#n64 ost ratings

[adelyn-talks-vgm]

OST #3 - Saikyō Habu Shōgi

Saikyō Habu Shōgi Developer: Seta Publisher: Seta Composer: Ken'ichiro Shinzawa Released June 23, 1996

playlist (note: song names are of my interpretation, as there’s no official soundtrack release)

did someone order chess bangers!?

this game dropped alongside mario 64 and pilotwings 64 as a third launch title in japan, pretty much completely unknown to the rest of the world. the game is a virtual game of shogi, or japanese chess, featuring the likeness of widely-renowned shogi champion Yoshiharu Habu, as the name and cover suggest. this soundtrack is quite notable because it’s the only one of the three N64 launch titles to not have had its music on youtube before, until someone linked me a niconico upload from which i then took the liberty to upload separate tracks. is this small shogi simulation’s soundtrack anything to write home about? well, even if it isn’t, that is what i’m here to do, so let’s find out!

you may have already noticed, but this game actually only has six songs. the first song, the title theme, is already pretty interesting, with a sound that i can’t really place as a genre other than ““““““techno”””””” - i could just call it “mahjong music” and most people would understand what i mean. it uses some almost general MIDI-sounding instruments, which a lot of these kinda games use at the risk of sounding generic to some, but this song pulls it off pretty well. it’s got some neat sounding progressions throughout as well, i could place at least 3 separate progressions used that define chunks of the piece in a way.

this menu music is kind of a jam if i had to be honest, with a nice going bassline and some cool vocal-synth/mallet-instrument stuff kicking in later, and a simple-yet-effective drumbeat tying pieces of the song together (i especially like the ride cymbal at 1:46 but i always like ride cymbals) along with some tom fills later on. pretty fine sounding song.

i found when playing this game (or attemtping to) that you actually had to enable this music to play during gameplay in a menu. this song’s pretty cool, its laid back feel fits the mood of the game nicely enough. it almost sounds like JRPG music, not too memorable but still sounds nice.

this song plays in what i could only assume is some kind of “practice” mode where you have to make the best possible move to progress. it’s got a nice swing beat to it, accompanied by some relatively simple repeating riffs until it gets a little more complex later on with a full key change. all around not the most engaging music but that fits what it’s made for i guess.

the song that i think plays when you win a match has some interesting things going on too, not enough to raise any eyebrows but i can get down with it. it almost sounds like petal meadows from paper mario TTYD at points, like at 0:22 with that guitar-like instrument in the background.

and now after two games which had masterful credits themes that made top 3 in each of their respective posts, we have this incredibly underwhelming change of pace. it’s not a bad composition by any means, but does it really do much for me? i can’t really say it does, but i can still appreciate it for what it is.

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so was this soundtrack worth preserving? ehhhhhh...i’d say it was because i did like what some of these tracks did but all around it’s nothing too impressive. not particularly surprising for a game that had a console:game sale ratio of about 100:1 upon release, compared to mario 64′s approximate 1:1. this game faded into obscurity and with it did its music, and after digging it up i can kind of see why.

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thank you very much for reading! if you have any questions or feedback, send me a message and i’ll try to get to it as soon as i can. check back here soon for Wave Race 64!!

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RESULTS:

Top 3 Tracks: 1. Menu 2. Title 3. Practice

FINAL SCORE: 6/10

[mrslittletall]

Ok, then, a post that rates all the Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons fall themes coming up:  SNES - Actually, I find this song to be a bit annoying. It is too repetitive and too loud. It also didn’t help, that for some reason, SNES didn’t had crops for fall, so that fall was more like a winter where you could collect mushrooms.  GBC - It is the same as with the SNES, but in the Game Boy sound font. It actually is a bit more tolerable like this, but still not much. 64 - Now that’s a good fall theme! The melody is just perfectly aligned with how busy fall is and there is the sense of an underlying hurry in the theme, probably because winter is creeping up. It also sounds like a remix of the SNES fall theme, but one that was done very right.  GBC2 - This one is nice. It tries to get the best out of the limited GBC sound system. It has a very nice melody, a bit melancholy, but overall catchy. If someone would play this with actual instruments, it probably would sound amazing. BTN - One of my favourites actually and not only because I love BTN. The song is just catchy, it goes in your ear and it certainly makes you think of a sunny fall day. It repeats the first notes a few times before changing it a bit and repeating. The low notes in the background really let the song shine and the constant rythm doesn’t make the song boring.  GBC3 - I still can’t find a video which points out which seasonal theme is which, but it is still pretty yikes overall.  AWL - Because of the lack of traditional season themes, we only have the records. The fall theme is a remix of the N64 one. It is still the same awesome melody, just cleaned up and played with different instruments. It sounds really good.  What a bummer you can only get this records by trading with FoMT.  FoMT - The same as BTN, but in the GBA soundfont. It definitely sounds better on the PSX. It is fine for the GBA, but too much chiptune for my taste.  MM - This theme has a bit of music that would play in a lounge. Where you would go and hang out with a fancy cocktail, just relaxing after a hard day of work. The melody is definitely catchy and I enjoy listen to it. The song also is coherent, unlike the winter song, and makes me want to sway to it. Though, I have to admit, MM songs are pretty long, unusual for HM music.  STH - Aw, this theme is fun. It tells you that a busy autumn day lies before you, where you stroll along the leave covered street to town to hold conversations and sell your hard earned produce. All while you sway to the tact of the music.  Sadly, I can’t find the town theme.  DS - Woah! Just woah! This sound starts out with a few very elegant notes and it only gets better. The song is almost creepy in a way, but it is thoroughly beautiful, with a piano melody as the main melody. Always only a few notes, and then they leave room for the background notes, but the song wouldn’t be complete without this three notes.  It definitely is one of my fav fall themes.  HoLV - Oh, that sounds like medieval folk music ^^ It is very cute and catchy, a very cheerful song. Certainly gets you into the mood to work on the fields and harvest your crops.  ToT - Elevator music! That is straight up elevator music! Who composed this song?! The song would probably be higher in my favour if the first part wouldn’t sound so much like elevator music, but the second part is pretty good.  Thanks at jake-marshall for providing a link to the night theme. I agree with them, this one would have been perfect for the day theme. A nice piano in the background and the melody is played with a violin, sounds very much like a chill fall day and more importantly, doesn’t sound like elevator music! IoH - The OST of IoH continues to convince and starts with a cheery little melody, but it very much culminates after a few seconds with a key change, which makes the music sound higher, as if floating in the clouds. Only downside again, it’s too short. AP - This song carries a sense of melancholy, but a good one. The sweet memories of the picnique you had with your crush, thinking about sitting around with your family and talking, thinking about just having dumb fun with your friends. It is a very emotional song, in a good way. A song that warms the heart, a song you want to roast sweet potatoes to.  The night version is a much more calmer version of the day version, with a piano in the background and a flute for the melody. It sounds like it wants to coax you to go into bed.  I defnitely get tired from it.  SI - A nice song, another one that makes you think of a busy autumn day, but the same as the winter theme, it feels a bit not coherent and a bit too chaotic for my taste.  GB - That is a fun fall theme! It starts with a nice little jingle and then changes into the general melody. The jingle continues as the background and the melody gets played with different instruments that complement each other wonderfully. It culminates into a medium fast version and is just fun to listen to.  ToTT - I am not going to lie, this is another one of my favourites. The song just slaps. It makes you think of a busy fall day right away and you just have to sway in the melody, especially when the second part starts.  ANB - Ah, ANB, you are just a source for fun and good music. The autumn theme very much reminds me of HoLV, a very medieval folk sound, with a lot of violins played in that very cheerful matter, ready to harvest the crops to. But the best part is the second part of the song, it is such a nice melody, I want to sway to it.  TLV - I actually rather like this track. It sounds busy and conveys a fall day pretty well. It is also catchy and I remember not getting tired of it when listening to it in game. The melody is coherent and not grating, but it is a bit too short. The night theme sounds like someone put a blanket over the theme, it is very slow and quiet, as if it doesn’t want to disturb the night.  SoS - “You are the ocean’s grey waves.” Wait a moment, Fire Emblem Fates only came out AFTER SoS. Huh, but the melody sounds very very similar to “Lost In Thoughts All Alone”. To be honest, the SoS OST is a bit too generic for my taste, it isn’t too catchy. The Fall theme is the same, only that it sounds so similar to a famous Fire Emblem song makes it stand out.  SoS actually brought the night songs back (I think I forget this in the winter rating list). The night theme is very calm and sounds like someone played the main melody on a harp. It seems to say “good night”.  SV - I can only find a whole video with the OST without time stamps and not the fall theme on its own, so I have to skip on this one.  SoS 3oT - That one is fun. It has this usual busy melody and carries around a certain autumn wind with it. The song starts with a cheery melody and then in its second part gets to a climax.

