The Greatest Game Music

Reviews of truly outstanding game music

  • Soundtracks
  • Composers
  • Companies
  • Platforms
  • Franchises
  • Music Genres
  • Game Genres
  • Years

Fast RMX Soundtrack

Fast RMX Soundtrack

Fast RMX Soundtrack, Bjulin / Manfred Linzner / Martin Schioeler, 2017

One of gamers’ great frustrations (at least at the timing of writing in 2020) remains Nintendo’s steadfast refusal to revive its classic F-Zero franchise. The last time fans got to enjoy a new F-Zero title dates back to 2004, when F-Zero Climax was released for the Game Boy Advance – only in Japan, adding insult to injury for Western gamers. Thankfully, German developer and Nintendo loyalist Shin’en Multimedia seemed determined to fill the gap with its Fast franchise. Kicking off in 2011 with WiiWare title Fast – Racing League, the franchise went from strength to strength with 2015’s Fast Racing Neo for the WiiU and 2017’s Fast RMX, a launch title for the Nintendo Switch. All three games received applause from reviewers for their stellar presentations and gameplay that created an overwhelming sense of speed, as well as its Ikaruga-style system of polarity switching to receive extra speed boosts.

Fast RMX essentially served as an expanded version of Fast Racing Neo, including all of that earlier game’s racing tracks and DLC, while adding a few new courses of its own. This was reason for game music fans to celebrate. Fast RMX gathered all of the outstanding music written for Fast Racing Neo and added more content still, arriving at 2+ hours of music spread across almost 50 compositions. The masterminds behind the score(s) were Shin’en Multimedia veterans Manfred Linzner and Martin Schioeler, joined by relative newcomer Bjulin.

On his website, Bjulin recalls how exciting it was to realise his childhood dream of scoring a game for a Nintendo console – one that would turn out to be an ongoing project for years. At the same time, Bjulin openly reflects on the steep learning curve he had to endure while working on Fast Racing Neo. One early track that required electric guitars went through 40 revisions before Linzner and his team signed off on the composition.

Fast RMX Soundtrack

Arduous as the process of creating the Fast RMX soundtrack might have been, the amount of care and attention to detail that has gone into it is evident from the start. This is one of the best electronic game soundtracks of the 2010s – and at two hours of strong material also one of the longest, making it an even more impressive accomplishment (even if the game borrows three compositions from Linzner’s Nanostray HD Sessions arrange album). Keeping in tune with the game’s obvious reference points – the F-Zero and WipeOut series – Fast RMX’s music harkens back to the 90s, findings its roots mainly in trance, rave and techno to evoke the required sci-fi racing atmosphere.

What makes the Fast RMX soundtrack exceptional is the composers’ maximalist approach that turns almost every track into an astoundingly elaborate concoction. This is electronica with a nearly symphonic depth, such is the richness of the arrangements. It’s not so much that the music’s material itself is extraordinarily complex – it’s the sheer number of layers and ideas that the composers cram into every single piece which turns the score into such a rewarding experience. Sure, the constant beats are indispensable for a racing game like this, but it’s the head-spinning number of piled-up rhythms, colours and melody fragments whizzing by that create a feeling of jaw-dropping speeds. Repeat listens are absolutely required to keep track of everything that’s going on in these dazzlingly dense compositions.

With the score running at over two hours, such a constant onslaught could grow tiresome. However, the Fast RMX soundtrack keeps things varied enough to instead register as consistently daring and grandiose. The cues’ ebb and flow is flawlessly realised, each track sustaining its 4-5 minute runtime (looped) with ease. There’s enough tunefulness in each piece to give it structure and often guide it to melodic peaks, made all the more soaring by the fierce adrenalise rush fuelling these compositions. Once the composers add an electric guitar on tracks like “Mueller Pacific” and “Chouko City”, the music blows through the stratosphere and turns as epic as one could hope for in a sci-fi racing game. Other cues are more rhythm-focused, such as the nervy counterlines and vocals samples on “Zenshoh Habitat” or the polyrhythms of “Kenshu Jungle” that back dissonant, slow chord progressions.

