Tag: Music - Page 14
News Zelda Symphony Heading To Australia
A Link To The South
Amazing news, Zelda fans: The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses will be heading to Australia next year to continue its world tour. You can purchase the tickets from Ticketmaster, which are available to buy from October 20th. Both shows are set to take place at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall on Friday February 1st...
News The Harp Twins Are Back With Another Musical Video
Music to our ears
Camille and Kennerly, known as The Harp Twins, are back with another game-themed arrangement, this time with a rather soothing Final Fantasy medley. The twins’ unique take on the harp involves new arrangements of well-known music pieces; it's certainly worked quite well in their favour, with a worldwide following and over 4...
News The Truth Behind Donkey Kong Country's Opening Level Theme
It's a stitch-up
Remember the music for the opening level on Donkey Kong Country? Do you recall how it moves from one musical style to another, almost as if it's three different songs that have been fused together? That because it is. In an interview with CVG, former Rare composer David Wise reveals the truth behind the track: I was on holiday in...
News Kylie Sing & Dance Coming To Wii Next Month
We just can't get you out of our heads
This year will mark Kylie Minogue's 25th year in music, and what better way to celebrate by singing and dancing the night away with Kylie Sing & Dance for the Wii in November. The game will feature 25 of Aussie starlet’s globally recognised smash hits, including tunes such as ‘Spinning Around’, ‘I...
News Justin Bieber Surprises Just Dance 4 Fans
The girls just couldn't 'Belieb' it
Ubisoft invited a bunch of young girls to come and play Just Dance 4 early for what they thought was a research focus group. The girls figured they were being asked to give some feedback on the game, but little did they know that Ubisoft had another trick up its sleeves. Justin Bieber was called upon to help...
News Mass Effect fans, Take Note: Cris Velasco Is Scoring ZombiU's Soundtrack
Veteran game composer crafting a dark score for Ubisoft's upcoming zombie title
Hot off the heels of Mass Effect 3 and Borderlands 2, BAFTA award winning composer Cris Velasco will be lending his musical talents to the horror genre with Ubisoft's ZombiU. Best known for his work on the God of War series, Cris is no stranger to the game industry,...
News The Best Damn Half Time Entertainment You'll Ever See
Ohio State University Marching Band plays Zelda, Mario, Tetris and more
The Ohio State University Marching Band is a pretty big deal. It's one of the largest groups of its type in the world, and is regularly referred to by admirers as "The Best Damn Band in the Land" (TBDBITL for short). Famed for its stunningly complex half time performances, the...
News This Super Metroid Cover Will Blow Your Mind
Rock me, Ridley
Given that video game music is held in such high regard by players, it's perhaps not surprising that there are literally hundreds of tributes floating around the net right now. However, few can match the awesomeness of this effort by On Being Human. The band - which is made up of film, television and video game composers - posted...
News New Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses Tour Dates Are Music to Our Ears
Fresh North American dates confirmed
Nintendo has confirmed more North American dates for its successful The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses Tour. To mark the occasion, the Nintendo World store in New York is hosting a series of special events on Friday 14th September, including the chance to pose with Zelda cosplayer Li "PikminLink"...
News Kid Icarus: Uprising Complete Soundtrack Blasting Into Japan
Imports available, at a hefty price
We suspect that anyone who's played Kid Icarus: Uprising with a pair of good headphones has listened to and enjoyed at least a few of the music tracks. It's possible to listen to snippets of sweeping orchestral music in the game itself, but it's a soundtrack that seems worthy of a serious listen when not...
News Harmony of a Hunter: 101% Run Set For November Release
Blasting your speakers soon
Harmony of a Hunter: 101% Run, the fan-produced music album of Metroid music and remixes, is now confirmed for a November release. A follow up to the original Harmony of a Hunter double album, 101% Run will feature music that missed out on the first release as well as brand new tracks. Like its predecessor it'll be...
News The Legend of Zelda Music Makes Olympics Appearance
The Games feature a game
The Legend of Zelda franchise may not have the same raw selling power reserved almost exclusively for Mario, but it still has a significant and passionate worldwide fanbase. One of the defining and iconic parts of the series is its music, and it seems that a Mexican gymnast called Elsa Garcia Rodriguez Blancas is a fan, as...
Talking Point Music and Rhythm Games Are Coming Back
No plastic guitars needed
There was a time, in the not too distant past, when Harmonix and Activision were locked in a gaming battle of the plastic bands, with the Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises facing off in the charts. It was a phenomenon, capitalising on the rise of a new generation of gamers, that allowed us to live out fantasies of being...
