Monday, September 4, 2017

SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - "2 Men, 2 Fantasies-- Wait. I Better Stop There." Edition

Almost got in over my head with the edition title this week! What I was trying to get through is that this week SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs is providing two Final Fantasy games, two games with character names that end in "man", and a game that didn't make it outside of Japan. Well, you don't have to wait in anticipation for long; just move your eyes lower to see which games are featured this week!

It begins with the arcade version of Dissidia: Final Fantasy and World of Final Fantasy. Both spin-offs, and while I can't speak for the quality of Dissidia, World of Final Fantasy is very much worth it. Then, we welcome Mega Man and Bomberman with their own adventures, Mega Man 6 and Bomberman Generation. Concluding this week is Tales of Rebirth.

Click on each volume link in the article to hear the song represented. As always, the VGM Database is your source for every piece of music added to the SuperPhillip Central Favorite VGM library.

v1461. Dissidia: Final Fantasy (ARC) - Antipyretic (from Final Fantasy Tactics)


One of my favorite, maybe even my absolute favorite, video game soundtracks is Final Fantasy Tactics. While the plebs played their Final Fantasy VII, a segment of video game players used their more refined taste to prefer Final Fantasy Tactics. (And no, I was not being serious with that previous statement, so bark at some other passerby.) Now, Dissidia: Final Fantasy sees itself in Japanese arcades with an impending PlayStation 4 launch next January. Being a fond admirer of Final Fantasy Tactics and its score, imagine my excitement when hearing Antipyretic from FFT in the game! Give up yet? IT. WAS. FANTASTIC!

v1462. World of Final Fantasy (PS4, Vita) - To Zanarkand / Blitz Off


Dissidia: Final Fantasy is getting criticism towards some of the re-imagined takes on Final Fantasy classic themes. It's safe to say that not every remix is a winner. That said, a game that I think remixed Final Fantasy music from the entire mainline series of games by an exquisite degree is World of Final Fantasy. Seriously, listening to this soundtrack brought back so many old memories while bringing a fresh take to each and every familiar theme. Masashi Hamauzu of Final Fantasy XIII composing fame arranged these awesome new takes on the earliest games all the way up to the more modern.

v1463. Mega Man 6 (PS1) - Credits - To be Continued...


The NES Mega Man games were remade and launched on the PlayStation 1 as a Japanese exclusive in the form of Rockman Complete Works. That said, these past few years have seen the first four Rockman remakes put on PlayStation's digital marketplaces. Even further back, they were the foundation used in the mid-2000's Mega Man Anniversary Collection, retaining much of the remixed music, such as this one, a delightful tune to celebrate another Dr. Wily defeat and another adventure in the books.

v1464. Bomberman Generation (GCN) - Nekki Moon


I have a fondness for the PS2, GameCube, and Xbox generation of games. Not so much towards the appeal nowadays of many genres I don't care for, but more that this generation saw an abundance of classic series basically getting a swan song. The generation after? Many would be put into hiatus, retirement, taken out back and shot, etc. -- which ever word or phrase suits you. Bomberman was one of those, but at least this generation of games were awesome, just like Nintendo 64 ones before it. Nekki Moon has a slow, minute-long buildup before coming to its satisfying and somewhat maniacal melodic section.

v1465. Tales of Rebirth (PS2) - Icy Edge


We're just moving through all different kinds of games here on this edition of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs. I conclude this edition with a theme from Tales of Rebirth, a Japanese-only release in the popular series. This game forgoes the popular 3D models on 3D backgrounds for a more Star Ocean-like approach: 2D sprites on 3D backgrounds. It's merely a coincidence, but Motoi Sakuraba composed both Star Ocean and several titles in the Tales series. Icy Edge presents its listener to an exciting expedition for the ears, perfect for adventure!

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