VG Soundtrack of the Day 048: Super Adventure Island

Yuzo Koshiro is a big fan of music in the west. Some of his most iconic works such as the Streets of Rage trilogy on the Genesis, were heavily influenced by music in the west from late 80s and early 90s era. Super Adventure Island, another game with Koshiro's name attached has the early 90s written all over it. Listening to Super Adventure Island music is like taking a trip in a time a machine. Given the current state of world, going back to a different time doesn't seem like such a bad idea. Tracks I can't get enough of include Follow Wind, The Island of Everlasting Summer, Blue Blue Moon and Ice Groove. The use of samples of 90s era music is heavily present in this soundtrack.

Super Adventure Island (YouTube)

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S3: Sensational SNES Soundtracks Part 1

The Super Nintendo is widely reguarded as Nintendo's best console and arguably the greatest console of all time. It's an outstanding game machine with a hefty amount of games, visuals that still hold up well today and much of the music in SNES games is nothing short of amazing. SNES music is what we're here to discuss in S3, highlighting some of my favorite SNES soundtracks.

01. F-ZERO

Composers: Yumiko Kanki, Naoto Ishida

When you launch a new console, it really is a good idea to showcase what the new hardware is capable of. The tech under the SNES hood allowed for some spectacular Mode-7 scrolling visuals. Pilotwings, one of the launch titles for Nintendo's 16-bit baby was big on Mode-7 but it took things a bit slow. Nothing wrong with that. But if you wanted Mode-7 with some serious kick, F-ZERO was where it was at. The speed you could reach in this game was, at the time, mind blowing. Not only was it fast, it looked good, futuristic (a given with the time period the game was set in) and it sounded superb. Still does. F-ZERO's music has some of the strongest use of baselines and trumpets in any SNES game. These days the F-ZERO games are known for their abundance of rock music and while you can certainly hear some rock in F-ZERO on the SNES, you might find this soundtrack on the quiet side compared to F-ZERO X, F-ZERO GX and everything else that followed this one. Those aforementioned trumpets and baselines are heavily dominant in this soundtrack and after being exposed to them, you'll be begging for more.

Mute City
Big Blue
Sand Ocean
Port Town
Fire Field
Silence

02. The Magical Quest Staring Mickey Mouse

Comopser: Mari Yamaguchi

Emperor Pete is up to no good. He's kidnapped Mickey's pal, Pluto. Well, golly, that's not swell at all. I know a lot of people think of the Genesis when it comes to 16-bit Mickey Mouse adventures, but Capcom's The Magical Quest is what comes to my mind. With the various costumes Mickey wears, this game has a very classic Mickey vibe going on. Mari's work includes, Mega Man 5, Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts and the SNES conversion of U.N. Squadron. The similarities between the music in this game and Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts are very noticeable. There's lots of brass and tons upon tons of wood wind intruments used throughout this soundtrack and it sounds so dang good. I just love the sound font Capcom used to make flutes and tubas on the SNES. They make for some excellent tension. Some of the music in The Magical Quest is just begging for live orchestral arrangements especially Dark Forest and Fire Grotto.

Treetops
Dark Forest
Fire Grotto
Pete's Peak
Boss 2
Pete's Castle

03. Mega Man X

Composers: Setsuo Yamamoto, Yuki Iwai, Makoto Tomozawa
Yuko Takehara, Toshihiko Horriyama

Fans anxiously awaited Mega Man to hit Nintendo's 16-bit system. By the time Mega Man arrived on the SNES, the console had been on the market for more than two years. And when he did come, he was not the Blue Bomber we were expecting. In fact, he was a whole new Mega Man in more ways than one. Mega Man X was a totally different beast from his 8-bit counter part. He was taller, a lot more powerful and edgier. Folks tend to freak out when a series dips into that last one, but Mega Man X came along at just the right time. While the classic games weren't getting bad by any means, after five games, things were begining to get stagnent. Mega Man X was a much needed shake up and the truth is, lots of spin-off titles wish the could make such a strong showing as X. The tone of Mega Man X's music is set from the intro stage. X is going to rock your ears and your socks right off. From those killer drum rolls in Spark Mandrill's theme to those sick electric guitar riffs in Flame Mammoth and Armored Armadillio's stage, this game's soundtrack has something for every fan of 16-bit rock or just rock music in general.

