2000 Archives - The Greatest Game Music

Fix & Foxi – Episode 1: Lupo Soundtrack

Fix & Foxi – Episode 1: Lupo Soundtrack, Manfred Linzner, 2000

One day, historians will determine how many hundreds of licensed platformers were released for the Game Boy and the Game Boy Colour. Then again, we might never know the exact number – the market share of both platforms was so large that even local releases promised commercial success. Case in point: Fix & Foxi – Episode 1: Lupo (and no, there was no second episode, so maybe things didn’t turn out as planned). The game was based on an animated TV series, which in turn was an adaptation of a weekly German comics magazine first published in 1953. The magazine ran for decades and boasted a circulation of several hundred thousand per week at the height of its success. Of course, abroad the two anthropomorphic foxes and their friend Lupo weren’t particularly well-known, so this Game Boy Colour title remained an obscure Germany-only game.

While very few will remember Fix & Foxi – Episode 1: Lupo, it deserves a place in the annals of game music for its outstanding soundtrack. It was one of the earliest commercial works by Manfred Linzner, who had graduated from the Amiga demo scene of the mid-1990s to scoring commercial products. After writing music for several Amiga games, Linzner began to focus on Game Boy Colour and later Game Boy Advance titles. His productivity in these early years of his career is astounding – for the years 2000-2002, Mobygames lists 36 music credits for Linzner! The highlight from this fertile period of his career is the Fix & Foxi – Episode 1: Lupo soundtrack.

The score marks Linzner as a master of chiptune music in the vein of several European composers of the late 1990s and early 2000s that pushed this format to its limits. With his background in the demo scene, Linzner was well-placed to exploit the Game Boy Colour’s sound capacities to the fullest. Take the use of the programmable wave channel on “Forest & Meadow”, where it plays three lines at the same time: a bass pulse of rapidly descending notes (Mega Man-style), a melodic ostinato and deeper bass notes. It’s an indication of how smartly Linzner uses the limited means at his disposal to create a lush, complex sound that can stand with the most luxuriously produced chiptune music of the era.

Thankfully, Linzner’s skills extend beyond creating an impressively detailed wall of sound. His melodic instincts are just as strong, evidenced right off the bat on “Title”. Backed by production techniques reminiscent of Alberto José González’s Game Boy scores, “Title” presents an 80s pop-inspired tune so catchy, proud and instantly hummable it brings to mind Chris Hülsbeck’s most outstanding achievements. Pacing itself through a breakdown into a more grandstanding B section while still overflowing with fun and euphoria, “Title” is pitch-perfect chiptune pop. A punchy, elastic bassline, coaxed out of one of the square wave channels, bolsters the cue’s wonderfully full-bodied production.

Other tracks on the Fix & Foxi – Episode 1: Lupo soundtrack deliver equally delightful melodies. First level track “Forest & Meadow” calms things down after “Title”’s rush of endorphins, with bouncier, heavier rhythms and melodies that are jolly rather than soaring – but still just as head-bopping. “Ship” is a bit simpler in its ingredients, with a melody that’s very much on the beat, something of a cross between a sea chantey and a children’s song. Here and on other tracks, Linzner uses a creative effect to give his tunes a richer sound. What might initially sound like one sustained note is actually a short note followed by a vibrato-like effect generated by playing notes just above or below the first note’s pitch.

Later compositions evince Linzner’s ability to also produce vividly atmospheric chiptune music without ever giving up his compositions’ lavishly arranged nature. Parts of “Temple” feel positively eerie, with a spooky lead over creepy chromatic progressions in the harmonising sound channels below. A stuttering bassline only adds to the cue’s feeling of disorientation, as does the fiercely growling bass drone that suddenly appears in the programmable wave channel. And yet, one of the square wave channels mixes in a melody that doesn’t lose its animated, bubbly feel, balancing the almost haunting sounds around it and tying “Temple” into the soundtrack’s busy, kid-friendly template.

The Fix & Foxi – Episode 1: Lupo soundtrack’s most elaborate cue is “Fortress”, suitably capping off the score. Persistent noise channel rhythms push arpeggios that grow denser and denser, propelled by a rolling, heavy bass line. Melodies organically emerge from the strikingly thick textures – doubling rhythmic movement rather than delivering tunes, keeping the juggernaut’s forward momentum going. “Fortress” is filled to the brim with textures and rhythms that are exceptionally diverse, yet Linzner harnesses them into a focused, dramatic whole. Listen to the first lead melody, crystalline and almost painfully high-pitched, cutting through the flurry of notes in spectacular fashion. There’s no doubt that a significant new talent had arrived on the game music scene with this soundtrack.

01 - Title Linzner, Manfred 1:41
02 - Forest & Meadow Linzner, Manfred 2:14
03 - Ship Linzner, Manfred 2:25
04 - Temple Linzner, Manfred 2:51
05 - Fortress Linzner, Manfred 2:02

Kessen Soundtrack

Kessen Soundtrack, Reijiro Koroku, 2000

Since their inception in the mid-80s, KOEI’s many historical strategy games had always been more of an insider proposition. It felt a bit like series such as Nobunaga’s Ambition and Romance of the Three Kingdoms were reserved for those gamers who were willing to spend hours parsing menus and stats, while carefully planning their next move. Several of these titles had made it to the US market but never turned into eye-catching best-sellers. That changed with Kessen, one of the PlayStation 2’s launch titles. Set once more in feudal Japan, Kessen emphasised spectacular visuals and battlefield action, attracting far more attention internationally than any previous KOEI game. Ultimately, Kessen was successful enough to spawn two sequels. However, several contemporary reviewers pointed out that the game lacked the usual complexity and depth of a KOEI strategy game, making for an entertaining but shallow experience.

