The Top Songs from DKC

Just recently, I noticed that I had a bunch of posts for top songs that had been sitting around on my computer, feeling quite neglected indeed, so I thought I’d better dust them off and get them posted.  One series that needed some musical love is the Donkey Kong Country series on the Super Nintendo.  This series sported some awesome gameplay, the best graphics the old SNES had to offer, and some pretty nifty, neato music.  That’s right, it was nifty and neato.  So behold, my favorite songs from the original Donkey Kong Country!

Top Songs from DKC: Tropical Freeze

I had trouble getting into the first Donkey Kong Country Returns on the Wii, but with the release of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, I decided to give the series one, final chance, and I take it all back.  Retro Studios has done a wonderful job bringing Donkey Kong back, and the music is just one of the many areas they have succeeded.  So below, I have listed my top five songs from the newest Donkey Kong Country on the Wii U.

Top Songs from Chrono Cross

Another one of my lists of top songs, this time listing my top 10 songs of “Chrono Cross” for the PS1.  While I believe “Chrono Trigger” was a far better game, it can’t compete with the awesome music of “Chrono Cross”.  Enjoy!

Top Songs from Chrono Trigger

Hello again, you blog-readers, you. Time to list my favorite songs from “Chrono Trigger”.  I’m not even going to bother with much of an intro because I’m bad at them anyway.  Just enjoy the musical joy.

Top Songs from FFIX

I’m really losing inspiration for how to begin posts on top songs. Not that I’ve ever been good at it, really. Ahem, well, anyway, today’s post is on the top 10 songs from “Final Fantasy IX”, a game I judged before I even got to know it. But, once I got into it, I realized it was quite a good game indeed, and I found that it had a good number of beautiful and emotional songs, as well. And so, without subjecting you to anymore rambling than necessary, my list, from the least best to the most best…

Top Songs from FFVI

I recently had the great joy of playing “Final Fantasy VI”, a truly wonderful game, with a great cast of characters, a great plot, and also great music. This game may be from the SNES era, but you don’t need good quality sound to have good music, and this game is proof of that. So below, I have my top ten songs from the game, for your listening pleasure.

10. “Battle to the Death” plays during certain, extra epic boss battles, like when you fight Atma (which is not satisfying to beat when you simply use Vanish and Doom…). And since I’m bad with song descriptions, I’m not going to even try saying anymore than that. Yep.

9. The battle theme for this game, as it is with all “Final Fantasy” games, is awesome. Again, nothing else to say…

8. “The Decisive Battle” is the usual boss theme. It seems like boss themes and battle themes always make it into my top ten lists. Because they’re always awesome-sauce, sauce made with real awesome!

7. “Phantom Forest” plays in the location of the same name, plus in a few other places, as well. I think it’s quite pretty and soothing to listen to, and it gives the place a rather mysterious feel. There, I said a little more this time.

6. “The Veldt” plays in the location of the same name, and I think this is a really fun song, with the drums and the kind of safari sound. Yay!

5. “World of Balance” is the first song I really liked in this game, and it is the song that plays on the world map in the first half of the game. In fact, I believe I heard it in another top songs list a couple years ago, as it sounded very familiar…. And it’s no wonder, as this is a very pretty song that really gives the game a sense of adventure right from the start.

4. “Magitek Research Facility” is a really great song with a good beat. I love it, but I always seem to love songs related to…science places. Yes, science places.

3. I really enjoy “Cyan’s Theme” (which also plays in Doma Castle). It’s actually very pretty, and then becomes more epic a little ways into it. Cyan definitely has the best theme music of all the good characters in the game.

2. And then “Kefka’s Theme” is even better, as villains always have great theme songs, especially when this particular villain is considered to be one of the greatest baddies of all time. This song definitely fits this clownish weirdo quite well.

1. “Slam Shuffle” plays in Zozo (Zozo? Never heard of it.), a weird, sleazy town of thieves and liars. This song is just different, and I can’t really tell you why I love it so much. I just do. Definitely the best song of the game.

Duck Shuffle

Top Songs from FF8

Behold, another post on my top songs from a “Final Fantasy” game, one series whose music never disappoints. Just another example of the great songs found in this series comes from “Final Fantasy VIII”, including one of my favorite songs played on an organ ever (and I do love me some organ music) and a rather nice collection of epic boss battle music. Enjoy!

10. “Find Your Way” plays in various places, like ruins and such. It is a slower, calm song that I find to be quite pretty. It also manages to make every location it plays in feel mysterious and a bit sad.

