Official Nontendo Music Thread

Whoops, totally forgot about this for this week! Pretend it's last Thursday for a moment.

Non-Nintendo Music Weeks - Week Six: Double Dragon Neon



You've probably heard of Double Dragon - Bimmy Billy and Jimmy storming the streets, beating up goons in a bid to save their girl. It's classic beat-em-up action. Double Dragon Neon is a 2012 re-imagining of the series, containing the same brawling action but with a modern lick of paint on the game. It plays pretty much as a love letter to the 80s, with dayglo neon and chirpy 80s dance music replete throughout the game.



City Streets 2 is my choice to represent this game. This song is right up my alley (no pun intended) - I've got a Spotify playlist dedicated to 80s style dance music. It's a perfect representation of the dayglo 80s sound whilst still being energetic enough to fulfill its role as a level theme. Top stuff.

Next week (not in three days, honest) - a behemoth of an offering.

I thought we were getting a platformer from you next not a beat-em up.

*Brawler

----

The 80s is strong with this one.

masofdas wrote:

I thought we were getting a platformer from you next not a beat-em up.

Ah fuck, so we were. Next Thursday then!

The_Jaster wrote:

*Brawler

I even used "brawling action" to sate you brawler types. I'm fine with either - it's "fighter/fighting" game I take issue with.

I was just messing about tbh as I probably called double dragon etc beat em ups back in the day.

Athrun's Video Game Playlist: Track 07 ~ Followers of Chaos (Final Fantasy XIII-2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPOrkLoNs6g





Beautiful orchestra blah blah unprecedented fabulousness blah blah blah main villain theme blah blah magnificent glorious menacing atmosphere blah blah xiii-2's one winged angel.




I did have more written but then I closed the window because sleepiness so an ultra abbreviated version of what I was going to say shall have to do.  I'm overdue for a pick, I mentioned this as a standout track in my rambling thoughts of the game, so it gets the honours.  Till next time.

What's happened to you Jay

The Names James not Moyles but Bond, James Bond



As Jay & beemoh have both seemed to have vanished, I though I'd have a go again with a special Bond themed edition of Bond games that aren't tied to a film.

Agent Under Fire

Nightfire

Everthing or Nothing

Rogue Agent

Blood Stone

I have left this for too long, if I'm honest it's because my interest and drive to continue upped and died.  It's back, at least for today, so lets make up for the absence with four picks!  More falcom awesomeness, this time from their newest game Sen no Kiseki!  

Athrun's Video Game Playlist: Track 08 + 09 + 10 + 11 ~ Awakening + Bring Up Trust! + Phantasmal Blaze + Blue Destination
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvDiaV75E6M



This is what video game music is about!  Catchy cheerful awesome and sometimes epic themes!   If I'm honest I'm still kind of deciding what I think of Sen two's full ost, but these four tracks are just fantastic!  The first two are uplifting/inspirational, Phantasmal Blaze is just epic, and Blue Destination is just wow.  Normally I cringe a little when falcom busts out the orchestral stuff if I'm absolutely honest (exception being The Merciless Saviour from trails in the sky second chapter), but not this time with Phantasmal Blaze.  And Blue Destination, well, given it's another variant of one of my favourite ever falcom themes (The Decisive Collision*) it would have been hard for me not to absolutely love it.  And people that hate chorus will be happy to know only one theme has them.  


*Why have you not heard me mention that theme before if it's one of my favourite ever themes by falcom?  I've been keeping it for later in this segments life is the reason.  Can't just post all my favourite themes in quick order and have nothing to post as the months go by can I?  It would not be a very smart move.

The drunka inspired

HALO Edition (Series Theme)


Starting with
Halo Wars


Halo Reach


Halo: Combat Evolved


Halo 2


Halo 3: ODST


Halo 3


Halo 4


Halo 5: Guardians


Hope you enjoyed some tracks from this series.

Thanks for keeping this somewhat updated Mas and Athrun. I listened to the tracks you posted, good offerings. I think for the next music week I do (probably Sunday - I've more time on Sundays) I'm going to expand on your Halo week Mas, and do a full edition on Halo 3: ODST. Some criminally underrated tracks in that game.

It's good to have you back Jay, I'm looking forward to your upcoming contributions.  

We've still not had your platformer yet Jay before you go do Halo 3 ODST

masofdas wrote:

We've still not had your platformer yet Jay before you go do Halo 3 ODST

Ah! Well, that'll come after ODST. Gotta keep you wanting more updates.

Yeah, so I'm shite at updating this.

But anyway, here's the next music week!

Non-Nintendo Music Weeks: Week Seven - Halo 3: ODST



Halo 3: ODST was somewhat of an odd title. It stripped away the feeling of being an invincible space soldier and placed you into the role of a somewhat more fragile space soldier. Your health didn't regenerate, taking down brutes was a trial and there was a hub area of sorts. It was not your typical Halo game. One of my favourite parts of this game was how different the soundtrack felt from previous Halo titles. Certainly, there were still bombastic orchestral pieces, but during the nighttime city scenes, the music took on a much more reserved, almost blues-like tone. Let's have a listen.



