Introducing a New Feature: Tier Lists!

Hello, all! If you'll look below this post, you'll see the first entry for a new feature I've been wanting to do for quite some time now! As it happens, I've always enjoyed ranking things, and I've always thought it would be fun if I presented gaming-related lists and whatnot to the world. We've seen this before in my Top 15 Mario Kart 8 Tracks list, but how about, say, a ranked list of Nintendo 64 games, or what's my personal pecking order for The Legend of Zelda?

To satisfy that craving, I now introduce Leave Luck to Heaven's very first Tier List, featuring a subject we're all intimately familiar with: Kirby! Now that all the mainline games have finally been reviewed, I thought I'd celebrate by finally presenting my personal rankings for the series. Naturally, it follows the blog's score system, so you shouldn't have a hard time following it. As mentioned within its respective post, these lists are also subject to change over time, but I'll let you know whenever that happens.

Regardless, more are to come, although my plan is to split between plentiful franchises (which will also include certain series featured within Worldly Weekend)  and Nintendo consoles (which will exclusively focused on Nintendo-developed/published games). To clarify on "plentiful," while you'll be certainly be seeing lists based on Zelda, Mario and even Final Fantasy, you shouldn't expect one for Super Smash Bros., as there's only fives game and they'd only rank at Really Great at worst.

Furthermore, you won't have to wait until I've reviewed, say, every Mario or SNES game until their respective lists come out; I haven't fully planned this out yet, but I'm thinking I'd only wait until I've reviewed maybe half of their libraries and gradually fill them in afterwards. Consequently, they may feel incomplete, but I suppose it'd be fun to watch them evolve over time, eh?

Unfortunately, the introduction of Tier Lists comes at an expense: after putting more thought into it, I've realized it's probably very unlikely Biweekly Music Wednesday! will be returning. With everything I have to juggle including this blog, Hey Poor Player, and other personal endeavors, it frankly obstructed much of my output and I'd be unable to maintain it without making serious concessions to my lifestyle, which I simply can't afford for a blog column.

I know it's disappointing news; personally, I'll miss injecting a different sense of game-related discussion every couple of weeks, but I've come to recognize more infrequent projects like this will be more suitable for the blog moving forward. As I ask you to please understand this development, you can also expect to witness appropriate changes to its placement within The Archives alongside Tier Lists and a much-needed Game Journalism upgrade.

Anyway, expect this week to be a meaty one regarding reviews for both Leave Luck to Heaven and Hey Poor Player, so stay tuned!

Biweekly Music Wednesday! No. 53 ~Now or Never!~ (Splatoon)

Origin: Splatoon
Plays In: Last minute of a Turf War match
Status: Original Composition
Composed By: Toru Minegishi

A new Nintendo Direct is upon us!! In less than three hours, we'll be basking in the afterglow of newly-announced Nintendo games, all contained in a 45-minute package. We'll certainly see that "multiplayer action" 3DS Kirby game, and Super Mario Odyssey is confirmed for an appearance, but that's hardly a fraction of what's to come. Will we see more of the Kirby and Yoshi Switch games? Is Retro Studios' next game finally around the corner? Is this possible mistake a hint towards Super Smash Bros. for Switch, something I should've put behind me some time ago? Oh, the suspense is too much!

Much in the same way E3 is Christmas for video game fans, we Nintendo fans feel the same about these mouth-watering Nintendo Directs. Announced out of the blue and typically with only two days to spare, our minds race at the possibilities of what's to come. Sure, there's been a disappointing Direct here and there, but how packed this holiday season and even early 2018 are, there's little reason this Direct will leave us with frowns.

Biweekly Music Wednesday! No. 49 ~Overworld Theme~ (The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past)

Origin: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Plays In: Hyrule (Light World)
Status: Arrangement

Arranged By: Koji Kondo

Zelda.

For two months, Zelda has graced us with its glorious presence. Breath of the Wild made the gaming public fall in love with the series all over again, with an avalanche of perfect scores (including my own!) from the media and players still being overwhelmed by its massive world. I am no exception to the latter: even now, nearly two weeks later and having already beaten the final boss, I still feel like I haven't so much as scratched the game's surface.

Of course, Breath of the Wild is not without its criticisms: be it the oversights found in the "Blood Moon" mechanic, the difficulties in rain patterns, or people's woes with weapon durability, it just goes to show no game is perfect. Personally, I find the "drop and switch" nature of the weapon durability to be the most interesting gameplay Zelda's utilized in over a decade, and I find most of the voice acting complaints to be rather overblown; really, I've found the game to be a near-perfect experience.

Biweekly Music Wednesday! No. 47 ~Inside the Castle Walls~ (Super Mario 64)

Origin: Super Mario 64
Plays In: Peach's Castle
Status: Original Composition
Composed By: Koji Kondo

A new Nintendo console is coming in just over a week! How's everyone handling the suspense?

For me, the anticipation for a new Nintendo console is unlike anything else; of course, other company consoles have come and gone with some great hype periods as well, but there's just something magical about your favorite home team ready to unleash five-years worth of untold adventures, dreams and memories to the public. Nostalgia will be cultivated in young one as us grown-ups revel in the magic that's kept us coming again and again for the past thirty decades. With how much Nintendo is banking on the Switch to last and the ever-changing expectations of the game industry, perhaps we'll enjoy all those and more in a longer cycle.

One of my favorite gaming memories is the time I surely first laid eyes on a Nintendo 64...we were in a Blockbuster (remember those?), and I couldn't stop staring at the demo station in the corner.  It was playing Super Mario 64, and everything about it was a marvel: the new 3D graphics not found in my Super Mario World game at home, the way Mario hopped and swam about with precise ease, how the controller echoed to me that of Mario's gloved hands...everything about it was a mystifying magnet to six-year old me, one that screamed "play me!". It was then the seeds of my gaming passion were certainly born.;

Switch might not have a Mario 64 of its own; in fact, that it's launching with a Zelda game and a title introducing the system's controls (1-2 Switch) recalls more to that of the Wii, a system that captivated many because of how it played rather than the context and dynamics of the games themselves. Certainly, the Switch is set to sail a similar course: a system that captivates the public through one central gimmick. In this case, a hybrid that brings people together and encourages outdoor player is highly appealing.

And yet, I am always reminded of Super Mario 64 and its gardens and castle walls whenever a Nintendo system launches, no matter what the goals it sets for itself. The Wii's motion controls may've defined its respective generation, but Super Mario 64 changed everything on such fundamental levels that its heartbeat still lingers in every 3D title today. Even now, when we're about to be introduced to a Zelda designed to demolish everything we've associated with the series for the sake of a proper open-world experience, I can only think of how Super Mario 64 did the same for the purpose of revolutionizing gaming.

Well, that, and how it looks godly and it may very well be the game to finally surpass the N64 Zelda duo and A Link to the Past, but the point here is that while envisioning a new Super Mario 64-esque impact on the industry is near-impossible, I can't help but see its footsteps being followed here. Yes, Breath of the Wild was built as a Wii U game from the ground-up, but like Twilight Princess before it, it'll be largely associated with the new console. And that already renders it the most exciting Nintendo launch title in over a decade.

Next Friday will surely be something special.

Final Thoughts: Or, hey, maybe it's that Super Mario Odyssey is going back to the original 3D template for Mario? Easily the best thing to come out of last month's conference; I already can't wait to hop around for the heck of it!

