TOP GAMING: Mitsuda

Showing posts with label Mitsuda. Show all posts

Friday, May 31, 2013

TOP Track #1 - "Battle with Magus"

This is it! We made it! Coming in at #1 across two separate tournaments and hours upon hours of listening and judging music - "Battle with Magus" is the supreme champion of Music May 2013! This result did surprise me, but I'm by no means disappointed. It is a fantastic song, and a fantastic moment in video games as I detailed in my countdown last year - "The First Battle with Magus"

That article goes into great detail into what an amazing game Chrono Trigger is and what a great character Magus is within the game. As I've said, we really tried to step back away from nostalgia and assess each song on its own merits, but that's no easy feat. Particularly challenging when you're talking about something as amazing as the battle with Magus. If you've read that article I linked, you know it's one of the most impressive moments in gaming that I've ever personally experienced, so to wipe it from my mind when listening to this song is close to impossible.

The beginning of the song is dark and brooding, but quickly launches you into a frenzied fight for your life. The pacing is phenomenal. You're really pulled into the majesty of the situation. You know just from listening to this song that there's a lot on the line. Magus is not a push over. He means business, and you just got in his way. I think the way the music syncs up with the fight is one of the driving reasons that it made such a lasting impression on me, and goes to show what Mitsuda is truly capable of as a composer.

-TOP
@TOPGamingBlog

Ah - the initial fight against Magus. Where do I begin? It might be my favorite battle in the history of gaming. Chrono Trigger is a fan favorite due to the way it weaves a brilliant engaging story throughout different time periods. It's never more prevalent than the quest to restore the Masamune, which culminates fantastically in the battle with Magus. As TOP mentioned before, this seemed at the time like it might have been the game's finale. Thankfully, Mitsuda Yasunori crafted this masterpiece to fit the occasion.

This track begins slowly and eerily to remind you that you are in the presence of an all-powerful wizard who might be responsible for the end of the world. A chill runs down my spine every time I hear the black wind howl. Suddenly (timed perfectly in-game as Magus accepts the player's challenge), the beat picks up and we are treated to a battle score that I can only describe as epic. In the background, a Mystic laughs (or perhaps, moans?) as you try to keep up with Magus's changing guards and endless attacks. This was one of those exhilarating fights that got your adrenaline pumping hard, and to me, it proved that Mitsuda could stand toe-to-toe with Uematsu Nobuo when it comes to battle tracks.

Lastly, I'd be remiss not to mention the final confrontation atop the Black Omen. If Magus is in your party, you are treated to a goosebump-inducing dialogue between him and his deranged mother. Instead of "Boss Battle 2" that normally plays during this altercation, you get to hear Magus's theme once again ... causing another adrenaline-fueled engagement. It truly makes the moment seem much more personal to the player. I love it!

- Deez

@Deezer509

Derivative Tracks

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

TOP Track #4 - "Time of the Dreamwatch"

This song is unbelievable. I really thought this song was going to make it all the way to #1. I suppose, originally I thought "To Far Away Times" would make it up into the TOP 5 because it means a lot to me, but when I started trying to look at songs as objectively as possible, "Time of the Dreamwatch" stood out immediately as going above and beyond everything Mitsuda did in "To Far Away Times." There is, of course, an undeniable nostalgia factor, but even our (somewhat) neutral third party (never played Chrono Trigger or Chrono Cross so no nostalgia) voted this up every single time. It's a fantastic song.

It's a bit of a shame that both "Time of the Dreamwatch" and "Time's Scar" are utilized before you even get a chance to play the game. Both are used in opening scenes and are not tied to any moment in the game itself, and they are both the most outstanding pieces of music on an already amazing soundtrack. I wish Mitsuda could have worked this into the game itself, or pushed a bit more to include more nods to Chrono Trigger music within this completely new, folk-y theme. If there's anything Chrono Cross needed across the board it was stronger ties to its predecessor, Chrono Trigger. When they happen, they are the best parts of the game, and they are far and few between - in fact, you could probably take them all out, call this game Serge Cross and call it a day. I'd love to see a remake/reboot of Chrono Cross that really tries to tie it all together quite a bit more - and utilizes this type of music blending, because it is by far some of Mitsuda's finest work.

-TOP
@TOPGamingBlog

"Time of the Dreamwatch" would have garnered a 4 out of 5 rating from me if it were completely original. It received a perfect score, however, due to the Chrono Trigger throwback in the refrain. The first time I heard this song, I was cooking. Both my jaw and a pot full of ramen fell to the floor. Now, it's in my regular rotation of tracks I pop on at work when I'm feeling particularly homocidal. Something about it just brings me back down to Earth, and the Trigger refrain is like a lullaby for my soul.

