Day 9: Saddest Game Scene

Today’s 30 day video game topic (oh, my gosh, this is taking me far longer than 30 days) is #9, the saddest game scene, which is really right up my alley (if I had an alley, but I don’t, as I live in a neighborhood, not a city). I love sad things in games. Some of my best gaming moments involve me weeping for all I’m worth (which is about 7, maybe 8, bucks) because I like emotional stuff. Crying makes me happy. It really does. And so I had fun thinking about what my topic would be for this post, though I must admit, I am going to cheat a little. (By looking up the answers? No. Not that kind of cheating.) Because I have two scenes, actually, but only one that I count as my official topic for this post.

But first, my unofficial topic, a scene from the awesome SNES game, “Illusion of Gaia”. For a reason even I can’t comprehend, Will’s dream makes me cry every single time. Without fail. This scene involves Will dreaming about being back home, and he goes downstairs and talks to his deceased mother. The music is really sad and depressing, and she asks him if he thinks the approaching comet is a good thing or a bad thing. And that’s it. And it is really amazing how effective this is at making me sob like a duckling.

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