So Steins;Gate... I've seen the anime before, just a few weeks ago, actually. I was quite confused, in honesty, in the beginning, due to Okarin's mad scientist persona. His one-sided conversations with himself really caught me off-guard in the initial episodes. Furthermore, Christina's death in the first episode, and her "resurrection" in the second episode added more to the confusion.
What first got my attention to this particular anime was knowing that the microwave was a time. Intriguing, no? How the microwave's a time machine is different than I what had envisioned, though. I won't say how (mostly because I don't think I'm articulate enough to explain). The first time around, I watched it in English, just for the sake of it. I was recently encouraged to rewatch the series in Japanese. My friend vouched that the actor who voices Okarin really sells the mad scientist bit. So here I am writing about a show that I'm currently watching. Whew, that was a lot to say.
I do know that Steins;Gate is based on a video game! Although, I do not know how much of the source material is borrowed for the anime. If I could find a copy of the game, I'm sure I'll give it a play through once or twice and see what how it's like.
For now, the anime will suffice.
Until Wednesday, ya Nerds! (Hmm, sounds cool enough).
Over the summer, I've had the pleasure of diving into the "BlazBlue" universe, as I call it. So far, BlazBlue has been expanded through 3 main entries (Calamity Trigger, Continuum Shift, and ChronoPhantasma, respectively). With each new game that's released, new character are introduced, as well as both the overall main story and each character's backstory (for both new and veteran fighters) become more elaborated (as it should be). Since the BlazBlue universe has gotten considerably bigger (through spinoffs, an anime series, and supplemental novel and manga publishings), there's just too much info to share on this one blog post, but click here and it'll take you to BlazBlue's wiki page. All pertinent info can be found here.
BlazBlue, in short, is a 2D J-Fighter, mixing elements from Capcom's classic Street Fighter and Marvel v. Capcom series, as well as a personal favorite series, Killer Instinct. BlazBlue, like KI, requires much time and patience to learn (let alone master), since much of the action is fast-paced.
What I've been enjoying most lately has been the game's soundtrack. It's difficult to label the genre (there's nothing wrong with that - a soundtrack with many flavors is greatly appreciated), but I'd say it's mostly hard rock/speed metal with melodic and symphonic elements infused in each music. However, the Chronophantasma remakes (marked by "ii") are full of surprises. So while, I'm not currently playing the games at the moment (damn you, adult responsibilities), at least I have to the soundtrack to drool over.
Here is Noel Vermillion's Bullet Dance II, from BB:CP:
Here is Jin Kisaragi's Lust SIN II, also from BB:CP:
Shovel Knight is one of those games that I bought as soon as I heard of its existence. I stumbled upon this game as a review for the ultra-popular Game Informer magazine, earning a 8.5 or a 9 (it's been months since I saw the review in the magazine. The review enticed me - it was a throwback to the good ol' days of 2D platforming (nostalgia) while harkening references and influences from beloved Capcom IPs of MegaMan and Ghouls n' Goblins (so yeah, and hell yeah!).
The review and its second opinion both loved and deeply appreciated the difficulty that was once prevalent (especially in the games of the MegaMan and Ghouls n' Goblins series) and that alone just caught my attention. It's been a while since I've played such a challenging video game. Furthermore, the review also lauded the game's soundtrack, but that was an aspect that didn't fascinate me as much. I'm more attracted to the more dynamic (and frequently symphonic) soundtracks that are more prevalent in today's gaming world (Shadow of the Colossus, BlazBlue, and God of War are some excellent examples). Like any 2D platformer of the olden days, it's the attention to detail and sprite animations that bring the game to life. And it's for the 3DS/Wii-U and I desperately need more games for my 3DS, so that was also in my favor.
I spent about 15 hours playing the game in total (8 hours for my first run and getting everything and 7 hours playing the more even more challenging "New Game+" mode). Like MegaMan and Ghouls n' Goblins, controls are tight, the colors/animations/sprites are crisp and colorful, and not one song sounds similar to another. This is one of those games that has to be played by everybody (and if you don't have a 3DS or Wii-U, then borrow or steal or do something!). It's very rewarding, being both an homage to era of the past, while still being outstanding in its own right as it's own IP.
After I wrote "DEVILS NEVER CRY (because they) NEVER SURRENDER!", I got to thinking, What are some other musicians/bands that have also contributed to video game music? Some other bands that come to mind are Crush40, Megadeth, Trent Reznor (of Nine Inch Nails fame), and Julien-K. I'm sure there are others that I'm not considering, but their names elude me at the moment.
Crush40: They actually started off as under the name Sons of Angels, but eventually changed their name after the first Sonic Adventure. Most of their music was composed for the Sonic games, but some of their earlier work was devoted to NASCAR Arcade.
This song, "Live & Learn," is from Sonic Adventure 2:
This next song, "Into The Wind," comes from their only full-length album, Crush40:
Megadeth: As any metalhead worth his lengthy locks knows, Megadeth's been in the metal game since the 80's, often focusing on contemporary socio-political issues (with some personal life-faith stories sprinkled in between).
This song, "Sudden Death," was first featured in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock as the one of the last songs, which was intentional (when you hear the song, you'll understand). This song was later featured in Megadeth's 13th album, Th1rt3en.
As for a song that reflects Megadeth outside of the gaming industry, it's hard to pick just one! Aside from obvious picks such as "Symphony of Destruction," "Hangar 18," "Holy Wars," "A Tout Le Monde," "Trust," "In My Darkest Hour," "Peace Sells," and so much more, I decided to put in an unconventional song, "502," a song about the fast life on the road.