LoH - What a nice melody. Cheery and playful. It is fun to listen to, but a bit too short. The beath drop after the beginning is done really well though. SoS FoMT - It is again, the same as from BTN, but actually... I prefer the BTN one! The SoS one is a bit too... chiptunes? I guess. I prefer the much more cleaner version we got for the PSX.  This one has an alternate version that plays on the weekends/festival days. I actually really like this one. It is calmer than the usual one and uses a piano for its main melody. It has a very nice section with high notes in the second part of the song.  SoS Doreamon - I actually forgot about this game in winter! But let me make up with the fall theme. I am actually not too sure about it... it sounds fine, but a bit too broken up. It has a bit of a western theme to it also, probably because of the harmonica that is used in the background. It is certainly very calm and relaxing.  If I forget a game or you have a link to the songs I couldn’t find, please tell me.

[moonsandmelodies]

5 Underrated Video Game Soundtracks (as selected by Marilyn Roxie)

Pictured: Viridi

For this post I've enlisted musician, Vulpiano Records founder and Rate Your Music/Sonemic social manager Marilyn Roxie. As you’d expect, Marilyn's has a flexible taste that includes both leftfield electronic experiments and kitschy sixties pop, so I'm sure this won't be their only post for MAM.

Knowing their roots in playing Nintendo 64, I asked Marilyn to list some favorite video game OSTs with lower exposure and/or undeserved obscurity. Being a fellow VGM fan, I know I've had my share of examples. I haven’t gotten to the writing yet, but I plan to post my own top 5 in the near-future.

Norio Hanzawa - Yuke Yuke!! Trouble Makers Original Soundtrack (Mischief Makers)

The game (also known as Mischief Makers) is a cult 2D platformer for the Nintendo 64 and a childhood favorite of mine. It holds up as challenging and unique to this day. I think the soundtrack gets overlooked by those who haven’t played the game and decide to dip into it for one big reason: it starts with orchestral versions of a couple of the game’s tracks (“Esperance” and “Adieux”) very different to the rest. If you don’t dig such grandiose sounds, you may not go on, and you’ll miss out on some incredible music.

This reminds me most of Stewart Copeland’s soundtrack The Equalizer & Other Cliff Hangers (Spotify); they share a frantic, robotic energy crossed with quirkiness. Even the textures are similar. The music does a fantastic job of evoking and enhancing the game’s futuristic atmosphere; “Mischief Makers is the story of Professor Theo, a space-travelling Mad Scientist, and Marina Liteyears, his robot creation and assistant, marooned on the strange planet of Clancer. Agents of a mysterious "empire” kidnap the Professor for unknown reasons, and it’s up to Marina to rescue him.“ (TV Tropes) However, you don’t need to play the game to appreciate the industrial thumping of "Volcanic” and the creepy “Obakesong” (a bit of a departure from the usual sound), and lots more. Highly recommended.

Tatsuhiko Asano -  In the Wake of Doshin, the Giant

This is a case of a great OST for a game that I actually haven’t played yet. Doshin the Giant was a Japan and Europe-only ‘god game’, where you play “Doshin…an embodiment of the sun, a giant who oversees the inhabitants on Barudo Island, a tropical paradise not found on any maps. The player is given a choice of helping the inhabitants expand their villages and found new ones as Doshin, the love giant; or they can also become the hate giant, Jashin, and rain down death and destruction.” (TV Tropes)

I wound up listening because a Vinesauce video used “Paradise Zone" was as background music. The OST is chock-full of the tropical chill-out you'd expect from the premise. At turns soothing or more free-wheeling and veering into colorful exotica territory, Asano stirs up a great range of emotions throughout. “The Island Of Memory” is my personal favorite. A stunning and sweet OST that makes me want to play the game.

Various - Ganbare Goemon ~Neo Momoyama / Mystical Ninja: Starring Goemon

Mystical Ninja: Starring Goemon is another N64 game that sometimes falls by the wayside, though it has gotten much more attention than Mischief Makers due to it’s part in a long-running series and an English-localized sequel (Goemon’s Great Adventure).