During the course of ranking these songs, we ran into some issues. We had to provide tie-breaking votes when tracks (of which there were many) got perfect scores from our panel of judges. It's difficult to come up with the metrics for declaring a true winner, due to the inability to cut nostalgia out of our calculations. Judging "Time of the Dreamwatch" was a conundrum. On the one hand, I feel it's a great song. On the other hand, my subconscious can't ignore the refrain, or the way it makes me feel as soon as I hear it. Mitsuda, you beautiful devil, you have me eating out of your hand yet again...

- Deez

@Deezer509

Derivative Tracks

K-Waves Lab - http://youtu.be/d7mDenJRTJI

Piano Arrangement - http://youtu.be/0xVtMEhPbdE

Sunday, May 26, 2013

TOP Track #6 - "The Last Battle"

There's one thing that Deez and I agreed on early in this project, the Dynasty Warriors series has some incredible music. Unfortunately, I'm not entirely familiar with all the music across all the games, so I popped up a playlist on YouTube one afternoon and just listened to song after song from all the Dynasty Warriors games as well as all the other spin-off series (Samurai, Gundam, etc). A few were so amazing they made it on to our list of songs to be judged, even though we'd never played some of the games - though when you've played one Dynasty Warriors game, realistically speaking you've played them all. Though they have updates and changes, they all fundamentally play similarly. Button mash your way through thousands upon thousands of peons and officers to claim complete and total victory for your army - though your troops may as well have slept in that morning, because you're a one-man killing god of war.

"The Last Battle" swiftly moved up the ranks of our tournaments. Although there are many great tracks in the Dynasty Warriors series, I think this one in particular exemplifies everything you'd ever need to know. The music often tries to blend traditional (in this case Chinese) music with contemporary music (in most cases, rock or metal) and the results are fantastic. This song in particular is an invigorating finale. There is an underlying marching beat to get your heart pumping for battle, an overlay of rock power ballad to make everything you do feel larger than life, and mixed in is the theme of Dynasty Warriors 7 to remind you of what your fight has been for all along the way. It's a fantastic song and I'm proud that to have a great piece of Dynasty Warriors music make it this far up our list of TOP Tracks.

- TOP

@TOPGamingBlog

This song just gets me going! It rocks, plain and simple. I'm a user of Last.fm, a service that "scrobbles" all the music you listen to and compiles it into neat data. Data doesn't lie. I have been obsessed with this song the past couple months, so much that I'm afraid I'm going to over-listen and get sick of it. If electric guitars existed in the 5th century BCE, I believe this would have played during the Battle of Thermopylae. I wish they had used this track for Conquest Mode's "Battle for Supremacy," wherein you go up against 30 generals in a ruthless onslaught. Despite our high-leveled characters, TOP and I faced double trouble in that level and "The Last Battle" would have no doubt invigorated us beyond any doubt of victory.

Dynasty Warriors 7 was my first introduction to the series, and the music did not disappoint me. I strongly believe that Uematsu Nobuo and Mitsuda Yasunori were composing themes in the NES/SNES days with some 80's metal in mind. Yamada Haruki's "The Last Battle" is a perfect action track that builds anticipation and serves up exciting, climactic guitar riffs. Perhaps no other word is as overused as this on the internet, but I have no choice but to use it in this instance: epic. That's the only word to describe this song. When the intensity ramps up again at the 2:11 mark, I feel like I'm about to go Super Saiyan.

- Deez
@Deezer509

Derivative Tracks

None found. None necessary.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

TOP Track #7 - "Frog's Theme"

I'm not at all surprised to see "Frog" made it all the way into the TOP Ten. I've loved this song and this character since the very first time I heard it. It really does a fantastic job of accentuating Frog's character. When you meet him, he's a bit discouraged by his cursed form, but he's still loyal and courageous for the sake of his Queen. This song really brings out that honor and duty, even though he lives alone in disgrace. What makes Frog such an important and endearing character is that he undergoes such tremendous growth. He also has such a complicated relationship with another character in the game, Magus, who is responsible for his transformation. These two characters more than any other start out a certain way, perceived by the player a certain way, and develop over time into the characters their theme songs reflect.