Biweekly Music Wednesday! No. 32 ~Freezy Flake Galaxy~ (Super Mario Galaxy 2)

Origin: Super Mario Galaxy 2
Plays In: Freezy Flake Galaxy
Status: Original Composition
Composed by: Mahito Yokota

What an abnormal winter we've had here in America. Can you believe we only just started getting snow a few weeks ago? And it finally arrived in a record-breaking blizzard, no less...

We've had regular snowfall since, but the rain always dilutes its impact. Regardless, I was really impressed with the snow formations the blizzard left in my front yard. As always, the way they piled up around the roads and covered our mailboxes whisked me away to another time of snow forts and snowball fights. I wanted to dive in, but it was another day of work. 

Oh, did I mention I finally began my first real job? Since last month, I've been working as a substitute aide for none other than my old school district. From middle school special ed to covering different grades of an elementary school in one whole day, I work around the clock when I'm not taking Japanese. I have a real knack for entertaining kids, and I'm something of a big kid myself, so it's right up my alley. 

Lately, I've been spending my time between the two elementary schools of my youth. Undoubtedly, the kids I work with were thrilled at the onslaught of snow days, two-hour delays and, of course, the unpolished snow forts that caused all that trouble in the first place. How they probably dug into those blockades and piled up reserves of snow balls, much like I used to just down the street...

Visits to my old schools unload a never-ending stream of reflection. The tales of my social and educational struggles thanks to Asperger's could fill an entire a volume all on their own, yet instead of dwelling on those events, I find myself thinking about where am I am now thanks to them. Naturally, this gives rise to an explosion of feelings; awe is one of them. Numerous individuals responsible for my success are now my co-workers, which I'm certain is just as rewarding to them as it is to me, if not more so.

Morality and the relativity of adulthood/childhood comes into play as well. Isn't it funny how when we start to grow up and hail childhood as this perfect holy grail of innocence? Being tasked with the job of watching adorable children may affirm that on a surface level, but the scribbled pleas against bullying that decorate school hallways doesn't just stop at reminding us of another era of priorities and fears. Now that we're adults, we recognize the all-too-real reasons for it and the consequences.

Which brings us to something far more cathartic: forgiveness. Friends came and went throughout the entire duration of grade school, and I've met my share of less-than-satisfactory adult figures. I could hold grudges against numerous individuals that fed my worst habits and betrayed me in heartbreaking ways, but I choose not to and focus on what I can contribute to the world. I could've spent my entire life disowning the high school I graduated from because of a terrible senior year, but rather than lead a verbal crusade via memoir, I instead choose to put that memory behind me and actually work there so I can help improve it.

Today, awe was the feeling of the day. I was at the school I spent 2nd to 5th grade, and all I could think of was how small everything was. There was the lobby I spent every morning in; how small its windowsills and seats seemed. The cafeteria was no longer as big and imposing as it was. I spent my outdoor recess staring down the playground. What captivated my attention every weekday for three years was dwarfed next to its newer, shinier neighbor. It wasn't just my interests and priorities that shrunk in size.

How ironic that I was admiring the wonder of snowfall. Just goes to show you how amazing nature is. If I had the time today, I'd go for a walk.

Final Thoughts: By the way, that one rabbit's cabin in Freezy Flake Galaxy seems a little small. Do you think he's okay with that?

Biweekly Music Wednesday! ~No. 29~ Great Fairy Fountain (The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker)

Origin: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Plays in: Fairy Fountains
Status: Arrangement
Arrangers: Kenta Nagata, Hajime Wakai, Toru Minegishi, Koji Kondo

Gueeeess who's attending the Master Quest tour for The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses this Friday? That's right, I'll heading down the Mann Center in Philly to have sweet, sweet orchestrated Zelda music grace my ears once more. I attended the first tour back some three years ago, so I figured it was about time to revisit.

So for today, I thought I'd share one of the songs that's scheduled to play: the Great Fairy's Fountain. Anyone who calls themselves a Zelda fan should be intimately familiar with this theme, as it not only signals the start of a magical new adventure via the file select, but it also plays within the mysterious fairy fountains hidden across Hyrule. However, this particular Fairy Fountain theme is located not within the hidden crevices of Hyrule, but in the blue expanses of The Wind Waker's Great Sea. It also happens to be my personal favorite.

And why's that? Just listen to that video! Look at that background! Wind Waker was in no short supply of gorgeous setpieces, and the Fairy Fountains were among the cream of the crop. Home of the spiral streamer-adorned Great Fairies, these interiors are decorated with an ethereal blue so stunning it never fails to take your breath away. And that choir! The choir! This is actually the one and only Fairy Fountain theme with vocals, whiiich is pretty much the main reason why it's my favorite. Can you believe how well it elevates those familiar harps?

The Wind Waker was the very first Zelda game to capture my imagination as a child, back in the later era of my prepubescent age. I'd played Zelda games before, but it was here where I first lost myself in the immersion of dungeons lost to time and abandoned treasures waiting to be discovered. It was the dawn of a new hidden reverie for me, one very different from the sugary sweetness of Kirby and the wistful nostalgia of EarthBound.

So often would I lose myself in the game's locales. I was no longer the player, but a lone explorer who seeped between dimensions. I inhaled the musty, ancient air of the Wind Temple. I crossed the holographic projections of the Tower of the Gods. I sunk deep, deep down into the forgotten realm of Hyrule.

I would stand in awe within the Fairy Fountains. I'd gaze up, the heavenly chorus filling my ears as the luminous lights lifted themselves higher and higher into a mystical abyss. Where did they lead? Why did they go? I didn't know, but I did know I was no longer the awkward 6th grader trying to fit into a scary new environment, or the one everyone thought was mentally retarded. I was the me I always dreamed of.

Will this version of Great Fairy Fountain be at Symphony of the Goddesses? No, but the non-vocal harps everyone knows will be there. And The Wind Waker suite will be there to greet me again, along with many other familiar faces. Just like how last year I was transported into the old shoes of a young Pokémon Trainer, I'll once again be the free adventure-seeking boy that linked me to paradise.

Final Thoughts: ...gotta say, though, I'm not sure why they have two separate Majora's Mask suites in the Master Quest set list. That they don't have the Link's Awakening suite (or at the very least, the brilliant Ballad of the Windfish arrangement) is a crying shame. Also not looking forward to the Skyward Sword suite, ick.

Biweekly Music Wednesday! No. 26 ~Balloon Trip~ (Balloon Fight)

Origin: Balloon Fight

Plays In: Title Screen, Balloon Trip mode, Bonus Round

Status: Original Composition

Composer: Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka

There are those out there who say that we shouldn't mourn Iwata's death through tears, but through the joy we channel from the games he brought to life. Today, I'll be doing just that with this song.

When I revisited Balloon Fight the other night, I was struck by how good it feels all these years later.  As according to the game's balloon motif, the controls are floaty, but feels so naturally light and speedy that they never get in the player's way at all. Like any good Nintendo action game, any error is entirely on the fault of the player. Indeed, the controls are so good that even Super Mario Bros. itself took a lesson or two from it.

All thanks to Iwata's programming mastery, of course. It was also thanks to Iwata that I was even playing it at all that night; after all, if it weren't were his generosity following the 3DS price drop, I wouldn't be playing the ambassador version on my 3DS. I find that the system's ergonomics suit the game quite well, and should a modern sequel ever be made, I thoroughly demand it be on that system.

