Square Archives - The Greatest Game Music

Chrono Cross Soundtrack

Chrono Cross Soundtrack, Yasunori Mitsuda, 1999

Out of the many experiments Square embarked on during the second half of the 1990s, Chrono Cross might have been the most controversial one. After all, this was not just some new IP that Square tested and played around with – this was the sequel to Chrono Trigger, one of the most beloved JRPGs of all time. Or was it? Chrono Cross producer Hiromichi Tanaka pointed out that his goal had been to “create a completely new and different world from the ground up”, rather than relying on Chrono Trigger’s universe, characters and gameplay mechanics. However, fans were not entirely prepared for this approach (which bore similarities to the mainline Final Fantasy games). While Chrono Cross was initially met with a near-ecstatic response from both reviewers and gamers, such enthusiasm soon tapered off when it became apparent just how little Chrono Cross had to do with its predecessor. [Read more…]

Chrono Trigger Soundtrack

Chrono Trigger Soundtrack, Noriko Matsueda / Yasunori Mitsuda / Nobuo Uematsu, 1995

Yes, they don’t make them like they used to. Consider how Chrono Trigger, one of the greatest RPGs of all time, came about more or less by chance – not something you would see in today’s world of multi-million dollar productions that need to please stakeholders. Hironobu Sakaguchi (creator of Final Fantasy), Yuji Horii (creator of Dragon Quest) and Akira Toriyama (creator of Dragon Ball and Dragon Quest character designer) attended a computer graphics convention in the US. There, they got talking about their work in console RPGs, started to trade ideas back and forth – and the result was the appropriately titled “Project Dream”, spearheaded by a true all-star team. However, equally as important was the work of a relative industry newcomer – Masato Kato, who would write the script for one of the stranger and more mind-bending SNES RPG narratives out there. [Read more…]

Final Fantasy I Soundtrack (Pixel Remaster)

Final Fantasy I Soundtrack (Pixel Remaster), 2021, Nobuo Uematsu / Various

So much has been written about the original 1987 Final Fantasy, its influence analysed in such detail that there’s little to add. Like many other early Square titles, it was modelled on an earlier game – in this case, the enormously successful Dragon Quest. However, against the odds, Square managed to actually improve on the source of its inspiration, with a grander story, lusher presentation and more accessible – or just less tedious – gameplay. What’s more, Final Fantasy brought JRPGs to the attention of Western console gamers, many of whom would have never played anything like it before (unless they were familiar with computer RPGs). The rest, as they say, is history. Even though the Final Fantasy franchise’s popularity arguably peaked in the late 90s and early 00s, it remains a commercial juggernaut and one of gaming’s biggest IPs, with each new mainline release a tremendously expensive blockbuster title.

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Final Fantasy III Soundtrack (NES)

Final Fantasy III Soundtrack (NES), Nobuo Uematsu, 1990

After the release of Final Fantasy II, developer Square found itself in a peculiar position. Not many studios would start experimenting with a successful formula that had just saved them from financial ruin. However, that’s precisely what Square did after Final Fantasy, handing over the reins for its sequel to newcomer Akitoshi Kawazu (future mastermind of the SaGa franchise). The result was a divisive game whose compelling gameplay experiments were ultimately poorly implemented. For Final Fantasy III, Square decided to take no risks, returning to many of the story tropes and design elements that had made Final Fantasy so popular. However – apart from a much larger game world – the developers made one crucial addition: a job system that allowed gamers to swap the protagonists’ character class on the fly, allowing for far greater customisation and gameplay depth.

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Final Fantasy III Soundtrack (Pixel Remaster)

Final Fantasy III Soundtrack (Pixel Remaster), 2021, Nobuo Uematsu / Various

To its credit, Final Fantasy II was a daring departure from its predecessor’s best-selling formula. Unfortunately, FF II‘s gameplay innovations were poorly executed, while the game’s narrative turned into an endless series of fetch quests. For Final Fantasy III then, Square handed the reins back to series founder Hironobu Sakaguchi. And just like Final Fantasy had been a refinement of concepts introduced by Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy III took after the monstrously successful third instalment of its fiercest competitor franchise. To be more precise, FF III introduced a richer job system that gave the gameplay an immense amount of depth. Combine that with a vast world to explore, and the game easily stands as the series’ greatest 8-bit instalment. It’s all the more astonishing then that the Pixel Remaster port is the first time Western audiences got to enjoy FF III in its original 2d version.

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Final Fantasy IV Soundtrack (Pixel Remaster)

Final Fantasy IV Soundtrack (Pixel Remaster), 2021, Nobuo Uematsu / Various

True, Square‘s Final Fantasy had been a milestone in RPG history, refining concepts introduced not long before by Dragon Quest. Sequels Final Fantasy II and III were among the best-selling RPGs of their generation, offering gameplay innovation (FFII) and what’s maybe the 8-bit era’s most polished, expansive role-playing game (FFIII). However, it was really with Final Fantasy IV that the franchise joined the ranks of gaming’s most hallowed and revered titles. Final Fantasy IV was a massive influence on the development of the entire RPG genre, particularly through its focus on dramatic storytelling and fleshed-out characters. The game’s legacy as a trailblazer seems secure – there’s a good reason why it keeps appearing on various “best games of all time” lists on both sides of the Pacific, clearly beloved by generations of gamers.

