Tag: Music - Page 8
News Get the Official Free Download of Super Mario Odyssey's Jump Up, Super Star!
Well, that's nice
Super Mario Odyssey was a hit at E3 this year, but a surprising part of the show was the popularity of the game's song, 'Jump Up, Super Star!'. Its chirpy lyrics and Big Band stylings took off, and before long the track had been ripped and lovingly shared online. Now, following the release of an awesome musical video, Nintendo has...
News Tiny Barbarian DX Gets a Rather Huge Soundtrack Release
Chiptune heaven
Tiny Barbarian DX is out today and, whilst we've already seen some nice little goodies on offer alongside the physical retail version in North America, we now have something else for the whole world to enjoy. Releasing as a 76-track album, 'Tiny Barbarian DX: The Ultimate Chiptune Compilation' is now available to download...
Music Super Metroid's Mother Brain Battle Theme Is Much Less Threatening In Jazz Form
Mega Man, Final Fantasy and Transformers themes also tackled
Video game battle themes are normally strident and forceful, creating tension at moments in a game when rapid responses and cunning reflexes are required. However, Japanese music act Gentle Love - which consists of Metal Gear Solid composer Norihiko Hibino (saxophone) and Etrian...
Music Metroid Meets Vangelis In New 70 Track, 5 Disc Fan-Made Album
Gets you in the mood for Metroid: Samus Returns
"What would Metroid's music sound like if it were performed by Vangelis?" This was the question that birthed a new 70 track, 5 disc album by retro gaming enthusiast, music creator and Nintendo Life contributor Gonçalo "Shiryu" Lopes. Shiryu has created works based on franchises like F-Zero,
News Image & Form Shows Off the SteamWorld Dig 2 Soundtrack, Composed by El Huervo
Along with some new snippets of footage
Image & Form keeps its fans updated on progress with its episodes of The Engine Room, and does so once again with its latest episode. This one focuses on the soundtrack for SteamWorld Dig 2; as fans of the series know, each entry brings some terrific game music to our ears. The big-name composer for...
Feature Ex-Rare Composer Grant Kirkhope On "Breaking Mario" And Following In Koji Kondo's Footsteps
"We've poured ourselves into this game to try and make it special"
It's fair to say that Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle didn't have the most auspicious of starts. When the game leaked it was met with a fair degree of scepticism, but that all changed when the title was unveiled onstage at E3, complete with an appearance by Shigeru Miyamoto himself...
News Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap Soundtrack Now Available For Download
89 tracks spanning more than two hours
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is one of our favourite Switch eShop titles, and with good reason - it takes the incredible Master System original and gives it a HD lick of paint. Another reason to adore the game is Michael Geyre's amazing arranged soundtrack, which uses Shinichi Sakamoto’s original tunes...
Music Check Out Sonic Forces' Opening Theme, Featuring Hoobastank's Douglas Robb
"How Do You Do, Fellow Kids?"
Sega has released the opening theme for the upcoming Sonic Forces, which features vocals and lyrics by Douglas Robb of Hoobastank. Hoobastank were formed in 1994 (it says here) and have sold 10 million albums worldwide (it also says here). We can't say we've spun many of their discs in the Nintendo...
News Here's Your First Taste Of Grant Kirkhope's Contribution To Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Former Rare man has outdone himself yet again
Nintendo fans were excited to finally hear the confirmation that Grant Kirkhope (known for his work on Banjo Kazooie, Goldeneye, and Donkey Kong 64) would be producing music for Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. It'
News Streets Of Rage And Etrian Odyssey Composer Isn't Sure Why The Switch Exists
"I'm not really surprised by it"
The name Yuzo Koshiro will be instantly familiar to anyone who has been gaming for the past 30 years. The legendary creator of music for games like Streets of Rage, Revenge of Shinobi, ActRaiser and Etrian Odyssey has been president of Ancient Corp for 27 years now, and during that time he has contributed some...
News Pop On Some Headphones for This Sonic Forces Park Avenue Track
Composed by Tomoya Ohtani
Not long ago SEGA unveiled its custom character feature for Sonic Forces, which will allow players to create their own hero to fight alongside modern and classic Sonic. There'll be plenty of options and different animal types that have various abilities, though some are concerned at what the dedicated Sonic fanbase will...
Music This 8-Bit Rendition Of The ARMS Theme Is Even Catchier Than The Original
Earworm
If you've taken part in the ARMS Global Testpunch recently then you'll no doubt find yourself humming the game's excellent theme tune for most of your waking hours - it's that catchy. In case you're one of the few people who haven't heard it yet - or you need reminding so it can torment you for even longer - here's what it sounds like:...