Feature The Best Soundtracks on Wii
Wii music
Often overlooked in favour of graphics, music can elevate gaming from the memorable to the unforgettable. Since 2006 the Wii has provided players with some truly incredible music, from humble chip tunes to fully orchestrated epics. Here’s a selection of the most gratifying experiences to delight your ears, all thanks to the humble Wii...
News Get a Load of This Retro Rap
Rad rapping
Music dedications to classic gaming are relatively common on YouTube, but a new rap track from Richie Branson and Random a.k.a. Mega Ran is a cut above the rest. Super Nintendo, SEGA Genesis is fondly dedicated to the retro 16-bit rivals, with both rappers dropping references to many of the most memorable games and trends of the time...
News Harmony of a Hunter Follow-Up Album Shoots for Perfect Run
Available later this year
Earlier in the year we told you about Harmony of a Hunter, a fan-produced double-album of music from the Metroid series. We also had an interview with director Darren Kerwin and assistant director Torbjørn 'Falcool' Brandrud, who said the project was devised to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the franchise, even if...
News This Rhythm Thief Concert is Seriously Groovy
Feel the beat
Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure is a title perfectly suited to 3DS, with its numerous bite-size rhythm levels and quirky humour, and is definitive proof that SEGA can still give us fun games. One of its best features is the funky and toe-tapping soundtrack, so we were pretty pleased when we discovered this footage of a music...
News Zelda Rock Album Available Now
Suitably epic
The Legend of Zelda is a franchise with immediately recognisable themes and soundtracks, which naturally prompts fans to produce their own arrangements and covers of the iconic music. In an interesting approach, one musician has opted to, in his words, produce a 'post-rock inspired rearrangement of Koji Kondo's music', giving it a new...
News Buy Sonic Soundtracks For All Generations
SEGA fans rejoice
The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise may have lurched from genius to disaster, and back again, but like any series with two decades worth of games it has built up an impressive library of music. Many gamers fondly remember hearing the Green Hill Zone music for the first time, and the blue blur has given us plenty of classic chip tunes...
News Let Animal Crossing be the Soundtrack to Your Day
Music 24/7
One thing that you may think about occasionally is that, unlike characters in video games, movies and TV shows, we don't have a music soundtrack following us through our daily lives. Animal Crossing on GameCube, meanwhile, followed the same clock as us and its characters had an active soundtrack for every hour of the day. Courtesy of a...
News Zelda Concert Tour Returns to North America
The quest for tickets begins
The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses concert tour, organised to celebrate 25 years of the franchise, got into full swing in Dallas on 10th January. After the initial run of concerts we were promised additional events, and these are now confirmed. A range of new concerts have emerged on zelda-symphony.com, with...
News Remixed Pilotwings Soundtrack Takes Flight
Music to your ears?
SNES classic Pilotwings had a pretty good soundtrack, and it sounds better now it's been remixed. Pilotwings: Take Flight is a seven track project from OCRemix-ers halc and group Insert Rupee, available for free download now. We'd recommend it on the strength of its track names alone — You Don't Talk About Flight Club and The...
Interview Shinesparkers - Celebrating Metroid with Music
Recreating the adventure
Recently we became aware of Harmony of a Hunter, a two-disc album of fan-produced Metroid music that covers the history of the franchise: it's available for free from this download page. It's a project from Metroid fan-site shinesparkers.net, and a follow-up album called Harmony of a Hunter: 101% Run is on the way. We spoke...
News Monster Hunter and Jazz Finally Brought Together
Swing that giant sword
When battling huge monsters in Monster Hunter Tri, and no doubt desperately hoping to hunt down some extra meat to gorge on, have you ever wished that there was a jazz soundtrack to keep you going? Well, the day has finally arrived, if you live in Japan. As reported by Andriasang, Capcom has released a new soundtrack with a...
News Fan Collective Planning Metroid Music Release
Free two-disc album already available
Last year was packed full of Nintendo anniversaries, including 25 years since the original Metroid arrived on the NES. While Mario and The Legend of Zelda enjoyed celebrations and special anniversary game releases, Metroid was restricted to the appearance of Metroid Fusion on 3DS, and that was only for...
