Iconic...
Forgotten...
Timeless...
Innovative...
These are the soundtracks that helped shape and define what we hear in the video games that we play. I am Nitro, and this is the M Disk Playlist's Video Game Music Primer: 1993.
Kirby's Adventure (Nintendo), composed by Hirokazu Ando
Kirby began as a creation by director Masahiro Sakurai with the intention to produce a game that anyone could enjoy, featuring a cute main character that everyone will love.
The Kirby franchise begain on the Game Boy with the game, Kirby's Dream Land. It was short, and simple. But it did not introduce the audience to the Kirby we know today. It also alienated people who had been playing games longer than the target audience of Kirby's Dream Land. When Kirby's Adventure was released, it was made to capture the easy parts of the previous game, while adding a myriad of features and mechanics to truly make Kirby appeal to everyone.
Now, Kirby could inhale enemies and copy their abilities. According to Sakurai in an interview printed in the Japanese strategy guide for the game, translated by shmuplations.com, the copy ability was added to make the game more accessible to skilled players. The game was also much longer, featured different mini-games, and world maps...all which would become staples for the Kirby franchise going forward.
Hirokazu Ando has worked on the music for the Kirby games since the beginning, all the way to the recent release of Kirby Star Allies for the Nintendo Switch. He is also paired with composer Jun Ishikawa, who has also worked on the music for the Kirby franchise. Despite being listed as a composer in the game, Ishikawa didn't actually compose new music for Kirby's Adventure. But, some of the music he worked on in Kirby's Dream Land became recurring motifs in future titles. The invisibility theme, the stage clear theme, the theme where you lose a life, and the sparkling star theme were all composed by Ishikawa, and originally appeared in Kirby's Dream Land. In addition to those pieces, Ishikawa also composed the piece Green Greens, argubaly the most iconic piece in the entire Kirby franchise.
In Kirby's Dream Land, it appears as the first stage theme. In Kirby's Adventure, it appears as the 7-6 stage (which conveniently was presented as a throwback to Dream Land), as well as the staff roll theme.
Kirby's Adventure was considered to be the last great game released on the Nintendo. It pushed the system to its limits with memorable music, unique gameplay, and for such colorful graphics that weren't normally seen in Nintendo games. Kirby's Adventure, while not the first in the series, was an integral part of making Kirby an essential member of the Nintendo family.
Kirby began as a creation by director Masahiro Sakurai with the intention to produce a game that anyone could enjoy, featuring a cute main character that everyone will love.
The Kirby franchise begain on the Game Boy with the game, Kirby's Dream Land. It was short, and simple. But it did not introduce the audience to the Kirby we know today. It also alienated people who had been playing games longer than the target audience of Kirby's Dream Land. When Kirby's Adventure was released, it was made to capture the easy parts of the previous game, while adding a myriad of features and mechanics to truly make Kirby appeal to everyone.
Now, Kirby could inhale enemies and copy their abilities. According to Sakurai in an interview printed in the Japanese strategy guide for the game, translated by shmuplations.com, the copy ability was added to make the game more accessible to skilled players. The game was also much longer, featured different mini-games, and world maps...all which would become staples for the Kirby franchise going forward.
Hirokazu Ando has worked on the music for the Kirby games since the beginning, all the way to the recent release of Kirby Star Allies for the Nintendo Switch. He is also paired with composer Jun Ishikawa, who has also worked on the music for the Kirby franchise. Despite being listed as a composer in the game, Ishikawa didn't actually compose new music for Kirby's Adventure. But, some of the music he worked on in Kirby's Dream Land became recurring motifs in future titles. The invisibility theme, the stage clear theme, the theme where you lose a life, and the sparkling star theme were all composed by Ishikawa, and originally appeared in Kirby's Dream Land. In addition to those pieces, Ishikawa also composed the piece Green Greens, argubaly the most iconic piece in the entire Kirby franchise.
In Kirby's Dream Land, it appears as the first stage theme. In Kirby's Adventure, it appears as the 7-6 stage (which conveniently was presented as a throwback to Dream Land), as well as the staff roll theme.
Kirby's Adventure was considered to be the last great game released on the Nintendo. It pushed the system to its limits with memorable music, unique gameplay, and for such colorful graphics that weren't normally seen in Nintendo games. Kirby's Adventure, while not the first in the series, was an integral part of making Kirby an essential member of the Nintendo family.
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Game Boy), composed by Minako Hamano, Kozue Ishikawa, and Kazumi Totaka
From both a gameplay standpoint, and a music standpoint, Link's Awakening laid as much groundwork for future Zelda titles as A Link to the Past did. It started as a personal project from programmer Kazuaki Morita to see if it was even possible to create a complete Zelda experience on a system like the Game Boy, with director Takashi Tezuka supporting his efforts. This was all done before Nintendo actually greenlit a Game Boy Zelda title. Once it was greenlit, the team that worked on this fan project joined many of the staff from A Link to the Past to create what would end up being an unforgettable experience on a portable device. And for 1993, a game like this on a portable device is a phoenomenal achievement.
Link's Awakening introduced many things that would be incorporated into much of the Zelda series that would come after this release. Some of the things that were started in Link's Awakening were built around the music: Instead of multiple dungeons sharing one theme, each dungeon got it's own unique theme. Dungeons now had mid-bosses that you had to fight, and the mid-bosses got their own overarching theme, on top of the main dungeon boss theme. Ironically, the mid-boss theme would end up being used as the battle theme for the final phase of the battle against the game's final boss, Dethl. And for the first time, music instruments weren't just inventory items. They were key plot devices.
In Link's Awakening, Link finds himself on an isolated island called Koholint. He is told that in order to leave the island, he must awaken the Wind Fish from a deep slumber to leave the island. To do this, he must retrieve eight different music instruments from eight different dungeons, and perform the Ballad of the Wind Fish in front of his home, the dream egg, with all the instruments. No other Zelda title at that point relied on music as much as this one does.
But not all is at it seems. At the end of the sixth dungeon, you will come across a tablet pretty much telling you that everything is an illusion, and that once the Wind Fish awakens, Koholint Island will disappear. You are reminded of this after every boss battle during the latter half of the game. The most unsettling part in all this is that Link's friend Marin, who has helped and supported Link more than anyone else, will disappear too. She is the one that teaches Link how to perform the Ballad of the Wind Fish. And her disappearance may be the most impactful to Link out of everything else that will vanish. If you manage to beat the game without dying once, you will see a special scene after the credits depicting the fate of Marin, making the fate of Marin very bittersweet. Which in turn, makes the Ballad of the Wind Fish one of the most somber pieces of music in the Zelda franchise.