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Final Fantasy V Soundtrack (Pixel Remaster)

Final Fantasy V Soundtrack (Pixel Remaster), 2021, Nobuo Uematsu / Various

Among the trio of SNES Final Fantasy titles, the franchise’s fifth instalment has always been the underdog, which ultimately only added to its appeal. First, there’s the simple fact that the 1992 SNES version of Final Fantasy V was not released in the West, inevitably adding to the mystique surrounding the game. It took until the release of Final Fantasy Anthology in 1999 that US audiences were able to finally lay their hands on the game. Then there’s Final Fantasy V’s main claim to fame – a job system that builds upon that introduced in Final Fantasy III, offering countless options to customise your party. The game felt like a throwback to the NES Final Fantasy titles in other aspects as well. Its fairly simplistic plot and stereotypical (yet enjoyable) characters felt like a conscious step away from Final Fantasy IVs more complex narrative.

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Final Fantasy VI Soundtrack (Pixel Remaster)

Final Fantasy VI Soundtrack (Pixel Remaster), Nobuo Uematsu / Various, 2022

A few select video games acquire an almost mythical aura, something that elevates them even beyond the status of a classic. Few gamers would doubt that Final Fantasy VI is one of those rarefied works. You could argue that the game didn’t reinvent its genre or presented radically innovative gameplay concepts. However, what Square’s young developers accomplished – flying high on the success of the company’s previous SNES hits – was the perfection of the JRPG genre formula. In some ways, this was a work of mad, unbridled ambition, determined to present as dramatic and sweeping a narrative as 16-bit technology allowed for. After all, how many games – before or after – would see the antagonist actually destroy the world, witness one of the main characters desperate enough to throw herself off a cliff, and insert a ten-minute opera sequence?

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Legend of Mana Soundtrack

Legend of Mana Soundtrack, Yoko Shimomura, 1999

While the 32-bit generation saw a seismic shift in gameplay and graphics design from 2d to 3d, that didn’t mean nobody created pixel art masterpieces during those years. And given how much Square’s 16-bit games had pushed the envelope in the early 1990s, it only makes sense that the company would occasionally return to the art style that had endeared its products to countless gamers. Square’s major forays into 2d gaming on the PS1 were SaGa Frontier 2 and Legend of Mana – and it’s probably no coincidence that Square veteran Akitoshi Kawazu produced both games. That probably also explains the non-linear style of RPG gameplay both games tried to pioneer. However, while the lack of a robust central narrative was typical for the SaGa games, it set Legend of Mana apart from its franchise predecessors, reaping strongly divided feedback from gamers and reviewers alike.

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Secret of Evermore Soundtrack

Secret of Evermore Soundtrack, Jeremy Soule, 1995

It’s fair to say that a game like Secret of Evermore would meet with less hostility these days. The thought of a Western console RPG is no longer an affront to gamers raised on Japanese genre products. Back in 1995 though, what many Square fans in the Western hemisphere wanted was a localised Secret of Mana 2 / Seiken Densetsu 3. What they didn’t look for was a down-to-earth alternative to JRPGs’ heroic melodramatics. Especially if it was littered with fictional pop culture references and had a metaphysical, light-hearted tongue-in-cheek approach.

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Secret of Mana Soundtrack

Secret of Mana Soundtrack, Hiroki Kikuta, 1993

It’s no understatement to say that for many gamers, Secret of Mana remains one of the most fondly remembered experiences of the 16-bit era. Of course, a lot of that has to do with the innate quality of the product. Square’s experiment merging action adventure and RPG elements was a resounding success, charming millions of players with its vibrant fantasy world and accessible, yet deep gameplay. But timing played an important role as well. Remember that back in 1993, US releases of SNES RPGs were the exception, not the rule (and for the German market, Secret of Mana might well have been the first localised SNES RPG ever). As a result, many gamers encountered the engrossing storytelling and vivid worlds that the best RPGs deliver for the first time with Secret of Mana.

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Xenogears Soundtrack

Xenogears Soundtrack, 1998, Yasunori Mitsuda

During its late-1990s heyday, Square – bolstered by the success of its Final Fantasy franchise – created an astonishing number of new IPs. However, none of these experiments was as madly ambitious and head-spinning as Xenogears. Designed as an early concept piece for Final Fantasy VII and then morphing into part of a planned six-part series spanning millennia, Xenogears served up one of the densest narratives ever seen in a video game. Its storyline was heavily based on philosophical concepts by Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung (and likely influenced more than a bit by Neon Genesis Evangelion). Throw in a pronounced anti-religious streak that jeopardised the game’s American release, and you have one of the 32-bit era’s most remarkable games. Sadly, Xenogears was held back by time constraints and the development team’s relative inexperience, leading to a bare-bones presentation of its second half.

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