I think the man even played a practical joke on me that same night. For those who haven't played the game, everyone's worst nightmare revolves around the stray bolts of lightning that sometimes zap out of the occasional storm cloud. I'd knocked down an enemy fighter and was about to pursue, but then got caught from behind from another fighter. The instant I spawned on the ground, one of the lightning bolts zapped my character and I lost yet another life. All the while, the bird-masked fighter I knocked down earlier was chilling nearby. It was as if Iwata was saying "Stop crying! Laugh again!'

But Balloon Fight's greatness can't be solely attributed to Iwata. Indeed, the song you're listening to was composed by none other than Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka. Balloon Trip is absolutely the goofiest classic on Nintendo's NES catalog of music, perhaps losing only in the "feel-good" category to the Super Mario Bros. theme and the entirety of Kirby's Adventure. But make no mistake: it's just as infectious as the former and will permanently remain an earworm.

Tanaka himself seems quite fond of the song. Above is his spectacular arrangement for the latest Smash Bros. games, designed particularly for the 3DS version's Balloon Fight stage. Easily one of the finest remixes in the new games, Tanaka's chiptune direction fully retains the original's spirit (that climax!) If you listen closely, you can hear traces of the game's other songs mixed subtly within.

And here is a version Tanaka created shortly after Iwata's passing. It's a tad more composed, but the mixture of techno and chiptune let it come alive as a beautiful tribute. It was hard to listen to upon its arrival, but now that the news has sunk in, it's become far more cathartic. I can just feel the nostalgia in the air.

I wonder how high Iwata's flying up there.

Final Thoughts: I demand an orchestral version. We had a great slow-paced version within one of Smashing...Live's medleys, but I'd love a dedicated suite. What a wonderful tribute that would be.

Biweekly Music Wednesday! No. 23 ~Butch and the Villagers~ (Mother 3)

Origin: Mother 3 (GBA)

Plays In: The end of Chapter 2
Status: Original Composition

Composer: Shogo Sakai

Shogo Sakai's work on Mother 3 possesses the most heart-wrenching music ever inputted into video games. That the title deliberately stands in stark contrast with its predecessor (Earthbound) is one of its biggest strengths, and one needs only to compare their individual soundtracks to see why. Earthbound is composed of rich, multi-fledged nostalgia -- be it the familiar old scent of Twoson, the music box-esque tunes that rest at the sanctuaries, or the mellow choir of Ness's home, such songs serve to celebrate childhood innocence and adventure.

Mother 3 borrows this template only to highlight the exact opposite: the crippling reality of adulthood. In the context of Butch and the Villagers, Tazmily Village's awkward reception to the deaths and disappearance of certain characters was disconcerting enough, but the town's moral fabric begins to truly unravel through the staged theft of a new, foreign concept: money. Bear in mind only a day or two had passed since the aforementioned tragedies, yet the destruction of a family and a missing person report is quickly forgotten in the face of greed. At this point, Mother 3's exact setting and timeframe relative to the two previous games are unknown, but the former's fragility is already hard at work in providing one of the game's most powerful statements.

Butch and the Villagers is perhaps one of the game's more underrated tracks, yet the way it complements the above scene can't be lauded enough. Mother 3's script already functions as something of a play, and I can't imagine that the way the song channels the basic beats of a closing act is no coincidence. But what's even more powerful is the defeated plucks of a guitar, the one that signals the song's other, more heartbreaking message: "there's no going back."

From now on, the peace-celebrating utopia of Tazmily begins to be no more. One family's tragedy in a formally close-knit village is quickly forgotten in the advent of capitalism and modernism. A grandfather can only cope through his special brand of fart jokes as the world changes around him, the townsfolk roll their eyes as a father spends three years in a hopeless routine of prayer and searching, and a lone boy can only clutch tighter to his dog in the depths of the night.

I listened to this song one night on Mother 3's sound player maybe a month or two after Michael's death, and that one message repeated firmly in my skull. I couldn't go back -- not to the private forum I left after I'd grown disillusioned with its gradual insensitivity, or to the safe childhood I'd taken for granted, or the warmth of my brother's embrace as he went goodbye.

There's no going back...so the only place to go is forward. But you don't know that in despair.

Final Thoughts: Even now I'm choking back tears. Damn you, Itoi!

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What a downer! Hopefully Kirby can make it up to us...been making some real progress on that, so expect that and a Nintendojo article soon!

Biweekly Music Wednesday! No. 20 ~Double Cherry Pass~ (Super Mario 3D World)

Origin: Super Mario 3D World

Plays In: Various stages, but debuts in the stage of the same name
Status: Original Composition

Composer: Mahito Yokota (not sure if it's exactly him, but it gives me the same vibes ala Gusty Garden Galaxy, so there!)

Jubilation. Cheer. Dance. Merriment. Joy. These are the words that spring to mind when describing Super Mario 3D World's best song. The moment I heard Double Cherry Pass's brief appearance in a behind-the-scenes video featuring the game's live performances, I said to myself "this is going to be a classic." A year later, it hasn't quite earned the esteemed reputation of other modern Mario classics such as Gusty Garden Galaxy, and I guess that's a bit of a shame.

"I guess" might sound apathetic, but I've only recently come to terms with my feelings regarding Super Mario 3D World--something I wrestled with for about a year now--and no matter how many adorable cat suits and wonderful big band music it throws at me, I can't siphon the same joy from it that most everyone else did. Bummer.

But just because I don't think a Mario game's a masterpiece doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. It's still as charming as a fresh-born kitten, and I can't say I don't crack a grin every time I hear its wonderful soundtrack. Much like Yoshi's Island's Athletic, Double Cherry Hill is bouncy joviality distilled into aural form, incapable of inducing anything but of the brightest smiles. That it also accompanies to some of the game's best levels should be no coincidence--I've played the level of the same name countless times just to fool around with the cloning Double Cherry (dancing in sync with five Cat Marios is something special).

The best Mario songs strike that ever-elusive cord of animated zen. Be it the original Super Mario Bros. theme or Gusty Garden Galaxy, these songs represent the one secret wish hidden deep down within us: the desire to achieve and maintain happiness. To the cynical mind, Mario's just an avatar for us to overcome challenging level design. But to those who still carry the torch of childhood dreams, he's a hero who greets every pitfall and villain with smiles and laughter.

Super Mario 3D World may not be my favorite Mario game, but I know I'm not perfect either. When recognizing my own flaws, Double Cherry Pass allows me to tap into that jovial reverie I continue to seek and learn from. I'm come to recognize that 2014 was a new beginning in many ways for me, and I'm looking forward to realizing that throughout the new year.

Final Thoughts: Y'know, I asked for the Japanese Super Mario 3D World soundtrack for Christmas, but it still hasn't come yet! Whhhhhhhyyyyyyy

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See you all in the New Year! I'll be striving to provide constant updates for January, so stay tuned.

Biweekly Music Wednesday! No. 19 ~Lilycove City~ (Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire)

Origin: Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire

Plays In: Lilycove City
Status: Original Composition
Composers: Junichi Masuda

One of the greatest joys in playing through the Pokemon: Omega Ruby remake is being treated with fantastic rearrangements of the soundtrack. As expected from anyone who's read my Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land review, my listening experience is something of a constant tug-of-war: as much as I'm enjoying the songs, the original songs still pull at my memory, asserting their superiority. Currently, it's about 50/50, but I suppose my full thoughts would be better suited for a review.

