The videogame music thread

[MauricioMM]

Bully’s soundtrack kicks ass! I’ll take this chance to post a track from this game:



“Vendetta Jocks”, by Shawn Lee

I love how eclectic this soundtrack is, that is, the way it blends many musical genres to represent how diverse and crazy are the cliques and situations the protagonist Jimmy Hopkins has to deal with in Bullworth. The cliques tracks are for me the highlights of the game’s score, my favorite being this one in particular.

This soundtrack in general is so goddamned nostalgic it makes me feel like watching teen comedies and skateboarding videos! I hope they release a sequel someday with the same amount of personality this first game has.

---

I have yet another recommendation, this time from The Witcher 1.



“River of Life”, by Paweł Błaszczak and Adam Skorupa

One of my favorite ambient tracks from this game. Moments of true peace are somewhat rare in the world of Geralt of Rivia but they are to be cherished when the smallest chance presents itself, like for instance in the surprisingly charming Murky Waters right before a tragedy falls into the village, a tragedy product of the underlying darkness that humanity harbors even in the most apparently innocent corners of their homes... and their conscience (...that got suddenly deep ). A running theme in this great videogame (and book) series.

[Joshihatsumitsu]

I'm currently only a mere 34 hours in Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, on ye olde Wii U, and settling in comfortably. Usually J-Pop is not my thing, nor idol culture, so what is keeping me invested is the quality of the music, and maybe a little Stockholm Syndrome.

One piece of music that has ear-wormed into my brain occurs when you visit Anzu in Harajuku:



I have visited that street in Harajuku in real life, and as a mid-thirties white guy I felt instantly out of place! While this game is highly stylised and takes liberties with real world locations, it does a remarkable job of capturing the feel of certain parts of Tokyo. And for some reason the combination of the music I selected and the girl works in Anzu, with her energy level, felt pretty true to life.

[dezm0nd]

Currently listening to the fantastic Lilith's Club track by Noisia which features in the brilliant DmC.

Such a good game.

[Tbone254]

So this is a first time post for me. I thought for a while about what song I wanted to suggest. I went back and forth between a couple of old nostalgia trips and ultimately settled for this epic bubble bobble remix by 7bithero. I first came across this on OCremix a few years back and I instantly fell in love with it. I am usually not one that goes for remixes that add lyrics to otherwise lyric-less songs, but I love this one. It does so well at keeping true to the source material, but at the same time sounds so unique. It's up-beat, fun, and made with a quality worthy of radio play. I could go on and on about this remix so I'll stop here and let it speak for itself.

[BlueWeaselBreath]

I decided to pick up the Ys series for the first time a few months ago after hearing a request or two from it on the Sound of Play and deciding the series sounded cool. I got the Ys Chronicles collection on iOS. This bundle included the remakes of the first two games in the series. They look lovely and have terrific reworking of the already awesome original soundtracks. Most of the reworking are electric guitar-heavy but this one from Ys II stood out because it is acoustic and has an achingly gorgeous melody. The original version of this tune had most of the ingredients already, but the redone track,
with full instrumentation, adds a four bar intro and then, tweaks the main melody slightly by playing the second measure of the main melody an octave up from the first line (the original kept both measures in the same octave), which makes an enormous difference to the overall feel of the melody. Plus, the live instrumentation sounds so pretty.

[hornash]

Can i request Power Plant from Bionic Commando Rearmed. never played the game although i probably should. this came to my attention when an ex was playing Audiosurf round my place and this was the song she used. For all i know she still has the top score for the track on a few levels, i could never get close to her. Its a really good techno track that is really ogod to have playing when you're driving. There is a shorted version they used for the launch trailer that incorporates sound effects and the action timed to the beat that's good to watch but wouldn't make a huge amount of sense on an audio podcast.
and again i cant seem to embed the video. i dont suppose anyone has an online guide they can link me to?

[genuinebrag]

Growing up, I played through a great many point and click adventures with my sister. This being the early 90's, the lack of internet walkthroughs, only having a few games, and the fact that we were idiot children, meant that we would spend huge amounts of time with each title, often getting stuck on individual sections for weeks at a time.

