Game Soundtrack Spotlight - Final Fantasy (1987)

Final Fantasy (1987; Squaresoft /
SquareEnix)

by Christopher McElfresh

By the mid 1980's Squaresoft's sales were spotty at best, and one of their lead designers, Hironobu Sakaguchi made the assertion that he will make one more game.  If it failed, he was going to call it quits.  The game, Final Fantasy, titled as such as Sakaguchi was sure it would be his swan song, became a cash cow, and would become one of the most enduring franchises in the industry's history.

Final Fantasy was greatly similar to the Enix title from the year before, Dragon Warrior, wich would become arguably the most popular RPG series in Japan.  The difference would be in the narrative.  The game used storytelling in a way that most gamers had not yet experienced and the ability to form and name your own party brought you into the game like no other game has.

The composer for Final Fantasy, Nobuo Uematsu, is the most recognized and revered composer in the industry.  Never taking a formal lesson, the entirely self-taught Uematsu has made a name for himself by composing game soundtracks that were so far above what players were used to hearing that it made the series an entirely different, richer experience than any other games released at their time.  While the series would have highs and lows in the overal quality of the games, Uematsu's work, along with other composers such as the talented Hironobu Sakaguchi, would stand out as masterworks in the inudstry.

I have chosen to go with the arranged versions of the soundtrack rather than the 8-bit classic version.  I did this because it was a lot easier to find and the fuller sound makes the experience that much richer.  So it begins.  YouTube embeds tend to slow down the page loading quite a bit, so for this and other, longer soundtrack examinations, I am going to link to the youtube vidoes for the songs, rather than put them directly into the article.  I will do this whenever the spotlight features ten or more songs.  For convenience you can simple shift+click the links, or you can right click and choose "Open Link in New Tab."

The Soundtrack -
Main Theme - The Song
This song, which doubles as the overworld theme is adventurous and memorable.  The song is encompases the adventure that is Final Fantasy.

Town - The Song
This is a soft guitar theme, a soft flute melody and a nice little piece of nostalgia.  The Town Theme is one of the more recognizable themes from the game, outside of maybe the Main Theme and...

Battle Theme - The Song
This one has an air of menace and threat yet it is an exiciting piece.  Seeing as how it is probably the one song you will hear more than any other in this game, it is a pretty good thing that it does not suck, eh?

Inn - The Song
In need of a little R&R?  This song has a tinge of Italiano while still fitting in with the rest of the soundtrack quite well. 

Bridge Building - The Song
Light and cheery this theme is an example of the kind of music this series has become known for. 

Temple of Fiends - The Song
The final stage has one of the best themes in the game.  It is haunting and beutiful.  It all leads up to the final bout with Chaos.  Another example of why this series has become so famous for it soundtrack.

Matoya's Cave - The Song
Following the bout with Astos, we get this happy little piece of work.  It is a simple piece but it is actually quite uplifting.  I like this one a lot.

Underwater Temple - The Song
This is a strong piece.  It is both a little dark and lovely.  The strings and piano combo is a personal favorite of mine and this is one of the best video game compositions to make use of them.

The Battle With Chaos - The Song
Final Fantasy has a long history of amazing final boss themes.  The very first one is one of the all-time greats.  The theme is intense, exiciting and really draws you into the final showdown.  It also happens to be another one of my all-time favorite video game themes.

The Ending Theme - The Song
This beautiful rendition of the town theme closes things out with a beautiful air of peace.  Now that you've saved the world, what are you going to do now!?


All above music, Final Fantasy and all elements therein are property of Squaresoft, now SquareEnix.  The video files were found on YouTube and I do not own the videos or their contents.

Game Soundtrack Spotlight - Super Metroid (1994)

by Christopher McElfresh

Super Metroid is the example of a "perfect game".  It's fun, it provides challenges on varying levels (Why just beat the game, when you can beat it out of order?!), it features concepts that, at the time of this game's release, were still very new and it solidified even further the dominance of Nintendo (well, the Nintendo of the 80's and 90's anyway).  So, it pretty much goes without saying that Super Metroid would have an amazing soundtrack, right?  Yeah, it's okay.

I do like a few of the songs from this game enough to feature it on this blog and will also take any opportunity I can to gush over what is, without a doubt, my favorite video game of all time.  So, why does this game work?  Well, it comes down to the time in which it was released.

