Age of Empires 2: Age of Kings Game Rip

Overview

DISCO TIME! Dangun Feveron is another of Cave's 'bullet hell' shooters that is near-impossible to beat. While I haven't played it, as with Cave's other efforts, I've checked out clips from the game and been impressed by the visual and musical colour offered to relieve the agony. Its soundtrack is noted among most game reviewers and game music fanatics as one of the few disco soundtracks out there. T's music members Ryuichi Yabuki and Nanpei Misawa offer the musical fruit. Cave provide another complete but out-of-print soundtrack release carefully split into sections and fleshed out by an arranged track, two unreleased tracks, and voice and sound effects collections. Let's look at this ingenious and ever so catchy soundtrack in a bit more detail...

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The game's original score starts off with two electric guitar-led rock compositions, the brief but dazzling "Beat Attack" for the title screen and the rhythmically compelling "Battle Fighter" for the player select screen. They're well done reminiscent of Cave's early Donpachi series soundtracks, but delay the exposure of Dangun Feveron's infectious beats. It's the first stage theme, "Dancing Bomber", where the fun begins. This piece gets the rhythms, melodies, instrumentation, and articulation just right for a disco parody. The syncopated backing sets the scene in quirky fashion before a semi-improvised melody takes the lead with wonderful dramatic timing. The sleazy descending keyboard chords from 0:34 just steals the show though. This piece also gets an arranged version that opens the disc. It's not changed much melodically or rhythmically fortunately, but has been massively improved synth-wise (although the synth is certainly decent in the original) giving significantly more punch to the whole theme. The highlight of the arrangement is the brief but memorable solo section starting at the 1:40, initially with a intricate keyboard, before an electric guitar extravagantly takes over.

"Hello Mr. Cyborg" for Stage 2 is extremely similar to the music of the Bee Gees instrumentally and rhythmically, but ends up being a fun tribute rather than a copyright infringement. Instead of high-pitched vocals, expect some funky saxophone work instead that sounds better than a significant proportion of today's synth thanks to some expert sound programming. Stage 3's "Barofever" gets the rhythm guitar chicken-scratching while Tijuana-influenced brass band and a few cheeky sound effects fill the piece with character. The actual primary melody from an overdriven guitar is quite oppressive, but the contrasting 'B' section offers a slick new melody that makes me feel elated every time I hear it. Stage 4's "Soul Supermarket" tinkers around with electric keyboards against some jubilant beats. While the melody doesn't move much, its dancing between suspended notes and their resolutions works perfectly with the chord progressions and rhythms to create a playful atmosphere. "Disco 999" for the final stage has the flavour of a Latin dance featuring runs on a Phrygian scale, hints of rumba rhythms, and an array of forces syncopating the melodic line. This is probably the most addictive of them all.

The second half of the soundtrack features the boss themes and a fair few extras. The standard boss theme, "One Step to Ambition", is a decent guitar-led effort punctuated by orch hits; the disco has gone, but this theme is intended as an intensifier rather than as entertainment. The last boss theme makes a big impression with its grungy bass guitar line and wild synth glissandi but is extremely repetitious and the most disappointing theme on the soundtrack. The remaining items are mostly frenetic electric guitar themes for the stage clear, ending, name entry, and time attack screens, all of which are catchy and have rhythm, but suffer from brevity or repetition. To compensate for these disappointments, Cave provide two unreleased tracks intended as other stage themes; they have just as much individuality and refinement as the other stage themes and would have undoubtedly been included had the game made more stages (instead of just five insanely challenging ones). The voice collection is a surprising highlight given the main announcer, an extremely cheesy American guy, is simply hilarious to listen to. The sound effects collection that follows is an impressive emulated mixture of explosions, shots, and technological noises that provides a nice addition for the sake of completeness.

Summary

Dangun Feveron is an instantly endearing soundtrack. The disco-based stage themes, arranged track, and unreleased tracks are the major highlights; they're simply irresistable thanks to their infectious beats and catchy melodies. The battle and secondary themes are mostly standard guitar-based shmup fare and greatly reduce the quality of an already brief soundtrack. Half of the soundtrack is composed to fulfil an in-game purpose, the other half is intended for sheer entertainment while dazzling in the game. Both halves achieve their functions well, but it's obvious which one you'll want to revisit on a stand-alone basis... many many times. When there is such immense replay factor of certain themes, the limitations of the score seem unimportant. Its lack of availability is big problem for those desperate for a hard copy, though. I'd only suggest purchasing it if you also have the money to pay for rehab when you become utterly hooked on those stage themes...

Chris Greening

Overview

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is one of the most commercially and critically successful video games ever made. Taking Zelda to the third dimension, it delighted with its entertaining free roaming gameplay, intricate presentation of Hyrule, epic storyline, and a score successful on a number of levels. Koji Kondo's soundtrack was particularly impressive because of how it interpreted Hyrule's geography, races, legends, and threatened existence through diverse means, without the loss of the wider individuality and unity required to reflect the alien fantasy world of Hyrule as a whole. In 2011, the game was remade for the struggling 3DS system to further success. While the soundtrack wasn't significantly altered, it showcased the 3DS' superior specifications with its surround sound mixing and bonus orchestration. Club Nintendo members were eligible to receive a soundtrack for the game, featuring 50 tracks from the original game and one bonus orchestration.

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The world of young Link is usually characterised by an outwardly positive vibe. "Kokiri Forest" delightfully portrays the childish nature of the fairy folk inhabiting Link's homeland; the theme's crisply phrased melodies are whimsically passed from one instrument to the next in almost dance like fashion above thin but buoyant accompaniment. The initial section of "Lost Woods" — simplistic, sparse, and repetitive — is so inherently happy and hummable that it strongly indicates it was created by Saria, one of the Kokiris; in fact, it was more likely conceived by Kondo in the bath, who also offers a gorgeously elaborate development section. Youthfulness is still evident outside the forest. For example, the bright melodies of the Celtic "Market" suitably represent a shoppers gathering in the country, while the jazzy nature of Kondo's personal favourite "Hyrule Castle Courtyard" reflects the fun of somewhat carelessly sneaking around. "Kakariko Village" is calm, laidback, and reassuring, beautifully arranged from A Link to the Past in both of its incarnations here. "Lon Lon Ranch" offers a similar feel while referencing the country music of vocalists like Emmylou Harris; it features synth vocals intended to represent the songstress Malon that are incredibly soothing despite their still-primitive sound quality.

The racial diversity of Hyrule is evident throughout the soundtrack. The watery home, grace, pride, and reverence of the Zoras is reflected in "Zora's Domain", one of the finest examples of a variety of styles of music blended into one piece; Kondo combines Caribbean percussion, ethereal synth pads, and the distinctive tones of an acoustic guitar effortlessly to give a unique sound. Also wonderful is the faithfully preserved tune of the friendly rock-eating giants, the Goron; the theme is almost entirely percussion based, but surprisingly catchy and groovy, made particularly original by the imitated sound of a DJ scratching on a turntable. The most popular theme on the soundtrack is "Gerudo Valley", used to represent the desert home of the Gerudo, a tribe of women thieves. With its flamenco beat, unforgettable melody, and Spanish flair, it's simply irresistible. There's also an array of more trivial but still charming themes used in various buildings, for instance "House", "Shop", and "Windmill Hut". And who could forget the theme of Kepora Gebora, Link's winged teacher? Here, Kondo's lyricism really shines, as he represents the owl's wise, inquisitive, and caring nature.

The centrepiece of the score, the "Hyrule Field Main Theme", provides an overall representation of Link's adventure despite the vastness of Hyrule. This wondrous synth orchestral composition subtly samples a variety of themes from previous Zelda games, including the traditional Zelda overworld music, creating a soaring and adventurous composition. The melodic references were too subtle for some, who complained about the loss of tradition, but the theme excellently complements the setting of Hyrule nonetheless. It also wonderfully adapts to it: the approach of an enemy leads to an increase in dynamic and a transition into an aggressive and percussive section, coming to a standstill results in the music becoming more slowly phrased, and the approach to dusk results in the theme becoming progressively calmer and quieter before fading into nothingness. While most tracks on the soundtrack are unchanged from the originals, the 3DS version of the main theme is reinvigorated with some new samples, most notably the strings and brass. Yet in one of the worst production decisions of this set, the serene morning theme is omitted from the soundtrack release, resulting in an abrupt start after the boss theme.