The game uses three composers. Minako Hamano, in her first composition job, composed the dungeon themes, the regular boss themes, and some of the special areas in the overworld. She also composed the music heard during the very beginning of the game. Kozue Ishikawa, also her first composition job, composed the different arrangements of the Ballad of the Wind Fish, the arrangement of the Hyrule overworld theme which served as the main overworld theme in this game, and a few additional pieces as well. Both newcomers worked on the ending theme together. Kazumi Totaka composed many of the game's sound effects, and item jingles. And in case you missed the 1992 Primer, anytime Kazumi Totaka works on a game, his personal 19-note easter egg piece can be heard in obscure spots.
In 1998, this game was re-released for the Game Boy Color as Link's Awakening DX. This version features a brand new optional dungeon called the Color Dungeon. The Color Dungeon uses an arrangement of Koji Kondo's dungeon theme from the original Legend of Zelda. The specific composer for this piece isn't clearly indicated. However, the Link's Awakening DX page in the Zelda Wiki site states that Yuichi Ozaki composed additional music for the DX release.
For a large portion of the Zelda franchise, music was integral to the plot, and the journey of whichever incarnation of Link you were playing. The idea that music could be so important to the game started with Link's Awakening. A Zelda title that despite being a Game Boy game, may have done more for the franchise than the Nintendo and Super Nintendo games did.
From both a gameplay standpoint, and a music standpoint, Link's Awakening laid as much groundwork for future Zelda titles as A Link to the Past did. It started as a personal project from programmer Kazuaki Morita to see if it was even possible to create a complete Zelda experience on a system like the Game Boy, with director Takashi Tezuka supporting his efforts. This was all done before Nintendo actually greenlit a Game Boy Zelda title. Once it was greenlit, the team that worked on this fan project joined many of the staff from A Link to the Past to create what would end up being an unforgettable experience on a portable device. And for 1993, a game like this on a portable device is a phoenomenal achievement.
Link's Awakening introduced many things that would be incorporated into much of the Zelda series that would come after this release. Some of the things that were started in Link's Awakening were built around the music: Instead of multiple dungeons sharing one theme, each dungeon got it's own unique theme. Dungeons now had mid-bosses that you had to fight, and the mid-bosses got their own overarching theme, on top of the main dungeon boss theme. Ironically, the mid-boss theme would end up being used as the battle theme for the final phase of the battle against the game's final boss, Dethl. And for the first time, music instruments weren't just inventory items. They were key plot devices.
In Link's Awakening, Link finds himself on an isolated island called Koholint. He is told that in order to leave the island, he must awaken the Wind Fish from a deep slumber to leave the island. To do this, he must retrieve eight different music instruments from eight different dungeons, and perform the Ballad of the Wind Fish in front of his home, the dream egg, with all the instruments. No other Zelda title at that point relied on music as much as this one does.
But not all is at it seems. At the end of the sixth dungeon, you will come across a tablet pretty much telling you that everything is an illusion, and that once the Wind Fish awakens, Koholint Island will disappear. You are reminded of this after every boss battle during the latter half of the game. The most unsettling part in all this is that Link's friend Marin, who has helped and supported Link more than anyone else, will disappear too. She is the one that teaches Link how to perform the Ballad of the Wind Fish. And her disappearance may be the most impactful to Link out of everything else that will vanish. If you manage to beat the game without dying once, you will see a special scene after the credits depicting the fate of Marin, making the fate of Marin very bittersweet. Which in turn, makes the Ballad of the Wind Fish one of the most somber pieces of music in the Zelda franchise.
The game uses three composers. Minako Hamano, in her first composition job, composed the dungeon themes, the regular boss themes, and some of the special areas in the overworld. She also composed the music heard during the very beginning of the game. Kozue Ishikawa, also her first composition job, composed the different arrangements of the Ballad of the Wind Fish, the arrangement of the Hyrule overworld theme which served as the main overworld theme in this game, and a few additional pieces as well. Both newcomers worked on the ending theme together. Kazumi Totaka composed many of the game's sound effects, and item jingles. And in case you missed the 1992 Primer, anytime Kazumi Totaka works on a game, his personal 19-note easter egg piece can be heard in obscure spots.
In 1998, this game was re-released for the Game Boy Color as Link's Awakening DX. This version features a brand new optional dungeon called the Color Dungeon. The Color Dungeon uses an arrangement of Koji Kondo's dungeon theme from the original Legend of Zelda. The specific composer for this piece isn't clearly indicated. However, the Link's Awakening DX page in the Zelda Wiki site states that Yuichi Ozaki composed additional music for the DX release.
For a large portion of the Zelda franchise, music was integral to the plot, and the journey of whichever incarnation of Link you were playing. The idea that music could be so important to the game started with Link's Awakening. A Zelda title that despite being a Game Boy game, may have done more for the franchise than the Nintendo and Super Nintendo games did.
Secret of Mana (Super Nintendo), composed by Hiroki Kikuta
The action-adventure genre was dominated by Zelda, and Squaresoft was primarily known for Final Fantasy. Originally released as Seiken Densetsu 2 as the sequel to the Game Boy game released in the states as Final Fantasy Adventure. This game was originally meant to be a launch title for the Sony CD-Rom add-on for the Super Nintendo. But when Sony decided to focus their efforts on producing the PlayStation, the entire game was rehauled into something that would fit a cartridge, as opposed to a game that could have fit on CD.
While composers struggled to compose music on the Super Nintendo, Hiroki Kikuta found a way to make the limits of the Super Nintendo work in his favor. Instead of trying to duplicate the sounds of real instruments, or try to work around the default sounds the Super Nintendo provided, Kikuta opted to create his own sound samples that matched what the Super Nintendo was capable of producing. He called this "how to effectively gain command of a limited piece of hardware." That way, he knew exactly what his music would sound like on the Super Nintendo instead of having to compose a piece, and then reduce the quality of it after porting it to the Super Nintendo.
This was Kikuta's first video game, but he had already had experience as a composer, working on anime like The Adventure of Robin Hood, and the Legend of Snow White. He wanted to compose video games for Falcom, but they weren't interested. So after an interview where he bonded with Nobuo Uematsu over progressive rock, he got his first video game music job at Squaresoft. He first created sound effects for the game Romancing SaGa, before moving onto Secret of Mana.
The title screen immediately sets the mood for what you can expect in the game. Kikuta's whale served as his way of giving the player a unique introduction to the game itself, and the memorable opening theme served to introduce the player to the soundtrack. It was composed to match the opening animation, which was played at a much slower rate than originally intended. Kikuta recognized this, and once again, was able to work around the hardware limitations to create even more memorable experiences.