Video Lindsey Stirling Performs RiME's Beautiful "Forgotten City" Theme
Complete with a gorgeous video, of course
The ridiculously-talented Lindsey Stirling has taken part in yet another video game project, this time relating to the upcoming Zelda-like adventure RiME. Stirling - whose talents include violin, dancing and creating her own award-winning original music - has performed the game's "Forgotten City"...
News Highly Regarded Game Composer, and Metroid Fan, is Working at Retro Studios
Dare to dream
What is Retro Studios up to? That's a key question for Nintendo fans. Aside from assisting in a small number of projects the Texas-based studio has been quiet since the enjoyable Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze on Wii U. After a trilogy of Metroid Prime games on GameCube and Wii and then two Donkey Kong Country titles, the book is...
Video Rapper Mega Ran Enters A Spooky Game Boy World In His Latest Track
Take me to church
Mega Ran - friend of Nintendo Life and nerdcore rapper extraordinaire - is back with a new video for his song "Church" which we thought we'd share as it's been done with a 1989 Nintendo Game Boy style which even people who aren't fans of this genre of music should enjoy. You might also recognise the sample from Super Mario World in...
News David Wise Talks Humble Beginnings, Snake Pass & Nintendo
"Originally I wanted to be somebody like Phil Collins"
The video game industry has been blessed with some incredible musical talents over the years, with ex-Rare composer David Wise being a standout; there's a strong chance you you will have heard his work. Having created acclaimed scores for games like Battletoads, Wizards & Warriors and Donkey...
News Hero of Time Orchestral Album Now Available for Pre-Order as Download, CD, or Vinyl
"An epic re-imagining of the iconic score "
The Legend of Zelda is a franchise with some of the most memorable music in gaming, and it's celebrated in various ways. Late last year we reported on an album by Materia Collective that is re-imagining the soundtrack from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time; though it's not an official Nintendo product...
News The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses 2017 Tour Details Have Been Revealed
Most tickets are already on sale, too
Back when The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was the new Zelda game, part of the series' anniversary celebrations for that year was a traveling orchestra that performed live arrangements of music from across the long history of Zelda games. The concept proved to be so popular that they brought it back the...
Feature David Wise On Creating "Aztec Rock And Roll" For Snake Pass
"I'm a Nintendo-influenced fan boy at heart"
David Wise is something of a legend in the realm of video game music; plucked from the obscurity of Leicester's high street by the Stamper Brothers, he would become Rare's in-house composer for many years, almost single-handedly creating the aural accompaniment to the studio's NES, SNES and Game Boy...
Music Strike Up The Band - Final Fantasy “Bra Bra” 2017 Tour Announced
On the road again
The world of Final Fantasy is never dull. On top of the main series of games, spin-offs and remakes, there's always been a lot of fun items and events that fans can enjoy. 2017 is no exception and one of the bigger events this year will be the Final Fantasy Brass de Bravo concert tour. Starting on 2nd April and continuing through...
Music Secret Of Mana Composer Hiroki Kikuta Releases Prog Rock And Jazz Fusion Albums
Nice
Composer Hiroki Kikuta is responsible for some of the best gaming soundtracks ever, with Seiken Densetsu II (Secret of Mana), Seiken Densetsu III and Koudelka under his belt. He's currently creating music for the Kickstarter title Indivisible by Lab Zero Games, but he has found the time to produce not one but two new albums, collaborating with...
Music Loads Of Classic Sega Albums Are Now Available On Spotify
Welcome to the Fantasy Zone
If you like tapping your toes to classic tunes from Sega games - and let's face it, who doesn't - then you'll be pleased to learn that the Japanese veteran has made many of its video game music album available for streaming on Spotify. The official soundtrack albums for games such as Out Run, NiGHTS, Virtua Fighter 5,
Video Check Out This Cool Music Bug in Super Mario Bros. 2
A nod to its heritage
I've always enjoyed this time in the life cycle of gaming. You know, when one piece of hardware is retired and another is introduced; this time around we anxiously await to christen The Switch in our homes, while the Wii U gets ready for the viking funeral. But that all aside, it's a great time to look back and reacquaint...
Feature Experiencing Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses & Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions
Music to all ears
Arjun has attended both the Symphony of the Goddesses and Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions tours, and shares his thoughts on the experiences. To most people, video games are a way to relax, unwind, be entertained, get competitive, or all of the above. To others, video games are that and then some - a tool to escape into worlds...
News Tomoya Tomita Leaves Good-Feel Games, Uploads Recent Compositions Online
The composer for Yoshi's Woolly World and Kirby's Epic Yarn
When it comes to famous Nintendo composers, Koji Kondo is usually the first name to come to mind, due in no small part to his significant contributions to the Super Mario and Legend of Zelda series'. One composer's name that you may not be quite so familiar with is that of Tomoya Tomita,...