Creation of the ocarina themes was a massive challenge to Koji Kondo, given he was limited to using just five notes, but the result of his efforts is nothing of outstanding. The melodies themselves are memorable and inspired. They form the basis of six sophisticated and individually characterised orchestrations in the case of the elemental dungeon themes, representing life, fire, water, darkness, spirit, and light. Those that are not dungeon-specific are presented as solo ocarina melodies that each provide the background for a more substantial setting theme, for example "Saria's Song" with "Lost Woods". Given the game's title and the extent of the ocarina's integration into the game's score, mythology, storyline, and gameplay, it was essential that Kondo got it right, and indeed he did; the ocarina themes and their arrangements sound excellent from a musical, technological, and layman's perspective and the ocarina is wonderfully integrated into the story and gameplay. The ocarina samples also sound much more realistic in the 3DS version and have a more convincing echoing sound here. Also note that the solo ocarina tunes are presented as a continuous medley at the end of the soundtrack here, rather than as individual tunes; this move is bound to split consumers, given it increases the coherency of the listening experience, but reduces the in-game continuity.

Despite its title, Ocarina of Time still remains a tale of good against evil. The storyline is dominated by how Hyrule is threatened and eventually dominated by the megalomaniac warlord Ganandorf. The soundtrack reflects his threat immediately after the beautiful "Title Theme" with "Deku Tree", a sorrowful theme reflecting Ganondorf's curse on the doomed father of Kokiri forest, though the fateful "Ganondorf Enters" is sadly omitted here. Half way through the soundtrack, a fully-fledged arrangement of "Ganondorf's Theme" from A Link to the Past is presented. This is the most potent musical symbol of the game's biggest turning point, when Ganondorf usurps the throne, seizes the Triforce, and wreaks multiple disasters upon Hyrule. Who could forget emerging from the Temple of Time as Adult Link following these events only to see Hyrule Market has been taken over by zombies and, in place of Hyrule Castle, there now floated a dark tower surrounded by lava? Also integral to the storyline are the various themes associated with the legends behind the Sacred Realm, the Hero of Time, and the Triforce. Synthesized choral samples are responsible for the sacred aura inherent to "Chamber of the Sages", while Gregorian chant colours the symbolic modal melody used in "Temple of Time". Also unforgettable is the solo harp theme of "Sheik", used to represent a supposed incarnation of the agile and mystical Sheikah tribe. It flows through a series of impressionistic chord progressions with incredible elegance and, despite being simple and repetitive, never grows old.

At Shigeru Miyamoto's request, Kondo made Zelda's dungeon themes very ambient in nature. They all boast amazing timbres, atmospheric qualities, and development. "Shadow Temple", for instance, relies on drums, atmospheric noises, and distorted vocals to represent a spooky and dynamic environment. "Ice Cavern" and "Water Temple" interpret two different states of water through extensive use of tuned percussion. Perhaps best of all, "Spirit Temple" is centred around the unpredictable wails of an ethnic flute; this is genuinely emotional to listen to and emphasises the holy but primitive nature of the Egyptian-influenced temple. After being trimmed down in its original release, the brooding "Fire Temple" is extended from a playing time of 0:42 to 2:05 here and features plenty of experimental synth vocals. Unfortunately, the action themes are not especially remarkable, at least relative to most RPG soundtracks. They are generic, predictable, and similar, though represent activity well enough and are not without their individual quirks; for example, "Middle Boss Battle" is based on the chord progressions of "Ganondorf's Theme". The final battle theme is an epic and emotional affair — slow-paced, melodic, thickly textured, and driven by rapid drums. It's a delicious piece of music that is well worth revisiting.

The soundtrack concludes with two ending medleys. One is a remastered version of Kondo's nostalgic credits cue from the ending game, while the other is a brand new orchestration by Super Mario Galaxy favourite Mahito Yokota. Though brief, this medley is gloriously arranged and recorded, and is bound to bring back plenty of memories for series' followers. The appearance of the series' main theme in its most gallant orchestration to date is particularly delightful and makes up for a controversial omission in the original release. While a great ending, the soundtrack for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has always been problematic in album form and unfortunately the 3DS version does not fully remedy this. There are 50 original tracks featured on this release, as opposed to the 82 tracks featured on Pony Canyon's release. This reduction in track number gives the opportunity for many tracks to breathe and results in fewer interruptions, though the presentation still feels squashed and a two disc set would have been more desirable. What's more, a lot of the tracks that were omitted were extremely significant — the omissions included the angelic "Legend of Hyrule", two early dungeon themes, and the climactic organ arrangement of the villain's leitmotif. Unfortunately, the occasionally enhanced samples and bonus medley only partly make up for this deficiency.

Summary

Whether for Nintendo 64 or 3DS, Koji Kondo's score to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a masterpiece. Its melodies are gold, its diversity is impressive, and a near-perfect balance is achieved between continuity and change. The overall score manages to be a fluid and captivating accompaniment and to a revolutionary game, an adequate support to action, events, and the storyline, and an excellent representation of the scenery and dungeons of Hyrule. The soundtrack will appeal most to those who have played the game, given it brings so much nostalgia with it, but this ought not significantly undermine its worth and pleasantness as a stand-alone musical creation. All that said, the album release for the 3DS soundtrack is not necessarily superior to that of the original 1998 release. Certainly, the remastered samples are pleasant if sparing and the bonus orchestration is glorious if brief, but the experience doesn't feel complete without the crescendo of Ganondorf's organ and even that silly song for the shooting gallery will be slightly missed by series' hardcores.

Chris Greening

Overview

Time Travelers is a new Japan-exclusive game, released by Level-5 for PSP, Playstation Vita, and Nintendo 3DS. It has been described as a "game without a genre," and instead has a huge emphasis on its story, featuring the intertwined stories of five seemingly unrelated characters and a "time-travel" mechanic, both present in the gameplay and story progression. As a result, its soundtrack — composed by Hideki Sakamoto, arranged by Hiroyoshi Kato — run the gambit of emotions, while staying true to the multiple characters' individual stories, which make up the larger unfolding tale of Time Travelers. Despite being written for handhelds, the score is a fully-orchestral and spans some three discs. It also features vocal performances from yanaginagi, Rie Ojima, Satsy, Rumi Shishido, and Sarah Àlainn that all fit into respective character themes.

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The album begins straight off with the main theme, simply entitled "Time Travelers". It quickly becomes apparent that this is the main identity of the whole score, as the main melody of the theme is often repeated in softer variations during the soundtrack. This first version of the piece is presented as a full-orchestral march filled with brassy and choral sections. It has a certain epic, determined march flavor about it, while having some brooding, melancholic undertones. It maintains this atmosphere till before the loop, where a mysterious, almost science-fiction motif is introduced. While a strong theme, the softer variations tend to be more emotional and poetic in nature, and the vocal version of the theme emerges as particularly stunning.

The single strongest track in the game, however, is the second track, "Another Timeline." It uses the "Time Travelers" theme throughout, staring with a brief soft piano motif, which is the sub-motif of the soundtrack. It then transforms into a fanfare-ish piece, as we move along in this bustling theme. The main theme then appears and settles right in, as most of the rest of "Another Timeline" consists of repeating segments of this theme, with some tonal alterations. It goes from sounding sweet and melodic, to flowing and anticipating, to fully dramatic and once again, like the march in the first track. Finally, the piece quiets down from its restless, but consistent, energy, and around the 6 minute mark, the piece introduces the vocal version of "Time Travelers," which is a segment of the last track in the soundtrack, "The Final Time Traveler," with vocals by Sarah Àlainn. Her voice is simply beautiful, and the way it echoes in the silence is a very artistic and inspired direction for the track to take. However, the track soon turns tragic with a light piano and strings motif. Finally, the main theme erupts again, announcing the start of the game in amazing fashion.

But this track reflects perhaps the main problem with the presentation and perhaps the entire implementation of the Time Travelers soundtrack: it peaks much too early, and no other track comes close to the cinematic beauty of "Another Timeline". It is rather unfortunate, however, the other main highlight of the soundtrack are the six individual vocal character themes. It's pleasing that Hideki Sakamoto went all-out by composing so many vocal pieces and actually including them in the soundtrack release, rather than a vocal album. That said, they're something of a mixed bag. "Dr. Schrödinger, tell me please? (Mikoto's Theme)," with vocals by yanaginagi, is one of the most enjoyable character themes on the soundtrack, and in fact becomes a recurring theme throughout the soundtrack. It consists of a bouncy rock track, having a tad taste of jazz in its chords. Yanaginagi's vocals aren't terrible per say — second best only to Sarah Àlainn's vocals — though the pitch of her voice takes some getting used to. The lyrics on the other hand are a mix of being scientifically poetic and scientifically silly, but they work for the most part.

