Yesterday it was snowing. Today it is still snowing. Enough so that there was an hour delay with the school buses. I spent all day working on my FFXI video series and it got me reminiscing of my childhood. I grew up to see the transition from arcades to in home systems. Looking back, it’s hard to believe that the consoles almost didn’t make it.

Surely I can’t be the only one that remembers these things?

 

And of course, it got me thinking about the music that came from all these games and how it’s changed over the years. For me gaming and music go hand in hand – like chocolate and peanut butter. You can have one or the other and it’s fine, but together it’s awesome.

YouTube has several musicians that can do amazing covers of game music. It’s just some games have music that lends itself better to metal than others. And today I came across this guy that I have never listened to before.

I have always liked the techno sound and rhythm of Bad Apple from Touhou (a bullet hell game I have never played because… the suckage that is my hand-eye coordination). Admittedly, though the music is upbeat, the lyrics are not and I hesitated to put this in the Chaos Rally. However, no emotion is wrong or inherently bad. I think the lyrics do a great job in capturing what depression often feels like for me.

Next up on the list is Frog’s Theme from Chrono Trigger. This was the first game I had ever played that featured multiple endings. Far as I know, it was the first to do it. The character, Frog, and his story appealed to me deeply and this was before I had gotten into frogs. I suspect this character had much to do with that.

Following that is Secret of Mana, another game story that fired my imagination. I have no doubt that you’ll find echoes of the themes and concepts around nature presented in this game in my own work. I’m also pleased to hear that a 3D remake was announced and I hope to see it released here.

Last, but not least, is Final Fantasy VII. The music in this game has always been energizing and I think that of them all were composed with the metal genre in mind. If not, the pieces easily convert to metal and feel natural with this sound. The soundtrack in this game was groundbreaking and I believe it defined the future of music in games, leading them toward a more cinematic approach.

And that’s the play list for this weekend. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know of other songs that you feel enhanced, enriched, or defined a storytelling moment – be it movies, games, or what have you.