The first two Monkey Island games were two such titles that sucked up an inordinate amount of our childhoods, and the second one in particular is one that we found particularly difficult. At the time, we found ourselves in and around the opening part of the game, Woodtick, for what seems like forever. It's lucky then that the locale itself is wonderful. It's extremely atmospheric, with warm yellow lamplight shining out of windows onto a dark palette of blues, greens and blacks in an external area which itself led off into a number of interiors which contained some of the series' most memorable characters.

While you explored this area, the very catchy Woodtick theme would play, and through the wondrous iMuse system (which basically invented all of Apple's branding) it would change and adapt on the fly as you entered a new location.

I actually find both games quite hard to go back to now, because I find the series' brand of off the wall logic tricky to get my head around to this day, but I did try the Special Editions that came out a few years ago. While I found the voice acting and art style a little off-putting (I wish Double Fine would give this the remake treatment all over again, more in the spirit of the original), I loved the rerecorded music. Searching Youtube I found this excellent medley of all the different variations of the Woodtick theme. It's excellent music that never fails to put a smile on my face.



Thank you all for the excellent work you've put in over the years, and long may the good ship Cane and Rinse sail on.

[Caligari]

I really appreciate the love and effort that goes in to the making of these great podcasts. I regularly download the shows to listen to whilst whizzing about on my bicycle in the beautiful English countryside - I might get accused of 'noise pollution' but I'm pretty sure that I get appreciative nods from the odd wild rabbit or deer, as they hear me roll past with a track from The Witcher or LocoRoco blaring out of my rucksack.

I've recently polished off the fantastic gothic-em-up, Sexy Brutale - an isometric adventure-puzzle game (developed by Cavalier Game Studios and Tequila Works) that sees you manipulating time to prevent the many deaths that are occurring in the Casino Mansion. Honestly, I think that you guys could devote an entire show to the fantastic soundtrack by Matt Bonham and Tim Cotterell - not only does it fit the world perfectly (an unsettling mixture of jazz and swing - swazz?) but the music seems to hold important audio clues and cues that help you to prevent the many deaths that are occurring in the Mansion.

The following track is actually one of the more audibly 'pleasant' pieces in the game, tarnished only slightly by the fact that it is being played by a character as he openly plots the murder of one of the mansion's guests.



I'd love for it to be included in one of your shows - if only so that the English countryside can hear it in all its glory as I cycle to and fro.

[brazenhead89]

It's an oft-lamented fact on Sound of Play that not enough video game soundtracks have saxophones in them; and I, for one, agree. I had a hard time picking a favourite from the few sax-heavy game tracks I know, but I decided to go with one that I believe is yet to feature in Sound of Play, and that's Guardian Heroes.
I first learned of Guardian Heroes only a few years after the 'death' of the Sega Saturn, but by then the game was fetching triple-digit sums on eBay and any attempts to play the game via emulation were met with futility, given that Saturn emulation is something of a fickle beast (not to mention illegal, wink wink).
Fast forward 15 years after its initial release, and my years-long wait to try the game for myself was finally granted via an excellent remaster on the Xbox 360. The side-scrolling beat-'em-up is a distinctly, stubbornly retro affair to this day, so with that in mind I've no qualms in stating that 2 decades later, Guardian Heroes remains the absolute pinnacle of the genre.
This track, "Shuffler in the Dark" plays at a couple of key points in the game. The thumping bass and soaring synths psyche the player up for the ensuing battles, and by the time you've kicked seven shades of unmentionables out of one swarm of enemies, another often leaps in just as it comes to the sexy, saxophonic climax. It's a joy to listen to and even more appreciable without the clash of steel and screams of the fallen drowning it out.

[Todinho]

Tekken 7 is a fantastic game and it has reawakened my love for the series and one aspect that Tekken was always second to none was it's great soundtracks and Tekken 7 is no exception, having a great ecletic score that can pump you up for a fight or relax you:



From the get go the game hits you with this beautifull almost mornfull main menu theme that really signals the end of an era, when I first started the game I just stayed in the main menu for a good 5 minutes just to take in the entire track, amazing.



