Licensed games have tried their damnedest to nail the original theme songs and other aspects of film scores. Horror games are no d?ifferent, and we've seen plenty of successful examples over ?the years. 

Going as far back as the tinny notes of Halloween on Atari 2600, there's something about the limitations that make these soundtracks even creepier. Without access to orchestration or even proper synths, retro horror games have held on to a unique kind of spookiness. They're?? equal parts charming and, in some cases, manage to nail the vibe of their source material without carrying over every single note. In honor of those unusual, haunting melodies, we'll take a moment to touch on a hand?ful of them.

The game where HE comes home

Wizard Video published Halloween for Atari 2600 in October 1983, a full five years after John Carpenter??'s seminal slasher hit theaters. Tim Martin and Robert Barber's rudimentary efforts featured pretty much zilch from the fil??m, outside of the box art. It did manage to technically be gorier, though, and they put in the work to include Carpenter's unforgettable theme. Its simplicity is one of the reasons it's been such a bone-chilling earworm for over four decades, so it doesn't take much to keep its vibes intact.

Are you ready for Freddy? 

It would be a wild understatement to say A Nightmare on Elm Street made an awkward leap to Nintendo's console in 1990. The side-scroller may have swapped out Wes Craven's specific dream scenarios for bats, rats, and spiders, but the soundtrack has its own charms. The game itself was p??ublished by LJN and developed by Rare, which meant we got a David Wise score that hit both the creepy and catchy ends of the spectrum. 

Chiptunes make me feel good!

When it comes to Ghostbusters games you have a few choices of extremely varying quality. For bobble-headed 16-bit action you can pop in the Genesis game, for instance. If you don't feel like having fun, you can take Ecto-1 for a spin in Ghostbusters on NES. The latter keeps a reasonable facsimile of Ray Parker Jr.'s theme song running throughout. Seriously, it plays the entire time. Oddly enough, considering their famous lawsuit against the song, it's about as successful a take as the Huey Lewis tunes in LJN's Back to the Future NES game. The important thing is you know you're playing Ghostbusters, even if you're not li??kely to recomm??end it to anyone else.

Besides, you'll always be better off playing New Ghostbusters II. 

Vampire Hunter

Annie Lennox and Wojciech Kilar's soundtrack for Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula is full of sweeping orchestration. The 1993 video gam??es â€?which made their way to everything f??rom NES to Game Gear, SNES, Genesis, Amiga, and beyond â€?are not. Many of the versions are wildly different from one another, with the Game Boy take playing out like a traditional platformer and the Sega CD port including FMV scenes from the film. There was even a first-person DOS game! 

As disparate as some of these attempts may be, there are some soundtracks in the lot that successfully evoke the mood of the source material. Bram Stoker's Dracula on SNES has a lot of memorably fitting tracks. Some are pure mood pieces, while others push forward with a more action-oriented, Castlevania momentum. 

Sunsoft strikes back

Giving any company especially high praise for their music during a generation known for its enduring video game soundtracks is saying something. Sunsoft almost always managed to drop some dynamite, even when the games themselves didn't live up to their tunes. Gremlins 2: The New Batch landed somewhere in the middle when it launched on NES and Game Boy in 1990. Composers Naoki Kodaka and Nobuyuki Hara have stacked résumés that include the likes of Batman, Blaster Master, and U-four-ia: The Saga. 

Sunsoft's Gremlins 2 score conveys the playful, mischievous s??pirit of Joe Dante's fourth-wall-shattering sequel with style. It's particularly crunchy, makin??g you want to play it loud before Play It Loud! was a thing.  

Ah, ah, ah, choo, choo, choo

If ever there was an example of a game that managed to be scary while only taking the bare essentials from its inspiration, it's Friday the 13th on NES. Kids of the late '80s found themselves scared and confused in equal measure as they attempted to explore the campgrounds and survive sudden cabin-bound fights against Jason. Composer Hirohiko Takayama (The Karate Kid, Xexyz) crafted a theme just as spooky as the Ch-ch-ch-ah-ah-ah found throughout the slasher series Sean S. Cunningham kick?ed off? back in 1980. 

Exploring Camp Crystal Lake isn't all doom and gloom. Some upbeat tracks made its somewhat esoteric design tolerable, too. The type of musical dichotomy you may find in old-school horror games like this are emblematic of the genre itself. Horror films can be scary as hell, but they can also be goofy and fun, whether it's intentional or not. If a horror game soundtrack manages to capture ??even a modicum of that magic, it will always be worth revisiting in some form. 

