You might notice something new this week as you scroll down this edition of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs. Instead of clicking on a separate link to have readers go to YouTube (you can still do that, though), why not just click on the video itself, embedded right into the blog for readers to not have to click so many things? That's exactly what I did, making things slightly convenient for myself in the process. See? We both win!
On this edition, JRPGs are the flavor of the week. We begin with Final Fantasy III with its originally Nintendo DS-only remake before we enter the early days of online console lobbies with Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II. Our palette of color and sound grows with music from Paper Mario: Color Splash. Then, we finally trek onto magical kingdoms and the Wild West with music from Fantasy Life and Wild Arms 3.
As always, check out the VGM Database for all past video game tracks featured on this weekly recurring segment. Now, let's get on to the music!
v1511. Final Fantasy III (Multi) - Memory of the Wind ~ Legend of the Eternal Wind
This composition was specifically made for the 3D remake of Final Fantasy III (a title that hit the West for the first time with this Nintendo DS game). Don't get it confused with what the West previously called Final Fantasy III, and that was actually the sixth Final Fantasy mainline entry, Final Fantasy VI. (Maybe it's just better if you just look that background info up if you need to.) Regardless, this orchestrated piece is a medley of themes from Final Fantasy III, and if you think its welcoming you to a breezy adventure, then you have got another thing coming!
v1512. Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II (GCN, XBX) - A Whole New World
Our theme this week beyond "easier to listen to music" is that of JRPGs. They come in all sub-genres: turn-based, action-RPG, and so forth. Phantasy Star Online presents us with an MMORPG, one of the earliest for consoles. However, this updated version of A Whole New World is heard in Episode II on the GameCube and Xbox. There's slight differences and unique orchestrations here and there, and it's my preferred way to listen to this rousing vocal track.
v1513. Paper Mario: Color Splash (Wii U) - Battle with Ludwig
While many argue that Paper Mario should return to its turn-based, two-party system where enemies give experience points upon being felled, Color Splash on Wii U certainly wasn't as disappointing to most as the Nintendo 3DS's previous Sticker Star was. Not only were elements of the adventuring upgraded, but so was the script, adding a lot more places for some really hilarious humor. One of my favorite things about Sticker Star and Color Splash is the duo of games' music, which Color Splash just excels at. Catchy themes abound in this delightful late release in the Wii U's life.
v1514. Fantasy Life (3DS) - Great Plains
Nobuo Uematsu has yet to surpass the pedestal he put himself on in my nostalgic heart with his compositions in Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy IX, but I'd by lying if I said his works in Fantasy Life wasn't a contender. Fantasy Life is an action-RPG where you explore fields, caves, dungeons, and more in search of loot and materials needed to upgrade weapons as well as your tools to adequately also level up your job level in addition to your experience level. Great Plains is a fitting theme to march along and begin your trek across the kingdom in search of glorious adventure!
v1515. Wild Arms 3 (PS2) - Gunmetal Action
I don't get a chance to talk too much about the Wild Arms series as it doesn't come up a lot in the articles I write, aside from SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs now and then. Well, I get another opportunity, as you can see, with this edition's entry with this battle theme of Wild Arms 3, the first PlayStation 2 game in the Wild Arms franchise. You definitely need a battle theme that sticks with you and doesn't become grating when it's going to be tagging along with your party the entire game, playing during virtually every random enemy encounter in your Wild West adventure. Composer Michiko Naruke once again made sure that didn't happen with her Gunmetal Action battle theme.
Showing posts with label final fantasy iii. Show all posts
Showing posts with label final fantasy iii. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Thursday, April 13, 2017
Bad Levels in Gaming History - Volume Ten
Even great games can have bad levels, areas, or sections in them. That's been true of a lot of the levels and games featured on this long-running SuperPhillip Central segment, Bad Levels in Gaming History. These levels can be a chore to play through, suffer from poor design, or just annoy the hell out of players. Once you have checked out the five newest bad levels in this entry, feel free to bring up your own examples. Then, check out all past volumes with these convenient links:
Atlantica - Kingdom Hearts II (Multi)
We begin this volume of bad gaming levels, stages, and whatnot with an entry from Kingdom Hearts II. In the original game, The Little Mermaid's Atlantica was a bit troublesome as Sora, Goofy, and Donald needed to not only battle foes but do so while swimming, something that slipped up players with its atypical controls (at least from the rest of the game).