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Medal of Honor: Underground Soundtrack (PS1)

Medal of Honor: Underground Soundtrack (PS1), Michael Giacchino, 2000

Medal of Honor strove hard to create a first-person shooter experience that left an impression on players beyond the mere satisfaction of shooting bad guys before they could shoot you. However, the fact that the game progressed the FPS genre in terms of subject matter wasn’t its most revolutionary aspect. Instead, that particular achievement would have been the wide-spread critical recognition of game music’s quality outside of the gaming community. Michael Giacchino‘s Medal of Honor score fashioned itself on John Williams’ action scoring of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Astonishingly, it matched the elevated standards that come with such role models. As a result, bloggers, film score collectors and music fans in general – many for the first time – took note of the music produced for a video game.

Even more than Medal of Honor, Underground aims for historical authenticity (and thus reverence). Its main character Manon Baptiste is based on real-life French resistance fighter Hélène Deschamp Adams – who also served as a consultant on Underground. These efforts highlight the game designers’ increasing ambition to enrich action-driven gameplay through the retelling of one individual’s personal story. As a consequence, the Medal of Honor: Underground soundtrack shows greater interest than Medal of Honor in illuminating its protagonist’s psyche.

Giacchino finds a clever way to anchor this exploration of Manon Baptiste’s emotional states in Underground‘s thematic foundations. Giacchino’s simple but ingeniously implemented solution is to develop Manon’s two themes out of the same musical cell, an ascending two-note motif. After these two notes, variation “A” of the main theme leads into the Major key. It conveys a feeling of national purpose, similar to Medal of Honor‘s main theme, albeit less solemn and markedly lusher. Variation “B”, on the other hand, leads into a minor 6th chord, ending on a more thoughtful note. Adding more complexity still to Manon’s musical representation is a swelling two-note ostinato motif. This musical thought represents Manon’s determination to carry on in the chaos of battle.

A track like “Panzer Blockade” beautifully shows how Giacchino uses these musical building blocks. First there’s a yearning quotation of the “B” variation on solo trumpet against a hammering orchestral backdrop. The music then segues into the resolve motif on swelling strings that keep on building. Despite being mercilessly attacked by other instrumental groups, the resolve motif finally erupts into a rendition of the “A” variation. This is music with a simple, yet gripping dramatic arc that provides insight into the emotions of the game’s protagonist.

To this malleable new main theme, Giacchino adds the expected return of Medal of Honor‘s domineering Nazi theme. He also continues his technique to write his action tracks as variations on a newly introduced sub motif. The result is an immensely rich tapestry that turns the Medal of Honor: Underground soundtrack into one of the thematically best developed works in the Western game music canon.

What differentiates Underground more obviously though from its predecessor than these new themes is the music’s new emotional direction. More lyrical and light-footed than Medal of Honor, Underground heralds its intentions straight away with opening track “May 10th, 1940 (Main Theme)”, which features accordion, boys choir, solo cello, and a downright romantic rendition of variation “A”. These softer, more colourful sounds signal Giacchino’s desire to broaden the score’s instrumental and thus emotional palette. This tendency is also an obvious pointer towards the operatic heart-on-your-sleeve outpourings of Medal of Honor: Frontline.

Not only are the compositions on the Medal of Honor: Underground soundtrack richer in orchestral colours than Medal of Honor. They are also more subdued and varied in their mood. Certainly, Medal of Honor knew very well when to tone down the action and integrate stealth elements into the music. On Underground however, these more hushed musings become far more dominant. And that’s only fitting, considering that the music underscores the actions of the French resistance. These men and women couldn’t hope to beat the Nazis through open confrontation, but had to rely on covert operations.

Despite all this introspection, this is of course still the score for a first-person shooter. As was to be expected, Giacchino delivers first-rate action material in spades. To his credit, he injects his battle tracks with the same sensibilities as the quieter compositions to keep things coherent. On these action tracks, Giacchino implements greater changes in dynamics and orchestration than on Medal of Honor. Additionally, a leaner overall sound, carried by strings rather than brass, gives solo instruments more room to breathe and climaxes the chance to stand out even more.

Highlights are numerous, but best of all is “The Motorcycle Chase”. The way the cue’s sub motif seamlessly interacts with quotes of the “A” variation and the Nazi theme impresses. The composition’s development includes a passage for thunderous, unaccompanied percussion, before the cue grows more and more frantic with ever thicker textures. At last, the resolve motif leads into the score’s most triumphant reprise of the “A” variation against turbulent counterpoint.

It’s a moment of boisterous orchestral bliss, and one that beautiful sums up the cerebral and emotional pleasures to be found on the Medal of Honor: Underground soundtrack, which manages to underscore both firefights and character beats masterfully.

Conversion notes

Medal of Honor Underground is arguably an unlikely candidate for a Game Boy Advance conversion – but that’s exactly what happened in 2002. The prospect of a chiptunes-style demake of Giacchino’s orchestral pieces has its appeal. Sadly, that’s not what this port is going for – instead it aims to translate the original compositions as closely as possible for the GBA’s limited sound hardware. Given that many GBA games struggled to produce even SNES-standard sound quality, it’s a doomed undertaking and produces predictably unpleasant results.

