Music
To my generation, I think music is not so much about the rhythm and flow of sounds but of lyrics and presentation value. Because of this, I shy away from music that others in my age group seem to like because, quite frankly, I find the human voice to be somewhat grating and detractive from the pureness of sound in the music. Often, even with the no voice, I find that music has no context for me to like or dislike; I have generally preferred silence because I felt nothing from what I considered to be a bunch of organized noises. Perhaps it is the setting, but I find video game music to be far more accommodating to my tastes. It might be an inherent and unrepentant love of anything involving video games, or it is perhaps something that has grown on me. In any case, I find video game music to be far easier to listen to and, given the right context, even enjoyable.
The entire idea of video game music speaks to me. Why? Before the 6th generation of video games, video game consoles often did not support much in the way of sound. However, video game developers, in order to compensate for this, just grew more creative and stylish with the limits on both quality and quantity. They accommodated the limitations of the system in order to create pleasing and memorable sounds. Truly great games, no matter what the system, combined these sounds with whatever graphics were available and whatever gameplay could be accomplished, creating a world in which the player can immerse himself or herself in. Nowadays, these sound limitations are not really evident, but the task at hand still is to create memorable music that helps immerse the player into the world of the game. Being the addict to video games that I am, I have quite a selection of music that does this to me. Here, I will illustrate some video game music that has given me visions of faraway lands and epic encounters. If you are not satisfied with the selection provided, I have an entire playlist of them on YouTube (link is here).
This is what I consider to be the best video game final boss theme ever. If you feel the need to disagree, contact me and provide me a link to a better one. Angelic choruses are very prominent in these final boss themes, but there are none here. No, instead, you will hear a tale of an unwinnable struggle and an unstoppable hope. It starts with a message of hopelessness and despair, then pauses with a struggle, ever-increasing in its intensity, then it illustrates humanity's full-out attempts to overcome the divine. Hope is almost lost as the music goes softer and softer; it is a losing struggle. But resolve, somehow, is found once more, and there is a moment of reflection. Then an instrumental opera kicks in (what other video game does this?), which, if you've played the game, is a constant underlying theme illustrating the endless possibilities offered by one soul. It is hard to convey the depth of feeling that emerges when playing the climax Persona 3, but I've done the best I can.
Here is a game for the NES, with its piss-poor sound system. You know what? It does not matter. The quality of the sound itself might not be great, but the sounds making up the entire them are thoughtfully put together. Don't you feel it, dear reader? This feeling of being in the presence of royalty as this theme plays? This goes back to what I was saying, how creativity goes a long ways towards making good music. Like most video game music, it loops, but its mellow intensity (yes, I did string two contradictions together, thank you for noticing) prevents it from feeling repetitive. It almost makes me sorry that monarchy is no longer as prevalent as it once was.
It is catchy and upbeat, and it really, really makes you want to stack blocks on top of each other. You can almost hear the heart of Russia in its beats and the encouragement for you to do better while playing Tetris. I have no further words to describe this theme. I mean, come on! It's the bloody Tetris Theme! Are you honestly telling me you've never heard it before?
It's a somewhat happy and cute theme, but it is powerful nevertheless. There is an underlying current of determination and moving forward at the start and then it kicks into the mood of actually doing what you need to do. As the song goes on, it becomes encouraging and, as you finally do what you need to do, there is almost a message of extended congratulations for your efforts. Then it promptly starts all over again. Sigh. I guess that's just life. Still, this theme is far more motivational than any motivational poster or speech that I have read or listened to.
To be honest with you, dear reader, this theme is too awesome for words alone. It is not, as you imagine, the final theme in the game, but mere a recurring theme for one of the main characters. Still, you can hear the continuously changing tones of hope and despair, fighting for dominance in the blood-soaked battlefield. The theme is heavy with guitar riffs and it is obvious when other rhythms are brought into the picture (er, theme), but they immediately change the tone of the entire thing. The best and worst aspects of war are practically rolled up into this one theme.
Super Mario 64 was a great game, and its stellar and unforgettable music just was icing on the cake. This particular theme was used for one of the water levels, a tranquil and somewhat sad theme. One could close his or her eyes and dream of underwater worlds and gentle currents. It flows smoothly and gently together and then picks up the tempo, rising above the previously soothing tone and giving you a subtle yet strong feeling of determination. As you listen on, you feel a little nostalgic as memories spring unbidden to your mind from days bygone. Well, maybe that's just me, but I'm sure you'll agree that this is a theme that could easily bring a small smile to your face, yes?