Even still with those niggles, it was much better than what the Atlantica world offered players in Kingdom Hearts II. Taking its Disney influences quite greatly, Kingdom Hearts II's Atlantica turned the world from a dungeon crawling experience to a rhythm-based mini-game musical. There's no better hell in Kingdom Hearts II than having to listen to Sora and the gang sing dopey lyrics as well as dance and swim around. Fun this is not. Good this is not. It's just something that blends in with the Kingdom Hearts series' mini-game style, and that style is being obnoxious to play. (And in this case, obnoxious to hear.)
Lily Pad Ride - Super Mario Sunshine (GCN)
Super Mario Sunshine is hardly a bad game, but to me it's by far the worst 3D Mario game currently out. There are so many poorly thought out or just plain annoying segments in the game that the whole experience is dragged down. From sections where Mario has to survive inside a giant pachinko machine to dealing with the camera inside the Ferris wheel of Pinna Park, there's a lot to not like about Super Mario Sunshine despite it still being a competent game.
One of the most aggravating levels in Super Mario Sunshine comes in the form of one of Delfino Plaza's secret Shines, the Super Mario 64 Power Star equivalent of Sunshine. Not only is the trek to this dreaded bonus stage a massive annoyance, but the trip is a pain, requiring Yoshi, lots of patience, boats to slowly ride, and plenty of possibilities to ruin your trip by falling in the water, thus forcing you to redo this long and drawn out ride.
When you finally use Yoshi to spray away the gunk blocking the pipe into the bonus stage, you would expect your reward, but NO. The development team laughs at you, taunting you with one of the most sadistic sections in the entire Super Mario Sunshine experience, the Lily Pad Ride.
This ride has you riding on a giant lily pad across a stream of poisonous water that will kill Mario instantly if he touches it. Your goal is to collect eight red coins along the ride while using Mario's FLUDD to guide the lily pad into the coins. Good luck with this because the ride is turbulent and the tides will send you floating off course rather easily. It's a horrid level and quite possibly the worst that Super Mario Sunshine has to offer.
75m - Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii), Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Wii U)
A Super Smash Bros. Brawl stage that is a perfect representation of the third level of the classic Donkey Kong game, 75m isn't one of Brawl fans' favorites, especially for competitive players. It's not even a favorite of mine, and I'm a usual lover of crazy stages.
What makes 75m bad, at least in my opinion, is that there's too few wide enough platforms to have serious fights on, and the only one that is worthwhile to have these types of battles on is at the very top. Unfortunately, this section of stage routinely gets hammered by trampolines that interrupt the flow of battle.
Then there's the fireballs that climb up and down the ladders in the middle and right portions of the stage. Really, it's more about evading all of the stage hazards rather than being able to punish your opponents with epic smashing showdowns. It seems cruel then that the stage made a return in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Things like this are why people jokingly (and sometimes not jokingly) yell "SAKURAIIIII!!!" (the director of the series).
Blighttown - Dark Souls (Multi)
Since its conception, Bad Levels in Gaming History has generally considered bad levels bad because of poor design. Dark Souls' Blighttown actually doesn't suffer from that. Instead, its problems come from a purely technical standpoint.
For this uninitiated, Blighttown is a massive, murky, and poisonous swamp that slowly drains your warrior's life as they slog through its yucky water. The continued muck to move through is but one thing to worry about in the level. Other bothers include flies and foes that use either melee attacks or fling projectiles.
Here is where the problem of Blighttown comes. With so much happening in the level and all of the lighting involved, Dark Souls' frame-rate would drop severely, almost like a player's health when facing Ornstein and Smough for the first hundred times. If some of the bosses in Dark Souls didn't cause players to suffer from nightmares, the frame-rate in Blighttown most certainly would.
The Crystal Tower - Final Fantasy III (Multi)
Final dungeons in RPGs are meant to take your team of heroes who have weathered battle after battle, boss after boss, and dungeon after dungeon, and pit them against an ultimate challenge. Final Fantasy III (not to be confused with the SNES game that was numbered III in the West when it originally release but is actually VI) does give players' parties an ultimate challenge for sure, but it's on the side of excruciating and ridiculous rather than challenging and fun.
The Crystal Tower is the final dungeon of Final Fantasy III, and why it's such a bad level is that it's an insane time investment and endurance run. You practically have to go through multiple sections of dungeon just to reach the final boss. Okay, that doesn't TOO bad, but here's the kicker-- through the massive and time-consuming dungeon areas you fight enemies and explore, there is NO save point to speak of. At. All.