"The Door into Summer" is also somewhat enjoyable, featuring electric synths, and soft but uplifting string sections. The track is overall bouncy, and the lyrics work quite a bit better, even though they still have their cheesy moments. Unfortunately, even though having a lovely tint, and sometimes even beautiful, Rie Ojima's vocals, especially with the broken English, just don't sound as good as yanaginagi's vocals, and can be quite annoying at times in fact. Thankfully, the bounciness of the piece makes the piece mostly bearable and it's a good fit for enthusiastic reporter Hina. Moving on, Rumi Shishido performs "Mirai no uta ni nose (Ressentiment Lady's Theme)," which is one of the only Japanese-only vocal songs on the album. It is a soft ballad-style song, with some cheesy 80 style synths thrown in for good measure. It is quite pretty, thanks to Shishido's vocals. However, a lovely piano version is present on the third disc provides the superior version of this theme.

Arguably the worst of the vocal themes are sung by male vocalist, Satsy. "Time After Time (Shindo's Theme)," while having a somewhat enjoyable jazzy riff, with some brassy elements in the mix, sounds especially terrible thanks to Satsy's vocals and the absolutely atrocious lyrics. Seriously, the verses consists of names of famous science-fiction writers, in reference to the character's background as a physicist. Satsy attempts to have this "cool-guy" edge in his voice, but this effort comes off as laughable and unintelligible because of his, unfortunately broken English singing. Perhaps if the lyrics were in Japanese it could be a bit better. He also performs "Hero Behind the Mask (Ressentiment's Theme)," which is somewhat better. His English actually improves quite a bit, thanks to him singing more dramatically. The song itself is "epic," while undoubtedly appealing to the 80s stereotypical "hero" themes, which is clichéd but enjoyable overall. The lyrics mirror this to a key, being cheesy and heroic to match the self-proclaimed superhero. The song even has a cheesy bridge section which reminded me of the "Rocky Theme." Overall, it is an improvement over "Time After Time," but is still one of the least enjoyable tracks in Time Travelers.

The orchestral bits of the soundtrack fare quite a bit better than the vocal themes, even though every other piece is a looping track. Following "Another Timeline" we have a few soft, and downplayed orchestral themes such as "Cosmic Elevator", following in the same vein as the main theme. The majority of the tracks on the first disc centre on Yuri, a high school student looking for love and eventually finding mystery. "Wanderer (Yuri's Theme)" and "Midorigaoka High School" are nicely done, sweet themes that set this environment. The former highlights acoustic guitar and harmonica, while the latter dazzles with pizzicato strings and some beautiful orchestrations. "Yuri and Mikoto" brings the acoustic guitar back, in what I can only assume is a love theme, erupting softly with a pretty violin duet, while keeping the piano at the forefront. "Days with Mikoto" is also quite a lovely theme, featuring some of the chord progression as the main theme, but gets much too repetitive due to the extra loop. Thankfully, "Gone Are the Days" is much more developed, and sounds absolutely lovely and pleasant, almost seeming like a good ending motif for a typical JRPG.

From there, we move abruptly from the "pleasantly sweet" section of the soundtrack, to more diversified sounds. "TV-FIVE" is exactly what'd you expect it to sound like — a news broadcasting jingle, which ties directly with Hina's background as a TV reporter. Once again, the loop is excessive, as there is no build up or development to the piece. "An American Joke" continues the novelty tone with something which... I guess sounds American? It consists of a humorous, yet somewhat patriotic sounding motif, sounding like it belongs to the Louisiana area of the US. Interesting, but it works best in context. "Ahn-Nyeong Hah-Seh-Yo" is a dramatic and sad piano jingle, which I swear sounds like it belongs to a Game Over screen. Unfortunately, it acts as mostly filler, though it does use some of the same chords as "The Door into Summer" in order to represent Hina. There's also a light orchestrated version of her theme, entitled "Hina Fushimi", that works much better than the original version, being very, very sweet, and pleasant to listen to. It works wonderfully well.

Let's move on to the portrayal of Shindo. Following the atrocious "Time After Time" theme, we have the mysterious "Ingenious Imposter," composed entirely of bass notes and some jazzy arrangements. It works as a mystery theme in context, but is a bit overbearing and under developed for a listening experience. Not bad, though. The first disc ends with "Family Ties," the secondary motif in the soundtrack, introduced in the beginning of "Another Timeline." While a very light for solo piano, is a good closer to the fist disc, ending on a bit of a ominous note.

The second disc starts out with the "Ressentiment" character section of the album, beginning with the vocal theme, and following up with "My Blunders". This has a comical, almost march quality to represent the superhero, featuring an accordion and whistle-like instrument. Once again, the loop plays out to a disadvantage, as it becomes much too repetitive by the time the second minute comes in. "Hero" uses the "Hero Behind the Mask" theme to great effect, being a bouncy, almost Spanish theme, while containing some romantic elements and still maintaining that this is a ridiculous character, thanks to its somewhat outrageous fanfares. "Love Ballad," on the other hand, shifts this musical direction 180 degrees, becoming a melancholic love motif, using piano and strings. Unfortunately, it once again shifts to that 80's vibe of music, using soft drums to expand on this dramatic, yet lovely theme. "Big Hand" presents another tonal shift, sounding full of doom. It almost sounds like a penultimate boss, with all hope lost. It works, only for how different it sounds from the rest of the soundtrack.

While Time Travelers is an eclectic soundtrack, not all the pieces come together to form a satisfying whole. Much as with Hideki Sakamoto's contributions to 428: In a Blockaded Shibuya, there are many novelty pieces that serve as amusing gimmicks in the game, but take away from the cohesion of the stand-alone experience. One example is "A Tribute to Seven (From Robert Schumann's Piano Concerto in A Minor Op.54 - I Allegro Affettuoso)," the most curious, odd, and misplaced fanfare in the soundtrack. This eight second reference to Schumann's piece is absolutely baffling. It makes no sense to include this here, especially considering that no other piece on the soundtrack features Schumann's music. UIt would've made more sense for Hideki Sakamoto to make his own fanfare, which ironically he does with "Signature Pose," featuring a 4 second reprise of Ressentiment's dramatic motif. Once again, only brief filler.

An Honest Heart (Kamiya's Theme)", presents yet another tone, moving into high energy action to represent a detective. It's a good departure from the rest of the soundtrack and Sakamoto, having scored various action scores for video games, does well here. It's just a shame that we couldn't get more of these on the soundtrack. "Angst" keeps using the synthesizers, but in an even more repetitive fashion, despite having a mysterious and ethereal energy in the track. "Son" goes for pizzicato strings and music box type of music, returning to the sweetness of the beginning of the soundtrack, though there is a strangely ethereal choir in the background. It's a nice fit to represent Kamiya's drive to save his family.

"Sawaki's Trap" is a major low point out of context. There is simply nothing in this piece of ambient underscore and the extra loop once again labours it, especially with its dead-rhythm. It serves to emphasise a dark atmosphere, but does so in a dull way. "Dead End" relies on more electronic ambience, proving a taxing bore on the ears, while the repetitive "Dilemma" isn't much better. "Lost Hall," once again rings in the death and dismay of Time Travelers, using the familiar violin passages with an ominous piano melody. It works well much better than the aforementioned tracks in terms of signalling incoming destruction. "Leaping Through Time," though also brief and ambiance-focused, uses its digital flavor for its advantage and incorporates the main theme in an interesting way. "Tokyo Annihilation," on the other hand, is big and brassy, and definitely sounds like a before-the-disaster piece. However, the sound drops a bit in quality, due to the what appears to be a smaller orchestra playing it and the repetitive string section.

"Moment of Truth" brings the orchestra back into full play, and sounds like a before-the-battle piece. It's good overall, and still conveys both mystery and a sci-fi feel to it, while carrying a good amount of energy. This also transitions us into a small suite of battle themes: a welcome addition. "Ready for Combat" sounds fantastic, and definitely sounds like a battle already erupting. The rising trumpets are a real highlight to the track and are beautifully performed. "Victory Grasped," a triumphal piece, is good as well despite its cheesy factor. "Now or Never" is the last battle theme presented here, and possibly the best one overall. It sounds very much like "Don't Be Afraid" from the Final Fantasy VIII Soundtrack, and that's a good thing.