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Persona 4 has a treasured soundtrack with many great tunes that'll get you pumped for battle or grinning from ear to ear as you hear the Junes Theme playing. It also helps establish the season as the school year passes, like "Snowflakes," which plays during the final months of the game. While you're in battle, on the other hand, the rocking beat of "Reach Out To The Truth" keeps you focused on every attack. I am thou, thou art I, here are the best Persona 4 songs, ranked!

Note: This list includes Persona 4 and Persona 4 Golden tracks, no spin-off titles.

10. "Specialist"

//open.spotif??y.com/track/0nAeo4gKT75vw5QmkZLdHB?si=da8e4145411d4e78

There are very few shopping video game themes that are cooler than this. This piece has a pleasant, chill melody highlighted by a jazzy piano and an awesome percussion beat that will put on a smile on your face. You can't help yours??elf while you bob your head up and down to the rhythm.

9. "Reverie"

//open.spotify.com?/track/28AYf50QPbB8AhC4OYU7uQ?si=2a4960c3020c43c7

Honestly, there's not much to say about this piece. "Reverie" plays when Yu and the gang reflect on ??what just happened. The piano plays a beautiful tune while whirring instrumentals that float above the piece give a melancholy vibe. It's a striking song that perfectly reflects the situation the team is in whenever it plays.

8. "Never More"

//open.spotify.com/track/7wsNi1SE40YS9YY??Cj44EQ4?si=b3462e0c7a264256

This ending credits song is a wonderful track that establishes the strong bonds between Yu and the friends he's made along the way. The vocals are lovely as Shihoko Hirata sings about the memories the investigation team has made over the past year. The piano in the track also gives a neat reference to "A Corner of Memories" from the beginning of the game. As Persona 4 is such a long game, it actually ??feels nostalgic in a sense as y?ou've known these characters for weeks, maybe months.

7. "Your Affection"

//open.spotify.com/track/6idKSeBnFz49htgvy??WoMro?si=44ac27??cc45d54733

Rolling through Inaba, it was always a delight to listen to "Your Affection." It's a happy-go-lucky song as it encourages you to turn "your misery into meaningfulness" and take "pride from fe?ar." This song is the levity we need after going through all the dungeons during the Midnight hour. During sunny days, it ma?tches perfectly with the colorful visuals of this lovely small town.

6. "The Almighty"

//open.spotify.com/track/2SzaLThldhzZgZBOLJoYuK?si=??9ca468f6c8db4??e3b

This song is steeped with so much drama. The strings and heavy bass at the beginning illustrate a great tension, and then the gripping main melody from the guitar seeps in. About a minute in, the percussion goes faster, adding stakes to the boss battle. You then get a soothing, echoed piano and guitar taking over the piece, likely showcasing who you're fighting for, like Nanako and all the residents of Inaba. Later on, the main guitar and the soothing section collide in an epic clash that somehow works together. It's a unique take on a boss battle theme as it switches between the two styles constantly; it's like a tug o??f war about who's winning the fight.

5. "Signs of Love"

//open.spotify.com/track/32NyN0Tb?y1YpKObfd8nrzN?si=3554fce9e1514dfc

"Signs of Love" has everything I love about the Persona 4 soundtrack: a funky beat, charming lyrics, and some entertaining jazzy overtones that keep the track riveting. There are also strings in the background that reflect the slight tension that befalls the teenage protagonist. It's a great track that I'm happy to listen to over and over again as each in-game day?? passes.

4. "Reach Out To The Truth"

//open.spotify.com/track/7JR73H8enwnGiYFS2I6eW??W?si=183dea8a012f4691

"Reach Out To The Truth" is a fantastic battle theme. The rocking guitar gives tasty jams, while the jazzy keyboard provides more character to the piece. The drums also keep up the intensity while the Hirata nails her performance. It does get more repetitive than the other battle themes on the list, but it's still an exciting piece for many Persona 4 players.

3. "Snowflakes"

//open.spotify.com/track/3Ybug08EbRV4RZfcw?8WZMk?si=7f97b3f31c7e4ce9

Persona 4 Golden adds a beautif??ul track called "Snowflakes" that establishes the journey is almost over. It's a sad, yet calming track that fits into the winter season. It talks about the "friendship that is built to last" and the "laughter from this treasured place" that will stay in each character's memories. Similar to "Never More," it gives us a nostalgic feeling, reflecting on the past year, similar to thinking back on the past year during New Year's Eve. The tune from the piano, vocals, and beats are also stunning to listen to.