Trent Reznor: When he's not working on material for Nine Inch Nails or How To Destroy Angels, Reznor works on composing music score for films (The Social Network) or video games (Quake, COD: Black Ops II).
Since I'm not too familiar Reznor's work with film and gaming, I'll use a recent score, the Black Ops II main theme:
As for music outside of gaming, like Megadeth, it's difficult to pick just one. Just about every song from PHM or TDS is pretty good as some exceptional picks from With Teeth, Year Zero, The Slip, and even Ghosts I-IV, I'll pick a personal favorite from 1999's The Fragile, "Into the Void:"
Julien-K: Julien-K's one of those bands that you have to be "in the know" to know their music, you know? Similar, to Combichrist, Noisia, and Da Octopuss, Julien-K has good dance beats, fuzzy noises, and catchy hooks, which promises for a good time on the dance floor.
One of their earliest contributions, "This Machine," has been featured in Sonic Heroes, serving as the theme for Team Dark. Julien-K also has contributed to the music score of Michael Bay's iterations of the Transformers franchise.
As for a song outside of gaming and the filmscape, the featured song is "Futura (DTA Mix)," some other songs to listen to are "Death to Analog," "Kick the Bass," "Systeme de Sexe," "We're Here With You," "Spring Palms Reset," and "Nights of Future Past," among others.
So, with all that's said and done, I just made another list of sorts (and I didn't realize it, until now). Maybe I should work on making more lists in general. Well, that's all for now! Until next time, my fellow readers!
I had the pleasure of spending time with a dear friend almost a week ago. We were driving back home after visiting friends and seeing old familiar faces when he played a familiar song through his phone (which was hooked up to his radio). Only I couldn't place the name of the song. So I gave up asked my friend, "Who is this again?" He looks at me and says, "You don't remember? This is Combichrist - this song is the main theme from the latest Devil May Cry!"
Of course! How could I forget! That's why the song was familiar - this song plays during the introductory cinematic scene of the game, highlighting Dante's exorbitant lifestyle of women, fast times, and all-around recklessness. It's been quite some time since I've played DMC: Devil May Cry since I had already accomplished all that I could do (such as maxing out the Life/Devil Trigger bars, earning all combos, finding all secrets, ect. - I pretty much got my money's worth playing the game). Since I've done all that I could do gaming-wise, perhaps the only reason why I'd revisit the game would be for its music.
Much of the in-game music was composed by both Combichrist and Noisia, two electronica groups (in the broadest sense: they're actually Aggrotech and Neurofunk/Grime, respectively). The music composed for the game is fantastic and flawless - their styles compliment the re-imaging of the Devil May Cry franchise perfectly. As I mentioned a whiles back in my Da Octopuss post, this is the type of music that belongs in gothic, underground dance clubs of sorts. I've been loving this style of music, and quite frankly, I want more of this type of music in my life. Julien-K is somewhat similar, as well as Da Octopuss, so I've got that going for me.
Anyhow, here is the theme song of DMC:Devil May Cry, called "Never Surrender," the one my good friend was blasting in his car radio:
And here is one of Noisia's offerings from the game:
Maybe after I'm done with this year's CD collecting quest, I'll devise a new list that'll focus more on this type of music.
Recently, I've been somewhat obsessed with listening to theme songs from various video games I have played over the years. They've been providing me with a refreshing break from the music I've been listening lately, which is currently Avenged Sevenfold and Nine Inch Nails. I amazed at how creative some of the music has been, and I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I didn't appreciate the music initially (or rather, took me so long to REALLY hear the music). So instead of me ranting, or telling a life story of mine, I thought I'd do something different and share with you 10 of the many theme songs (in no particular order) that I've been listening to lately. Enjoy!
1) Devils Never Cry by Testuya Shibata & Shootie HG: The harsh vocals & guitar, juxtaposed with the gothic/renaissance atmosphere of the music are something to behold here.
2) Operation: Market Garden by Michael Giacchino: Anders' performance as the solo vocalist is just beautiful. The way he lends his voice to the music can allow us to shed solemn tears for our fallen heroes.
3) Super Smash Bros. Melee Theme as performed by The New Japanese Philharmonic: Somehow, the epic theme got more epic-er.
4) God of War II Main Theme by Gerard K. Marino: Fun fact - the composer intentionally reduced the woodwind sections and doubled the brass sections to create the powerful, memorable sound GoW is known for. Also, everything is sung in Greek!
5) Throw It All Away (Shadow's Theme) featuring Everett Bradley: I thoroughly enjoy the industrial/hard rock feel of the music here (similar to Devils Never Cry). It'd be great to hear more of this type of sound in music more often.
6) Fallout 3 Main Theme by Inon Zur: This orchestral piece can really captures the insecurity of living in a post-apocalyptic world. My only gripe here is that the piece is too short.
7) Open Your Heart by Crush40: In a (successful) attempt to make Sonic Adventure more edgier and down-to-earth, prog-rock pieces like this theme song are found through the game.
8) Live & Learn by Crush40: The prog-rock attitude continues in this main theme song of Sonic Adventure 2. After this game, most theme songs of following Sonic games have been somewhat lacking, to say the least.
9) Godot: The Fragrance of Coffee by Noriyuki Iwadare: There are no words to really describe this beautiful and jazzy orchestral interpretation. This is one of those pieces that should be played at a wedding somehow.
10) Fly in the Freedom (Rouge's Theme) featuring Tabitha Fair: I hated this song as a kid, but as an adult, I really love this style of music (the problem is: I don't know what would this be considered! I'm thinking Jazz or Bossa Nova, but I could be wrong). Complex, elaborate, and sexy, Fair's vocals add to the music to create a song that's strangely memorable.
