Official(?) Nintendo Consoles Music Thread v2.0

I just wanted to plop a song down that's constantly stuck in my head:



It's the theme from the first dungeon in Persona 5 Strikers. Groovy, but make it circus.

Rum wrote:

Groovy, but make it circus.

That might well have to be taglined.  Excellent bop: when people have put forward Persona tracks in the past they've most often left me cold, but that is a groove and a half.

I haven't posted anything recently.  Here are some top tunes from games I've been playing.





(Nothing from The Missing Heir, it has one good tune and you hear it until you're sick of it. )

It's NEO: The World Ends With You time!  The series is famed among other things for having an absolute belter of a soundtrack.  For me it's the perfect example of a soundtrack that I wouldn't like the majority of at all outside its specific context, yet love in-game - but that's because I'm a musical fogey who hates all modern music (i.e. post-1920) with vocals in.  I'm imagining some of you less closed-minded chaps might be able to enjoy some of NEO TWEWY's hits even if you've not played the game!



The intro is a prime example of that.  It's not the sort of vocals I would normally be into at all.  It's kind of... rock...rap...thing?  And yet, in the context of NEO TWEWY's Shibuya, it's just... cool.  It works.  I like it.



The main tune of NEO TWEWY is a brash brassy ballsy number.  Try to hum/sing it to yourself and walk without swaggering.  You can't.  I've tried.



Here's the battle theme that's got most stuck in my head.  Again, not my normal sort of thing, but the pulsing guitar and the clapping build into a fight really well.



Finally, here's some ridiculous nonsense that has rattled around my skull far more than it ought to have done.  'GIMME GIMME CHANCE.'  It's terrible and I love it.  (Don't agree?  Skip to 1:28.)


Let me know if any of these work out of context - or, if you're OR or Jay, tell me what I've missed out!  I've gone pretty spoiler-free for these. (My actual favourite theme is the penultimate boss', but I haven't posted that here for obvious reasons.)

CHASE was my menu music for a large portion of the game. I kept catching myself singing "HERE I COME, UH OH, HERE I COME" on loop.

O-Parts was in the original game! It is not terrible - it is a masterpiece.



Speaking of tracks that were in the original game, the remix of Transformation is bloody fantastic. The strings in the intro do a lot for the track, and it's catchy as ever. Still one of my favourites.



Whilst I am beyond sad that Give Me All Your Love did not make its way into NTWEWY, Bird in the Hand fills that catchy pop hole in my heart nicely. I often found myself singing along to whatever the vocals are in the intro, even though I've no idea what she's saying.

My favourite new track is also said boss theme you mentioned Balla. A bop.

Until about 0:49 I didn't even recognise it from the original. That is a really good track. Also I'd forgotten whose track it was! BitH slots neatly into the 'bopping to this while playing but won't remember it when I finish' slot.

My menu music was Beginning of a Happy Life. It seemed to fit!

Also (spoilers) obligatory.

It's the twenty-first night of September, meaning this is the only time this year when I'm legally allowed to post Nintendo of Europe's tight-arsed Donkey Konga version of September by Earth, Wind & Fire.

That fits a Nintendo game weirdly well.


In light of Penny's bubblegum pop bop from WarioWare: Get It Together, what's your favourite WarioWare franchise song?  Other contenders:

• Mona's Pizza (Twisted)
  
• Ashley's Song (Touched)
  
• Mike's Song (Touched) ( )
  
• Tomorrow Hill (Smooth Moves)

And apparently there are a bunch more. Tomorrow Hill's the easy winner for me!

Oh Ashley's Song, easily! The original where the singer sounds like a grumpy kid, not any of the remakes. Penny's song sounds like it's not been translated so good.

Anyone that doesn't answer Body Rock is in dire need of getting fit and funky.



I actually prefer the JP version in some ways as it gives me big Mariya Takeuchi vibes, but it loses that 80s cheese in the English version.



And just for good measure, a remix that turns the funk up to eleven.

I never played WWG, but I like to think that's what's going through Buska's head during every gym session.  Ridiculous in a good way.

I think it was originally in WarioWare DIY, actually!

I bring you, it's been on Nintendo more than PlayStation Kingdom Hearts Special.

Hikari the Main Theme of the series


or if you want something with lyrics


Dearly Beloved from Chain of Memories on GBA


Some Pretty Abilities in Re:coded


Do the maths with 358/2 Days on DS


3DS turn with Sora from Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance


And because I can due to Melody of Memory


I could do more like all the character themes, boss battles and Disney stuff

That's a loooooot of songs. Going to have a proper listen when I'm not just popping on for a moment to decompress after having a spike shoved through Samus' face repeatedly. I know Simple and Clean already for strange reasons (the Supernatural podcast run by two of Buska's faves had an altered version for its Season 8(?) theme tune).