Super Metroid came out in the twilight of the 16-bit era.  The Sony Playstation was just on the horizon and the next generation of gaming was in focus.  It seemed like the "traditional game" was being cast aside in lieu of a more hardcore market direction.  1994 remains, arguably, one of the best years in gaming history.  Super Metroid shares this launch year with System Shock, Tekken, Mortal Kombat II, Marathon, Donkey Kong Country, Earthworm Jim, Final FREAKING Fantasy VI!!!  I mean, SHEEEESH!!!!  This was one hell of a year for gamers and I played... about two of those games :P

Okay, okay, I've played them all by now, but when I was younger I was pretty much exclusively a Super Nintendo player, I did not play many fighting games and did not spend much time at the arcade since there really was no quality arcades near where I lived that you could actually get into.  The MKII cabinet was pretty much packed from opening to closing to the point where I think I once clocked a wait in at around two hours once!  So I waited for the console release of most of these games (the ones that had them anyway) and stuck to my SNES.  As far as Final Fantasy VI goes, I did not really like turn-based games back then and I would not get into Final Fantasy until I first played VII on the Playstation.  At which point I want back and gave VI a shot... and freaking loved it.

So, you see my dilemma here.  How does one objectively look back nostalgically at an entire line of games he did not play when they were fresh and revolutionary?  I can't.  Theoretically, I suppose, one could approach it completely objectively but that would be, essentially, approaching a game based on the assumption that I am SUPPOSED to like it.  Really, for me, video games are just like every other entertainment medium: my memories and tastes are going to vary from pretty much every other human being on planet Earth.  This is just the way it is.  So, my memories of THIS game, Super Metroid, take me back to when I was about twelve, sitting in a room with friends, playing it well into the wee hours, drinking Sprite and chowing down on popcorn, trading the controllers off and spending hours trying to find all of the hidden intricacies that the designers stuck in for the more OCD players to seek out.  I miss the days when me and my childhood friends would play these games for hours, learning them, experiencing them together.  Times were different then.  I did not have online play.  I did not have X-box Live, or the Playstation Network, hell, those had not even been considered yet... online play was really only a concept in the minds of the more forward-thinking developers working on games that would not be live for a few years.  (Yes, I know online gaming has actually been around since the 70's but I'm really just talking mainstream here).

So, anyway...  Soundtrack.  Super Metroid was developed by Nintendo's B-team R&D1, who also worked on a number of other Nintendo classics that weren't of the Mario or Zelda ilk.  The composers, Hirokazu Tanaka and Kenji Yamamoto, do good work, and Super Metroid is no exception.  While the soundtrack is not as ageless as, say, Final Fantasy VIII, it is still a very nice series of themes.  Most of the songs are creepy and atmospheric, the composers do a good job of making theme sound like they belong together and the soundtrack as a whole sounds distinctly otherworldly.  It works on the levels that count:  It sets the atmosphere well, it matches the look, tone and flow of the game, and the songs are catchy and distinct. So, let's dig right in, shall we?

The Soundtrack -

The Title  Screen -
This haunting little omen of misfortune is the first thing you hear when you boot up the game.  It sounds almost horror-movie-esque in its mood and it is not hard to see why.  By all accounts, this is a horror story.  Think about it.

The Theme of Super Metroid -
This is a good example of this soundtrack as a whole.  It is often very simple in its composure but it uses mood very well.  Chilling sounds resonate through this song that seem out of place, sounding like distant screams.  It leads well into the silence that creates a chill in Ceres Station.

Upper Brinstar -
This is my favorite song in the game and, as with Sim City 3000, I chose this game to be featured based on this one song.  It is another of my favorite game themes of all time.  It is a masterfully-composed song, opening with a creepy bone-sounding percussion that leads into a delightfully creepy and energetic song.  It certainly stands out against the simpler songs on this soundtrack.

Lower Brinstar -
I always found Lower Brinstar to be somewhat anomalous compared to the rest of Zebes.  It has this cold, warehouse feel to it; Organic, yet, not.  This song goes well with the mood set by the red emptiness of lower Brinstar with its simple composition, soft tones and haunting melody.

Theme of Samus Aran: Gallactic Warrior - 
From haunting to triumphant.  This song is the one that reminds you to keep up the fight.  You hit it at about the half-way point in the game and it stands as a sort of demarcation, reminding you that victory is not out of your reach.  The trumpets and drums make a march that drives you forward as you approach the entrance to the evil Wrecked Ship.