Opening Stage
Storm Eagle Stage
Flame Mammoth Stage
Spark Mandrill Stage
Armored Armadillo Stage
Sigma Stage 1

04. Super Castlevania IV

Composers: Masanori Adachi, Taro Kudou

Plenty of games that made the jump from the NES to the SNES benefited a great deal and Castlevania was no exception. As much as I enjoy the NES Castlevania games, I was not sad to see the stiff movements on those games get the axe in Super Castlevania IV. Simon isn't super mobile, but you could influence the direction of his jump a bit and multi directional whipping is the best. That SNES sound chip did a wealth of good for Super Castlevania IV because this game has one of the best freaking soundtracks of the series and for a franchise with such highly touted music, that's saying a lot. True, the music has a dreary feel to it as it should, but it also sounds highly atmospheric. There's even some jazz in there with The Submerged City (3-3) that has a super sexy baseline. This game gave us the iconic Theme of Simon (take that, Richter!) which has a chilling organ start up and I've always loved the uneasy vibe that Clockwork Mansion (4-1) gives off. Super Castlevania IV also has what is without question the best version of Bloody Tears, the second most memorable Castlevania tune, right behind Vampire Killer, which is also in this game. But real talk? Bloody Tears in this game crushes Vampire Killer. Still a good beat, though.

Theme of Simon
The Cave (3-1)
The Submerged City (3-3)
Clockwork Mansion (4-1)
Bloody Tears (A-1)
Vampire Killer (B-1)

05. Final Fantasy IV

Composer: Nobuo Uematsu

Originally released in America as Final Fantasy II at a time when RPGs were a niche genre in the west and it was actually the second title in the series to hit our shores, the number nonsense with the Final Fantasy series has since been sorted out and RPGs are big business over here now. After composing soundtracks for three Final Fantasy titles on the NES, I can only imagine Nobuo Uematsu's excitement to write a score on the SNES sound chip. The Prelude theme sounds richer than ever and this is the game that added more to the theme with some impressive flute work. It wouldn't be a Final Fantasy without a main theme but for the first time, the series introduced a reoccurring main theme in Final Fantasy IV that could be heard in numerous tracks. Of course my favorite version of it is the default Main Theme that plays on the world map as it sounds so freaking lovely. The game has a number of different themes for dungeons but if I had to pick a favorite from the bunch, my vote goes for Within the Giant. It is such an encouraging, uplifting song and it even plays as you get closer to the final boss. Speaking of which, the game is packing one epic final fight track. Yes, the word epic is overused in gaming related discussions but I really can't think of any other way to describe it. I feel like I've commited a crime by only linking to six songs from Final Fantasy IV because I really haven't scratched the surface of the game's soundtrack. With tracks ranging from beautiful, melancholy and upbeat, there's a song for every occasion and I still say this is some of Uematsu's best work on the Final Fantasy franchise.

Prelude
Main Theme
Troian Beauty
The Dreadful Fight
Within the Giant
Final Battle

06. Super Adventure Island 

Composer: Yuzo Koshiro

A platformer with girl trouble. That's original. Well, at least she wasn't kidnapped in this game. She was turned to stone. OK, so that isn't much better. If Super Adventure Island is your first entry in the series, I feel kinda bad for you because it really isn't the best place to start. Even if you're looking for a challenge, Super Adventure Island is unfairly cruel with it's level design, cheap hits the enemy can get on you and limited continues. The reason I'm glad I came across this game as a kid was the incredible soundtrack. Super Adventure Island's music screams early 1990s. It has voice samples that are instantly recognizable in a few of the tracks and much of the music has an overall jovial mood. Blue Blue Moon is a super soothing jazz beat and one of my earliest exposures to jazz in video games. Given that the game's score was written by Yuzo Koshiro, who was heavily influenced by western music, it comes as not surprise that Super Adventure Island's soundtrack turned out the way it did.