As I've only earned five gym badges at this point, there's quite a chunk of arrangements left for me to discover, such as the above Lilycove City. It's always been one of my favorite Ruby/Sapphire tracks in it's parallel: Hoenn emphasizes adventure in nearly route, and this is reflected in their appropriately grand/majestic tunes, yet the towns are so homely and soft in comparison. While this is nothing new for town themes, the boisterous adventure found outside their confines renders a warm, refreshing welcome to our ears after a tough day of monster grinding.

Being a prelude to the vast underwater trenches of Hoenn, the first new notes of Lilycove City perfectly capture the ocean air. It's something of a lovely waltz, and I can't help but think of the wonderful elders in my life whenever I hear it. It's fun to mentally prod around within the context of Pokémon too: an old man--a retired Pokémon Trainer, perhaps--out on another day with his wife, gazing at a flock of Wingulls circling above the sea as he quietly sips at his coffee.

I'm quite the reserved individual. I mean, sure, I'm a total goofball in social situations and within the anonymous expanses of internet message boards (Hi, NeoGAF), but I've come to recognize the former's only meant as a mask to cover my awkwardness; in truth, I'm much like an old man. I prefer silence, sit around a lot, and calmly reflect on the days of old. I'll likely be doing the same inactive routines ten years from now, and I'm quite content with that.

But as someone wishing to enter the game journalism industry, I don't think that's the image people have of those participating in it. I wonder if that'll be a problem?

Personal issues aside, I've yet to hear Omega Ruby's take on the song. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire's arrangements aren't quite as laced with nostalgia in the same sense of Soul Silver/Heart Gold, but I'm looking forward to see if the song continues to make me feel old. Not that that's a bad thing.

Final Thoughts: maaannnn what they did with the mt. chimney theme was pretty lame though

Biweekly Music Wednesday! No. 18 ~ Trophy~ (Super Smash Bros. Melee)

Origin: Super Smash Bros. Melee
Plays In: Trophy Lottery/Mini-game/Trophy Event Matches
Status: Original Composition
Composers: Hirokazu Ando, Shogo Sakai, Tadashi Ikagami

Hey, what can I say? I've been in Smash euphoria all month.

So why this song? Turns out, it's one of the selectable menu themes in the My Music feature for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U! Much of my Smash Bros. Brawl playtime was actually spent tinkering with the music ratio in My Music, and from the two examples we've witnessed in the recent Direct (Battlefield and the Menu...there's also Skyloft, but my anti-Skyward Sword bias refuses to acknowledge it), I'm already planning the high-low ratios for both selections.

I'm not quite sure where to place this song, though. Describing my meticulous arrangement with My Music could take quite some time, so here's a general idea: a stage's "main" theme will typically rank the highest while the most dynamic or dissonant tracks are set quite low, and the rest of the songs are balanced from there. As an example, take Distant Planet from Pikmin: the ripped Main Theme from that game is set alongside the Forest of Hope and World Map among the highest, while the quirky Environmental Noises only has a silver of a chance at playing. While I've picked the first three as the representative songs for Distant Planet, this sets the shock for the rare occasion Environmental Noises--a calming menagerie of the sounds of nature--decides to present itself.

For the Wii U game's menu, it's less clear-cut. The main menu theme will be the highest, no doubt, but what about the rest? We have the stellar Menu 2 from Melee, as well as the menu themes from that game and Brawl. As the menu theme pervades the entire title, I believe the game will be at its freshest with that song at the forefront, but I think turning those three songs on could serve as fun nostalgic throwbacks. Menu 2 will likely be set to halfway, while the Melee/Brawl themes will serve as occasional cameos.

And then there's this song. By far one of my favorite tracks from Melee, it's a stellar representation of Nintendo memory lane. I can see it now: me combing through the game's trophy descriptions for hours on end, browsing the fan sites of old (Nintendo Land and Nintendo Database ring any bells?), learning about the fabled legacy of my favorite company...it's a long-gone era, but the Trophy theme brings just a twinge of tumbling through the internet's recesses again.

Having not played Super Smash Bros. Melee in quite some time, it's rather heartwarming knowing I'll be getting acquainted with this song again! It's an oddball choice for the menu that I'm sure will raise eyebrows from my college hallmates, but I dearly look forward to it's return.

...even if I haven't figured out it's play frequency. I'll work it out, I promise!

Final Thoughts: Oh, by the way, I'm quite fond of the orchestral arrangement found in the Original Medley's midpoint from the Smashing...Live! concert. Have a listen!

Biweekly Music Wednesday! No. 17 ~ Menu~ (Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS)

Origin: Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U
Plays In: The Menu and Smash Run.
Status: Arrangement (the main theme for the games)
Arranger: Junichi Nakatsuru

A new Super Smash Bros. game is being held in my hands.

It's unbelievable. I remember once fully believing--at a time where I was undoubtedly too naive--that Brawl was the finale for our beloved Nintendo crossover, and here we are with two versions coming out in the same season. Isn't that crazy? The 3DS version has been released for nearly a week (and, provided you had access to the Japanese release, almost a month), and the Wii U sibling will release first on our shores this November. My dreams of Animal Crossing's Villager, Punch-Out's Little Mac, and Mega Man joining the battle have all come true alongside Sakurai-esque surprises in the form of the freaking dog from Duck Hunt and the entire Koopaling family all stuck into one swiss army-equipped Junior Clown Car. Amazing.

And that theme. Why must every Smash theme be so godly? Truth be told, I wasn't so convinced by it at its E3 2013 debut; granted, that particular version isn't present in the final version (or in the 3DS version, at least), but the instrumentation was so weak and just so...off that it was hard to get excited by it. The closet sense of excitement I could derive from it was listening to this fan-made piano arrangement--which elicited a classic Melee-esque vibe--and I found that more than a little...well, sad. After the stunning glory that was the Brawl orchestra, could this dingy little tune really have what it took to set the pregame atmosphere for the upcoming Smash?

I guess I knew it was only just for the initial trailer, so I held out hope. And it delivered: not only did the arrangements found in this April's Nintendo Direct manage to hype me, but the final version blasting from the E3 footage successfully won me over. Unlike Melee's classicism and Brawl's orchestras, Smash for 3DS and Wii U goes for pregame Monday Night Football, right down to the revving guitar. Every time I hear it, I'm just so pumped to try out everyone in this glorious cast of all-stars.

And just like Brawl, the theme's peppered throughout the game via numerous arrangements. Many fans aren't so happy with this direction, but I don't really mind since this new theme is so goddamn good. Yes, it does mean we miss out on unique themes like Melee's Menu 2 and Trophy theme, yet at the same time every arrangement is such a fresh--even occasionally downright beautiful--take on the song that they lend the game even more character. Katsuro Tajima's Trophy Rush is a wonderful cacophony of fast-paced action, Yoshinori Hirai's Gallery/Hoard is a prestigious little blend of march and techno, Torine's piano rendition of the Classic: Final Results screen is both gorgeous and reflective, and let's not forget Taku Inoue's chiptune StreetSmash!