Lower Maridia -
This piece always reminded me of a haunted music box.  The soft twinkle and soothing woodwind is almost beautiful, and it would make for a lullaby.  Yeah, probably for Wednesday Adams, but not for any parent who does not want their kids to dream of being eaten by a big fish!  This is a great tune because it sounds exactly how this level feels, chilling and slow, thanks to the freaking water.

Lower Norfair -
Another tune that uses mood, Norfair is probably my favorite part of Super Metroid.  I remember the first time me and my friends played this, one of my friends said "Is this... Hell?"  We quickly learned that, yes, it can be hell, a young kid dying over and over because he keeps getting knocked into the freaking lava!  But I digress.  This is a good song for the mood.  It is reverent in its tone, inspired I am assuming, by the recurring visage of the obviously-arrogant Ridley.

The First Boss Theme-
The first two main bosses of the game, as well as the mini-boss Crocomire feature this theme.  The first time you hear it, a massive Kraid rises from the crumbling ground with a roar as the pulsing bass and brass bellow a dreadful, ominous tune.  This is one hell of an intro, and the song makes it all the more perfect, especially since there is just this brief moment of silence when you enter the empty chamber, the door locks behind you and... BOSS!!!

Mother Brain: The Final Confrontation-
The final boss is much like the aforementioned Kraid battle.  Identical in fact in the way it is presented, with the brief silence, the locked door, ect, ect.  This song, however, is a lot more effective.  It makes me think of the Jaws theme (Buh-duh!) and it works, because when Mother Brain rises with her new body attached, it is one of my all time favorite "oh, crap" moments in gaming.


So that was Super Metroid, my pick for the greatest video game of all time.  It's moody, it's haunting, and it's beautiful.  Next time, I think we will talk about a game that is a little more... relaxing.  Until then...

All above music, Super Metroid and all elements therein are property of Nintendo.  The video files were found on YouTube and I do not own the videos or their contents.

Game Soundtrack Spotlight - F-Zero (1990)

F-Zero ( 1990, Published by Nintendo. )

by Craig Baxley

F-zero was a racing game made by Nintendo back in the glorious era of 16-bit gaming. What set it apart from other racing games of the time was a lack of weapon usage that other games such as Super Mario Kart used at the time, and a fast-paced system based around ridiculous speed boosts and cornering whose ilk was not seen until its sequel. It also featured a ship health system which deducted health based on the speed and angle of your ship as it crashed into the various scenery.

Another thing that set it apart from its predecessors is that it didn't contain as aggressive a rubber-banding system as other racing games of its time. Rubber banding of course is the coding which makes racers behind you in place receive a boost of speed to make it seem more challenging to the player. Because of F-Zero's fast paced racing and the addition of additional non-opponent ships it made racing frantic and the music in the game easily reflects that.

The Soundtrack-

Big Blue-
Probably one of the more well known songs on the F-zero soundtrack is Big Blue.

The song itself starts off with a heavily drum based buildup, which eventually coalesces into the main portion of the song. Big Blue has largely remained unchanged over the years in most of the versions of the song.

As soon as the race starts you're greeted with the opening, and as the race progresses the music only gets better. It's hard to not fall in love with the Melody and Rhythm of the song.

Port Town-
Port Town has one of the best themes of the game. It conveys to the player that shit just got real. As in a way, it most certainly has.

Port Town and Port Town II are no freakin' joke. These tracks will kill you, and it will happen without mercy or quarter.

It has an upbeat sound and melody that keeps you on the edge of your seat as you go around the 180 degree hairpin turns on the track. Yes. There are two of those. And that goes straight into a 90 degree right angle. Three of them.

Silence-
Silence is the strangest name for a song I've ever come across in a 16-bit game. The beginning of the song is rather tame. It quickly rises into the least silent most upbeat song in the game.

Sort of like an affirmation that you've made it that far into the game if you ask me.

The track is very jazzy and the rhythm and drums that accompany the center of the song are spectacular. Definitely par the course for racing game music.

White land-
White land starts of with a very high tempo drum beat and rolls into the main portion of the song very quickly.

It starts off on a high key and drops down as the song goes on, continuing this way for some time before the song begins to loop.

White land in the game is yet another stage that will utterly destroy the unprepared. The entire stage is completely littered with ice that will decimate anyone attempting to take a non-cornered turn through the slicks.

Mute City-
This is the perfect song for the first track in the game. The entire song is a big welcome mat of awesome. It lets you know that the soundtrack of this game is going to blow your ass out of the water. And its right.

This is the first song you hear while racing.

