31 Songs (no.2)

Welcome to part two of this series and thanks for joining us. Well let's not dither around, let's dive straight in.
Last week I talked about the gaming themes I listened to, and enjoyed, as a kid. And seeing as nearly all of them came from games on the Commodore 64, let's head into the next generation of gaming history. That's right, lets talk the fourth generation - it's round about here that many recognizable themes begin to show their faces. So which have I enjoyed and which still hold up years later? Let's find out...

Cannon Fodder - War has Never Been So Much Fun

Let's kick things off with a game that wasn't on the Megadrive or SNES! Okay so maybe this game got converted onto the afore-mentioned systems but honestly? In retrospect, the Amiga definitely comes across as being the true version.
I’ve made mention of Cannon Fodder previously where I pointed out how the game was devised as an anti-war game masquerading as strategy game. And no better is this idea exemplified than with this rather cheerful sounding, but still quite morbid, title theme. Handled by the late great Richard Joseph, this one of those rare computer game themes that invite a singalong – and how can one not? The song is built around a repetitive chorus that’s quite catchy – but go beneath the surface and it’s clear the song is a condemnation as opposed to a glorification. But it’s only after the listener has been sucked in by the lyrics that the realisation becomes crystal clear. For any song to pull that off is feat in itself but for a videogame theme? Absolute genius. Interestingly enough I can’t think of any other games that feature a singalong opening theme (except Sonic CD) – maybe they needn’t bother as Cannon Fodder did it right the first time around.
Interestingly enough this song didn’t survive the conversions to the Megadrive or SNES – as such the point of was lost in mass of blips. So listen to this in all it’s original glory and chalk one up for the underdog.
(and yes I am well aware of the irony of me mentioning this song on Remembrance Day so please don't point that out)


Final Fantasy 6 - Terra's Theme

Yeah well we all knew this was going to happen: It seems to be some sort of law that you can't talk video game music without mentioning the Final Fantasy series.
In last week’s post, I was praising the composers of the C64 era in how they managed to come up with material so memorable and evocative through the limited of technology. And the same could be said for Final Fantasy 6. Now whilst the SNES had some great soundtracks in it’s own right (some of which are mentioned later on in this post), I personally feel that Final Fantasy 6 has a soundtrack that could be truly considered epic. Now whilst many video games of soundtracks may strive for an epic feel in their soundtrack, I think Final Fantasy 6 may have been the first to do so - and hey, a game soundtrack boasting the only opera ever written for game is something not to be sniffed at.
So this is a theme that’s repeated many times throughout the game in different forms (leitmotifs one would call them) yet one never gets tied of it. It consists of a sweeping, epic feel that one would expect from the likes of Richard Wagner or John Williams yet it never once feels out of place in a videogame. It evokes many emotions from the sombre to the inspiring. And seeing this theme matched up to three mechs traveling through the snow truly makes for an unforgettable sight. And for a theme to accomplish all of this is indeed impressive.
But then again what would I know? In the end, it’s one of the finest pieces of music to emerge from the entire series and perhaps one of the real signature pieces of Final Fantasy (One Winged Angel be damned!). It’s also a damn good tune too.


Golden Axe 2 - Ravaged Village

I must admit - whilst I may have sworn my fourth generation allegiances to Sonic and the Megadrive, a lot of games on the Megadrive look different from an adult perspective - they have not aged at all that well. And such is the case of the music: Many Megadrive game music sound ghastly and irritating now but Golden Axe 2 is an exception.
I love the Golden Axe games for the action, the artwork, setting and obvious steals from the Conan the Barbarian mythos. And I really enjoyed the music with Golden Axe 2: Listening to it now really encapsulates the feel of traveling from one end to the other of a ravaged land that is being torn apart by some evil forces of insurmountable odds. Pounding drums are featured throughout and the soundtrack still sounds great. In fact, I think the music in Golden Axe 2 is better than that of the original Megadrive Golden Axe.
That being said, there's not much I can add to Ravaged Village - It's the best theme in the entire game and it encapsulates the feel of the rest of the soundtrack in general. It’s just the type of thing one could do with listening to when assaulting a village filled with Orcs…


Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past – Light World Dungeon theme

Strange as this may seem but I don’t think that the music from subsequent Zelda games aren’t as good as Link to the Past. That’s not to say that the music to Twilight Princess and Ocarina of Time have been crummy – far from it – but it is only in Link to the Past that the soundtrack has made the greatest impression on me.
Now whilst there have been some superb themes from Link to the Past that may have been worthy of consideration, the one I will always remember is the Light World Dungeon theme. It starts off nasty and foreboding before it gives way to a hypnotic synthesizer riff – and the inclusion of the (imitation) trumpet is the icing on the cake. There may not be much going on in this theme but it works wonders. It’s a triumph of minimalism evoking danger, darkened corridors and stepping into the unknown. Many RPGs have tried to replicate similar feelings but this is the one, I feel, that does it the best. And who would’ve guessed that a trumpet could work for a dungeon theme?