This means that if you reach the final boss and die, you have to do the entire dungeon all over again. So if you're the type to hunt for treasure, you'll be making multiple trips back to the entrance of the Crystal Tower just to go outside and save your data. When you finally feel you're ready to take on the final boss, be hopeful that you're able to survive so you don't have to redo a significant amount of time.
Atlantica - Kingdom Hearts II (Multi)
We begin this volume of bad gaming levels, stages, and whatnot with an entry from Kingdom Hearts II. In the original game, The Little Mermaid's Atlantica was a bit troublesome as Sora, Goofy, and Donald needed to not only battle foes but do so while swimming, something that slipped up players with its atypical controls (at least from the rest of the game).
Even still with those niggles, it was much better than what the Atlantica world offered players in Kingdom Hearts II. Taking its Disney influences quite greatly, Kingdom Hearts II's Atlantica turned the world from a dungeon crawling experience to a rhythm-based mini-game musical. There's no better hell in Kingdom Hearts II than having to listen to Sora and the gang sing dopey lyrics as well as dance and swim around. Fun this is not. Good this is not. It's just something that blends in with the Kingdom Hearts series' mini-game style, and that style is being obnoxious to play. (And in this case, obnoxious to hear.)
Lily Pad Ride - Super Mario Sunshine (GCN)
Super Mario Sunshine is hardly a bad game, but to me it's by far the worst 3D Mario game currently out. There are so many poorly thought out or just plain annoying segments in the game that the whole experience is dragged down. From sections where Mario has to survive inside a giant pachinko machine to dealing with the camera inside the Ferris wheel of Pinna Park, there's a lot to not like about Super Mario Sunshine despite it still being a competent game.
One of the most aggravating levels in Super Mario Sunshine comes in the form of one of Delfino Plaza's secret Shines, the Super Mario 64 Power Star equivalent of Sunshine. Not only is the trek to this dreaded bonus stage a massive annoyance, but the trip is a pain, requiring Yoshi, lots of patience, boats to slowly ride, and plenty of possibilities to ruin your trip by falling in the water, thus forcing you to redo this long and drawn out ride.
When you finally use Yoshi to spray away the gunk blocking the pipe into the bonus stage, you would expect your reward, but NO. The development team laughs at you, taunting you with one of the most sadistic sections in the entire Super Mario Sunshine experience, the Lily Pad Ride.
This ride has you riding on a giant lily pad across a stream of poisonous water that will kill Mario instantly if he touches it. Your goal is to collect eight red coins along the ride while using Mario's FLUDD to guide the lily pad into the coins. Good luck with this because the ride is turbulent and the tides will send you floating off course rather easily. It's a horrid level and quite possibly the worst that Super Mario Sunshine has to offer.
75m - Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii), Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Wii U)
A Super Smash Bros. Brawl stage that is a perfect representation of the third level of the classic Donkey Kong game, 75m isn't one of Brawl fans' favorites, especially for competitive players. It's not even a favorite of mine, and I'm a usual lover of crazy stages.
What makes 75m bad, at least in my opinion, is that there's too few wide enough platforms to have serious fights on, and the only one that is worthwhile to have these types of battles on is at the very top. Unfortunately, this section of stage routinely gets hammered by trampolines that interrupt the flow of battle.
Then there's the fireballs that climb up and down the ladders in the middle and right portions of the stage. Really, it's more about evading all of the stage hazards rather than being able to punish your opponents with epic smashing showdowns. It seems cruel then that the stage made a return in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Things like this are why people jokingly (and sometimes not jokingly) yell "SAKURAIIIII!!!" (the director of the series).
Blighttown - Dark Souls (Multi)
Since its conception, Bad Levels in Gaming History has generally considered bad levels bad because of poor design. Dark Souls' Blighttown actually doesn't suffer from that. Instead, its problems come from a purely technical standpoint.
For this uninitiated, Blighttown is a massive, murky, and poisonous swamp that slowly drains your warrior's life as they slog through its yucky water. The continued muck to move through is but one thing to worry about in the level. Other bothers include flies and foes that use either melee attacks or fling projectiles.
Here is where the problem of Blighttown comes. With so much happening in the level and all of the lighting involved, Dark Souls' frame-rate would drop severely, almost like a player's health when facing Ornstein and Smough for the first hundred times. If some of the bosses in Dark Souls didn't cause players to suffer from nightmares, the frame-rate in Blighttown most certainly would.