Deference for Darkness was one of the few tracks that played during the city exploration scenes. Instantly, it sets itself apart from Halo's usual bombast. Saxophone and piano lead you through the dark streets, as you move from cover to cover, avoiding the brutes. There's some gorgeous strings which kick in around 1:45 which tease the more enthusiastic sounding Halo soundtrack of the previous titles, but it maintains this almost melancholy tone. Great stuff.



Neon Night is a great example of how atmospheric these nighttime scenes were. The opening is haunting - a smattering of unsettling piano and an instrument I can't quite place (any help, musicians?) really help to make you feel on edge. The drums which begin around 1:30 serve as a reminder of the dangers that lurk in the dark - the brutes, phantoms, snipers... you're alone and you're not a one man wrecking crew anymore. Stealth, an alien concept to Halo (hohoho), is encouraged. Great stuff.



Overture is a combination of the old Halo's sweeping strings and ODST's soulful saxophone and unsettling atmospheric sounds. There's the throwbacks to the previous three games with the bombastic drums and strings throughout, but the wind instruments and plucking strings draw you into the world of ODST. I think this game is sorely sorely underrated.

Next week: the long awaited platformer!

Yay the Bubsy 3D is coming

Sadly, it's not Bubsy 3D, but rather my favourite platformer of all time!



Jak and Daxter was my first real exposure to the "collect-a-thon" platformer that Rare arguably perfected back on the N64. The PS2 was a special console for me, because it came around the time that I was getting somewhat proficient at video games, and the need to call Dad to come try and get me past a tricky section was fading away. Jak and Daxter was therefore the first game I ever 100% completed by myself, and as such it holds quite a special place in my heart. I regularly revisit it, and during my many replays of the game, I've grown to really appreciate the game's soundtrack. Let me share a few with you now!



One thing that really impresses me about Jak's soundtrack is that adapts to wherever you may be in a certain area, with the themes of different characters intermingling with the area's overall theme. Take for example, Sandover Village. Sandover Village is the game's opening area, and as such, the music is gentle and upbeat - it's easing you into this ultimately whimsical platforming adventure. But, as you enter the Mayor's house, the plinky-plonky sounds of the overall theme are replaced by pompous horns. Wander over to the Farmer's place, and jaunty guitar and cowbell join in with the tribal drumming of the main theme. It really gives each area a lot of character and makes exploring it feel that bit more special than normal traversal.



I really like the bosses in this game. They feel epic without being too challenging. A hideous plant in a jungle temple, a massive robot atop a citadel... great encounters, but not impossible to beat. My personal favourite fight in the game is Klaww, a huge titan who's been chucking boulders at the second hub area. He's built up over the course of the levels in these hub area, and as such his fight really feels like something special. I remember as a child actually shaking climbing up the cliff-face to fight him. And then his theme kicks in. Sinister sounding horns, Jak's trademark drums, some great synth chords... it feels sweeping and well, epic! It's a fight against a boulder lobbing beast in a lava canyon, and this is the perfect soundtrack to that fight.



The Zoomer vehicle levels are a lot of fun in this game, and Mountain Pass is probably the best of the lot. You hurtle through the canyon, racing against some monsters who're going to blow up the exit to the canyon. It's intense - the percussion, the almost Crash Bandicootesque xylophone... it's all driving you through this high-octane level. That's what Jak does best I think - it evokes a mood in you in each level. It might not be the most memorable of soundtracks - there's nothing in here that is as catchy as Crash's main theme, for example - but each track does it job to a tee. Great stuff all round.

Next week: well, I'd like to offer it you guys! Let's have a couple of guest offerings one after the other. Just chime in if you're up for doing a music week.

Never been fan of the Jak series, Don't know why as I was really excited for it after Naughty Dog's Crash Bandicoot games which I loved.

I'm only merely fond of Jak II and I've never played Jak III, but I adore the first game. Having never really been exposed to Rare's platformers, I lapped up Jak and Daxter as my first collect-a-thon platformer.

On the note of guest music weeks, fancy doing next week's Mas? I put out a call to arms at the end of my Jak piece, but nobody responded.

I can do, when does it need to go up

Whenever really - I've been pretty lax at updating this myself so it'd be hypocritical of me to ask for it to go up on a certain day.

Having said that, I posted my update on Sunday, so anytime around then!

I've a idea which I can use to link into Indie weeks also pick a Number Jay out of these 5, 6, 18, 20, 28, 34, 38,

I'll go for 20. Curious to see why I'm picking numbers!

Quote :

my favourite platformer of all time!

But wait, this isn't the Nintendo thread!

Oh, don't get me wrong - Nintendo platformers populate most of the spots in my imaginary "top platformers list". But Jak and Daxter, probably due to nostalgic reasons, takes the top spot. It's a special one, at least for me.