In a memory far far away...

Those who know me are aware that my iPod contains practically only soundtracks. It is basically the only thing I listen to. To a large extent, my recent interest in The Beatles is because of the Rock Band game of the same name. Although my music library is mostly filled with film soundtracks, videogames are the reason I like what I like today. One game in particular, can be held responsible for most of my tastes. We must go back to 1992, in a dark basement, on an old TV that did not have a remote...

A long time ago
In a galaxy far, far away...

Believe it or not, Super Star Wars was my first exposure to the Star Wars universe. It bloomed a strong passion that endures to this day. And most importantly, this game introduced me to John Williams. Where the game X-Wing defined what I would ultimately prefer about Star Wars, the Super NES title is the reason why my music collection is what it is and why I love
Star Wars unconditionally.

I mentioned John Williams because his was the first music I really got into on my own. It wasn't because my parents owned the CD or because a friend recommended it; it was what I wanted to listen to. From then on, music would define what I liked and didn't like, be they films, videogames, etc.

An ordinary movie with an excellent theme may become a surprise hit. A good
TV show with a bland theme song may not hold my interest. A strong soundtrack in a game makes a huge different on my enjoyment of said game.

So it is with chagrin that I find today's game music less memorable than back in the day. Granted, part of the emotional impact that music had to have is now carried through with the music, we hear tunes less frequently due to how games are now made, but this same observation could be extended to films too. Maybe it is because directors do not want a theme so strong that it detracts from the visual experience, or maybe moody and atmospheric tracks sell... No matter the answer, I am always looking for those few notes that make me smile, no matter what.

Here are some of my favourite game themes.

Uncharted: When I first booted the game, and watched that coin turn, I was amazed at what was playing. It conveyed so many things: Grandeur, adventure... Was this going to be the Indiana Jones game we never got? Nathan's Theme is a very classic kind of theme that embodies, in my humble opinion, the series very weel.

Mega Man 2: A Classic. Every single track in that game "sings" awesome. I could mention the classic Mecha Dragon stage... Oh wait, I just did. Flash Man and Wood Man are also some of my favourites.

Shatter: Not themes per say as they are not associated to anything specific, but that soundtrack is worth every penny. It helps that the game is fantastic too.

The Metroid Prime Trilogy: Look at some of my older blogs and at pressstarttwoplay.blogspot.com. On the other hand, Metroid: Other M was tremendously disappointing music wise.

Final Fantasy VI/III: The Returner's Theme. Locke's, Terra's, Cyan's, Setzer's (just thinking about the moment in the dark world where we ask why are we going to his wife's tomb... To get another airship of course... Gives me goosebumps :) ) Need I say more?

What are some of your favourite themes/tracks and why?

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More Random Questions

Stealing the idea from Jeff (and because I'm doing this post last-minute), here are some more food-for-thought thoughts with games in mind...

In Pokemon, Team Rocket (and their multiple re-iterations with different names) are the worlds biggest group of thieves and villains, yet a 10 year old boy defeats them in a pokemon battle and suddenly everything is over? I mean, if they were in fact gangsters, why didn't they just beat up the boy and steal his poke's?

Does Kirby ever get indigestion?

In Katamari Damacy you pretty much roll up the entire world at the end so that the King of the Cosmos can recreate the stars... that he destroyed. Yet, there are other Katamari games. If the King used the Earth to re-create the Stars, what did he use to recreate the Earth?

Will there ever be a FINAL Final Fantasy? (I don't care how many times that's been stated, there are a boat load of FF games).

In Persona, you use an Evoker to bring out your Persona (a monster based on the Tarot... I think), and the evoker is shaped like a gun... why? And who came up with shooting yourself in the head to make a monster pop out?

In Soul Calibur 2, Siegfried and Nightmare are still the same person, and his ending states that he is guarding the Sword. In Soul Calibur 3, they are separated, and you see Sieg stabbing Soul Edge with the Soul Calibur sword... Non-Canon?

And Finally...In Super Mario Bros., Mario goes through worlds and defeats Bowser 8 times in an effort to save Princess Toadstool, but only in the last castle does he actually rescue her. In the others, it's Toad, the lovable midget servant of the Castle. In the game, you could use warp pipes and get to the last World, essentially skipping all but the last castle...Does Toad ever get rescued afterwards? Is he set free when Bowser is destroyed for once and for all? OR (and most likely) is Mario just too lazy to go back and free them?


This week saw the release of NHL 11 (I already ranted about this for Madden, just copy and paste that here... ), Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions, and Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. I'm not a big Activision guy... maybe I'll actually post why next time? See ya then, Party Peoples...