physically and digitally, I have never really played much of it. Blaster Master Zero, the remake, however, I have invested hours into and it is already shaping up to be one of my favorite games of 2017. The soundtrack is straight fire! I could be predictable and give the glorious Area 1 remix a spot here, but I really like the theme used for Area 2.

Speed - Gradius Gaiden (PS)

Regarded among some fans as the best game in the series, Gradius Gaiden was originally released on the PS in Japan only but would make it's way to the states in the PSP Gradius Collection. Being a big fan of Gradius, the is one of the few Gradius I've yet to play. The music is really freaking cool and this is hands down my favorite track from the game. With Konami making their way back into console and PC gaming, I'm hoping Gradius Gaiden sees another re-release.

Destroy Them All - Life Force (NES)

From one Gradius game to another, Life Force was released one year after Gradius in arcades and was ported to the NES where it recieved a few features not present in the original arcade version. The power up bar from Gradius was implemented, making it easier for the player to customize their power ups. Being a solid port, the game also kept the arcade game's difficulty so Nintendo Hard is in full force but the Konami Code does make finishing the game a bit easier. Life Force's soundtrack sounds pretty dang good on the NES. In particular, the final stage theme sounds a lot better than the arcade version.

Stage Select - Bomberman 64 (N64)

Bomberman '93, '94 and Bomberma Hero had all recieved Virtual Console releases but Bomberman 64 was left out in the cold. At least, until now. Bomberman 64 recently hit the Wii U eShop so if you don't feel like hunting down a copy or getting out the N64, you can buy the game digitally. Bomberman 64 is certainly one of the most challenging entries and you really have to put in work to get the game's true ending. It also has some of the best music. Here's hoping Bomberman 64: The Second Attack gets re-released as it is an incredibly rare title.

Hateno Village (Day) - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Wii U, NS)

Like so many others, Breath of the Wild has taken up a huge part of my gaming time. Whether you're staving off Lynels or just exploring the vast open world, BOTW makes for a truly unique Zelda experience. I really like what Nintendo has done with the music in this game. This game has some really great town thems. Kakariko Village is a theme I love, but I have to give the nod to Hateno Village.

Boss Battle 2 - Space Megaforce (SNES)

Oh man, if ever there was a shooter that was in dire need of a re-release it is Space Megaforce, known as Super Aleste in Japan. This game could very well be my favorite Compile shooter and it fetches insanely high prices on the second hand market. It plays excellently, looks fantastic and the soundtrack is crazy awesome. Is this rock theme not the sickest thing you ears have ever been blessed to hear?

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Favorite Tunes #177: Synthetic Life

I'm assuming many of you have picked up your Switch and are enjoying Nintendo's new baby. Me, I've gotta wait a few months before I can get one. Anyway, this Favorite Tunes features music from that Zelda game everyone is talking about, FAST Racing NEO, and Gradius II among others.

Zora's Domain (Day) - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Wii U, NS)

I really don't need to go on and on about the praise critics have showered upon Breath of the Wild. It could very well be a lot of people's choice for game of the year. I hope you're all enjoying the game. I gotta wait til Tuesday to get my copy but I cannot wait to go exploring. I have sampled some of the music, however, and I love this beautiful arrangement of Zora's Domain from Ocarina of Time.

Rare - I Am Setsuna - (PS4, PSV, NS)

So apparently this RPG called I Am Setsuna is a thing. A thing I was oblivious to until I saw the trailer for the Switch version of it. Setsuna must travel with her friends, knowing her life will be ended via sacrifice for peace. It turns out the soundtrack is piano based and while a lot of the themes are quite good, I can see why the song Rare was chosen for the trailer.

Synthetic Life - Gradius II (ARC)

If you thought the first Gradius was tough, Gradius II easily has it beat. Being made on more powerful arcade hardware, Gradius II swarms the player with enemies and in some areas, when you die, you really are screwed since it becomes impossible to survive without being half or fully powered up. Nevertheless, Gradius II is still a fantastic shooter. I'm very familiar with this tune because stage 2 is super hard for me and it is my favorite track from the Gradus II score. This game's synth is lovely.

