Final Level Gaming

To me, soundtracks are the sweet icing on the metaphorically speaking cake of gaming. It tops off a classic with tunes that will stay in your mind time and time again. Every great game deserves a great piece of music to go along for the ride, and 2011 brought some of the best to the table. Whether you are fighting dragons, shooting bits and pieces of fragmented data through the Internet or just having a wild adventure through a mythological Japan; you are treated with some amazing tunes. Some are epic in scale, others are moody and give off a sense of adventure to it. All around I was impressed with every one of these games on the list but more times than none I always turn to their soundtracks more than their actual game play. Here are my top ten favorites of the year, let me take you on a journey of musical bliss.

10. Dark Souls (Music by Motoi Sakuraba)

Tracks to listen to

• Nameless Soul
• Prologue
• Gaping Dragon
• Gwyn, Lord Of Cinder

Dark Souls was a tough as nails gaming experience. It was one of those games where I knew I was going to rip out my HDMI cable and never return to gaming for awhile. That is until it’s very melancholic soundtrack hit me and I was quickly calmed down. There is something almost medieval about this soundtrack, an almost uncanny sense of both danger and wonder. I guess that goes hand in hand with the games wonderfully crated creatures and unique locales. The boss themes are what got me the most, just a perfect blend of pulse-pounding drums and a choir going off in rampant. Tough as shit game to play but a very easy going listening experience while playing it. 

9. The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Music by Koji Kondo and others)

Tracks to listen to

• The Sky
• Zelda’s Lullaby
• Battle Ghirahim
• Isle Of Songs

Being this is the very first orchestrated Zelda soundtrack, I was on pins and needles to hear how this turns out. I mean after over ten games in the series, you’d think they would finally get it right and finally give this series that essence it was missing with beautifully orchestrated tunes? Even Mario beat it to the the punch nearly 5 years ago. I was less than impressed with this offering but surprised by so many remixed tunes in the game. Some of the tracks in the game are more enhanced and warped creations of original classics fans loved from the series. One of the main themes in the game is actually a tune from an earlier game but played backwards which i thought was rather clever and unique. For a first orchestrated offering in The Legend Of Zelda series, it was pretty lackluster but still one of the best of the year. Hopefully the next game gets it perfect.

8. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (Music by Greg Edmonson)

Tracks to listen to

• Nate’s Theme 3.0
• Bazaar Brawl
• Arachnophobia
• Pursuit
• Mind Games
• Museum Bust

This was a very classic album for me. It went hand in hand with the game play and the story which sparked quite a nice flame for me. Some of the most intense moments of the game had the most intense music to back it up. Some of my favorites, one in particular “Museum Bust” is a wild romp through the city streets with young drake trying to escape from a bunch of goons. It intensifies as you go along this mini-chase sequence; Sully is kicking ass as you make your escape along the way, your running on rooftops and through buildings; some pretty great things happen. But the music is what drove that sequence to me, you get little breaks here and there that help build the tension up and the drums and guitar in the background help seal the deal. Great stuff to be had with this soundtrack, it’s one of the best just not the best of the year for me.

7. Shadows Of The Damned (Music By Akira Yamaoka)

Tracks to listen to

• G-Drive (Motorcycle Theme)
• Last stop, windows up
• Entrance At Hell’s Gate
• Drunk’N’Alley
• Cold Turkey
• Nature Hike, Fresh Air

Akira Yamaoka is a true genius at his craft. His music is all the way unique and moody while being very nice and easy on the ears sometimes. When he intensifies a track, you will feel it. When he plays the moody ambiance, you can just sense the emotion in the track. This game was off the wall weird and it went very well with the soundtrack. Each and every track sounded like it came straight from Hell itself and I relished every second of it. From head-thumping metal to melodic piano tunes, every music track in this game went perfectly with its over-the-top theme. Not one of his best albums but still a great album nonetheless. 

6. Sword And Sworcery LP

Tracks To Listen To

• Dark Flute
• Lone Star
• The Maelstrom
• The Ballad Of The Space Babies
• Unknowable Geometry

Now here is an album that surprised me on so many levels. One of the best games to hit any platform this year (not to mention the best mobile game in existence) had one of the best albums of the last few years in gaming. Trust me, this was one hell of a great soundtrack. Every track was unique in its own right, every beat synced well in time with the actual game itself. I guess when the creators of this game were making it they knew they had to one-up the experience by letting the music actually drive the game play itself. Nothing is more evident than the fantastic boss battles in the game where you time your movements and hits on the boss to the actual music itself. It gives that sense of accomplishment and epic scale that few games to my memory have ever accomplished. Had it not been for the other superb soundtracks that rank in the top five for the year, this would have been my clear favorite hands down. Seriously speaking, buy this soundtrack and give credit to where credit is due.