This one may start on an awkward note for someone who hasn’t played the game, with a wacky vocal theme song (a rarity for N64 titles). What you get in the bulk of the soundtrack are several tunes inspired by Japanese traditional music, inflected with a touch of surrealism and electronic weirdness when appropriate, fitting the setting of the game: “The story follows Goemon’s struggles to prevent the Peach Mountain Shoguns gang from turning Japan into a Westernized fine arts theater.” (Wikipedia; really, I’m amazed this was translated into English at all).

As a bonus, Mystical Ninja included playback of game tracks on its menu screen, meaning that as a kid I would just sit there with “Theme of the Fortune Teller Plasma Man” or “Theme of The Flake Gang Weirdos Baron Colon Sharon An” blaring out of the TV for as long as I liked. There are also a number of tracks with ambient nature sounds (such as “Ambient Kii Awaji Island”, with water, wind, and bird calls) that help make this a unique OST for an N64 platformer.

Michael Bell - Viridi OST

Viridi (available on Steam) is a calming life sim game where you grow and care for beautiful succulent plants. Full of soft keyboards and chimes, each music track blends into the next and form a totality of cute, delicate melodies that mesh perfectly with the game’s theme. “Cucurbita” is my fave.

Ghost Monkey - Rebound

Listen on Soundcloud

Zen Bound 2 (available on Steam) is a relaxing puzzle game requiring the player to use string of a limited length to wrap differently shaped objects to the best of their ability. The music by Ghost Monkey is far from obtrusive, merging seamlessly with the game through it’s downtempo rhythms and organic effects that emulate tumbling rocks, falling water, or rapping on wood. “Unpaint My Skin” is the stand-out for me.

For more of Marilyn’s intriguing music lists, see their Rate Your Music profile.

[killscreencinema]

Star Fox 64 (Nintendo 64)

It's been years since I played this game, probably not since its initial release in 1997(!), and so I'm going to start by saying how shocked I am at how well it still holds up! I know it's one of the most venerated games for the Nintendo 64, but I wasn't sure how much of that was nostalgia. I can safely say, though, it's not just nostalgia - Star Fox 64 is the real deal.

Unlike the original Star Fox for the SNES, which doesn't hold up so well. Don't believe me? Go play it again and be honest with yourself. I know, trust me, I wish it weren't true either.

Anyway, Star Fox 64 almost feels like a reboot of sorts more than a sequel, with the story being basically the same as the first: the Lylat System is under attack by the evil genius Andross and it's up to Star Fox to stop him! However, there's a little more nuance and drama in this narrative this time, with Fox McCloud's father MIA after a botched mission to take down Andross and a rival pilot named Star Wolf hounding Team Fox the entire way.

Obviously, the story of the game is greatly enhanced by the SPOKEN DIALOGUE(!!!), which was an amazing addition considering how rare it was for Nintendo 64 games to have cut scenes or voice acting beyond grunts or Mario going "Wahoo!". It definitely blew my mind back in 97!

Star Fox 64 is also memorable as being the launch game for the Rumble Pak, an add-on that vibrates the controller during certain portions of the game. We take controller rumbling for granted nowadays, but it all started here!

Even though the game still suffers overall from the murky, low-res N64 graphics, it still looks good enough and the frame rate is a significant improvement over the SNES game. What *isn't* an improvement is the soundtrack, which is my only main gripe. While the SNES Star Fox has probably one of the best OSTs in the Super Nintendo library, the music from Star Fox 64 is mid at best when it's even noticeable. The main theme is okay, but nothing compared to mission complete music from the first game:

Anyway, when it comes to games like this, where the consensus is that it's still a great game, it hardly seems worth writing a lot about it, so in summary: it's still a great game. Go play it again!

[jibegamesarchive]

SSX Tricky (GameCube - Electronic Arts - 2002 - FRA) Getting from N64’s 1080 to SSX Tricky was quite a change of pace: I immediately loved the arcade vibes of this game. I played a bit of the first installment, but this was the first game I really enjoyed in the serie. The characters looks cool, the tracks designs are both fun and hard to master and the real catch here is the OST that evolves alongside your boost meter. On the other hand, the 2 player mode is not that good, with a weird vertical split screen and a significant drop in the frame rate. Anyway, an entertaining title. ____________________ #gamesarchive #videogames #games #retrogaming #retrogamer #gaming #collection #vintage #retrocollection #gamingmemories #retrocollectibles #videogames #video #arcade #pixel #pixels #console #japan #oldgames #gameroom #recalbox #nintendo #gamecube #ngc #gc #dolphin #minidvd #ssx #tricky #ea #electronicarts https://www.instagram.com/p/B-AnIXJnMmR/?igshid=tjz02t8l8n83

[toocollectionladyfan-blog]