"Shady Business" returns us to the jazzy side of Time Travelers, featuring some smooth bass slapping for good measure. Good, but different. Once again shifting even further, "The Bright Side of Life" features a kindly sounding orchestra, with very light jazzy elements, going back to the sweeter sounds. "Sultry Fantasy Escape" brings in the full romantic jazz, with a smooth saxophone, in a stereotypically "sexy" soundscape. Once again, different, but it works rather well, and is a nice respite. The second ends with "Harbinger of Sorrow," a sad, but still romantic piece, evoking some nostalgia from near the beginning of the soundtrack. It is beautiful but bittersweet, making us feel like we have indeed neared the end of Time Travelers.

Disc Three opens up with "High Spirits" which sounds exactly as you would expect: adventurous, with an epic touch, and yet some bumbling and bustling energy overall. "Blissful Relief" and "Another Place and Time" are two more relaxing pieces, the former featuring a saxophone lead, the latter using many chords from elsewhere. "Carefree Days," on the other hand, is a bit silly sounding, using plucked strings and mallets as progresses rather softly, before transitioning into Spanish flavored rhythmic piece. Interesting, and somewhat delightful, but not all that substantial. The Time Travelers main theme returns in "The Truth of the World," combining piano with orchestra, and it sounds fantastic.

Unfortunately, the climax of the soundtrack is dominated by more atmospheric tracks that simply aren't enjoyable. "Drenched in Dread", "Perplexity", and "In Vain" once again shift everything back into dark ambience, and is once again not all that interesting to listen to... The same applies for "Stunned", which incorporates a horror-style piano motif well, but is still very repetitive. "An Emergency" also doesn't sound as good as it could have, thanks to an obnoxious, almost scratchy electronic noise that consistently rises with the song. "Without Warning," a digital focused action theme, is way too repetitive for its own good, though still creates a compelling timbre. Also holding back the climax of the soundtrack are more gimmicky pieces like the cheesy organ-based "Tragic Ending", the bumbling march "Clumsy", and a short fanfare theme reprise "To Be Continued". The jazzy game show theme "Fool's Failure" or cutesy Japanese ad "Rulers in Electricity" are much better, but still holds back the dramatic progression.

Since we're nearing the end, "Dr. Schrödinger, tell me please? (Mikoto's Theme)" returns in the orchestral/piano focused "Telephone That Passes Through Time" and music box version "The Final Letter". They both sound great, complementing each other and leading to some thematic development. "Revolt of the Skulls," the last real action piece, incorporates a repeating orchestral rhythm, in what appears to be the final stand in the game. "S.I.F." is a foreboding orchestral piece that definitely signals an end, with its brooding orchestral pounding, while "Hour of Crisis" is big and dramatic but held back by its Psycho-esque string work. "For the Sake of Someone" forwards the end game, using a tragic motif and incorporating some of the same chords from "Time Travelers," adding some reflective value to this nicely composed piece. "2031" is a very interesting piece, if not substantial enough, simply because of the desolation and mystery that it conveys. Just before the conclusion, "Skeleton" is brooding, mysterious, slightly chaotic, slightly sci-fi all at once. It is interesting, but also once again too unsubstantial to really leave a good impression.

Sarah Àlainn returns in "Farewell, Self," once again adding some beauty in this destructio. This track quickly emerges as the strongest vocal theme, and the strongest version of the Time Travelers main theme. We end where we began, with "The Final Time Traveler," Sarah Àlainn's angelic voice now singing in Japanese. This final orchestral piece is simply beautiful, and is the best version of the main theme. The lyrics are also a particular high point as well, a welcome change from the rest of the vocal tracks. Although it doesn't reach the same level that "Another Timeline" did, it is another definite highlight of this soundtrack. The vocalist is really the one who carries this piece forward, and the change from Japanese to English, while retaining that same beauty in her voice is impressive, and something that none of the other vocalists accomplish. With rising strings, brass, and voice, we bring this bold, flawed, but well-made soundtrack to a close.

Summary

The Time Travelers is a bold, pleasant, and sweet listener. However, it is far from perfect. It is filled with tracks that work well in context, but aren't always interesting on a stand-alone level and don't always come together to form a cohesive listen. It's a particular shame that no track comes close to beating out "Another Timeline," besides "The Final Time Traveler." However, the good outweighs the bad, and Hideki Sakamoto proves to be a very good composer. I disagree with his own assertion that this is "his masterpiece" — it doesn't come together as well as his Echochrome works or No More Heroes! — but it's still well-done.+ If you want a diverse, melodic, well-produced soundtrack, and can cope with inconsistency, them the Time Travelers is recommended.

Julius Acero

Overview

It's been about 15 years since the collaboration between Jun Senoue, one of the head sound designers at Sega, and Johnny Gioeli, singer of the American hard rock band Hardline, began. Since then these two talents have collided and made Crush 40, a band responsible for most of the iconic vocal songs from the Sonic series. Starting in 2009, the band has been breaking into a more mainstream rock area, branching off from solely producing music for Sonic games, and into regular songs that Jun composes and Johnny pens.

Last year, most of their discography was actually made available on iTunes. The band has now done two live shows in Tokyo, and participated in both the Summer of Sonic event in the UK and Sonic Boom in the US. Now in 2012, Crush 40 has come back to release a small 4 track EP entitled "Rise Again", once again straying away from Sonic the Hedgehog for the time being. The fact is, Crush 40 has a very specific, rock style, and thankfully it works with or without it being related to Sonic.

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That being said, the first track on the EP, "Sonic Youth" is partially about Sonic, but more than anything, it's a fantastic nod to all the fans who have supported Crush 40 throughout the years, and can actually be seen as an anthem for the fans as well. The lyrics for the main verses, while a bit cheesy, are actually composed of the names of the main Sonic themes and different songs that Crush 40 has made throughout the years, cleverly intertwining some of the best that the band has done in one single package. Jun Senoue's guitar work is just as strong here as it's ever been, and Johnny Gioeli's vocals are also just as strong, leading to a very enjoyable song that's sure to please any Crush 40 fan (colloquially nicknamed "Crushers" by Johnny himself).

Moving on, next we have "One of Those Days," which features a slower pace, and overall a dirtier, edgier sounding guitar work. However, it's Johnny's vocals that are the true standout from this song, being much more focused here, and yet shifting up and down his range single handedly. Although the song is catchy, Jun's guitar work isn't quite as strong here, and works more in the background compared to Johnny's vocals, although he gives us a pretty great guitar solo, which is pretty much to be expected in Crush 40 songs. The lyrics have a bit of a romantic feel, though speaking somewhat negatively, the song powers through with a positive attitude, despite its admittedly still cheesy lyrics.

Despite this, there is an absolutely sincere quality to Crush 40's songs, as they hit highs and lows in their hard rock style, speaking often about never giving up or pushing straight on through with life. Which is why the next song, "Song of Hope" turns out to be so powerful, and somewhat of the main highlight of the EP. Released on iTunes as a charity single, the song was meant to collect donations to help out people who were effected during the tsunami that devastated Japan earlier last year, and thus its particularly moving to have this band perform specifically for a cause. With a particularly strong drum beat, Jun belting out on a strongly focused guitar, and Johnny singing such motivating lyrics ("Sing for hope/Sing for dreams/Stand together that's what it means/Sing for love/It's all I can do/This is a Song of Hope for You"), it's easy to see why Crush 40 has gathered such a relatively large number of fans, for a relatively small band. It's their sincere passion that makes them such a great band, and makes "Song of Hope" such a fantastic ballad to add to their musical history. However, that being said, "Song of Hope" is in no way exclusive to this EP, as it's already been released as a single on iTunes, and on the US iTunes version of the Best of Crush 40 -Super Sonic Songs-.

In the last and titular song of this EP, "Rise Again," Crush 40 once again returns to their faster paced, positive-infused lyrics that makes them, well, Crush 40. The song is completely appropriate as the closer, though not as fast paced as "Sonic Youth", or as moving as "Song of Hope," the song finds its place somewhere in the middle, and it ultimately works for it. With a stronger guitar performance and solo from Jun, and Johnny's fantastic vocals, the EP closes up, leading me and other "Crushers" heavily excited to see and hear where Crush 40 will go on from here.