The Crystal Tower - Final Fantasy III (Multi)
Final dungeons in RPGs are meant to take your team of heroes who have weathered battle after battle, boss after boss, and dungeon after dungeon, and pit them against an ultimate challenge. Final Fantasy III (not to be confused with the SNES game that was numbered III in the West when it originally release but is actually VI) does give players' parties an ultimate challenge for sure, but it's on the side of excruciating and ridiculous rather than challenging and fun.
The Crystal Tower is the final dungeon of Final Fantasy III, and why it's such a bad level is that it's an insane time investment and endurance run. You practically have to go through multiple sections of dungeon just to reach the final boss. Okay, that doesn't TOO bad, but here's the kicker-- through the massive and time-consuming dungeon areas you fight enemies and explore, there is NO save point to speak of. At. All.
This means that if you reach the final boss and die, you have to do the entire dungeon all over again. So if you're the type to hunt for treasure, you'll be making multiple trips back to the entrance of the Crystal Tower just to go outside and save your data. When you finally feel you're ready to take on the final boss, be hopeful that you're able to survive so you don't have to redo a significant amount of time.
Monday, November 25, 2013
SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGM - Mega Men, Sky Pirates, and Bounty Hunters Edition
Welcome to a new week of SuperPhillip Central content. As we often do, we kick things off with our list of our favorite video game themes from past to present. We'll be focusing on the past with this installment, with titles like Final Fantasy III, Mega Man 2, and the first appearance of Super Metroid on our list. If you want to catch up on past VGM choices (and you have a significant amount of hours in your life to spare), check out our VGM Database. Now, let's get onto the music!
v511. Final Fantasy III (DS) - Dungeon
Haunting yet beautiful, the dungeon theme remastered for Final Fantasy III's much awaited arrival in the West is short but oh-so-sweet. One can imagine walking through a mysterious cavern, not knowing what monsters their party will run into. It's a sense of discovery that the creators of Final Fantasy games post XII seem to have forgotten about.
v512. Mega Man 2 (NES) - Wily Stage 1/2
A theme that has been long overdue, no favorite VGM list is complete without Mega Man 2's Wily Stage 1/2. Whether you prefer the NES original or the Complete Works version, there is no question that this theme from Mega Man 2 is one of the most revered of the 8-bit era.
v513. Skies of Arcadia (DC) - Last Battle (Opportunity)
As you can probably discern from this theme's title, this song plays during the final boss battle within Skies of Arcadia. No worries. We won't spoil anything. We just loved how Skies of Arcadia's battle themes would change depending on whether you were on the winning or losing end of the various fights. There was nothing like hearing a triumphant theme as you whittled away the last hit points of a boss. It was greatly satisfying.
v514. Star Fox Assault (GCN) - Aparoid Blitz (Boss 1)
Star Fox Assault was disappointing in a fair number of ways, but it's a much better Star Fox than what we received on the Nintendo DS. Regardless, one point of Assault that was nowhere near disappointing was the rousing orchestral soundtrack. This was one of the Nintendo's first forays into fully symphonic music, predated solely by Super Smash Bros. Melee.
v515. Super Metroid (SNES) - Brinstar (The Jungle Floor)
Samus Aran's debut on the original NES was mired with confusing and similar-looking hallways, making exploration practically impossible without charting your own map. As kids, we did such a thing, but nowadays we don't have the patience for that. Super Metroid made everything better-- the map system, the visuals, the structure, the gameplay, the controls, and yes, pertaining to this segment, the music.
v511. Final Fantasy III (DS) - Dungeon
Haunting yet beautiful, the dungeon theme remastered for Final Fantasy III's much awaited arrival in the West is short but oh-so-sweet. One can imagine walking through a mysterious cavern, not knowing what monsters their party will run into. It's a sense of discovery that the creators of Final Fantasy games post XII seem to have forgotten about.
v512. Mega Man 2 (NES) - Wily Stage 1/2
A theme that has been long overdue, no favorite VGM list is complete without Mega Man 2's Wily Stage 1/2. Whether you prefer the NES original or the Complete Works version, there is no question that this theme from Mega Man 2 is one of the most revered of the 8-bit era.
v513. Skies of Arcadia (DC) - Last Battle (Opportunity)
As you can probably discern from this theme's title, this song plays during the final boss battle within Skies of Arcadia. No worries. We won't spoil anything. We just loved how Skies of Arcadia's battle themes would change depending on whether you were on the winning or losing end of the various fights. There was nothing like hearing a triumphant theme as you whittled away the last hit points of a boss. It was greatly satisfying.