4 Grammy Honors Renamed To Consist Of 'Video Games Music,' Underline Its Growing Relevance

Dan Harmon is best known for developing series like Rick and Morty as well as Community, but one of his largest interests is Dungeons & Dragons; a lot to ensure that he developed an entire series committed to playing it with his friends. There's not a great deal of songs in Bubble Bobble, but exactly what's there has actually been a continuous throughout years of gaming. Optical drive innovation was still limited in pin speed, so playing an audio track from the game CD meant that the system could not access information once more up until it stopped the track from playing. A few of the playlist titles-- like "Impressive Pc gaming"-- are a bit buying from, but the songs choice is usually solid. However it needs to be stated, if you really wish to obtain the complete experience for these soundtracks offer these games a spin. Newgamemusic - games from the last 3 years. IBM PC duplicates in 1985 would certainly not see any kind of substantial development in multimedia capabilities for a couple of even more years, and tasting would not come to be preferred in various other computer game systems for several years. In the same timeframe of the late 1980s to mid-1990s, the IBM COMPUTER clones using the x86 style became a lot more ubiquitous, yet had a very various course in sound style compared to various other Computers and also consoles. the full details Bear in mind when you lastly got ready to leave Midgar after a number of hrs of gameplay, and assumed 'wow, that was simply the initial town'? mobile games cheats Whatever broken mind you enter McConnell discovers a method making the music stick. Often it's the little gestures that can feel like the largest points in the world. With a number of access in the collection, Uematsu's ratings are a continuous as gamers fight their method with enchanted and also harmful worlds. 66 English power metal band DragonForce is additionally understood for their "retro video game influenced" audio. The very first time you stomped a Goomba right into a pulp with Mario, the music that selected it combined with your subconscious forever. The initial Zelda game to go 3D, housed in just what was after that the N64's largest capability cartridge, Ocarina of Time was the last Zelda OST that Koji Kondo dealt with solo. This divergence would certainly be lessened as the 5th generation of home gaming consoles introduced around the world, and as Commodore began to take a back seat to general objective PCs and Macs for creating as well as pc gaming. Pieces lacking lyrics as well as playing over gameplay sounds. Yep, you read that right - 9 Inch Nails' Trent Reznor was tapped to offer the ominous musical enhancement, and it made total feeling. The game itself is a role-playing journey (a co-production between Disney as well as Sqauresoft), and also include a voice cast consisting of Haley Joel Osment as well as Hayden Panettiere. CLICK THIS CONNECT TO PAY ATTENTION TO A BETTER AND LARGER CHOICE OF VIDEOGAME SONGS:? v= k8e4N ... Ed Annunziata played Pink Floyd for his audio team, and also for the Sega CD release of the Tides Of Time worked with Spencer Nilson to create an also denser new age score. Gratitude for computer game songs is strong among fans and composers, specifically for songs from the fourth and also 3rd generations of house computer game gaming consoles, and in some cases more recent generations. It's a game that in fact offers you the name of the track playing in certain sequences, practically as if you're participating in a peculiar 2D platforming music video, as well as for some reason, that makes best sense. We have actually got computer game music fanatic Mark Robins handy from 3pm to tell us even more concerning the musical kind every person is discussing. We proceed the conversation about video games songs with a fanatic of this genre, Mark Robins. It's the best Sonic had to provide, as well as it finally makes you forgive them for 'Sinking'-- one of the most upsetting music line in all of video gaming. Computers continuously depend on third-party gadgets for in-game sound recreation, as well as SoundBlaster is mainly the only significant gamer in the home entertainment sound development card service. Combining Ry Cooder-esque frontier bluegrass with digital aspects, Korb toenails the game's unusual retro-future setting, adding a critical layer to the game's thick (and surprisingly motion picture) assault of audiovisual aspects.

[adelyn-talks-vgm]

OST #1 - Super Mario 64

Super Mario 64 Developer: Nintendo EAD Publisher: Nintendo Composer: Koji Kondo Released June 23, 1996

playlist

oh, where to begin with this one...

this game is renowned globally as an absolute classic, an innovative title that essentially changed 3D platforming as we knew it to be, but who cares about any of that, how’s the music? most would call it excellent, being one of the most iconic soundtracks of the era, something everyone knows, but might it be overrated? has it aged well since 1996? let’s take another listen and find out!

(note to self: tumblr only allows 5 video embeds at a time, so i can only share 5 songs easily. oops!)

the soundtrack starts off with one of the cooler remixes of the classic SMB1 ground theme, with relatively simple instrumentation but absolutely mental drums, already setting the tone for everything to come and making it very clear that this is something new.

next we have one of the single most iconic pieces of video game music ever written and what is widely considered the main theme of the game, bob-omb battlefield! this song in and of itself is very well-written, a good example of what sound the N64 can produce, and above all, extremely catchy. it didn’t get its critical acclaim from nothing, it’s certainly a jam.

we also have the slide music, the next most iconic piece of video game music. i’m really glad koji kondo invented ska just for this game (i don’t think this is actually ska but i don’t know what else to call it lmao). it’s also a very interesting spin on the main theme, completely restructing the melody and chord progressions while still staying recognizable in a sense, and in general it’s really fun to listen to.

can’t talk about this game without giving credit to the pioneer of chill mario bangers, dire dire docks! i’m so glad video game composers collectively decided that water levels meant ballad-type pieces, because this stuff is sublime. i love the way the 6-bar phrasing makes the piece feel, it’s something i can’t particularly describe. OH one more thing about this is that it’s the first to show off midi channel fading, where individual channels can fade in and out at the game’s command, and in the case of the game, it does so as the player explores different areas, giving a very dynamic aspect to the levels it’s featured in that adds an extra layer of goodness to the song itself.

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a few more mentions before i wrap this up with the last song: - snow mountain is among the most jolly music i’ve ever heard and i can’t get enough of it. - lethal lava land is a really cool song, with multiple parts interacting with each other in really cool ways - the percussion going a mile a minute at its own pulse with all these other really cool and distinct sounding instruments overlaying it makes for a very interesting sound that fits the stages well. - haunted house isn’t called that for no reason, it sounds genuinely haunting and has a really cool sound to it in general. i think it also has channels that come in at different points of the mansion like dire dire docks did, like that marimba sounding instrument. - cave dungeon is probably one of my favorite takes on the SMB1 underground theme ever made, up there with 3D world’s. no idea why the OST version doesn’t have the choir in the beginning like it does in-game, which is lame because that’s a high point for me, but the song is still excellent. i especially love the part where it’s just the choir and percussion when you’re in the deepest part of the cave where you find the metal portal. great track - powerful mario: it may be a short loop but i LOVE the instrumentation and sound of it, really cool remix of a really cool remix of the starman theme - metallic mario:

also short but MAN does koji know how to make these short power-up songs sound sick as heck koopa’s road: when listening to this just now i literally just discovered the horn hits in the background at 0:18 so that should tell you how good this song is bowser theme: my man koji was really in da booth making bowser sound absolutely dastardly ultimate koopa: my man koji was really in da booth making bowser sound absolutely evil. the sounds and setting of this final boss fight have resonated with me for years, and of all the video game music i’ve heard (a LOT) this actually somehow remains one of my favorite final boss themes of all time.

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as i said before, i only have so much room to add videos so i gotta skip to the end here. this credits song still hits hard after all these years, standing its ground as one of the most melancholy yet equally cheerful pieces of music in the franchise. it shows off the diversity of the game’s instrumentation wonderfully - not bound by the limits of gameplay sounds, it can use a lot more channel real estate, and it takes plenty advantage of it. also it may sound cheesy but that key change at the end still touches my soul in such a special way after all this time, and that IV - iv - I is just the icing on the cake (shoutouts to you if you know what that even means).

