Favorite Tunes #72: Got to Be a Star

Welcome to ta star themed edition of Favorite Tunes. Characters in the shapes of stars, songs with "star" in the title and power-ups that are stars. Oh, I don't even know where I'm trying to go with this.

Toki Meki Saxophone - Guardian Heroes (SAT)

One of the hardest Saturn games to obtain a physical copy of, Guardian Heroes become all the more easier to play thanks to digital distribution. The Xbox Live Arcade version of Guardian Heroes comes with an HD coat of paint online mutlipler modes and other new features. Despite the mid evil setting, most of Guardian Heroes music is anything but. Toki Meki Saxophone, is a mean piece of jazz with some rock thrown in for good measure.

Got2BAStar - Mighty Switch Force! 2 (3DSW)

The 3DS eShop would be a much lesser place without WayForward and Jake Kaufman's wonderful music contributions. What has quickly become one of the company's most recognized series, Mighty Switch Force! 2 was released a year and half after the original. Patricia traded in her police gear for a fire hose but much of the switch based gameplay is still in tact. Also present and accounted for is another retro-style soundtrack. Got2BAStar is the ultra catchy first level them, which is based off of the game's main theme.

Darkness of Fate - Soul Edge (PS)

Namco always does such a good job bringing the arcade experience to home consoles. Well at least they did back in the day. I'm not too sure what Namco Bandai is doing with fighters these days. New characters and an arranged soundtrack that was usually better than the arcade tunes (which were still good) were wonderful bonuses for gamers on the sofa. This rousing theme belongs to Siegfreid

Powerful Infant - Yoshi's Island (SNES, GBA)

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. Now that is one mouthful of a title. Most of us just refer to this one by it's subtitle, Yoshi's Island, which is appropriate for two reasons. One, most of the game takes place on Yoshi's Island and two, you play most of the game as Yoshi. The only time Baby Mario is playable is when you crab a Starman. Baby Mario dawns a familiar cape and becomes impervious to all enemies. This was the first time Koji Kondo added another melody to the Starman theme. At the seven second mark, you hear the accompanying melody with the rest of the theme. Personally, I feel this is the best Starman music.

7PM - Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3DS)

The Animal Crossing games have always had some delightful tunes, but I'm especially fond of the themes that play later in the day in New Leaf. It's so relaxing to get a cup of coffee from Brewters and sit on a bench as this song plays.

A Searing Struggle - Ys: The Oath in Felghana (PSP)

A remake of Ys III: Wanderers from Ys, The Oath in Felghana gave gamers a chance to play one of the best entries in the Ys series in style. It featured updated graphics and an arranged soundtrack that is out of this world even by Falcom standards.

Star Man Stage - Mega Man 5 (NES)

I believe this is the first time I've mentioned Mega Man 5 in Favorite Tunes. I know for a lot of fans, this game represents one of the low points in the series, but it really isn't a bad game and it has some very good music.

Pop Star - Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (N64)

Another Kirby game that was developed without Kirby creator Masahiro Sakurai, Kirby 64 turned out to be a solid 2.5D adventure with 3D visuals. Combining different Copy Abilities made for some pretty powerful and hilarious results. No other Kirby game allows Kirby to turn himself into a refrigerator, at least not that I know of. If you don't have a smile on your face after hearing Pop Star, you've got problems.

Whirlwind - Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (GEN)

Known as The Super Shinobi II in Japan , Shinobi III is praised as being the pinnacle of the Genesis Shinobi games and SEGA's Shinobi series in general. The Genesis may have been showing it's age in 1993, but games like this one proved that the system could still deliver the goods.

Shooting Star - Ristar (GEN)

By darkburraki

During the lengthy process of creating SEGA's mascot, many concepts were tossed around, including one of a rabbit with stretchy arms. While they ultimately went with a speedy blue hedgehog, the rabbit with expandable arms would get picked up a few years later, minus the rabbit. Ristar never gained the fame and adoration that Sonic did but he one Genesis outing was one of the most unique on the Genesis with drop dead gorgeous visuals and some excellent music.

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Favorite Tunes #49: Opening & Title Theme Edition

Title themes and opening music is the theme for this Favorite Tunes. When was the last time these themes took center stage in Favorite Tunes? Why, it was when I first started this feature 48 entries ago. So yeah, I'd say these babies are do for some more spotlight time.

