Music Monday: Solstice

Today, for the first time, I heard the title theme from the 1990 NES game Solstice: The Quest for the Staff of Demnos, My jaw dropped. It couldn't believe this was music from an actual NES game -- I mean, it's clearly made up of the sorts of sounds and instruments an NES is capable of producing, but stylistically speaking it doesn't even sound like something created for a video game. This is a stimulating, dynamic piece that I'd expect to hear from a progressive rock band -- not the title screen of a little-known puzzle-adventure on the Nintendo.

Why have I never heard of this piece, until now? Why have I never heard of this amazing composer, Tim Follin? I only stumbled upon this track by chance, catching an old November 2010 episode of The Legacy Music Hour about experimental game music. I almost feel embarrassed for being completely oblivious about this music until now. I actually thought I probably knew most of the good stuff out there, at least as far as retro gaming was concerned -- and now, the rug has been swept out from under me. What other marvels are out there, which I have yet to discover?

Title: Title Theme
Game: Solstice: The Quest for the Staff of Demnos (released 1990, NES)
Composer: Tim Follin

Music Monday: Clockwork

Okay, let's make this short and sweet. This week, we've got a great track from Akumajou Dracula Tribute Vol. 1, a 2011 arrange album of music from throughout the Castlevania series.

Arrangements of Castlevania music really run the gamut from incredible to terrible, but perhaps that's only because there's such a wealth of it out there, and it's been done in just about every style one could hope for.

Anyway, this one's from the NES classic, Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse. Enjoy!

Title: Clockwork
Game: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (released in September 1990 for NES in North America)
Album: Akumajou Dracula Tribute, Vol. 1
Arranged by Aki Hata

Music Monday: Dajil

It's odd, how I often hear talk about what an incredible epic Xenogears was back in the Playstation era -- and how full of marvelous character Yasunori Mitsuda's soundtrack was in 1998 -- yet, rarely do I ever hear mention of Creid, its excellent arrange album. Perhaps only a scant few have ever heard of it, or maybe it just doesn't resonate with many folks as much as it does with me. However, rarely does a return to a classic, well-known soundtrack result in an album that expounds, expands, and explores the original material quite so colorfully as Creid.

Title: Dajil
Game: Xenogears (released 1998, Playstation)
Album: Creid
Composer: Yasunori Mitsuda

We Won! The Last Story to be Released in North America

Nintendo officially announced today that The Last Story will indeed see release in North America, after all. Whether this has been a direct result of grass-roots internet movement Operation Rainfall remains a mystery -- but I'm sure it played a part in the decision, and news coverage of the movement was integral in spreading awareness.

The Last Story, for those who don't know, is a Japanese RPG developed by Mistwalker, which is helmed by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi. It's garnered a lot of praise, although until now it was doubtful whether the game would be available outside of Japan and Europe. Today's news is particularly exciting for fans of Japanese-style RPGs, myself included -- the genre could arguably use a shot in the arm, and both The Last Story and the similarly-embattled title Xenoblade Chronicles look like they're going to provide that.

Music Monday: Iron Fossil

Why does so much remarkable music come from games I have no access to whatsoever?

Dariusburst Another Chronicle is a recent arcade title in a series of Japanese horizontal shooters. While the Darius series has been around since as early as 1986 and spanned multiple gaming systems, it doesn't seem to have ever made any big waves among the gaming community at large.

Dariusburst's OST is made up of the Photosynthesis Suite (or Suite Photoconductivity, depending on translation) -- a dynamic, six-movement flow of tracks which blend into each other and centres on the wordless voice of singer REMI. I have no idea if the in-game music melds into these different movements as seemlessly as on the disc, but it's not unthinkable, and would make for a rare and interesting experience.

Title: Iron Fossil
Game: Dariusburst Another Chronicle (arcade, released December 2010 in Japan)
Composed by Shohei Tsuchiya