2. "Time to Make History"

//open.spotify.com/track/3fHtkMIsiv9kC0Tv??2iSS3h?si=f25f817629ac422b

Goodness, I love this song! The bass absolutely slaps as the delightful vocals get us hyped to "step on up to the plate" and "time to make history." It's an absolute jam.  It's fun how all of the instruments ramp up together during the chorus, and the drums once again make their presence known in the best way. When I played Persona 4 Golden, I was al?ways more excited to hear this number over "Reach Out To The Truth."

1. "I’ll Face Myself (Reincarnation)"

//open.spotify.com/track/1PraA0Crj?HLo16lwUw6NSq?si=814328a??804dd47bd

Drama. Intensity. High stakes. This is what "I'll Face Myself (Reincarnation)" brings to Persona 4. You have a slow unassuming beginning that ramps up quickly to an intense battle theme. The emotional strings play well with the intense drums. The flow also keeps changing, giving you unexpected twists and turns in this epic boss battle music. Composer Shoji Meguro wasn't afraid to include slower pieces to this boss battle theme, adding an emotional element to the track. He went all out with the ebb and flow of this piece. It's remarkable and is one of the best Persona 4 songs, absolutely.

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Buda-bep-bud-du-bep... Boop!

The National Recording Preservation Board (NRPB) has announced that Koji Kondo's iconic Super Mario Bros. theme is to be inducted for preservation in the U.S. Library of Congress. The instantly recognizable ditty will be th????????????????????????????e first piece of video game music ever to join the NRPB's catalog of significant compositions.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTa6Xbzfq?1U&ab_channel=ultragamemusic

Each year, the NRPB selects 25 pieces of music that it deems "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant, and/or informs or reflects life in the United States". I like to think that the Super Mario Bros. Theme falls into the latter category. Kondo's simple but endlessly entering tune �officially known upon conception as simply "Ground Theme" made its debut in World 1-1 of 1985 NES release Super Mario Bros. It has since been remixed?? and used endless times for various Nintendo titles, TV shows, and commercials.

Joining Mario in the library this year will also be guitar shop nightmare "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Z??eppelin, Madonna's censor bothering "Like a Virgin", Eurythmics "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)", John Lennon's "Imagine" and, from the goddess of winter herself, Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You". For all you midwestern dads, Jimmy Buffet is gett??ing representation via his 1977 hit "Margaritaville".

Sadly, there is no sign of my personal favorite Super Mario Bros. tune, "Take on Me" by a-ha.

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Let's get groovy, Nintendo style

If you love live gaming music, then you're in for a treat -- Nintendo has posted a VOD of their Animal Crossing x Splatoon live concert performance from the recent Nintendo Live 2022 event to YouTube for our viewing pleasure. The event actually took place at the Tokyo Big Site in Odaiba back at the start of October, and featured tournaments for games like Nintendo Switch Sports and Super Smash Bros., as well as a stage performance ??from comedy duo Yo?iko.

Arguably the main event, however, was the Nintendo Live concert, which of course featured the soundtracks of two of its biggest franchises to date. The show started off with a video of Animal Crossing's Isabella welcoming everyone, and introducing DJ KK -- who then appeared on a screen with some other friends from the game. How adorable! KK's set goes on for a good half hour before we get to see some friendly faces from the Splatoon games: Deep Cut.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ETszC6w-mg

This is where the show really kicks off in my opinion, because we get a whole live band including two percussionists, a keyboard player, a guitarist, and a bassist, as well as?? some other musicians who come out and join in the middle of the performance as well. They have amazing energy, and it looks like they're having a ton of fun!

The Squid Sisters also make an appearance to join up with Deep C?ut for the finale, which makes for a pretty epic conclusion to the whole thing. The stage set up looked amazing as well with all of the lights and LED screens, and the crowd looked like they were having a blast as well as they grooved along with their light sticks.

As someone who loves both live music shows and video game music, this Nintendo Live concert is definitely one I wish I could have ??seen in person. At least now we can watch and rewatch it in perpetuity, right?

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Elden Ring's music like you've never heard it before

Elden Ring was far and away one of the biggest games of 2022, and is one of the frontrunners for Game of the Year. Every aspect of the game is incredibly well-thought out, from the art to the gameplay to the enemies. Bandai Namco, however, seems especially proud of the music from Elden Ring, because they're hostin??g a special jazz concert to showcase some of the most popular songs and "recognizable melodies from the game's soundtrack.