Follow Wind
The Island of Everlasting Summer
Hot Step and Jazzy Beats
Blue Blue Moon
Hot Reception 
Jungle Chase

Favorite Tunes #153: Hot Summer Days

We're well into summer and here in Virginia, it's getting hotter. The only relief from the heat is the rain or the coolness that night brings. Or if you're like me, you're probably staying in doors to avoid the blistering heat. Take my advice, listening to hot beats is infinitely better than dripping sweat.

Clawdaddy Beach - Yoshi's Woolly World (Wii U)

One of my favorite (as well as cutest) games of the current generation is Yoshi's Woolly World. This game is so dang good that it may very well be better than the SNES classic Yoshi's Island. The soundtrack may not be on the same level of Koji Kond's music from said game, but what we do have is some catchy, well composed tunes. I'll be listening to this one the next time I'm on the beach playing Pokemon Go.

Hot Reception - Super Adventure Island (SNES)

Yuzo Koshiro really knows how to write some superb beats. My favorite things about his Streets of Rage music is that so much of it sounds very late 80s early 90s. Super Adventure Island is dripping with 1990s music flair. The music is the highlight of what is a very cruel game.

Inferno ~ Descending - Mega Man X8 (PS2)

After two abysmal X games, Mega Man X8 put the series back on track. We even got to play as the title character from the get go! Huzzah! With a few exceptions, X8 sticks to the series tried and true 2D roots with plenty of bot busting action. The music is on point too, with a hefty supply of rock.

3DS DK Jungle - Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)

With its item balancing, compelling single player and online modes, Mario Kart 8 might just be my favorite Mario Kart game. The track designs outshine some of the best from previous entries and the soundtracks is some of the best music I've heard in a video game. Originally a track in Mario Kart 7, DK Jungle got the HD treatment. I thought the song sounded just find on the 3DS but it sounds even better in Mario Kart 8.

Scene 2 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES)

Disappointed with the HD Mutants in Manhattan? Fire up one of the older Turtles games for an infinitely more satisfying experience. You're probably thinking of TMNTII or TMNTIV, but why not give the often overlooked TMNTIII a try? It serves up a good challenge, impressive NES visuals and some sweet chiptunes.

Rock Star Select - Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (N64)

2.5D gameplay, and cool weapon combos we sadly haven't seen since this game, Kirby 64 is one of the few Kirby games I've completed 100%. When I picked up Kirby's Dream Collection a few years back, I really sank my teeth into the game and music made a big impression on me especially Rock Star as well as the Select theme for Rock Star.

Favorite Tunes Database

Favorite Tunes #58: Summer Days

It's getting hotter outside, people are going swimming, rock climbing and engaging in all kinds of summer activities. I didn't feel like holding off until June, so here's the Summer Days edition of Favorite Tunes.


Bianco Hills - Super Mario Sunshine (GCN)

Mario has to spend the start of his well-deserved vacation cleaning up a huge mess that he didn't even make on Delfino Isle. Super Mario Sunshine used a lot of the same gameply mechanics from Super Mario 64 but the addition of FLUDD changed this up considerably. Players relied on this machine's aid in platforming and restoring the locals to their former, squeaky clean glory. Much of Sunshine's music is very tropical resort inspired and you'll hear the main theme, Delfino Plaza get arranged numerous times throughout the game.


Azure Blue World... for Emerald Coast - Sonic Adventure (DC, GCN)

Tails crash-lands his plane at the end of the beach that is Emerald Coast. Sonic's off to retrieve his best friend in the first full-length level of the first 3D Sonic game. Most Sonic console games begin with a level that has greenery strewn about, but this one ups on on a sunny beach. There's lots of air to catch, high speeds to run at and even a killer whale to flee in terror from.

The Island of Everlasting Summer - Super Adventure Island (SNES)

By Kari LikeLikes

There are three things I remember about Super Adventure Island. 1.) Master Higgins' girlfriend has been turned into stone and he's on a quest to changer her back to flesh and blood. 2.) This game was mind numbingly difficult. 3.) It had an incredible 90's-infused soundtrack done by Yuzo Koshiro.