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so is mario 64′s soundtrack any good? of course! i’d even say it hasn’t aged a day since it was released. sure, music nowadays is far more capable of producing good sounds than games back in 1996, but there’s something so nice about these old sounds that i just cannot let go of. i’ve always been in love with these really old instruments for whatever reason, their sound is just so charming to me, and it’s stuff like that that made me want to begin this project anyway.

back to the matter at hand though. mario 64′s soundtrack is honestly timeless - i’m of the belief that good compositions never age, and this game is hard proof. i actually never realized just how much i actually love this soundtrack until relistening to it in its entirety, and i’m glad i could start this project off on such a tremendous note as this one.

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thank you so much for reading! if you have any questions or feedback, send me a message and i’ll try to get to it as soon as i can. check back here in a bit for pilotwings 64! see you then!!

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RESULTS:

Top 3 Tracks: 1. Staff Roll 2. Ultimate Koopa 3. Lethal Lava Land

FINAL SCORE: 9.5/10

[adelyn-talks-vgm]

OST #2 - Pilotwings 64

Pilotwings 64 Developers: Nintendo EAD, Nintendo R&D3, Paradigm Simulation Publisher: Nintendo Composer: Dan Hess Released June 23, 1996 

playlist

funky fresh tunes? in my nintendo 64 launch title?! it’s more likely than you think

pilotwings 64 released for the N64 at the same time as mario 64 in all regions, along with the N64 itself. 64. the sequel to a launch title of the SNES, this game was kind of unprecedented (not unlike the N64 itself), and ended up being somewhat of a hit when it came out. nowadays, it’s a bit lesser known, but are we looking at a hidden gem here or something that faded into obscurity for a reason? let’s listen!

right away, this game lets you know what the H-E-double-funk is goin’ on, and i mean double funk. these really engaging synth melodies intertwining with each other are a staple of the genre, as is the crazy bassline, taking some laps around this bluesy G scale, octave jumps all but prevalent throughout. don’t even need to mention the drums, giving us a very subtle amen break, don’t think i didn’t catch that dan

this funk is further expressed in the “mission select“ and “character select“ themes, with all kinds of almost solo-like melodies that feel so raw that you can just tell that this guy’s a beast on the keys and played all this himself on a midi controller and put it in the game. of course you’ve also got the characteristic basslines and moderated drum patterns that make all the syncopation stand out, and some juicy chords to top it off.

it’s in the immediate next track “hanglider” that the game already breaks its own precedent by assuming the position of what i like to call “chill nintendo sports game music” for lack of a better term, with such characteristics as cool pad instruments, a mildly simple bass, a good mellow beat, and some gosh dang flute. it’s a classic sound that’s cropped up quite a few times since, i’ve also heard it described as “adventure,” regardless it’s a sound i absolutely adore everywhere i hear it

immediately following, of course, is a return to the basics, reminding you that this is still a funkathon. not much to say on this one other than that it’s just so groovin’. i like the buildup of energy leading up to 1:21 before it immediately drops to this nutty organ solo, it really doesn’t hold back

the next couple songs are quite a bit different from the rest too, with “gyrocopter“ being this really cool DnB piece (i think?) with some very 90′s progressions like with EMaj to DMaj at around 1:11, a progression i heavily associate with this era of VGM especially. “cannon”, on the other hand, is just plain shenanigans music, which i always thoroughly enjoy

here with “skydiving” we see a tremendous return to form once again with the grooviest thing i think i may have ever heard on the N64 now that i think about it, with its bonkers syncopation establishing the aforementioned groove, those gnarly synths laying down the line, and the bass doing what it does best. (side note: this game sure loves its Gs, don’t it?)

we see (or rather hear) another departure in “jungle hopper” with some more “adventure”-type music that i would compare to mario party music but that game isn’t out yet! either way, i love the feel of this track and other tracks like it, which is good because there’s a lot of those up ahead

and then of course, we have the main event:

“birdman”. the king of chill N64 bangers, and it’s only been 2 OSTs. this is the track that everyone knows from this game, and for good reason! it sounds absolutely sublime in every way possible - the chords, the instrumentation, the ballad drumbeat, that oh-so-smooth bass, the fact that it held my attention for all 3 minutes and 30 seconds of its loop - this song’s got it all, and ends up being the most definitive piece of this otherwise supremely funky soundtrack.

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of course, even though birdman is the last main song, i can’t go without mentioning “results”. this song stands as almost a mix of birdman and the others, with its laid back groove topped with a tasty bassline and some nice comping over this very smooth progression, wrapping things up pretty nicely.

there’s also the music that plays upon completion, “license achieved”, that manages to be funky even for what it is: a triumphant ending theme with a sense of heroism to it.

and how could i ever leave out the perfect cap to this phenomenal collection of songs: the credits, baby! it starts with a relatively quick beat before immediately diving into this supremely funky number, taking it a couple beats down to achieve maximum funk. truly a marvelous thing, this soundtrack

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so i’d say Yes, this game is indeed a hidden gem, a well-hidden one at that! though oddly in plain sight, since it was a launch title, but it would quickly be overshadowed by its twin brother. overall, this soundtrack is incredible, and some of the grooviest tracks i’ve ever heard on the N64, and in general! leave it to dan hess to write one of the finest soundtracks i’ve heard yet and then dip.

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thank you very much for reading! if you have any questions or feedback, send me a message and i’ll try to get to it as soon as i can. check back here soon for Saikyō Habu Shōgi, the secret third launch title that only japan got - our first JP-exclusive! see you then!!

additional note: if you want another in-depth look at this game’s soundtrack (in even more music-theory-related detail), check out this (kinda old) video on it by 8-bit music theory! he makes excellent content about video game music, and i implore you to check out his other videos as well!