Secret of Mana was very inspiring to gamers, and would-be composers. Whether it was the game itself, the soundtrack itself, or even both, Secret of Mana resonated with so many people. The music was very eclectic and charming. that did a brilliant job capturing happier moods, somber moods, disturbing moods, and everything in between. The Secret of Mana soundtrack is still considered one of the best, most inspirational soundtracks today. And we owe that to Hiroki Kikuta, who worked sleepless nights to understand the Super Nintendo sound chip better than nearly every other composer at the time.
The action-adventure genre was dominated by Zelda, and Squaresoft was primarily known for Final Fantasy. Originally released as Seiken Densetsu 2 as the sequel to the Game Boy game released in the states as Final Fantasy Adventure. This game was originally meant to be a launch title for the Sony CD-Rom add-on for the Super Nintendo. But when Sony decided to focus their efforts on producing the PlayStation, the entire game was rehauled into something that would fit a cartridge, as opposed to a game that could have fit on CD.
While composers struggled to compose music on the Super Nintendo, Hiroki Kikuta found a way to make the limits of the Super Nintendo work in his favor. Instead of trying to duplicate the sounds of real instruments, or try to work around the default sounds the Super Nintendo provided, Kikuta opted to create his own sound samples that matched what the Super Nintendo was capable of producing. He called this "how to effectively gain command of a limited piece of hardware." That way, he knew exactly what his music would sound like on the Super Nintendo instead of having to compose a piece, and then reduce the quality of it after porting it to the Super Nintendo.
This was Kikuta's first video game, but he had already had experience as a composer, working on anime like The Adventure of Robin Hood, and the Legend of Snow White. He wanted to compose video games for Falcom, but they weren't interested. So after an interview where he bonded with Nobuo Uematsu over progressive rock, he got his first video game music job at Squaresoft. He first created sound effects for the game Romancing SaGa, before moving onto Secret of Mana.
The title screen immediately sets the mood for what you can expect in the game. Kikuta's whale served as his way of giving the player a unique introduction to the game itself, and the memorable opening theme served to introduce the player to the soundtrack. It was composed to match the opening animation, which was played at a much slower rate than originally intended. Kikuta recognized this, and once again, was able to work around the hardware limitations to create even more memorable experiences.
Secret of Mana was very inspiring to gamers, and would-be composers. Whether it was the game itself, the soundtrack itself, or even both, Secret of Mana resonated with so many people. The music was very eclectic and charming. that did a brilliant job capturing happier moods, somber moods, disturbing moods, and everything in between. The Secret of Mana soundtrack is still considered one of the best, most inspirational soundtracks today. And we owe that to Hiroki Kikuta, who worked sleepless nights to understand the Super Nintendo sound chip better than nearly every other composer at the time.
Sonic CD (Sega CD), originally composed by Naofumi Hataya, and Masafumi Ogata
After Sonic the Hedgehog was completed, programmer Yuji Naka and members of the Sonic the Hedgehog staff moved to the United States to develop Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Meanwhile in Japan, Sonic co-creator Naoto Ohshima lead a team to develop a game that was intended to be an enhanced port of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. However, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 did not sell as well in Japan as it did in the States. So the project was repurposed into a completely original Sonic game, still retaining the mission of creating a Sonic experience for the Sega CD, an experience that could not be replicated on a cartridge.
Originally composed by Naofumi Hataya and Masafumi Ogata, they were heavily inspired by club and dance music for the Sonic CD soundtrack, in a move similar to what Yuzo Koshiro did for the Streets of Rage series. Only this time, with the power of the Sega CD, the music was able to come to life with more realistic sound samples, and even voice clips to help enhance the tone of the music. For each zone in the game, there were four different variations of the same piece. One depicted the stage in the present time, where everything seems normal. Using the time travel mechanic in the game, Sonic can either travel to a "past" version of the zone, or the "future" version of the zone. Each version is acompanied by a different variation of the current zone music, with the future consisting of two variations. One variation for a bad future, where everything is overrun with enemies. The other variation is for the good future, which can only be achieved when Sonic finds and destroys a hidden Metal Sonic hologram, and a small machine called the Roboticizer. Both hidden in the past incarnations of each zone.
Another technical innovation was the use of vocals in much of the music. For example, the boss theme samples Xavier's funk hit from 1982, Work That Sucker to Death. This was used to convey Robotnik's efforts to stop Sonic with his machines. The music in Stardust Speedway providing backing vocals to compliment the beat, with a vocal clip becoming the centerpiece of the zone bodly declaring "Hit it! Turn it up! Get down!" The music in the bad future version of Metallic Madness features speech synthesis vocals to taunt Sonic, on top of the evil laughter scattered throughout. Sonic CD also uses vocal opening and ending themes to begin, and close the entire experience. The opening theme is titled "Sonic - You Can Do Anything" performed by Keiko Utoku, and composed by Masafumi Ogata. This song is also known as the "toot toot sonic warrior" song. The ending theme, composed by Naofumi Hataya, is titled "Cosmic Eternity: Believe in Youtself." Also performed by Keiko Utoku, who also provides the vocal work for the Sonic character in the game.
Each composer was responsible for roughly half of the entire soundtrack. But when Sonic CD was getting ready for a North American release...
The decision was made to compose an entirely different soundtrack, which was composed by Spencer Nilsen, David Young, and Mark "Sterling" Crew. According to Nilsen in an interview with Sega-16, the marketing team at Sega of America thought that Sonic CD needed a soundtrack that was more rich, and complex. To create an entirely new soundtrack, the game's North American release was delayed by a few months.
The new soundtrack is lead by the new vocal theme, Sonic Boom, performed and written by the band Pastiche. Nilsen describes the theme as maintaining intensity, while being a little playful at the same time. The ending theme for the North American soundtrack uses a slower, alternative take on Sonic Boom, featuring vocals from the same group. The new soundtrack, according to Nilsen, features live percussion work from drummer Brad Kaiser. The drums themselves were synthesized, but the remaining percussion sounds were live recordings.
Spencer Nilsen was the primary composer, who got some engineering assistance from David Young. Mark "Sterling" Crew, who briefly worked as a keyboardist for Carlos Santana, composed the music for Collission Course, Metallic Madness, and the boss theme.
Unlike the original soundtrack, the North American soundtrack uses only one boss theme throughout the entire game. And unlike the original soundtrack, which is heavily inspired by funk, and uses lyric samples to convey Robotnik's emotions, the boss battle theme in the North American soundtrack is far...far more ominous, with the laugh track from the original soundtrack slowed down to even further amplify the evil atmosphere the battle creates.