The first song is this amazing. What will you hear next? Big Blue. The best song in the game.

This track being first makes you want to play the game more to see what kind of music is there. It's great.

I recommend that you listen to a few of these songs one day while you're doing something that you want to finish in a hurry. The tempo of each of these songs encourages the person listening to them that they need to be the first, and that they have to be the best. They all will keep you awash with nostalgia while remembering the good times from the 16-bit era.

Just don't listen to them while you drive.

Thanks for reading.

All above music, F-zero and all elements therein are assets of Nintendo.  The video files were found on YouTube and I do not own the videos nor their contents.

Game Soundtrack Spotlight - Mega Man (1987)

Mega Man - Bad box art! (1987; Capcom)

by Christopher McElfresh

Where would a blog about video game music be without the Mega Man series.  I decided to start at the series' roots, though it is not the best of the Mega Man soundtracks it does have some great tunes and ranks as an important milestone in games, the creation of one of the most recognizable icons from one of the most consistently good franchises in gaming.

Rockman was the brainchild of Tokuro Fujiwara and character designer Keiji Inafune who were looking to make a leap into the mascot market with a new title.  Rockman, referring to rock music, was just one of the many musically-named characters to grace the Japanese and US versions of the game (it depends on the characters.  There is this whole confusing dichotomy when it comes to the names of some of these characters between the two versions of the series).  There was also Roll (Rock 'n Roll.  GET IT!?!), Bass (Forte in Japan), Trebel (Gospel in Nippon), ect.

One of Mega Man's biggest contributions to the industry as a series was a new outlook on the quality of the music.  Before this series really took off, most game music was very simple.  Melodies and layers were used, but sparingly.  Mega Man, along with titles like Castlevania from the year before, were starting to take greater strides in utilizing the Nintendo Famicom's chip tune abilities.  Harmonization was used in new ways and the music of the Mega Man series became one of its most praised and remembered aspects.  Konami and Capcom would continue to dominate the game music world for years too, with Mega Man, Ghosts n' Goblins, Castlevania and the Gradius series (check out my article on the Life Force soundtrack here) but there was definitely a difference in style between the two companies.  Konami's themes were powerful, mighty and anthemic.  They often invoked a great challenge or a dark mystery, sometimes were Gothic, but were always powerful.  Capcom, on the other hand, went for a slightly more metal solo, upbeat, electronic, full and even experimental (at times) approach.

The music from the Mega Man series was always designed to push the player forward, with levels that often seemed to "dance" to the beat of the track and a rhythm that almost seemed to mimic the players actions, as though the game was trying to coax you into playing Mega Man Guitar Hero (GOD that would be an awesome game) as you jumped, climbed and fired your way through each deadly level.  For me, the series exemplifies great video game music and along with the aforementioned Castlevania and the soon-to-be-covered entries in the Final Fantasy series take the cake for purely consistent quality in their soundtracks.

I decided to start with Rockman, released in 1987 in Japan.  This is where it all began.  Mega Man, the Blue Bomber's humble beginnings.  The game had only six Robot Masters, a mysterious foe in a flying saucer and some strange enemy names.  This game was definitely different for its time.  It, along with the Mario series, is responsible for many of the platforming conventions we know in the genre to this day and it really revolutionized game design and continued to do so for years, up to the point where Capcom stopped giving a crap about the game that made their company what it is, and no, it WASN'T Street Fighter (Sorry, just trolling there.  My fanboy is showing!).  So without further ado, let's look at the six robot master tracks from Rockman.

The Soundtrack -
Cut Man

This theme is a great one to start at.  In it you can hear many of the conventions the compositions of later games will use often.  The electronic beeps and the busy accompaniment as well as the melody are all distinctly Mega Man. 







 
Guts Man

This is probably one of the shortest, simplest themes in the entire series' run.  It works though, as it sets the mood for a dire situation and dammit I hate this level, so yeah... Dire situation.








 
Elec Man

Elec Man's theme is one of those I have mixed feelings about.  I love it, but it always reminded me of the theme song to the 80's cartoon/toy commercial Mask.  It's the same friggin' melody!  Still, the second part with the smooth solo synth sound with the chords hopping in the background does elevate this song a lot for me.






Ice Man

Ice Man's theme is another example of things to come.  It's opening uses a number of sharps and flats to create an otherworldy sound out of key leading into a strong hook.  Unfortunate character design aside, this is a great tune for a great level.