I'm just so happy, you know? Six years ago, when the toxicity pervaded the fanbase following Brawl's release, I never dreamed another Smash would arrive to placate my sadness...and yet here we are, ready to relish in another era of Smash Bros. The fun's only just begun with the 3DS version, and I know that when the Wii U version launches, this song will be there with me when I'm ready to jump into the floating temples and mountain crags of Battlefield and beyond.

Let's settle it in Smash!

Final Thoughts: WHY ARE YOU STILL READING THIS GO PLAY SMASH

Biweekly Music Wednesday! No. 16 ~Float Islands~ (Kirby's Dream Land)

 

Origin: Kirby's Dream Land
Plays In: Float Islands/Kaboola Room in Dedede's Castle
Status: Original Composition

Composers: Jun Ishikawa

Well, I suppose it makes sense go over a Kirby song in the middle of my Kirby-themed feature! To initiate my first Kirby-related Biweekly Music Wednesday!, I figured I'd start out with an oddball: Float Islands.

When I say "oddball," I mean that Float Islands is typically overshadowed by the rest of the glorious music found in Kirby games. It's one of the first songs you hear in Kirby Super Star, yet that game's general orchestra boom steals the show. A secret arrangement is found in Kirby Air Ride, but everyone was too busy playing City Trial and its anime-ripped OST accompaniment. We even witness an interesting techno remix in Kirby Canvas Curse, but alas, I was too absorbed in the Rainbow Resort one to notice.

And yet despite all that, Float Islands is perhaps tied with Green Greens as my favorite song in the title that started it all: Kirby's Dream Land. Whereas Green Greens embodies heartwarming nostalgia, Float Islands is a distant reflection. You're sitting down in the kitchen chair staring out the window one early summer morning, and just like that, memories from what was a lifetime ago gradually slink back. The fragmented memories of a forgotten puppet-based television show. That one road trip from when you were seven. The time you clutched your favorite Sesame Street blanket as your mom rocked you to sleep.

Dreamy.

I once described the Ripple Field theme from Kirby's Dream Land 3 conjures the visual of a resolute chase. You're running down a beach that holds the key to your past, eyes scanning the area for familiar landmarks or structures to satisfy your quench for knowledge. Float Islands is the antithesis--there is no mad dash, for that individual is already content with life. He or she's slowly pacing across the ocean, eying the eternal blue as the wind tickles their cheeks.

I wonder which person I am? I've definitely dabbled into both; at the moment, I'd like to think I'm the latter. I've got great family, a wonderfully supportive English department at school, a great internship, and am constantly challenging myself through writing. Yet there was definitely a time I'd have done anything to get my past back, and if you told me I had to run down a beach to do so, I wouldn't have hesitated.

I don't miss being a teenager, that's for sure.

What about you? If that's a bit too personal of a question, then here's an interesting piece of trivia that blew my mind a couple years back. Doesn't the part at 0:22 sound familiar? That's right, it happens to be the inspiration for this famously chill Kirby song!

...or it might be more famously chill to Smash fans. You decide!

 

Even those we deem to be most ordinary hide the most profound secrets, don't they?

Final Thoughts: So apparently all the songs from Kirby's Dream Land are in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS via the sound test and Smash Run. Beating up Bulborbs and Starmen to this is gonna be surreal. And chill, yeah.

Biweekly Music Wednesday! No. 15 ~Valley of Repose~ (Pikmin 2)

Origin: Pikmin 2
Plays In: Valley of Repose
Status: Original Composition

Composers: Hajime Wakai/Kazumi Totaka

You know how some songs possess the rare ability to just instantly transport you into a previous time? It's a particularly strong form of nostalgia: obviously you can't just repeatedly abuse the song--lest it lose its magical powers--but that power is so mystical, so emotionally-absorbent that you can't help but leave it on during one cloudy day and remember.

Pikmin 2's Valley of Repose is one of those songs for me. My life was something of a whirlwind at the time of the game's release (Late summer 2004): I'd just discovered the late-night Adult Swim cartoon block, was on the cusp of becoming a teenager, and, best of all, was reveling in what was quite possibly the best time to be a young, passionate Nintendo flower child. It was just months after the awe-inspiring E3 2004 conference, which unleashed a barrage of long-awaited sequels (the aforementioned Pikmin 2 and Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door), the handheld DS that quickly won the hearts of many a fan, and of course, a realistic Zelda.

Being the impressionable, passionate fanboy I was, to my current shame I discovered the perfect outlet to express my excitement: the official Nintendo Nsider Forums.  

Legendary for attracting sheer amounts of stupidity and taking up pitchforks for the sake of bashing every single aspect of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, I'm still at a loss as to how exactly describe Nsider. I'd like to say it was the embodiment of internet underage chaos ("why does link have eyes?"), yet the imbalanced debates between raging l33t-speak preteens and young adults blessed with large vocabularies prove otherwise. I could be going crazy, though, for such proof no longer exists, but I'll get into that later. 

Anyway, I stumbled onto Nsider purely out of the appeal in the live chatrooms featuring folks who actually worked at Nintendo's American branch, but the post-E3 frenzy finally inspired me to get posting. This was actually a pivotal step for me: as much as I indulged in the likes of Smashboards and Starmen.net, there was always an obvious age-gap between me and most of of the other forumgoers, and at most times I felt too intimidated in sharing my inferior childish opinions with the cool, older kids. But here was a Nintendo-granted haven with kids on (roughly) the same maturity level as I was, and so there was no barrier in letting my voice be heard.

I really let myself go. I frequently argued with people over quoting each other repeatedly (causing radical disproportion in pages and so they took forever to read) and having crushes on fictional characters. In response to the flood of terrible fanfiction (of which often involved shambling attempts at humor in bashing the Tingle character), I created my own like-minded parody involving Mexican Pikmin and Kool-Aid that lasted for a year. I rambled about the greatness of the chubby tummies of Purple Pikmin. In the midst of all, bacon strips somehow became a false god to me and I advocated its wonderfulness constantly in the Pokemon Center chatroom, endorsed by Dratini himself.

And yet, I was almost never shunned for this madness; in fact, I found camaraderie. I quickly become known as the "Bacon Boy" by chatgoer and ficwriter alike. People flocked to my fic, and the thread actually ended up being under moderated watch due to my fans endlessly spamming the pages. I joined others in pre-teen Japanophile rage over the 4Kids butchering of the F-Zero anime adaption and the new Pokemon Gonbe being granted the localized name of Munchlax (the latter being by far and away my most embarassing "weaboo" moment). I posted a topic one day about how I was suddenly drowning in Super Mario nostalgia, and people chimed in on how much the games meant to them.

I made special friends over fanfiction, over heated Zelda-related debates that lasted for pages on end, and over what were simply just shared interests. We were all in awe of Pikmin 2, Paper Mario: TTYD, and the DS. I continually engaged in Zelda RPs. I roomed in Cabin 4 during the three-day online camping trip in Camp Hyrule and watched the awards ceremony with the rest of the forum. I learned life lessons, I was one of the gang, and living, breathing people working at NOA were just a click away. Life was good.

And then, something tragic happened: it stopped being funny.

Nay, it stopped being fun.

I don't know exactly when it happened. Maybe it was the day when I first came across erotic fan fiction and my innocence shattered, or the day I when I dug up an old VHS tape of Sleeping Beauty and I said to myself, "I've matured." Right at that moment, I was whisked away to an old dream I had when I was seven, watching as the opening camera from Mario 64 shifted not to Mario's warp pipe, but up, up the castle where Yoshi slept in a nest at the very top.