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RESULTS:

Top 3 Tracks: 1. Birdman 2. Credits 3. Skydiving

FINAL SCORE: 9.5/10

[adelyn-talks-vgm]

OST #5 - Mortal Kombat Trilogy

Mortal Kombat Trilogy Developer: Midway Games Publisher: Williams Entertainment Composer: Dan Forden Released November 11, 1996

playlist

TEST YOUR MIGHT

i have never touched mortal kombat once in my life

this game is actually the first of many N64 games that didn’t see any release in japan, only in NA and PAL regions! there’ll be quite a few of those in the future - can’t say how many will be any good, though. as i said before, i’ve never played or even heard a mortal kombat game, this one being no exception, so i don’t necessarily have a frame of reference in terms of what other games in this series are supposed to sound like, so this will be a learning experience. without further ado, let’s listen, i guess!

this is the first song in the soundtrack - can’t really say it interests me much, it’s a short loop with almost nothing really going for it, doesn’t necessarily set the strongest precedent for me. i can see it working in its context but it’s a very uninteresting song otherwise.

had to dig a bit to find the first track that caught my attention, and this is the first thing i’d call interesting in any right, really:

i like the section with the horns, but otherwise nothing here really strikes me as... well, good, if i had to be honest. feels kinda aimless, and the instrumentation isn’t anything special at all. maybe we’ll get a banger somewhere in here, i hope

this one sounds okay, actually, for how short it may be. love some good ol organ runs, always a sucker for those.

i’m beginning to get an understanding from the context of the comments that this might just be a poor port of music from the previous games that went into this, and if that’s the case that’s largely unfortunate, but i’m gonna keep listening and form and opinion on this soundtrack alone.

i actually kinda like this one, probably the most interesting one so far. got some cool percussion stuff going on, there’s some cool percussion stuff in most of these songs but they’re usually not too interesting.

this one’s pretty alright, i like the violin, that’s about it actually oops

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there’s no credits music either, so that’s all i’ve got.

all around, this kinda isn’t great? the sounds used are sorely lacking in substance (except that violin that’s alright), things feel out of tune at points almost, the songs are so short that i get the general idea of the song within 20 seconds of hearing it, (i guess they don’t have to be that long considering the game) and in general none of this is really my style. apparently other versions of the soundtrack such as PS1 stand better to this one, but again this is all based on this version alone. it’s a shame that this version doesn’t capture the songs very well, because i imagine they’d sound pretty nice with better quality arrangement, but this just isn’t anything special.

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thank you very much for reading! if you have any questions, feedback, or thoughts you’d like to share, send me a message and i’ll try to get to it as soon as i can. check back here next time for Wayne Gretzky’s 3D Hockey!!

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RESULTS:

Top 3 Tracks: 1. Living Forest - Soul Chamber 2. Wasteland - Courtyard - Jades Desert  3. Scorpions Lair - Subway - Pit 2

FINAL SCORE: 3/10

[adelyn-talks-vgm]

OST #4 - Wave Race 64

Wave Race 64 Developer: Nintendo EAD Publisher: Nintendo Composer: Kazumi Totaka Released September 27, 1996

playlist

wait totaka wrote this?!?! oh, we are in for a GOOD time...

(sorry this one is out so late, had some things come up the past couple days and couldn’t find the time for this! also be aware that as a result of being stretched out over a little less than a week, this post might be a bit all over the place, so sorry in advance!)

wave race 64 was the first game to come out after the launch titles in japan (and in the US), and was a pretty big hit all-around. i never played it myself, nor had i even heard the soundtrack before doing this, hence why i never realized that it was written by kazumi totaka, one of my favorite nintendo composers of the ‘90s. as such, i was very excited to take a dive into this to see whether it holds up to the standard of his other works. does it? let’s listen!

here in the title theme, totaka provides us with a catchy and memorable melody line over this nice driving rock beat, with a cheerful chord progression to boot, and also presents to us what is all but a totaka staple: a recurring theme, a simple-but-effective way to brew a sense of familiarity within the soundtrack (and also a very easy way to save creative energy when writing!). this theme sees reuse in a number of other songs, including “options” and all of the “prize” songs (1st - 2nd - 3rd - 4th), and also to an extent the “score” music. the ending music also goes into this category, but i’ll hold onto that for the end, as is typical fashion for these posts.

what makes all these songs really cool is how much variety there is in all of their takes on a single melodic line - this can apply to any totaka soundtrack, really. take for example “options”: in contrast to the title theme’s rock beat, this one just goes straight bossa, with some nicely accented aux percussion, some very specific chord progressions, and that classic “bummmm-bum-bummmm-bum” bass that defines the genre. “score” is actually basically the same thing with more liberties taken on the melody to keep the piece short.

then we’ve got the “prize” songs, which have quickly become my favorite uses of this main theme. the “1st prize” song holds a lot in common with the source in terms of style but has not only a furiously slappin’ bass, but also takes some liberties in the chords to give it a different flavor of sound, and it’s just - MMMMm. love it.

“2nd prize” takes a completely different approach, with these very ‘80s-reminiscent disco-rock-type sound, with a driving bass, all kinds of guitars, and SO many synths. an oddly-fitting step down from 1st prize in terms of style.

“3rd prize” is also interesting, being disco again, but this time more disco than before, with a piano lead, an organ at points, and some good ol’ sine arpeggios hovering in the back, managing to be just a bit more mellow than 2nd prize.

“4th prize” is the only logical next step: a ballad. it’s got it all: rhodes outlining the somewhat sentimental chord progression, the bass playing 1-2 notes per measure, the drums consisting of a hi-hat and nothing else, and a nice piano to top it off. this whole piece is as laid back as it oughta be.

there’s actually a couple more i didn’t catch at first in the course themes, like “sunset bay” and to an extent “glacier coast”, and to a much greater extent “southern island”

now, with all this motific stuff outta the way, let’s get into the bulk of the music and take a look at some of the aforementioned course themes!

this one just screams totaka, the guy just has such a distinct style to his work that i love oh so much. something about the way he writes melodies is just so good, and you already know how much i care about chords, this being no exception - totaka progressions are always real nice, more complex than average but still simple enough to fit good melodies.

this next one of note, “milky lake” (also known as “drake lake” apparently), is also pretty cool, starting off with what seems like a 4/4 rhythm before immediately dipping into 6/8, a subversion of expectations that i can always appreciate. it’s a nice little song, kind of evokes the same “nintendo sports game music” feel that i mentioned back on the pilotwings post at points. good tune

this one, “marine fortress”, is also pretty evocative of the totaka style in terms of melody, with that classic riff at around 5 seconds in (C Eb G Gb) and other variations thereof being particularly prevalent in totaka’s other work, especially in songs based around wario (1, 2, 3). it also has big slappy and you know how i feel about big slappy. this song is also a bit on the harder side of rock in terms of this game’s music, as is “port blue”, giving some nice contrast in style to the soundtrack overall

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some other songs of note: - “sunny beach” adopts a similar rock-style that many other pieces in this soundtrack do but still sounds pretty cool, also has big slappy - “twilight city” is a really cool mix of latin-type music and disco and i kinda love it, the beginning reminds me of earth wind & fire’s “september” (funny enough, it’s actually the 21st night of september as i’m posting this!) - “glacier coast” sounds like that kind of music that accompanies flying levels in platforming games, especially with those strings and flute in the beginning, but then it goes into some cool stuff with a sound that i universally recognize as the kirby bell sample. really cool sounding tune all around - the goal songs are pretty great too, with “1st goal” just being slap city, and having some really interesting musical content for being such a short loop. “2nd goal” is similarly a jam surprisingly, totaka really knows how to make small loops count. “3rd goal” is almost just a faster 2nd goal, and “4th goal” is STUPID laid back, all of them have a great sound to them.

