What a perfect day it has been. My Chargers beat the much hated Chiefs, Werder Bremen scraped out a win in the Bundesliga, and now it’s time for Nintentunes! This week join us we take a trip down memory lane and visit some of the best music this side of Abby Road. If you dare, head past the break and fill your Sunday with the joy of music! Just be sure to drop us a few lines letting us know how you have been spending your lazy Sunday.
NES- Sky Shark
Perhaps it’s because of my upbringing, but I am of the opinion that the best video game music comes from the 8-bit era. Case in point: Sky Shark. The game may have been your standard fare bullet-hell shooter, but the music of Tim Follin is just fantastic. Having to work within the limits of the five sound channels of the NES in my opinion really challenged composers, and in turn help to facilitate creativity not found in today’s musical scores.
SNES – Â Super Castlevania IV
When my folks came home with a cardboard box complete with an SNES from a garage sale, Super Castlevania IV was one of the games in that box. From the very first level, I knew that I was in for something special as the epic soundtrack began to play and the bridge to dracula’s castle closed behind me. The whip mechanic in this game is by far my favorite of any Castlevania title, even the subsequent games that followed.
N64 – Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
When the Nintendo 64 was released in 1996, I can’t remember any game that was more heavily marketed than Shadows of the Empire. Coinciding with the re-release of the original trilogy that would hit big screen early the next year, Shadows of the Empire was one of the flagship titles for the Nintendo 64, and it seemed that anywhere you went there was some sort of ad for the game. I can remember begging my parents to take me to Taco Bell just so I could have a chance to win an N64 complete with the game. My goodness, I ate far to many cinnamon twists that year.
Gamecube – Kirby Air Ride
I may take some flack for saying it, but I absolutely hate this game. I received the game as a gift so I guess I should be easier on the title, but really, the game practically played itself. No really. There is no go button. All the vehicles literally moved forward on their own accord. When I initially put the game in my console I thought my controller was broken, but it was actually the game that was. Yeah I said it.
Wii – Tales of Graces
I have a love hate relationship with the tales franchise. I love to play the games that make it to our shores, but I hate the fact that many of the best of them are never translated from the Japanese language. If it weren’t for the PS3 port that is slated for release sometime next year English speaking gamers would never have the chance to play the game, which is a same because initial reports out of Japan are mostly positive on the game. Famitsu magazine even scored the game a 36/40. One way or another I will have my day with you Tales of Graces, I just wish it was on the console it was originally intended for.
All this music is most epic. Shadows of the Empire made me want to tear my hair out; I couldn't beat that fifth level. Was that Boba Fett? I eventually came back to it and beat it down, but man, that was a great game.
I personally loved Kirby Air Ride. I'd even played Kirby 64 before, it was cool to sort of combine flying with the type of racing it introduced. And most of the vehicles were completely different from each other. But I also know that there's a lot of reasons to hate the game. I just turned it into love.
Shadows of the Empire was actually a pretty good game. It brings back a lot of memories as 3D games were still so new at the time.