01 - May 10th, 1940 Michael Giacchino 4:28
02 - Amongst the Dead Michael Giacchino 3:17
03 - Fleeing the Catacombs Michael Giacchino 3:09
04 - Panzer Blockade Michael Giacchino 3:20
05 - The Road to Tobruk Michael Giacchino 3:24
06 - Escape from Casablanca Michael Giacchino 3:20
07 - Passage to Iraklion Michael Giacchino 3:40
08 - Labyrinth of the Minotaur Michael Giacchino 3:15
09 - Ascent to the Castle Michael Giacchino 3:25
10 - Last Rites Michael Giacchino 3:34
11 - The Battle of Monte Cassino Michael Giacchino 3:16
12 - The Motorcycle Chase Michael Giacchino 4:18
13 - Returning to Paris Michael Giacchino 3:25
14 - Beneath the City Michael Giacchino 3:09

Mickey’s Speedway USA Soundtrack (N64)

Mickey’s Speedway USA Soundtrack (N64), Ben Cullum, 2000

For a few years, it felt like Rare just couldn’t help producing outstanding games for the Nintendo 64, titles that were bound to be classics – Blast Corps, GoldenEye 007, Diddy Kong Racing, Banjo-Kazooie, Jet Force Gemini, Perfect Dark… it seemed that Rare couldn’t go wrong. That winning streak came to an end in late 2000 with Mickey’s Speedway USA. The verdict from reviewers was almost universally that yes, this was a decent enough game, with the usual depth and amount of content one had come to expect from a Rare title. But compared to its spiritual predecessor Diddy Kong Racing, Mickey’s Speedway USA fell decidedly short – unlike GoldenEye 007, this was not a game that transcended its origins as a licensed title.

In other words, this wasn’t the kind of game one would expect to produce outstanding music to rival Rare’s best scores. To make the Mickey’s Speedway USA soundtrack an even less likely success, it was the first – and so far only – game score written entirely by Ben Cullum. Outside of Mickey’s Speedway USA, Cullum mainly provided character voices for several Rare titles (including Falco in Star Fox Adventures, for which he also wrote additional music). His career continued outside of the game industry, writing his own songs and some for his brother Jamie Cullum, as well as creating TV show themes and producing records. As such, Mickey’s Speedway USA remains a one-off in Cullum’s body of work – but he no doubt makes the most of this opportunity.

There’s an intriguing parallel between the Mickey’s Speedway USA soundtrack and an earlier Rare classic – David Wise’s Snake Rattle ‘n’ Roll. Both scores have no other ambition but to please and entertain listeners. There are no hidden depths to be explored on either work – all they want to do is provide breezy fun, and that’s what they’re delivering. Of course, Mickey’s Speedway USA needs to maintain its upbeat facade for much longer than Snake Rattle ‘n’ Roll had to. Far too often, game soundtracks that are required to sound cheery throughout their run time use this as an excuse to churn out superficial, flimsy compositions. What’s so impressive about Cullum’s work here is just how much musical substance he pours into his relentlessly playful template – surpassing even Wise’s work on Diddy Kong Racing. Cullum’s mission is simple, but his music is anything but.

Given the cartoony license, there was no way for Mickey’s Speedway USA to not sound cute, but in Cullum’s capable hands, that consistently adorable character never turns cloying. The meat of the Mickey’s Speedway USA soundtrack are its racing cues and here Cullum uses a mix of jazz and 70s funk to energise the music, give it a nice touch of class and create a constantly swinging, celebratory mood that doesn’t grate.

First racing track “Indianapolis” establishes the soundtrack’s stylistic hallmarks. For its melody leads, the track swings back and forth between catchy brass fanfares and ebullient solo flute (on other tracks, hammond organ or xylophone fill this role). Cullum’s intricate arrangement of the piece turns it into a fully developed short instrumental that rarely stands still, continuously developing new quality material while never outstaying its welcome either. Rare’s technical prowess is evident in the quality of the instrument samples, providing the crucial warmth and immediacy that this music needs to make its full impact.

With 22 racing tracks, one might expect Cullum having to stretch his smooth formula beyond breaking point, but that’s not the case. Almost each cue delivers an impressive amount of inspired new melodies and rhythms, so that the never-changing mood of the score doesn’t matter much. And while Cullum doesn’t find an individual approach for each circuit (how do you identify characteristic underscoring for cart racing in Seattle or Washington, DC?), he varies his template sufficiently, imbuing it with local colours where possible.

For example, “San Francisco” mixes in disco strings that give the music a lovely swoon backing its dance energy, while its funkier than usual rhythms feature cowbell and a more pronounced bass line. “Las Vegas” goes for lush big band jazz amidst some of the soundtrack’s most detailed arrangements, while “New York” switches to more uptempo jazz to underscore racing in this bustling metropolis. “Malibu”’s smooth jazz is of course the opposite to “New York”’s urgency. Cullum even accomplishes the minor miracle of making the Christmas music leanings of “Alaska” (sleigh bells and all) digestible and less than cloying. Yes, all of this is scoring by stereotypes, but Cullum manages to elegantly integrate these clichés into his template, rather than letting them dominate his music. Only occasionally does he strain for effect – see the intrusive water sound effects that mar the otherwise charming “Chicago”.

The most obvious stylistic divide within the Mickey’s Speedway USA soundtrack is that between tracks for city races and cues that underscore rural locations. Again, Cullum colours in within with the lines, but he does so with his usual panache and dependable penchant for quality compositions. “Grand Canyon” has a subtle but effective synth backing whose sustained chords suggest the location’s wide-open spaces and majesty – without neglecting the need to still score the cart racing action. “Dakota” throws a steel guitar into the mix, backed by warm strings that add some welcome touches of idyllic Americana. Fiddle, harmonica and banjo bring wiry energy to “Everglades”, which further benefits from a spirited piano lead. Metal percussion and mouth harp make their debut on the lean, propulsive “Oregon”.

