World 10: Classic Mega Man Stage Music (Part 5)

Here we are, at the final portion of this World Ten list which brings everything to a close with some sweet tracks from Mega Man 9 and 10. Let's finish this off!

World 10: Classic Mega Man Stage Music (Part 4)

Now we come to Mega Man 7 and Mega Man 8. Both of these games aren't held in high regard compared to the rest of the series, for various reasons. I think the dislike for Mega Man 7 is totally unmerited...but Mega Man 8 sure is a piece of shit!

World 10: Classic Mega Man Stage Music (Part 3)

This particular entry highlighting stage music in the classic Mega Man is going to be rather tricky. This isn't because Mega Man 5 and 6 are so full of great music that it's difficult to choose just one, mind you...but rather, their soundtracks actually pale in comparison to those of the previous four games. I'll do my damnedest, though!

World 10: Classic Mega Man Stage Music (Part 2)

Welcome to the second part of my Mega Man music marathon! This time around, I'll highlight my favourite tracks from Mega Man 3 and 4!

World 10: Classic Mega Man Stage Music (Part 1)

I've been on a bit of a classic Mega Man kick ever since the announcement of his inclusion in the new Super Smash Bros. game at this year's E3. There's no better third party character that they could've added to the roster than the Blue Bomber, and it is of my opinion that he should have been in Brawl rather than Sonic the Hedgehog. I could be biased however, because I just really don't like Sonic all that much, and I suppose a lot of people have always wanted to see Mario and the Blue Blur to duke it out.

Anyway, as Peter Parker's uncle's sister's former gynecologist once said, "With great Mega Man, comes great music." You can't make up a glorious quote like that, so just trust me on this one. The Mega Man series is renowned not only for its razor-sharp gameplay and intense difficulty curve, but also for its vast array of pulsing, catchy musical compositions that accompany the stages throughout the games. Although the quality of an entire soundtrack tends to vary from game to game, overall the Mega Man series is responsible for some of the best video game music you could ever treat your ears to.

Chiptunes: Xenoblade Chronicles - Colony 9

Here's another quick entry with a sweet melody that frequently comes back into my skull. In addition to being a fucking phenomenal game, Xenoblade must have just about the most memorable soundtrack in a long time, and one of the standouts for me is Colony 9's theme. It's the first major area of the game, so luckily I'm not spoiling anything by posting the music! You also get 2 for the price of 1 this time around, since there are day and night themes for most of the musical compositions in the game!

There you have it! Enjoy the music, and be sure to check out more of Xenoblade's soundtrack if you find the time. There isn't a single bad tune in the game, so you can't really go wrong!

Coming up in the near future: what better way to blog in the month of October than to write up a World Ten of freaky-ass monsters? Other various Hallowe'en-ish content will surface as well!

Keep gaming!

Chiptunes: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse

Figured I'd start a new feature! I have a couple of reasons for this:

a) It will keep me blogging, even in small amounts when I'm very busy or stressed (i.e. now).

b) I absolutely love video game music, and Chiptunes will let me share cool tracks that've been stuck in my head lately. Hopefully these tunes will find a warm place within your skulls as well!

Here's a cool melody that I've been humming for the last week and a half. Mad Forest, from Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (NES).

Enjoy the tune, and keep gaming!

Video Games Live: Part 2

After the wicked intermission, we all got back to our seats to enjoy the rest of the show. The VGL orchestra kicked off the second half of the presentation with a bang: a Castlevania medley. As the orchestra played familiar tunes from Castlevania 1, 2, and 3, Tommy Tallarico (the creator of VGL) was wailing along on an electric guitar to give the tunes an extra edge. It sounded really amazing, and everyone geared up for the second half quite quickly. I was already on the edge of my seat again as I heard nostalgic tunes such as Vampire Killer and Beginning, performed along with flashes of nearly every CV game in existence on the screen in the background.

Video Games Live: Part 1

A little while ago, myself and a few friends attended a concert just thirty minutes away. This wasn't just any standard old concert, however...this was an event called Video Games Live. If you haven't heard of it, VGL is a show in which an orchestra plays various pieces of video game music. Some of these pieces are from very popular games, while others are lesser-known compositions. Either way, each movement is very well done and professionally performed, but with much less seriousness than you would expect from a usual orchestra. The audience is encouraged to cheer and clap whenever they hear or see something that they appreciate, and overall it's a very lighthearted show that's just fun to watch. I bought tickets for myself and my friends a good while ago, and it was awesome to finally get to go to the concert in April.

World Ten: Soundtracks, pt. 3

Finally, the conclusion to my analysis of some of my favourite and most memorable video game soundtracks. Enjoy!

World Ten: Soundtracks, Pt. 2

A continuation of the previous entry, here are three more games whose soundtracks stand out among the numerous ones I've encountered, with reasoning behind my choices and samples to listen to yourself. Enjoy!

World Ten: Soundtracks, Pt. 1 (also heart quiz answers!)

Music is a very interesting thing, and can be a tremendously powerful tool when used properly in various media. Although at its core, music is simply an arrangement of noises and sounds to produce a desired result, the correct combination of elements can produce much more than the sum of their parts. The main purpose of music is to convey and create emotion within the audience. As human beings, we all know much too well the vast array of emotions we undergo throughout our lives...joy, anxiousness, sadness, tension, and fear are some good but simple examples. When executed correctly, musical arrangements in media such as television, film, and even video games can bring these emotions out in the viewer or player. An epic scene can be accompanied by a dramatic symphony, while creepiness can be conveyed with emptiness and deliberate tones, with sounds arranged to make one feel uncomfortable. I'm sure that just about everyone has been affected by background music at some point in their lives, whether they realize it or not.

World Ten: Music Tracks

I figured that I'd write up another top 10 article regarding the pieces of music from classic gaming that get stuck in my head the absolute most. Only single songs, mind you...but later on I plan on throwing together another top 10 list of the best entire soundtracks. Not too soon or anything though, so don't hold your breath. Hopefully I can pull out a few surprises for you, rather than mostly traditional ones!

Geez, I'm listening to a bunch of music at the moment but obviously it'll make it a bit fuckin' difficult to think of other tunes at the same time.

Also these top 10 lists just really make life difficult for me. There're so many wicked songs in games that I absolutely love and it's damn tough to pick just TEN of them, but that's my own punishment that I will JUST HAVE TO ENDURE! I'm not gonna order these things, because I just can't bring myself to do it. I'll also try to link you guys to a sample of each entry, whenever I can manage to do so. So without further adieu: