- Blog #3: Here's Blog #3 of my new "series." This blog is not about my favorite soundtracks for video-games. Rather, it's about the ones that I will always find to be a classic in my heart. These are soundtracks that I always find myself humming or singing to. Just a quick note: I mostly play games from brands like SEGA, CAPCOM or Nintendo. I rarely play games like Call of Duty or Halo. So, don't be a pain and rash on how "that song" isn't on the list. It's my list, not yours! Make your own. I will only have one song per-franchise. Each number will have a link to the soundtrack and a description....don't mock my geek-ness.
1. Star Fox: Asteroid Field (N64, Adventure and Assault) - Yup! The infamous "Meteo" theme in the Asteroid Fields. This one is actually three songs in one number, but...you know what? It's MY list! You're playing as Fox McCloud, flying your Arwing into the meteor stampede, and you hear a militia-like song playing in the background. The N64 started the usage of this 2nd stage composition and it was remixed further for Star-Fox: Adventure. As if these songs weren't awesome already, the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra (I believe) actually played the background music of Star-Fox: Assault. Just...amazing. They even got a mention in the credits. The orchestra played for all of the tracks in Assault and all of them were pretty epic. Honestly, I find the Assault version to be the best of the bunch. Then again, the N64 has this one line, that should be recognizable to most video-gamers out there..."DO A BARREL ROLL!!!"
2. Metroid Prime: Meta-Ridley Battle - Boss battles are definitely a good candidate for epic music. If you've played Metroid games or games relating to Metroid, then you've either heard this song or you've heard remixed versions of it. I'm not sure, but I think this song was reused for three games: Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. If you're like me and you've played all of them, then you couldn't have not known this track. If you hear it enough, you get this song stuck in your head. The main reason this is a classic though is because, once this song hits, you just know that "Dragon-Boy" is coming and you're about to get an epic battle going.
3. Super Mario Bros: Airship Fortress Theme - Sometimes the most memorable soundtracks are the ones that are remixed or reused, over and over again. This song is no exception! The airship fortress theme was used in numerous Mario and Smash Bros. games like: the original Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario Bros. All-Stars, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Super Mario Galaxy, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and even Paper Mario 64. Thunder strikes, Mario runs to the nearly departed airship and grabs the anchor! He's hoisted onto the deck and now you're flying in a thunderstorm with sh!t flyin' everywhere! The thunderstorm even fits the mood of this piece. In our band class, I always go to a piano or vibraphone and play the exact chord changes of this specific song. It's so fun.
4. Megaman 2: Dr. Wily's 1st Stage - Moving on to a CAPCOM game: Megaman 2! Some argue that this is the best Megaman song ever made. Some argue that Megaman 2 was the best game of the series. A sequel beating an original!? (gasps) Impossible! Best? Maybe. Epic? You bet. For it's time and now, this was (and still is!) a fast-paced theme that made you go, "Dr. Wily's going down!...again..."
5. Pokémon Red, Blue, Green and Yellow: Trainer Battle! - This one had to be on the list! Just hearing the first 2 seconds of this theme gets you amped for a Pokémon battle! This theme is just nostalgic and brings back childhood memories of me playing with the Game Boy Color. I think I still have it, somewhere. You hear "Pokémon" and this has to be one of the songs that comes immediately to mind (except the popular TV show theme, of course). The song fits the 8-16 bit intensity of the battle. "'PIKACHU Used THUNDERSHOCK!', 'Got Away Safely', 'SQUITLE'S attack missed', 'ARBOK fainted!', 'Ash Whited Out'"....the annoying beeping sounds when your HP is low, the attack sound effects, the *PING!* before every battle begins, etc, etc, etc. (sighs) I miss the old video-gaming days. Yet again, here's another song that was remixed further for future games to come.
This next one is a tie. I couldn't decide on which I found more classic, since both are great.
6. Sonic the Hedgehog 1: Green Hill Zone, Sonic the Hedgehog 2: Chemical Plant Zone - Giving the "Green Hill Zone" music to Sonic is like giving "Chariots of Fire" to God! Sonic started off right with "Green Hill Zone: Act 1", in the first ever Sonic game. It's hard to describe, but maybe it's the bright environment that gives the music a little extra "Zing!" Plus, Sonic meets his arch-nemesis (Dr. Robotnik/Eggman) for the first time here. So, why is there a tie for this number? Well, having Sonic start off on the right foot is one thing, but having a partner (aka: Tails) being playable in the sequel is even better. While the first stage of Sonic 2 had a pretty cool track to it, I just couldn't help but find the 2nd stage more fun and catchy. Thus, Chemical Plant becomes a hit for Sonic fans. This colorful stage had many twists and turns and was just fun to run around. Plus, the music made you feel like you're running in a factory full of objects that bounce, twist or spin.
7. Phoenix Wright - Ace Attorney: "Cornered" Theme - Here's another CAPCOM game that not many people may know about. Phoenix Wright is basically like a mystery/puzzle/law game. It deals with courtroom drama and comedy, with you playing as the main attorney. Namely, Phoenix Wright. Near the end of each of the 5 cases of the game, when things get really intense in the courtroom, you hear this music start up. You present a piece of evidence, as proof, that your killer is bluntly lying to the court and you get the intense "I've got you!" theme! This is one of the most memorable tracks of the "Ace Attorney" series.
8. VECTORMAN: Terraport Stage 1 - Another game that very few people know about is VECTORMAN, from the SEGA Genesis. I suppose the fact that this game was a Genesis game was one of the reasons why this game wasn't very well known. Genesis had very few good games for its system, but this game was one of the good ones. The truth is, I actually didn't know about this game either, until I found out it was an unlockable game in Sonic: Gems Collection for the GameCube. This and the second VECTORMAN game were unlockables. This theme just felt really cool and matched the main character's persona. VECTORMAN is a droid, sent to clean Earth's pollution. You're also on the hunt to stop a giant machine of terror called "Warhead!" While it hasn't been announced, I hope this game is remastered for the DS, Wii, or something else. It was quite fun.
9. The Legend of Zelda: Overworld Theme - Songs that are classic are generally categorized in three groups. The song should be the first thing that comes to mind when hearing the title of the game, it should become a song that gets stuck in your head, and it has to be able to fit the mood of the game. Everyone can agree that when you hear, The Legend of Zelda, you hear the main theme song. This song ALWAYS should come to mind when you hear the title. This is whether the song was remixed or not. If you're a video gamer, you must know this song!
10. Tetris Theme - ......yeah. Imma go play Tetris now...BYE!
- Done.
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