While these instruments might appear far removed from the urban sophistication of the jazzier tracks, Cullum bridges the divide with ease. No matter what stereotypes his instruments and arrangements draw upon, they all contribute to the Mickey’s Speedway USA soundtrack’s ceaselessly fun and buoyant nature. It’s an unlikely contender for the title of Rare’s last great N64 score, but Cullum’s work has far too much charm to deny it this honour.

Conversion notes

If anything, the Mickey’s Speedway USA port for the Game Boy Colour received a warmer welcome from reviewers – arguably, there was less genre competition on the handheld than on the N64. Eveline Fischer was responsible for the substantial GBC soundtrack, using some of Cullum’s material and doing a credible job at maintaining the density of his arrangements. Unfortunately, Cullum’s compositions rely on their jazzy, colourful timbres for much of their impact – a quality that is inevitably lost on the Game Boy Colour score, which turns a bit tedious during its extended running time.

01 - Indianopolis Cullum, Ben 2:53
02 - San Francisco Cullum, Ben 3:14
03 - New Mexico Cullum, Ben 3:04
04 - Grand Canyon Cullum, Ben 2:18
05 - Alaska Cullum, Ben 2:55
06 - Las Vegas Cullum, Ben 3:12
07 - Philadelphia Cullum, Ben 2:58
08 - Dakota Cullum, Ben 3:08
09 - Seattle Cullum, Ben 2:40
10 - New York Cullum, Ben 3:11
11 - Yellowstone Cullum, Ben 3:05
12 - Washington, D.C. Cullum, Ben 3:28
13 - Everglades Cullum, Ben 2:57
14 - Malibu Cullum, Ben 2:19
15 - Oregon Cullum, Ben 2:27
16 - Texas Cullum, Ben 3:08
17 - New Orleans Cullum, Ben 2:37
18 - Results Cullum, Ben 3:04

Napple Tale: Arsia in Daydream Soundtrack

Napple Tale: Arsia in Daydream Soundtrack, Yoko Kanno, 2000

Occasionally legend is indeed more intriguing than reality. One such case is Napple Tale: Arsia in Daydream, a Japan-only Dreamcast title that initially made waves for having been developed by a predominantly (or even exclusively) female team. Unfortunately, a look at the game’s credits quickly shows that this wasn’t the case, although key design roles were indeed held by women. Ultimately, Napple Tale didn’t need these sorts of urban myths to stand apart from the competition. While not particularly challenging, the game created a wonderfully whimsical, dreamlike 2.5D world that mixed platforming with RPG elements. Around this framework, developer Chime Corporation wrapped a narrative that dealt with how the passing of seasons impacted the personality of the game’s characters.

While the game never left Japan, it did gain a certain level of popularity in the West – and that’s really due to Yoko Kanno’s involvement with this project. By the time she wrote the Napple Tale: Arsia in Daydream soundtrack, Kanno had firmly cemented her position as one of Japan’s finest anime composers, coming off the twin successes of Cowboy Bebop and Turn A Gundam (maybe the greatest score ever written for this long-running franchise). What exactly inspired Kanno to make a return to video game scoring after having firmly established her film music career is unclear. However, it’s safe to say that Napple Tale is just as outstanding as her other scores of this era.

Considering the game’s Alice in Wonderland-vibe, comical characters and colourful dream worlds, Kanno approaches the score as one might expect – no mind-bending experiments this time around, no challenging of genre norms like on Turn A Gundam. That’s not to say that there are no surprises to be found on the Napple Tale: Arsia in Daydream soundtrack. On the contrary, Kanno does draw upon a cornucopia of musical influences to bring the game’s world to live. However, Napple Tale might be the score where Kanno achieves the perfect balance between stylistic variety and consistency – the score’s genial, sunny disposition effortlessly pulls its myriad strains together.

Things kick off in predictable, but perfectly executed fashion. Tracks like “Flowers of Yesterday’s”, “Stroll” and “Cecil’s Garden” have all the pastoral beauty and melodic warmth one would expect from a Kanno soundtrack underscoring Napple Tale’s welcoming world. Interestingly, “Flowers of Yesterday’s” and “Cecil’s Garden” seem to actively avoid making any grand statements. Instead they pull at heartstrings with melodies that by Kanno’s standards are surprisingly simple, yet still immediately affecting – recalling the melodic efficiency and genius of a master like Ennio Morricone. But while Kanno reduces the technical complexity of her melodies, her orchestrations are as sophisticated as ever and the emotions she elicits are just as multi-faceted as before – only this time Kanno achieves the desired effect with simpler means.

This approach of melody writing allows Kanno to easily meld her pop-styled songs into the soundtrack’s overall template. “Dreams in a Pie”’s feather-light vocal lines float by in intricate layers on a gently propulsive, yet swooning string accompaniment that gives the vocals soaring momentum during the choruses. With its ‘la-la’ vocals and hushed string orchestrations, “Rabbit Bed” plays like an extended, exquisitely emotional lullaby. All that being said, fans of Kanno’s trademark orchestral lavishness will still find much to enjoy on the Napple Tale: Arsia in Daydream soundtrack. “Chocolate Forest” takes off in pseudo-baroque fashion with amazingly dense contrapuntal lines, as various excitable woodwind and string instruments joyfully tumble over each other. Like on the equally substantial “Skipper”, new delectable ideas and lightly-sprung rhythms emerge every few seconds, turning these compositions into showpieces for Kanno’s creativity.

Of course, Kanno also has some fun with the creative license that the game’s dream-like scenario grants her. Still, this time around her genre-hopping is less bracing and subtler than usually, always maintaining the music’s overflowing, dainty charm. The examples are numerous. “Rain Waltz” begins as the softest of waltzes, as if scared its feet might touch the ground. Initially it’s a poignant duet between saxophone and piano – before the composition picks up momentum and reaches a rambunctious climax. “Jumping Cracker” feels like an homage to Carl Stalling’s frantic Warner Bros. cartoon scores, while “Snow Queen” and “Dual Tango” see Kanno write a more than convincing flamenco and tango respectively. “Summer’s Squid”’s salsa rhythms further energise the Napple Tale: Arsia in Daydream soundtrack and allow Kanno to craft another one of her ingenious genre-benders when she adds a jazz-inspired saxophone solo.

While none of this stylistic variety feels overtly disorienting, it does subtly prepare the ground for those compositions that highlight the game’s surreal streak more overtly. Thankfully, in Kanno’s assured hands, such musical oddities never fragment the score’s flow. Instead, her zanier compositions turn the world of Napple Tale into a strange yet still endearing land of humorous characters and situations.

The score’s first vocal track “Tail Song” quickly heralds Kanno’s intentions, with a sweetly unpredictable lead melody that darts all over the place. Maaya Sakamoto’s vocals lead a track that switches between genres at a drop of a hat while maintaining its sense of child-like wonder and energy. Cues like “Toy Train” and “Fjorland”, with their odd, slightly creepy harmonies and disorienting rhythms, feel like gently warped takes on children’s music staples. Taking a slightly different approach, “The Green Caterpillar” and “The Man in the Hole” are humorously bombastic parodies. “The Green Caterpillar” almost feels like Kanno’s take on Banjo-Kazooie’s bumbling bassoon melodies, while “The Man in the Hole” sees her poke fun at overblown operatic splendour.

Underneath all the playfulness lies a current of nostalgia and melancholy though – no wonder, given how much the game’s narrative circles around the inevitable passing of time. Moments like “Slow Water” hint at such emotions, as an impressionist, wonderfully meandering clarinet solo that plays like birdsong against a clear autumn sky rings out. But it’s “Paffet Room”’s consciously old-timey piano that more clearly crystallises the music’s concern with the past and our relationship to it. “Circus” presents the Napple Tale: Daydream in Arsia soundtrack’s most complex and intriguing mix of emotions – combining the upbeat strains of circus music with chromatic metallic percussion and curiously longing string and trumpet melodies set far in the distance. It’s an approach Kanno repeats on penultimate track “Sonnet”, where the soundtrack’s most romantic string melodies are placed backwardly, as if played on an old transistor radio.

Returning to the past thus remains a resolutely futile undertaking, but ultimately melancholia is swept aside by the life-affirming optimism of “Wild Wind” and the beguiling Celtic lilt of its flute leads. The cue seals Napple Tale‘s status as yet another game music classic from Kanno’s pen, unlike any other game soundtrack in its mix of joyful eclecticism and sheer sophistication.

01 - Tailsong Kanno, Yoko 2:19
02 - Flower of Yesterday's Kanno, Yoko 2:41
03 - Chocolate Forest Kanno, Yoko 2:24
04 - Jumping Cracker Kanno, Yoko 1:41
05 - Delightful Arithmetic Kanno, Yoko 1:20
06 - The Snow Princess Kanno, Yoko 2:14
07 - A Stroll Kanno, Yoko 1:00
08 - Snowball Kanno, Yoko 2:24
09 - Tree of Church Kanno, Yoko 0:49
10 - Rain Waltz Kanno, Yoko 4:01
11 - Cecil's Garden Kanno, Yoko 2:56
12 - Skipper Kanno, Yoko 2:24
13 - Dual Tango Kanno, Yoko 1:46
14 - Toy Train Kanno, Yoko 2:12
15 - Pooch Kanno, Yoko 1:46
16 - Round Sheep Kanno, Yoko 2:53
17 - Little Black Book Kanno, Yoko 1:37
18 - Green Wings Kanno, Yoko 2:53
19 - The Green Caterpillar Kanno, Yoko 1:57
20 - Highland Clock Kanno, Yoko 2:15
21 - Spring Petal Kanno, Yoko 0:29
22 - Summer Squid Kanno, Yoko 3:37
23 - Summer Petal Kanno, Yoko 0:29
24 - Playing Tamaire Kanno, Yoko 2:20
25 - Be a Flog Kanno, Yoko 4:09
26 - Slow Water Kanno, Yoko 2:21
27 - Autumn Petal Kanno, Yoko 0:35
28 - Fjorland Kanno, Yoko 2:05
29 - Crystal Palace Kanno, Yoko 1:32
30 - Winter Petal Kanno, Yoko 0:38
31 - Time to Move On Kanno, Yoko 0:36
32 - Paffet Room Kanno, Yoko 1:18
33 - The Man in the Hole Kanno, Yoko 2:28
34 - Honey Bank Kanno, Yoko 0:51
35 - Dreams in a Pie Kanno, Yoko 4:26
36 - Rabbit Bed Kanno, Yoko 4:55
37 - Sleepy Snake Kanno, Yoko 1:01
38 - Tabasco Kanno, Yoko 2:25
39 - Circus Kanno, Yoko 2:34
40 - October Child Kanno, Yoko 2:30
41 - Summer Festival Kanno, Yoko 2:07
42 - Time to Go Back Kanno, Yoko 0:37
43 - Sonnet Kanno, Yoko 3:15
44 - Wild Wind Kanno, Yoko 3:57