5. Okamiden (Music by Rei Kondoh)

Things to listen to

• Hanasaki Village
• Agata Forest Submurged In Water
• Sei-an City Commoner’s Quarter
• Ryoshima Field North

This was a rare treat to hear on a Nintendo DS system. Take what was already a masterpiece on the original Playstation 2 classic and just add even more greatness but on a smaller platform and you get one of the best soundtracks on any handheld device. Almost every track I loved from the original, although they were remixed and sadly some of the boss tunes were taken out, was done with the same class and love as the original game. Every level in the game had its own running theme that went perfect with the music themes for them. Some of my favorite tunes from the first game are remixed to near perfect levels to help bring more of an aged clarity to it. This was already an amazing experience to play and its soundtrack is no less than legendary.

4. L.A. Noire (Music by The Hale Brothers)

Tracks to listen to

• New Beginning pt.1
• Noire Clarinet
• Slow Brood
• Pride Of The Job pt.1

My 2nd favorite genre of music is Jazz. I can’t get enough of the stuff; the blues feeling of it, the catchy beats and riffs, the way the music flows like poetry. This was why when I thought of the L.A. Noire soundtrack, I thought of it being off-tempo and fulled with all kinds of action themed tunes and whatever. Little that I know, this album would end up being one of my favorite Jazz albums ever. The game itself is a rather boring time for me but the soundtrack was what kept me going. Each scenario played its part with the music just escalating the tension at pivotal scenes while giving it a much needed class that it deserves. It felt a lot like the movie L.A. Confidential in a way giving it a more pulp fiction aspect of it. If you haven’t given this soundtrack a chance, please do. It’s a rare treat for both Jazz lovers like myself and gamers alike.

3. Child Of Eden (Music by Genki Rockets)

Tracks to listen to

• Journey
• Passion
• Evolution
• Beauty
• Hope

I loved REZ when I first played it on my imported Dreamcast. There was something about the rhythm of the game and how it was heavily based off of the beats of the music to help drive the  gameplay to astronomic levels of fun. That was no exception when I first played Child Of Eden. The soundtrack for this game is damn good, a perfect blend of house, techno and electronic that evokes both emotion and intensity as you play through the game. Let me put it in this sense: you need to actually get a feel for the music to fully understand the fun this game has. it’s a bond, a special kind of experience, one that transcends the player to another world of happiness as you are toe-tapping and head -nodding to every infectious beat. That’s what gaming is all about folks, to help transport us to that world, to that happy place in our lives…and Child Of Eden’s soundtrack helped nail that with this amazing title.

2. Streets Of Rage Remake (Music By The SORR Team)

Tracks to listen to

• Go Straight
• Violent Breathing
• Bar Hopping
• Night Club
• Moon Beach
• Fighting In The Street
• My Little Baby
• Slow Moon

I could seriously list the entire album if I had to. Streets Of Rage is one of my favorite games of all time, and for a team to come together and remake the classic to basically the best way to play it had me foaming at the mouth. Not only did they re-done the mechanics of the game, spruced up the graphics a bit and gave it the tender loving care any fan of the series would; they remixed the entire soundtrack from the ground up and it is a masterpiece. For a man who has listened to all of these classic hits many times before, this was really the icing on the cake for me this year. They kept the classic intact but added more percussion and synthesizers to give it a more modern flair. BUT most importantly, they never butchered the original classics. They just kept to what made the originals so good and added their own touches here and there to keep the ball rolling. It is hands down the best remixed soundtrack I have ever heard and my second favorite of the year. Download this, actually download this and the game itself if you can find it (Sega took down the game) and just prepare for a wild trip back to the 90’s and the golden era of gaming.

1. Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (Music by Hitoshi Sakimoto and others)

Tracks to listen to

• Fight It Out!
• Theme Of Black Knight
• Overture
• Warren’s Report

The original Tactics Ogre for the SNES holds a special place in my heart. It was the first soundtrack I laid my ears on in any medium (this includes film and television) and I am proud to say it is one of gaming’s finest achievements. What Mr. Sakimoto and team have created is something of a blessing for gaming to me. it was elegant, it was grand in scale and it felt the most refined out of any RPG score I have ever heard. When the remake was announced for the PSP, my heart literally skipped a beat. It then stopped when I heard that they were fully orchestrating the entire soundtrack. I knew I had to download this as fast as it was available, and I am grateful for the Internet gods for allowing me to get this. 