Phantasy Star 4 - Air Castle

As mentioned above whereas many Megadrive game music sounds dated today there are however three exceptions I'm willing to make. Golden Axe 2 is one and Phantasy Star 4 is another (and the third? Keep reading...)
As PS4 was pretty much the last hurrah for the original series, it seems the creators went all out with this one: Everything from the gameplay, graphics and storyline is top-notch and made with obvious care and love as one could muster for a last hurrah. And indeed, the soundtrack sounds great throughout - even to the point where I never thought it possible for the Megadrive.
And then there's this: the Air Castle theme. The Air Castle may be one of, if not the, toughest dungeon in the game so what music accompanies this area? The loudest and most scariest theme in the entire game. This seems the ultimate throwing down of the gauntlet: A dungeon theme that's taunting the player is if to say: "You want to step in here? You must be crazy!" I like the pulsating bass line throughout, the freaky synthesizer effects and, how the theme fades in once a battle's been fought and the dungeon resumes. This definitely seems the theme of a warlord's fortress, challenging anyone foolish enough to enter.
Interestingly enough, when I was doing research for this post, I found out this theme is actually a remix of the original dungeon theme for Phantasy Star 1. Comparing the two, the original seems more stiff and bland - whilst with this remix, one felt the theme was given the bite it so originally deserved.


Secret of Mana - Fear of Heavens

Yeah it’s another no-brainer but dammit if I could include the entire soundtrack to this game to this list then I would. Every damn song on there is a gem and exhibits a lot of variety and creativity on the composer’s part (one Hiroki Kikuta). I’ve said that many Megadrive soundtracks have dated horribly in the years since but that does not seem to be the case with the soundtracks from the SNES. The system may be long gone but Secret of Mana possesses that rare trait of having a soundtrack that never once sounds outdated – indeed many more modern games don’t come close. Wonderment, adventure, and mood emphasis – the Secret of Mana OST does all this and more – And special mention must go to the haunting-like-no-other game over theme Close Your Eyelids.
That being said, choosing one of this list isn’t easy (A Curious Tale, Into the Thick of It, The Dark Star are all beauties) but I settled with the opening theme. In my Degeneration serial, I noted I disappeared from gaming for a number of years – But that turned around when I decided to hunt down Secret of Mana and give it a shot. Thus hearing the opening piano chords to Fear of Heavens for the first time and I knew the exile was over. Now I could to continue to gush over how good the soundtrack to Secret of Mana is but I would rather leave that to the many critics the internet has to offer. Instead, I’ll say that Secret of Mana, and Fear of Heavens, represents a place in time – a point in my life where things changed completely. Everyone has pieces of music that do that type of thing (and if you don’t then you’re a liar) but for a theme to a videogame to do just that is indeed an accomplishment in itself.


Sonic the Hedgehog - Green Hill Zone

And it’s a hat trick for the Megadrive - although admittedly, the inclusion of this shouldn’t really come to as a surprise. Now whilst the original Sonic the Hedgehog game had many exceptional themes, many of which still sound great twenty years later, I’ve decided to go with the original Green Hill Zone theme. True the themes to the Marble Zone, Spring yard Zone and Star Light Zones are all superb, but this for me was pretty much the beginning of an adoration of Sonic – and I’m certain I’m not the only one.
If anything, the themes of Sonic the Hedgehog represent a time and place better than any game soundtrack I've ever heard. And hey, if they left an impression on me as a nine-year old that has lasted twenty years since, then something must've worked. And for a game soundtrack to do that is an impressive feat indeed.


Super Metroid - Brinstar

One thing I like about SNES music is how good it is replicating the sounds of bass guitar. And this is a shining example of that principle (the Filmore theme from Actraiser and certain themes from Tetris Attack are also good examples). Indeed, the bass line dominates the song and is pretty much the focal point throughout the song. Also pleasing are the many colors built around the bass with the percussion effects and the weird keyboard effects.
But enough with the technical talk: Whilst much of the music to Super Metroid is minimalist, often used to haunting effect, this theme sounds more like a fully-formed theme. But it is no less freaky. It’s a bizarre amalgam of natural sounds combined with a sci-fi/technological theme – much like Brinstar itself. Such a combination seems a recipe for disaster – but that’s not the case with this theme. It does what it sets out to do and does so with flying colours – much like Super Metroid itself.
In fact let’s just drop the pretenses altogether: I think finding the words as to why I like this theme is doing this theme a disservice. Just listen to the damn theme yourself and draw your own conclusions.


Terranigma - Underworld

One of the lesser known titles in the SNES canon, Terranigma still has managed to garner some recognition in the years since the 16-bit era. Aside from being a forgotten treasure (if you were in the US at least) it has been praised for being a solid RPG, the philosophical themes the game addresses and being somewhat ahead of it’s time. But it’s in the music that Terranigma comes into it’s own, standing proudly as one of the finest in the SNES library. And again, there are many masterful pieces in the soundtrack that it makes selecting one a tough task. However I decided to go with this: The Underworld theme. This is the first thing the player hears when Ark steps beyond his village, the only world he was ever known, and ventures into the real world. And what does he find? A dead, lifeless world that’s waiting to be brought to life.
In any RPG, a lot rests on the shoulders of the music – it can establish a mood and convey an idea that gets the player thinking. Whilst there have been themes in RPGs that have been used for exploring and adventure, this theme sounds different. Whereas other themes have been inspiring and stepping out into a weird and wonderful world, this theme sounds far more sombre and cautious, suggesting that maybe the outside world isn’t really that great. Of course, this isn’t the way it’s meant to be done but to me, that makes the theme work so well.


And that's it for the fourth generation! Tune in next week when we head into the age of fifth generation where Playstation takes the field and many more memorable themes come into play. Which of them made an impression on me? I think you might be surprised....