Primal Eyes - Parasite Eve (PS)

I don't mean to sound like one of those old codgers that believes Square and Enix were better back in the day, but I have to admit, Square Enix is not what it used to be. These days it seems like the company does nothing but milk the Final Fantasy brand for all it's worth. There was a time when the company was far more experimental. In 1998 alone we saw the release of Final Fantasy Tactics, SaGa Frontier, Xenogears, Bushido Blade 2, Brave Fencer Musashi, Ehrgeiz and Parasite Eve. Parasire Eve added a dash of Resident Evil to the Action/RPG mix but was thankfully easier to control and was generous with ammo.

Happy Adventure, Delightful Adventure - Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (SNES)

Before Square jumped the Nintendo ship and swam over to Sony shores, they gave the SNES one last RPG hurrah in the form of Super Mario RPG. While having plenty of RPG elements, it still felt like a Mario game and could be enjoyed by RPG enthusiasts or those that have never touched a game in the genre. I believe this is the first game in which Bowerse (begrudgingly) teamed up with Mario. The intro song that shows many of the attacks your party can use is more than three minutes long. It sounds cheerful at first but it turns dark towards the end.

"Metal Gear Solid Main" Theme - Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2, XB)

The Main Theme of the Metal Gear Solid series has been in the series since the first entry in 1998, but I honestly don't think it has sounded better than it does in Metal Gear Solid 2. Originally composed by Tappy Iwase, film music composer Harry Gregson-Williams arranged the famous theme and would be a key music writer for future Metal Gear Solid titles. The pre-game opening cut scene is still astonishing to watch largely do to the arranged piece of music attached to it.

Title - Astro Boy: Omega Factor (GBA)

Osamu Tezuka has created plenty of characters throughout his works, but his most famous one is none other than Astro Boy. He's had a handful of video games but the only one worth playing is the GBA's excellent Astro Boy: Omega Factor. If you've seen the 1980s Astro Boy anime series then the title theme may sound familiar to you. It's an arrangement of that theme, complete with lyrics on the screen for you to sing along to.

Title Theme - Super Mario 64 (N64, DS)

The most recognizable piece of video game music was turned into a title theme for Mario's first 3D adventure. Have you ever wanted to play with Mario's face? Well by messing around with the buttons, you can make the cursor pull Mario's facial features every which way, hold them in place and restore them to normal at the time of your choosing. It's a wonderful diversion that became the mini game known as Face Lift in the first Mario Party.

Title - Animal Crossing: City Folk (Wii)

City Folk is essential a spruced up console version of the DS' Animal Crossing: Wild Wold. The big difference is that City Folk has a city you can go to, which contains an auction house for you to bid on items, and a salon that offers varying hairstyles among other places to visit. But just like real life, the city's stores all close at night, meaning you'll have to do your shopping and such during the daylight hours. Animal Crossing is one of my favorite "chill" games. No mad doctor plots to stop, no princess to save and no level grinding. Somehow, the most mundane of activities are super fun in this series.

Opening - Mega Man 8 (PS, SAT)

Electrical Communications is quite good. But I'm gonna have to be "that guy" and say I like the American version of Mega Man 8's electric guitar ending a lot better. My 16 year old mind was blown because it was the first time I'd seen Mega Man in anime form. I still watch the opening movie every single time I play Mega Man 8.

The Edge of Soul - Soul Blade (PS)

Namco sure knew how to do some solid ports back in the day. All three Tekken titles were given some sweet extras, my favorite being arranged soundtracks. Soul Edge was given the same treatment, allowing you to play with the arcade version's score, the PlayStation arranged music, or an orchestrated version of the arcade soundtrack. That's three different scores to choose from! Somehow, I always ended up gravitating towards the PS music in Namco's ports.

Black Winter Night Sky - Tekken 2 (PS)

Ported to the PlayStation in 1996, Tekken 2 was yet another reason gamers flocked to Sony's shiny gray system. Along with some extra characters and arranged music, a new attract movie was added and you can see some of the character's motivations for entering the tournament, like Heihachi wanting revenge on his son for tossing him off that cliff in the first game and Michelle's kidnapped mother.

Title Theme - WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! (GBA)

What would you do if you had a ton of mini games and only five seconds to complete each one? You could panic, but thankfully, the mini games in WarioWare, Inc. are extremely easy to play with simple controls. It's the combination of randomness and weirdness that make WarioWare such a hoot. One minute you're sniffing snot up some girl's nose, the next you're jumping over a hot dog that's out to make you roadkill. For me, this first entry in the WarioWare series is still the best.

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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.