Fast RMX Soundtrack

Almost every piece on the Fast RMX soundtrack manages to find its distinctive approach – few cues here sound alike. Some compositions fittingly underscore their respective race course’s location, often with a subtlety that belies the score’s full-on attitude. “Antarctica” sports the expected tinkling arpeggios and crystalline sparkles, but what really sets the freezing scene are the more spacious, transparent acoustics. On the other hand, “Iceland” approaches its chilly setting with leaner textures and knotty breakbeats. Hand percussion makes a welcome addition to the soundtrack’s plethora of rhythms on “Pyramid Valley” and “Sendai Outpost”. Meanwhile, “Mori Park” charts new territory thanks to some subterranean wood percussion that boosts the score’s explosion of colours.

Other examples of the composers’ inexhaustible creativity abound. “Storm Coast” is the Fast RMX soundtrack’s most apparent throwback to 90s techno with its bright staccato leads (and the occasional string overlays are an unexpected, but fitting surprise). “Hangar Games” couldn’t have a broader grin on its face as it combines a poppy electric guitar melody with four on the floor beats. “Sunahara Plains”’ hummable hooks recall the sing-along quality of Linzner’s Iridion scores, while the music mixes its treble focus with some of the score’s heaviest beats. The duo of “Waimea Coast” and “Alpine Trust” beautifully encapsulates the score’s breadth. The first track catches listeners off guard with its soothing piano lead and lighter tones, while “Alpine Trust”’s alternately shredding and screaming guitar presence takes the composers’ everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach to its hugely satisfying conclusion. As far as futuristic racing soundtracks go, they don’t come any bigger than Fast RMX.

  1. 01 - Cameron Crest Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 4:17
  2. 02 - Kuiper Belt Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 4:07
  3. 03 - Zenshoh Habitat Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 3:52
  4. 04 - Mueller Pacific Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 3:53
  5. 05 - Kenshu Jungle Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 4:02
  6. 06 - Antarctica Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 3:46
  7. 07 - Tapaneca Vale Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 4:39
  8. 08 - Chuoko City Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 4:17
  9. 09 - Pyramid Valley Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 4:08
  10. 10 - The Haze Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 4:32
  11. 11 - Scorpio Circuit Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 3:45
  12. 12 - New Zendling Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 3:50
  13. 13 - Iceland Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 4:20
  14. 14 - Storm Coast Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 4:13
  15. 15 - Hangar Games Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 4:12
  16. 16 - Zvil Raceway Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 4:04
  17. 17 - Alpine Trust Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 3:24
  18. 18 - Mori Park Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 4:09
  19. 19 - Daitoshi Station Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 3:56
  20. 20 - Willard Mine Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 3:55
  21. 21 - Neo Kyoto Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 4:03
  22. 22 - Sunahara Plains Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 3:46
  23. 23 - Cevo Canyon Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 3:53
  24. 24 - Hibashira Speedway Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 3:30
  25. 25 - Walmea Coast Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 4:34
  26. 26 - Avalanche Valley Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 3:30
  27. 27 - Sendai Outpost Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 3:58
  28. 28 - Caldera Post Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 4:49
  29. 29 - Credits Bjulin / Linzner, Manfred / Schieoler, Martin 2:07

Tagged With: 2017, Bjulin, Electronic, Manfred Linzner, Martin Schioeler, Racing, Shin'en Multimedia, Switch

Fix & Foxi – Episode 1: Lupo Soundtrack

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.

Fix & Foxi - Episode 1: Lupo Soundtrack

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.

Fix & Foxi - Episode 1: Lupo Soundtrack

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.

  1. 01 - Title Linzner, Manfred 1:41
  2. 02 - Forest & Meadow Linzner, Manfred 2:14
  3. 03 - Ship Linzner, Manfred 2:25
  4. 04 - Temple Linzner, Manfred 2:51
  5. 05 - Fortress Linzner, Manfred 2:02

Tagged With: 2000, Chiptune, Game Boy Colour, Manfred Linzner, Platformer, Similis

Iridion II Soundtrack

Iridion II Soundtrack

Iridion II Soundtrack, Manfred Linzner, 2003

As the new millennium dawned, shoot’em ups were arguably nowhere near as popular as during their heyday of the 1980s and 90s. However, more than enough developers still had a fondness for the genre and kept the flame burning. One such studio was Shin’en Multimedia, founded in 1999 by former members of Amiga demoscene group Abyss. Focusing on Nintendo’s handheld consoles in the early years of their existence, Shin’en turned what had been conceived as a Game Boy shoot’em up into a Game Boy Advance launch title – Iridion 3D. Despite the game’s much-lauded pseudo-3D graphics, reviews were tepid due to frustrating gameplay. Two years later, Iridion II was received much more positively. Its gameplay broke little new ground, but critics agreed that it was a pleasant reminder of the more straightforward shooters of yore – and no review failed to mention Iridion II’s stellar presentation.