v514. Star Fox Assault (GCN) - Aparoid Blitz (Boss 1)
Star Fox Assault was disappointing in a fair number of ways, but it's a much better Star Fox than what we received on the Nintendo DS. Regardless, one point of Assault that was nowhere near disappointing was the rousing orchestral soundtrack. This was one of the Nintendo's first forays into fully symphonic music, predated solely by Super Smash Bros. Melee.
v515. Super Metroid (SNES) - Brinstar (The Jungle Floor)
Samus Aran's debut on the original NES was mired with confusing and similar-looking hallways, making exploration practically impossible without charting your own map. As kids, we did such a thing, but nowadays we don't have the patience for that. Super Metroid made everything better-- the map system, the visuals, the structure, the gameplay, the controls, and yes, pertaining to this segment, the music.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Top Ten SNES Soundtracks
The Super Nintendo is one of our favorite systems of all time. We don't say that out of pure nostalgia either. A lot of the games available for the system that we enjoy are classics that remain as good now as they did then. Rather than talk about our favorite games for the system (we can do that at a later date), we want to talk about the music of the software for the system. Picking and choosing ten out of the immense library of great games with great soundtracks is no easy task. We know we left out favorites of people. That's what's so great about the Super Nintendo-- there's so much good music and so many excellent games to select from. We hope that at least you will understand our reasons for picking the ten titles that we have. Let's get to the sensational sounds, shall we?
10) Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
The first game our list is a game that starred Yoshi as the hero, with Mario in the backseat, so to speak, in baby form. It's Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, a classic in every sense of the word, from its gameplay to its level design and of course, music. You have such catchy tunes like Flower Garden and Athletic, but then you also have dramatic tunes like Castle & Fortress, Boss, and Final Boss. It's a grand soundtrack, for sure, and one that evokes memories of tossing eggs and screaming babies.
9) Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
A soundtrack fitting for a game set in the mystical Mushroom Kingdom, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is a marvelous masterpiece of magnificent music. The soundtrack was composed by Yoko Shimomura, whose works you might recall from the Kingdom Hearts series. No doubt fans of this game are really familiar with the themes heard in the game such as Beware the Forest Mushrooms, Fight Against an Armed Boss, Rose Town, Let's Do the Fooka Fooka (Nimbus Land), and Goodbye Geno.
8) Donkey Kong Country
David Wise needs employment at some big studio. He's deserved that, hasn't he? Is he still out of work? Someone answer us!! Anyway, we exclaim all these things because Mr. Wise's work on the Donkey Kong Country trilogy is absolutely phenomenal. Don't believe us? Foolish mortal! Take a listen to these atmospheric tracks that are not only catchy but full of delightful ambiance. There's Jungle Groove, Mine Cart Madness, Treetop Rock, Ice Cave Chant, and Fear Factory. Glorious, glorious music! The Donkey Kong Country soundtrack is a work of art, but it's not Wise's best work on the system. Stay tuned for that game coming up on this list!
7) Mega Man X
Right when you press start and enter the opening Central Highway level, you're greeted with this rocking song, letting you know you're in the thick of some seriously awesome action. Then, after the initial level has been completed and Zero has saved X's hide, you get a great stage select theme. Don't miss out on the excellent level themes, such as Flame Mammoth, Storm Eagle, and Sigma 1st. Choosing which Mega Man X game from the original SNES trilogy was a tremendous challenge, and it was a toss-up between X1 and X2. We figured we might as well go with old true blue.
6) Super Mario World
We put Super Mario World's soundtrack at the sixth position for a variety of reasons. Well, actually two. 1) We have a good bit of nostalgia that comes out when we hear this soundtrack, and 2) It's just a well done soundtrack. Koji Kondo provided the simple yet virtuoso-like tunes for Super Mario World. The classics are so classic that we don't even need to describe them to most people. Just listen and be taken back to your childhood, or if you were born in the year 1995 onward, we're so sorry for your misfortune. There's Overworld, Athletic, Underwater, Castle and Ending.