Alphine Trust - FAST Racing NEO (Wii U)

I'm a bit jealous of my UK gamers. They got a physical release of this amazing, super fast racing game while we in America only got the digital version. Still, I'm happy to have the game at all. It looks great, the sense of speed ins mind blowing and the soundtrack is ace.

Battle - Bomberman '94 (TG-16)

I cannot tell you how happy I am to see Bomberman return and looking as cute as a button. If you didn't or couldn't pick up a Switch to play Super Bomberman R, Konami re-released Bomberman '94 on the Wii U eShop. It has multiplayer support for up to five players and you get to jam out to this theme while blowing your friends up. What more could you ask for?

Octopus Dance - Nintendo Land (Wii U)

What is largely viewed as the techo demo for the Wii U, Nintendo Land was one of the best games to make use of the GamePad. In Nintendo Land, you visited numerous attractions inspired by Nintendo series such as Super Mario, Pikmin, F-ZERO, and Metroid to name a few. Even the Game & Watch series received some form of representation in Nintendo Land. Why this track wasn't used on a Game & Watch stage baffles me.

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Fantastic First Level Themes Vol. 7

They say you never forget your first. First kiss. First car. First level of a video game. We're here to focus on that last one. The first level of a video game can say a lot about the rest of the game. It can be a great way to grab the player for invested play time. For a lot of us, not only do we remember the first level because it is the start of a game, but because the music with that beginning level really stayed with us.

Thunder Landing - Super Contra (ARC)

Is there any better way to enter a level via dropping down from a helicopter? Yeah, probably, but it's still really freaking cool. After your feet are planted on the ground, you get to shoot anything and everything in your path. I've played the first stage of Super C so many times that the music quickly became a permanent part of my memory. The NES version is good, but I find the arcade music to be better.

Universe -Stage1- - Gradius V (PS2)

My personal favorite of the Gradius series, Gradius V is one of the finest shooters on the PS2. The music was handled by Hitoshi Sakimoto, mostly know for his RPG soundtracks, but he's no stranger to other genres as he wrote the score for the Saturn classic Radiant Silvergun. Making your way from base to the void of space, the music flows wonderfully with the transition of the two environments.

Sky Station Galaxy - Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)

The Super Mario Galaxy games really know how to reel you in with the first galaxy. The first game kicked things off with Good Egg Galaxy, wowing players with an amazing orchestral piece and Super Mario Galaxy 2 opens up with Sky Station Galaxy, which has a wonderful arrangement of the game's main theme.

Ruins - Undertale (PC)

The fame of Undertale is not unlike that of Cave Story. Both games are indie titled developed by a one man team and both titles gained lots of wide spread attention. Your first area of exploration in Undertale is the Ruins, which serves as a tutorial. It's a pretty humble place as is the music that goes with it.

Favorite Tunes #164: Racing Monkeys

It has been a busy November. Nintendo revealed the Switch, for better or for worse, we know who our next president will be, the NES Classic Edition launch was a disaster and players that pirated Pokemon Sun/Moon are really feeling the butthurt. Whew. Welp, now that that's all said and done, let's get down to the latest Favorite Tunes. This week's jams including music from Ninja Warriors, Pulseman and Diddy Kong Racing to name half the list.

Character Select - Diddy Kong Racing (N64, DS)

A fan favorite on the N64, Diddy Kong Racing saw Diddy breaking away from his pal DK to race around with a bunch of cute animal critters in what is considered one of the system's best titles. This theme has it all. A killer baseline, a banjo and even a freaking harmonica!

7AM - Animal Crossing (GCN)

Growing trees, pulling weeds, fishing, running errands for your lazy neighbors. On paper, that may sound like a snorefest of a game but Animal Crossing makes it work. Even dealing with the necessary evil that is Tom Nook pays off in the end when your home is nice and sizable with loads of stuff in it. I can still hear the AM themes from this game in my head.


Boss 1 - Ninja Warriors (SNES)

Also known as Ninja Warriors Again in Japan, this SNES beat 'em up is not a port of the arcade game but a new title. Ninjas seem like a natural fit for a beat 'em up and this game well received upon it's 1994 release. The lack of two player support did not hold it down and the music was pretty rad stuff.