9. “Ride On” plays when you, well, ride on…the Ragnarok. It is a very fun, cheerful song, probably because it’s finally actually convenient to get places for the first time since the game began!

Day 8: Best Video Game Soundtrack

Today, I return to the 30 day game posts with day 8, the topic of which is the best video game soundtrack.  I thought long and hard on this one, and I decided I’m going to cheat a little bit and choose two games that I think have the best soundtracks because they are so very similar.  These games are the fantastic and unique “Rayman Origins” and “Rayman Legends”, two amazing sidescrollers that are not only a blast to play, but have wonderful soundtracks, as well.  Now, as I’ve already written posts on my top songs from these games, I’m not going to focus on my favorite songs for this post, but you can check them out if you’d like, here and here.

What I am going to focus on in this post is another reason why I think these games’ soundtracks are so delightful, and that reason comes from how unique and varied they are.  There is such a nice variety of songs in these games, and what stands out to me most of all is how different many of these songs are, as well.  One thing that I am just so impressed about with these games is how Ubisoft is obviously not afraid to try new things, both in gameplay and in music, and I commend them for that.  And while some of the music in this game can be rather odd, that’s what makes me love it so much.  They have songs with whistling, songs with gibberish lyrics, and even a song where it sounds like a guy making noises like a frog.  And so for this post, I wanted to share with you all some of these unique songs, some of which are in my top ten for each game, some of which are not, but there is one thing they all have in common, and that is the fact that they are all different.  And so, without further ado, I have listed them below, in no particular order.

Remember the song I mentioned that I said sounds like a guy going ribbit like a frog?  Well, I could not find a video with just the song, so instead I settled with a video that shows the gameplay for the level in “Rayman Legends” where this song takes place.  You can hear it during the first 50 seconds or so.  Weird, huh?

Video from Youtube User: SplitPlaythru

“Nowhere to Run” plays in the Land of the Livid Dead, and it is one of my favorite songs from “Rayman Origins”.  It includes whistling and vocals, and even the undead chime in at one point.  What’s not to love about such a song?

Video from Youtube User: Soniman001

“Lums of the Water” is from “Rayman Origins” and is a particular all-time favorite of mine.  I find the vocals in this song to be absolutely adorable.

Video from Youtube User: Soniman001

“Fiesta de los Muertos” is an odd song from “Rayman Legends” that starts off sounding like people munching on crunchy food, but it really gets started around 0:50, and not long later, there are vocals and whistling, and I couldn’t help but find this song quite relaxing to listen to.

Video from Youtube User: Soniman001

And a particularly great song and a fitting grand finale for this post, Ubisoft’s version of “Black Betty” in the “Rayman Legends” level “Castle Rock”.  Oh, how I’ve come to love songs with gibberish lyrics.

Video from Youtube User: Soniman001

And there you have some examples of the super different music found in these two games.  Not only are they a lot of fun to listen to, but they are something you’ll be hard pressed to find in any other games.  It is Ubisoft’s ingenuity in composing video game music that makes the “Rayman Origins” and “Rayman Legends” soundtracks my favorite ever.  I just can’t wait to see what they do with the next game.

Fiesta de los Ducks

Top Songs From Illusion of Gaia

Though I haven’t played the game in quite some time, I absolutely love “Illusion of Gaia”, an absolutely fantastic game overlooked by many, a hidden gem in a sea of games, lovely to all who discover it.  This game is an RPG (at least, it’s close to being an RPG) for the Super Nintendo from 1994 that combines fantasy with real locations of the world, along with fun gameplay and an interesting story.  They didn’t skimp anywhere in this game, and that includes this game’s fantastic music, and so I had to write a post about my favorite songs from this game.  It was quite hard narrowing it down to only 10, but somehow I did it.

10. “South Cape, Town by the Sea” is the theme for the first town where you start your adventure, South Cape, of course.  This song is actually played in other towns, as well, but this version includes seagulls in the music.  (Seagulls that inexplicably flew sideways.)  It is a happy song, carefree at a time in the game where our hero, Will, doesn’t yet know of the trials that await him.

9. “Danger Abounds” is often played in dungeons, where danger truly does abound.  It feels like danger’s busy abounding just by listening to it.

8. “The Guardian” is played during boss battles, and as soon as it starts playing, it feels like something horrible is coming.  (Danger may currently be abounding here, as well.)  This song is especially fitting for the first boss, Castoth, as this horrifying beast arises from the pit in the center of the room.  My, what big hands he has.  I think I’ll hack at them.