5) Breath of Fire
The original Breath of Fire is one of our favorite RPGs of the 16-bit era. Even though it has been outclassed by other games of the same genre, we still hold a special place for Ryu and the gang in our gamer hearts. Breath of Fire's soundtrack was composed by Alph Lyla, what was then Capcom's in-house composition team, featuring Mari Yamaguchi, Minae Fuji, Yasuaki Fujita, and Yoko Shimomura. Like any great RPG soundtrack, you have a wide range of feelings that you get from listening to the music. From sadness with Fate to a warm feeling of nostalgia with Day and Night. Then there's memorable themes like A Road, Battling, and Dawn.
4) The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is one of most well regarded games in the history of this fine hobby of ours. Not even Zelda's creators could create a 2D Zelda that topped it. You're free to disagree, however. Regardless, the soundtrack is also something that made A Link to the Past so special, composed by Nintendo veteran Koji Kondo. There's, of course, the Overworld Theme, which plays in virtually every Zelda game, but this one is one of the more majestic versions. Then there's Hyrule Castle, The Dark World, Forest of Mystery, and the introduction of a legacy theme for the series, Zelda's Lullaby. Bah! Now we want to replay A Link to the Past for, like, the fiftieth time!
3) Chrono Trigger
The third best SNES soundtrack comes from the marvelous mind of Yasunori Mitsuda. Well, actually that isn't entirely true. You see, Mr. Mitsuda was so stressed out with the undertaking of composing the music for Chrono Trigger that he needed the assistance of Final Fantasy series composer Nobuo Uematsu to contribute some tracks. Regardless, this team effort stands as one of the greatest SNES soundtracks. How could you not enjoy this time traveling epic with songs like Zeal Palace, To Far Away Times, Battle With Magus, Brink of Time, and Battle 2?
2) Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
David/Dave Wise had a little support composing the soundtrack to our next game, but most of the music comes from him and him alone. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest features a wide array of musical styles that are as atmospheric as the levels they are played in. Plunder the deep with Lockjaw's Saga, party like it's 1975 with Disco Train, get mellow with Hot-Head Bop and Stickerbrush Symphony, and hear the melody of DKC's Gangplank Galleon with Snakey Chantey. David Wise's music accentuates each level splendidly, and the masterful compositions are ones that sound great to this day.
1) Final Fantasy III
Not just our favorite Super Nintendo soundtrack, but also one of our favorite soundtracks of all time, Nobuo Uematsu's Final Fantasy III (or as it's now known in the West by its true name, Final Fantasy VI) provides a wide range of musical styles and emotions. The forlorn and beautiful Celes brings tears to our eyes, the sound of Terra makes us ready for adventure, and the town theme of Kids Run Through the City Corner gives us such a warm feeling with its instrumentation and melody. Final Fantasy VI also possesses several of the greatest boss battles themes from a game, such as The Decisive Battle, The Fierce Battle, and Dancing Mad. Final Fantasy III is a music composition triumph, regardless of what medium it is in.
We've named our favorite Super Nintendo soundtracks, and there's many we wanted to add but had no room, like Super Metroid, Final Fantasy II, Secret of Mana, Mega Man X2, and Kirby Super Star! However, even though we've listed our favorites, there's just the matter of answering this one question: What are your favorites? Let us know in the comments section.
10) Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
The first game our list is a game that starred Yoshi as the hero, with Mario in the backseat, so to speak, in baby form. It's Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, a classic in every sense of the word, from its gameplay to its level design and of course, music. You have such catchy tunes like Flower Garden and Athletic, but then you also have dramatic tunes like Castle & Fortress, Boss, and Final Boss. It's a grand soundtrack, for sure, and one that evokes memories of tossing eggs and screaming babies.
9) Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
A soundtrack fitting for a game set in the mystical Mushroom Kingdom, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is a marvelous masterpiece of magnificent music. The soundtrack was composed by Yoko Shimomura, whose works you might recall from the Kingdom Hearts series. No doubt fans of this game are really familiar with the themes heard in the game such as Beware the Forest Mushrooms, Fight Against an Armed Boss, Rose Town, Let's Do the Fooka Fooka (Nimbus Land), and Goodbye Geno.
8) Donkey Kong Country
David Wise needs employment at some big studio. He's deserved that, hasn't he? Is he still out of work? Someone answer us!! Anyway, we exclaim all these things because Mr. Wise's work on the Donkey Kong Country trilogy is absolutely phenomenal. Don't believe us? Foolish mortal! Take a listen to these atmospheric tracks that are not only catchy but full of delightful ambiance. There's Jungle Groove, Mine Cart Madness, Treetop Rock, Ice Cave Chant, and Fear Factory. Glorious, glorious music! The Donkey Kong Country soundtrack is a work of art, but it's not Wise's best work on the system. Stay tuned for that game coming up on this list!
