Nov 022011
Yuzo Koshiro puts the Super NES’ sound capabilities to good use, combining tropical tunes with early ’90s beats to make a unique, overlooked soundtrack.
Yuzo Koshiro puts the Super NES’ sound capabilities to good use, combining tropical tunes with early ’90s beats to make a unique, overlooked soundtrack.
Wow already? Most awesome, great podcast.
I still gotta listen to the first one! Haha 🙂
Would be easier if I could subscribe to this on Zune too.. just sayin’ 😉
Hey Brett, I love the idea of the podcast and the potential it represents because I know, understand, and share your love of video game music. I just wish that the episodes were a little longer and that you would talk more about the music. Just stuff like your feelings about the songs and I say feel free to rant a little. The best parts of your previous podcasts were the rants you or the other hosts would have and I’d like to hear more of your opinions on gaming music. I love the theme idea and how you focus on a certain game or artists work so keep that sort of thing up, and maybe do episodes that are like genres focused on in games that may be from several different game or series. Love your work always and looking forward to more episodes, even if you don’t use my input!
Good episode. Never played any of the Adventure Island games, but the music was good. I liked the first episode with other hosts, but I also liked this episode with just you. More people add jokes, banter, and different points of view on the music. Solo gives you a bit more focus, I think more information gets across because you don’t get sidetracked. Maybe you should just keep mixing it up, solo for shorter episodes like this one, and guest hosts for the longer ones perhaps?
Loved the first episode. Downloading now.
Yes! Wonderful! Keep being awesome.
Hey Brett, loving the show so far! I’d actually like it if there was a bit more talking on it. Also, I’d really like to request a ducktales episode!
Excellent as always. Keep it up man!
Great stuff, Brett! As far as critique goes, I would love to hear more variety within each show. While focusing on specific composers or games is fine, incorporating a mix of songs from different composers and eras within each show will, in the long run, ensure it never becomes monotonous, and will give you more to say throughout the show rather than running dry talking about the same game/composer/theme for an entire episode.
More people should know about this.
I like the chatter about this and that along with the music. I think most of us are here because we like Brett’s personality from other shows, and just playing music would lose something. I hope we get shows dedicated to Yuzo Koshiro and Tommy Tallarico, probably my favorite composers from the 16 bit era. I think the show would work best with shows dedicated to composers or companies that have their own sound, like Capcom and Konami, or Zuntata, or Compile. Just doing music from one game isn’t as interesting, but seeing how music develops over a series, like Castlevania or Mega Man, would be cool. I don’t see much point in doing modern games, since their music sounds pretty much like movie music, focusing only up to N64 or so would be best, in my opinion.
Good job so far, Brett alone is good, but I hope we get more shows with guest hosts who can babble about game music as well as they babble about games, and cartoons, and all the things we 30 something man-children love, too.
Love the podcast, keep those classy tunes comming brett.
Oh, hey can i make a request for the next podcast,
Halloween Harry for the PC, mindblowing music
Halloween Harry? Oh man… now THAT was a killin’ game. I need to find it…
Amazing start, Brett. I feel that you could do with some modern composers/games, as well as the classics. Say, for every 3 classic composers, do a new guy, or something similar. Thanks for taking the time, it’s apreciated.
Awww Yeeaah, Adventure Island! This was one of the first games I ever played. And just to throw an idea out there, what if you saved the podcasts about a single game/composer as like a once or twice a month thing and did the rest as a mix of different games/systems/generas. I like the idea of a single game ‘cast, but like mostly everyone has said, I also like to hear you talk about the games just as much as hearing the music.
I give the format a thumbs up. The chatter is essential as your views on the tunes and your reasons for playing them are as interesting as the music itself, especially when it’s an unfamiliar tune.
I haven’t listened yet but just wanted to show my support,I might not have commented on all of your Game Music of the Day articles back at GR but I always read them and really loved them, so thanks for doing this too!