Now, before I finish up this review I really need to address one serious issue with the release of this EP: there's been multiple releases of all these songs. All four songs were released separately on iTunes, leading to about a $4 price tag if people wish to purchase it. However, the songs weren't released together cohesively, at least not on iTunes. There were two physical releases of the EP, with major differences in both. First, at the special Sonic events in London and San Diego (Summer of Sonic and Sonic Boom respectively) Crush 40 performed live and sold their EPs. This version was a simple cardboard slip that contained a picture of Jun and Johnny posing on the front with the lyrics on the back (interestingly the label was only entitled as Crush 40). This version of the EP, which was sold for about $10, did not contain "Song of Hope," and instead came with a small poster that many used to get signatures from the band. These copies may still be floating around on auction sites, however if you're looking for a full version of the EP, which contains a jewel case with a slip containing the lyrics, along with acknowledgements from the band, you're going to have to search up the Wavemaster edition of the EP, which was released on August 1st. As of writing, I haven't been able to locate any copies still, so for people wanting to check out the EP, iTunes is the cheapest place you'll find these great songs.

Summary

Aside from this presentational issue, Crush 40 definitely delivers on the goods. It's great to hear such sincerity coming from this band, and for them to be actively acknowledging their fans. The songs are great, and the iTunes release definitely warrants a purchase. Also, a special thank you goes to the drummer and bassist of Crush 40, Toru Kawamura and Takeshi Taneda respectively, who do a great job, despite not getting enough attention due to the way Crush 40 markets themselves. Either way, I can't wait to hear more out of them. Thankfully, Crush 40 will be releasing an album based off their Live Tokyo performance, so be sure to check that out as well.

Julius Acero

Overview

Nintendo is once again celebrating the anniversary of one of its most popular series, this time the Kirby series, which has just turned 20 years old. Yes, Nintendo has gotten into a pretty good habit of releasing special games and retro compilations, along with promotional soundtracks, to celebrate their individual series' histories, and Kirby is no exception. Being one of the most beloved, innovative, and child-friendly game series out there, Kirby has garnered a pretty large following out there. Fans are sure to enjoy the newly released Kirby's 20th Anniversary Dream Collection, which features six classic Kirby games, a full in-game museum/timeline of all the Kirby titles, bonus full-length episodes of the Kirby anime, a special collectible booklet, and finally a compilation soundtrack CD. Now, The Kirby series has never shied away from releasing special compilation soundtracks, although this is the first to be released outside of Japan. With 45 tracks and just over an hour of music, how does this celebratory CD stack up?

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There are three slight presentational issues overall with this collection. First, in terms of presentation, while Nintendo did a wonderful job in squeezing as many songs in this track list as they could, almost none of them loop, meaning that the first half of the CD goes by incredibly fast, which is shame, because Kirby's music has always had catchy, bouncy melodies that deserve a second listen. However, it is understandable, since Nintendo and HAL Laboratory tried their best to cover tracks from each game. Secondly, the included booklet, which includes the track listing makes note that the original audio may contain low levels of residual noise. Due to the fact that we're covering music from each Nintendo system, there is a sort of discombobulating feeling when listening to the soundtrack from start to finish. The Game Boy Advance game's audio takes a massive hit especially. Finally, almost all these tracks have been made available in other, more complete soundtracks, but this is a minor quibble, since this is the first time a Kirby soundtrack gets an international release.

With that out of the way, we go onto the music. We begin with two tracks from the original Kirby game, the Game Boy's Kirby's Dream Land, which introduces us to the bounciness of the series, albeit in a very fast, quick pace. Composed by series' mainstay Jun Ishikawa, "Green Greens" is especially memorable, not only being the first stage in the first game, but also becoming the main theme for the whole series. Moving onward to Kirby's only NES game, Kirby's Adventure, the audio shifts quite a bit in quality. But the first stage's theme, "Vegetable Valley" by Hirokazu Ando, manages to convey the same energy that "Green Greens" did for the original. Meanwhile, the theme for "Grape Garden" is the first that takes it down a notch, being more relaxed, while still having a Kirby-esque beat.

Next up, we have a single track from Kirby's Dream Course, a rather obscure golf game that featured Kirby's debut on the SNES. "Iceberg Ocean" also has a laid back style, though conveying an air of both mystery and triumph, being the last course in the game though it is not quite as memorable as the last couple tracks. Returning to the Game Boy one last time, we have two themes from Kirby's Dream Land 2, "Coo's Theme", a flying theme for one of Kirby's companions in that game, and the final boss theme, "Real Dark Matter". Both are very short and quite dramatic, although also repetitive.

Three tracks have been presented for the fan-favorite Kirby Super Star, the first being "Get Up and Go-urmet!" This theme, originally composed for the Gourmet Race mini-game, would become one of the long-standing Kirby themes, appearing several times in the Super Smash Bros. series, and becoming the basis for the lovely Fountain of Dreams battle theme later on in Kirby's history. It is, once again, jubilant, catchy, and somewhat silly taken in its original context. "Havoc aboard the Halberd" on the other hand, is quite the opposite, being chaotic and pulse-pounding, as Kirby battles his way to a final showdown against Meta-Knight. The theme even contains a brief statement of the "Green Greens" theme, showing some thematic progression in the Kirby series. Finally, we also have the final boss theme from Kirby Super Star, "Meddlesome Marx", a very high paced and dramatic theme, which is one of the best boss themes out there for the series. It also contains slight musical references back to "Green Greens". Unfortunately, the excellently composed "Credits" isn't included in this soundtrack, which is a shame as its possibly the best credits theme in the series.

Tracks 11 and 12 are dedicated to Kirby's Dream Land 3, a game that possessed a very unique graphical art-style, but was never quite as well received as Kirby Super Star. Musically though, the musical quality right on par. "Ripple Field: Ocean Waves" is a good example of the beach/ocean themed levels in the Kirby series, which have always possessed a sweet, tropical sound to them. "The Last Iceberg" however, is the exact opposite, being a wild, mysterious, almost electrical themed sound quality that is quite unlike anything we've heard so far on the album. It works, being a fun, energy-filled song to listen to. It's too bad that the first stage theme didn't make it on the album, as it had a sweetly vibrant theme that fit the overall atmosphere of the game, and would become a recurring theme in the series.

Kirby managed to have a solo Nintendo 64 game in the form of Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, which although not the most popular game in the series, managed to successfully transition Kirby into the third dimension. With the first stage's theme, "Planet Popstar", Ishikawa returns us into the classic Kirby mood, having a bouncy, flute/whistle based melody, although it has a weirdly faster paced bridge towards the end of the song. "Studying the Factory", on the other hand, is one of the more mechanical sounding themes in Kirby's history, consisting of car-starting sound effects mixed in the background of its melody, which even contains a snyth-choir resounding in the background. The end of the theme, with the sound a resounding low-keyed piano strike is... different to say the least. With that, we segue into the final boss theme, "02 Battle", a dramatic, moody, and minor based theme for the frightening battle against 02, one of the most memorably freaky, if not, slightly traumatizing, characters of the Kirby universe. The theme works incredibly well, fitting right up there with "Meddlesome Marx" in terms of quality. Overall however, the game's music doesn't quite hold up, at least in terms of melody, to the other games we've seen on this list.

This may be why Nintendo decided to return to the past with our next game, Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, a Game Boy Advance remake of Kirby's Adventure. It's great to hear the theme for "Rainbow Resort" presented here, as it's one of the most memorable from both games, possessing a sweet, yet slightly mystifying theme. Next, we have "Tower of Midbosses", which ia actually a remake of King Dedede's final boss theme from the original Kirby's Dream Land. It's also great to hear this theme present on the album, being another fun, recurring song in the Kirby series, and overall a great boss theme. However, as mentioned before, the residual noise levels on the Gameboy's audio are very apparent, leading to lesser quality in sound mixing, despite better composition.

Funnily enough, next we jump to the better sound quality, with Kirby's GameCube debut, and sadly the only GameCube game in Kirby's history, Kirby Airride. "Fantasy Meadows" by Shogo Sakai is a great theme introducing us to Kirby's only racing game. Although it doesn't possess the bouncy quality of most Kirby games, and instead goes for a medieval compositional style, it's a wonderfully styled piece including some thematic elements present in the game. Next up, we have the "Fountain of Dreams" theme, which is... actually very disappointing. Don't get me wrong, the track is one of the best Kirby themes out there, and was even orchestrated for Super Smash Bros. Melee, sounding as grandiose and as wonderful as ever. But it's a shame that HAL decided not to use that version of the theme in Kirby Airride. Instead it took the exact same piece and midified it, placing it in a lower audio quality. It just doesn't sound as good, and is no way the best way to present this, otherwise, amazing piece. Moving on we have the "City" theme from the City Trial mode of the game, sounding brazen and strangely moving. Though not the best theme from the game, it is very well composed, and has a dramatic orchestral edge to it. There are countless other themes I would have loved to seen included here, such as the Nebula Belt theme, the City Trial theme, or heck, even Checker Knights, which featured music from the Japanese version of the Kirby Anime! However I digress...