I don't know what that symbolized.

My Nsider friends either up and vanished or just left a final, cryptic message, never to be seen again. The flood of posts, members and memes continued, but nothing elicited laughter out of me. I suddenly wasn't interested in writing the fic anymore. The next season of Camp Hyrule didn't interest me, as did the allure of conversing with NOAs. It was all slipping further and further away, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

The spark was gone, and the depression following soon after with my social withdraw and my brother's entrance into the world of drugs left Nsider all but a distant, bittersweet memory.

In September 2007, two years after I'd--for the most part--stopped posting, Nintendo closed the forums for good without notice. Underneath the typical PR bullshit, we still don't really know why.

Valley of Repose doesn't just bring these memories back; it continues them. I'm a working member of society, walking out in the city streets one snowy day. It's a cloudy afternoon, just past the holidays. It's an ordinary winter day, maybe not that cold, and then I suddenly bump into someone. We both gasp. It's the guy I used to do Zelda RPs with, or the girl I made bad Kirby fic parodies with, or that one guy who apparently didn't know he was a forum-appointed Sage until he walked into the Pokemon Center chatroom. We jubilate in fervor and dine outside a coffee shop, catching up on old times and our new families and lives.

My friend suddenly stops laughing, and looks at me straight in the eye with unwavering force. "Do you miss those days?"

I blink and scratch the back of my head. Suddenly, it all rushes back: Shaun's pickles. Stumpy the horse. Me performing avatar sacrifices in the chatroom. The nostalgic, insanely popular NOA_Rufus Earthbound thread. The "wind waker outtakes" fanfic that was literally five lines of dialogue. That one time Nintendo published three new screenshots of Zelda: Twilight Princess and everyone and their dog posted threads about it. The cults of Family Guy, Case Closed and Aqua Teen Hunger Force. The never-ending drama of "Why Hyrule Must Live"  and how The Wind Waker "declared war" on all other Zelda games for killing off Hyrule. The big blue of Colette's eyes in that one Tales of Symphonia avatar and the rainbow of colors assigned to each character-themed posting rank. Bacon.

...and then I remember how the very last post of Nsider Forums was "SHADOW'S RACING MAMA LUIGI" and then stuff like this and I have my answer: "Y'know, lemme tell you about a really cool place called NeoGAF."

Final Thoughts: My Nsider username was named after the Mr. Saturns of Earthbound, yet I never actually obtained a Mr. Saturn rank on there. Bummer.

Biweekly Music Wednesday! No. 13 ~Celestial Tower~ (Pokemon Black and White)

Origin: Pokémon Black and White
Plays In: Celestial Tower, Dragonspiral Tower, Giant Chasm
Status: Composition
Composer/s: Shota Kageyama

More Pokémon music? More Pokémon music.

Believe it or not, I actually still play Pokémon White! I'm the sort of the gamer who likes to set up my gaming schedule, see, and every Wednesday I switch between it and Pokemon X while I'm munching on popcorn and watching subbed Dragon Ball Z straight from my precious, precious Dragon Boxes (and believe me, with the Goku vs. Freeza fight being as long as it is, you better believe I'm taking advantage of it). I've been taking my sweet time collecting every last one of those Pokémon to fill up my Pokedex, and I'm still blown away by just how incredible the land of Unova is to explore. I'd like to think Unova doesn't hold a candle to Hoenn's sheer sense of adventure, but boy does it come close.

Of course, said exploring wouldn't be nearly as fun without some great tunes. I could dive into stuff like Pinwheel Forest and Route 10, but tonight I'd like to discuss what I feel is the top song for the game: Celestial Tower. As most Pokémon songs are named after the locations they play in, it may come as a surprise to know it was originally titled Tower of Heaven in the Japanese release. While censored for the American release to avoid religious reference, it's a surprisingly poignant name given the area's purpose: a resting ground for deceased Pokémon.

Whenever I listen to this song, I'm reminded of how heartwarming the storytelling in Pokémon White was. I knew I was in for something special when I took my first step with Bianca and Cheren into Route 1. We meet the brainwashed, yet innocent child leader of an organization set on "freeing" Pokémon from their trainers, learn of the deeper meaning behind Bianca's father's desire to prevent her from travelling, and hear the tragic loss of the Champion's beloved partner Pokémon. For whatever clumsy moments it had, it's an adventure I look back upon with great fondness.

The other week, I was actually climbing up the Celestial Tower to comb for hidden items and came across the champion, Alder, mourning at the top. Paying respects for the soul of his deceased Pokémon. He reveals that he once held the narrow-minded beliefs of Cheren, searching only for power until his partner passed away. His travels enlightened him to meeting many fellow trainers, and he encouraged my player avatar to do the same.

As he bid farewell, I went over to the tower's bell and gave it a rang.

In my younger days, this song would have sent me further into my despair. I'd keep running and running, chasing the regret and loss it baits. As the stairs would continue to circle, I'd claw desperately at the ghosts of the broken, childhood dreams shattered by growing up. The reveries I cherished in my youth. The secret dreams I clutched so hard to myself were shattered, never to return, never to resonate with anyone else.

I'd chase the loved ones I lost. Friends who left me over the years. My cat Dexter. My former best friend. All the results of societal pressure, illnesses born from negligence, and toxic ignorance. Their ghostly forms evade my reach, and our respective gaps on the stairs grow ever wider. I keep running, and I see him.

I chase him, screaming all the while, "Why did you do it?" He doesn't answer, just like how he'll never say anything about my college graduation and his cousin's son and my future career. He closes his eyes and vanishes. I keep running.

But my future is not about running. I continue to mold myself for the bright future waiting for me, and it's enlightening beyond belief.

Final Thoughts: Some game music fans have pointed out similarities between this and Chrono Trigger's Secret of the Forest. I can kinda hear it, but Celestial Tower's faster pace throws me off.

Biweekly Music Wednesday! No. 12 ~Athletic~ (Yoshi's Island)

Origin: Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Plays In: Numerous stages, typically ones that have you jumping around for dear life.
Status: Composition
Composer: Koji Kondo

Try to resist not dancing to this. I dare you. It's impossible.

Since Super Mario Bros. 3,, a number of Mario games possess not just main themes but Athletic themes that often accompany the wilder levels; in particular, they're often associated with scrolling stages. Super Mario Bros. 3 had a piano-inspired piece, Super Mario World had its banjo, and last year's Super Mario 3D World has some real amazing jazz.

Regardless of whether or not we can explicitly classify Yoshi's Island as a Mario game, the fact remains it comes with the greatest Athletic of them all: a slaphappy ragtime piece that's immediately infectious and will not leave your head. Or will not leave without inspiring your body to break out into mad dancing rhythm.

In the context of the game, it plays up to the greatest of the Athletic series' strength in that its happy-go-lucky nature is taunting the player during some nerve-wracking platforming. Take its first appearance in Hop! Hop! Donut Lifts, where Yoshi has to outmaneuver a scrolling screen via hopping on a series of collapsing donut-shaped lifts. As you're carefully aiming your jumps, Athletic cheerfully drills its way into your skull and driving you further into madness every time you make a misstep and fall to your doom.

