30 October 2013

Episode 157: Final Episode Podcast In Review

Brent and Rob say goodbye on this final, special episode of The Legacy Music Hour.  Much less focused on the music, the boyz recall fun and funny moments from the past, talk about the reasons why the podcast is ending, and are visited by several special guests!  Thank you to all the users for their support and donations over the last three years!  Thank you to all the amazing 8-bit and 16-bit era video game music composers featured on LMH!  And don't worry, it's not over, look for LMH related stuff in the future!  Track listing below.



Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - Koji Kondo - Staff Roll - Nintendo - SNES - 1992


Relevant Links:

Brent Weinbach's comedy record Mostly Live on iTunes:

https://music.apple.com/us/album/mostly-live/1360022468

Brent Weinbach's Youtube channel:

www.youtube.com/brentweinbach

Brent Weinbach's website:

www.brentweinbach.com

Rob F. Switch's Twitter:

www.twitter.com/fisticuts

Rob F. Switch's website:

www.fisticuts.com

Rob F. Switch's Facebook fan page:

www.facebook.com/fisticuts

23 October 2013

Episode 156: Best Of Year In Review 3

Once again, Brent and Rob countdown their TOP TEN favorite video game music tracks of the year (Episodes 105 through 155).  This episode marks the completion of three whole years of The Legacy Music Hour.  The tracks selected could only be music they became aware of within the last 51 episodes (and that were played on the podcast).  Lots of "kills it" moments.  NOTE: If it's unclear, Brent and Rob are bowing in the photo.  Also, the cartridge right above the Narc shirt, which is hard to see, is the Famicom game, Akumajou Special: Boku Dracula-kun.  Partial track listing below.



Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Alcahest - Jun Ishikawa - Friends - Square - Super Famicom - 1993

16 October 2013

Episode 155: Free Play 15.5

The final free play before next week's top ten best of the year count down.  Brent and Rob come up with some new words and phrases in this episode, but in the end, after 154 photos of them posing something related to the episode, they couldn't think of what to do for this one.  Also this episode: another user submitted VGM Karaoke!  Full track listing below.



Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

J-League Soccer: Prime Goal 3 - Eriko Imura - Lose - Namco - Super Famicom - 1995

Lightening Force - Toshiharu Yamanishi - Great Sea Power (Stage 6) - Technosoft - Genesis - 1992

Deep Duck Trouble Starring Donald Duck - Saori Kobayashi - Intro - Aspect/Sega - Sega Master System (Europe) - 1993

Mahjong Cop Ryuu: Shiro Ookami no Yabou - Aruaru Nakayama, Hyaa Maruyama, Adarutohideo Kamei - Playing Mahjong - Whiteboard - Mega Drive - 1989

Nettou Real Bout Garou Densetsu Special - Toshio Shimizu, Hideki Asanaka, Studio PJ (arr.) - No.3 from Pandora's Box "Determination" (Jin Chonshu & Jin Chonrei) - Takara/Gaibrain - Game Boy (Japan) - 1998

Sorcerian - Hiroshi Kubota - China Village - Sega/Falcom - Mega Drive - 1990

Operation Logic Bomb: The Ultimate Search & Destroy - Yasuyuki Suzuki - Ending Sequence - Jaleco - SNES - 1993

Puss 'N Boots: Pero's Great Adventure - Tomohisa Mitsuyasu (J-Walk Mitsuyasu) - Stage 2: Ocean (Submarine) - Shouei/Electro Brain - NES - 1990

Romancing SaGa - Kenji Ito - Bard's Tale - Square - Super Famicom - 1992

RoboCop 2 - Jonathan Dunn - Hi Score - Ocean/Painting by Numbers - Game Boy - 1991

Manchester United Championship Soccer - Matt Furniss - Title Screen - Ocean/Krisalis Software - SNES (Europe) - 1995

Zero4 Champ - Tsukushi Sasaki - Nostalgia of Rice Field Footpaths - Media Rings - PC Engine - 1991

Lemmings 2: The Tribes - Matt Furniss - Medieval - Psygnosis/Digital Developments - Genesis - 1994

Youkai Douchuuki - unknown - Mambo Ryuuguu 2 - TOSE/Namco - PC Engine - 1988

Daikaijuu Monogatari: Miracle of the Zone - unknown - Battle - Hudson Soft/Birthday - Game Boy (Japan) - 1998

Dungeon Magic: Sword of the Elements - Kiyohiro Sada - Unknown Theme 1 - Natsume/Taito - NES - 1990

Mega Man - Manami Matsumae - Bomb Man - Capcom - NES - 1987

Thunder Pro Wrestling Retsuden - T. Saito, Garheu - gameplay - Human Entertainment - Mega Drive - 1992

Wagyan Paradise - Eriko Imura - Water Duct - Namco - Super Famicom - 1994

Jennifer Capriati Tennis - Hiroki Kamata - Ending 2 - System Sacom/Renovation - Genesis - 1992

Final Fantasy III - Nobuo Uematsu - Cyan - Square - SNES - 1994

14 October 2013

Track Listing: Brent Weinbach VGM Dance Mix Vol. 4

Here is the track list (game titles only) for Brent's VGM Dance Mix Vol. 4...

Mega Man
Hanjuku Hero
Super Mario Kart
Super Monaco GP
Metal Gear
Crusader of Centy
DuckTales
Yu Yu Hakusho: Makyou Touitsusen
Soul Blazer
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Mega Man 5
Quiz Meitantei Neo & Geo: Quiz Daisousasen Part 2
Romancing SaGa 3
Mega Man 2
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
Seiken Densetsu 3


To listen to the dance mix, you can find the original post here:

Brent Weinbach VGM Dance Mix Vol. 4

09 October 2013

Episode 154: Free Play 15.4

Another free play!  Brent and Rob listen to some buff music that hits their B-spots and they talk about all kinds of stuff like name entry etiquette, hidden lyrics, and Rob's "shining" moment.  Full track listing below.



Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

TechnoCop - Kevin Seghetti - Title Screen - Punk Development/Razorsoft - Genesis - 1990

Monster*Race - Kennosuke Suemura - Race Building - Koei - Game Boy (Japan) - 1998

Lightening Force - Tomomi Ohtani - Tan Tan Ta Ta Ta Tan (Configuration) - Technosoft - Genesis - 1992

Operation Logic Bomb: The Ultimate Search & Destroy - Yasuyuki Suzuki - Logic Core - Jaleco - SNES - 1993

Truxton II - Masahiro Yuge - Stage 2 "I Defend STM" - Toaplan - arcade - 1992

Yuuyu no Quiz de Go! Go! - Tamayo Kawamoto - Royalty in the Desert - Taito - Super Famicom - 1992

T2: Terminator 2: Judgment Day - Geoff Follin - Level 2 (Flood Channel)/Level 4 (Cyberdyne) - LJN/Software Creations - NES - 1992

Super Bowling - unknown - Golf Bowl - KID/Technos - SNES - 1992

Shatterhand - Iku Mizutani - Area A - Natsume/Jaleco - NES - 1991

Shining Force - Masahiko Yoshimura - Shougonnaru Guardiana [Castle (Guardiana and Others)] - Camelot Software Planning - Genesis - 1992

King of Casino - Hiroshi Suzuki - Dreams Came True (Ending) - NEC - TurboGrafx-16 - 1990

Uncharted Waters - Yoko Kanno - In Bars - Koei - SNES - 1993

Ball Jacks - Yoshinori Kawamoto (Kawagen), H. Umino - Ending Theme 2 (Galaxy Championship) - Namco - Mega Drive - 1993

Yume Penguin Monogatari - Katsuhiko Suzuki (Suzuki the Enigma), Atsushi Fujio (Sukenomiya Fujio) - Stage 3 - Konami - Famicom - 1991

Choplifter III: Rescue Survive - Marshall Parker - Sector 3 - Beam Software/Victor Interactive Software - SNES - 1994

LandStalker - Motoaki Takenouchi - Labyrinth - Climax Entertainment - Genesis - 1992

Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety - Suddi Raval - Game Over - Software Creations/Acclaim - Genesis - 1995

Magical * Taruruuto-kun 2: Mahou Daibouken - unknown - Boss - TOSE/Bandai - Famicom - 1992

Raiden Trad - Akira Sato - Name Entry - Micronet - Genesis - 1993

Gokinjo Boukentai - Akihiko Mori - Advice - ITL/Pioneer LDC - Super Famicom - 1996

Bakuchou Retrieve Master - Rokusuke Sasaki - Near the End (?) - TOSE/Konami - Game Boy (Japan) - 1998

07 October 2013

Track Listing: Brent Weinbach VGM Dance Mix Vol. 3

Here is the track list (game titles only) for Brent's VGM Dance Mix Vol. 3...