The event is called Elden Ring: A Night In The Lands Between, and will be for one night only on December 3 at The Bourbon Room in Los Angeles. The iconic melodies will be performed by musicians led by award-winning saxophonist Kenny Garrett, as well as jazz upcomer and trumpeter Takuya Kuroda. Tickets are on sale now for the in-person event, ranging anywhere from $75, known as the "Tarnished" tier, to the $200 "Elden Lord tier that also gets you a poster, a t-shirt, dinner, and VIP seating. If you're unable to make it, you can also get access to a livestream of the event for $25, or to a VOD available after the concert for $15 -- the c??atch is that the stream is only available to fans in the United States.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1LwS0UHJnA

It seems that video game concerts are becoming more and more popular these days, and as a fan of live music, I hope they keep it up. Playing games can be something of an isolating hobby, so the idea of getting out and appreciating music we know and love played by insanely talented musicians is absolutely an idea I can get behind. Given that Elden Ring's soundtrack is so orchestral, I'll b?e interested to see what it would sound like with a jazz spin as well. Here's hoping that game studios keep up the live music thing in the future, because making?? live music a more accessible activity is a win for everyone.

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The full performance is on YouTube

Nintendo said that a Kirby 30th Anniversary Music Fest stream was coming (with a live audience in Japan) and it's here! You can watch it below.

The stream actually debuted on YouTube roughly four hours ago in the US morning of Augus??t 11, and the entire thing is available to watch now from start to finish. The crew goes through the entire series with a wide variety of instruments, and the stream occasionally has a box in the corner to showcase what's on-screen (typically gameplay of the level/scene involved, as is common with many video game live concerts) while the camerawork zooms in and out on the musicians.

Like the Sonic stream before it, it's a fun little way to spend an afternoon, especially if you've been missing live music (as a small note, the dialogue is in Japanese, outside of Kirby very cutely saying "bye bye" at the end). Honestly? We need more of these! The Genshin Impact team has done a pretty good jo?b of keeping this dream alive, but more publishers getting involved is a good thing. Especially if it actually has 30 years of history to draw upon like the Kirby 30th Anniversary Music?? fest.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJoBSUoZjpw

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The Grammys are singing their praises

Even to those who don't regularly play video games, their music is iconic, and in many cases instantly recognizable. There are a ton of different factors that can make a g??ame stand out as one of the greats, and a great soundtrack alone is enough to make a ??title stick in our heads for years to come. The Grammys are the most prestigious awards in music, and now they're finally giving video game music the credit that it's due.

The Recording Academy actually added five new categories that will be honored at the awards ceremony next year, including "Songwriter of the Year," "Best Spoken Word Poetry?? Album," "Alternative Music Performance," "Americana Music Performance," and of course, "Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Interactive Media."

[caption id="attachment_329238" align="alignnone" width="1280"] _{[Image Source: Nintendo Life]}[/caption]While this will be the first time that vi??deo game music will be honored in its own category, this is not the first time that score from a game has won a Grammy.

Most recently, The 8-Bit Band took home "Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Capella" for their cover of Kirby Super Star's "Meta Knight's Revenge" earlier this year. Civilization IV composer Christopher Tin won the "Best Instrumental Arrangement with a Vocalist" award for the track "Baba Yetu" in 2010. Journey composer Austin Wintory was nominated for the "Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media" aw?ard, but unfortunately didn't take ho??me the win.

Hopefully now that games have an entire category of their own, the incredible work that game composers do wil?l be recognized on a larger scale. Game composers have a whole new set of challenges to face when writing for interactive media, which, in my eyes at least, is really what makes it stand out from other t?ypes of scores.

Video games will always have awards for mus?ic within the industry, but taking home a Grammy award just hits different, I imagi?ne.

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Even Sander Cohen would be impressed

I love video games, and I love musical theater. There isn't a ton of crossover there (with the exception of Starkid's parody musical of The Oregon Trail, or Chorus: A Video Game Musical being developed by Summerfall Studios), but there is a new unofficial musical that loosely follows the plot of BioShock, created and performed by California's John Burroughs High School Powerhouse choir (via Eurogamer). The students presented the performance at the? Hart Encore 2022 choir show, where the group won the biggest awards of the day: Musicianship, Showmanship, Best Soloist, and of course, an overall First Place.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwpzZ-Ca0ts

All of the major players from the game are featured, like Andrew Ryan, Brigid Tenenbaum, and the esteemed Sander Cohen. It's a bit hard to hear the performers at times on the video due to the deafening ??cheers from the crowd �I certainly can't blame them on that front �but the songs they are singing seem to be versions of classics with rewritten lyrics to match the theme and story they want to tell, such as Proud Mary sung with the new lyrics "rolling underwater," for instance. Gotta love some clever wordplay.