The theme for the Italian stage is the game's most bombastic theme by far and it does it's job lending what would be a regular fight into a epic duel between titans.



In stark comparison to most stage themes the Infinite Azure track is incredibly peacefull and relaxing a great place to go into pratice mode and experiment without pressure.



Anyone that was saw any trailer for the game probably already heard this track, it's this weird j-pop dubstep that on concept I should hate but that somehow works not only was the song heavily featured in the trailers but when it kicked in near the end of the story mode it made me audible go "Yeah let's go!" by how hyped it made me for the final boss and the finale.

[CODEMONKEY]

Vroom on tbe Atari ST was an awesome F1 racing game the sense of speed was amazing. I remember the game to be very hard, not only because the sheer speed the game ran at. Pretty sure it ran at 60 fps and requiring you to have super quick reflexes but the AI was hard to beat too. But that really didn't matter because I had so much fun playing it and instead embraced the challenge. You could also play this game with analogue controls, not with an analogue stick those weren't invented for the atari st but instead you could race an F1 car with your mouse. Theres also a documentary on youtube on how the developers were obsessed with squeezing every bit of performance out if the Atari ST to make the game run even faster. I loved this game.

The intro music was great and the even included the vroom vroom sound from an engine. A fun jingle that really shows off what the ST could do sonically It was a lot cleaner and crisp than the later Amiga port.

[Marco]

So the other day, in between the downpours, we had a lovely bit of sunshine and I was walking around, whistling this tune but couldn't remember what it was from. When I finally remembered what it was from, my already good mood was elevated into pure bliss. A celebratory piece that felt like it was urging anyone within earshot to cheer for the magnificent feat that had just been accomplished. Capcom even thank the player personally at the end in recognition of his or her brilliance. If there is ever another feelgood music episode, this would be my first choice. Not the most complex piece of music but one that can never fail to make me smile.

[Marco]

The theme for the Italian stage is the game's most bombastic theme by far and it does it's job lending what would be a regular fight into a epic duel between titans.

Although, I don't have the love for Tekken that you seem to (I like it well enough, played 1-4), I added this to a playlist immediately. It's brilliant!

Will Sound of Play ever do an Epic episode? They've played a few pieces that would have fit already.

[FollowMyRuin]

I hope you're planning on another happiness themed show soon, here's a balls to the wall happy tune. Ain't nothing finer than a self indulgent jazz flute solo.

[Good Shot Janson]

I still remember the day I first played Stubbs the Zombie. 2006 was not my year. I'd lost my girlfriend, quit school, and was waiting tables and not knowing what I wanted to do with my life. Typical for many 18 year olds, I always felt like I was on the outside looking in. One day on the way home from work, I stopped by the local EB to grab something new to play. I had two days off, a bag of good weed, and a health dose of depression. For some reason, I bought Stubbs. It's strange. Even in 2006, I was already feeling heavily fatigued from the whole zombie craze, so I wasn't enthusiastic about anything zombie. Furthermore it's not a game I ever remember reading about or desiring to play. But. For reasons lost to time, I bought the game, took it home, and had my mind blown. I was having fun, and I was laughing. I was REALLY laughing. It was like a cure for my depression. The game was so creative and such an innovative use of the Halo engine. Even the ham fisted social commentary was done in a way that still elicited laughs. I thought I had something special. Then I got to the police station, and the greatest boss battle in history. I was alone in my apartment but remember saying out loud "this game is fucking great." Even Psycho Mantis can't hold a candle to the chief of police and the ensuing "Simon" based dance off. The music to which this encounter was set was equally perfect. 2006 was when the "post punk revival" was starting to wind down, but it was still part of those magical years when popular music on the radio was actually...pretty good. The strokes, Interpol, and other bands were mainstream. A few of these (including one of my favorites, Death Cab for Cutie) are featured on the Stubbs soundtrack playing period 1950s songs. The soundtrack was later released for sale I believe. My only complaint was that the soundtrack focused on covers closer to the original tracks while the boss battle featured "dancier" mixes. I've been unable to find any full songs from the boss battle but I have found the actual audio mix minus sound effects and character voices. This is the "Cop Rock" mix from Stubbs the Zombie.