News Super Mario World Music Video Crams In a Marimba
Everyone likes a marimba
You're probably thinking you've heard every imaginable variation on every single Super Mario theme, jingle and ditty, but this Super Mario World overworld theme contains a marimba and a melodica. It's also pretty good. The list of instruments in Adam Mormolstein's video might even eclipse the number of levels in Mario's...
News 8-Bit + 6 String = NES Guitar
Making beautiful music
You can play a lot on an NES, but you know what you can't play on it? Stairway to Heaven. You could end all that injustice with an NES guitar. Get Lo-Fi (via This Is Why I'm Broke) makes and sells various configurations of the guitars — single coil pick-ups and rosewood or maple neck will set you back $155, while humbuckers...
News Sing Along to The History of Nintendo
Start Friday right
The talented folks at long-running webcomic Brawl in the Family have used their 400th strip to celebrate Nintendo's life and times in a catchy tune. From hanafuda cards to Wii U, it crams some good detail into its 3:42 running time and will no doubt get stuck in your head for a good few hours. It also scores bonus points for...
Ninterview Camille and Kennerly - The Harp Twins
Making sweet music
The internet is full of unusual covers of Nintendo songs, but none caught our eye quite like this Ballad of the Goddess harp duet by identical twins Camille and Kennerly, aka The Harp Twins. We talked to the musical duo about gaming, music and sticking together. Nintendo Life: Hi guys, thanks for agreeing to this interview! First...
News Sound-chip Enthusiast Explains Retro Sound Design
NES music gets the treatment
For some gamers there's a particular pleasure to be found in listening to music from previous console generations. We're not referring to the midi-fest of the N64, but going all the way back to the original NES. Technological limitations meant that only certain sounds and compositions could be used, but clever design...
News Mario and Zelda Sheet Music Now Available
Ocarina of Tune
Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda are arguably Nintendo's most prominent and famous franchises. With a shared history spanning 25 years and a lot of games, fans have been treated to some glorious music, whether it's been chip-tune or orchestral. Now, thanks to Alfred Music Publishing, musical gamers have the opportunity to play...
News Resident Evil: Revelations Art Book and CD Soundtrack Announced
For Japan, so far
The hype is starting to build for Resident Evil: Revelations, not surprising as it's the first major release of the year on 3DS. With that in mind, it seems that Capcom is ready to go the extra mile to give fans of the series all of the content they need to get them excited. According to Andriasang, Capcom has announced a rather...
News Nintendo Reveals More Dates for Zelda Concert Tour
Is it coming to your town?
Nintendo has added several new dates to its Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses tour across North America, taking in Ontario, Seattle, San Francisco and more. Here's the list of dates, with more still to be announced, so don't be too disheartened if it's not stopping near you. 10th January — Dallas14th March —...
News Zelda Symphony Tour Gets Four More Dates
Updated: make that six
Update: Orlando and Denver added. Ticketmaster has revealed four six more dates for the Zelda Symphony of the Goddesses orchestral tour. The tour will take in Vancouver and Atlanta and stop in Phoenix twice. An Orlando date was added and then removed, then added again. 14th March — Vancouver, BC7th April — Denver, CO20th...
News Skyward Sword's Music Sounds Even Better When SNES-ified
Who needs an orchestra?
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword's music is up there with the best of the series, and made all the more powerful by its use of a real orchestra. But how do the melodies themselves hold up when taken back to something a little less realistic? "Very well indeed" is the answer. YouTube user MischievousMusings has...
Podcast NLFM Episode 22: Mascots and Mixes
New digs for old friends
Our chip and game music podcast rears its lovely head this month with a collection of Nintendo mascot sounds new and old, from that new Kirby game to Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Metroid remixes. Jun Ishikawa, Hirokazu Ando — Cookie Country (Kirby’s Return to Dreamland)The Greatest Bits — Fear Factory (Donkey K
News Zelda Concert Tour Kicks Off in Dallas on 10th January
Updated: tickets on sale now
The recent Zelda 25th Anniversary concerts in Los Angeles and London were just tasters ahead of the main course: a full tour that kicks off in 2012. The newly renamed The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses starts in Dallas, Texas on 10th January before touring the United States. Tickets for the Dallas show will...
News A Video of Link Rapping on a Beach
What more do you need?
You want to make a rap video for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, but you haven't got access to a world above the clouds or a nearby volcano. What do you do instead? You dress up as Link, go down to the beach and film it there. The video below might not be the most faithful tribute to the series we've ever seen, but it's...