The only music that was retained from the original was the past variations of each zone theme. They were the only pieces recorded using Pulse-code modulation, as opposed to the streamed Mixed Mode CD audio. It was much easier to replace the pieces recorded using the latter format. To replace any of the PCM audio would have been much more time consuming, and would have delayed the North American release even further. There are two theories as to why the past variations were recorded in PCM audio. One is that the PCM audio took up less space, and allowed for the rest of the soundtrack to show off the true capabilities of Sega CD audio. Another is more of an in-joke on Sega's part. Capturing what music used to sound like, before Red Book audio, or Mixed Mode CD audio was even a possibility in video games.
It wasn't until the 2011 rerelease that people had immediate and legal access to both soundtracks in one game. But regardless of which soundtrack you preferred, you still got memorable music for a great game. It was one of the more complex Sonic titles during his 2D era, and the game provided one of the best uses of the Sega CD platform. What soundtrack do you prefer? The upbeat, club inspired soundtrack originally intended for the game? Or the more atmospheric soundtrack composed for the North American release?
After Sonic the Hedgehog was completed, programmer Yuji Naka and members of the Sonic the Hedgehog staff moved to the United States to develop Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Meanwhile in Japan, Sonic co-creator Naoto Ohshima lead a team to develop a game that was intended to be an enhanced port of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. However, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 did not sell as well in Japan as it did in the States. So the project was repurposed into a completely original Sonic game, still retaining the mission of creating a Sonic experience for the Sega CD, an experience that could not be replicated on a cartridge.
Originally composed by Naofumi Hataya and Masafumi Ogata, they were heavily inspired by club and dance music for the Sonic CD soundtrack, in a move similar to what Yuzo Koshiro did for the Streets of Rage series. Only this time, with the power of the Sega CD, the music was able to come to life with more realistic sound samples, and even voice clips to help enhance the tone of the music. For each zone in the game, there were four different variations of the same piece. One depicted the stage in the present time, where everything seems normal. Using the time travel mechanic in the game, Sonic can either travel to a "past" version of the zone, or the "future" version of the zone. Each version is acompanied by a different variation of the current zone music, with the future consisting of two variations. One variation for a bad future, where everything is overrun with enemies. The other variation is for the good future, which can only be achieved when Sonic finds and destroys a hidden Metal Sonic hologram, and a small machine called the Roboticizer. Both hidden in the past incarnations of each zone.
Another technical innovation was the use of vocals in much of the music. For example, the boss theme samples Xavier's funk hit from 1982, Work That Sucker to Death. This was used to convey Robotnik's efforts to stop Sonic with his machines. The music in Stardust Speedway providing backing vocals to compliment the beat, with a vocal clip becoming the centerpiece of the zone bodly declaring "Hit it! Turn it up! Get down!" The music in the bad future version of Metallic Madness features speech synthesis vocals to taunt Sonic, on top of the evil laughter scattered throughout. Sonic CD also uses vocal opening and ending themes to begin, and close the entire experience. The opening theme is titled "Sonic - You Can Do Anything" performed by Keiko Utoku, and composed by Masafumi Ogata. This song is also known as the "toot toot sonic warrior" song. The ending theme, composed by Naofumi Hataya, is titled "Cosmic Eternity: Believe in Youtself." Also performed by Keiko Utoku, who also provides the vocal work for the Sonic character in the game.
Each composer was responsible for roughly half of the entire soundtrack. But when Sonic CD was getting ready for a North American release...
The decision was made to compose an entirely different soundtrack, which was composed by Spencer Nilsen, David Young, and Mark "Sterling" Crew. According to Nilsen in an interview with Sega-16, the marketing team at Sega of America thought that Sonic CD needed a soundtrack that was more rich, and complex. To create an entirely new soundtrack, the game's North American release was delayed by a few months.
The new soundtrack is lead by the new vocal theme, Sonic Boom, performed and written by the band Pastiche. Nilsen describes the theme as maintaining intensity, while being a little playful at the same time. The ending theme for the North American soundtrack uses a slower, alternative take on Sonic Boom, featuring vocals from the same group. The new soundtrack, according to Nilsen, features live percussion work from drummer Brad Kaiser. The drums themselves were synthesized, but the remaining percussion sounds were live recordings.
Spencer Nilsen was the primary composer, who got some engineering assistance from David Young. Mark "Sterling" Crew, who briefly worked as a keyboardist for Carlos Santana, composed the music for Collission Course, Metallic Madness, and the boss theme.
Unlike the original soundtrack, the North American soundtrack uses only one boss theme throughout the entire game. And unlike the original soundtrack, which is heavily inspired by funk, and uses lyric samples to convey Robotnik's emotions, the boss battle theme in the North American soundtrack is far...far more ominous, with the laugh track from the original soundtrack slowed down to even further amplify the evil atmosphere the battle creates.
The only music that was retained from the original was the past variations of each zone theme. They were the only pieces recorded using Pulse-code modulation, as opposed to the streamed Mixed Mode CD audio. It was much easier to replace the pieces recorded using the latter format. To replace any of the PCM audio would have been much more time consuming, and would have delayed the North American release even further. There are two theories as to why the past variations were recorded in PCM audio. One is that the PCM audio took up less space, and allowed for the rest of the soundtrack to show off the true capabilities of Sega CD audio. Another is more of an in-joke on Sega's part. Capturing what music used to sound like, before Red Book audio, or Mixed Mode CD audio was even a possibility in video games.
It wasn't until the 2011 rerelease that people had immediate and legal access to both soundtracks in one game. But regardless of which soundtrack you preferred, you still got memorable music for a great game. It was one of the more complex Sonic titles during his 2D era, and the game provided one of the best uses of the Sega CD platform. What soundtrack do you prefer? The upbeat, club inspired soundtrack originally intended for the game? Or the more atmospheric soundtrack composed for the North American release?
Plok! (Super Nintendo), composed by Tim Follin and Geoff Follin
Tim and Geoff Follin have an interesting history. Their soundtracks are considered cult classics among video game music enthusiasts, the games they worked on are considered cult classics among gamers from the 80s and 90s, and then you have those that appreciate the Follin Brothers' soundtracks, AND the games they worked on. One such example of a game attached to the Follin Brothers that is memorable for both the soundtrack, and the game itself is Plok.
The concept of Plok, a character who fought evil fleas using detatchable limbs, was created by Ste and John Pickford, independent game designers whose experience included working with Rare in the 80s, and Software Creations in the 90s. Software Creations was responsible for the more well known superhero games of the late 80s and early 90s, like Silver Surfer, Spider-Man and X-Man in Arcade's Revenge, and Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage. Plok the character was to be part of a cancelled arcade game called Fleapit. When the game got cancelled, and the Pickford Brothers moved to Software Creations, they pitched the concept of Plok to their bosses, and the pitch was successful, resulting in Sofware Creations' first original title.