Part of this was one of the best-sounding scores ever to grace the Game Boy Advance. For some, this might be damning the Iridion II soundtrack with faint praise, given how difficult the GBA hardware made it to produce music that didn’t sound like a muddy, substandard SNES score. But keeping these hardware limitations in mind elucidates just how much of an accomplishment this soundtrack is. And if you are not familiar with all this technological background, the music’s strengths will quickly help you look past the still somewhat grainy sound of the samples used.

Behind this small marvel was Manfred Linzner, who had already demonstrated his wizardry on chiptunes scores like Fix & Foxi – Episode 1: Lupo. For the GBA, Linzner had developed his own sound driver: the GAX Sound Engine. Thanks to smart programming, GAX addressed two of the GBA’s main sound issues by producing better sample quality (up to 44 kHz) and taxing the system’s CPU less. The latter was important since the GBA didn’t have a dedicated sound chip and music thus had to compete for precious CPU resources with graphics and other assets. Arguably, Linzner must have felt that the way his music was rendered on the original Iridion scores still wasn’t ideal – thus the 2003 arrange album, one of Western game music’s earliest examples of this kind of release.

Iridion II Soundtrack

Still, the Iridion II soundtrack warrants revisiting in its original form – not least because the arrange album doesn’t include all of its material. Like its predecessor, much of Iridion II is a love letter to 80s synth pop and game soundtracks of the era. Yes, this is music that you could drop into any Amiga Turrican game, and it would fit perfectly. Of course, when Chris Hülsbeck wrote those classic soundtracks, he was channelling contemporary mainstream music. A work like Iridion II is conceptually a bit more complicated – it’s the kind of lovingly crafted homage that also updates its stylistic inspirations, connecting it with more modern influences.

It’s also a significantly stronger score than Iridion 3D. That soundtrack sometimes felt like a collection of strong hooks in search of songs that could support them. Iridion II benefits from significantly more fleshed out – yet uncluttered and economical – arrangements supporting the more substantial melodies. And there’s no doubt that what Linzner delivers here are some of the most memorable pop melodies heard in a portable console game. To come back to that earlier Turrican comparison – Iridion II’s tunes are as catchy and its hooks as big as Hülsbeck’s best creations. “Azuki Canyon – Aniki” establishes this winning streak right away with its brightly gleaming melodies and crystalline leads that make for instant stadium singalongs.

And so one half of the Iridion II soundtrack plays like a first-rate Top 40 album from the decade of shiny, outsized synth anthems (with rhythmic backdrops that skew towards more contemporary electronica). Silvery, enthusiastic staccato leads effortlessly carry cues like “Spaceport Alpha – Two Years Gone” and “Spaceport Gamma – Good To Feel”, while Linzner’s arrangements strike just the right balance between unfussy and sufficiently colourful. He doesn’t merely reprise decades-old musical conventions though. “Seigetsu City – Cloudy Stairway” turns its harmonious melody into an insistent, unrelenting figure that never harmonically resolves. Meanwhile, “Space Minefield – Tearing”’s lead starts fairly relaxed with jazzy overtones before it subtly turns more and more aspiring as it soars towards its climax. With so much upbeat music, Iridion II doesn’t seem to care too much about underscoring dramatic space fights – it’s more about entertaining gamers and propelling them towards their goal.

Iridion II Soundtrack

But there’s also the Iridion II soundtrack’s other half, which is more adventurous and less hook-laden. “Silicis Corridor – Crystal Symphony” moves the focus from audacious space flights to mood-building, as various tinkling melody fragments surround a heavy synth groove. Meanwhile, cymbal crashes provide some dramatic interjections just at the right moments. The cue organically adds a sense of mystery and hushed awe to the soundtrack’s energetic palette. Final level cue “Dockbay II – Pure Conscience” twists that sentiment into something much eerier, with a harsh, ticking synth effect that dominates the track. Opening up an uncanny, cavernous space, the constant pulse witnesses an unlikely standoff between a robotic lead and tentatively emerging, almost drone-like notes – yet the music is strikingly emotional and expressive. It’s an astounding example of the kind of musical subtlety and warmth the GBA was capable of in the right hands.