What more can I say about such a beautiful soundtrack. Each and every track felt like it could have been played at a world-famous opera house or something. It felt more Shakespearean in many ways like the actual game itself. themes for specific characters carried their motives for both justice and evil. Battles were given their just due with thunderous percussion, violins that could wake the dead and light choirs here and there to carry the grand scale to new heights. It is the perfect version of this soundtrack and I give a standing ovation to both the composer and his team for finally giving it the treatment fans like myself have been waiting nearly all their life for. It is my personal favorite for the year and in my top three soundtracks of all time. 

2011 is about to become a memory in the next 28 days and to cap off this awesome year worth of gaming I thought it wise to compile several lists of the greatest things to come from it this year. This was one of gaming’s best years bringing us some classic titles and some of the best gaming to come to us yet. From slaying dragons to saving Zelda, some of the best and well known franchises had their best games this year. Here are the lists I will create leading up to my personal best of the year awards:

• 10 Best Heroes
• 10 Best Villains
• 10 Best Sidekicks
• 10 Best Chicks
• 10 Best Soundtracks
• 10 Best Moments
• 10 Best Achievements/Trophies
• 10 Best Stories
• 10 Best Box Arts
• The 10 Best Games Of The Year

This was a year crammed full to the brim of fantastic gaming to satisfy any gamer. You could slay dragons or just have fun blowing stuff up in style. You could solve puzzles through portals or just kick the snot out of someone (twice) with some of the world’s well known characters. I am proud to have lived through this year of great gaming and the best is truly yet to come. Here’s to gaming’s best year in my opinion and to many great times with the industry.

I’ll admit, I hated the Saints Row series. It just felt to me like a bland representation of the Grand Theft Auto series and a cheap imitation of San Andreas. It was crude, had tasteless humor and I turned off my console after playing through the ridiculous Septic Tank missions where you are spraying poop all over people’s houses for cold hard cash. I thought I would never play another minute of this game….but once again I was wrong.

The moment I started up Saints Row The Third, I was dying of laughter. The opening credits sequence was played like the beginning of a Star Wars film complete with rolling credits and a very well-known theme from another movie. It was filled with the same raunchy humor as the last few games gave, but it was actually tasteful this time. A light F’bomb here and there and a few cuss words can make a game really. It wasn’t until after the opening that I was in an elevator getting ready to rob a bank with my most trusted teammates. What was even more hilarious was that we were robbing the bank dressed as a well known member of the group.

So the bank heist goes bad (but in a very good and explosive manner) and we are sent to prison. This opens up the character creation screens and let me tell you, I must have spent at least two hours tops perfecting my character. I made a British speaking black guy with a scar over his left eye, a chin that would give Superman a run for his money, and dressed him up with a disco suit, gold chains and aviator black sunglasses. He had an assortment of tattoos that were all flower related all over his body with one over his chest that says “bouquet of pain”. He was set, he was ready, and “The London Disco” was willing to give Steelport a piece of his mind.

So we’re taken to a plane and given an introduction to the main bad guy of the game and his twin hot chick assistants. All hell breaks loose and I am taught the basics of combat and the like. This felt so much better to control and fun to use than in Saints Row 2. Basically, you get a heavy attack and a light attack. The light attack can be used to create combos to beat down your foes but the money shot (quite literally) is with the heavy attacks. You can leap over enemies and right hook the hell out of them, sprint fast enough and you’ll be drop kicking foes in a heartbeat. Be really creative and send a swift uppercut to the groin for some ball-bursting hilarity. This is the beauty of Saints Row The Third, the ability to have fun while at the same time enjoying all the randomness it has to offer.

So after a brief mission over the city of Steelport which has you free falling in midair as debris is flying every which way at you, you get a glimpse of Steelport itself and this city is HUGE in scope. If you look closely during this mission, you can actually see the entire city in scale. So we hijack a car (which can be done a many number of ways from flying into the windshield to simply bashing the drivers head in and throwing them out) and I get a taste at the vehicles and the way the city is.

Vehicles in Saints Row The Third are much tighter and less wonky to control but not as tight as GTA 4 which is a blessing to me cause I hated those controls. It gives you the freedom to drive at your own ridiculous pace but not so much where the car is just flailing about down the road. The radio stations play some really awesome tunes. Some of my favorite stations are the 80’s station and the Adult Swim station. Yes, some of the best music from the Adult Swim library make it into the game, even the theme songs of many of their shows (I totally geeked out at The Venture Bros theme).