Love the podcast! I could do with more stories and I would prefer no more than 2-3 songs go by without you telling us what they are, at least.
“VGMpire is a Video Game Music Podcast I Really Enjoy!” -Blaine Brown
I hope he quotes you in Episode 3, Blaine. Hahaha.
Well now that I’ve listened to the first episode and half through the second I can say that I really like this series you got going, it sort of reminds me of a college radio show, but in a good way lol
Just before I started listeing to this podcasts first episode I was listening to Lasahtime where you promoted it and immediately thought “Bret, you should do a Yuzo Koshiro episode exclamation mark” Maybe cause I was listening to his the funkey tunes from the Misty Blue soundtrack at almost the same time or maybe it was just because I love the guys music, Just as I love this podcast so far, so just keep it going, You having quests, like in ep 1 and 3, fine. You not havin guests, well fine.
Videogame music podcasts is generally good as long as the music in them is good, they become geat when they have fun discussions around and in between the music.
Brett,
Blaine Allen Brown (quoted above) turned me on to your podcast. I’m definitely going to follow it–it’s a great resource to hear some stuff I otherwise might have overlooked. Some suggestions:
1. I wish that you’d remind us in between tracks what the next track’s name is. All you’d have to do is say it… ’cause otherwise I’m paying attention to the first track and lose the proceeding titles, especially when they’re bizarre.
2. Compared to Episode 1, 2 had more information and insight. I like when you talk about what you like about the music and also about the composer’s style and history. That’s what makes this a podcast to me. Otherwise, this would just be a radio station.
3. Love the composer spotlight. I read some suggestions above, but I really think that sticking to composers is something that isn’t done typically and should be. It gives you a lot of good focus and allows the listener to hone in on styles, etc. A system or company spotlight just won’t have the same organized or memorable effect.
Now, in regards to the content of the episode:
I loved the comment about how Koshiro’s stuff is very reminiscent of the period in which he wrote. All of that stuff certainly sounds like hip-hop, and it’s clear where his influences came from. That being said, the songs weren’t particularly interesting to me; instead, they were just nice beats–you won’t catch me running around singing them.
At least one of the Super Adventure Island 2 stuff tried to keep Koshiro’s vibe, I think, but the production of the beats weren’t up to par. What was, though, was the melodic content. There was simply more of it to grab on to and it was good stuff. The exception to that is, though, the last track (“Island of Everlasting Sun,” was it?), which was great all around. Koshiro’s melodic voice shined, and it even shined brighter than the SAI2 songs.
I’m looking forward to moving on to the next episode and beyond! If you get a chance, I invite you to check out my new blog (linked above), where I’m doing reviews and talking about composition. I’d be cool to get your opinion on some of the stuff about which I write.
– Greg
twitter: @naosabesnao
I didn’t that you could purchase from play-asia.com you should put up a list of sites in which you can purchase, right now the Soundtracks I am buying are only from PSN, Ari Pulkinnen’s Soundtrack from Super Stardust HD, I wish I could buy Dead Nation soundtrack, then on bandcamp Dungeon Defenders, I had to make an account just to purchsed Joris de Man Killzone 2 Soundtrack , and Killzone 3 I purchased from PSN.
Right now I am waiting for PixelJunk Sidescroller Soundtrack on PSN to show up
Prefer more banter. Keep up the good work!
Brett, just listening to this one now(it’s harder to do since it’s not on itunes). That song you say reminds you of “Come Undone” by Duran Duran is similar to the song “Close to You” by Maxi Priest. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN25cGQUPRI
I got the same vibe you did when I heard Koshiro’s work on Super Adventure Island(which is a rip-off of Sega’s Wonder Boy….that’s an oversimplification, but they’re basically the same game), that it sounded like real music.
The only difference is I had already gotten that same feeling twice before; ironically both times were from Yuzo Koshiro’s work. Streets of Rage, and first with Revenge of Shinobi. So Revenge of Shinobi, which was a series of homages to different pop culture, did in fact mimic a lot of 80’s music.