What happens when a tune is so cute and twinkly, it sounds like an adorable toddler in a tuxedo? Tune in to find out if Tuxedo Boy will fulfill the prophecy while keeping a lid on it. Also experience a few VGMJB firsts as we get the same recommendation from two separate patrons, Josh introduces a new award for past tracks, and the hosts dish out bribes. Were you lucky enough to get some coin?
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| This episode was made possible by: | ||
| Game | Track Title | Composer(s) |
| NiGHTS into Dreams | Take the Snow Train | Naofumi Hataya, Tomoko Sasaki, Fumie Kumatani |
| Rastan | Level 1 | Naoto Yagishita, Masahiko Takaki |
| Vectorman | Day 3: Tidal Surge, Day 12: Nightscape, Bonus Round |
Jon Hollard |
| Earthbound | Buzz Buzz's Prophecy | Hirokazu Tanaka, Keiichi Suzuki, Akio Ohmori |
| Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | Sky Kid Retro Medley | Junko Ozawa (original arcade composition) |
| Konami Test Board | Sound Test | Unknown |
...and listeners like YOU.
Hey Josh, thanks for the gold coin. I'll forward that on to my vgm financial advisor. Hopefully it doesn't push me into the 16 bit tax bracket this year. Are you thinking of "Hospital" from Earthbound? I think it has a pretty Reggae vibe myself.
ReplyDeleteHaha. And YES. I was thinking of Hospital. It always felt good to walk into that hospital and heard those opening chords.
ReplyDeleteI feel so melancholy when I listen to that Earthbound track. Other tracks from that game have the same affect on me as well. In fact, the whole game has this undertone of sadness blended with hope that seems to permeate everything. It's kind of creepy, but never loses a sense of humanity.
ReplyDeleteI hold Earthbound in the highest regard, and would recommend it to anyone who hasn't played it, but likes unique games.
Mother 3 is great as well, if you're willing to go through the trouble of playing the fan translation (I may, or may not have completed this on a real GameBoy Advance). But I like Earthbound better overall.
Oh, and I said "Ranger X", out loud at the same time as Emily! That game, along with Gunstar Heros, and Alien Soldier are amazing examples of pushing hardware much harder than usual on Genesis/Mega Drive. I echo the sentiment that tech tends to get left in the dust, and development tends to end before it really gets rolling. Amazingly, the Commodore 64 is still being developed for today by enthusiasts. Amazing demos are still coming out all time from the EU scene. It makes me want a PAL C64, so I can watch them in real time. Until then, I'll stick to Youtube.
We had a Ranger X ConneXion! See what I did there?!
Delete(I may need to stop responding to posts while sleep-deprived.)
Thanks for the thoughtful explanation of EarthBound, by the way. From what you're saying, the atmosphere is right up my alley. I dig a good creepy, beautiful sorrow.
Me and Matt D are rolling in coin!
ReplyDeleteHere's what I saw with the tuxedo boy: http://www.boyssuitsandtuxedos.com/i//Customertuxvest.jpg
Do yourself a favor and don't Google image search boys in tuxedos. Feels weird to type.
I loved hearing that Vectorman track. That was one of my favorite games for Genesis. I desperately wanted it after seeing commercials for it, and got it for my birthday. I beat it that same week I was so into it. I tested my skills a couple years ago after downloading it for Wii, and I could still beat it in ~30 min. You've inspired me to test once more!
I misread your suggestion and did Google image search boys in tuxedos. It was hilarious and delightful.
DeleteAlso, Josh, could you please upload "Motorcycle" to your YouTube playlist?
ReplyDeleteYou got it dude!
Deletehttps://youtu.be/jruczL2EQWA
Mm-mm-mm, that's what I'm talking about. Sweet sweet Chi Chi's Pro Challenge Golf.
ReplyDelete'...like a little tiny boy, who is waring a tuxedo, and the tuxedo is just on perfectly' is legitimately the best simile I have heard in quite a while. Josh, you should be a writer or something.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I was super stoked that you guys played my insane Test Board suggestion. Thank you for that and for helping it activate pleasure centres around the world.
So glad you were stoked, Spritz! Oddities like Test Board are super interesting because there's even more context wrapped up in them than usual.
DeleteI know that a big reason for why VGM appeals to me personally is the technical aspect of it: how compositions are affected by limitations, the ways composers bent the rules or constructed tunes to trick your brain, and so on. Test Board just added another dimension on top of all that since it was used to put the external hardware through its paces in very specific ways. It makes one even more mindful of the pieces that construct the larger holistic experience that is playing an arcade game, if that makes any sense. I think there is a tendency to think about VGM more abstractly than this -- and in fact we've touched on this topic a lot, especially in our Special Stage comments section.
It also makes me think of the quality control part of the package, which I sometimes forget about until I run into a technician actively repairing a cabinet. Thank you, arcade cab technicians.