7) Mega Man X
Right when you press start and enter the opening Central Highway level, you're greeted with this rocking song, letting you know you're in the thick of some seriously awesome action. Then, after the initial level has been completed and Zero has saved X's hide, you get a great stage select theme. Don't miss out on the excellent level themes, such as Flame Mammoth, Storm Eagle, and Sigma 1st. Choosing which Mega Man X game from the original SNES trilogy was a tremendous challenge, and it was a toss-up between X1 and X2. We figured we might as well go with old true blue.
6) Super Mario World
We put Super Mario World's soundtrack at the sixth position for a variety of reasons. Well, actually two. 1) We have a good bit of nostalgia that comes out when we hear this soundtrack, and 2) It's just a well done soundtrack. Koji Kondo provided the simple yet virtuoso-like tunes for Super Mario World. The classics are so classic that we don't even need to describe them to most people. Just listen and be taken back to your childhood, or if you were born in the year 1995 onward, we're so sorry for your misfortune. There's Overworld, Athletic, Underwater, Castle and Ending.
5) Breath of Fire
The original Breath of Fire is one of our favorite RPGs of the 16-bit era. Even though it has been outclassed by other games of the same genre, we still hold a special place for Ryu and the gang in our gamer hearts. Breath of Fire's soundtrack was composed by Alph Lyla, what was then Capcom's in-house composition team, featuring Mari Yamaguchi, Minae Fuji, Yasuaki Fujita, and Yoko Shimomura. Like any great RPG soundtrack, you have a wide range of feelings that you get from listening to the music. From sadness with Fate to a warm feeling of nostalgia with Day and Night. Then there's memorable themes like A Road, Battling, and Dawn.
4) The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is one of most well regarded games in the history of this fine hobby of ours. Not even Zelda's creators could create a 2D Zelda that topped it. You're free to disagree, however. Regardless, the soundtrack is also something that made A Link to the Past so special, composed by Nintendo veteran Koji Kondo. There's, of course, the Overworld Theme, which plays in virtually every Zelda game, but this one is one of the more majestic versions. Then there's Hyrule Castle, The Dark World, Forest of Mystery, and the introduction of a legacy theme for the series, Zelda's Lullaby. Bah! Now we want to replay A Link to the Past for, like, the fiftieth time!
3) Chrono Trigger
The third best SNES soundtrack comes from the marvelous mind of Yasunori Mitsuda. Well, actually that isn't entirely true. You see, Mr. Mitsuda was so stressed out with the undertaking of composing the music for Chrono Trigger that he needed the assistance of Final Fantasy series composer Nobuo Uematsu to contribute some tracks. Regardless, this team effort stands as one of the greatest SNES soundtracks. How could you not enjoy this time traveling epic with songs like Zeal Palace, To Far Away Times, Battle With Magus, Brink of Time, and Battle 2?
2) Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
David/Dave Wise had a little support composing the soundtrack to our next game, but most of the music comes from him and him alone. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest features a wide array of musical styles that are as atmospheric as the levels they are played in. Plunder the deep with Lockjaw's Saga, party like it's 1975 with Disco Train, get mellow with Hot-Head Bop and Stickerbrush Symphony, and hear the melody of DKC's Gangplank Galleon with Snakey Chantey. David Wise's music accentuates each level splendidly, and the masterful compositions are ones that sound great to this day.
1) Final Fantasy III
Not just our favorite Super Nintendo soundtrack, but also one of our favorite soundtracks of all time, Nobuo Uematsu's Final Fantasy III (or as it's now known in the West by its true name, Final Fantasy VI) provides a wide range of musical styles and emotions. The forlorn and beautiful Celes brings tears to our eyes, the sound of Terra makes us ready for adventure, and the town theme of Kids Run Through the City Corner gives us such a warm feeling with its instrumentation and melody. Final Fantasy VI also possesses several of the greatest boss battles themes from a game, such as The Decisive Battle, The Fierce Battle, and Dancing Mad. Final Fantasy III is a music composition triumph, regardless of what medium it is in.
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We've named our favorite Super Nintendo soundtracks, and there's many we wanted to add but had no room, like Super Metroid, Final Fantasy II, Secret of Mana, Mega Man X2, and Kirby Super Star! However, even though we've listed our favorites, there's just the matter of answering this one question: What are your favorites? Let us know in the comments section.