The Follin Brothers frequently collaborated with Pickford Brothers on their games. For Plok, the Follin Brothers recieved no input from the Pickford Brothers. It was at that point that the Follin Brothers were well established enough with what they had done for the Pickford Brothers in the past, that the Follin Brothers were allowed to compose independently for the game.
According to tvtropes.org, the Follins were able to take chords, a group of notes played together, and convert them into a single sound sample, allowing for more music to be used within the Super Nintendo's limits. Only five of the eight sound channels the Super Nintendo gave were actually used in the entire soundtrack, except for the main theme.
It is rumored that Plok was to be co-developed, and published by Nintendo themselves, citing Shigeru Miyamoto's interest in the title. But the deal fell through, possibly to avoid similarities with their yet-to-be-announced Yoshi's Island game.
David Wise, composer for Rare, who would eventually become famous for the Donkey Kong Country games, frequently cited the Follin Brothers as inspirations to his own music composed for the Super Nintendo. Specifically, the soundtrack to Plok.
With attention and praised from such profilic names like Shigeru Miyamoto and David Wise, it's hard to dispute Plok's mark in gaming. And if a game like Plok can inspire a guy like David Wise to compose arguably some of the most memorable music to ever grace the Super Nintendo, then Plok definitely deserves a spot on this primer.
Tim and Geoff Follin have an interesting history. Their soundtracks are considered cult classics among video game music enthusiasts, the games they worked on are considered cult classics among gamers from the 80s and 90s, and then you have those that appreciate the Follin Brothers' soundtracks, AND the games they worked on. One such example of a game attached to the Follin Brothers that is memorable for both the soundtrack, and the game itself is Plok.
The concept of Plok, a character who fought evil fleas using detatchable limbs, was created by Ste and John Pickford, independent game designers whose experience included working with Rare in the 80s, and Software Creations in the 90s. Software Creations was responsible for the more well known superhero games of the late 80s and early 90s, like Silver Surfer, Spider-Man and X-Man in Arcade's Revenge, and Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage. Plok the character was to be part of a cancelled arcade game called Fleapit. When the game got cancelled, and the Pickford Brothers moved to Software Creations, they pitched the concept of Plok to their bosses, and the pitch was successful, resulting in Sofware Creations' first original title.
The Follin Brothers frequently collaborated with Pickford Brothers on their games. For Plok, the Follin Brothers recieved no input from the Pickford Brothers. It was at that point that the Follin Brothers were well established enough with what they had done for the Pickford Brothers in the past, that the Follin Brothers were allowed to compose independently for the game.
According to tvtropes.org, the Follins were able to take chords, a group of notes played together, and convert them into a single sound sample, allowing for more music to be used within the Super Nintendo's limits. Only five of the eight sound channels the Super Nintendo gave were actually used in the entire soundtrack, except for the main theme.
It is rumored that Plok was to be co-developed, and published by Nintendo themselves, citing Shigeru Miyamoto's interest in the title. But the deal fell through, possibly to avoid similarities with their yet-to-be-announced Yoshi's Island game.
David Wise, composer for Rare, who would eventually become famous for the Donkey Kong Country games, frequently cited the Follin Brothers as inspirations to his own music composed for the Super Nintendo. Specifically, the soundtrack to Plok.
With attention and praised from such profilic names like Shigeru Miyamoto and David Wise, it's hard to dispute Plok's mark in gaming. And if a game like Plok can inspire a guy like David Wise to compose arguably some of the most memorable music to ever grace the Super Nintendo, then Plok definitely deserves a spot on this primer.
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (PC-Engine), composed by Akira Souji, Keizo Nakamura, Tomoko Sano, and Mikio Saito, with guitar solos by artist Motoaki Furukawa because he LOVED the idea of being able to record for a system that allowed realistic guitars to be used in the soundtrack.
And that was usually the case for PC-Engine games. It allowed for more realistic sounds to be recorded, thanks to the Red Book Audio feature.
Mikio Saito had the honor of arranging three classic Castlevania pieces for this game. Vampire Killer from the first Castlevania, Bloody Tears from the second, and Beginning from the third. She originally intended for the arrangements to sound more like classical music. But when she was studying the reception to previous Castlevania games, she learned that the Castlevania fans at that point leaned more to the hard rock style of music. So at the last minute, Saito rearranged her already existing arrangement into something that leaned towards the hard rock genre, hoping to appease the fanbase.
Akira Souji aarranged the boss theme from the first Castlevania game, Poison Mind. Poison Mind in Rondo of Blood is used as the primary battle theme for the monsters Shaft summons, as well as the final room before you face Dracula. Souji was also responsible for arranging the shorter music pieces like the stage clear, and game over themes.
Tomoko Sano composed the file select theme, and the final boss theme, leaving Keizo Nakamura to compose the rest of the soundtrack.
Rondo of Blood played like the original Castlevania game, with elements of the third title incorporated in the mix. For example, you could play as more than one character in the game. And there were branching paths in the game, but unlike Castlevania III, the method to finding different routes relied on skill, and a good eye. The choice as to which level you wanted to play next wasn't going to be laid out in front of you so easily.
Thanks to the PC-Engine, familiar but addictive gameplay was meshed with asthetics that could not be achieved on any other plaform. Although there was a port of this game released in 1995 called Castlevania: Dracula X, it isn't EXACTLY the game as Rondo of Blood. Close, but not quite. It was still an excellent alternative to Rondo of Blood, at the time. It used arrangements of the Rondo of Blood sountrack composed by Tomoya Tomita, Masanari Iwata, Harumi Ueko, and Masahiko Kimura.
Rondo of Blood was a turning point for the entire Castlevania franchise. It set the bar for how Castlevania should sound, it truly challenged gamers, and it serves as the prequel to the Castlevania game that would ultimately define the franchise, Symphony of the Night.
And that was usually the case for PC-Engine games. It allowed for more realistic sounds to be recorded, thanks to the Red Book Audio feature.
Mikio Saito had the honor of arranging three classic Castlevania pieces for this game. Vampire Killer from the first Castlevania, Bloody Tears from the second, and Beginning from the third. She originally intended for the arrangements to sound more like classical music. But when she was studying the reception to previous Castlevania games, she learned that the Castlevania fans at that point leaned more to the hard rock style of music. So at the last minute, Saito rearranged her already existing arrangement into something that leaned towards the hard rock genre, hoping to appease the fanbase.