Dropping back down to Gameboy Advance audio quality, we have two pieces of music from Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, the "Forest/Nature Area" theme and the "Boss Battle Theme" from said game. The former has a cute, marching style theme, while returning to Kirby's signature style, and has a quite a different musical style from what we've heard so far, though it definitely sounds like Kirby. This track was even featured in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, in its original form strangely enough. The boss theme is crazy and chaotic, and features an interesting bridge section, seeming to be based in bass and drum music. It's a bit unsatisfying overall, especially given its repetition in that game, and considering how better tracks could have been fit here. Thankfully, the game did have a Club Nintendo soundtrack release, albeit only in Japan.

The series' debut on the DS, Kirby Canvas Curse, was an absolutely brilliant game that utilized the touch screen mechanics to its full extent. Strangely, Jun Ishikawa and Tadashi Ikegami decided to reuse many Kirby tracks and pace it in a digital, almost techno style for the whole game. "Tiny Town" is actually an original piece that follows in this style's vein, and it strangely works, definitely delivering on that Kirby upbeatness, while in a new way. It's a very calming piece that's immediately followed by a more rollicking theme, "Canvas Canyon", a remake of another Kirby theme from Kirby's Adventure, with both mystery and high-energy. Lastly, we conclude this last section with "Drawcia Sorceress", which is the first half of the final boss of Canvas Curse. This is an extreme departure from the norm of Kirby boss fights, being entirely an organ based theme, with the digital electronic sounds coming in halfway through to supply the beat to the song. It works well, though once again, there could have been other selections included here. The title has unfortunately not been given an official soundtrack release, despite its unique style.

The next of four DS games on the list, Kirby Squeak Squad introduced some new abilities to the Kirby series, along with the new group of titular characters. "Prism Plains" once again contains that classic Kirby attitude, along with an interesting and cute section that uses what sounds like a fast-paced banjo. "Vocal Volcano" on the other hand is percussive and jazz based, which definitely fits the mood of a Volcano, despite its short length. "Squeak Squad Appears!", the theme for the Squeak Squad, is also a jazzy, fast tune, which features several variations on its theme, and what appears to be mouse-based sound effects. The escalation of this theme also works quite well as a boss theme. This track was also remixed and featured in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Kirby Super Star Ultra was the third DS game released for the Kirby series, and was a fully-fledged remake of Kirby Super Star, though it contained enough additional content to warrant a full new release. Thus a lot of the music from that game was redone, and actually made available in a Japanese Club Nintendo promotional soundtrack. However, here we're getting only the new music featured in the game. "The Masked King" is actually a remix of King Dedede's final boss theme, sounding more aggressive and faster-paced than the already fast paced song. It goes by too quickly, leading into "Helper's Rest", a calming and soothing theme that, although restful, somehow reminds me of one of the town theme from Final Fantasy... suffice to say it's good. The last track here, "The Greatest Warrior in the Galaxy", gives me mixed feelings. On the one hand, it's a very powerful boss theme, and excellent for Meta-Knight's final challenge in the game. And while I enjoy it personally, I will be the first to admit that it doesn't have a melody and is instead is only composed of a harsh "metal" rhythm, that although works in context, is weaker, and way too chaotic compared to the other themes here. Once again, no credits theme was presented from Kirby Super Star, which is quite a shame for this compilation.

The next game on this list, Kirby's Epic Yarn, one of the two Wii games for the Kirby series, is one I have not gotten to play yet, but after seeing the game in action and listening to the following lovely melodies I actually really want to try it out. The score emphasizes piano and whistle based instruments, which works especially well in tandem with its gorgeous and unique art/yarn style. "Fountain Gardens" is a sweet, spritely theme, featuring a synth orchestra, and was actually the debut's trailer theme. "Green Greens: Epic Yarn" is a return to form, featuring Kirby's main theme redone for piano, and it works better than almost any other rendition I've heard. It's absolutely lovely, and totally fits Kirby's style, even better than the original music. "Butter Building", originally a theme from a stage with the same name from Kirby's Adventure, is even better! Building from the original composition and using this jazzy piano/bass rhythmic style, it works in a way that no other track in this soundtrack compilation has done so far.

From there, we return one final time to the DS, for Kirby Mass Attack, which featured not one Kirby, or even four, but... ten tiny Kirbys, controlled via the touch screen. Another contribution to the series by Shogo Sakai, "Meadow Breeze" is an interesting track, featuring a full on western styled song, featuring guitar and accordion based synths. Interesting, and definitely a departure in the soundtrack. "Kirby Conflict" on the other hand, is focused on battle, once again playing with a different, rock-focused, musical style. "Piggy Enemy" is also different, going for a "bigger/badder" type of boss music, focusing on drums... and what appear to be pig noises near the end of the song. The final boss theme of the title, "Down to One", is a major departure from the norm, going into a dramatic version of the "Green Greens" theme, and could easily be classified as an ending theme almost. It works really well, though not as dramatic or captivating as the previous final boss themes we've heard.

We finally arrive at the final game thus far released in the Kirby series, Kirby's Return to Dream Land, which as the title suggests, is a return to form, being a Kirby 3-D side-scroller platformer exclusively for the Wii. With Jun Ishikawa and Hirokazu Ando returning to the hotseat, all the tracks follow the classic Kirby style and mood, while incorporate a surprisingly great sounding midi orchestra. "Cookie Country" most definitely establishes the new main theme for the game, which sounds great. "Bring on the Super Ability", on the other hand, incorporates phrases from "Green Greens" and sounds triumphal as Kirby displays his full power. However, this isn't enough to prepare listeners for what comes next. When I first listened to "C-R-O-W-N-E-D", I was legitimately caught off guard, and had to double back and listen again to it. It is the best sounding final boss theme so far, and that's not to say anything negative of its predecessors. But the way this track utilizes an amazing violin based rhythm, with a shotgun sounding percussion — along with combining the "Cookie Country", "Bring on the Super Ability", and "Green Greens" theme — is absolutely amazing, and winds up making it one of the highlights of the album. This section of music ends with the moving and touching, "Returning to Dream Land" credits music, which especially great as it recollects all the different themes from the game. A full soundtrack release is currently available, though unfortunately once again only through the Japanese Club Nintendo only.

However, the soundtrack hasn't ended quite yet. HAL Laboratory decided to arrange three special tracks for this compilation's release. Unfortunately, the first of these three, "Electro Kirby" is easily the worst track on this compilation, and that's saying a lot considering its pristine sound quality. Its composition is absolutely horrendous, and although it mixes several of the themes we've heard so far on the album, it just fails to make them sound better than their original versions, and instead, with an electrical loop it just sounds obnoxious.

Thankfully, the next two tracks are not only saving graces, but the main highlights of the compilation. "Gourmet Race to Green Greens: Chamber Music" is completely self-explanatory, and sounds amazing. It's a small medley going through the arranged versions of these two themes, and using a sweet sincere chamber musical style fits the Kirby series well. As a bonus, a music video showing the song performed live in the HAL Laboratory studios is actually included on the game disc, a fantastic touch by both Nintendo and the developer. It's not as rich as say, the orchestral music released for The Legend of Zelda last year, but it works fine with Kirby. Lastly, "Dream a New Dream for Tomorrow" incorporates several of the ending themes from the three Kirby's Dream Land titles into an unabashedly sweet and relaxed piano and flute based medley, ending the CD in a touching and appropriate way that's sure to resonate with any Kirby fan.

Summary

The Kirby series has consistently boasted upbeat and melodic music, while offering plenty of diversity and surprises over the years. HAL Laboratory's sound team, under the lead of Jun Ishikawa and Hirokazu Ando, have certainly ensured the series' music is worth celebrating. This soundtrack may have some presentational issues here and there and does not include all the best tracks from the Kirby series. Nevertheless, it is still a great compilation CD, and an overall step up from the Super Mario 25th Anniversary set that also included a CD with only 25 minutes of music. Nintendo is really starting to develop with its soundtrack releases, so here's to more of them. And here's to Kirby: to many more years in this much loved franchise.

Julius Acero

Overview

Without a doubt, the Mario series is what started to make video game music popular. Ever since Super Mario Bros., Koji Kondo's catchy tunes have stood the test of time and are now unforgettable pieces of music, video game or not. Make no mistake. Mario is a key reason why we have video game music. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Famicom (Nintendo Entertainment System), Nintendo released Nintendo Sound History Series: Mario the Music. This album contains all the music from Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario USA (North America's Super Mario Bros. 2), Yoshi's Cookie, and Dr. Mario. This album presents the music the way it originally was: Composed on the 8-bit Famicom system. Since the Famicom was limited to only three channels of sound, don't go into this album expecting the best synth quality. Even still, how does this album fare as a standalone listening experience? Let's examine this carefully.