[Flabyo]

It's stuck in everyones head already, may as well put it on the show...

[KSubzero1000]

I think it would be interesting to listen to both the original and the localized Yakuza 0 main themes back to back.

The original, "Bubble":


The localized version (don't know the name, sorry):


Personally, I vastly prefer the original in terms of style and how it manages to set the zany, yet dark and heavy mood so perfectly. But maybe this comparison could lead to a nice discussion about the merits and drawbacks of the localization of game soundtracks?

[FollowMyRuin]

More of the superb Unravel soundtrack composed by Henrik Oja and Frida Johansson.

I'm somewhat disappointed that there was no hint of a follow up from the original Unravel in this year's E3, I maintain that this game was one of the most positive and refreshing games I've played in recent memory.

This track named "Hailing" plays during what may well be the finest example of a hamster chase in all gaming.

[Donk]

I usually listen to music from games I have played a lot, music that's permanently seared into my brain. I can't put my finger on why exactly I enjoy video game music so I've been making an effort of listening to game music from games, developers, platforms and generations I've never played or even heard of.
Online video game music radio is good for that but not too long ago Japanese developer Falcom put up their whole library on Spotify. I added it to my giant shuffling playlist and always seem to enjoy them when they come up. I'd recommend queueing up some of their music, mostly because it's great but also to show support.

Here's a favorite of mine from a game I've never seen or played "Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim - Overwater Drive"


edit: reading comprehension

[kintaris]

Well, my epic quest to listen to every episode of Sound of Play has come to a close just in time for the 100th celebrations. I only discovered the podcast (and Cane and Rinse itself) at the end of February this year and it's fair to say that Sound of Play in particular has taken over my life! It's been a strange, stressful and complicated time in my life and I just wanted to say a big thanks to the Sound of Play crew for providing me with so many beautiful tunes, earworms and laugh-out-loud terrible Han Solo dance tunes to get me through it. In particular I have a huge fondness and respect for 8- and 16-bit music now.

Where do I go from here? Well apart from embarking on an even more absurd quest to listen to the entire run of the main Cane and Rinse podcast, I figured it was high time to get myself onto the forums and suggest some of my own tunes. I've got plenty, but I'll start with one.

Vigil - Mass Effect

(This is credited to Jack Wall according to a few sites and I'm 90% sure this was his alone, though the soundtrack as a whole also gives credit to Sam Hulick, Richard Jacques and David Kates)

A lot of people were upset about Mass Effect 3, in particular because they didn't like the ending. I wasn't one of them. I got the exact ending I wanted... it just wasn't at the end of the game. By far the most interesting story arc, the one that kept me emotionally invested throughout, was the Krogan Genophage and the search for a cure. From the tense showdown with Wrex in the first game, through Mordin's soul-searching in the second, the Genophage arc has always captured the sense of personal and galactic consequence perfectly. The conclusion of the storyline in Mass Effect 3 was no different, wrapping things up with a considerable amount of respect for the characters involved, not to mention the player's choices throughout the series. This was the moment that brought a tear to my eye.

The track "Vigil" from the original Mass Effect gets a reprise in one of the final cutscenes of this arc, provided you made certain choices that I won't spoil here. When you meet Vigil in the first game this music supplements the striking sense of the passage of time, and how the decisions of the Protheans continue to shape the fate of the galaxy 50,000 years later. As this music played during the conclusion of the Genophage arc, I was struck once again by the feeling of consequence, as I wondered how my choices on Tuchanka would continue to shape the galaxy another 50,000 years into the future.

https://soundcloud.com/jackwallmusic/mass-effect-vigil

Now let's see how long I can last before I spam the thread with more requests!