As someone who was a part of many mediocre high school musical and choir productions in my day, I would have died to have something this cool and with this much production value. I doubt many of the people in the audience knew what the production was referencing, but as a big fan of the BioShock series and as someone who has also participated in show choir (not a big deal or anything, but I was dance captain), I can say with certainty that they nailed both the BioShock-ness and the performance.

It may look easy, but having that much choreography, costuming, sets, and overall polish to a performance like that takes months of hard work to perfect. Good on you JBHS, you deserve a??ll your success and more.

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Gregorian Rant

The original composers of the haunting, unmistakable Halo scor??e have announced that they have "amicably resolved" a long-running dispute with publisher ??Microsoft for alleged unpaid royalties.

Marty O’Donnell and Mike Salvatori, who composed the iconic score for the interstellar sci-fi shooter, claim that they originally licensed the music to Halo: Combat Evolved developer Bungie prior to the studio's sale to Microsoft in 2000. The composers argue that they are owed royalties on the subsequent usage of the Halo fanfare an?d its famous Gregorian chant �royalties that go back some two decades.

Microsoft, according to comments made by O'Donnell to Eurogamer, refused the validity of this claim, stating that the composers sold the score as a "work-for-hire" project, and thus were not owed any further monies than those originally paid to them by Bungie at the time. O'Donnell and Salvatori finally took the case to court in 2020, bringing a total of six cases against the publisher, and even considering an injunction to block the launch of the recent Halo TV adaptation.

It seems, however, that all is now done and settled. While the details of the "amicable resolution" were not revealed, O'Donnell shared the news on social media that the matter is, essentially closed. O'Donnell also posted an interesting video of the team working with guitarist Steve Vai on the Halo: Combat Evolved score. O'Donnell pr??omises to rele??ase further behind-the-scenes videos soon.

The most recent Halo release, Halo Infinite, is available now on PC and Xbox platforms.

//twitter.com/MartyTheElder/status/1516198370544480258?s=20&t=b5sHqRKBXHY?ng??XwV8ja8kA

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Haunted Chocolatier is changing the game, literally

After the massive success of his debut title, Stardew Valley, fans of Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone have been waiting with bated breath for any and all updates on his next project, a similarly quaint-looking title called Haunted Chocolatier. As someone who has personally put way too many hours into Stardew, the promise of a whole new title to dive into is enough to keep me going until its release. Any small detail he gives away feels like a victory, which is why the news that ??his new??est title will have boss fights is all the more exciting.

Barone appeared in a recent livestream from Reason Studios where he was discussing some of the music he is currently working on for Haunted Chocolatier. One of the tracks he shared was called "bee boss," which is likely still a working title, and featured buzzing sounds like you would expect to hear from a bee. Barone may not have come out and said anything about?? bosses in the game specifically, it's probably pretty safe to assume ??that they're going to be there.

Barone has stated in previous interviews that while Haunted Chocolatier is set in the same universe as Stardew Valley, the game will be quite different and isn't tied down to a "particular concept" as it is being developed. There weren't any real boss battles at all in Stardew, meaning big changes to the more minimal combat systems we're used to seeing from Barone's first game. There's no way to know for sure until Haunted Chocolatier is out, but from what we know so far, it seems like Barone is really growing a lot as?? a devel??oper considering these new additions.

We still don't know how much longer Barone plans to take developing Haunted Chocolatier, but in the meantime, we can watch the teaser trai??ler over again and drool over what's to co??me.

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Kirby-themed concert incoming

Kirby is one of the most beloved video game mascots out there, and for good reason �he's adorable and round, his games are fun, suction-filled romps, and his music always goes hard. That's why, to celebrate the little pink blob's 30th anniversary, Nintendo is putting on an official concert later this summer.

The event will feature a "large big band-style ensemble of 35 musicians performing in a variety of genres," as well as an LED screen with a giant moving Kirby. The concert kicks off on August 11, 2022 at 18:00 (JST) at the Tokyo Garden Theater, but don't worry, it will also be streaming live to Kirby's official YouTube channel free of cost. It's certainly one of?? those events we wish we could see in person, so it's nice that they thought to open it up to those who won't be able to make it.

//twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/1503438317349654530?t=6LJDPjDPSibzXWiYrkZ7Zg&s?=19

The 30th anniversary is officially on April 27, which was the Japanese release date of Kirby's Dream Land back in 1992. We're anticipating that the concert will also feature music from the newest mainline game, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, whose release date ??is quickly approaching on March 25.

30 years is a staggeringly long time for a series to be around by video game standards, and it's not even Nintendo's oldest franchise by a long shot. Kirby is younger than Donkey Kong, Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and Fire Emblem, to name a few other properties that are still hanging in there after all these years.

Kirby's music has already been making headlines recently, as a big band arrangement of "Meta Knight's Revenge" from Kirby Super Star by The 8-bit Big Band was nominated for a Grammy Award last year. Tunes have become one of the most iconic parts of the Kirby brand, especially after the theme song from Kirby's Dream Land became a ?meme in recent yea?rs. Personally, I can't think of a better way to honor our favorite circular video game protagonist.

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Listen to the Gravity Man cover

Mega Man, as a whole, has one of my favorite collections of scores of all time. I still listen to a track from just about every game from Mega Man 1 through X6 on a regular basis, but the first six really have a special place in my heart. That's why this Mega Man piano channel (which was?? emailed to me at 10PM last night by a friend) rocks so?? hard.

Although it's not active anymore, creator mysteriousmanPOW has a decent collection of Mega Man songs, alongside of a few Zelda tunes. This video of Gravity Man (below) is probably one of the best showca??ses of the channel, alongside of what exactly went into it, straight from the creator themselves:

"I had to type out the score to do this one -- the bassline rhythm is particularly difficult to sync with the melody, and the middl??e section has some runs which I had to practice."

Finding old YouTube channels that do amazing game music covers has become one of my favorite pastimes on this job. But somehow, official Mega Man music is still alive and kicking ass, even with projects like Rockman Xover. It??'s like the one thing Capcom makes sure they get?? 100% right.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqF5euxmuRQ

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No, this is not a joke

I couldn't believe it when I heard the news, but it's true: the beloved pink sphere of a video game character, Kirby, has been nominated for an award at the 64th annual Grammy Awards. Okay, so maybe it wasn't him specifically, but rather Charlie Rosen and Jake Silverman, members of a jazz orchestra known as The 8-Bit Big Band.

Rosen and Silverman's nomination is due to their work on arranging a big band-style update of the track "Meta Knight's Revenge," which was originally part of the 1996 SNES classic Kirby Super Star.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIP3HdFl-JM

The 8-Bit Big Band is based in New York City, and can have 30-65 members playing on any given track, depending on what it requires. The group released their first album, Press Start!, in 2018, which featured music from well-known franchises like Super Mario, Zelda, Ganbare Goemon, F-Zero, and Final Fantasy. They have since released two more albums, with "Meta Knight's Revenge" being fea??tured on the third.

In a post to their official Twitter a??ccount yesterday, they thanked their fans for the support, because they "couldn't have done it with [them]."

//twitte??r.com/the8bitbigband/status/14632038249450168??37

Personally, I'm thrilled to see this nomination come to fruition. I love big band music, plus it's always great to see some smaller creators get some well-deserved recognition. On?? top of that, I think video game ?composers are some of the most talented artists working in the industry �they have to face the more traditional challenges that come along with composing, like creating memorable themes and bolstering the story's specific atmosphere and tone at any given time, as well as face the challenges specific to the medium, like writing music that can loop or fade off without a hitch.

Rosen and Silverman's arrangement is getting their felicitous praise, but I imagine it's also affirming for Kirby Super Star??'s compose?r Jun Ishikawa. I just think video game music rocks, and it's cool to see it acknowledged on such a large scale.

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Cblogs of 10/23 to 10/29/2021

-Kerrik52 reviews Fatal Frame 3: The Tormented as part of his Traveler in Playtime reviews blo?gs.

-JRussel is disappointed tha??t their preferred version of the Nintendo Switch wasn't and ??is unlikely to be developed.

-Alivad the Impala continues to play Sable.

-Black Red Gaming shares their thoughts on the early access on Prodeus and Second Extinction on the PC.

-TroyFulbuster debun?ks? the crazy theory on Mona being Luigi's daughter.

-Black Red Gaming shares their thoughts on Sir Brante's Life, According to Myself and Others.

-WillowWare reviews the smartwatch game Combat Wear 2.

-Capitosus reviews Guardians of the Galaxy on the Xbox Series X.

-TroyFullbuster reviews Mario Party Superstar.

-Exber reviews A Boy and his Blob.

-Sapato64 finally beat Persona 5 Royal and shares some thoughts about that.