Palm Bay Heights - Burnout 2: Point of Impact (PS2, XB, GCN)

Like Mega Man 2 did for the Blue Bomber, Burnout 2 is the game that propelled the Burnout series into the hearts of gamers as one of the slickest and most insane arcade style racers they'd ever seen at the time. The arcade mode was hours of entertainment in and of itself but then Criterion took the crashes, one of the most noteworthy features of the original Burnout and made them even more cringe-inducing in crash mode, where the whole point was to find out how to cause the biggest car pileup. If memory serves, this was the last Burnout to use original music. From Burnout 3 onward, all of the music was licensed material.

Scene 1 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES)

Built from the ground up for the NES, the Turtles third NES offering plays a lot like the TMNT II: The Arcade game but many would argue that it's the superior beat 'em up of the two. As is the case with most Konami titles, this game has exceptional music. Jake "virt" Kaufman, one of my favorite video game music composers cites TMNT III: The Manhattan Project as having some of the best music in a video game.

Dance with the Lizards - Chrono Cross (PS)

A game I'm not too fond of, but it has a soundtrack that I absolutely adore. There's no time travel involved but there are two worlds to travel back and forth to and a huge, huge cast of party members you can assemble. You can even run away from any battle, including boss battles. Like the previous two Chrono games, Yasunroi Matsuda wrote the score for Cross, which is naturally excellent.

Moon Beach - Streets of Rage (GEN)

By modusprodukt

What other beat 'em up lets you call the cops to your air that pull up in a car and blast the opposition with a rocket launcher? That's some of the coolest assists on the planet, even if it does majorly interrupt the flow of the game. Most gamer (myself included) agree that Streets of Rage 2 is the best in the series, but the first game is still worth your time and maybe the third if you don't mind it's soul crushing difficulty. Like many of it's franchises, SEGA has left this one in the gutter for eons.

Besaid Island - Final Fantasy X (PS2)

If you missed the chance to play Final Fantasy X, you're in luck. Square Enix will be releasing an HD remix of it and Final Fantasy X-2 this year for the PS3. Even better, this will be the International version. FFX was the first game in the series to use voice actor's and the first to have a score not entirely written by Nobuo Uematsu. Joining him to compose this extensive soundtrack was Masashi Hamazu and Junya Nakano, both of which's compositions were equally as impressive as Uematsu's. The music of FFX played a larger part in helping shape the world of the game to make it feel unlike any other Final Fantasy.

Poolside - Tekken 5 (PS2)

I'm not a fighting game enthusiast and I certainly don't know the first thing about executing 10 hit combos but I do enjoy a good game of Tekken and Tekken 5 certainly delivers that. Some say that the quality of Tekken's music has declined since Tekken 2, but I'm in the camp that still enjoys it. Nothing like brawling by the pool as onlookers cheer.

Blanka Stage - Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (SNES ver.)

Street Fighter II was birthed in the arcades but it was ported to almost every console and platform you can imagine. I like the arcade versions music of a lot of themes, but in my humble opinion, Blanka's stage theme sounds the best with SNES sound chip instruments.

Favorite Tunes Database

Favorite Tunes #11: Water Themes

It's getting hot outside and what better way to cool off than taking a swim in the pool, or going to the beach and hitting the waves? If you're a video game character more often than not, there's usually some objective that's involved with swimming like saving the world, or rescuing a princess. In this installment of Favorite Tunes we take a listen to some of my favorite themes from water levels. Like ice stages, water levels are either hit or miss with me, but for the most part, I adore the music that's generated from these stages.

Blue Blue Moon - Super Adventure Island (SNES)

The first time you hear Blue Blue Moon, you're swimming inside a giant whale. Kinda reminds me of the climax of Pinocchio. Also know as Essential Vitamins, Super Adventure Island's soundtrack was scored by Yuzo Koshrio. Blue Blue Moon has a very 1990s feel to it and many are still surprised that this kind of music was capable on the SNES early in the system's life.