Fire Man

I always found the music in this stage to be a little Middle Eastern.  I could be wrong on that, but I do like it.  The minor key swing into a brighter, milder bridge is another recurring element of music from this series.








Bomb Man

This is my favorite song in the game.  Bomb Man's lively, trumpeted intro, with a beat that keeps things moving without getting too overbearing leading into a memorable hook that flows nicely from element to element.  This is also another example of sublime accompaniment in the music.






Six Robot Masters, six songs.  That's it for now, but rest assured, we are DEFINITELY going to cover the entirety of this series, I'm just trying to keep my selections spread out, both across decades and franchises, so that there is a variety as we build upon our library.

Join us next time where I'll talk about a game from 2005 that is not only one of the best game soundtracks of all time, but is one of my all time favorite games... EVER!  Also, Craig should be sharing a Nintendo classic from the 16-bit era with us here soon as well.  Remember to share these posts and tell your friends about this site, we have so much to cover and we're only growing from here.

All above music and Mega MAn and all elements therein are property of Capcom, Inc.  The video files were found on YouTube and I do not own the videos or their contents.

Game Soundtrack Spotlight - Super Mario 64 (1996)

Super Mario 64 (1998; Nintendo)

by Christopher McElfresh

Nintendo has a storied history for creating anthemic tunes for their trademark titles.  Super Mario Bros. for the NES has one of the most recognizable themes of all time, from any media, and for gamers the Overworld theme from the Legend of Zelda is a classic on par with Hey-freaking-Jude.  Super Mario 64 is no exception to this rule and, in fact, I would argue that it's one of the best video game soundtracks of the 90's.

Composed by Nintendo Maestro Koji Kondo, who was responsible for all of the music referenced above, the soundtrack of Super Mario 64 exemplifies his style.  Each tune is dynamic in tone, bright and exciting, building on itself in a perfect style and creates a mood in a way that game music should.  Kondo, like Miki-chan referenced in our Life Force article, is a pro when it comes creating atmosphere with his music and as we will discuss, Mario 64's soundtrack may be one of his most ranged when it comes to tone.

So, let us get this show on the road, eh?  I will try to cover as much as the soundtrack as possible here, but I do want to keep it sort of trimmed to a point because if too many videos are posted there may be problems with the page loading.  Anyhow, we are going to start things off with the very first song in the game, and also the shortest.

The Soundtrack -
File Select Screen -

The first song you'll hear in Super Mario 64 is the theme from the file select menu.  It is a soft, cheery piece that invokes a sense of welcome.  It's short and sweet, and a memorable tune.









Inside the Castle Walls -

Moving on from the very first song you'll hear to the one you'll probably hear the most.  The castle theme from Super Mario World, like the previous theme, is a simple arrangement with no percussion.  Instead, it gives off a soft, bright air that is both curious and adventurous.







Bob-omb Battlefield -

This is one you'll hear twice I believe as you play through the game, featured in two worlds: its namesake Bob-omb Battlefield and then Whomp's Fortress.  It is really, for me, where the soundtrack starts when playing the game.  It is just the right tempo and mood to generate a desire to experience more of what this strange world has to offer.  It has a warmth to it, all building on a nostalgic brass chorus.




Jolly Roger Bay -

Probably my second favorite song from the game, the theme used in Jolly Roger Bay and Dire, Dire Docks is another example of this soundtrack's range.  This soft, moody little composition has a nice melody and an almost carribean sound with its choice of instruments.  I do not know what it is about music from water levels but it just tends to be the best stuff sometimes.  Odd, huh?





Cool, Cool Mountain -

This is a variation on the Bob-omb Battlefield theme with a carnival twist.  The accordion is an... interesting choice but it works for the level, and good call on those sleigh bells!









Wing Cap Tower -

This theme is a variation on the traditional Star Power theme from earlier games, just a little more arranged and used very sparingly in this title.  It is featured in the cap switch levels as well as when Mario grabs a cap power up in a level.  It is a classic redone with a little more flair.







Bowser in the Dark World -

For me, this song is the reason to feature this soundtrack.  It is not just my favorite song from this game, but it ranks high on my list of favorite video game themes of all time.  The pounding drums, the soft ethereal synth that just builds, the citar, it all just works.  It works so damn well!







I'm actually going to stop there, but this is truly remarkable game soundtrack and it should be listened to often.  Sorry if I left anything out on this list (I know I did) and if there is a song you believe should have been referenced here, please comment and tell me what you think.  Stay tuned because next time we are going to talk a little about the Blue Bomber.