-PhilsPhindings discusses the similarities between the soundtrack of Final Fantasy VII and heavy metal music.

-ChronoLynxx opens this week's TGIF community forum for open disc????ussion.

Thanks to Lord Spencer for providing us with the recap! If you fancy adding your own thoughts on all things gaming, then head to the Cblogs section and have your say. It doesn't even have to be an epic, but if you have thoughts on gaming, new or old, then share th??????????????????????????em with us and you will find yourself recapped, (or perhaps even Promo'd), next week.

Happy Halloween! Have a?? fun and safe one. Post photos if you have a costume!

The post Are you playing any Halloween favorites today? appeared first on Destructoid.

First project to be revealed November 6

Shoji Meguro, the legendary composer and sound man for some of the modern era's most successful RPGs, has announced that he has left his long-term? position at Atlus in order to develop his own games on the independent circuit.

"I know this is quite sudden, but I, Shoji Meguro, resigned from Atlus Co., Ltd. at the end of September 2021," revealed Meguro in a short statemen??t. "I’ve been creating role-playing games by myself during my spare time for the past five years now, and I applied for a Round 1 Kodansha Game Creators Lab recruitment and was selected as one of ?the finalists. Then staff from Kodansha was assigned to work with me."

"I decided to leave Atlus and focus on my dream of developing indie ?games."

Under the pseudonym "Megarock," Meguro has been developing homebrew projects within Unreal Engine 4, and has apparently found what he believes to be his next calling within the games industry. Supported by Kodansha Game Creators�Lab, Meguro's first title will be revealed on November 6, and is believed to be a stealth-action title with a heavy sci-fi aesthetic. Early screens of Shoji Meguro's new indie title can be viewed over on his official Twitter. It's incredibly neat to see long-time developers brea??king out into new and ??exciting ventures such as this.

Meguro, who has worked at the Atlus since 1995, has contributed music and sound design to a wide variety of top-tier titles, including games in the Trauma Center, Devil Summoner, and Megami Tensei series. Meguro's most widely known work, however, is featured in the modern Persona franchise, as he is responsible for the smooth and slick jazz stylings that have typified the series since 2006's Persona 3. Meguro will continue to work with Atlus on a freelance basis in future, so you can more than likely expect his unmistakable sound to show up in future Persona releases.

Composer Shoji Meguro leaves Atlus, developing indie? game to be announced in November [Gematsu]

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The post Persona composer Shoji Meguro leaves A?tlus to deve??lop indie games appeared first on Destructoid.

Composed over 500 pieces for RPG series

Japanese composer Koichi Sugiyama, who was responsible for scoring Square Enix's long-running Dragon Quest franchise, pa??ssed away on September 30 at the age of 90.

Sugiyama is a noted figurehead in Japanese media, having composed the scores for numerous films, TV shows, and anime. For video game fans, Sugiyama is best known for his work on Dragon Quest, scoring 11 entries and contributing over 500 individual pieces to the fantasy adventure series. Offering the franchise its unmistakable sound for over four decades, Sugiyama's final work will feature in the upcoming Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate.

Away from music, Sugiyama's legacy is tarnished by his controversial political beliefs. A staunch Japanese nationalist, Sugiyama was a noted denier of the 1937 Nanjing Massacre �a horrific event of World War II wherein Japanese soldiers murdered tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers and civilians during a six-week occupation of the then-Chinese capital. In 2007, Sugiyama would join other publicized nationalists in co-signing a letter to The Washington Post, criticizing the U.S. government's demands that Japan apologize for its exploitation o??f women as sex slaves during the conflict.

In 2015, Sugiy?ama co-hosted a Japanese television show, agreeing with controversial politician Mio Sugita that Japan should not educate its youth on LGBTQ matters. The conversation also questioned the validity of LGBTQ suicide rates, and asked whether childless LGBTQ couples played a negative role in Japanese society. Sugiyama would recant some of these comments in part, sayi?ng that he backed the government's occasional support of the LGBTQ community.

Koichi Sugiyama's funeral was a reportedly small affair attended only by his immediate family. In a statement released following his passing, Square Enix has asked its fans not to send gifts or contributions at the Sugiyama family's request. The publisher will hold an In Memorium celebration of ?the composer's life and work at some point in the future.

The post Dragon Quest composer Koichi Sugiyama passes away appeared first on Destructoid.

Cblogs of 8/14 to 8/20/2021

-Chris Bradshaw is very happy with his Xbox Series X purchase.

