Favorite Tunes #160: Here Comes a New Challenger

Aw yeah. You know what those five words mean. A new opponent has entered the ring. Yup, we've got music from fighting games this week. The only thing better than kicking the crap out of your opponent is doing it to some dope beats.

Those Who Fight (Version 2) - Ehrgeiz (PS)

This 3D fighter, released in 1998 and was famous for it's Quest mode. It was also notable for including Cloud, Tifa, Yuffie and Sepiroth from Final Fantasy VII as playable characters. It didn't get a digital release on the PSN outside of Japan and it isn't easy to track down a physical copy so expect to pay through the nose if you do. The game has some really cool and memorable music tracks, including an arrangement of FFVII's killer random battle theme. This track could have been in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Totally missed opportunity.

Jun Kazama - Tekken 2 (Arcade)

The first Tekken game I played, Tekken 2, left a huge impression on me, helping me fully embrace 3D fighters. The PS had some killer arranged tracks from the arcade versions music, but the arcade score was also quite good. Hearing this kinda makes me wish Tekken's composers would go back to this style of music.

Hitohira Reminiscent of Ketsui No Toki - Dead or Alive 2 (ARC, DC, PS2)

Talk about girl power. DOA is primarily known for it's hot chicks with huge boobs and said boobs jiggle physics. I haven't played a DOA game since DOA2 so I've been out of touch with the series for a long time. I can still recall that game's fantastic soundtrack, however, which let to the first inclusion of music from the DOA games in Favorite Tuns. Kasumi was always my favorite of the DOA gals.

An Empty Tome - Castlevania Judgement (Wii)

Back on the Wii, Konami took a stab at turning Castlevania into a fighter. The results proved to be disastrous, but hey, at least they were doing something with the franchise back then. Besides, that game gave us some pretty sick remixed tracks.

Theme of Jeffrey - Virtua Fighter (ARC)

I wouldn't really get into Virtua Fighter until the release of Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution on the PS2, an updated version of VF4. The game included a bonus 1VF 10th Anniversary game as a bonus, which was how I became familiar with the classic VF themes. Pai is my VF main, but I love me some Jeffrey theme music.

Flash Train - Street Fighter EX2 (ARC)

With the subtitle for this Favorite Tunes, you'd think I would have gotten to Street Fighter a lot sooner. It was really tempting to fill this Favorite Tunes with Capcom fighters, but I thought I'd be more diverse and give fighters from other companies some time in the sun. The EX series are Capcom's 3D fighters co-developed by Arika, a company that unfortunately owns the rights to the non Capcom fighters. This is why we've never seen Skullomania or Doctrine Dark in SF games since SFEX3 in 2000. Anyway, the music in the EX games is nothing short of fantastic. EX2 Plus has arrangements of EX2's music, but EX2's original themes are still incredible.

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Favorite Tunes #76: Girls, Girls, Girls, Girls

In case you haven't guessed, this one is all about the ladies. Enjoy!

A Simple Rating (Theme of Karin) - Street Fighter Alpha 3 (ARC, PS, SAT)

Of all the games in the Alpha series, Alpha 3 is by far the one I've invested the most time in, specifically the PlayStation port. With so many characters and modes to choose from, this game kept me busy long after the shrink wrap came off the CD case. Karin is Sakura's rival and despite this being her only appearance in a Street Fighter title, she has a huge fanbase.

File Selection - Super Princess Peach (DS)

In one of his more brilliant moves, Bowser kidnaps Mario and Luigi, the usual rescuers of Princess Peach. This leaves the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom being the only one capable of going off to rescue the duo. With a magical umbrella and the power of mood swings, Peach stared in an easy, but still fun platformer.

World 4 (Alta NET) - Mighty Flip Champs (DSi)

The first game in WayForward's Mighty series, Mighty Flip champs was a unique take on the puzzle genre. Using both screens, you could flip the level around to access portions of the area you wouldn't be able to reach otherwise. This theme plays in one of the toughest areas of the game.

Heart of Icegrave - Monster World IV (GEN)

'Twas truly a good day when Monster World IV was officially released via digital download. And in English! This absolutely charming action/RPG has some of the finest visual and sounds to come from the Genesis as well as one of my favorite duos in gaming, Asha and Pepe. Much of the music consists of a single them that gets used over and over, but the arrangements are done so well that it never grates on you.

Datadyne Central Defection - Perfect Dark (N64)

The Carrington Institute has a wealth of good soldiers but few of them are as skillful as Joanna Dark, the only agent to get a perfect rating, hence her code name, Perfect Dark. A lot of the themes used in Perfect Dark come in two flavors, the normal theme and the X version, which is more frantic than the standard tune.