Rumour Grant Kirkhope to Compose Music For Mario & Rabbids Crossover RPG
Known for Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark, and Yooka-Laylee
Back in November there were reports from multiple sources that Ubisoft would be producing an RPG for the Nintendo Switch, serving as a crossover between the Mario series and the Rabbids universe. You can read what we had to say about it here. Today we might have a hint as to who will be...
Video Mega Man Inspired Rock Band "The Protomen" Release Short Film
It's going to make you explode into neon-coloured smoke
I've been listening to The Protomen's music for the generous half of a decade, dreaming of the day when the concepts created would be able to breathe visually. The day has come, and it's a great one. For those unfamiliar, The Protomen are a band that's been around for 13 years. Most...
Music Behold the Majesty of The Legend of Zelda 30th Anniversary Concert CD
Japan gets all the best stuff!
Remember CDs? They were those shiny discs you can still play in most car stereos. We jest, the Japan-exclusive The Legend of Zelda 30th Anniversary Concert CD looks seriously cool. Out on 15th February 2017, this lovely 2-disc release will set you back ¥3,000 (around £20 / $25) plus tax; Amazon Japan is listing it...
News There's Another Famicom Chiptune Cart Coming Next Year
8bit Music Power Final to contain 18 tracks
The idea of someone releasing a chiptune album on a Famicom cartridge might seem strange if it hadn't happened once already, but that doesn't make the impending launch of 8bit Music Power Final any less exciting or unique. Riki is the developer and Columbus Circle is the publisher, and the cart will hit...
News The Ocarina of Time Soundtrack is Getting an Orchestrated Vinyl Release
One for the ages
One of the most odd, yet satisfying, things to emerge from the 25th Anniversary of the Legend of Zelda was the Symphony of the Goddesses. This traveling orchestra took fans on a sonic journey through all of Link's past adventures, with many classic soundtracks getting a live, orchestrated reproduction. It seems that the symphony...
Music Hero Muzik Vol. II Blends Chrono Trigger With Hip Hop, and Does It Brilliantly
Produced by K-Murdock with contributors like Mega Ran and Sammus
Gaming attracts some incredibly talented creators, and we enjoy keeping track of some musicians that show their love for games through their projects. A new album is now out to celebrate Chrono Trigger - it's called Hero Muzik Vol. II. Produced by K-Murdock with a broad range of...
Video You Really Need To See Miyamoto Jamming The Super Mario Theme With The Roots
We demand a world tour
As you'll no doubt already know, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime appeared on The Tonight Show last night to demo Super Mario Run and the forthcoming Nintendo Switch console to an understandably over-excited Jimmy Fallon. Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto was also in attendance, and at one point joined the house...
News Composer Koji Kondo Talks Super Mario And Zelda In Freshly Translated 2001 Interview
"The jumping sound was even used on a TV quiz show"
Some of Nintendo's most iconic tunes were created by Koji Kondo, making the Japanese composer one of the most listened-to artists in the world - even if people don't necessarily know his name. A 2001 interview with Kondo - taken from Game Maestro Vol. 3 - has been freshly translated into English...
News The Pokémon Sun and Moon Soundtrack is Beginning to Roll Out on iTunes Globally
Keep your eyes peeled
While the titular Pocket Monsters may be the stars of the Pokémon franchise, the music has certainly been a nice plus in the games. Many a classic track has been crafted over the years, and the Pokémon Sun and Moon soundtrack fits in well with this lineage. For those of you that would be interested in listening to the...
Music Rayman Soundtrack Could Get a Jazz/Rock Reimagining in New Album
Led by the original composer
It's relatively common for enthusiasts for remix and remaster classic game soundtracks, but occasionally the originally composers take up the challenge. That's the case with a current Kickstarter campaign being led by Rémi Gazel, the composer for the original Rayman. His goal is to raise funds for a soundtrack album...
Music Nintendo Tunes Played On Japanese Instruments Sound As Cool As You'd Expect
Famikoto confirm 4th live performance in Japan
We all know that video game music is some of the most dramatic, striking and downright beautiful around, but nothing can prepare you for the utter magnificence of hearing your favourite Nintendo tunes being played on traditional Japanese instruments. Say hello to Famikoto, a group of musicians who use...
News 8Bit Music Power Book Available To Pre-Order Now
Music to our ears
Long-time readers of the site will know that we covered the incredible 8Bit Music Power Famicom release a while ago and came away very impressed indeed. Essentially a chiptune album in cartridge form, it contained tracks from the likes of Hiroaki Sano, Keishi Yonao and Masahiro Kajihara and has unsurprisingly gone on to become...