Feature Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony Concert Report
London, Eiji Aonuma, Koji Kondo, Zelda Williams, legendary
After a successful first show at the Pantages theatre in Los Angeles, The Legend of Zelda 25th anniversary symphony took in London's Hammersmith Apollo with a sold-out show that celebrated the series' captivating music. Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma took to the stage to introduce the...
News Symphonic Concert is the Latest 3D Nintendo Video
Quick, to the 3DS!
Calm down, fans of three-dimensional footage of orchestras rehearsing: today is about to be your best day ever. Nintendo of Europe has just released a 3D video of the Berlin Philharmoniker via SpotPass, as the world famous orchestra rehearses a performance of Russian Dance from Stravinsky's Petrushka, of course. By now you've...
Podcast NLFM Episode 21: Curse of the Halloween Hootenanny
Fear the reaper!
Since it's not only the single best month of the year and because we had so much fun last time [citation needed], the NLFM Halloween Hootenanny has returned! More spooky, more sinister and more deathly, this episode is best listened to in a dark castle dungeon while eating raw pumpkins. Failing that, anywhere else will do. 1. Hip...
Podcast NLFM Episode 20: It's Alive!
Thanks for hanging on to those RSS feeds
Had you going there for a while, didn't we? Weekly. Ha! Sorry for the absence, fearless listeners, but Nintendo Life's chip and game music podcast NLFM is back on track after a too-long hiatus. And boy do we have some doozies for your ears! 1. Shiryu — The Goddamn Batman (Shiryu’s Arcade vol. 4)2. Yoko...
News Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Limited Edition Details
The music, the controller, the lot
Can't wait for Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword but want to know more about the limited edition gold Wii Remote Plus? Today is your lucky day. Nintendo has announced that the game and gold controller will be available in North America from 20th November, retailing at $69.99. The game will be available on its own for...
News How Do Bowser, Toad and Luigi Really Feel About Peach?
Let them rap about it
Life lesson #1: you can never have too much Nintendo-themed hip hop. Last month we told you about Heath McNease's album Straight Outta Console, and now we have Letters to Princess by rapper I B. Detailing the agony and frustration felt by Toad, Luigi and Bowser that Mario always manages to capture the heart of Princess Peach,...
News Zelda Symphony Concert Hits London on 25th October
Europe's only show
Nintendo's Legend of Zelda anniversary celebrations reach Europe with a symphony concert in London on 25th October. This is the only Zelda concert that will reach Europe, so if you want to see Zelda music played live, you need to get to London in October. Tickets start from £33.75 (plus booking fees) and will be available from...
News First Zelda Concert Takes LA in October, Tour Starts in 2012
Ticket prices inside
Nintendo's orchestral tribute to the Legend of Zelda series will kick off on 21st October at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, ahead of a full tour in 2012. The 70-piece orchestra and choir will play pieces picked by Koji Kondo and the Nintendo sound team and will be produced by the team behind the PLAY! A Video Game...
News Your Free Antipole Soundtrack Awaits
Game out this Thursday
Antipole is ready for release in North America this Thursday, and to get you in the mood Saturnine Games has released the game's soundtrack for free via its website. The nine-track aural accompaniment was composed by Cosmos X2 musician Zack Parrish, with tracks ranging from retro tunes to pieces like You Think You're Tough?...
News Metroid Remix Album Sounds Pretty Sweet So Far
Samus it ever was
Next month marks the 25th anniversary of Metroid, and dedicated fan community ShineSparkers has just released a preview of remix album Harmony of a Hunter. The OCRemix project contains tracks spanning Samus Aran's gaming history, from 8-bit to today, with styles ranging from electronic to choral. The snippets provided so far...
News Awesome Nintendo Hip-Hop Starts Your Weekend Right
Block-bashing beats
We love a bit of Nintendo-inspired music, and it's testament to the company's creativity that it inspires artists over a wide range of genres, from Japanese beatboxers to Mario Kart jazz. Hip hop artist Heath McNease is a new favourite here at Nintendo Life Towers, waxing lyrical about Tanooki suits, the Konami code and...
News There's Always Room for One More Mario Theme Tune Video
It's just wafer thin
You've heard the Mario theme played on a Chipophone. A Japanese beatbox version? Heard that too. But a dude creating the whole Mario theme tune experience on his own, with drums, sound effects and more? That's new. The video is the work of the talented Jack Conte, who takes the tune we all know, bolts on a big beat and lets the...