Planet Ratis - Life Force 2 (ARC, SAT)

Life Force 2 has one of my favorite arcade soundtracks ever. Upholding Gradius tradition and contrasting other shooter scores, the music in Life Force 2 is peppy and upbeat but isn't afraid to get on the serious side. Complete Life Force 2 and go for a second play through immediately after and you're treated to a wonderful arrangement of the original Life Force tunes. In Japan, Life Force is known as Salamander.

Stonecarving City - Wario Land: Shake It! (Wii)

While I certainly would have loved to see more music from Wario Land: Shake It! in Smash 4, I'm glad that game got any sort of musical recognition at all. I can't argue against the singular choice of this track, even though it does under a different title in Smash (Ruins). If you haven't checked out Shake It! You really should. The Wii is swimming in quality platformers and Shake It was among them.

Blank Structure - Pulseman (GEN)

Before Pokemon become what Game Freak would be primarily known for, they developed a few lesser known hits such as Pulseman. Pulseman really pushed the Genesis to its limits, showing off some of the best visuals the system has ever seen. The music is also on point, scored by Junichi Masuda. Some of his later Pokemon music reflects what you hear in Pulseman.

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Favorite Tunes #156: 16-Bit Power

This month marks the 25th anniversary of what is arguably Nintendo's greatest home console, the SNES. The 16-bit machine was a remarkable step up from the NES in every aspect. SNES music still impresses me to this day so music from my favorite Big N machine is taking center stage this week.

Circuit Theme B - Top Gear (SNES)

I never played any of the Top Gear games but I can remember the cover to Top Gear on the SNES as if I saw it only yesterday. That sick looking sports car surrounded by flames is a simple but oh so effective image. I've only recently heard some of the music tracks in Top Gear in it has some really cool themes that stand out. Gotta love the continuous bass in this one.

Dhalsim Stage - Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (SNES)

Yoko Shimomura did a fantastic job of writing music to represent 12 fighters from other countries. The music carried over quite well from the arcade to the SNES, with some themes sounding better than the CPS-I counterparts. Those claps, though.

Counter Hunter - Mega Man X2 (SNES)

Moving along from one Capcom game to another, X2 wasn't on the same level as the original Mega Man X, but it was still a fine effort, nonetheless. The sound font for X2 is a bit different than that of X1, and while I do believe the first X game has the better soundtrack, X2 still has plenty of memorable jams. You gotta wonder if the guitarist lost a few fingers with the intro to Counter Hunter.

Guessing Game House - The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES)

The Main Theme, Hyrule Castle, and both the Light and Dark World Dungeon themes are among the game's most memorable tracks. But some of the game's shorter music pieces have also stood out in my mind.I don't think the Zelda games have had a better mini game theme than this one.

Fire Scramble - Gradius III (SNES)

The SNES conversion of Gradius III may suffer from slowdown and flicker when too many sprites are on screen, but it is a far more forgiving game than the arcade version. The music also sounds better. Fire Scramble sounds even more intense and rich on the SNES.

Save Them! - Final Fantasy VI (SNES)

The game that got me into the Final Fantasy series is my favorite of the lot. The game has an intriguing plot, a diverse cast of characters, and some of the best music Nobuo Uematsu has written. Save Them! is one of those themes that doesn't get used often, which sucks, but the few times it does play during battles, its always a treat.

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Fantastic First Level Themes Vol. 5

They say you never forget your first. First kiss. First car. First level of a video game. We're here to focus on that last one. The first level of a video game can say a lot about the rest of the game. It can be a great way to grab the player for invested play time. For a lot of us, not only do we remember the first level because it is the start of a game, but because the music with that beginning level really stayed with us.

Challenger 1985 - Gradius (ARC ver.)

Almost every Gradius game after this one starts out with a track that uses a quicker pace. The original Gradius starts things out a bit slower and I'm perfectly fine with that. Challenger 1985 is one of the more cheerful Gradius themes and will have you humming along as you blast enemies and power up the Vic Viper. I love the old synth the first Gradius game uses.