7. “Will’s Dream” is a simple, but sad song that plays during a rather sad scene.  Every time I hear it, it depresses me so, but it’s also quite pretty.

6. “Clash of Light and Shadow” is played during the final boss battle against Dark Gaia, and it is quite epic, as a final boss battle in such a delightful game should be.  I like the beginning the best.

5. The Great Wall of China is one real life location that makes an appearance in this game and has some good music, despite the area being actually quite a pain the tail feathers.  (Stupid snakes would bite me and not let go.  I should bite them back.  See how they like it.)

4. “In the Earthen Womb” is played after you save and quit the game, if you don’t turn it off, and it’s such a good song, I often did just that so I could listen to it.  It’s a peaceful, beautiful song.  And I like it.  I like it good.

3. The Sky Garden is a garden that floats over the giant Nazca Lines in the Nazca Desert (a real place, actually; the Nazca Lines, not the Sky Garden) and where this lovely music is played.  I have trouble describing this song.  It was just really good and epic for this garden high in the sky.  So there.

2. Ankor Wat is yet another real location from this game (though I doubt the presence of zombies was accurate…), and the music here is quite awesome and interesting to listen to.  Not easy to hum, though.

1. “Where the Wind Doesn’t Reach” is so crazy beautiful, it’s not even funny.  You must listen to its beauty.  It’s too great!  This song plays in Larai Cliff, located around the Inca Ruins (another real place, but I’m sure you know that; the Inca Ruins, not sure about Larai Cliff).  I love the flutes and the drums in the background.

Illusion of a Duck

Top Songs from Rayman Legends

You may have read a post I wrote some time ago about my favorite songs from “Rayman Origins”, one game that has some of the best music I have ever heard.  Seriously.  And so I was quite excited when “Rayman Legends” came out, and while my standards were quite high due to the amazing music of its predecessor, I was not disappointed.  This game has some great and unique songs, as well, and now I present you all with my top ten songs from this wonderful game, with links to Youtube.

10. “Dark Creature Pursuit” plays in levels where these terrifying creatures chase you, a perfect title and an even better song.  I’m serious; this song is scary, especially when you’re being chased by the savage, little monsters referred to in the title.  The song is fast and really raises your heart rate and blood pressure just by listening to it.  I especially love the beginning section.  So frightening…

9. “Laser level” is likely not the accurate name of this song, but it was all I could find, and it does indeed play in levels that often involve, well, lasers.  This is a fast song that sounds kind of like an accordion to me and can only be described as…hyper.  Not to mention awesome.

8. “Orchestral Chaos” is the second of the musical levels, levels where the gameplay is in sync with the music.  This one, while not being my favorite of the musical levels, has my favorite music, a more classical style that I always enjoy.  As this music is best experienced along with the gameplay that accompanies it, I included the video of this level, as well.  Because I am kind.

Video from Youtube User: IGNGameplay

7. “Infernal Pursuit” is often played in faster-paced areas involving running from something or chasing after something, and the music fits quite well.  I think it’s a rather pretty song, too.  It sounds like a violin to me.

6. “Fiesta de los Muertos” is one of the stranger songs of the game, with the whistling parts and the vocals, but I find it strangely soothing.  It takes a while to get started, but it gets much better at 0:48, once you get past the part that sounds rather like people eating crunchy food….

5. “Infinite Tower” is a super epic song that is a variation of the game’s main theme.  It is…epic.  Ridiculously so.  Especially with the vocals that start around 1:44.

4. “20,000 Lums Under the Sea” is such a great song (once it gets started around 0:30) and takes place in some of the awesome spy-themed underwater levels (the best levels of the game).  I love this song.  It manages to sound rather glamorous and yet, mysterious, all at once.  (And it strangely reminds me of some of the music from “Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time”, especially Vorselon’s ship…)

3. “Toad Story” is a super beautiful song that I think only plays once in the game.  It is quite lovely, but also very sad.  I enjoy listening to it, even though it depresses me.

2. “The Spy Who Kicked Me” is close to the song I wanted, but I couldn’t quite find the exact song that I really loved from the level, the “Mysterious Inflatable Island”, so I included the video for it below.  I just love this song, and I loved this level, too, evading all the lights and trying not to get caught.  Gah, why don’t they have a video of just the music!  Why, cruel world!

Video from Youtube User: IGNGameplay

1. “Once Upon a Time” plays very early on in the game, and it is quite a fun song to listen to.  It sounds very medieval.

The Duck Who Kicked Me