News An Intriguing Tale of How The Legend of Zelda's Iconic Opening Song Almost Never Happened
It could have been Ravel's Boléro
The main theme for The Legend of Zelda's opening crawl on NES is embedded in gaming and popular culture, reimagined and remixed countless times. Like many much-loved parts of gaming it has a slightly complicated history, which is nicely summarised in a recent official interview. Translated from a feature series...
News Nanoloop Mono Turns Your Old Game Boy Into A Synthesiser
For all your old-school bleep and bloop needs
It is not news the Game Boy is the weapon of choice for many chiptune artists, nor that nanoloop is one of the most recognized names for software that makes the Game Boy "sing" to your desires. But now the company is taking things a step further and is releasing a cartridge that turns your old DMG model...
News Mondo Music Releasing Super Castlevania IV Vinyl Soundtrack Next Year
"What music they make!"
Pop culture reissue company Mondo has revealed that it is releasing a limited edition vinyl soundtrack for Konami's legendary SNES hit Super Castlevania IV next year. Mondo - which creates limited edition posters, vinyl soundtracks, collectibles and clothing "inspired by our favorite movies, TV shows, comics and more" - has...
News Classic Game Music Gets a Jazzy Twist in New Game+ Album
From OverClocked Records and jazz fusion band Materia
Retro games are continually celebrated in different ways around the web, giving classic material a new lease of life. Plenty of talented fans do this through music, and a new album brings a classy twist to iconic tracks. New Game+ is a collaboration between OverClocked Records and 'jazz...
Feature Musical Memories and Cosplay at The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses
The full Zelda experience at the recent Glasgow concert
The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses tour once again set sail for UK shores this week, and for the first time in its history it landed in Glasgow. The tour has been going since 2012, after the Symphony of the Goddesses CD was released with Skyward Sword, but the Symphony had...
News Super Turrican Gets The Ultimate Digital Audio Treatment
MSU1 magic again, Chris Huelsbeck approved
To be honest the regular Super Turrican soundtrack is stunning as is, with Chris Huelsbeck using the Super Nintendo's Sony SPC700 sound chip to deliver a unique take on his iconic synthpop compositions and even managing to make it one of the very few SNES games to use Dolby Surround in the process...
News Tribute Album 64 Offers a Whole Lot of Retro Music Remixes for Free
Put on some headphones
Classic gaming consoles are rightly celebrated by retro fans, and with the 20th Anniversary (for North America) of the Nintendo 64 having passed recently, a group of talented musicians teamed up to produce a meaty collection of remixed tracks - Tribute Album 64 is absolutely packed with music, and it's free. Brought together...
News The FAST Racing NEO Soundtrack is Now Available to Buy
DRM-free and pay what you want
FAST Racing NEO, a standout Wii U eShop release in late 2015, got a little more enticing this week with the release of the NEO Future Pack DLC, with a price of $4.99 / €4.99 / £4.20. The gameplay is naturally a major part of the appeal, but another strength of this game (and various others by Shin'en Multimedia) is...
News Unreleased Game Boy Color RPG Infinity Gets Unexpected Soundtrack Release
A unique situation
Usually video game soundtracks are released because a game becomes a commercial success and the demand therefore exists for such a product, but in the case of the unreleased Game Boy Color RPG Infinity - which we reported on a while back - the situation is a little different. Originally intended for release over 15 years ago, the...
News Metroid Composer Shares Personal Note About the 30th Anniversary
Also, a cool Metroid montage track
The Metroid series has always been known for crafting an effective atmosphere, there's just no other game that manages to capture that same sense of creepy isolation. Environment design plays a large role in this, but the soundtrack also contributes in no small way. Considering that we just passed the 30th...
Video Exploring The Funky Inspiration for the Super Mario Bros. Underground Theme
Time to dig out a record from 1979
The music in Super Mario Bros. is just about as iconic as it gets in gaming, with gamers of various ages and types familiar with the soundtrack. The underground theme is one of the most well-known, with a funky bass beat kicking it off. Our buddies from The Centre for Computing History in Cambridge (England)...
Video Enjoy The Famous Pokémon Theme in Twenty '90s Styles
Brilliant work from 10 Second Songs
YouTube may host some dross that prompts a weary shake of the head from cynics like this writer, but it also has some amazing content. When creative and talented individuals turn their skills to honouring popular culture and gaming, the end results can be amazing. This video from 10 Second Songs certainly...
Random Influential Music Publication, Pitchfork, Showcases 'Musical Gems' from the Nintendo 64
Quite right, too
It's common for sites like this one to write with great fondness about platforms like the Nintendo 64, but an article we've seen doing the rounds on social media shows that publications in various genres have an appreciation for gaming's contributions to various areas. Pitchfork, one of the largest and most influential publications...