Elsewhere, Linzner effortlessly dabbles in more contemporary electronic music genres that point at his later Nanostray scores. “Dockbay I – Citizen Discharged”’s trance melody, with its majestic feel and broad, synthwave-like chordal backing, gives the track an unexpectedly grand feel, as always bolstered by a lively bass presence. The smoothness of “Zansetsu Clough – Cold Play”’s neo-disco allusions gets a modern makeover through the seductive urban cool and elastic bass of “Tenshi Plains – In My World”. 

“Asteroid Field – Spiral Bliss” takes a different approach, reaching even back further into the musical past than other tracks with its almost psychedelic opening that leads into a soothing Mini Moog solo. Yes, even soul grooves aren’t alien to this score – a sign that Linzner ultimately has his sights set higher than emulating and reviving classic video game music. The Iridion II soundtrack needs no qualifier – this is not just one of the best GBA scores, but one of the greatest shoot’em up soundtracks of the 2000s, full stop.

  1. 01 - Azuki Canyon - Aniki Linzner, Manfred 3:42
  2. 02 - Silicis Corridor - Crystal Sympnony Linzner, Manfred 3:22
  3. 03 - Spaceport Alpha - Two Years Gone Linzner, Manfred 2:44
  4. 04 - Seigetsu City - Cloudy Stairway Linzner, Manfred 3:40
  5. 05 - Zansetsu Clough - Cold Play Linzner, Manfred 3:06
  6. 06 - Space Minefield - Tearing Linzner, Manfred 3:06
  7. 07 - Spaceport Gamma - Good To Feel Linzner, Manfred 3:16
  8. 08 - Dockbay I - Citizen Discharged Linzner, Manfred 3:43
  9. 09 - Tenshi Plains - In My World Linzner, Manfred 3:14
  10. 10 - Spaceport Delta - Spacebiz Linzner, Manfred 3:44
  11. 11 - Kazangan Wasteland - See The Sun Burn Linzner, Manfred 3:38
  12. 12 - Asteroid Field - Spiral Bliss Linzner, Manfred 2:54
  13. 13 - Kengamine Section - Megalunia Linzner, Manfred 3:22
  14. 14 - Dockbay II - Pure Conscience Linzner, Manfred 3:27
  15. 15 - Credits - Interstellar Journey Linzner, Manfred 2:55

Tagged With: 2003, Electronic, Game Boy Advance, Manfred Linzner, Shin'en Multimedia, Shoot'em Up

Nanostray 2 Soundtrack

Nanostray 2 Soundtrack

Nanostray 2 Soundtrack, Manfred Linzner, 2008

Manfred Linzner remains one of Western game music’s better kept secrets – although his scores deserve to be much better known. His work particularly turned heads with the Game Boy Advance scores for Iridion 3D and Iridion II – and not just because of their catchy melodies. These scores were technical marvels, proving one could create high-quality sound on a console infamous for its lacking audio capabilities. Fortunately, the Iridion scores have seen an excellent release through a widely available arrange album. However, the vast majority of Linzner’s discography – including excellent work like Fix & Foxi 1 – Episode 1: Lupo – remains commercially unavailable.

Enter the Nano collection – a digital soundtrack bundle that includes the full scores for the four titles in the Nano shoot’em up franchise, as well as another very strong arrange album. Among the original scores included in this release, Linzner’s Nanostray 2 soundtrack is the strongest work. Significantly more fully-fledged and varied than its predecessor, Nanostray 2 closely mirrors the game in its general character. It doesn’t greatly innovate on tried-and-true shmup genre formulas, but polishes its components to an impressive degree.

From the moment the satisfyingly deep, full bass of “Main Menu” kicks in, it’s obvious that Linzner has once more pushed the sound capabilities of the platform he’s working on to their limits. Beats on this Nintendo DS title are robust and achieve exactly the impact they seek, electronic guitar riffs register with force and precision, and the melodic synth leads shine in bright shades of silver neon (although the Nano soundtracks have always been a less melody-heavy affair than the Iridion scores). Linzner brings all these elements together in complex layers, and the album mix presents them with satisfying clarity.