Quarth
Shinobi
Super Nazo Puyo 2: Ruru no Tetsuwan Hanjyou ki
Sonic 3D Blast
Gimmick!
Streets of Rage 3
Soul Blazer
James Bond 007: The Duel
Gyogun Tanchiki: Pocket Sonar
Cosmic Wars
Mega Man 6
Mahjong Taikai II
Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
Super Bomberman
Last Bible III
Rackets & Rivals
Space Invaders '91
Mouryou Senki Madara
Alien Soldier

To listen to the dance mix, you can find the original post here:

Brent Weinbach VGM Dance Mix Vol. 3

05 October 2013

Live Event: MAME THAT CHUNE on 10/24/13

The Legacy Music Hour presents MAME THAT CHUNE, a video game music game show with Brent Weinbach and Rob F.!  MAME THAT CHUNE is "Name That Tune" for video game music of the 8-bit and 16-bit era.  Audience members will have an opportunity to enter a drawing to compete.

Also included are two side contests, which audience members can enter as well: VGM Karaoke, where contestants sing along to a video game track of their choice with either prepared written lyrics, lyrics you make up on the spot, or humming along gibberish. Audience will vote by applause on the winner, based on overall performance and ability to sing along with the melody of the piece.  And finally, there's Legacy Dance: Battle Mode, which is a video game music dance battle.

The music showcased will ONLY be video game music from the 8-bit and 16-bit era.  No remixes, no covers, no adaptations of non-video game music -just pure music from the Nintendo, Super Nintendo, and Sega Genesis!

PLUS, opening the evening is The Spencer Owen Timeshare, playing covers of video game music featured on the Legacy Music Hour, and original tunes as well!!

The Legacy Music Hour's
MAME THAT CHUNE
w/ The Spencer Owen Timeshare
October 24, 2013
10:30pm
FREE
Vacation
651 Larkin St.
San Francisco, CA 94109

02 October 2013

Episode 153: Free Play 15.3

For this free play, Brent is joined by Erich Beckmann and Ryan Olson of the video game music cover band, Kirby's Dream Band.  They talk a lot about Kirby music and a lot about orchestra hits.  Full track listing below.



Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

LandStalker - Motoaki Takenouchi - Let's Go on an Adventure - Climax Entertainment - Genesis - 1992

Classic Road - Hayato Matsuo, Hitoshi Sakimoto (prog.) - Training - Opera House/Victor - Super Famicom - 1993

Wagyan Paradise - Eriko Imura - Sunken Ship - Namco - Super Famicom - 1994

Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals - Yasunori Shiono - Watchtowers of the Seal - Neverland/Natsume - SNES - 1996

Monster*Race - Kennosuke Suemura - Organized Race - Koei - Game Boy (Japan) - 1998

Kirby's Dream Course - Hirokazu Ando - The Tricky Stuff - HAL Laboratory - SNES - 1995

F-1 Grand Prix Part III - Naoki Itamura - Qualify - Video System - Super Famicom - 1994

Konami Wai Wai World - Shinya Sakamoto, Shigemasa Matsuo, Atsushi Fujio - Konami Man - Konami - Famicom - 1988

Operation Logic Bomb: The Ultimate Search & Destroy - Yasuyuki Suzuki - Base 2 - Jaleco - SNES - 1993

Last Bible III - Hiroyuki Yanada - Field Theme 2 - Atlus - Super Famicom - 1995

Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse - Jun Funahashi, Yukie Morimoto, Hidenori Maezawa - Aquarius - Konami - NES - 1990


Relevant Links:

Kirby's Dream Band on Bandcamp...


Kirby's Dream Band on Facebook...

27 September 2013

Bonus: Brent Weinbach VGM Dance Mix Vol. 4

The Legacy Music Hour presents Brent Weinbach's fourth installment of continuous dance party music comprised of only 8-bit and 16-bit era video game music.  No remixes, no covers, no adaptations of non-video game music -just pure, original, dancy music from the Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, and more!


25 September 2013

Episode 152: Free Play 15.2

Yet another Free Play with Brent and Rob.  Good music, bad Seinfeld impressions.  The boys also unpackage a bunch of gifts.  Also, Brent does a reggae mini-focus.  Full track listing below.



Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar - Toshiharu Yamanishi - Air Raid (Stage 3B) - Technosoft - Genesis - 1992

Star Cruiser - Toshiya Yamanaka - Restaurant - NCS/Arsys Software - Mega Drive - 1990

Chi Chi's Pro Challenge Golf - Masahito Miyamoto - Main BGM 4 - Virgin Interactive/Soft Machine - Genesis - 1993

Wagyan Paradise - Eriko Imura - Continental Shelf - Namco - Super Famicom - 1994

Super Pachinko Taisen - Kenji Yamazaki - Outer Space - Banpresto - Super Famicom - 1995

Ys V: Ushinawareta Sunano Miyako Kefin - Mieko Ishikawa, Naoki Kaneda, Satoshi Arai, Atsushi Shirakawa, Masaru Nakajima - Stormy Town - Falcom - Super Famicom - 1995

Tenchi Souzou - Miyoko Kobayashi - Zue - Quintet/Enix - Super Famicom - 1995

Uncharted Waters - Yoko Kanno - Other Port - Koei - SNES - 1993

Jumpin' Derby - Nobuyuki Shioda - Seaside - KID/Naxat Soft - Super Famicom - 1996

Mario Paint - Kazumi Totaka, Ryoji Yoshitomi, Hirokazu Tanaka - Flyswatter: Level 2 - Nintendo - SNES - 1992

King Salmon: The Big Catch - Masaharu Iwata, Hitoshi Sakimoto (prog.) - A New World Record (Ending Theme) - Vic Tokai/Sage's Creation - Genesis - 1993

Kyouraku-Sanyo-Maruhon Parlor! Parlor! 5 - Motoi Sakuraba, Shinji Tamura - In Pachinko Parlors - Nippon Telenet - Super Famicom - 1996

Power Tennis - Masakatsu Maekawa - World Tour - Hudson Soft/Now Production - PC Engine - 1993

Vectorman 2 - Jon Holland - Intro A (Vectorman's Jam) - Blue Sky Software - Genesis - 1996

Tadaima Yuusha Boshuuchuu Okawari - Yayoi Okumura, Hideto Maeda, Shunichi Sigematu, Nobuo Fujii - Peril Islands - Human Entertainment - Super Famicom - 1997

18 September 2013

Episode 151: Free Play 15.1

This week, Brent is joined by Brett Elston, host of the video game music podcast, VGMpire.  Brett also works at Capcom Unity as does Brent's other guest, Chris Antista, host of the Laser Time podcast.  Also sitting in is Brent's little brother, Nicky Weinbach.  Good music and lots of talk about Disneyland versus Disney World, that is, "Land versus World".  Full track listing below.



Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Wagyan Paradise - Eriko Imura - Smiley Tree - Namco - Super Famicom - 1994

Heracles no Eikou II: Titan no Metsubou - Shogo Sakai - In a Crowded City - Data East - Famicom - 1989

Streets of Rage 3 - Motohiro Kawashima - The Poets II - Sega - Genesis - 1994

Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen - Hitoshi Sakimoto - Overture - Quest/Enix - SNES - 1995

Fun House - George Sanger - Stage 2 - Mind's Eye/Hi-Tech Expressions - NES - 1991

Super Solitaire - Marshall Parker - Funky - Beam Software/Extreme Entertainment Group - SNES - 1994

Valkyrie no Densetsu - Hiroyuki Kawada - Epilogue II - Namco - arcade (Japan) - 1989

Gunstar Heroes - Norio Hanzawa - Military on the Max-Power - Sega/Treasure - Genesis - 1993

Magical * Taruruuto-kun - Studio 401 - It's Dok-kun! - TOSE/Bandai - Game Boy (Japan) - 1991

Legendary Wings - Tamayo Kawamoto, Manami Matsumae (arr.), Yoshihiro Sakaguchi (arr.) - Area 3 - Capcom - NES - 1988


Relevant Links:

Brett Elston's VGMpire video game music podcast...

http://www.vgmpire.com/

Chris Antista's Laser Time podcast...

http://www.lasertimepodcast.com/podcast/

Capcom Unity...

http://www.capcom-unity.com/

13 September 2013

Bonus: Brent Weinbach VGM Dance Mix Vol. 3

The Legacy Music Hour presents Brent Weinbach's third installment of continuous dance party music comprised of only 8-bit and 16-bit era video game music.  No remixes, no covers, no adaptations of non-video game music -just pure, original, dancy music from the Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, and more!



11 September 2013

Episode 150: Free Play 15 (Live)

For the 150th anniversary, The Legacy Music Hour records live.  Jordan Morris, Andrew DeWitt, Jerry Rocha, and some LMH users join in and listen to 8-bit and 16-bit era video game music.  Also, one particular listener contributes a very special portion to the episode.  Note: Like last year, the photo is missing some people.  Full track listing below.



Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Susano Oh Densetsu - Takahito Abe - Credits - Alfa System/Hudson - PC Engine - 1989

Tetris Blast - Niwaka‑Zu, Bunbunmaru, Lah++, Gockey7 Arrived - Contest Theme - TOSE - Game Boy - 1996

Chi Chi's Pro Challenge Golf - Masahito Miyamoto - Main BGM 1 - Virgin Interactive/Soft Machine - Genesis - 1993

Wagyan Paradise - Eriko Imura - Cape - Namco - Super Famicom - 1994

Knight Rider Special - Shigehisa H., Junichi Saito - Stage 3: New York - Pack-In-Video - PC Engine - 1989

Chuugoku Janshi Story: Tonpuu - Hitoshi Akashi - Main BGM - Natsume/Zap - Famicom - 1989

Ganbare! Golf Boys - Atsuhiro Motoyama - Fair Wind - Masaya/Dual - PC Engine - 1989

Contra Force - Kenichi Matsubara, Yasuhiko Manno, Tomoya Tomita, Jun Funahashi, Jun Chuuma - Last Boss - Konami - NES - 1992

Timeball - unknown - Credits -  Hudson Soft - TurboGrafx-16 - 1990

Classic Road II: Real Kouma Simulation - Hayato Matsuo, Hitoshi Sakimoto (prog.) - Opening - Opera House/Victor - Super Famicom - 1995

TwinBee - Yoshinori Sasaki (?), Shigeru Fukutake (?) - Fantastic Power (Power-Up) - Konami - Famicom - 1986

04 September 2013

Episode 149: Horse Racing and Fishing Games

Horses and fish are the focus of Episode 149.  That is, horse racing games and fishing games, two marginalized types of video games, though more popular in Japan.  Two topics, one episode.  Brent and Rob do a lot of horse talking, a bit of fish talking, and Rob does a little bit of sleep talking.  Break it down.  Full track listing below.



Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Classic Road II: Real Kouma Simulation - Hayato Matsuo, Hitoshi Sakimoto (prog.) - Summer - Opera House/Victor - Super Famicom - 1995

Battle Jockey - Hiroshi Ebihara, Kennosuke Suemura - Race Theme 2 - Virgin Games/Nova Games - Super Famicom - 1994

Classic Road - Hayato Matsuo, Hitoshi Sakimoto (prog.) - Opening - Opera House/Victor - Super Famicom - 1993

Jumpin' Derby - Nobuyuki Shioda - New Horse - KID/Naxat Soft - Super Famicom - 1996

GI King! Sanbiki no Yosouya - unknown - Hear Prediction - Vic Tokai/Graphic Research - Game Boy (Japan) - 1993

Keiba Eight Special 2 - Kazunaka Yamane - Mode Select - C-Lab/Imagineer - Super Famicom - 1994

Gamble Hourouki - unknown - Horse Racing - Vap - Super Famicom - 1996

Derby Jockey: Kishou e no Michi - Fumito Tamayama (Batsunen Tamashikabane), Shigenori Masuko (Geeshii Kohmasu), Yoko Kawashima (Yoko Suzuki) (Hime Suzuki), Yoshio Akimoto (Ackey) - Jockey School - Asmik/Graphic Research - Super Famicom - 1994

Grander Musashi RV - Mi-chan Sutajio - Fishing - TOSE/Bandai - Game Boy (Japan) - 1998

King Salmon: The Big Catch - Masaharu Iwata, Hitoshi Sakimoto (prog.) - TItle Theme - Vic Tokai/Sage's Creation - Genesis - 1993

The Blue Marlin - unknown - Fish Got Away - Hot-B - NES - 1992

The Black Bass - unknown - gameplay - Hot-B/Another - Famicom - 1987

Super Black Bass 3 - Tsukushi Sasaki, Michiya Hirasawa - Hit! - Starfish - Super Famicom - 1995

The Black Bass - unknown - Fishing - Hot-B/Another - NES - 1989

Tsuri Tarou - Katsuhiro Hayashi (?) - Fishing for Pale Chub - Pack-In-Video - Super Famicom - 1994

The Blue Marlin - unknown - Title Part 2 - Hot-B - NES - 1992

Pocket Bass Fishing - unknown - gameplay - Bottom Up - Game Boy (Japan) - 1998

31 August 2013

Live Recording: Episode 150

To honor the 150th episode of The Legacy Music Hour, Brent and Rob are inviting the listeners and anyone else interested to sit in on the recording.  This is just like a normal free play episode where Brent and Rob pick some tracks and comment on them, except there will be some extra microphones so that anyone who attends can chime in and comment as well.  Previous LMH guests will also make appearances.  So think of this as a sort of listening party or like a regular episode but with a lot more guests than usual.

The recording will take place at 7pm sharp on Thursday, September 5, 2013 at the Zephyr Theatre in Los Angeles, CA.  It'll take about two hours to record.  If you live in the area, feel free to come and bring who ever you like, as long as they won't be bored by people listening and talking about video game music.

The Legacy Music Hour 150th Episode Recording
September 5th, 2013
7pm - 9pm
Zephyr Theatre
7456 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036

28 August 2013

Episode 148: Experimental Music 2

Weird music is the focus of Episode 148.  The kind of stuff one might hear on a "new music" radio program.  Brent is joined by listener Michael and together they listen to very unusual and sometimes creepy pieces of video game music.  Full track listing below.



Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Spider-Man/X-Men: Arcade's Revenge - Geoff Follin - Wolverine - LJN/Software Creations - SNES - 1992

Majin Tensei II: Spiral Nemesis - Misaki Okibe - If We Believe... - Atlus - Super Famicom - 1995

Strider - Junko Tamiya - Short Spin - Capcom - Genesis - 1990

EarthBound - Hirokazu Tanaka - Threed, Zombie Central - Nintendo - SNES - 1995

The Mahjong Touhaiden - Soushi Hosoi, Pirowo - Dancing Princess - Video System/Khaos - Super Famicom - 1993

Dark Law: Meaning of Death - Satoshi Nagano, Michihico Shichi - Final Battle - SAS Sakata/ASCII - Super Famicom - 1997

Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode - Michiharu Hasuya - Target Mode Ground - Vic Tokai - NES - 1988

Game Boy Camera - Hirokazu Tanaka, Minako Hamano, Kentaro Nishimura - Main Title - Nintendo - Game Boy - 1998

Pocket Kyoro-chan - unknown - Ball & Paddle Game - Tomy/Jupiter Multimedia - Game Boy (Japan) - 1998

Tsuri Tarou - Katsuhiro Hayashi (?) - Fishing for Seema - Pack-In-Video - Super Famicom - 1994

Mario Paint - Kazumi Totaka, Ryoji Yoshitomi, Hirokazu Tanaka - Flyswatter: Level 3 - Nintendo - SNES - 1992

21 August 2013

Episode 147: Golf Games

Golf games have proven to be a great source of music in past episodes, so Brent and Rob finally dedicate an entire episode to golf games and really dig up some good tracks, many of which are pretty elevatory and jazzy.  Full track listing below.



Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

New 3D Golf Simulation: Devil's Course - Shigekazu Kamaki, Yusaburo Shimojyo, Yumi Satake (Yumi Kinoshita) (arr.), Shunsuke Minomiya (arr.), Akira Tamada (arr.) - Coffee Break - T&E Soft - Mega Drive - 1994

Great Golf - unknown - Title Screen - Sega - Sega Mark III - 1986

Top Player's Golf - Kikuko Hataya - Shiny Afternoon (Main 4) - SNK - Neo Geo - 1991

Arnold Palmer Tournament Golf - Tokuhiko Uwabo - BGM 3 - Sega - Genesis - 1989

New 3D Golf Simulation: Harukanaru Augusta - Kazunori Hasegawa, Shigeru Tomita, Yumi Satake (Yumi Kinoshita) (arr.), Hiroshi Morita (arr.), Shigekazu Kamaki (arr.), Yusaburo Shimojyo (arr.) - BGM 2 - T&E Soft - Mega Drive - 1993

Golf Club: Birdie Rush - unknown - Main BGM - Data East - Famicom - 1987

New 3D Golf Simulation: Waialae no Kiseki - Yumi Satake (Yumi Kinoshita), Shunsuke Minomiya, Shigekazu Kamaki, Hiroshi Morita, Yusaburo Shimojyo, Akira Tamada - Menu - T&E Soft - Mega Drive - 1994

Ganbare! Golf Boys - Atsuhiro Motoyama - Take It Easy - Masaya/Dual - PC Engine - 1989

Winning Shot - unknown - Menu - Data East - PC Engine - 1989

HAL's Hole in One Golf - Jun Ishikawa (?) - Take a Rest - HAL Laboratory - SNES - 1991

True Golf Classics: Pebble Beach Golf Links - Kazunori Hasegawa, Shigeru Tomita, Yumi Satake (Yumi Kinoshita) (arr.) - Main Menu - T&E Soft - SNES - 1992

Battle Golfer Yui - Naka-chan 3-sai, Kenta-kun. Yada!, Maru-chan wa omotta, Kyoporiran - Finale - Santos/Sega - Mega Drive - 1991

Power Golf - unknown - Title Screen - Hudson Soft - TurboGrafx-16 - 1989

Chi Chi's Pro Challenge Golf - Masahito Miyamoto - gameplay - Virgin Interactive/Soft Machine - Genesis - 1993

Putter Golf - E. Fugu - Title Screen/BGM 2 - Sega - Mega Drive Meganet - 1991

14 August 2013

Episode 146: Gambling Games

Obscure yet very common at the same time, Gambling Games provide a whole new untapped resource for the boys.  Similar to the Mahjong and Board Games episodes, the River City Ransom twins cover a lot of new ground here, not to mention great tracks.  Pachinko games, casino games, card games, any video game or section of a video where there's gambling, that's what's happening here and there's tons and tons of material.  Full track listing below.



Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals - Yasunori Shiono - Casino - Neverland/Natsume - SNES - 1996

Pachinko Maruhi Hisshouhou - Tenpei Sato, Tatsuya Sato - Title - Jorudan/Vap - Super Famicom - 1994

Pachinko Kuunyan - H. Suzuki - gameplay - I.S.C./Soft Vision International - Mega Drive - 1992

Pachi-Slot World Cup '94 - unknown - Competitor Profiles - I'Max - Game Boy (Japan) - 1994

Miracle Casino Paradise - Yuzo Koshiro - Europe - Carrozzeria - Super Famicom - 1995

Super Trump Collection - unknown - Daihinmin - Bottom Up - Super Famicom - 1995

Super Pachinko Taisen - Kenji Yamazaki - Sunset Coast - Banpresto - Super Famicom - 1995

Pachinko Tetsujin: Shichiban Shoubu - Shigenori Masuko, Yoko Kawashima (Yoko Suzuki), Maki Kirioka - Opening - Graphic Research/Daikoku - Super Famicom - 1995

King of Casino - Hiroshi Suzuki - Inside Casino - NEC - TurboGrafx-16 - 1990

King of Casino - Hiroshi Suzuki - gameplay - NEC - TurboGrafx-16 - 1990

AV Poker: World Gambler - unknown - gameplay - Games Express - PC Engine - 1992

Jissen Pachi-Slot Hisshouhou! Yamasa Densetsu - unknown - gameplay - Sammy Studios - Super Famicom - 1996

Caesars Palace - Seth Mendelsohn - Ending - Coconuts Japan/Arcadia Systems - Game Boy - 1991

Jissen Pachi-Slot Hisshouhou! Classic - unknown - gameplay - Sammy Studios - Super Famicom - 1995

Miyaji Shachou no Pachinko Fan: Shouri Sengen 2 - Masahito Miyamoto, Mikio Ohno, Mio.H - Outside - Planning Office Wada - Super Famicom - 1995

07 August 2013

Episode 145: New Age Music 3

After all the battle music from the last episode, the boys decide to focus on New Age music found in 8-bit and 16-bit era video games, most of it quite calming.  This is their third focus on the New Age genre.  Full track listing below.



Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Tenshi no Uta: Shiroki Tsubasa no Inori - Motoi Sakuraba, Shinji Tamura, Ryota Furuya, Hiroya Hatsushiba - Meeting - Telenet Japan - Super Famicom - 1994

Valis - Hiroaki Kai, Minoru Yuasa - Opening Visual 1 - Riot/Renovation - Genesis - 1991

The Addams Family: Pugsley's Scavenger Hunt - Jonathan Dunn - House Interior - Ocean - SNES - 1993

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest - David Wise - Forest Interlude - Rare/Nintendo - SNES - 1995

Marble Madness - Brad Fuller, Hal Canon - Practice Race - Atari Games - arcade - 1984

Sword of Vermilion - Hiroshi Kawaguchi - Jiji Theme - Sega - Genesis - 1989

Solid Runner - Mitsuhito Tanaka, Toshiaki Sakoda, Pure Sound - Irene's Voice - Sting/ASCII - Super Famicom - 1997

Donkey Kong Country - David Wise - Life in the Mines - Rare/Nintendo - SNES - 1994

Mahjong Taikai II - unknown - Matsuo Bashou - Koei - Super Famicom - 1994

Solar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden Warship - David Wise - Approaching Planet 9 - Rare/Tradewest - NES - 1990

The 7th Saga - Norihiko Yamanuki - Kamil Dowonna - Enix/Produce - SNES - 1993

Valis III - Hisao Inoue, Jun Hasebe, Shingo Murakami, Takaharu Umezu (arr.), Michiko Naruke (arr.), Minoru Yuasa (arr.) - Deja-Vu - Telenet Japan/Renovation - Genesis - 1991

Bram Stoker's Dracula - Matt Furniss - Stage 4-3 - Sony Imagesoft - Genesis - 1993

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest - David Wise - Bayou Boogie - Rare/Nintendo - SNES - 1995

Habu Meijin no Omoshiro Shougi - Cube - Battle Theme 1 - Tomy/Access - Super Famicom - 1995

31 July 2013

Episode 144: Battle Music

Battle Music is the focus of Episode 144, that is, music that occurs when there is a confrontation or fight in a game, and that music is notedly different from the regular level or area music.  Also, boss or mini-boss music is not allowed.  While there are some non-role-playing games out there that have battle or fight music (Metal Gear, Clock Tower, Base Wars, for example), all the tracks on this episode are from RPGs.  As you would imagine, the music in this episode is generally very up beat and tense and energetic, and yet, because of the late hour the episode was recorded, Rob falls asleep for half of it.  In a sense, Rob battles with sleep deprivation, so perhaps the music was appropriate after all.  Yeah!  Full track listing below.
 


Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Sword of Vermilion - Hiroshi Kawaguchi - Battle - Sega - Genesis - 1989

Pokémon Red Version - Junichi Masuda - Battle (VS Trainer) - Game Freak/Nintendo - Game Boy - 1998

Shining in the Darkness - Masahiko Yoshimura - Battle Theme - Climax Entertainment - Genesis - 1991

Hourai Gakuen no Bouken! The Adventure of Hourai High School: Tenkousei Scramble - Hitoshi Sakimoto - Battle - J-Wing/Dynamite - Super Famicom - 1996

Final Fantasy III - Nobuo Uematsu - Battle Theme - Square - SNES - 1994

Dragon Warrior IV - Koichi Sugiyama - Battle for the Glory - Enix/Chunsoft - NES - 1992

Shining Force - Masahiko Yoshimura - Hikari yo! Teki wo Ute! [Battle Scene (Standard Battle)] - Camelot Software Planning - Genesis - 1992

SD Sengokuden 3: Chijou Saikyou Hen - Kenichi Kamio - Battle - Bandai - Game Boy (Japan) - 1992

Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest - Ryuji Sasai - Battle 1 - Square - SNES - 1992

Metal Max - Satoshi Kadokura - Battle - Data East/Crea-Tech - Famicom - 1991

Final Fantasy II - Nobuo Uematsu - Battle - Square - SNES - 1991

Inindo: Way of the Ninja - Fiori Wakakuwa - Battle at Aduchi Castle - Koei - SNES - 1993

Shining Force II - Motoaki Takenouchi - Promoted Attack - Camelot Software Planning - Genesis - 1994

Heracles no Eikou IV: Kamigami-kara no Okurimono - Shogo Sakai - Battle with Monsters - Data East - Super Famicom - 1994

Romancing SaGa - Kenji Ito - The Conflict - Square - Super Famicom - 1992

24 July 2013

Episode 143: Matt Furniss

The work of composer Matt Furniss is the focus of Episode 143, with very special in-studio guest, Matt Furniss.  Originally from England, Matt started composing music for computer and video games professionally when he was only 16 years old.  He's done original soundtracks to tons of Genesis games, and has also arranged pre-existing soundtracks to tons more.  His credits list is huge.  Brent and Rob (and Matt) primarily look at Matt's original Genesis material, but also throw in a couple non-Genesis tracks of his, as well as a couple non-Furniss, Furniss-approved tracks.  Full track listing below.



Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Puggsy - Matt Furniss - The Red Woods - Psygnosis/Traveller's Tales - Genesis - 1993

Puggsy - Matt Furniss - Star Fall Lake - Psygnosis/Traveller's Tales - Genesis - 1993

Sega Chess - Matt Furniss - White Wins - Sega - Sega Master System - 1991

Second Samurai - Matt Furniss - Old Japan Stage Theme 3 - Psygnosis/Vivid Image - Mega Drive (Europe) - 1994

Mickey Mania: The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse - Matt Furniss - Moose Hunters - Sony Imagesoft - SNES - 1994

The Adventures of Mighty Max - Matt Furniss - Underwater - WJS Design/Ocean - Genesis - 1994

Alien 3 - Matt Furniss - Ending Theme - Probe Entertainment/Arena - Genesis - 1992

Predator 2 - Matt Furniss - Breaking News - Teeny Weeny Games/Arena - Genesis - 1992

James Bond 007: The Duel - Matt Furniss - Space Hop - Domark - Genesis - 1993

Plok - Tim Follin - Akrillic - Tradewest/Software Creations - SNES - 1993

Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose! - Kazuhiko Uehara, Yukie Morimoto - Space Opera - Konami - SNES - 1993

F-15 Strike Eagle II - Matt Furniss - Up, Up and Away - MicroProse - Genesis - 1993

Wiz 'n' Liz - Matt Furniss - Lunar Land - Psygnosis/Raising Hell - Genesis - 1993

ResQ - Matt Furniss - Ending - Psygnosis/Tempest Software - Genesis - 1993 (unreleased)

ResQ - Matt Furniss - 3D Bonus Section - Psygnosis/Tempest Software - Genesis - 1993 (unreleased)

17 July 2013

Episode 142: Leading Women

Female protagonist video games is the topic of Episode 142.  That is, games in which a female character is the main character and does not share the primary spotlight with any male characters.  Also, Rob returns and shares some unfortunate news.  Hopefully this episode isn't too sad and that you find the music and the jokes good and funny enough to balance everything out.  NOTE: The Legacy Music Hour would like to deeply apologize for a moment during the episode when Rob reveals a clip from the new DuckTales: Remastered game.  Due to the crass nature of this reveal, Rob initially wanted that portion of the recording edited out, however, later, he felt that the humor surrounding the reveal was strong enough to leave the portion in, so that part was ultimately left intact.  Was it worth it to leave it in?  Could be.  Full track listing below.



Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Valis - Hiroaki Kai, Minoru Yuasa - Miss Blue - Riot/Renovation - Genesis - 1991

Marusa no Onna - Tamayo Kawamoto - Mellow Landscape (Theme of Ryoko Itakura) - Capcom - Famicom - 1989

Barbie: Vacation Adventure - Paul Tonge - Map - Software Creations/Hi Tech Expressions - SNES - 1994

Valkyrie no Densetsu - Hiroyuki Kawada - Theme of Lave Cave/Underground - Namco - arcade (Japan) - 1989

Metroid - Hirokazu Tanaka - Chozos - Nintendo - NES - 1987

Chibi Maruko-Chan 2: Deluxe Maruko World - Nobuyuki Shioda - gameplay - KID/Takara - Game Boy (Japan) - 1991

Valis III - Hisao Inoue, Jun Hasebe, Shingo Murakami, Takaharu Umezu (arr.), Michiko Naruke (arr.), Minoru Yuasa (arr.) - Sutherland - Telenet Japan/Renovation - Genesis - 1991

Magical Chase - Hitoshi Sakimoto - Variations on a Ra Melody (Stage 6: Sanctuary) - Quest/NEC - TurboGrafx-16 - 1993

Syd of Valis - unknown - Boss Theme - Renovation/I.S.C. - Genesis - 1992

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon: Another Story - Takanori Arisawa - The Frozen Mountains - Angel/Bandai - Super Famicom - 1995

Xiao Monv: Magic Girl - unknown - Ending Theme - Gamtec - Mega Drive (Taiwan) - 1993

Alisia Dragoon - Mecano Associates (Fumihito Kasatani, Nobuyuki Aoshima, Mamoru Ishimoda, Yoko Sonoda) - Staff Roll - Game Arts - Genesis - 1992

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon - Takanori Arisawa - Queen Serenity - Super Famicom - 1993

Puyo Puyo Tsuu - Tsuyoshi Matsushima - Opening Theme - Compile - Mega Drive - 1994

The Guardian Legend - Masatomo Miyamoto (Miyamo), Takeshi Santo (Shant) - Area 3, 4, and 8 (Indoors) - Compile/Broderbund - NES - 1989

10 July 2013

Episode 141: Manga 2

Manga-based video games is the topic of Episode 141 (as it was for Episode 97).  Once again, Rob is absent, and this time, there isn't even a guest, so, Brent is totally alone on this one.  It's just Brent and some 8/16-bit era video game music and some provocative thoughts regarding Sailor Moon.  Full track listing below.



Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Meitantei Conan: Giwaku no Gouka Ressha - Taku Terada - Title Screen - Bandai - Game Boy (Japan) - 1998

Dear Boys - Kenji Yamazaki, Yoshikazu Yao - Ending - Yutaka/Kan's - Super Famicom - 1994

Rokudenashi Blues: Taiketsu! Tokyo Shitennou - M2, Kyomoe - Battle with Kasai - TOSE/Bandai - Super Famicom - 1994

Ashita no Joe - unknown - Wolf Kanagushi - Wave/K. Amusement Leasing - Super Famicom - 1992

Ranma 1/2: Chounai Gekitou Hen - Jun Enoki, Masanao Akahori - VS Kodachi Kuno - NCS - Super Famicom - 1992

Ranma 1/2: Akanekodan Teki Hihou - Toshio Okamoto - Cave of Cat Ghost King - Atelier Double/Toho - Super Famicom - 1993

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon: Another Story - Takanori Arisawa - Downtown Juuban - Angel/Bandai - Super Famicom - 1995

Chibi Maruko-Chan: Maruko Deluxe Gekijou - Nobuyuki Shioda - Walking on the Sidewalk - Kid/Takara - Game Boy (Japan) - 1995

Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor - Toshihiko Miyoshi, Yoshiaki Hirasawa, Naoya Fukushima, YaAMo - Clear Event 3 - Bec/Interbec - Super Famicom - 1994

JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken - Noboru Yamane - Fierce Battle - Cobra Team/WinkySoft - Super Famicom - 1993

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon - Aki Hata - Ending - Angel Studios/Ma-Ba - Mega Drive - 1994

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon S: Juugai Rantou!? Shuyaku Soudatsusen - Takanori Arisawa - Pluto's Theme - Angel/Bandai - Super Famicom - 1994

Crayon Shin-chan: Nagagutsu Dobon!! - Sanae Kasahara - Action Macrocosm - AIM/Bandai - Sufami Turbo - 1996

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R - Takanori Arisawa - Crystal Tokyo - Bandai - Super Famicom - 1993

Captain Tsubasa J: The Way to World Youth - Koji Yamada - Menu - Bec/Bandai - Super Famicom - 1995

03 July 2013

Episode 140: Free Play 14

For the first time in LMH history, Rob is absent!  Can Brent handle the show on his own?  Listen and find out.  In this free play, Brent is joined by guest Jordan Morris from the podcast Jordan, Jesse, Go! and Geek & Sundry's animated web series FetchQuest.  They talk about 80's cop movies, among other things, and listen to some really good 8-bit and 16-bit era video game music.  Full track listing below.



Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Power Pro GB - unknown - Title Screen - Konami - Game Boy (Japan) - 1998

Asterix - Alberto José González - Act 5: Rome - Infogrames/Bit Managers - NES (Europe) - 1993

Stinger - Kiyohiro Sada (Charley Sada), Shinya Sakamoto (Rusher Shinya), Satoe Terashima (Brilliant Satoe), Kinuyo Yamashita (Yamako), Giant Ken - Love Portion No.2 (Power-Up) - Konami - NES - 1987

Spanky's Quest - Kiyohiro Sada - Boss - Natsume - SNES - 1992

Classic Road II: Real Kouma Simulation - Hayato Matsuo, Hitoshi Sakimoto (prog.) - Spring - Opera House/Victor - Super Famicom - 1995

Ys V: Ushinawareta Sunano Miyako Kefin - Mieko Ishikawa, Naoki Kaneda, Satoshi Arai, Atsushi Shirakawa, Masaru Nakajima - In the Cradle - Falcom - Super Famicom - 1995

Kishin Douji Zenki: Tenchi Meidou - Gouji Tsuno - Ending - Hudson Soft - Super Famicom - 1996

Streets of Rage 3 - Motohiro Kawashima - Moon - Sega - Genesis - 1994

Zoda's Revenge: Star Tropics II - Takashi Kumegawa, Yoshio Hirai - Egypt Overworld (Chapter 3) - Nintendo - NES - 1994

SD Ultra Battle: Ultraman Densetsu - Kiyohiro Sada, Minako Adachi, Akira Shouji, Kiyoshi Suzuki - Theme of Redking - Tom Create/Bandai - Sufami Turbo - 1996

Hiouden: Mamonotachi to no Chikai - Motoi Sakuraba, Shinji Tamura, Ryota Furuya, Hiroya Hatsushiba - Miracle Shot - Wolf Team - Super Famicom - 1994

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Fighting Edition - Hiroyuki Iwatsuki, Haruo Ohashi - Grand Canyon - Natsume/Bandai - SNES - 1995

Golden Axe - You Takada (Dolphin), Tohru Nakabayashi - Theme of Thief - Sega - Genesis - 1989

26 June 2013

Episode 139: Sports 3

Once again, Sports Games is the topic of the week for the Legacy Music Hour.  This time Brent and Rob are joined by Dan Bialek and Asterios Kokkinos from the Gamedians video game podcast.  They talk about sports, pull ups, going on dates, and good video game music from 8-bit and 16-bit era sports video games.  Full track listing below.




Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

International Superstar Soccer - Harumi Ueko, Hideyuki Eto - Scenario Mode Clear - Konami - SNES - 1995

Bill Walsh College Football '95 - Joel Simmons, Jim Simmons - Title Screen - Electronic Arts - Genesis - 1994

New 3D Golf Simulation: Devil's Course - Yumi Satake (Yumi Kinoshita), Shigekazu Kamaki (arr.), Shunsuke Minomiya (arr.), Yusaburo Shimojyo (arr.), Akira Tamada (arr.) - Music No. 6 - T&E Soft - Mega Drive - 1994

Jack Nicklaus' Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf - unknown - Options/Statistics - Konami - NES - 1990

ATP Tour Championship Tennis - Hikoshi Hashimoto - Try Again Next Year! (Tournament Elimination) - Sims/Sega - Genesis - 1994

Ganbare! Golf Boys - Atsuhiro Motoyama - Memory of the Breeze - Masaya/Dual - PC Engine - 1989

Bases Loaded 4 - Tatsuya Nishimura - Menu - TOSE/Jaleco - NES - 1993

Super Spike V'Ball - Kazunaka Yamane - Ending Credits - Technos - NES - 1990

Dear Boys - Kenji Yamazaki, Yoshikazu Yao - Out on a Date - Yutaka/Kan's - Super Famicom - 1994

Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs - Rob Hubbard - 1st Half - Electronic Arts - Genesis - 1991

Kings of the Beach - unknown - Match BGM - Konami/Ultra Games - NES - 1990

Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 3 - Harumi Ueko - Success Mode Autumn - Konami - Super Famicom - 1996

Super Hockey '94 - Hayato Matsuo, Hitoshi Sakimoto (prog., arr.) - Game Match 2 - Opera House/Yonezawa PR21 - Super Famicom - 1994

Ganbare! Golf Boys - Atsuhiro Motoyama - Away Back - Masaya/Dual - PC Engine - 1989

Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! - Kenji Yamamoto, Akito Nakatsuka, Yukio Kaneoka - Match BGM - Nintendo - NES - 1987

19 June 2013

Episode 138: Alberto José González

Alberto José González (otherwise known as Joe McAlby) is a Spanish composer who worked for the video game company Bit Managers during the 8-bit and 16-bit era.  He did the music for many Game Boy titles, most of them released only in Europe and often times based on European cartoons.  Brent and Rob focus on the work of Mr. González but also select a few tracks from other composers González admires.  PLUS, Brent and Rob did an interview with Alberto José González via e-mail, which you can read right here.  Big thanks to Alberto José González for taking the time to answer The Legacy Music Hour's questions and for listening to the show!  Full track listing and interview below.



Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

The Smurfs - Alberto José González - Act 7: The Old Gold Mine - Bit Managers/Infogrames - NES (Europe) - 1994

Tintin in Tibet - Alberto José González - Hotel des Sommets - Bit Managers/Infogrames - Game Gear (Europe) - 1995

V-Rally Championship Edition - Alberto José González - Ending - Infogrames/Ocean/Velez & Dubail - Game Boy (Europe) - 1998

Sea Battle - Alberto José González - Lose - Bit Managers/Infogrames - Game Boy (Europe) - 1998

Spirou - Alberto José González - Cave - Bit Managers/Infogrames - Game Boy (Europe) - 1996

Spirou - Alberto José González - Ending - Bit Managers/Infogrames - Game Boy (Europe) - 1996

Streets of Rage - Yuzo Koshiro - Dilapadated Town - Sega - Genesis - 1991

Final Fantasy III - Nobuo Uematsu - Edgar & Sabin - Square - SNES - 1994

Metal Masters - Alberto José González - Metal Beat - Bit Managers/Electro Brain - Game Boy - 1993

Super Turrican - Chris Hülsbeck - Stage 2-4 - Factor 5/Seika - SNES - 1993

Otto's Ottifanten: Baby Bruno's Alptraum - Alberto José González - Woods of Happiness - Bit Managers/Infogrames - Game Boy (Europe) - 1998

The Smurfs 3/The Smurfs Nightmare - Alberto José González - Another World (The Mysterious Planet) - Bit Managers/Infogrames/Velez & Dubail - Game Boy (Europe) - 1997

The Smurfs - Alberto José González - Stork Travel - Bit Managers/Infogrames - Game Boy - 1998

V-Rally Championship Edition - Alberto José González - Car Selection - Infogrames/Ocean/Velez & Dubail - Game Boy (Europe) - 1998

The Smurfs 3/The Smurfs Nightmare - Alberto José González - Aqua (The Bottomless Well) - Bit Managers/Infogrames/Velez & Dubail - Game Boy (Europe) - 1997

Otto's Ottifanten: Baby Bruno's Alptraum - Alberto José González - Game Over - Bit Managers/Infogrames - Game Boy (Europe) - 1998

Asterix & Obelix - Alberto José González - Intermission - Bit Managers/Infogrames - SNES (Europe) - 1995
 
Interview with Alberto José González:

Brent: Obviously, there's a certain Western style that you hear in video games of the 8-bit and 16-bit era.  Is there a more specific style to different regions in the West?  Is there a "Spanish" style in video game music?  A French style?  And so on?  Or does it just really come down to individual composers, regardless of their nationality?

Alberto José González: I think both the individual composers and their regions are closely related to the different styles in the early game music. Some good composers with a very distinct style were the inspiration of others, and both at the same time were influenced by music not related to video games that was played in their regions.

In Europe we had a strong market of games for 8 bit computers dominated by game companies of the UK. The best musicians from UK were also programmers, which in my opinion resulted in the creation of a music style very elaborated technically. New musicians like myself would follow that style because it was what we were used to hear in our games.

From my own experience, composing for sound chips can be quite boring if you just use them following their normal specifications, but for a young programmer it's always a motivation doing something out of the ordinary with a limited machine.

That said, I think every composer has his own and recognizable style which in many cases is easy to guess. There's always that moment when you listen to a fantastic music which you suspect must be from a favorite composer, and then you found that it is!

Brent: Were there other Spanish video game composers during the 8-bit and 16-bit era or were you the only one?

Alberto José González: We had a golden era of 8-bit computer gaming here in Spain, with several companies doing games, but I don't remember being many dedicated video game composers. I can only think of two or so...

When game consoles replaced the 8-bit and 16-bit computers in the early 90's, most of the Spanish video game companies disappeared or switched to the PC market. For over a decade we were the only Spanish studio developing games for consoles, so I suppose I was the only console musician in that period. I may be wrong but I think there's only one Spanish console game not made by us during the whole 8-bit and 16-bit era.

Rob: Have you met any other notable composers like Hirokazu Tanaka or Koji Kondo?  Do you talk about music with them or do you try to avoid the subject and talk about sports or something?

Alberto José González: Unfortunately I haven't ever met any famous game composer, at least not in person. Now thanks to social networks I can find many of my favorite composers and leave them a message, but I'm afraid that's all for the moment!

Brent: Occasionally, you're credited with doing graphics.  How much were you involved with doing graphics and how does it compare to doing music?  Is it harder or easier?  Is it as fulfilling?

Alberto José González: Actually I started my career as a graphic designer. I was in charge of all the work related to sprites and animation.

I can't say which was easier, both things were challenging at the time because of the limitations of the machines. I found refreshing to switch from one job to another during the development, but then it was also a lot of work. I suppose that doing music was more fulfilling for me because occasionally it also involved programming, which was one of my favorite hobbies.

Brent: While you were composing music for games during the 8-bit and 16-bit era, were you also playing video games you didn't work on?  If so, which games from that era were your favorite?  When you played other games, did you actively listen to the music to hear what other composers were doing in your field?

Alberto José González: I have been a very active player since I got my first computer... until now, that is. With the family and all the work it's difficult to find free time to have long playing sessions any more. But yes, I used to play a lot during the years I composed music for videogames. I also had several consoles from Sega and Nintendo, and even the Atari Lynx.

Favorite games... so many! Just to cite a few: Contra, Castlevania, Final Fantasy, Phantasy Star, Batman, Metroid, Axelay, Gradius, Street Fighter 2, Wonder Boy, Super Mario, Sonic... and then there's Shadow Dancer for the Genesis, which to me is like the perfect action game.