Even though the first few times you interact with Frog, he's distressed, depressed, discouraged and lonely, this theme song and his willingness to help clue you in that underneath his amphibious exterior, he has a heart of gold and a tremendous sense of honor. Eventually, you wear down his depression and prove to him that even though he failed and has been cursed for his failure, he still has something to fight for. He transforms into one of the most versatile fighters on the team and begins to accept who he has become. A definitive moment comes late in the game when he faces a truly troubling choice between allying with his most hated enemy, Magus, for a common good - or breaking his curse and returning to human. The choice is left up to the player, but I think this moment really shows the true nature of his character and his ideals. I prefer the Frog that is able to forgive and move forward to the vain, vindictive Frog only concerned with revenge and reclaiming his old form...

...but I have to admit, if the game allowed you to play as Glenn from that moment forward instead of Frog (swapping out his character sprite) instead of making you wait until the ending scenes, I'd definitely do that a handful of times because Glenn looks like a badass. I bet his Slurp Kiss Dual Tech (among others) would look incredibly odd as a human, though!

- TOP

@TOPGamingBlog

Whenever I play through Chrono Trigger, I usually give the characters their true names. Every once in a while, however, there is an exception. I'll change Marle to Nadia, Magus to Janus, and if I'm feeling like a smart-ass, Robo to R-66Y. That being said, Frog is never Frog. He is always Glenn. He's such a tragic figure, brimming with honor, that I feel bad naming him Frog. It's so damn insulting! I realize that by the end of the story, he becomes accustomed to his new form and doesn't so much mind it, but this doesn't take away from the fact that Magus demeaned him. This song, despite it's name, does not belong to a frog. It belongs to Glenn. It is composed perfectly to match his character: noble and brave. The high notes of the track seem to play on Glenn's status as a skilled knight, as well as the loneliness he must endure in 600 AD.

Glenn and Magus are easily my favorite characters in Chrono Trigger, and I imagine most people feel similarly. One of the reasons their eternal rivalry is so compelling to us players is how similar they are even though they are diametrically opposed. Each character had the person who was closest to them taken away in a violent nature. Both are tormented internally for being weak during a moment in which their world was changed - in Glenn's case, too cowardly; in Magus's case, too young. Glenn represents the lighter side of this tragedy, eventually choosing to take on Cyrus's dream. Magus represents the darker side by destroying everything that stands in his way of searching for his sister. Their theme songs both perfectly reflect this relationship.

- Deez

@Deezer509

Derivative Tracks

Electric Guitar (A+ Arrangement) - http://youtu.be/PxYkrVtBIvw

LonLonJP - "Frog's Theme" in M - http://youtu.be/JfQT0uiAlTQ

Verdegrand & ViolinTay - http://youtu.be/mZzOhp5fYGA

Sunday, May 19, 2013

TOP Track #13 - "To Far Away Times"

This is my favorite ending music of all time, followed closely by the "End Credits" of Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past. It really reminds me of a day when getting to the end of a game was a bittersweet reward. I really haven't felt this way since the Super Nintendo age. I was sad that the journey had come to an end, but rewarded with some of the best music and images the game had to offer. Nowadays, I'm usually pretty disappointed by the ending and credits of video games. They feel more like an afterthought. I honestly can't think of one ending to a game that really stands out to me since some of the early days of Playstation.

When Deez and I first started talking about Music May, I imagined "To Far Away Times" would make it into the TOP 5 Tracks, but here it rests at #13. It's among the perfect scores, but didn't even make it into the TOP 10. I'm not disappointed, honestly. When I look at what's coming up over the next two weeks, I can safely say the music will outshine "To Far Away Times," but this song does have a special place in my heart. It's a really fitting conclusion to one of the best games I've ever played. I have played and beaten Chrono Trigger more times than I could keep track of, which by my personal rankings makes it a timeless legend.

-TOP

@TOPGamingBlog

It's hard to talk about "To Far Away Times" because it stirs up so many simultaneous emotions. When I hear the intro song for Chrono Trigger, it pumps me up. I can take on the world. There's one thought in my mind: I must destroy evil. This song makes me ... happy? I think so. Maybe sad. All I know is that instead of one thought, all the memories of the game flood into my mind, even if I haven't played in a long time. All the moments, good and bad, joyful and tragic, come rushing back.

This track starts off happy. It's happy because all is right in the world. Lavos has been defeated. The planet is saved. Crono and Marle can enjoy this last night of the Millennial Fair in peace. This track ends sad. Sad because the journey is over. They will never see some of the friends they've made ever again. After a whirlwind adventure like that, how can you go back to a normal life in 1000AD? The quiet transition in "To Far Away Times" reflects this bittersweet notion of a completed journey.

- Deez
@Deezer509

Derivative Tracks