Nanostray 2 Soundtrack

Fortunately, there’s loads of substance underneath the shiny layers of futuristic synth work. Linzner uses each track on the Nanostray 2 soundtrack to introduce some variation to the album’s overall style, which is located squarely in the same high-tech sci-fi environment like so many other shmups. “Daitoshi Station” perfectly captures the feeling of embarking on an adventure in space. Tinkling synth arpeggios and dramatic, but always optimistic staccato melodies complement deep bass drones that provide gravitas. A welcome variation to the genre formula are the R’n’B rhythms Linzner deploys. They power the music along and create a perfectly danceable, energetic contrast to the track’s sci-fi elements.

Next is “Kaikan Outpost”, whose pumping techno beat and grinding guitar riff raise the stakes after the carefree “Daitoshi Station”. A faint synth melody squares off against the bass-heavy undergrowth to great effect, almost subsumed by the relentless rhythms. Such flair for effective orchestrations and effects helps Linzner’s more repetitive melodic material to avoid turning stale.

The Nanostray 2 soundtracks then runs through several variations of this collision between electronic beats / layers and gritty guitars. “Naizoh Habitat” mixes howling guitar riffs with synth arpeggios to great effect. Again, Linzner confronts a wispy synth melody with forceful rhythms to achieve musical conflict and drama befitting the on-screen action. Things are more easy going on “Shinkai Bay”. It brings together high-energy techno with raging, buzzing guitars to create the album’s most restless, adrenaline-charged composition.

Nanostray 2 Soundtrack

Linzner’s feel for finely etched atmospherics that never lack the necessary punch is most clearly displayed on those tracks where he dares to experiment. “Teppeki Dock” begins with a synth drone that remains unchanged for 30 seconds over beeping sound effects and light beats. After effectively confusing expectations, Linzner then brings in distorted guitars that flare up and churn away at drum’n’bass rhythms. The track’s second half features the album’s most striking melody – essentially a chain of quivering crochets trying to assert themselves by accenting each four square beat, suggesting barely controlled franticness through their forcedly rigid progression.

“Kigan Belt” initially holds back with its anxiously suspended high synth notes, as any melodies are hesitant to form. Electric guitar noises and shreds of single notes echo across an eerie soundscape, and the same sense of insecurity returns on “Kohai City”. Here, the lead melody is doubled by a ghostly echo and then torn to pieces and tossed across the stereo field.

As much as the Nanostray 2 score sounds like a constant thrill ride, it does come with one caveat. It’s hard to dispute that there’s a fair amount of filler material on the album. Including the Nanostray 2 soundtrack in a list of the best game scores might be a close call then. But ultimately, there’s enough quality and substance here to elevate Nanostray 2 to the level of genre stand out. Less cinematic than Rafael Dyll’s Söldner-X soundtracks and eschewing the extended track running times of REDUX: Dark Matters, while also foregoing the self-conscious retro approach of Sturmwind, Nanostray 2 still extols the virtues of old-school shmup scoring with its succinct, exciting cues that pack a small musical universe into less than half an hour of music.

  1. 01 - Main Menu Manfred Linzner 1:06
  2. 02 - Himuro Base Manfred Linzner 1:48
  3. 03 - Daitoshi Station Manfred Linzner 1:41
  4. 04 - Kaikan Outpost Manfred Linzner 2:37
  5. 05 - Kigan Belt Manfred Linzner 2:24
  6. 06 - Nrock Manfred Linzner 1:19
  7. 07 - Teppeki Dock Manfred Linzner 2:12
  8. 08 - Shinkay Bay Manfred Linzner 2:36
  9. 09 - Naizoh Habitat Manfred Linzner 2:00
  10. 10 - Kohai City Manfred Linzner 1:52
  11. 11 - Credits Manfred Linzner 2:20

Tagged With: 2008, Electronic, Manfred Linzner, Nintendo DS, Shin'en Multimedia, Shoot'em Up

Search

Twitter

Follow us @BestGameMusic

Popular tags

1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1999 2000 2008 2012 Action Adventure Adventure Akihiko Mori Battletoads (Franchise) Chiptune Chunsoft David Wise Electronic Electronic Arts Fighting First-Person Shooter KOEI Michael Giacchino Might and Magic (Franchise) Mixed Music Genres Mobile N64 NES Orchestral PC Platformer PlayStation PlayStation 2 PlayStation 3 Racing Rare Rock/Metal RPG Sega Genesis Shoot'em Up Simulation/Strategy SNES XBox 360 Yoko Kanno