As for the music of other composers, yes, I listened to every game soundtrack I could under scrutiny, trying to decipher every technique used on its composition. That was my way of learning. I even programmed an emulator of the Game Boy CPU and sound chip so I could listen to the soundtracks I ripped from the games without actually play them. That was much before the first GBS player appeared, and I still use it to record the soundtracks I have uploaded to my SoundCloud.

Rob: Genesis vs NES vs SNES.  If you were stuck on a desert island and could only have one of those to compose music for until you were saved, which one would it be?  Which one do you think would be more useful for parts when you finally decide to make a raft and leave the island?

Alberto José González: I think I would chose the Genesis, since I've already worked with the others and I know them fairly well. Trying to get the most of a sound chip is highly addictive, and I also loved the sound of the Genesis and FM synthesis in general. I wish I'd worked with that console at least once.

As for the parts, I wouldn't dare to destroy any of them to build a shabby raft! Besides, the idea of being alone in a deserted island with a game console sounds now quite appealing to me...

Brent: How come so much of your work was on the Game Boy?  How come you didn't work on many NES and SNES titles?  And why not any Genesis titles?

Alberto José González: I think it just went that way because of specific time the industry and our relationship with Infogrames.

We worked very closely with them since the late 80's, developing 8-bit computer versions of their Commodore Amiga games. That continued later with the consoles; they had an in-house 16-bit development team producing games for SNES and Genesis, and we made all the versions for 8-bit consoles. The only exception was Obelix for the SNES, which was co-developed; most of the graphics and the design were made by Infogrames, and the program, music, and some animations were made by us.

We also worked for other 8-bit consoles, but the Game Boy was selling better and went strong for a long time. We had plenty of work only with it. Then we also made 4 Turok games for Akklaim. There was no escape from that console for more than 10 years!

Brent: Did you compose the music for every game by Bit Managers?

Alberto José González: Almost, there were some exceptions: a coin op arcade game named “BANG”, and “Radikal Bikers” for the Playstation for which I programmed the sound but used the original songs and effects from the arcade.

We also did a Playstation game which was a port of another arcade named “Speed Up”, and I also programmed the sound on it. The game was sold to Sammy, and I think they changed the music and the graphics to released it as “Racingroovy” in Japan, although I'm not 100% sure of that.

Brent: When it came to porting titles from other consoles, how often did you do adaptions of the original music by another composer?  Or did you mostly compose new music for the port?

Alberto José González: I think I used a few tunes from the original SNES version of Tintin, the intro and one stage of Tintin 2, and the main menu of Spirou. I didn't think most of the original tunes would translate well to the Game Boy, and there were many I didn't like enough, so I composed new ones.

One of my main concerns while doing music for sound chips is that the tunes had to sound well in them, and If I couldn't find a way to make a certain tune sound good then I would compose another one specific for that sound chip, provided that I had enough time for it. That's the reason why some of my soundtracks differ between consoles, like Asterix for GB and NES.

Actually, the sound of each sound chip had a lot of influence in the composition of the music, the tunes where thought to sound well in them right from the start.

Brent: Which video game soundtrack are you are most proud of composing during the 8-bit and 16-bit era?

Alberto José González: I'm specially fond of The Smurfs for GB and Asterix for NES, not only because I think they are two of my best soundtracks but also because they were the last games I drew the sprites for. Smurfs Nightmare was really inspiring too, and I also loved working in Obelix for the SNES because it was completely different than doing it all with square waves and noise.

Brent: You seem to employ a lot of melody driven pieces.  How do you compose a strong melody?  Do you figure out the chords first?  Do you just sing it out loud free form?  Do you tinker around on an instrument until you find it?

Alberto José González: I don't have any special technique for composing the melodies, they just come at one point while trying to find them. I usually play a bit on the keyboard or directly put notes into the sequencer until something triggers the “OK” flag, then I continue from there polishing the melody and adding the other parts. Maybe I find an interesting bass first, or a chord progression, a rhythm, a sound... It depends on the tune, really. What I need for sure is a point to focus, a character and a scene.

I also like to close the eyes and compose in my mind, imagining the game with music and effects. I don't play the keyboard very well, and this way I don't feel limited by my physical (in)ability with it. Also, often I have to start composing a soundtrack for a game before there's nothing yet to see, so I have to imagine it anyway.

Many times I've got the idea for a song when I'm not in front of the computer. A good walk or a shower at home works well for me.

The truth is: you have to mentally become a Smurf to actually compose something smurfy enough!

Brent: Are you influenced by reggae? The Smurfs, V-Rally: Championship Edition, and other soundtracks of yours seem to have tracks that use reggae rhythms?  Was that a conscious thing for you to sound reggae?

Alberto José González: I don't recall composing reggae tunes deliberately, they just ended sounding that way I'm afraid! I suppose I've been influenced by everything I have listened in my life, but actually I don't think I've listened to much reggae. I used to listen a lot of House and electronic music back in the eighties, though. And I like almost any kind of music, really.

Brent: Who are your favorite 8-bit/16-bit era composers?  What are some of your favorite game soundtracks from that era?

Alberto José González: Actually I don't remember the names of many console game composers, but if I have choose the ones I know whose works have been really important for me in the 8 and 16 bit console era, they would be: Tim Follin (and his brother Geoff), Nobuo Uematsu, Koji Kondo, Yuzo Koshiro. They all have influenced my work in one way or another, as I took them as reference for certain kinds of game music.

As for games: Plok, Spiderman & the X-Men (SNES), Super Turrican, Act Raiser, Castlevania IV, Chrono Trigger, Demon's Crest, Streets of Rage 1, Revenge of Shinobi, Wonder Boy in Monster World, Robocop (Ocean) (Game Boy), Castlevania II (Game Boy), Final Fantasy Legend I and II, Batman (Game Boy), Solstice.

Rob: What's on your iPod or iTunes playlist right now?

Alberto José González: Lately I'm digging into early progressive rock by Yes and Genesis, and also I like to listen to works of relatively unknown composers I discovered thanks to Internet. Of course I always carry a bunch of game tunes from my favorite video game composers too!

Rob: How many episodes of The Legacy Music Hour have you listened to?

Alberto José González: Not as many as I would have loved! I try to listen the show every week and I usually do it at work when my current task allows me to concentrate in the show. I really enjoy the insights on every tune, and to discover soundtracks I didn't know about.

Also it's great to have one of my tunes in the show every now and then! ^^

12 June 2013

Episode 137: Asiatic Music 2

Asiatic sounding video game music tracks are all the rage of Episode 137 (also see Episode 74).  Good music here with lots of pentatonic action.  Brent and Rob try to crack the mystery of "Kenny's Song".  Also, Brent's new friend makes a return visit, and Rob and Brent get a work out.  Full track listing below.



Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Mouryou Senki Madara 2 - Tappi Iwase, Miki Higashino, Hirofumi Taniguchi - Madara 2 Theme - Konami - Super Famicom - 1993

Toughman Contest - Brian Schmidt - China Theme - Electronic Arts - Genesis - 1995

Table Game Dai-Shuugo!! Shogi Mahjong Hanafuda - unknown - Mahjong - Varie - Super Famicom - 1996

Monster in My Pocket - Hiroshi Takeyasu, Kozo Nakamura - Oriental Illusion (Stage 5) - Konami - NES - 1992

Shanghai - unknown - Round Complete - Hudson Soft/Activision - PC Engine - 1987

Granhistoria: Genshi Sekaiki - Motoaki Takenouchi - Opening - J-Force/Banpresto - Super Famicom - 1995

Bonze Adventure - Hisayoshi Ogura, Yasuhisa Watanabe (Yack), Y. Ohashi, C. Ichikawa - Round 7: Emma's Lair - Taito - arcade (Japan) - 1988

Live A Live - Yoko Shimomura - Secret Mission - Square - Super Famicom - 1994

AIII S.V.: A Ressha de Ikou 3 Super Version - unknown - Theme 3 - Pack-In-Video/Artdink - Super Famicom - 1995

Out to Lunch - Mark Knight - China 1 - Mindscape - SNES - 1993

Mahjong Taikai II - unknown - Sinbad - Koei - Super Famicom - 1994

Yie Ar Kung-Fu - Miki Higashino, unknown - Fight Theme - Konami - Famicom - 1985

Ninja Warriors - Hiroyuki Iwatsuki, Yasuo Yamate (N. Tate) - Boss 5 - Natsume/Taito - SNES - 1994

Samurai Ghost - Norio Nakagata, Guppy/Honchin (arr.), Miyoshi Okuyama (Okkun/Okuyaba) (arr.), Hiroyon (arr.) - Title Screen - Namco/Now Production - TurboGrafx-16 - 1992

Mini Yonku GB: Let's & Go!! All-Star Battle Max - Toshiyuki Ueno - China Meeting Place - ASCII /Jupiter Multimedia - Game Boy (Japan) - 1998

05 June 2013

Episode 136: 1998

The year 1998 is the topic of Episode 136.  The Game Boy was going real strong during this time, the only console that was significantly active during the 16-bit era (which was reaching it's end).  There were a few titles coming out for other systems, but this episode ends up being almost entirely a Game Boy focus.  Brent and Rob pick tracks from games released in 1998 and talk about other things going on in the world that year.  Brent also meets a new friend.  Full track listing below.




Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Oddworld Adventures - Eric Nunamaker - Paramonian Temple - Saffire/GT Interactive - Game Boy - 1998

Famicom Tantei Club Part II: Ushiro ni Tatsu - Kenji Yamamoto - Reasoning 1 - Nintendo/TOSE - Super Famicom - 1998

Wario Land II - Kozue Ishikawa - Underwater Tunnels - Nintendo - Game Boy - 1998

Gyogun Tanchiki: Pocket Sonar - unknown - gameplay - Bandai - Game Boy (Japan) - 1998

Bomberman GB - Yasuhiko Fukuda - Monster Trial (World 1) - AI/Nintendo - Game Boy - 1998

Monster*Race - Kennosuke Suemura - Wild Monster Race - Koei - Game Boy (Japan) - 1998

Bust-A-Move 3 DX - Norihiro Furukawa, Andy Brock (arr.) - Final Round - Taito/Probe/Acclaim - Game Boy (Europe) - 1998

Rockman and Forte - Akari Kaida - Groundman - Capcom - Super Famicom - 1998

Harvest Moon GB - Tsuyoshi Tanaka, Youjirou Okino (arr.) - Party - TOSE/Natsume - Game Boy - 1998

International Superstar Soccer - unknown - Title Screen - Konami - Game Boy - 1998

Pocket Monsters Pikachu - Junichi Masuda - Cinnabar Island - Game Freak/Nintendo - Game Boy (Japan) - 1998

Mini Yonku GB: Let's & Go!! All-Star Battle Max - Toshiyuki Ueno - New York Map - ASCII/Jupiter Multimedia - Game Boy (Japan) - 1998

Game Boy Camera - Hirokazu Tanaka, Minako Hamano, Kentaro Nishimura - Credits - Nintendo - Game Boy - 1998

Wario Land II - Kozue Ishikawa - Lost in the Ruins - Nintendo - Game Boy - 1998

Nectaris GB - Jun Chikuma - Opening - Hudson Soft - Game Boy (Japan) - 1998

29 May 2013

Episode 135: Flying and Shooting 3

Flying scrolling shoot 'em up games is the focus of Episode 135.  Jams.  Straight up jams.  Twinbee 3.  Can't beat it.  The best.  This whole episode is jammed out though.  Full track listing below.



Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Magical Chase - Hitoshi Sakimoto - Rampish Chase (Stage 1: Wall Town) - Quest/NEC - TurboGrafx-16 - 1993

Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar - Toshiharu Yamanishi - Don't Go Off (Course Select) - Technosoft - Genesis - 1992

Kingyo Chuuihou! Tobidase! Game Gakuen - Yasuyuki Suzuki - Shoot 'em Up - Jaleco - Super Famicom - 1994

Vortex - Justin Scharvona - Training - Argonaut Games/Electro Brain - SNES - 1994

Phalanx - S. Yamaguchi - Under Water - Kemco - SNES - 1992

Gaiares - Shinobu Ogawa - Mission 2 - Telenet Japan - Genesis - 1990

GG Aleste II: Lance Bird - Imami Pon, BA.M - Weapon Select - Compile/Sega - Game Gear (Japan) - 1993

Thunder Blade - Koichi Namiki (Pretty K.N) - Thunder Blade (BGM1) - Sega - arcade - 1987

TwinBee 3: Poko Poko Dai Maou - Atsushi Fujio (Sukenomiya), Hidehiro Funauchi (FK-King), Katsuhiko Suzuki (Flamingo)), Jun Funahashi (Dog-Man) - Evening Glow of T3 (Ending) - Konami - Famicom - 1989

Fire Shark - Masahiro Yuge - Vice in Tokyo - Toaplan/DreamWorks - Genesis - 1990

Galaxy Force II - Katsuhiro Hayashi - Beyond The Galaxy (Scene A) - Sega - arcade - 1988

Air Diver - Y.W, Ondai Yuri - Australia - Seismic/Copya Systems - Genesis - 1990

Detana!! TwinBee - Hidenori Maezawa, Michiru Yamane, Masae Nakashima, Kiyoshi Murai (arr.), Mikio Saito (Metal Yuhki) (arr.) - Crossing the Sea of Clouds (Stage 2) - Konami - PC Engine - 1992

D-Force - unknown - Desert - Asmik/ISCO - SNES - 1991

Gyruss - Atsushi Fujio, Yuichi Sakakura, Harumi Ueko - Stage 2 - Konami/Ultra Games - NES - 1989

22 May 2013

Episode 134: Castle Areas

The music from castle areas in video games is the topic of Episode 134.  Sometimes the music sounds majestic and royal, and sometimes it doesn't.  Brent and Rob also talk about muscles.  Full track listing below.



Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Super Mario Bros. 3 - Koji Kondo - Saving the King - Nintendo - NES - 1990

Seiken Densetsu 3 - Hiroki Kikuta - Witchmakers - Square - Super Famicom - 1995

Socket - Fumito Tamayama, Yoko Suzuki, Shigenori Masuko, Yasuyuki Hamada - Special Zone 3 (Castle) - Vic Tokai - Genesis - 1994

Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals - Yasunori Shiono - The Strongest Man - Neverland/Natsume - SNES - 1996

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest - Kenichi Matsubara - Within These Castle Walls (Castle BGM) - Konami - NES - 1988

Arcana - Jun Ishikawa, Hirokazu Ando - Dark Castle Bintel - HAL - SNES - 1992

Ys III: Wanderers from Ys - Mieko Ishikawa - Valestein Castle - Riot - Genesis - 1991

Alcahest - Jun Ishikawa - Castle - Square - Super Famicom - 1993

Realm - unknown - Castle on the Sea - Flair Software/Titus Software - SNES - 1996

Chrono Trigger - Yasunori Mitsuda - Courage and Pride (Guardia Castle) - Square - SNES - 1995

Marvel Super Heroes in War of the Gems - Takane Ohkubo, Katsunari Kitajima - Dr. Doom's Castle - Capcom - SNES - 1996

Soul Blazer - Yukihide Takekawa - Underground Castle - Quintet/Enix - SNES - 1992

Final Fantasy II - Nobuo Uematsu - Castle Pandemonium - Square - Famicom - 1988

Castlevania Legends - Kaoru Okada, Youichi Iwata - Inside the Castle (Stage 2) - Konami - Game Boy - 1998

Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu - Yuka Tsujiyoko, Kenichi Nishimaki (?) - New Thracia Castle - Nintendo - Super Famicom - 1996

15 May 2013

Episode 133: Racing Games 3

Racing Games, the Legacy Music Hour's third installment.  Brent and Rob go Bahamas on this episode with some good selections from motorized vehicle racing games.  Brent goes especially Bahamas when he gets possessed by the music of Virtua Racing.  Full track listing below.



Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally - Soyo Oka - Monster Dance - Nintendo - Famicom Disk System - 1988

Road Rash - Michael Bartlow - Palm Desert - Electronic Arts - Genesis - 1991

Racer Mini Yonku: Japan Cup - Jun Funahashi (Funa-inu) - Staff Roll - Konami - Famicom - 1989

Super Mario Kart - Soyo Oka - Vanilla Lake - Nintendo - SNES - 1992

Motocross Maniacs - Michiru Yamane, Tsuyoshi Sekito - Course 1 and 5 - Konami/Ultra Games - Game Boy - 1990

Virtua Racing - Tohru Nakabayashi, Tomoyuki Kawamura - Demonstration - Sega - Genesis - 1994

Final Lap Twin - Katsuhiro Hayashi - Race Music 1 (Race Mode) - Namco - TurboGrafx-16 - 1990

Al Unser Jr.'s Road to the Top - Paul Wilkinson, Marc Baril - Race Results - Radical Entertainment/Software Toolworks - SNES - 1994

F-1 Grand Prix Part III - Naoki Itamura - Middle Speed Course - Video System - Super Famicom - 1994

Sunsoft Grand Prix - unknown - Racing - Sunsoft/Lenar - Game Boy - 1992

F1 Circus MD - Hiroshi Ogawa - Race Setup - Micronics/Nichibutsu - Mega Drive - 1991

Nigel Mansell's World Championship Racing - Patrick Phelan - Ending - Gremlin Graphics/GameTek - Genesis - 1993

Victory Run - Takeaki Kunimoto - Unused - Hudson Soft - TurboGrafx-16 - 1991

F-1 Race - Kazumi Totaka, Ryoji Yoshitomi - Ending - Nintendo - Game Boy - 1991

Taito Grand Prix: Eikou e no License - unknown - Name Entry - Taito/Now Production - Famicom - 1987