Lot of KH games, hoping you like that last song

Alright, it's time for Balla's Rapid-Fire Thoughts!

Hikari: Standard JRPG stuff, apart from where Simple & Clean creeps in.  I liked that bit.
Simple & Clean: Lyrics. Prefer the Monster of the Week version.
Dearly Beloved: Big 'Final Fantasy crystal prelude' energy to this one.
Pretty Abilities: And this one has big 'Mario RPG opening world' energy.  Suppose that's not surprising given they have the same company's DNA.
Shrouding Dark Cloud: This one's done dirty by the soundfont, but even despite that it's more standard JRPG stuff.
Whatever the DDD song is: Standard JRPG stiff.
High-level Mas cheatery:

Pretty Abilities the standout winner for me there.  The last one was good in its original game, but it's no Dancing Mad Part IV.

I'm cheating as that song is Kingdom Hearts when you fight him. Maybe the character themes like Kairi might be good ones to checkout, and must be good songs got a whole music game out of them.

Simple and Clean is a banger through and through and I'll hear no slander directed towards it.

Here's a recent favourite of mine from Deltarune Chapter 2. I think it's this game's sort of equivalent to the first chapter's Field of Hopes and Dreams. Very catchy and there's a lovely moment in game where the beat first drops in time to you getting to see a lovely cityscape in the background.



Also won't talk about context for spoilery reasons, but this is a cracking tune which was co-composed by Toby Fox and Lena Raine of Celeste fame.

I've been neglecting this thread a little, but in my defence I go to the gym five times a week, put out three podcasts a week, work full time, hike on weekends and ocassionally manage to play some videogames!

I missed the big 3DS thing Balla tried to do, but some good tracks were picked. I was disappointed to see BD beat out AA, though.

Balladeer wrote:

Scullion reviewed an utterly unremarkable looking game last week, with a quite remarkable piece of music.  Excuse the meme visuals:

I unironically loved this, and it was only after the fact when I read the Sculli article and the other replies that I realised it was supposed to be bad!

neil wrote:

Watch a few more of his vids and you’ll get his shtick. Lots of other great Nintendo tunes.

I enjoyed that Rito guitar one!

Quote :

If you know any other good cover channels please share!

I stumble across plenty when I'm doing stuff in this here thread, but the ones I actually regularly listen to are:
Samantha Ballard -plays stuff on harp, so when you get very peaceful, atmospheric stuff her covers are PERFECT!
Shamisen Player Shamio - covers game and anime tracks on the ancient Japanese instrument the shamisen.
Taylor Davis - Me and Mas saw her live! Popular violin covers lady, a little less over-the-top and bombastic than the other popular violin covers lady.
Insane in the Rain - originally Jazz covers, but nowadays he does these amazing collaborations with multiple artists that have a big band sound, and he does projects like covering the whole Pokémon Diamond and Pearl soundtrack.


I mostly agree with Balla on those Kingdom Hearts tracks - very much how I'd expect a Disney JRPG to sound. I'm sure if I'd played the games there would be an emotional connection, but without that they didn't blow me away.

Those Deltarune tunes are very much up my street! I should get that played. . .

Balladeer wrote:

I never played WWG, but I like to think that's what's going through Buska's head during every gym session.  Ridiculous in a good way.

It wasn't, but it has now been added to the playlist!

Buskalilly wrote:

I've been neglecting this thread a little, but in my defence I go to the gym five times a week, put out three podcasts a week, work full time, hike on weekends and ocassionally manage to play some videogames!

Well aren't YOU the queen of France

Yeah, and that! And let me tell you the peasants are exhausting.

While I'm not sure going to the gym can or should be used as a defence for anything, I'm grateful that you appreciated my 3DS wet fart of an attempt to start something. I'm guessing you haven't played Bravely Default Buska? I'm not even sure I would recommend it (the sequel, with worse music, is far better); but the soundtrack is sublime. It almost sells the game on its own, and it's in my top five of all time. There is absolutely no shame in Spirit of Justice coming second to it.

I won't listen to Jay's second track, but the first is indeed a banger, and as you/he say(s) very FoHaD-ish in a good way.

Quote :

 I'm guessing you haven't played Bravely Default Buska?  I'm not even sure I would recommend it (the sequel, with worse music, is far better); but the soundtrack is sublime.  It almost sells the game on its own, and it's in my top five of all time.

I played loads of the demo of BD then picked up the game and couldn't get into it. I appreciated a lot of what it was doing but I wasn't in the mood for the sort of time commitment that came with a JRPG at the time, when it's a genre I don't massively enjoy without exceptions - like monster collecting or fast-paced, action-oriented combat. And as you know, for me I appreciate game soundtracks most when they're tied to my experience of the game, so I'm unlinkely to elevate a game by OST alone.

