VGM Saturdays #284: Halloween is Cancelled

With the COVID-19 pandemic running rampant across America and cases spiking in other countries, the CDC has strongly advised against having the little ones go out trick or treating. For Halloween 2020, I suggest taking a spooky game for a spin or listening to some horror inspired tunes. Lucky for you, I got six of those blow.

Stage 7: Den - Castlevania: Dracula X (SNES)

Also known as the inferior version of Rondo of Blood. Yes, yes, the PCE version of this game is miles better. But dang it, Dracula X still has an outstanding soundtrack. I was gonna go with the excellent version of Blood Tears but Den sounds really good on the SNES hardware.

Iron Horse, Iron Terror (Queen Bee Stage) - Darkstalkers 3 (ARC)

Halloween themed Street Fighter, some say. Regardless, I really like the art style and character designs of this series and with Capcom releasing so many different compilations of late, Darkstalkers is long overdue. I nearly forgotten how awesome the beats are to this series, the third game in particular.

Big Boo's Haunt - Super Mario 64 (N64)

I've never liked Ghosts Houses. Boos were irksome foes to deal with in Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World went and gave the little buggers their own course in almost every world. Super Mario 64 not only has a whole course with Boos of different sizes floating around, it also has a piano that I'm sure freaked more than a few people out back in the day. I recently saw it spook my nephew. Yeah, I could have told him in advance but that would have deprived me of a good chuckle.

Mine Cart Madness - Donkey Kong Country (SNES)

The mine cart levels could test the patience of even the most sane individual. Jump too soon, ya die. Jump to late, ya die. Memorization was key to getting through these levels. As touch as the mine cart stages could be in the SNES DKC trilogy, they don't have anything on DKC Returns or Tropical Freeze. The feats of wizardry you have to pull off to survive in those levels can be insane.

Sandopolis Zone Act 2 - Sonic 3 & Knuckles (GEN)

Act 1 of Sandopolis has you trekking across the sands of Angel Island. For act 2, you go inside a pyramid, unleash some ghosts that became nightmare fuel if you don't find a light switch fast. The more eerie version of Sandopolis really sells that feeling of discomfort as you play through this level.

Key Cavern (Level 3) - The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (NSW)

A remake of one of my favorite Zelda games, the Switch version improved upon the original while keeping the spirit of 1993 game well in tact. Even on the old GB hardware Level 3 sounded super creepy to me. That same unsettling feeling is echoed through this arrangement. 

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VG Soundtrack of the Day 021: Super Mario 64

Another Super Mario soundtrack but not the game you might have anticipated. All in due time, we will get to that game. Super Mario 64 was the last Super Mario title that Koji Kondo composed music for solo. The man gave us the incredibly catchy Main Theme from the game that can also be heard in arranged form as Slider and Snow Mountain and new takes on old classics like the tried and true Ground Theme (Title Theme in this game) and Underground Theme (Hazy Maze Cave). And who could forget the soothing sounds of Water or Dire Dire Docks as some fans know the tune as? That is hands down one of the greatest pieces of aquatic game music ever.

Super Mario 64 (YouTube)

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Favorite Tunes #274: Simply Having...

Christmas is but a mere four days away so this week's Favorite Tunes is peppered with some new material along with some old favorites. Happy holidays, everyone.

Planet Freon ~ Ice Scream - Ristar (GEN)

When Ristar was originally released in 1995, the game was overlooked. This was a time when the platformer was the dominate genre and it was pretty tough to compete with games like Yoshi's Island and Donkey Kong Country 2. Nonetheless, Ristar has its fans and SEGA has given the game plenty of love when it comes time to Genesis compilation releases. The game is a very competent platformer that shows off some marvelous visuals and some of the best music the Genesis has to offer.

Dhalsim's Theme [CPS-I] - Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (ARC)

There are some versions of SFII's music that I prefer over the arcade score. I think Sagat's stage music sounds better in home versions than it does on the stand-up audio. Dhalsim's theme is another one where the arcade version never really clicked with me. Until recently, that is. Sometimes it may take a while, in my case, years, before a music track grows on you.