The city itself is a mixed bag of what you come to expect. Pimps, ho’s, gangstas, crooked cops, tanks, missiles, the military, you know the usual tip. It was a cool exploring the city as some of the innocent bystanders will call you over for photo op moments that can net you respect and cash to gain more popularity around town. The different properties you can own now are a staggering amount. Plastic Surgery offices, gun shops, gas stations, strip clubs, piers, docks, clothing stores, you name it and its yours for the top dollar. Not only that but now you get an increased amount of wealth for every property or gang operation you take control of. The VERY best part of all of this is that all your money is linked up with your cell phone so if you need a quick hit of cash just pull out your phone and transfer your money from an unknown bank account.

I am not done speaking about Saints Row The Third and have yet to get to the bread and butter of the crazy good game. It’s right beside San Andreas as the best open world experience and I will just about say it could even top that game as the greatest. I’ll write again about side missions, assassinations, weapons and any other crazy antics I can find. Now if you excuse me, I have to jump off the roof of my penthouse and swan dive into oncoming traffic while thrown multiple grenades.

The Nintendo Entertainment System, otherwise known as the NES, is home to some of the greatest and most influential games in the history of Video Gaming. Super Mario, Metroid, Zelda, Kirby, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Castlevania, Punch-Out….seriously the list goes on and on with classic titles. But what is a classic title without some pretty impressive covers to go along with the game? That’s why I decided to create a list of the best box arts to grace this classic system, and believe me this was no easy task. There are literally thousands of games to choose from, but here are some of my personal favorites.

10. Contra

This was a pretty badass cover art. Basically, two ripped dudes with big guns taking down the scum of the universe while wearing colored bandannas. Not to mention that legendary logo for both Konami and the Contra sign.

9. Gradius

You will notice a running trend in Konami box arts on this list, they really do have the most badass and detailed out of all box arts. This one was no exception but there was a clear ripoff of the Star Destroyer from Star Wars dead stamp in the middle of the box, but once again the attention to detail is clearly evident.

8. Bionic Commando

Basic and straight to the point, this cover was all types of WTF. Just a dude swinging like Errol Flynn across some war torn battlefield fighting robots and faceless soldiers. A true kick ass and take names type of cover.

7. Mike Tyson’s Punch Out

At the time when this first released, this was one hell of a cover. Just the legendary Mike Tyson, a helpless victim and a dumbfounded referee. It was the closest thing to a free pay-per-view match as any.

6. Baseball Stars

One of SNK’s earliest titles and one of the best sports sims around at the time, Baseball Stars was just like its cover: wacky, intense and full of home runs.

5. Contra Force

Yes. More of this please and thank you. Check out the testosterone in this one scene alone. Sure the game was a complete and utter failed departure for the series but still this more than redeems it’s terrible gameplay. Like a bad day in Chicago or something.

4. Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse

This was a pretty damn good Castlevania cover, not to mention the 2nd best in the series in terms of good gameplay. What really pissed me off is that gigantic sticker on the box for some bullshit excuse of a sweepstakes. Even more insulting is that I think Alucard was the poor sucker to be covered up from this legendary team-up.

3. Super Mario Bros. 3

I get a huge kick of nostalgia every time I see this cover. Just Mario being Mario, flying around with glee and a raccoon tail (Tanooki tail). It makes well use of all the bright colors and the tag line really did live up to its hook, this was the most exciting Mario adventure…..yet.

2. Dragon Warrior (Dragon Quest in Japan)

This was a pure work of art, it almost has a slight art gallery feel to it. The slight beam of light peering from the sword, that terrifying dragon, the knight in armor ready to take down the beast; every thing about this cover is a marvel to look at and if you can find the original one intact then you are God in my eyes.

1. The Legend Of Zelda

Yea this is where it’s at. If not one of the most iconic covers in gaming history, The Legend Of Zelda really needs no more introduction than this. It was gold, it had a giant shield with hints of the real game and no mention of Link whatsoever. Plus it came with maps and playing tips which everyone adores. This is gaming at the peak of perfection and its box art is no different.

First I’d like to apologize for my absence the past month, I was lazy and I will admit it was a first for me to not write as often as I do. But fear not dear readers cause I have returned and even more clever than ever.

To start off my reboot, I am throwing a curve ball here and giving you readers the gift of box arts from gaming’s past and present. And not just the good ones mind you, I am heading in all directions from the most bizarre to some of the most godawful creations known to man. I will be doing the more colorful or drab ones as well too from each and every generation of gaming. Prepare to be amazed and disgusted by these box arts, I am sure they will please anyone with a good head.

Once again, I apologize for the drought of entertainment. This won’t happen again, you have my word :)

Here’s the first game I ever owned and it’s original box art