While I struggled with that level in my youth, I could never unleash my anger out on the song itself, though. If anything, I'm glad it took such a morbid approach into making my acquaintance. My repeated deaths meant I could hear it again and again, in all of its glory, before I would finally triumph over the donut lift pitfalls and move on to the next level. Mind you, Yoshi's Island had such a wonderfully sincere, bouncy soundtrack that I was in aural heaven regardless of where I was, but this song was in a league of its own. It captivated me even at the cost of precious, precious lives. I had to keep listening to it

It's more than what could be said about the present state of Yoshi music these days, with Yoshi's Island DS taking a lethargic piss on our eardrums and Yoshi's New Island...well, I'm sure this explains enough by itself. Thankfully, what I heard from Yoshi's Woolly World at E3 sounded mighty fine, though its Kirby's Epic Yarn inspired direction makes one wonder if there'll be anything to match its level of lively playfulness. Of course, it shouldn't have to--Epic Yarn's soundtrack being absolutely wonderful and all--but I reckon a new Yoshi song surpassing the likes of Athletic would immediately capture the attention of the Nintendo music fandom.

In any case, with Athletic being a Nintendo fan-favorite, the song has appeared here and there since its inception. Soon after Yoshi's Island's release, the song was featured in Japan's formally annual Orchestral Gaming Concert with an equally bouncy arrangement. Hard to believe I first found this recording a decade ago. Hey, come to think of it, I think I'm lying down in the very same spot right now.

Athletic was also selected to be a part of Super Smash Bros. Brawl's elite soundtrack, and it received a fantastic arrangement from Shota Kageyama (Pokémon Black and White). It's notable for not just including the final boss music from the source material, but for also being accompanied by an alternate version that plays when the seasons change to fall and winter on the Yoshi's Island stage. In their never-ending crusade against the game, the leagues of Brawl bashers and the Youtube comment hivemind will tell you this is a terrible remix, most likely for the reason that it's association with Brawl means that it's terrible by default. Do not listen to the people.

Final Thoughts: I don't mean to end two articles in a row with comments railing against people with different opinions of Smash Bros. Really! It just turned out that way. Cross my heart.

Biweekly Music Wednesday! No. 8 ~Brinstar Depths (Kraid's Lair)~ (Metroid)

 

Origin: Metroid

Composer: Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka

Plays In: Lower Brinstar

Status: Original Composition

My trip into the dismal, ruthless world of Metroid some three years ago still clutches at the back of my memory. To this day I'm still not sure if it was the excitement of finally "getting" a game concept that had long eluded me or if because it was the first game in some time to make me feel like a kid again. I mean, I dived into it amidst a turbulent period of moving into university for the first time, huddling with other students in a cramped hallway during a tornado watch on my very first night, and made steps within an uncomfortable environment to make friends all the while spending three days obsessively clutching my 3DS and playing a downloaded copy of a twenty-five year old video game. I sat through it for three days, barely peeking at guides and maps as I let this dark 8-bit world gradually take over my brain. It was such a short period, and yet just like childhood, it felt like forever.

Much like what the most fanatic proponents of the original The Legend of Zelda will tell you, the best way to play Metroid is just let the game's world gradually assimilate within your brain. For all the complaints regarding repetition in various room structures, there awaits much satisfaction piecing together an intricate map consisting of rooms you will visit many times over; in fact, it works wonderfully from a retroactive perspective, as it conjures the feeling of translating an ancient map. The result: an organic alien world that becomes overtly familiar to the player; in my case, the dangerous insides of Planet Zebes became me. Of course, Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka's fantastic score does wonders with this process, with this song in particular standing out. But what to call it? Youtube tracklists alternate between "Kraid's Lair" and "Lower Brinstar", but my nostalgic affection for Super Smash Bros. Melee (which is host to an arrangement of this very song) compels me to call it Brinstar Depths.

Indeed, I was very familiar with the Melee arrangement as well as the Smashing...Live! orchestral rendition (creepy bells and all!), yet I was thoroughly unprepared for the awesomeness of the original piece. To my knowledge, I can't think of any other song like it on the NES and so I treasure its booming, foreboding nature. I seriously got chills when the game transitioned from the upbeat, heroic theme of Brinstar into the eerie and unknown. Looking back, I think that was the moment I got hooked. The initial area in Metroid isn't so tough, but the game cranks up the difficulty in Lower Brinstar, what with ceiling-bound enemies homing in on Samus's blindspots and rapidly-spawning beetles emerging from pipes. The song is a perfect accompaniment: it is actively apprehensive throughout, reminding the player to never let up your guard in this deadly alien world, for it takes no prisoners. Expect the unexpected. Reserve your ammo. Persevere.

My personal favorite bit is the one that starts at 0:32, where it shifts from a looming danger into an enigmatic mystery. It's a brief but chilling slice of mystifying enticement as the player embarks further into uncharted alien territory, and that's what I ultimately associate with the song: the unknown. During my three-day expedition on this alien planet, I didn't know what I'd run into. Yes, rooms would repeat, but what rooms would do just that, exactly? Would it be the dreadful ones with the diveboming Skrees? More often than not, it would be, and the music perfectly complemented my fear. But as I became one with Zebes, I cherished it. I awaited the challenge, the triumph that awaited from crushing the ruthless alien denizens and Space Pirate forces no matter how much fear coursed through me, no matter how little health I had left. I just kept going.

Is it the area where I died the most often at? Yes, and I certainly have the boss Kraid to thank for that, but I don't really mind. Both it and Brinstar Depths represent my relishing of old school challenge in an era where are largely obsolete. No longer do we have purposely vague maps with deliberately repeating eras, yet I can't help but adore Metroid's approach to it. It is brutal, unfair, and relentlessly difficult throughout, but is so satisfying to conquer. One day, I'll be back.

 
Final Thoughts: Dammit, I want to dive back into this game tooooooooo.

-----

Hmm, still a bit shorter than I want it to be, but it's longer than my last one!

So, I'm a bit late with my next Kirby piece. It looks like the game of my choice will have to be delayed to next month as I attempt to squeeze the next couple of Kirby titles into April. See you soon.

Biweekly Music Wednesday! No. 6 ~Lost Woods~ (The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past) IN LOVING MEMORY OF HIROSHI YAMAUCHI

Origin: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Composer: Koji Kondo

Plays In: The Lost Woods of Hyrule.

Status: Original Composition

There was once a young boy who, in the far-off times of 1992, held a secret considered sacred to the heart of a young mind. The type of boy whose imagination was stroked by tales of swords and sorcery, the video game The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past was the perfect outlet for the fantasy adventures he so loved. No longer was he forced to sit back and listen to the stories of bravery found in storybooks, for now he was able to weave such tales for himself. He was the hero in the green cap, tasked with slaying the forces of evil to rescue Princess Zelda of the kingdom of Hyrule. Such a journey was fraught with danger, packed with deadly monsters, dark dungeons, and the ever-looming threat of Ganon, the King of Evil. And, perhaps living up to the mischief typical in young children, he also decided to attack some chickens for the fun of it.

 

Yet there was one part of his adventure he treasured above all else. To the north of Kakariko Village lay the Lost Woods, a hallowed ground said to house the Sword of Evil's Bane. Entering the sacred forest never failed to take his breath away, for the mist-shrouded surroundings and muted ambiance were more than enough to cloud the woods into an eternal mystery. While the random bandit or sword forgery would interrupt his reverie, nothing topped the moment when he finally located the Master Sword. The forest wildlife pranced along the hero's path as he marched to the altar, ready to fulfill his destiny.