Jack Turner Theme - Art of Fighting (NG)

The few Art of Fighting tracks for Terry's massive song list in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate got me to check out the soundtrack from the Art of Fighting series and yup, great jams across all three games. I am a sucker for a good piece of jazzy music and hearing this one really makes me wish it made the cut for Terry's song selection in Ultimate.

Frozen Factory Act 1 - Sonic Lost World (Wii U)

I played through Sonic Lost World a year or so ago and I gotta say, I didn't find the game to be the dumpster fire so many make it out to be. I thought the parkour system could have been executed better along with some level specific gimmicks, but overall, I had good time with the game. Of course the music was awesome, it was a Sonic game, after all. This one ranks as one of my top winter Sonic themes, right behind Ice Cap Zone Act 1.

Snow Mountain - Super Mario 64 (N64)

Super Mario 64 DS wasn't a bad port but I just couldn't get down with the controls. For that reason, the N64 version has always been my favorite, wonky Bowser model and all. I'd love an HD remaster of the game on the Switch and I'd have no complaints if the music were kept as is because this is still some of the best stuff Koji Kondo has ever composed.

Diamond Dust Act 1 - Sonic 3D Blast (SAT)

I'm one of those uncool dudes that prefers the Saturn version of Sonic 3D Blast's music. I still like the Genesis version well enough and there are some themes I think I better on the Genesis. Diamond Dust Act 1 on the Saturn however, wins by a mile. I love me some winter game music and doubly so if it sounds Christmasy. It has become something of a tradition to feature this track every December in Favorite Tunes before Christmas.

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Favorite Tunes #244: Time for Spooky

Tirck or treat, smell my feet, you know the rest. It is that spooky time of the year again and in the spirit of the season, here are some ghastly tunes to make you go bump in the night or some other Halloween jargon.

Battle for the Holy - Castlevania the Adventure ReBirth (Wii)

Three of Konami's top franchises were given ReBirth titles exclusively on the Wii via Wii Ware. Nintendo has since closed up the Wii Shop Channel so unless Konami re-releases the three ReBirth titles, they are more victims lost to the digital age. Castlevania the Adventure Rebirth was essentially a remake of Castlevania Adventure for the Game Boy, staring Christopher Belmont. This theme originally played on the game's opening stage but was nowhere to be heard in the ReBirth remake.

Cockatrice - Super Ghouls'n Ghosts (SNES)

The Ghosts'n Goblins games are known for their insane difficulty and Super Ghouls'n Ghosts is no exception. Hard as this game is, though, it is still easier than the two titles that came before it. Super gives you a double jump and you can power up your weapons. The game has the familiar level 1 Ghosts'n Goblins music as well as a slew of new songs that sound magnificent on the SNES hardware, making Super Ghouls'n Ghosts quite possibly my favorite soundtrack of the entire series.

Those Chosen by the Planet - Final Fantasy VII (PS)

A theme heavily associated with the main protagonist of Final Fantasy VII, Sepiroth, this theme is first heard during a flashback when he goes mad after finding out what he (assumes) are his true origins and makes orphans of Cloud and Tifa along with burning the town to the ground. At the time, the scene of Sephy walking away in those flames looked pretty badawesome. Now? Looks pretty dang dated.

Ceremony - Secret of Mana (SNES)

I imagine this track unsettled anyone that played Secret if Mana as  a kid. Heck, I was 15 when I first played the game and this tune still gave me the creeps. If you're looking for some horror inspired game music for something, you can't go wrong with this one.

Haunted House - Super Mario 64 (N64)

Since the introduction of Ghost Houses in Super Mario World, I have never liked the haunted house themes in Super Mario games. The nightmare fuel was cranked up to eleven in Big Boo's Haunt, the sole ghost house level in Super Mario 64. Going after some of the stars here was a pain and the less said about that freaking piano, the better.

Lavos' Theme - Chrono Trigger (SNES)

I sure have shown Square Enix a lot of love in Favorite Tunes this week. Lavos is unlike the big bad if most Square Enix RPGs. He doesn't boast about how powerful he is, nor is he the mirror counterpart to any of the heroes. Not a lot of detail is divulged about him. And yet, hundreds of years into the future he turns the world into a wasteland where what remains of the human population is starving, just barely clinging to life.

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