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this final arrangement of the main theme ties things up pretty nicely, with some good ol’ melancholy progressions, but i wish it was as long as it made itself out to be in the beginning.

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as i’d stated before, i went into this with pretty high expectations on how this would sound knowing the composer. did this live up to those? i would say... yeah, a bit. it’s certainly a totaka soundtrack, with some good ol’ totaka tunes, although i feel like some tracks are less...memorable? mostly the course themes, which is funny because those don’t use the main theme as much, so they kind of outline totaka’s strengths in a way. who knows, though - my opinion of these songs has varied a lot over the course of the 5-6 days it took to write this, so even i’m not sure if i know completely what i’m talking about!

in the end, i’d say overall the soundtrack is very much worth a listen, but whether or not the tracks stick with you might be up to personal taste (or whether you’ve played the game before).

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thank you very much for reading! if you have any questions, feedback, or thoughts you’d like to share, send me a message and i’ll try to get to it as soon as i can. check back here next time for Mortal Kombat Trilogy!!

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RESULTS:

Top 3 Tracks: 1. 1st Goal (how did a loop manage to beat out 20+ other songs) 2. Twilight City 3. Glacier Coast

FINAL SCORE: 8.5/10

[adelyn-talks-vgm]

OST #6 - Wayne Gretzky’s 3D Hockey

Wayne Gretzky’s 3D Hockey Developer: Williams Entertainment Publisher: Midway Games Composer: Unknown Released  November 11, 1996

playlist

another guest celebrity appearance game? oh boy...

here we have the second of two games released by midway on the same day, this time something completely different: the first sports simulation game on the N64! (that is, if we’re counting out wave race and saikyo habu shogi) does it fair better to its release twin? let’s listen!

one thing to note about this soundtrack is that there is not a single song that goes anywhere near over a minute - most of it from what i can tell is musical cues. not atypical for a sports game i’d imagine, but there’s a couple menu themes in there i think, or at least stuff that loops. this one is the title theme, which isn’t anything special aside from that wild guitar, which shows up pretty prevalently throughout the soundtrack actually in stuff like songs 3 and 7, and i think that’s about it actually

i would feature more songs but none of them particularly stand out? and i don’t really want to make this longer than it needs to be. you can get the entire experience of the soundtrack in 6 minutes anyway so i don’t think it matters much. everything to song 15 is musical cues + a couple of menu themes from what i can tell, 16 and 17 are opening jingles, and the rest are standard organ fanfares you’d hear at any ol’ ball game, so there’s really not much to talk about

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i don’t wanna say it’s worse than mortal kombat trilogy because this actually has good-sounding instruments all things considered, but at least mortal kombat trilogy’s music sounds interesting in other versions of the game - this music just isn’t interesting, and is very sorely lacking in length and content. i guess it doesn’t need to be anything special if it’s just cues that play during a hockey match without music, but we are here to judge the music and honestly, i have trouble even calling this a soundtrack.

i hear the game was good, at least.

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thank you very much for reading, even if this was hardly a read. if you have any questions, feedback, or thoughts you’d like to share, send me a message and i’ll try to get to it as soon as i can. check back here next time for Wonder Project J2, which actually has a listed composer!

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RESULTS:

FINAL SCORE: 2/10

[mrslittletall]

Alright, a quick rating of the Zelda titles: 

The Legend of Zelda (NES) I actually only played this game when I was 15, because we didn’t had it on our original NES, then sold it and only got the game when we bought a used NES.  For such an old game, it holds up pretty well. It is fun to play, but it has some hiccups, like totally random bombable walls in the overworld. I was lucky to have found an old map from some 1989 Nintendo magazine.  I rate this game as a solid 7/10.  Adventure of Link (NES) Ah, the black sheep. For some reason, they thought they needed to make this game into a sidescroller which were pretty popular at the time, but imo took away from the Zelda experience.  It also is hard, super hard, one of the games that named the trope “nintendo hard”. I actually never made it past the second boss.  So I never played through the game, but watched others play. I think they shouldn’t have changed the formula so much after only one game, but it isn’t a bad game per se, just one that doesn’t fit.  I give it a 5/10.  A Link to the Past (SNES) Now that game took everything the original had and made it BETTER. The overworld is huge, the music is stellar, the game even tells a story, a bit hidden, but it is there, it established quite a few staples in the series like the heart pieces and some leitmotifs like Zelda’s lullaby and Hyrule Castle theme.  And then the game takes its huge world and makes it in a dark mirror, now that was amazing!  The only criticism I have? The Dark World dungeons are too similar, but other than that: 10/10