Balladeer wrote:

While I'm not sure going to the gym can or should be used as a defence for anything,

Right, mate, I understand you're a pseudo-intellectual type and all that, but going to the gym:

• is good for cardiovascular health and lung capacity and will help keep me alive particularly right now
  
• releases endorphins and makes me feel better about myself, making a massive difference to my mental health
  
• is making me stronger and giving me bigger muscles, which sure is partly a vain and visual thing but also means I'll never feel the inadequacy of not being able to do something that needs doing again
  
• actually increases the amount of energy I have in day-to-day life, allowing me to do all the other things I want to do
  

Belittling and disparaging the idea of committing to physical exercise doesn't make you come across as smarter. Quite the opposite . . .

Buska's Top 5 3DS Soundtracks

5: Monster Hunter Generations
Love a bit of Monhan, me, as you know, and this one was a celebration of the series which featured loads of great music from across the franchise 10 years of history at that point. Some of the villages are realyl comforting, the monsters are often exciting and then you have brand new tracks from this game specifically which are a cut above. Like:


4: Pokémon Sun and Moon
I don't rate X&Y super highly, and while the french sounds are nice in places, I prefer the summery vibes of Alola. Of all the Pokémon regions outside Japan, Hawaii is the one I most want to visit and experience. Then, of course, you have amazing character tracks like all the Team Skulls tuff, the creepiness of Lusamine and this triumphant finale:


3: Fire Emblem Awakening
I think all the FE games have beautiful music, and you might argue Fates had better stuff but I didn't play much of that game. Nonetheless, FE:A was my big inroad to the series and you have the likes of this:


2: The Legend of Zelda: Link Between Worlds
This game deserves a high spot on the list for the milk bar alone, but it also has its own great tunes. Not least of which:


1: Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice
Look, every AA Pursuit theme is the best piece of music on its respective console. Them's just facts. The 3DS has the original trilogy so i could use that, but it would feel like cheating, and then when would I use this one?

Buskalilly wrote:

Right, mate, I understand you're a pseudo-intellectual type and all that, but going to the gym:

Whoa whoa whoa - that was absolutely not the intent I was going for!  It was ribbing, a jape, a mild needle between friends.  I'll admit, I don't understand your enthusiasm when it comes to the gym (not in your case, when you have wonderful scenery to hike across and that accomplishes 3/4 of those bullets).  I still respect it!  As for 'pseudo-intellectual', enough people at uni. who were demonstrably cleverer than me were into fitness for me not to associate gym-going with lack of intelligence in any way - not after I was maybe 19 max anyway.  Given the level of grief you give me for my (less personally beneficial but equally harmless) hobby of following cricket, I hope I'm allowed to make the odd side-gag about some of your hobbies without inviting 'pseudo-intellectual' into the conversation, or implying disrespect on my part.

Buskalilly wrote:

Quote :

 I'm guessing you haven't played Bravely Default Buska?  I'm not even sure I would recommend it (the sequel, with worse music, is far better); but the soundtrack is sublime.  It almost sells the game on its own, and it's in my top five of all time.

I played loads of the demo of BD then picked up the game and couldn't get into it. I appreciated a lot of what it was doing but I wasn't in the mood for the sort of time commitment that came with a JRPG at the time, when it's a genre I don't massively enjoy without exceptions - like monster collecting or fast-paced, action-oriented combat. And as you know, for me I appreciate game soundtracks most when they're tied to my experience of the game, so I'm unlinkely to elevate a game by OST alone.

Fair enough.  I maintain that the series has the best purely turn-based combat I've played, but that's still not for everyone and anyway Second and Default 2 are better if you ever change your mind.


Right then: yasssssssss somebody else chiming in with their top 3DS musics! Much better late than never.

• I've never played this game, I'm not going to have any attachment to OOH YES THERE WE GO.  Best fox-dragon thing.  Obviously I now have the in-game attachment to this piece too!
  
• I can appreciate picking either Pokémusic, they're both good.  If I'm nit-picky, I didn't care overmuch for the champion piece from SM.  It's still good, but there have been some top champion themes, and this one felt like it was playing into nostalgia more than trying to do anything great itself.  But then, I apparently picked 'This video is unavailable.' as my SM pick so there we go.  (If I had to guess I'd assume I went for Konikoni Night.)  
  
• I've not played much of either 3DS FE game.  Fates does have the music I'm more familiar with, but again, I don't think there's a bad choice here.  More triumphant than the Champion theme?  It might be, you know.  I particularly like the transition at around the two-minute mark.
  
• Banger.  Probably the best final castle theme in the series until BotW came along.
  
• I've unfairly overlooked this because I thought that, like the Objection themes, it was just a carry-over from DD.  Consider me corrected!  Obviously a smashing pick.