Jody Summer - F-Zero GX (GCN)

Out of the 30 racers in F-Zero GX only a handful of them are female and Jody has one of the better vehicles to choose from. Unlike a lot of other character themes, Jody's is gentle like a nice summer breeze.

Nobody Catch Me - Tekken 2 (PS)

I know I've said it before but really good things need to be repeated. Namco has a habit of going the extra mile on their ports. The PS version of Tekken 2 got an incredibly arranged soundtrack and I actually prefer it over the arcade score. This is Michelle Chang's theme.

Stone Forest (PAI) - Virtua Fighter 5 (ARC, PS2, 360)

This year marks the 20th anniversary of SEGA's Virtua Fighter series, gaming's first 3D fighter. Unfortunately SEGA didn't really roll out the red carpet for this franchise like they did with Sonic. Oh well. Of all the female brawlers this series is known for, Pai will always be my lady of choice.

Main Theme - The Legend of Valkyrie (ARC)

Later ported to the PC Engine, The Legend of Valkyrie is actually a sequel to the Famicom game Valkyrie no Boken. This obscure Namco character has gotten a bit more love as of late. She was one of the many playable characters in the 3DS game Project X Zone.

Terra - Final Fantasy VI (SNES)

With so many characters and many of them getting ample screen time, Terra is probably the closest Final Fantasy VI has to a main character. This half human/half esper undergoes a lot of character development before she's comfortable with who she is. Terra's theme functions as the world map theme for the World of Balance, the first half of the game.

Favorite Tunes Database

Favorite Tunes #69: Ninjas Rule

Who doesn't like ninjas? Crazy people. Crazy people that no one will ever love. From Guy to Ryu to Kage, this Favorite Tunes is all about the ninjas.

Theme of Kage - Virtua Fighter (ARC, SAT)

The world's first 3D fighter, Virtua Fighter offered a simple but very complex three button control scheme. Kage Maru isn't my favorite Virtua Fighter character (that would be Pai) but he's still an awesome fighter and he get bonus points for look deadly in blue. 

Japanesque - Shinobi II: Return of the Ninja Master (GEN)

Shinobi III, also known as The Super Shinobi II is hailed as the pinnacle among the Genesis trio of Shinobi games. Despite having a musical score that was not composed by the legendary Yuzo Koshiro, Shinobi III still has some of the best music ever produced on the Genesis. Much of the soundtrack is worth rocking out to on your iPod, but if you only pick a selection of tracks, make sure you put Japanesque in there.

Shadow Man Stage - Mega Man 3 (NES)

The first (and only) Robot Master to slide, Shadow Man gets taken out by what is largely considered the worst weapon in the history of Mega Man, the Top Spin. His Shadow Blade weapon is a much more balanced version of the Metal Blade from Metal Man. I've always loved the jazz feel of Shadow Man's level theme.

Moon Night -PSYLOCKE- - X-Men: Children of the Atom (ARC, SAT)

A lot of ninjas on this list don't wear black. You may think that's a setback for one that has a job occupation that requires them to be so stealthy, but when you're so good at your job, I say you should be able to wear whatever colors you want. Besides, Psylocke looks great in purple. You know what else is great? Her theme from Children of the Atom.

Daddy Mulk - The Ninja Warriors (SCD)

An arcade beat 'em up developed by Taito, the game was later ported to tons of different consoles including the Commodore 64 and Sega CD. The game started two protagonists that were not only ninjas, but ninja robots. That's two of my favorite things combined! Daddy Mulk is the most famous song in Ninja Warriors. I quite like the arranged version on the Sega CD.

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

Along with the Disney titles, the Turtle games were some of the better licensed products in the late 80s and throughout the 1990s. Konami released some of the best beat 'em ups in the genre with the 1989 TMNT and the 1991 Turtles in Time, which was later ported to the SNES in 1992. With the SNES being all the rage, you may have missed out on the Manhattan Project. Unlike the ports of TMNT and Turtles in Time, Manhattan Project was built from the ground up on the NES and some fans consider it better than TMNTII.

Act 1 - Ninja Gaiden (NES)

Praised for it's use of cutscenes to move the story along, Ninja Gaiden was one of the earliest games where most gamers got to step into the shoes of a ninja. It was quite exhilarating. Slicing foes up with a katana, throwing ninja stars and sticking to walls. Ryu Hayabusa seemed like the most hardcore guy ever. And he'd have to be to go through everything this game threw at him. As splendid as it was, Ninja Gaiden was also one of the most unforgiving games on the NES.  

Jago - Killer Instinct (ARC)

C-C-C-C-COMBOOOOO BREAKEEEEEEEEER!!! Man, that's fun to say. In all honesty, I am glad to see Killer Instinct making a long overdue comeback. I'm not too thrilled about that free to play business or a questionable developer being behind it, but KI's comeback was still one of E3's 2013 highlights. I'm hoping his theme music is just as good as it was in the first and second KI games.