Water - Super Mario 64 (N64)

For me, the next generation of gaming didn't arrive until I finally played Super Mario 64. Just running around in any direction, jumping off walls, blasting out of cannons, flying through the sky, it was all so exhilarating. Super Mario 64 wouldn't have been quite as awesome a game if not for the compositions of Koji Kondo who once again, gave as an unforgettable score. Water, the theme that plays in the two very fun underwater courses is such an incredible theme that captures the feeling of sea-life to a T. I thought it was a very nice touch how an extra layer to the music was added when you swam in the water and drums were added when you were on land in certain sections of the level.

Aquatic Ambiance - Donkey Kong Country (SNES)

As much as Donkey Kong Country's 32-bit visuals surprised my 13 year old mind on a 16-bit console, its music had a greater, lasting impact on me. When I reached Coral Capers, the game's first underwater level, I was overcome with awe. Cheesy as this may sounded it was if Aquatic Ambiance had reached out and touched my soul. As I swam through the stage with DK and Diddy on Enguarde, it felt as if I were deep in the ocean with them. Even as I fought off the sharks and octopuses, I couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of the game's interpretation of underwater aquatic life. In my humble opinion, this could very well be the greatest piece of water music ever made for video games. David Wise, you have my eternal gratitude.

Underwater Bombs - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)

Ask any gamer that played TMNT for the NES what the first major difficult stage was and just about all of the answers will be the Dam. The Dam, the Dam, the Dam! Stiff swimming controls and tons of killer electric seaweed made this stage a nightmare for gamers across the land. Yet as controller-breaking as it was, it had one of the best themes in the game and that's saying a lot because all of TMNT's NES soundtrack is made of win. My apologies if this tune trudges up bad memories for some of you, but even though this stage caused me no end of frustration, it still has an amazing music piece.

Zora's Domain - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64, 3DS)

Widely praised as the greatest game of all time (superb game but not a claim I'm ready to get behind), Ocarina of Time was the first 3D Zelda game and was another shinning example that Nintendo knew how to handle it's properties in three dimensions. Koji Kondo was once again brought back to write the game's soundtrack, giving us some of the most recognized themes from the series. Zora's Domain tends to get overlooked in favor of other tracks from the game but it's still one of my favorite tracks from this entry in the series. It's a truly beautiful piece.

Dolphin Park - Wave Race 64 (N64)

One of the earliest N64 titles and still one of the best, Wave Race 64 handled water physics like you would not believe. The racing itself could get pretty intense especially on later courses. Wave Race 64 has some sweet music but since I had to pick just one theme for this list, I went with Dolphin Park, a tutorial course. It's one of the few areas in the game where you can relax because you aren't fighting the waves or three other CPU racers to keep your place.

Tidal Tempest - Sonic CD (Sega CD, XBLA, PSN)

It's almost impossible to discuss the music of Sonic CD without breaking open a stupid debate that, quite frankly, needs to die already. I greatly enjoy both soundtracks. That being said, I went with the US version of Tidal Tempest. After the more speedy Aquatic Ruin theme from Sonic 2, it was nice to return to a slower water theme for Sonic CD. Lots of folks seem to get a Fresh Prince vibe from this one. I don't quite see it, but I can certainly dig it.

Aqua Area - Kirby's Return to Dream Land (Wii)

The Wii was blessed with not one but two wonderful Kirby games. Epic Yarn gave us a different take on the pink puff ball, while Return to Dream Land saw him return to his more traditional style of gameplay. This four player platformer has the honor of being my new favorite Kirby game (it dethroned Kirby Super Star.) It's pretty to look at, has awesome copy abilities, fun levels and a killer soundtrack thanks to veteran Kirby composers, Jun Ishikawa and Hirokazo Ando. The game has a number of water tunes, but Aqua Area by far my favorite.

Beach Overworld - New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)

Though New Super Mario Bros. Wii can be very chaotic with 3-4 players, you should at least give the it a shot if you ever have the opportunity. But even when playing solo, this is still one of the best Super Mario games around. Beach Overworld has the familiar "wah wah" voice clip I've grown to love and there are traces of 8-bit sounds in this piece as well. This song reminds me of a fun filled day at the beach, something I haven't had in a good while.