Overview

SQ Chips is the latest in a line of albums featuring tributes to Square Enix's most popular game music by artists across the industry. In contrast to other albums that featured live performances or electronic remixes, SQ Chips takes a reductive approach by focusing on contemporary chiptunes. Those who bought the album through Japan's alternative store Village Vanguard were eligible to receive a bonus album featuring six exclusive remixes not featured in the main album.

Body

The album features two live tracks from Square Enix's in-house unit muZik, presumably performed at their debut on The Black Mages' second concert. Their rendition of Final Fantasy's "Prelude" is quite endearing thanks to the wild and cutesy chips chosen, though it's too brief to be a must-have. "Matoya's Cave" is also a fun, well-paced rendition of the original. The techno stylings here are presumably Hirosato Noda's, though they're not as obnoxious as his remixes on releases such as Hanjuku Hero 4. It's a shame this track wasn't included in the main release, given it would have provided a tribute to the game that started it all.

This album also features an outtake version of Brave Fencer Musashi's "Skullpion". Compared to the final version, the outtake features much heavier bass lines and thicker textures, for better or worse. However, howling synth sounds remain the focus of this version and recapture Tsuyoshi Sekito's eccentric synth vocal use on the original. Another solid exclusive is Final Fantasy V's "A New World", which captures the dark and mournful tone of the original despite being a reduction from 16-bit to 8-bit. However, the arrangement is perhaps too straightforward in its approach to warrant a place in the main album.

A further exclusive is "The Place I'll Return to Someday" from Final Fantasy IX. (S_S) takes a conservative approach and simply changes the ancient instruments of the original to chiptune sounds. It's very different from the approach for the full album and, thankfully, was left off the main release. Finally, Mitsuto Suzuki offers a much less orthodox take on the Chocobo theme, perhaps wanting to contrast the remix from the likes of Final Fantasy VIII's "Odeka ke Chocobo". Expect lots of eccentric rhythms and crazy interruptions in the rhythm part. While a little too 'out there' for the full album, it's good that this track at least made it to the bonus.

Summary

Overall, it's worthwhile purchashing SQ Chips from Village Vanguard for these tracks. They're a mixed bag, but the likes of "Chip de Chocobo" and "A New World" are solid enough supplements to the main release. More casual fans will nevertheless find the full album — with its 18 diverse and nostalgic remixes — more than enough to warrant a purchase.