But what truly struck him was the music. A song dipped in serenity and mystery, the Lost Woods theme captured his heart in a feeling he was left unable to describe. It was the reason why he returned to the woods again and again, long after its purpose within the game had been completed. Whether it was the subconscious awakening of a young appreciation for beauty or a desire to relive that epic moment of claiming the sword was unknown, but his imagination burst aflame with the reverie it brought him. It would be cemented as his favorite moment in his gaming career. Many years afterward, the song would continue to represent his idyllic adventures in the world of Hyrule, and he'd be able to look back upon his childhood with a smile.

This young boy, however, was not alone. Another child would have a near-identical experience within the very same time period. And more in the year after that. And countless more in the remaining duration of the Super Nintendo's lifespan. Years would continue to pass on, and yet numerous children continued to discover the forest. Some came across it late in the wintery recesses of 2002, when Nintendo re-released A Link to the Past on the Game Boy Advance. Others discovered it five years later when the game made its first digital release on the Wii's Virtual Console. Yet even more children clutched it close to their hearts in the cracks of the years between, and more since then, and will undoubtly continue to do so as time goes on.

Of course, such an experience is not exclusive to A Link to the Past. What Link's SNES adventure meant to another child was no doubt rivaled by what another child treasured in the romps of Super Mario World's Dinosaur Land. Other children found glory within the alien world of Super Metroid, some found solace within the nostalgic homes of Earthbound, and even more cherished the rest houses deep within Kirby Super Star. But this pattern was not born to the SNES, nor did it end there. Gamers found such moments on the NES, and the Game Boy Color, and the Gamecube, and the DS, and so on.

To think what an astonishing feat it is, then, that these endless experiences of gaming legacies were sprouted within one man. A man who happened to inherit a small-time trading card company and gradually transformed into popular toy producer that exploded into the video game giant it is today. 

My gaming heroes include the usual suspects: Shigeru Miyamoto, Mashiro Sakurai, Shigesato Itoi, Koji Kondo, Charles Martinet, etc. As far as I'm aware, Mr. Hiroshi Yamauchi was not a gamer. The transition from cards to toys to electronic gaming was nothing more than a set of calculated risks that had a likely chance falling into the depths of obscurity; in other words, the man was a businessman through and through. But the man was fully aware of how to make a great video game, and it required just one ingredient: to create a video game that will stick with the masses, one needs not a team of highly-trained engineers, but of devoted artists that can bring any concept to life.

Such a mantra might not sit well with certain game developers (including Nintendo's own Miyamoto), but moments such as the Lost Woods scenario provided above would not have been possible without this vision. The next time I remove the Master Sword from its pedestal, or soar to the skies with a Wing Cap, or even take a stroll down the streets of Twoson or Celadon City, I'll be sure to think of the man who made such feats possible. The very feats that inspired countless childhoods like my own.

Leave Luck to Heaven, Mr. Yamauchi.

Biweekly Music Wednesday! No.5: ~8 PM~ (Animal Crossing)

Origin: Animal Crossing (2002)

Composer: Kenta Nagata

Plays in: Every night from 8 PM to 9 PM when your character avatar is outside. 

Status: Original Composition

They say nostalgia is a hell of a drug, and I suppose that saying isn't so far off from the truth. Drugs are capable of granting euphoric highs, but their use only leads to suffering and a hollow existence. While nostalgia isn't quite as life-threatening, it can be equally cruel in breaking one's heart. It strikes suddenly, maybe upon the discovery of a long-lost photo album or the sight of an old friend. Gradually, the sugar-coated days of childhood and yesteryear flood your memory, along with the bitter realization that they are now a fantasy that can never be repeated. Get sucked into it too much, and you start living in the past. You know that feeling? I know it all too well.

For a while, Animal Crossing was the poster child of this tragic nostalgia for me. Animal Crossing is unique in that each game possesses a "you had to be there" quality to them. While the same could easily be applied to the earlier Pokemon titles, the melancholy associated with Animal Crossing is what makes it stand out to me more (that, and there was no mass exodus from the fanbase like Pokemon suffered from after Gold/Silver). With every new game, people flock to the latest entry and abandon their old towns. You have virtually the entire community shifting from one game to the next, and any form of villagers experiences immediately outdated. Of course, the games can still be played by newcomers, but I imagine there'd be a distinct loneliness to the experience (odd, given the large amount of intractable critters)

Much as I loved Wild World and dig New Leaf, the original Animal Crossing remains the series classic for me. It being an unexpected, overnight success in America eleven years ago remains one of my favorite childhood memories of Nintendo, and I think so much of it has to do with that the style of the game hasn't really been replicated in future entries(since Wild World, every new Animal Crossing has followed in its footsteps). While the "scrolling world map" shift never bothered me like it did some people, the Gamecube game represents to me a version that is undiluted. I freaking adore the horned hats your player character wears .The village personalities are not the diluted pansies found in WW/NL, and will flip their shit at the drop of a pin. The soundtrack has only been finally rivaled with New Leaf's, and even then I don't believe it topples the masterful blend of eccentricity and forest life the original had.

Yet I can never play it the same way again. It's a completely different era now. No one trades furniture or NES game codes anymore. I'm no longer in fifth grade. I'm no longer interested in spamming the villagers' mailboxes with letters straight from my hyperactive mind. Not everyone who participated in the joys of Animal Crossing with me is in my current life, and I'll probably never speak to them again. Even with the references in New Leaf, I wonder if Nintendo even remembers it exists.

This song used to scare me recently. Before, the ten year old me sighed softly at it's entrance, knowing he was blessed with the mysterious reveries that soothed his heart, the presence wonderful friends, and the existence of the greatest cartoon comedy in the history of the world (that is, Spongebob Squarepants). It was beautiful. As a young adult, it's haunting. It makes me wonder if the magic of my youth was just fiction, something I just dreamed up. Was I really, in secret, a wistful old man trapped in a child's body? What if I was the only child in the whole country who reveled in hanging out with the internet "in-crowds," and knew that no one else at school would understand? Questions repeatedly flashed across my brain, and each one hurt more than the last. It didn't help that over the past year, I parted ways with my best friend, who loved the game just as much as I did, and I couldn't really bear to the think of Animal Crossing during the same period. Not since Mario Kart DS and its relation to the fiasco with my brother's drug addiction had I so desperately avoided a game.

Playing through New Leaf these days, I went back to my old Gamecube town recently to face my fears..Things weren't quite the same. Weeds and cockroaches flooded the fields and homes. Not every villager who'd been around before was still present. Out of the four people who made player profiles in the game, only three are still alive.

This song was playing, but I wasn't scared. I was laughing at how much I kept inducing the grumpy neighbors to endlessly scream at me, how Michael's memory was kept alive by the letters said neighbors were showing me (and who else would be? Admiral, the green bird he kept trying to piss off), closing my eyes in a familiar frustration as they were still mentioning that "Bob" happened to visit town just the other day (yeah, try ten years ago), wistfully shaking my head at the eye-assaulting, demented nature of my house, and smacked the shit out of Pompom the duck with my bug net. I wasn't really a kid again, no, but there's a certain joys to playing it with the mind of a matured adult.

Does 8 PM still haunt me? A little, but now I find the memories it evokes now resonate with fondness; in other words, the good kind of nostalgia.To this day, Animal Crossing is the perfect time capsule of who I used to be.