Lakeside - Sparkster (SNES)

Sparkster is a follow up to the Genesis Rocket Knight Adventures game, which was a Genesis exclusive. Sparkster, however, is on the SNES and Genesis, But while the share the same title and music, they are both two completely different games. The SNES version of Sparkster opens with this beautifully triumphant, heroic theme. If Sparkster was given a designated tune, I think this should definitely be it.

Got2BAStar - Mighty Switch Force! 2 (3DS, Wii U)

The good news is that the Hooligan Sisters have reformed. The bad news is that they are still getting into trouble. You've got a whole planet on fire and like a bunch of dumb blondes, all of them are smack dab in the middle of the inferno. Everything is burning to a crisp and the game starts off with this oh-so-lively beat. Well the original Mighty Switch Force was known for it's upbeat music, so, no surprise that this one keeps that same quality.

Corneria - Star Fox (SNES)

Do a barrel roll! Oh wait, that phrase came about one game later. Regardless, barrel rolls, could still be done in the original Star Fox. I can still hear those garbled out voices just listening to the game's opening theme. You can pick from one of three routes, with each path serving up different stages, you'll always begin on some version of Corneria.

Splash Hill Zone Act 1 - Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I (Multi)

Sonic 4's music may not have been Jun Senoue's best work, but it was hardly terrible. It has a distinct
Genesis flair but with a modern touch. The opening act of Splash Hill Zone is like a homecoming to the blue blur and no whinny fans complaints about the physics not being like the Genesis games is ever going to ruin that for me.

Favorite Tunes #123: Better, Faster, Stronger

I cannot believe August is already here. Seems like only yesterday we were welcoming 2015 and now, here we are well into summer with the year more than half way over. 

Attract - Ridge Racer (ARC)

Do people still watch demos in gaming or do most just jump right into the action? I'm assuming its the later, but I personally like to see if the game will go off and do its own thing for a bit before returning to the title screen. Ridge Racer does have a demo sequence and with it is a unique track that can only be heard as said demo sequence plays. Kinda of a shame you can't race around the track with this sucker playing but at least you can watch the game look badawesome doing it.

Primeval Mountain - Chrono Trigger (SNES)

Chrono Trigger is an RPG masterpiece devoid of random encounters, a memorable cast of characters and an engaging plot spanning multiple eras. While Yasunroi Mitsuda took the lion's share of soundtrack compositions, Final Fantasy music big wig Nobuo Uematsu as well as Noriko Matsueda did contribute to the game's marvelous sound work. This is one of Uematsu's tracks.

Meteor - Stage 5 - Gradius V (PS2)

This is my personal favorite game in the entire Gradius series, spin-offs included. Development duties were handed off to Treasure and they did a spectacular job keeping the feel of Gradius well in tact. Even on the easy setting, Gradius V will beat the player into bloody submission. Hitoshi Sakimoto is mostly known for his work on RPG soundtracks but he's no stranger to writing music for SHMUPs. Having worked on Radiant Silvergun and Magical Chase among others, he was an excellent choice for Gradius V's music. 

Lacrima, The Black Evil Castle - Riviera: The Promised Land (PSP ver.)

Way back in Favorite Tunes #63, I made the first mention of music from Riviera: The Promised Land, but from the GBA version. The PSP version takes advantage of the system's capabilities and pumps out some excellent arrangements. This was already a powerful piece on the GBA and it was greatly enhanced on Sony's handheld. 

Cruising Line - OutRun 3D (3DS)

The 3DS version of OutRun is arguably the best version of the game to date. You can play at 30 or 60 fps, use multiple screen options, and there are even options for screen tilting to emulating the rocking of the sit down cabinet. There are also two brand new songs using the sound hardware from the 1980s OutRun so they don't feel out of place.  

Stronger (Theme of Garuda) - Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha (PS)

The arcade version of Street Fighter EX already had a pretty good soundtrack. When it was ported over to the PS, Akira could have left well enough alone but they went the extra mile and arranged all the tunes. The result? The PS version o SFEX+@ soundtrack owns the arcade version for free. The new character themes turned out exceptionally well and I'm a huge fan of Stronger.

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