-Exber responds to Dtoid's Bloggers Wanted pr??ompt by writing a blog about remembering some surprise gaming reunions.

-Rabite reviews nearly all the versions of Final Fantasy in honor of the Pixel Remake.

-Lord Spencer reviews Guardian's Crusade as part of his PS1 REVIEWS blogging series.

-Samurai100 continues sharing stories from ARK: Survivor Evolved.

-Spazzzh20 shares their thoughts on the latest Call of Duty: Vanguard trailer.

-Black Red Gaming discusses 10 gaming new items that poppe??d?? up last week.

-PhilsPhindings discusses the similarities between the soundtrack of Sonic CD and Funk music.

-Queen of Philosophy opens this week's TGIF open community forum.

Thanks a lot for this week's run of Cblogs, and to Lord Spencer as always for providing us with the recap! If you want to see your own writings recapped (or even promoted) on the front page, then head over to the Cblogs section this week and have at it. Don't forget to check out our current Bloggers Wanted prompt for more inspiration!

The post If you picked up a next-gen console at launch, what are yo????ur current thoughts on it? appeared first on Destructoid.

Cblogs of 8/7 to 8/13/2021

-BooyahGrandma had a special time playing Hades with his four-year-old son.

-Black Red Gaming shares his thoughts on Back 4 Blood.

-Eggs&BrewsterJr is thankful for the fan translation of the SNES game Ihatovo Monogatari.

-Samurai100 sheds light on the story of Helena Walker in ARK: Survival Evolved Stories.

-Exber reviews Dishonored on the PS3.

-Humantofu explores some forgotten Dead Space spinoff games released on PSN and XBLA.

-PhilsPhindings discusses the similarities between the soundtrack of Sonic - Lost Worlds and '80s Dance-pop music.

-Lord Rehgar just arrived at Destructoid an??d is saying hello to the comm??unity.

-ChronoLynxx shares a story of how he ??bonded with his brother through video games. (Front Paged)

-ChronoLynxx opens this week's TGIF community?? forum for open discussi?on.

A nice series of Cblogs for your perusal this week. Thanks a lot, everybody for your musings! If you want to see your own writings recapped (or even promoted) on the front page, then head over to the Cblogs section this week and have at it. Don't forget to check out our current Bloggers Wanted prompt for more inspiration!

The post Do you hav?e f??ond memories of gaming with your parents/guardians? appeared first on Destructoid.

Final Fantasy, Nier, and more were on deck

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics hosted their opening ceremony today, officially kicking off the festivities in Japan. As part of the ceremony, the athletes all entered the stadium bearing their nation's flags. And if you've been playing video games for a wh?ile, the music for the Pa?rade of Nations might have sounded a little familiar.

The tunes that swept through the arena included a bunch of cuts from video games from the host country. So yes, you did hear the Victory Fanfare from Final Fantasy and the Song of the Ancients from Nier.

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Here's a short track list of the medley that played today, courtesy of Nikkei Asia:

• Dragon Quest "Overture: Roto's Theme"
• Final Fantasy "Victory Fanfare"
• Tales of series "Sorey's Theme - The Shepherd"
• Monster Hunter "Proof of a Hero"
• Kingdom Hearts "Olympus Coliseum"
• Chrono Trigger "Frog's Theme"
• Ace Combat "First Flight"
• Tales of series "Pomp and Majesty"
• Monster Hunter "Wind of Departure"
• Chrono Trigger "Robo's Theme"
• Sonic the Hedgehog "Star Light Zone"
• Winning Eleven (Pro Evolution Soccer) "eFootball walk-on theme"
• Final Fantasy "MAIN THEME"
• Phantasy Star Universe "Guardians"
• Kingdom Hearts "Hero's Fanfare"
• Gradius (Nemesis) "01 ACT I-1"
• NieR "Song of the Ancients"
• SaGa series "The Orchestral SaGa - Legend of Music"
• Soulcalibur "The Brave New Stage of History"

I appreciate the inclusion of Sonic tunes a little bit more than usual, after playing some of this year's 2020 Tokyo Olympics video game. Though sadly, I don't think the mascot costume will make an appearance on the track at the actual games. Conspicuously, there was no Nintendo music played. You would think some of the songs from Mario, The Legend of Zelda, or even something like Fire Emblem would've made for good Parade of Nations tunes.

If you missed the event live and want to catch some of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics later, the opening ceremonies will air again on NBC tonight during primetime, at 7:30 p.m. ET. For those using streaming options, NBC also has an Olympics streaming hub.

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