Akira Souji aarranged the boss theme from the first Castlevania game, Poison Mind. Poison Mind in Rondo of Blood is used as the primary battle theme for the monsters Shaft summons, as well as the final room before you face Dracula. Souji was also responsible for arranging the shorter music pieces like the stage clear, and game over themes.
Tomoko Sano composed the file select theme, and the final boss theme, leaving Keizo Nakamura to compose the rest of the soundtrack.
Rondo of Blood played like the original Castlevania game, with elements of the third title incorporated in the mix. For example, you could play as more than one character in the game. And there were branching paths in the game, but unlike Castlevania III, the method to finding different routes relied on skill, and a good eye. The choice as to which level you wanted to play next wasn't going to be laid out in front of you so easily.
Thanks to the PC-Engine, familiar but addictive gameplay was meshed with asthetics that could not be achieved on any other plaform. Although there was a port of this game released in 1995 called Castlevania: Dracula X, it isn't EXACTLY the game as Rondo of Blood. Close, but not quite. It was still an excellent alternative to Rondo of Blood, at the time. It used arrangements of the Rondo of Blood sountrack composed by Tomoya Tomita, Masanari Iwata, Harumi Ueko, and Masahiko Kimura.
Rondo of Blood was a turning point for the entire Castlevania franchise. It set the bar for how Castlevania should sound, it truly challenged gamers, and it serves as the prequel to the Castlevania game that would ultimately define the franchise, Symphony of the Night.
Sam and Max: Hit the Road (MS-DOS), composed by Clint Bajakian, Michael Land, and Peter McConnell
The National Videogame Museum in Frisco, TX describes Sam and Max: Hit the Road as "a comical, zany, road-trippin' adventure accompanied by a jazz score reminiscent of detective movies." LucasArts had already established itself as experts of the point-and-click adventure genre, innovating the way stories are told in video games. Sam and Max: Hit the Road was the first to use a fully voiced script in the entire game. Not just a few scenes in a script, but the entire script.
In addition to giving classic comic characters like Sam and Max new life with voice work from Bill Farmer and Nick Jameson respectively, the opportunity to add voices to the game helped enhance the soundtrack even further. Featured in the game is country western singer Conroy Bumpus, voiced by Tony Pope, the main antagonist of the game. And like many animated movies in the 90s, he uses the art of song called "King of the Cratures" to declare his intentions to the heroes, and the audience.
The rest of the soundtrack is highlighted by the same technique used to help use music to enhance the narraitve in real-time, called the iMUSE engine. The iMUSE engine was devloped to make composing for computer games a lot easier for Michael Land, who initially struggled with composing during the development of the first Monkey Island game. The iMUSE engine was able to depict the mood of the game, and immediately play music based off the mood of the game. Every LucasArts title since Monkey Island 2 used this to help their soundtracks enhance the story with minimal difficulty. Composer Peter McConnell compares the iMUSE engine to the role of the pit orchestra in theatrical performances.
LucasArts had already been known for breaking new ground in storytelling. Sam and Max: Hit the Road only pushed LucasArts' ability to tell stories through games even further. And with a soundtrack that's jazzy, quirky, and in some cases, pleasently understated, Sam and Max: Hit the Road is also an innovation in stories enhanced through music and sound.
The National Videogame Museum in Frisco, TX describes Sam and Max: Hit the Road as "a comical, zany, road-trippin' adventure accompanied by a jazz score reminiscent of detective movies." LucasArts had already established itself as experts of the point-and-click adventure genre, innovating the way stories are told in video games. Sam and Max: Hit the Road was the first to use a fully voiced script in the entire game. Not just a few scenes in a script, but the entire script.
In addition to giving classic comic characters like Sam and Max new life with voice work from Bill Farmer and Nick Jameson respectively, the opportunity to add voices to the game helped enhance the soundtrack even further. Featured in the game is country western singer Conroy Bumpus, voiced by Tony Pope, the main antagonist of the game. And like many animated movies in the 90s, he uses the art of song called "King of the Cratures" to declare his intentions to the heroes, and the audience.
The rest of the soundtrack is highlighted by the same technique used to help use music to enhance the narraitve in real-time, called the iMUSE engine. The iMUSE engine was devloped to make composing for computer games a lot easier for Michael Land, who initially struggled with composing during the development of the first Monkey Island game. The iMUSE engine was able to depict the mood of the game, and immediately play music based off the mood of the game. Every LucasArts title since Monkey Island 2 used this to help their soundtracks enhance the story with minimal difficulty. Composer Peter McConnell compares the iMUSE engine to the role of the pit orchestra in theatrical performances.
LucasArts had already been known for breaking new ground in storytelling. Sam and Max: Hit the Road only pushed LucasArts' ability to tell stories through games even further. And with a soundtrack that's jazzy, quirky, and in some cases, pleasently understated, Sam and Max: Hit the Road is also an innovation in stories enhanced through music and sound.
Illusion of Gaia (Super Nintendo), composed by Yasuhiro Kawasaki
Illusion of Gaia could be considered a dream project of sorts. Manga artist Moto Haigo, known for her works on titles like They Were Eleven, A Cruel God Reigns, and Otherworld Barbra, designed the characters in this game. Novelist f, who has won awards for stories Hybrid Child, and Gods who Bandied War, wrote the story of the game. The game was developed by Quintet, an Enix subsidary who, at the time of Illusion of Gaia's first release, was known for ActRaiser, and Soul Blazer. The music was composed by Yasuhiro Kawasaki in his first, and only video game. He would go on to work in the sound department for other titles, but Illusion of Gaia was the only soundtrack he actually composed.
In Japan, it was published by Enix. In the rest of the world, it was published by Nintendo. Nintendo of America promoted this title through its Nintendo Power magazine, and Nintendo Power kiosks at retail stores. In it's promotion material, it was part of the varios "play it loud" montages, and frequently compared to the Legend of Zelda series. So much so, that the logo for the North American release was designed to bear a striking similarity to the Legend of Zelda logo at the time.
But the similarities between Zelda and this game lie in the genre it represented. The only other similarity to Zelda is how it uses musical instruments as both an accessory to help solve dungeon puzzles, and to help advance the plot. But that's where the similarities end. Unlike Zelda, and A LOT of other action adventure games at the time, Illusion of Gaia took place in romanticized versions of real world locations. Like China, Egypt, Angkor Wat, and the Incan Ruins. The final part of the game takes place in the Tower of Babel, a giant structure made to be tall enough to reach heaven, as told in the book of Genesis.