Perfect Dark Soundtrack (Nintendo 64)

Perfect Dark Soundtrack (Nintendo 64), David Clynick / Grant Kirkhope / Graeme Norgate, 2000

If you want to kick off a debate amongst seasoned console gamers, try “Is Perfect Dark better than GoldenEye 007?” According to reviewers, the answer is usually ‘yes’. After all, this is the game that gave Rare the opportunity to finetune their approach to developing a first-person shooter, after they had created a genre classic with GoldenEye 007. Arguably pushing the Nintendo 64 to its limits, Perfect Dark provided such a wealth of content and degree of polish that it was hard to see how a console shooter in 2000 could be any better. Then again, GoldenEye 007 had arguably been the more groundbreaking title, popularising console FPS games. As a result, Perfect Dark didn’t have quite the same impact, as it was ultimately an immense refinement rather than another quantum leap.

Naturally, for the Perfect Dark soundtrack, Rare would call upon the same talents that had created the music for GoldenEye 007 – easily the best score for any Bond game. Complications were afoot though. Initially, the task of writing the Perfect Dark score fell to Graeme Norgate, who was working on Jet Force Gemini at the same time. Norgate began to lay the groundwork for the music, choosing a palette of instruments and completing a number of compositions. However, mid-way through the three-year development process, Norgate and half of the development team left Rare to form Free Radical Design (best known for their TimeSplitters trilogy).

As a result, fellow GoldenEye 007 composer Grant Kirkhope was called in to complete the Perfect Dark soundtrack – while also working on Donkey Kong 64 and Banjo-Tooie – with support from David Clynick. Given the game’s sci-fi scenario, it was no surprise that Kirkhope “wanted to create a mostly electronic soundtrack”, with The X-Files and Blade Runner serving as inspirations, according to interviews with the composer. Kirkhope’s other stylistic choice was “to make it [the Perfect Dark score] moody and dark but still with some strong thematic elements.” In that regard, Kirkhope arguably followed in the footsteps of his work on GoldenEye 007, which had balanced languid mood-building with carefully deployed melodic elements. Interestingly, Kirkhope kept Norgate’s samples, even though they weren’t always the ones he would have chosen – according to Kirkhope, “they sounded so great and made me think outside of my usual comfort zone”.

Of course, like the game itself, it’s hard to look at the Perfect Dark soundtrack without comparing it to its spiritual predecessor. By and large, Perfect Dark fits the same mould as Golden Eye 007 – this is mostly subdued, brooding music for a stealth game, rather than a pulse-pounding score for an all-guns-blazing shooting spree. And as on GoldenEye 007, Kirkhope and his co-composers accomplish the impressive task of holding listeners’ attention during their extended cues with what’s ultimately fairly understated, yet no less involving music.

What is different here is how the Perfect Dark soundtrack achieves this effect, audible from the start of Norgate’s “dataDyne Central: Defection”. GoldenEye007’s compositions often achieved a nearly hypnotic effect through their juxtaposition of sparse textures and repetitive, memorable melodies on a single solo instrument. Kirkhope’s flawless judgement of pacing and how to write effective melodies remains intact on Perfect Dark, but his orchestrations are lusher and more intricate, intriguing listeners through their careful layering and sculpting. It no doubt helps that Perfect Dark – unlike GoldenEye007 – is not an N64 first-generation title. As a result, the more realistic samples Kirkhope works with allow him to often let the intricately combined rhythms carry a track, rather than relying on the melody to do this job (as was often the case on GoldenEye 007).

Another substantial difference that comes with Perfect Dark’s futuristic backdrop is a distinct lack of GoldenEye007’s grittiness. Instead, from the very first track, Perfect Dark’s neo-noir elegance fittingly underscores the architecture of the game’s locations – all shiny metal surfaces gleaming in the night and massive structures cast in imposing angles. The fact that Perfect Dark’s locations are more spectacular than those in GoldenEye007 also highlights what’s ultimately the biggest difference between the two games: Perfect Dark’s far larger scale. Not that GoldenEye007 was thinking small – after all, few Bond adventures do. But Perfect Dark arguably goes a few steps further, involving two warring alien races, a conspiracy to replace the US president and the impending destruction of planet Earth itself.

How do Kirkhope and his team bring this awe-inspiring scenario across, without breaking the soundtrack’s mould, which – like GoldenEye 007 – largely eschews theatrics? As before, they manage with the help of a few inspired artistic choices that have a surprisingly large impact. Kirkhope makes ample use of synth choir (“one of the samples that Graeme left behind — I think it’s called Tron Choir”). Predictably, he sometimes deploys the choir to give the music more gravitas – take “dataDyne Central: Extraction”, which juxtaposes the choir with immense, resonant percussion strikes. As effective as these episodes are, Kirkhope mostly uses the choir to a different end: creating an eerie, at times quietly unsettling atmosphere. Listen to “G5 Building: Reconnaissance” and its dissonant choral chord progressions, or the majestic-yet-spooky “Deep Sea: Nullify Threat” for proof of Kirkhope’s assured handling of vocal elements.

Thus, Kirkhope chooses to underscore Perfect Dark’s otherworldly protagonists and awe-inspiring events by highlighting their unearthly nature – a smart choice that allows him to preserve and subtly alter the music’s relatively low-key nature. Kirkhope amplifies the effect through his use of a theremin-like whistling melody lead on several tracks. Again, these high-pitched, elusive sounds ingeniously accentuate the music’s alien qualities – obviously a perfect match for the game’s narrative. However, these melody leads can also evoke much more earthbound emotions. Kirkhope lists “Chicago: Stealth” as one of this favourite tracks from Perfect Dark and for good reason. The cue is arguably his most striking melange of haunting atmospherics and outright melodicism, with the whistled lead melody suddenly sounding far more lonely than unsettling.