Link’s Awakening (GB/GBC) Ok, this game was my first Zelda, so it gets the nostalgia bonus.  I ADORE this game. Now that I am older, it is obvious, that the game started as fangame, but whatever. It works super well with the tiny console it came out on (the Game Boy), is super fun, has well thought out dungeons which revolve around a theme and also adds two new more staples in Zelda games:  The quirky characters and the creepy undertones.  LA has a really big twist in the second half and it is kind of depressing when you know it, but I love that scene and the music that plays in it. That game was surprisingly mature for it’s cute limited style.  It also gave us the ballad of the windfish, though... In my heart it gets a 11/10, but objectively it gets an 8/10. Ocarina of Time (N64) Ehhhh... Nah, it isn’t the best Zelda ever.  I liked the game, but even at age 11 it felt just like A Link to the Past in 3D, even less, because OoT is very linear. LA was linear too, but it had the game boy excuse.  What I like about OoT is the focus on more story, the races of Hyrule are more in the focus and the music is gorgeous, as well as the jump in 3D was well done, but I wished they hadn’t given Link the autojump. Ugh.  It’s a solid title, 7/10.  Majora’s Mask (N64) Now hold my beer, that game looks so stressful, but it is GOOD. Seriously, this game is amazing. It takes a timed countdown and makes it WORK!  It isn’t just a reskin of OoT, because of a lot of clever new mechanics, the transformation masks. The story is a bit weird and also dark. Jeez, this game is the darkest Zelda game ever, but wow, it’s also deep as hell.  Music? FANTASTIC! Actually my fav score from all the games.  Majora’s Mask earns a 10/10.  Wind Waker (Game Cube) Adorable, cute, has some really cool twists, music is fantastic, art style is timeless and the sailing wasn’t boring!  Like Majora’s Mask, that game lives a lot of sidequests, but I really liked it and I liked the slow reveal of just what the world of WW is.  I loved it on the Game Cube and even though I only played through it in like 2014 (because I deleted my save game and started over, wtf?), I think this is one amazing title. It get’s a 10/10. Because I loved the sailing.  Twilight Princess (GC/Wii)  Well, that game just screams OoT at me at every single moment.  I still love it. I played it after I had a a bit of a fallout with single player games and went raiding in WoW for a year straight. Going back to just being single player was amazing. Ok, the wii mote was a bit meh, but the game was good. I liked Wolf Link and Midna and the Twilight Realm and all the references. I felt at home and liked to see a more mature approach at the story, even though this game isn’t as dark as MM, it still counts to the darker ones.  But I don’t like every little thing about it... I give it a 8/10 though.  Oracle of Ages/Oracle of Seasons (GBC) Yeah, they are weird. Yes, I love them nonetheless. Music is a disappointment though, but love the idea, characters and dungeons as well as some of the new items. 7/10 for both.  Phantom Hourglass (DS) Oh, come on, the game isn’t that bad, but I admit, the phantom hourglass temple was uuuugh.  6/10 and one point is for Linebeck alone. Spirit Tracks (DS) Now that is what Phantom Hourglass should have been! A clever story, a nice inclusion of Zelda, the touch screen controls work well, the train is HELLA fun, tons of sidestuff to do, stellar OST, really fun villain.  This games works and it works well. 9/10, just because the pan flute was awful and I got dizzy by all that blowing.  Skyward Sword (Wii) Master, your batteries are low.  Shut up, Phai!  I want to like this game, I really want, but, but...  I had to recalibrate my Wiimote every 20 minutes! The motion controls made the game unneccesarry clunky and Phai is the most annoying sidekick of all time.  The story was cool though, I loved learning how the master sword came to be and it had some really clever dungeon ideas, like the time based ones. Also, Ghirahim as well as Ballad of the Goddess. I give it a 5/10 though, because of the damn motion controls!  A Link between Worlds (3DS) It is AlttP with a twist. A good twist. It used the 3D effect of the 3DS and played with 2D and 3D perspective for puzzles. It took the story of ALttP and made it good.  It made the OST better.  the dungeons were short enough to be played in a short session, good for a handheld fixed the same looking dungeons. 11/10, really, that game ist fantastic  BotW (Switch/Wii U)  I had some troubles with the game at first, but then? I started to adore it. The world is HUGE, like, never ever have we seen such a huge world, oof. And there is actually stuff to do. Shrines to find, Koroks to find, monster camps, animals to hunt, unfixed events! The game is super non linear and it’s amazing!  It is a whole new look on Hyrule and on the formula and it works. It has a few annoying things (climbing in rain, weapons breaking, some foes overpowered), but it is super fun and I want the second installment now. 9/10 

[adelyn-talks-vgm]

BIG CHANGES - Another Update Post

okay, trying to rate every N64 soundtrack might have been a bit ambitious...

hey folks, i know it’s been quite a bit since the last update post where i promised i would have the newest posts out in a couple days, but i’ve been thinking. i don’t truly enjoy rating video game music much anymore - trying to quantify the quality of music with a number has started to seem silly to me, and i’d rather express what i like or dislike about music through words.

as such, i will no longer be posting N64 OST ratings.

instead, i’m giving this page a fresh coat of paint and repurposing it as a place for me to talk about video game music generally! i’ll post about songs i’m listening to or even entire soundtracks, i’m just not gonna be rating anymore. you can expect a similar level of depth to previous posts on this page, but probably more slimmed down and with no ambitious overarching expectation like before. i think this will lead to more enjoyable posts overall for both me and you!

i’m not sure when the next post will be (and i’ve learned not to make promises on that...), but i’m sure it will be soon enough. i hope i can continue to put out posts that people enjoy reading, or at least posts i enjoy writing.

thank you very much for reading. until next time!~

P.S. i’m keeping the visual aesthetic because i enjoy it

[adelyn-talks-vgm]

a quick intro

hello! welcome to my newest excuse to gush about video game music, the N64 OST Ratings Project!! in this blog, i will be cataloging my opinions on every single nintendo 64 game soundtrack in order of earliest release, from Super Mario 64 to 40 Winks (yes, this happened). it’s a daunting task for sure, but it’s also the smallest nintendo console library to date at 388 games, so it can’t be that bad, right? i’ll be posting about one soundtrack at least every 2-3 days, giving my thoughts on how i felt about it, some personal favorite tracks, things it did that i liked (or didn’t), and i’ll cap it off with a final score out of 10. for your convenience and mine, i’ve outlined a guideline for what each whole number rating means to me: 10 - something i would hold as the highest standard for vgm 9 - top-shelf music that’s definitive of its era and keeps me coming back to listen 8 - all-around solid soundtrack that holds very well on its own 7 - very good tracks, harder-hitting hits than there are missing misses 6 - pretty good, but nothing particularly special 5 - not good but not bad either, completely average 4 - on the lesser end of quality, not as many tracks grab me 3 - generally not of my taste, most tracks don’t resonate with me much 2 - pretty bad all around, hardly anything i can call interesting 1 - very bad soundtrack, nothing stands out at all 0 - the absolute worst of music, would never want to be reminded of again before i begin, just know that i’m not a machine; i can’t guarantee unbiased ratings but i will try my best to give as fair a score as possible regardless of the game’s background and meaning to me, though i can’t assure you that those things will not play a role in scoring at all. in the end though, this is all my opinion, so it’s up to you to take it as such. with all that said, it’s time to begin this long, arduous journey to find out whether this console is all i make it out to be or if there’s more mediocrity to be found here and i’ve actually blown the N64′s greatness out of proportion. see you around!!