Much of the sound effects in the game, and the orchestrated sound samples were carried over from ActRaiser. Quintet had been known for telling stories about life, resurrection, and death. And believe me, death becomes a frequent plot device in this game. Almost as much as Final Fantasy IV. Illusion of Gaia won't be the last game from Quintet to do all this. But what Illusion of Gaia does manage to achieve that other Quintet titles couldn't, other than strong marketing from Nintendo of America, is how the story was told, and how everything was enhanced by a unique soundtrack capturing dramatic moods, etheral moods, and relaxing moods all at once.
Illusion of Gaia could be considered a dream project of sorts. Manga artist Moto Haigo, known for her works on titles like They Were Eleven, A Cruel God Reigns, and Otherworld Barbra, designed the characters in this game. Novelist f, who has won awards for stories Hybrid Child, and Gods who Bandied War, wrote the story of the game. The game was developed by Quintet, an Enix subsidary who, at the time of Illusion of Gaia's first release, was known for ActRaiser, and Soul Blazer. The music was composed by Yasuhiro Kawasaki in his first, and only video game. He would go on to work in the sound department for other titles, but Illusion of Gaia was the only soundtrack he actually composed.
In Japan, it was published by Enix. In the rest of the world, it was published by Nintendo. Nintendo of America promoted this title through its Nintendo Power magazine, and Nintendo Power kiosks at retail stores. In it's promotion material, it was part of the varios "play it loud" montages, and frequently compared to the Legend of Zelda series. So much so, that the logo for the North American release was designed to bear a striking similarity to the Legend of Zelda logo at the time.
But the similarities between Zelda and this game lie in the genre it represented. The only other similarity to Zelda is how it uses musical instruments as both an accessory to help solve dungeon puzzles, and to help advance the plot. But that's where the similarities end. Unlike Zelda, and A LOT of other action adventure games at the time, Illusion of Gaia took place in romanticized versions of real world locations. Like China, Egypt, Angkor Wat, and the Incan Ruins. The final part of the game takes place in the Tower of Babel, a giant structure made to be tall enough to reach heaven, as told in the book of Genesis.
Much of the sound effects in the game, and the orchestrated sound samples were carried over from ActRaiser. Quintet had been known for telling stories about life, resurrection, and death. And believe me, death becomes a frequent plot device in this game. Almost as much as Final Fantasy IV. Illusion of Gaia won't be the last game from Quintet to do all this. But what Illusion of Gaia does manage to achieve that other Quintet titles couldn't, other than strong marketing from Nintendo of America, is how the story was told, and how everything was enhanced by a unique soundtrack capturing dramatic moods, etheral moods, and relaxing moods all at once.
Mega Man X (Super Nintendo), composed by Setsuo Yamamoto, Makoto Tomozawa, Yuki Iwai, Yuko Takehara, and Toshihiko Horiyama
Yes. Five composers. It took five composers to make the soundtrack to the first Mega Man experience on the Super Nintendo. All five of the composers were members of Capcom's in-house band, Alph Lyla. Most of the soundtrack was composed by Setsuo Yamamoto though, and that was the original plan. But late in development, and perhaps to help speed up production, the rest of Alpha Lyla joined the team. Makoto Tomozawa composed the stage themes for Spark Mandrill, and Storm Eagle. Yuki Iwai composed the stage theme for Chill Penguin. Yuko Takehara composed the stage theme for Boomer Kuwanger. And Toshihiko Horiyama composed the password theme for the game. Between the five of them, they would contribute in some way or another to the music of the next three games in the X series.
Mega Man X was a departure from the original Mega Man games. But it also retained the basics of the original Mega Man games. You still followed a non-linear path to the final boss. But none of the bosses had "Man" at the end of their name, there was no castle that introduced the last set of stages, there were a lot of hidden items and upgrades scattered across the game, and the main antagonist wasn't a scientist. It was an android gone mad. The tone of the music also shifted from what we got in the original series, perhaps due in part to the inexperience of the lead composer.
Setsuo Yamamoto knew nothing about Capcom, nor any of it's more popular titles. He played the Nintendo Mega Man games to help motivate himself. In the liner notes of the 1994 jazz arrangement album about the production of the Mega Man X soundtrack, translated by shmuplations, he wrote "the songs for Rockman X are full of variety, the result of a lot of experimenting: I didn’t try to ape the musical world of the previous Rockman games. It’s my hope that the compositions are fully satisfying to a gamer; likewise, I hope for music lovers that the power of the game shines through."
Having multiple composers does help give the Mega Man X soundtrack more of an experimental variation as opposed to the other Mega Man games that usually had one or two composers attached to it. The style was still aligned to the kind of fusion jazz that defined F-Zero. But not nearly as fast paced. While Setsuo Yamamoto would return to the Mega Man franchise only for the Power Battles series, the other four composers would continue to contribute to the main Mega Man franchise in one way or another. Makoto Tomozawa would contribute occasional pieces to future Mega Man titles, but would wind up becoming the primary composer for the Mega Man Legends series. Yuki Iwai would go on to compose Mega Man X2 all by herself. And although Toshihiko Horiyama would only compose one piece for this game that was neither a stage theme, or boss theme, he would end up gaining more experience with the Mega Man franchise than the other four composers, with his most recent Mega Man title being Mega Man Powered Up for the PSP.
Mega Man X breathed new ground in the Mega Man franchise. With the help of a soundtrack composed by those with little to no experience with all the other Mega Man titles before this one, Mega Man X was able to stand out with it's music, on top of it's gameplay, and it's story.
Yes. Five composers. It took five composers to make the soundtrack to the first Mega Man experience on the Super Nintendo. All five of the composers were members of Capcom's in-house band, Alph Lyla. Most of the soundtrack was composed by Setsuo Yamamoto though, and that was the original plan. But late in development, and perhaps to help speed up production, the rest of Alpha Lyla joined the team. Makoto Tomozawa composed the stage themes for Spark Mandrill, and Storm Eagle. Yuki Iwai composed the stage theme for Chill Penguin. Yuko Takehara composed the stage theme for Boomer Kuwanger. And Toshihiko Horiyama composed the password theme for the game. Between the five of them, they would contribute in some way or another to the music of the next three games in the X series.
Mega Man X was a departure from the original Mega Man games. But it also retained the basics of the original Mega Man games. You still followed a non-linear path to the final boss. But none of the bosses had "Man" at the end of their name, there was no castle that introduced the last set of stages, there were a lot of hidden items and upgrades scattered across the game, and the main antagonist wasn't a scientist. It was an android gone mad. The tone of the music also shifted from what we got in the original series, perhaps due in part to the inexperience of the lead composer.