Like GoldenEye 007, the Perfect Dark soundtrack – despite the static nature of many of its compositions – knows how to ramp things up to underscore the game’s increasingly escalating stakes. “Airbase 51: Infiltration” and “Airbase: Espionage” begin to smoothly mix orchestral bombast and rock energy into the score’s electronic foundation. “Crash Site: Confrontation”’s steely determination under fire yields the soundtrack’s most soaring melody, while “Pelagic 2: Exploration” builds upon this momentum with dramatic secret agent-style swagger. The flawlessly executed climax of this build up is the suitably epic final boss track “Skedar Leader”. The composition showcases Kirkhope’s ability to also write extended action tracks, thanks to an abundance of perfectly developed material.

Does all this mean that Perfect Dark is a better soundtrack than GoldenEye007? Not necessarily – but what Perfect Dark does is demonstrate how to write a brilliant sequel score that smartly tweaks its predecessors’ musical approach, creating something both familiar and excitingly fresh.

Conversion notes

The music for Perfect Dark’s Game Boy Colour port is a curious case – a soundtrack that’s enticing and frustrating in equal measure. Composers Kirkhope and Eveline Novakovic achieve the hugely impressive feat of convincingly replicating some of the N64 compositions on a far more limited platform – an even greater achievement maybe than Kirkhope’s Donkey Kong Island 2. Unfortunately, only three pieces from the original score find space on the GBC cartridge, equaling just about 10 minutes of music. A shame – with more converted material, this could have been a classic handheld score.

01 - Institute Menu Clynick, David / Kirkhope, Grant / Norgate, Graeme 2:07
02 - dataDyne Central: Defection Clynick, David / Kirkhope, Grant / Norgate, Graeme 7:38
03 - dataDyne Central: Investigation Clynick, David / Kirkhope, Grant / Norgate, Graeme 6:30
04 - dataDyne Central: Extraction Clynick, David / Kirkhope, Grant / Norgate, Graeme 4:29
05 - Carrington Villa: Hostage One Clynick, David / Kirkhope, Grant / Norgate, Graeme 5:31
06 - Chicago: Stealth Clynick, David / Kirkhope, Grant / Norgate, Graeme 5:26
07 - G5 Building: Reconnaissance Clynick, David / Kirkhope, Grant / Norgate, Graeme 6:42
08 - Area 51: Infiltration Clynick, David / Kirkhope, Grant / Norgate, Graeme 4:38
09 - Airbase: Espionage Clynick, David / Kirkhope, Grant / Norgate, Graeme 6:54
10 - Air Force One: Anti Terrorism Clynick, David / Kirkhope, Grant / Norgate, Graeme 5:55
11 - Crash Site: Confrontation Clynick, David / Kirkhope, Grant / Norgate, Graeme 4:49
12 - Pelagic 2: Extraction Clynick, David / Kirkhope, Grant / Norgate, Graeme 5:52
13 - Deep Sea: Nullify Threat Clynick, David / Kirkhope, Grant / Norgate, Graeme 6:43
14 - Carrington Institute Clynick, David / Kirkhope, Grant / Norgate, Graeme 5:37
15 - Attack Ship: Covert Assault Clynick, David / Kirkhope, Grant / Norgate, Graeme 6:20
16 - Skedar Ruins: Battle Shrine Clynick, David / Kirkhope, Grant / Norgate, Graeme 6:58
17 - Skedar Leader Clynick, David / Kirkhope, Grant / Norgate, Graeme 5:51
18 - Credits Clynick, David / Kirkhope, Grant / Norgate, Graeme 4:06
19 - Dark Combat Clynick, David / Kirkhope, Grant / Norgate, Graeme 4:55
20 - CI Operative Clynick, David / Kirkhope, Grant / Norgate, Graeme 5:38
21 - dataDyne Action Clynick, David / Kirkhope, Grant / Norgate, Graeme 6:17
22 - Maian Tears Clynick, David / Kirkhope, Grant / Norgate, Graeme 6:47

Sakura Taisen GB Soundtrack

Sakura Taisen GB Soundtrack, Kohei Tanaka, 2000

While seeing Sega franchises appear on Nintendo consoles has become common, back in 2000 – when Sega still had a stake in the console wars – the situation was very different. It was all the more surprising then that Sega decided to port one of its franchises – Sakura Taisen – to the Game Boy Colour (it’s worthwhile mentioning that less than one year earlier, the Neo Geo Pocket Colour had received a Sonic the Hedgehog port). Maybe not surprisingly, Sakura Taisen GB’s developers didn’t attempt to replicate the scale of previous franchise titles on the small handheld console. Instead, the game proceeds more along the lines of a dating-sim, with players controlling a character who spends a month training and living with the Hanagumi group of theatre actors/defenders of the planet.

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Warriors of Might and Magic Soundtrack (GBC)

Warriors of Might and Magic Soundtrack (GBC), Matthew Simmonds, 2000

By the late 1990s, the Might & Magic franchise was going strong, with a number of successful main line games and the recent establishment of the Heroes of Might & Magic series. Not surprisingly, publisher The 3DO Company were keen to branch out further, making the most of the valued brand name. Its first attempt to do so in 1999 via 3d-action RPG Crusaders of Might and Magic didn’t cause much excitement. Interestingly enough, The 3DO Company tried again with a similar game concept a year later – however, Warriors of Might and Magic didn’t meet with much more enthusiasm amongst gamers and critics than its predecessor.

