As we near the end of 2014 and my subsequent ‘best games of the year’ list, I thought I would do something a little bit different than in years past. Below is a collection of tunes from many (though not all) of the games that I played this year. I tried my best to select a variety of musical stylings, as well as some of the tunes that stood out to me as being especially catchy, memorable, or simply well-orchestrated. With some games, this was a real challenge to narrow the field down to just one selection, as the full soundtracks for many of these titles are superb. If you find you really enjoy some of these tunes, consider purchasing the official soundtracks through Amazon, iTunes, Bandcamp, or one of the many other digital music distributors on the web and supporting the hard work of the talented composers and musicians behind each.
Grand Theft Auto V – ‘Welcome to Los Santos’
Super Mario 3D World – ‘Hisstocrat’
DmC: Devil May Cry – ‘Lilith’s Club’
Killer7 – ‘Sweet Blue Flag’
Kirby: Triple Deluxe – ‘Moonstruck Blossom’
Mario Kart 8 – ‘Title Theme’
Shovel Knight – ‘An Underlying Problem (The Lost City)’
The Wolf Among Us – ‘Main Theme’
Skullgirls – ‘Pick of the Litter’
Sin and Punishment: Star Successor – ‘Setouchi (Stage 2)’
Kid Icarus: Uprising – ‘Pandora’s Labyrinth of Deceit’
Persona 4 – ‘Pursuing My True Self’
Bayonetta 2 – ‘Let’s Dance, Boys! (Tomorrow is Mine Remix)’
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U – ‘Master Core’
Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire – ‘Zinnia Battle Theme’
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Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Monday, April 2, 2012
Top 5 Final Fantasy Battle Themes
For this month's top five list, I decided to focus on the Final Fantasy series and the accompanying soundtracks that are so widely respected. While everyone has their own favorite tracks from each game, one of the defining constants through all the years has been the battle theme. Each game is host to a distinctly different spin on the battle theme, generally as a reflection of the story and setting of that numbered entry into the series. The following is a list of my five favorite battle themes from the core Final Fantasy games. Spinoffs such as Crystal Chronicles and sequels like XIII-2 and FFIV: The After Years will not be considered for this list, nor will boss battle themes or variants of the primary battle theme. Each of these entries is limited to the main battle theme from the respective games.
#5 - Final Fantasy IX: With a classic nineties vibe to it, Final Fantasy IX's battle theme certainly stands out from the rest of the pack. It's something of a nontraditional approach to the battle theme, using heavily synthesized sounds to give it an electronic style. But it's certainly an interesting listen.
#4 - Final Fantasy VI: The battle theme from Final Fantasy VI has a darker tone to it, as if the battle at hand is of a most dire consequence. I really enjoy the way that this tune is coupled with the steampunk-esque world of FFVI, and think it is a strong reminder of the darker territory the series began to explore in FFVI and the games that followed.
#3 - Final Fantasy II: Taking a wildly different approach than that of its predecessor, the battle theme in Final Fantasy II is fast-paced, loud, and reflective of the medieval fantasy roots of the long-running JRPG. It screams action with every note, and despite it being so radically different than the rest, I quite like it.
#2 - Final Fantasy XIII: This song played time and time again during my play through Final Fantasy XIII, and I looked forward to it every time. Final Fantasy XIII's soundtrack is among my favorite video game soundtracks of all time, and while the battle theme does not rank as high for me personally as the likes of "Fighting Fate" or "Born Anew", it's still and awesome track. It's a great fit for the futuristic sci-fi/fantasy hybrid realm that Lightning and friends spend their time exploring.
#1 - Final Fantasy: Above all the rest, the original Final Fantasy battle theme is easily my favorite. Its approach is more simplistic than the rest, but for an NES tune, it's pretty intense. It really captures the atmosphere of the battle, and is an instant classic for me. Plus, it is the formula that practically every other Final Fantasy battle theme followed. It's an oldie-but-a-goodie, for sure.
#5 - Final Fantasy IX: With a classic nineties vibe to it, Final Fantasy IX's battle theme certainly stands out from the rest of the pack. It's something of a nontraditional approach to the battle theme, using heavily synthesized sounds to give it an electronic style. But it's certainly an interesting listen.
#4 - Final Fantasy VI: The battle theme from Final Fantasy VI has a darker tone to it, as if the battle at hand is of a most dire consequence. I really enjoy the way that this tune is coupled with the steampunk-esque world of FFVI, and think it is a strong reminder of the darker territory the series began to explore in FFVI and the games that followed.
#3 - Final Fantasy II: Taking a wildly different approach than that of its predecessor, the battle theme in Final Fantasy II is fast-paced, loud, and reflective of the medieval fantasy roots of the long-running JRPG. It screams action with every note, and despite it being so radically different than the rest, I quite like it.
#2 - Final Fantasy XIII: This song played time and time again during my play through Final Fantasy XIII, and I looked forward to it every time. Final Fantasy XIII's soundtrack is among my favorite video game soundtracks of all time, and while the battle theme does not rank as high for me personally as the likes of "Fighting Fate" or "Born Anew", it's still and awesome track. It's a great fit for the futuristic sci-fi/fantasy hybrid realm that Lightning and friends spend their time exploring.
#1 - Final Fantasy: Above all the rest, the original Final Fantasy battle theme is easily my favorite. Its approach is more simplistic than the rest, but for an NES tune, it's pretty intense. It really captures the atmosphere of the battle, and is an instant classic for me. Plus, it is the formula that practically every other Final Fantasy battle theme followed. It's an oldie-but-a-goodie, for sure.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Trailer
It's been a while since this was announced, and I've simply neglected to make a proper posting about it until now. When I first saw the trailer for Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, I thought it looked kind of gimmicky, though certainly a neat idea for nostalgia's sake. But after a few trailers, the gameplay has me genuinely interested. I think the 3DS controls in a rhythmic style will prove a nice blend of the musical aspect with a basic combat system. I have no idea how many songs are going to be included in the game, but I think it's a really smart move on their part to include song selections and characters from every main game in the series. One thing I do hope they include in the final product is a 'sound test' or similar feature - even if I have to unlock specific songs with points earned in-game, it would be awesome to have a library of Final Fantasy tunes to go with me anywhere.
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