Setsuo Yamamoto knew nothing about Capcom, nor any of it's more popular titles. He played the Nintendo Mega Man games to help motivate himself. In the liner notes of the 1994 jazz arrangement album about the production of the Mega Man X soundtrack, translated by shmuplations, he wrote "the songs for Rockman X are full of variety, the result of a lot of experimenting: I didn’t try to ape the musical world of the previous Rockman games. It’s my hope that the compositions are fully satisfying to a gamer; likewise, I hope for music lovers that the power of the game shines through."
Having multiple composers does help give the Mega Man X soundtrack more of an experimental variation as opposed to the other Mega Man games that usually had one or two composers attached to it. The style was still aligned to the kind of fusion jazz that defined F-Zero. But not nearly as fast paced. While Setsuo Yamamoto would return to the Mega Man franchise only for the Power Battles series, the other four composers would continue to contribute to the main Mega Man franchise in one way or another. Makoto Tomozawa would contribute occasional pieces to future Mega Man titles, but would wind up becoming the primary composer for the Mega Man Legends series. Yuki Iwai would go on to compose Mega Man X2 all by herself. And although Toshihiko Horiyama would only compose one piece for this game that was neither a stage theme, or boss theme, he would end up gaining more experience with the Mega Man franchise than the other four composers, with his most recent Mega Man title being Mega Man Powered Up for the PSP.
Mega Man X breathed new ground in the Mega Man franchise. With the help of a soundtrack composed by those with little to no experience with all the other Mega Man titles before this one, Mega Man X was able to stand out with it's music, on top of it's gameplay, and it's story.
Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys (PC-Engine), composed by the Falcom Sound Team JDK
Disclaimer: Although Atsushi Shirakawa is listed as a composer in the game, he denied actually being involved in the game, in an interview with Video Game Music Online.
The Ys series was already well established for it's memorable music, made even more memorable thanks to the power of the Red Book Audio format. That is why this version of Ys IV was chosen for this primer, as opposed to the version that was considered to be the canon version of Ys IV, long before the release of Memories of Celceta on the PlayStation Vita.
When it was released in 1993, Ys IV: The Mask of the Sun for the Super Nintendo was considered the official version of Ys IV, due to it being closer to what Falcom originally intended for Ys IV. The PC-Engine version, Dawn of Ys, was developed by Hudson Soft. The story may have been different, and may not be the official telling of Ys IV, but Dawn of Ys had the advantage of being able to present a game that was remeniscint of the successful Ys Book I & II compilation originally released for the PC-Engine in 1989. Remeniscint, but also improved on what made Ys Book I & II successful. The gameplay was more streamlined, there was more to do, there were more characters to encounter, there were brief but interesting throwbacks to the first Ys games, and...obviously...the music, which by the way, got an official release, unlike Mask of the Sun's soundtrack.
Ryo Yonemitsu, who helped arrange the music originally composed for Ys I & II into the Red Book Audio format, was brought in to help arrange the music composed for Ys IV. Much of the music is shared between both Ys IV games, Dawn of Ys and Mask of the Sun. With Ryo Yonemitsu's help, the PC-Engine version was able to not only sound distinguishable to it's Super Nintendo counterpart, but was also able to continue the trend of the Ys series being known for it's uplifting, synthesizer rock soundtrack, with some jazz here and there. Some of which didn't even use the Red Book Audio, but used the PC-88 format that the earlier Ys games used in their music.
This would be the last Ys game released on the PC-Engine. But the legacy of the style of music that Ys is known for would live on in future installments, starting with the release of the PSP remake of Ys III, titled Oath in Felghana.
And once again, in this primer, we talk about a game that uses music as an accessory to help advance the plot. In this game, Adol is required to use the silver harmonica to seek aid from the twin goddesses, Feena and Lair. So if there's anything you should learn from the 1993 primer, it's that music is just as important to the plot of the game, as it is essential for the enhancement of said game.
Dawn of Ys may not have been what Falcom intended Ys IV to be, but Dawn of Ys manages to become a perfect successor to the PC-Engine's Ys Book I & II. It may have never been officially released in the west, but the soundtrack is still regarded as one of the best the PC-Engine has to offer.
Disclaimer: Although Atsushi Shirakawa is listed as a composer in the game, he denied actually being involved in the game, in an interview with Video Game Music Online.
The Ys series was already well established for it's memorable music, made even more memorable thanks to the power of the Red Book Audio format. That is why this version of Ys IV was chosen for this primer, as opposed to the version that was considered to be the canon version of Ys IV, long before the release of Memories of Celceta on the PlayStation Vita.
When it was released in 1993, Ys IV: The Mask of the Sun for the Super Nintendo was considered the official version of Ys IV, due to it being closer to what Falcom originally intended for Ys IV. The PC-Engine version, Dawn of Ys, was developed by Hudson Soft. The story may have been different, and may not be the official telling of Ys IV, but Dawn of Ys had the advantage of being able to present a game that was remeniscint of the successful Ys Book I & II compilation originally released for the PC-Engine in 1989. Remeniscint, but also improved on what made Ys Book I & II successful. The gameplay was more streamlined, there was more to do, there were more characters to encounter, there were brief but interesting throwbacks to the first Ys games, and...obviously...the music, which by the way, got an official release, unlike Mask of the Sun's soundtrack.
Ryo Yonemitsu, who helped arrange the music originally composed for Ys I & II into the Red Book Audio format, was brought in to help arrange the music composed for Ys IV. Much of the music is shared between both Ys IV games, Dawn of Ys and Mask of the Sun. With Ryo Yonemitsu's help, the PC-Engine version was able to not only sound distinguishable to it's Super Nintendo counterpart, but was also able to continue the trend of the Ys series being known for it's uplifting, synthesizer rock soundtrack, with some jazz here and there. Some of which didn't even use the Red Book Audio, but used the PC-88 format that the earlier Ys games used in their music.
This would be the last Ys game released on the PC-Engine. But the legacy of the style of music that Ys is known for would live on in future installments, starting with the release of the PSP remake of Ys III, titled Oath in Felghana.
And once again, in this primer, we talk about a game that uses music as an accessory to help advance the plot. In this game, Adol is required to use the silver harmonica to seek aid from the twin goddesses, Feena and Lair. So if there's anything you should learn from the 1993 primer, it's that music is just as important to the plot of the game, as it is essential for the enhancement of said game.
Dawn of Ys may not have been what Falcom intended Ys IV to be, but Dawn of Ys manages to become a perfect successor to the PC-Engine's Ys Book I & II. It may have never been officially released in the west, but the soundtrack is still regarded as one of the best the PC-Engine has to offer.
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