While the PS1 and PS2 versions of Warriors of Might and Magic didn’t cause much of a stir, the same goes doubly for the Game Boy Colour conversion – not necessarily a surprise, given the game’s poor reviews and the sheer number of games being published for the platform in 2000. However, the one positive thing to come out of this run-of-the-mill 2d-action RPG was an outstanding soundtrack by Matthew Simmonds (maybe better known under his demo scene handle 4mat). At the time the in-house composer for developer Climax Group, Simmonds had started out in 1989 as part of Amiga demo scene group Slipstream, before transitioning into a professional game music career in the early 1990s. Interestingly enough, Simmonds is one of the few game music composers who remained active in both the game industry and the demo scene decades after first starting out.

Despite his prolific output during the 1990s on various platforms, Simmonds hadn’t written music for a Game Boy title before 2000, when he scored four of them in a single year for Climax Group. However, his demo scene experience of pushing hardware boundaries prepared him well for writing music on a technologically limited platform like the Game Boy Colour. Like other outstanding GBC scores of the same period, the Warriors of Might and Magic soundtrack is an impressive display of both technical and compositional mastery.

Simmonds’ approach to scoring a fantasy game quickly gives the Warriors of Might and Magic soundtrack its particular character. There’s no abundance of easily recognisable, recurring themes or swashbuckling melodies here, while tempi are fairly placid – no frantic battle themes or sombre theatrics in sight. Instead, Simmonds creates drama and gravitas through a dense, grand sound befitting the game’s fantasy stylings. His ubiquitous – but always perfectly-judged – use of arpeggios for both melodic and textural purposes marks this score as a successor to many European chiptunes classics.

What’s particularly interesting is how Simmonds uses the programmable wave table to create (by GBC standards) massive bass sounds. He then often uses the bass not to drive rhythms, but instead more like an orchestral instrument to add textural heft and sheer force. At times, the droning bass notes can become a bit intrusive (for example on “Track 03”), but most of the time they help give the music its surprising scope and sonic impact. Simmonds often combines this more than rock-solid foundation with substantial melodies that once more betray his demo scene background, offering lengthy tunes that again fit the game’s fantasy setting – particularly when combined with swirling, lush arpeggios. At the same time, the Warriors of Might and Magic soundtrack frequently mixes catchy pop elements into these stoidly anthemic melodies, getting the balance between expansiveness and immediacy just right.

“Track 06” is the best example of the fetching contrast between heavy, powerful rhythms and measured melodies, sometimes coming across like an outtake from Alberto Jose González’s classic Smurfs soundtrack. “Track 01” right away establishes the soundtrack’s fantasy credentials, with its adventurous lead melody that has just the right amount of stateliness and heroism, again contrasting beautifully with the forceful percussion. And throughout the score, Simmonds’ keeps his melodic inventions optimistic and uplifting – even on a cue like “Track 08”, whose emotive lead melody has a touch of loneliness. Surrounded by churning rhythms, the initially particularly pop-influenced melody doggedly carries on in the face of adversity, giving the music more emotional subtlety than expected (without turning too serious).

Towards the latter half of the Warriors of Might and Magic soundtrack, Simmonds starts to build his towering sounds higher and higher, taking the score’s stadium-sized melodies to their logical conclusion. “Track 07” heralds Simmonds’ ambitions, with massive timpani strikes that underline the cue’s stark, dramatic atmosphere. “Track 10” and “Track 12” highlight the soundtrack’s connection to rock rather than classic game music. They start out quietly with slowly building, extensive intros that set the scene for some spectacular outbursts of stomping beats and head-nodding, fists-raised-to-the-sky melodies that couldn’t get any bigger. Such grandstanding doesn’t preclude nuanced approaches, as “Track 12” patiently builds its momentum throughout the lengthy composition.

On the remaining compositions, the Warriors of Might and Magic soundtrack adds a few more shades to its depiction of a fantasy realm, turning richer and more rewarding still. “Track 02” and “Track 09” benefit from some seamlessly integrated prog rock influences. On “Track 02”, constantly off-beat arpeggios keep the mood tense and unpredictable while providing sparse, maniacally focused melodic material. “Track 09”’s syncopated rhythms and odd metres further the cue’s mysterious mood, created by an elusive melody and some virtuoso, exquisitely atmospheric echo effects applied to its tune. “Track 05”’s opening successfully replicates the sound of an acoustic guitar riff that gives the music an unexpectedly forlorn character.

Best of all is “Track 13”, whose melodies subtly change from gloomy to hopeful during the course of what is the Warriors of Might and Magic soundtrack’s most varied and complex track. Few would have expected a low-profile, licensed game like this to sport one of the Game Boy’s best fantasy scores, but thanks to Simmonds’ talent and dedication, that’s precisely what we are getting.

01 - Track 01 Simmonds, Matthew 2:25
02 - Track 02 Simmonds, Matthew 2:01
03 - Track 03 Simmonds, Matthew 2:56
04 - Track 04 Simmonds, Matthew 1:41
05 - Track 05 Simmonds, Matthew 2:51
06 - Track 06 Simmonds, Matthew 2:27
07 - Track 07 Simmonds, Matthew 1:40
08 - Track 08 Simmonds, Matthew 2:55
09 - Track 09 Simmonds, Matthew 2:21
10 - Track 10 Simmonds, Matthew 3:32
11 - Track 11 Simmonds, Matthew 2:31
12 - Track 12 Simmonds, Matthew 4:49
13 - Track 13 Simmonds, Matthew 3:21