Monday, March 11, 2013
SPC's Favorite VGMs - Spring Break 2013 Edition
SuperPhillip Central is back for a week's worth of new content. Starting that off is our Spring Break 2013 edition of the Favorite VGMs. This week is terrific for taking a vacation to the coast, but if you can't leave your troubles behind and go somewhere, why not get away with these five stellar tracks from video games? We have music from Nintendo Land, Final Fantasy III, and Skies of Arcadia. There. All better now?
v331. Nintendo Land (Wii U) - Main Theme
The game that won SuperPhillip Central's Best Wii U Game of 2012 award due to its clever mini-games and absolutely awesome multiplayer, Nintendo Land also comes with an incredible soundtrack. While most of it is remixes, the main theme is one of the original tracks the game possesses. While the Wii U is currently struggling, those interested in the console should have a great old time with Nintendo Land.
v332. Mario Party 2 (N64) - In the Pipe
Mario Party 2 might be our favorite entry in the series. 1) It had a fun collection of mini-games, 2) the boards were enjoyable to play on, and 3) there were no blister-inducing mini-games like its predecessor had. In the Pipe is a peppy tune that plays as Mario Party 2 owners choose their characters and board.
v333. Final Fantasy III (DS) - Crystal Tower
If you are looking for an old-school in design and difficulty game for your Nintendo DS (or your backwards compatible Nintendo 3DS), then Final Fantasy III is a grand game for you to look into. The game had previously never been released in the West, and this DS version (the game is also available on iOS platforms) featured new 3D graphics and a remastered soundtrack. Crystal Tower is an epic sounding theme perfect for the final dungeon it plays in.
v334. Skies of Arcadia (DC, GCN) - Kingdom of Ixa'taka
Full of tribal percussion and pan flute toots, Skies of Arcadia's Kingdom of Ixa'taka plays during the village of the same name. The village is suspended above the treetops and in the jungle canopy. Skies of Arcadia recently made a return in the spotlight in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. Not only did the game have a track representative, but it also had Vyse as a playable character. Expect a review of Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed on Wednesday.
v335. Elebits (Wii) - The Smile of You
A really catchy and perky song to cap the fun and quirky near launch game for Wii, Elebits, The Smile of You is a bouncy and bright vocal theme played during the credits of the game. On the other side of the Atlantic, Elebits is known as Eledees, as "bits" in the U.K. is a word for a certain under region of the male body. You know which one. I'm not spelling it out any further. We're a family site here... sort of.
That wraps up our Spring Break 2013 edition of SPC's Favorite VGMs. Until next week, why not scope out the VGM Database for every VGM ever listed? As for now, the VGMs will see you later!
v331. Nintendo Land (Wii U) - Main Theme
The game that won SuperPhillip Central's Best Wii U Game of 2012 award due to its clever mini-games and absolutely awesome multiplayer, Nintendo Land also comes with an incredible soundtrack. While most of it is remixes, the main theme is one of the original tracks the game possesses. While the Wii U is currently struggling, those interested in the console should have a great old time with Nintendo Land.
v332. Mario Party 2 (N64) - In the Pipe
Mario Party 2 might be our favorite entry in the series. 1) It had a fun collection of mini-games, 2) the boards were enjoyable to play on, and 3) there were no blister-inducing mini-games like its predecessor had. In the Pipe is a peppy tune that plays as Mario Party 2 owners choose their characters and board.
v333. Final Fantasy III (DS) - Crystal Tower
v334. Skies of Arcadia (DC, GCN) - Kingdom of Ixa'taka
Full of tribal percussion and pan flute toots, Skies of Arcadia's Kingdom of Ixa'taka plays during the village of the same name. The village is suspended above the treetops and in the jungle canopy. Skies of Arcadia recently made a return in the spotlight in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. Not only did the game have a track representative, but it also had Vyse as a playable character. Expect a review of Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed on Wednesday.
v335. Elebits (Wii) - The Smile of You
A really catchy and perky song to cap the fun and quirky near launch game for Wii, Elebits, The Smile of You is a bouncy and bright vocal theme played during the credits of the game. On the other side of the Atlantic, Elebits is known as Eledees, as "bits" in the U.K. is a word for a certain under region of the male body. You know which one. I'm not spelling it out any further. We're a family site here... sort of.
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That wraps up our Spring Break 2013 edition of SPC's Favorite VGMs. Until next week, why not scope out the VGM Database for every VGM ever listed? As for now, the VGMs will see you later!
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