And remember, please feel free to recommend new titles to be featured on this blog.

All music featured in this article is the property of Nintendo (1998) and not my own.  All videos were found on YouTube and are subject to YouTube's policies. 

Game Soundtrack Spotlight - Life Force (1988)

Life Force (1988; Konami)

by Christopher McElfresh

Life Force is one of the earliest game soundtracks I latched onto.  I was always attracted to music in games, but this was one of the first where I really thought I was hearing something special.

Life Force is the US title given to the NES port of Konami's popular arcade game Salamader released in Japan in 1986 as a direct follow-up to the successful Gradius.  The game is phenomenal, representing everything good about the SHUMP genre (one of my favorites).  It had great visuals for its time, even given the limited processing power of the NES.  Released in the summer of 1988 on the Nintendo Entertainment System, it had roughly three years of competition behind it and it outperformed all of its predecessors on a technical level.  It was able to put a lot of stuff on screen at once with little slowdown (Konami as a developer excelled at this) and was a thoroughly enjoyable experience that is still getting its fair share of love to this day.  In fact, IGN gave it an Editor's Choice with the word "Amazing" placed just beneath the box art, and a 9.0 score.

Now, let's talk about the music. The composer of the Life Force soundtrack is Miki Higashino (AKA "Miki-chan".  Source: Wikipedia; The article can be found here), working under the banner of the Konami Kukeiha ("Square Wave") Club.  Miki-chan also worked on another of my all-time favorite game soundtracks, Contra III: The Alien Wars, which we will DEFINITELY be covering at a later date.

The tone of the music in Life Force invokes a sense of adventure and wonder, with big sounds that are anthemic in scale layered with very busy riffs that create a technological feel while giving it a slightly cheery expression.  The music in the game tends to take me back to a different time, where games were about immediacy and excitement rather than length and complexity.  The soundtrack has the exact same feel as the game, a trait that all great game soundtracks share.  If you've never played or seen Life Force, listen to the music, picture in your head a scrolling space shooter and what you imagine will likely not be too far off.  The music invokes a feel that is wholly its own.

The Soundtrack:

Stage 1 - Cell I

The adventure begins.  Approaching a strange organic object from space as distant stars seem to race past you.  Strange ships flutter at you in a haphazard formation.  The music feels like we are building towards something.  It is basically all of the tones of the entire soundtrack in a few measures, giving us a taste of what's to come.








Stage 2 - Volcano

The orientation changes as we to an overhead view of the ship.  Inside a volcano the walls seem to close in around us as rocks are hurled at the ship.  The music feels like space.  I'm not really sure how to explain it, but as you listen to it, you can almost see the stellar objects fill your thoughts. 







Stage 3 - Flame

Back to space (and the side-view) we approach a tunnel of living fire that reaches out to set the ship ablaze.  There is a definite tonal shift with this song.  It sounds much more serious, much stronger, as if we can almost feel the struggle between the small ship and the massive fire tunnel.






Stage 4 - Cell II

The organic motif returns as we climb the spinal column of a strange being.  The song is both adventurous and just a little creepy, instilling a sense that there is something ominous in the near future.










Stage 5 - Sanctuary

 This final theme sounds of a hero's last stand.  Everything has been building up to this and we only have one shot at success.  The question is, can we make it through the final gauntlet and out the other side with the hull of our ship in tact?








Boss Theme - Poison of Snake

 

The boss theme is actually my least favorite theme in the game.  Oh, it's still good, but compared to the strong themes above, the music that highlights the game's awe-inspiring bosses just seems a little weaker.  The sound is both dangerous and evil, sounding of the theme of a great villain sped up in a creepy fashion. 

Some final thoughts:  The soundtrack for Life Force is exemplary.  It is one of the best soundtracks on the NES and for me personally, it brings with it some delightful memories of my youth.  For all of those who have not played this game it is available on the Wii Virtual Console and I believe is also available as an import on the PSN.  Give this game a shot and for those who do remember it, I hope this trip down memory lane put a smile on your face.  Stay tuned because we're going forward about eight years in time for one of Nintendo's greatest outings, and another of my personal favorite game soundtracks ever.

Please feel free to request soundtracks for future examinations!

NOTE: If any of these video links are broken please comment so I can repair them and keep the site running at full potential. 




All above music and Life Force, Salamander, Gradius and all elements therein are property of Konami, Inc.  The video files were found on YouTube and I do not own the videos or their contents.