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The album opens with the music and sound effects of the arcade classic Mario Bros., which was eventually ported to the Famicom. I'll say it plainly, this music is simplistic and forgettable. It may be amusing to hear the first time, but it can easily be skipped afterwards. The music in this section doesn't even total to one minute! "Title BGM" is simply a short, repetitive jingle. "Game Start A ~ Miss ~ Clear ~ Game Start B ~ Restart ~ Extend" contains only short sound effects and an 8-bit version of Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik."

After that dud, we move on to the meat of the album with Super Mario Bros. From those opening notes, you'll instantly recognize "Above Ground BGM." You know which one I'm talking about. Even to non-gamers, "Above Ground BGM" is recognizable. There have been thousands of remixes of this song alone. If I could name a theme that defines video game music, it would have to be this theme. The repetitive, yet catchy "Underground BGM" and the waltz-like "Underwater BGM" prove to be memorable tracks as well. For an early Famicom release, Koji Kondo used the three-channel sound limitation to his advantage with these tracks. Although these pieces may seem primitive by today's standards, they were way ahead of their time in the past. The Super Mario Bros. section will likely evoke the strongest feelings of nostalgia. What's more, the tracks here are presented in a desirable way — they usually loop twice and then go into a faster tempo, signifying that the stage time limit is running at an end.

The Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 2 originally didn't made it to our American shores due to the intense difficulty of the game. The music was completely identical to its predecessor with the exception of "Ending BGM." This track is actually just an extended version of Super Mario Bros' ending theme with a slightly different sound. Although it's nothing really special, it is a cool bonus nonetheless.

We now move on to the largest section of the album, Super Mario Bros. 3. Arguably the greatest Famicom game ever (perhaps even of all time), this title was praised for its intricate level design, tight controls, and, of course, music. Koji Kondo returns in full form this time, using all the sound he can squeeze out from the Famicom. Being the first Mario game to utilize map worlds, Kondo composed a theme for each of the eight worlds. All the map themes follow the format of a simple melodic theme with heavy percussion in the background. Each one conveys the feeling of adventure and danger. I should also note that "Map 3 World" sounds strikingly similar to one of Kondo's later compositions "Fairy Fountain" from the The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Speaking of Zelda, "Flute Sound ~ Warp Island (Map 5 Sky World)" sounds exactly the same to the title theme from Ocarina of Time! The overworld themes "Above Ground BGM" and "Athletic BGM" are both charming and catchy, utilizing the most of the three-channel sound limit. We also have the "dungeon" themes like "Fortress BGM" and "Airship BGM" which both convey the themes of brooding evil and the upcoming boss fight. "Ending" just like the title implies, is the perfect finale to Mario's adventure. The first section is a music-box-like rendition of the Super Mario Bros. 2 ending, while the second section is a more upbeat percussion tune.

After that, we are given the entire soundtrack to Super Mario USA (our Super Mario Bros. 2, originally based on the Japanese game Doki Doki Panic). The soundtrack to this title was always my favorite of the NES games. "Title BGM" appropriately sets the tone for the rest of the game. If I could describe the style of music here, it would be "laid-back." "Overworld Theme" continues this tone with a rag-time jazz feel to it, while "Player Select" utilizes an upbeat melodic theme with steady percussion in the background. Even jingles like "Bonus Start ~ Success ~ Failure" and "Stage Clear" are a joy to hear. "Final Boss" gave me chills, though, the first time I heard it in the game. This theme perfectly captures the slimy and evil nature of the antagonist, Wart. But it turns out that the whole game was all just a dream! As we watch the credits roll we hear that climatic ending music. "Ending" starts out as a victorious march, but later moves into a soothing minuet before fading out entirely.

Now, the album could have ended here, but Nintendo decided to throw in the soundtracks to Dr. Mario and Yoshi's Cookie as well. Dr. Mario, composed by the legendary Hirokazu Tanaka, probably has some of the most addicting video game music ever in a puzzle game. "Fever ~ Fever Clear" has varying shifts in dynamic and melody, but maintains a constant tempo throughout until the bass takes over. The other game theme "Chill ~ Chill Clear," on the other hand, is the exact opposite. Instead of being fast-paced, "Chill" is more mellow. At 1:14, things take a turn for a strange as the melody changes completely. In fact, the entire music for Dr. Mario carries this feeling of strangeness. The ending theme "Level 20 HI Clear (UFO) ~ Ending," is a bittersweet melody with odd sound effects thrown in the middle, before changing back to the main melody and then fading to silence. Talk about a surreal soundtrack! The whole time I felt like I was in some kind of trance!

Contrasting drastically from Dr. Mario, Yoshi's Cookie closes off the album with some cheerful, somewhat more typical puzzle game music. All of the single player tracks provide subtle background themes while you solve those matching puzzles. The VS tracks are faster-paced in order to build upon the competitive tension of the multiplayer mode. There's not much else to say, besides that Yoshi's Cookie has some good music for a puzzle game.

Summary

If you are looking for a video game music album that has top-notch synth work, than you will be sorely disappointed. However, if you are a fan of 8-bit chiptune music then this may be the album for you. No doubt, completionists will want this album in their collection as it contains the complete scores to 8-bit Mario games. What's more, it isn't hard to find and it usually retails for around $20-$25. There have been compilations of the Mario series' music in the past — ranging from the excellent but exceedingly rare Super Mario World album to the incomplete 'best of' collections for the 20th and 25th Anniversaries of the series — but this release is the only one that is easy-to-find and still encompassing. Nintendo Sound History Series: Mario the Music is the most comprehensive collection that a Mario or Famicom music fan could ask for. If you're willing to kick back and enjoy feelings of nostalgia, then this CD is a must-buy.

Oliver Jia

Overview

Piano Burst -Kakusei- is Noriyuki Kamikura's first solo work upon his departure from Basiscape earlier in 2011. It's an intriguing album, featuring big band jazz arrangements of crucial themes in the Neon Genesis Evangelion series. As the name suggests, the album emphasises piano parts — performed by Kamikura himself — and definitely offers a very upbeat tone. When it comes to Noriyuki Kamikura, the two things I immediately thing of when it comes to his preferred styles are rock and jazz, primarily due to his original works for the former and his arrangements for the latter. When it comes to this album, Kamikura arranges opening and ending themes from the series, as well as some pivotal themes from that anime that come from previous eras in its musical history.

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The album opens with "Soul's Refrain," the theme song for the first film in the franchise. Starting off with romantic strings and piano, it lulls the listener into a false sense of calm, as the majority of the track features an upbeat pace with a ton of elements going for it. The absence of the original's vocals is not a problem, since the big band arrangement is so rich. I love the sultry strings accompaniment, giving off a bit of an espionage atmosphere. Also effective are the random DJ scratching elements, the big brass sounds, and, of course, the highly enjoyable jazzy piano improvisations. The piano parts, in particular, for, the emotional core of the arrangement and expand considerably on the original melody.

"Tentou Mushi no Samba," as the name implies, is an upbeat piano piece that definitely has an upbeat, playful tone to it and a bit of a samba influence. I really like this theme as well as it provides a nice mix of atmospheres, at times very romantic and enticing, particularly when the tempo slows and the piano is the focus, and as mentioned, the jovial nature of the piece, both when it comes to the big band brass accompaniments and electric keyboard improvisations. "Cruel Angel's Thesis" offers many of the same components in terms of progression, however, I find the piano improvisations and overall melody of this one more similar to "Tentou Mushi no Samba." It's a fine adaptation of the fan favourite.

One of the most striking pieces, compared to many of the other themes on the album, is "Tsubasa wo Kudasai." While featuring that core big band jazz sound, there's definitely rustic element associated with the adaptation, thanks to the harmonica passages. These passages work very well with the brass and piano accompaniments and help give the theme a bit of a personal touch. "Shuuketsu no Sono he" also has a bit of a latin vibe to it, and offers another upbeat take on the themes. The piano in this theme is definitely the highlight of the track and really manages to entice the listener. The closing theme on the album, "Kyou no Hi wa Sayonara," has a gospel/jazz approach to it that really manages to stand out amongst some of the offerings. The piano and electric organ really makes up the core of what makes the track successful, but the romantic strings and woodwinds do help offer that warm, cozy feeling as well.