Stages 3-2 & 5-1 - Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi (GEN)

There's actually an arcade game called Shadow Dancer but the title is really all it has in common with the Genesis game. Shadow Dancer may not be on the same level of greatness as Revenge of Shinobi or Shinobi III, but it's still a solid Shinobi title with another fantastic Genesis soundtrack.

No More Swingin' (Theme of Guy) - Street Fighter Alpha 3 (ARC, PS, SAT, DC)

My favorite entry in the Alpha series, the home versions of Alpha 3 brought a slew of new content that the arcade version didn't have. In addition to new playable characters like Guile, there was a World Tour mode where you can increase the strengths of your fighter while traveling the globe. Guy is one of my favorite characters to use and his stage music always puts me in the mood to beat someone down.

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Currently Playing #10

OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast (PS2)

This updated version of OutRun 2 is the first OutRun game I ever played and if I may be so bold, I prefer it over the original 1986 OutRun. It comes fully loaded with all of the music from OutRun, Turbo OutRun, tons of remixes and arrangements of the music from the aforementioned OutRun titles, and the arcade game OutRun 2SP is even included. Yeah, Coast 2 Coast gives the player a ton of mileage.

I played Coast 2 Coast to death back in 2006 when I picked it up. I was addicted to attaining high scores and unlocking much of the game's content. I amassed quite a bit of OutRun miles and had a ton of cars. But a former friend lost my PS2 memory card so I've had to reclaim everything that I'd lost. I've a long ways to go and playing Coast 2 Coast with the control pad is a chore for me because I'm so accustomed to the analog stick. Why am I not using the analog? My PS2 Dual Shock controller's left analog is very screwy. The slightest touch can send it locking into place to where my in-game characters are constantly moving left or right. A lot of PS2 games work with the original PS Dual Shock. Sadly, Coast 2 Coast is not one of those games. And I wish I could kick my girlfriend out of the car. She can be so annoying.

Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition (3DS)

The more of SSFIV I play, the more I like. I thought this game took place after the Street Fighter III series, but when playing as Ken, his son was born at the end of the game and by the time Street Fighter III rolls around, Ken's son has grown considerably. I'm really intrigued by much of the character's stories in SSFIV. Sagat has changed a great deal, calling Ryu "an old friend" during his ending. He's no longer ruled by anger as he was in earlier SF titles. Sakura sounds cuter than ever thanks to her voice actress. Speaking of voices, I've spotted quite a few Funimation voice actors on board. Guile is voiced by Travis Willingham, who is the voice of Roy Mustang on Fullmetal Alchemist, and since Guile himself is a soldier, that strikes me as a hilarious casting gag, but just as he does with Mustang, Wilingham does a great Guile. Chun-Li is voiced by Laura Bailey and her ending shows her paling around with Guile, kinda like how they did in the Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie.

Mega Man Zero Collection (DS)

I finished Mega Man Zero 3 a few weeks ago so now I'm working through Mega Man Zero 4, still on Easy Scenario. Spikes are instant death in this game unlike how they just caused big damage to you in Zero 3. I can't remember what level it was, but it had plenty of spikes and moving blocks in a confined area. These blocks reminded me of the disappearing blocks from the Classic Mega Man series. Except Zero is bigger than these blocks and the way they move in the tight space means little room for error so it's really easy to get crushed. I died so many times on that level that I turned the game off. I don't get that way around Mega Man games often, but Zero 4 ticked me off to that point.

Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution (PS2)

My favorite Virtua Fighter and the game that really got me into the series. I played a bit of Virtua Fighter 4 and Virtua Fighter 3tb, but Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution is really the game that blew the doors off for me in this series. The meat and potatoes of VF4: Evo has always comes from Quest Mode. You can select one fighter and spend countless hours going through the virtual arcades going up against fighters with AI modeled after real life VF4 players. Not just that, you get cash and can earn a plethora of items to customize your character with, which is something I've always been a fan of. You can deck your fighter out with shades, wrist bands, new outfits, alternate colors and many more clothing accessories. Quest Mode is easily one of the most enjoyable single player fighting experiences from any fighting game. Of course VF4: Evo's deep fighting mechanics do help. The three button combat system that was introduced way back in the original VF still hold up quite well and I continue to be amazed with the number of combos and moves I can pull off.

A great extra in VF4: Evo is the Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary game. This is VF1 remade with all of the cast from VF4: Evo along with some tweaks like the speed and frame rate from VF4: Evo. It's fun to see the VF crew in such a low polygonal count and because it uses the speed of VF4: Evo, it's very playable.

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.