Video games are a cultural force that grows stronger by the day; even noteworthy publications like TIME, NPR and the freaken Wall Street Journal write multiple articles on them – but how do video games effect people so well. Many people say it’s the characters, while others claim it’s the story that hooks them in, and of course many gamers are just satisfied with the challenge they produce. However there is still one often (even these days) overlooked component of video games that more than help make them what they are today: the musical score. Now you’re probably saying that just crazy, You Tube is filled with not only the original BGM of games but many remixed rendition of said scores; but if you think about it when is the last time a musical score from a video game has won any kind of award (in the realm of gaming I mean, not like the country music award or something), or even been mentioned by a game reviewer: it’s a very slim margin indeed. A boss fight would just be a hard battle without some kickarse music to get you ready to thrown down, or a dramatic cut scene would a skipable bore without the right music to accompany it. Seriously I couldn’t begin to tell you all how vastly different video games would be without a good tune with them. So in honor to all great gaming soundtracks I created a new segment called VGM, where we highlight some of the best music arrangements in gaming. Starting with the Boss battle theme from Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals.
Composed and created by Yasunori Shiono, this little ditty let the player know it’s time to get down to business. It’s well balanced with all the synthesized instruments working together to make this track sound epic. However if there were instruments that were the stars of the show it would be both the horns and violins (or rather their digital equivalent) – they gave the piece quite a bit of favor.
Fan’s interpretations
Now this rendition, performed by SwickTape, is (in my opinion) what the Boss theme would sound like if Lufia II was made for the current market. Despite the fact that the horns have been replaced by a guitar, the song doesn’t lose any impact. In fact it’s even more impactful as each rift follows the drum strikes perfectly.
This remix, performed by Alkahest, I found today just as I was writing this entry. The use of real horns threw me off at first, but as I continued to listen found myself like it more and more – another new classic in the making.
Well that’s it for today fokes, remember make game OST better by highlight them to friends and loved ones – goodness knows they don’t need another Justin Bieber CD to buy on iTunes.
Video Game Armada 