There are also some very interesting popular themes used on the album, some more shocking than others. The first one, "Fly Me to the Moon," is an interesting interpretation of the original. There is a bit of a 70's funk in the accompaniment that works nicely with the piano melody and strings harmony. Of course, the piano solo is probably my favorite aspect of the whole piece and really makes the theme that much more enjoyable. Otherwise, it would come off as a fairly standard arrangement. Another theme "Beautiful World," originally sung by Utada Hikaru, features an upbeat jazz arrangement with some electric keyboard work in addition to the standard piano/brass affair. While very nice, I think this is my least favorite of the arrangements on the album. There is nothing inherently wrong with it, but nothing really grabs my attention, like the others.

The last two arrangements come from Evangelion music sourced from the classical music era. As such, they may be considered sacrilegious to the classical music purists out there, but I think that Kamikura did something nice with each of them. The first, Beethoven's "Symphony No. 9, Fourth Movement," popularly known as "Ode to Joy," is a fun take on the original. I really think the jazz style works extremely well with this theme and the incorporation of the organ, although subtle and not really a focus, gives it a nice contrast. The saxophone and jazzy piano improvisations may offend fans of the original the most, but it really manages to stand out among the arrangements with its in-your-face approach. Of course, there are still romantic aspects to the piece, but they aren't as pronounced.

The second classical piece on the album is Bach's "Air on the G String," which is probably my preferred arrangement on the album. The opening features a seductive take on the original, elaborating on the melody, and giving it a more airy sound. It combines well with the subtle organ work and the jazz rhythms. As the track progresses, however, it stays more true to the original than his take on Beethoven's work. The second half of the track features the organ taking the forefront with piano and jazzy drums acting as harmony as support. It may not be as creative as some of the other arrangements on the album, but it is certainly one of the most enjoyable pieces on the album.

Summary

In the end, I think that Noriyuki Kamikura's first solo work upon leaving Basiscape is a successful. Although the entire album focuses on big band jazz sounds, there are enough surprises to keep the album from sounding the same, thanks to the superb track selection. Some arrangements work better than others, but in each of them, Kamikura's bubbly personality is definitely on display. For fans of the Neon Genesis Evangelion series and big band jazz, this is a no brainer, as I find it to be one of Kamikura's more effective styles. I definitely look forward to seeing what else is on the plate for Kamikura in the future, as I feel he is a rising star in the soundtrack world and can tackle a variety of styles.

Don Kotowski

Overview

In 2004, Chunsoft celebrated the musical side of its 20th anniversary with a duo of commemorative album releases. One of them was a two disc set collecting some of the music from their oldest and their most recent (at the time) games. The other was this three disc set containing soundtracks from their flagship series, Shiren the Wanderer (Fuurai no Shiren). Of these soundtracks, one comes from the Nintendo 64, two from the Game Boy, and one from the Dreamcast; all are presented in their original sound, but the Super Famicom original is surprisingly omitted. Dragon Quest composer Koichi Sugiyama composed the first of these, Ogre Battle composer Hayato Matsuo the last, and each composed one Game Boy title. The thin booklet contains a composer breakdown, but no commentary.

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Koichi Sugiyama's name is commonly associated with the Dragon Quest series, and the classical orchestral style of those games' scores. Before he turned to writing and conducting Dragon Quest scores full time in the 2000s, however, he also wrote a number of other scores. Having written the score for Chunsoft's first Mystery Dungeon title, which starred a side character from Dragon Quest IV, Sugiyama was again enlisted for the second, this time featuring original characters. The game, released in 1995 for the Super Famicom, was set in pre-modern Japan instead of the Dragon Quest games' fictionalized Europe. Sugiyama responded in kind by introducing Japanese traditional flavor into his score. Orchestral instruments still supplied the backbone of the compositions, but traditional instruments such as the shakuhachi, the shamisen, and the koto were featured prominently throughout. Likewise, the style of writing is grounded in the European classical tradition, but the melodies (and occasionally harmonies) are inflected with an Eastern accent through their emphasis on pentatonic scales.

Koichi Sugiyama's soundtrack for the Nintendo 64 Shiren the Wanderer 2, included on this set, continues in the same vein, albeit with higher quality samples. Many of the themes are arrangements of material from the first game, with little variation. The main theme, stated first in "Going to Tabigarasu" and presented in various arrangements throughout, originally appeared in the first game in much the same manner. Likewise, "Town of Rest", "Old Cedar-lined Highway", and the finale "City of Gold ~ And then the Journey Ended", are reprises. Tracks present each theme once, without looping, but multiple versions of the same theme are grouped together on the same track, with a brief fade-out in between. Often, the second version has heavier instrumentation than the first, or introduces a light rock touch. "Shiren Castle" comprises four variations on a theme. The first version is a traditional dance for flute and koto, the second a divertimento for wind ensemble and percussion, the third as a pop ballad, and the last for orchestra as a slow march. The individual sections are on the short side, and as the arrangements are significantly different from each other, the track is varied enough to withstand thematic repetition.

The pieces range in style from the entirely non-traditional (the light jazz of "Kirara's Theme") to the mostly traditional (the shakuhachi and biwa duet of "Granny"), but Sugiyama's style is recognizable throughout. "Time of Trials (Landing on Onigashima part 2)" is an excellent example of Sugiyama's requiem style, with a particularly moving oboe melody in its second half. "Monster House" is a battle theme, featuring the composer's usual unstable harmonies, but the Shakuhachi adds a bit of interesting, albeit non-traditional flavor. Some of the material falls flat, such as the tacky Hawaiian-themed "Oni Paradise" and the dull march "Now to Onigashima", but the score as a whole is quite strong.

Hayato Matsuo's score for the Dreamcast game Shiren the Wanderer: The Woman Warrior Asuka Appears! contrasts quite sharply with the preceding. The samples are of significantly higher quality, and although Matsuo utilizes a similar blend of traditional Japanese instruments and orchestra, he does not attempt to imitate Sugiyama's style, aside from a few arrangements of the original material. The music has stronger rhythmic vitality, and percussion is used more prominently. "Nanimo Theme" and "Village of Izayoi" are strongly melodic, the former bearing a certain kinship to Sugiyama's "Town of Rest". The lighter tracks are the best composed, and like those of Sakimoto, they too have moments of darkness, such as a surprising and brief section at the end of "Forest of the Eight Pleasure Gods" leading to the repeat. The dungeon themes are also well-executed, but "Asuka's Determination" and "Eight Heavenly Demons Battle" seem like poorer versions of Ogre Battle themes. The opening and ending feel sloppily constructed, the latter moving from solemn orchestral meditation to festival march (with loud electronic bass notes) with little transition.

The third disc features the soundtracks to two Game Boy games, Shiren the Wanderer: The Monster of Tsukikage Town and Shiren the Wanderer: Witch of the Desert. The music in the first is almost entirely composed of arrangements from the Super Famicom original. The conversions are satisfactory, but lose a good deal of the depth of Sugiyama's harmonies and orchestrations. As far as the conversions go, "Going to Tabigarasu ~ Town of Tabigarasu (Village in the Moonlight)" is the best, wringing the maximum effect out of the extremely limited resources available. The worst is "Cave of Trials (Dragon's Lair)", as the sahakuhachi solo of the original, when divested of its character, becomes shrill and irritating. The two original tracks are not noteworthy.

The second game, composed by Hayato Matsuo, doesn't stand out as much. The majority of the music is original, but with a few exceptions, it is rather bland. The first section of Jahannam, with its slow dance rhythm, and the song-like melody of "Ilpa, Town Near the Castle" stand out well, but the dull marches in "Demon Castle" and "Zagan's Theme" leave no impression whatsoever. Likewise, the arrangements of Sugiyama's battle themes, "Monster House" and "Monster Mansion", pale in comparison to the originals. The section ends with one last arrangement of the main theme, with a particularly strong introduction.

Summary

Chunsoft's Shiren collection is a flawed release, as the games themselves have tended to recycle music wholesale from time to time instead of rearranging it, making for a good deal of repetition across the three discs. Although it is strange that the first game's score was not included, its inclusion would inevitably have introduced even more reprises of the same few themes. Nevertheless, it is a much more successful set than the Chunsoft Greatest Collection, its companion anniversary album, and it presents a side of Sugiyama's music not seen in his Dragon Quest work. Matsuo's contributions to the Dreamcast and Game Boy games provide some welcome variety. The set is on the expensive side, though, and the third disc, featuring the weaker Game Boy scores, could have easily been removed to lower the price, which would have made it a better bargain.

Ben Schweitzer