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Three Tune Tuesday: Video Game Music

@jacobtothe@jacobtothe (77)2d

For some video games, music is almost an afterthought. For others, it is as much a focus as graphics and story. Here are three songs from video games as covered by fans showcasing the latter.

Final Fantasy, Chaos Shrine

According to gamer lore, Squaresoft thought this fantasy RPG was their last hurrah as a company, but its success led to a series of mostly-unrelated games sharing an increasingly absurd number at the end of something called Final Fantasy.

The game was first published for the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System, but I first played this on the Playstation port which upgraded the graphics and music to match Super Nintendo 16-bit sprite quality, but left the core game largely unchanged. This is the music from the first dungeon the player's party visits, and even from the beginning, the music shows how much they cared about crafting a soundscape for the story thanks to composer Nobuo Uematsu.

Do you prefer the piano version or the guitar? You can learn more about the track and hear a clip from the Playstation rendition here.

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The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, Song of Storms

Sometimes referred to as the windmill hut theme from where it is heard in game, this is a song Link can learn to change the weather in the game as a play mechanic as well. This might be the most frequently played song from the entire game series. I played this on the original Nintendo 64, but it is available to download to modern Nintendo consoles, and a remake is also in the works.

Composed by Koji Kondo, these videos have been arranged for banjo and organ, respectively.

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Morrowind, The Call of Magic

It has been almost 15 years since The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was released on 11/11/11, and rumors of a new game have been swirling for years. The title track for that game and its predecessor Oblivion were essentially remixes of the title theme from the third entry in the series, Morrowind. The composer is Jeremy Soule, and the original track is entitled Call of Magic. You can read more about the music of Morrowind here. I have selected renditions on classical guitar and an orchestral arrangement to share.

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Should I post about music from other genres besides role-playing games next week? Do you prefer covers which change the genre, or stay closer to the original music? Did you have a favorite from my selections, or prefer a different version of any of these songs? Join the conversation!

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Comments · 3

  • @proto26(68)· 19h

    Koji Kondo and Nobuo Uematsu are some of my favorite composers! I once made a breakdown post and video of the Prelude (loading screen song). I've never heard Chaos Shrine so I'm glad you chose a different song. I only listened to the guitar version since electric guitar can somewhat capture The essence of the 8-bit original while also making it feel like this is what Uematsu fully intended for the song. It's too bad the console technology of the time could only go so far.

    Having only ever played Zelda: A Link to the Past, I know very little of the series. Me and my former band once made a Gerudo Valley cover, too! I do believe I've heard Song of Storms before. Again, I went with the organ version thinking it would do it more justice. It seems to really fit but I wouldn't truly know.

    The third song sounds very familiar. All I hear is Skyrim. Hidden and tucked away within the song and yet fully there. I been playing Skyrim recently and those first drum strikes triggered me.

    I don't think certain instruments necessarily change the genre of the song itself, despite how much headbanging the guitar player does! Maybe these songs are genre-less. After all, how can a song about a plain or valley on a fictional and, for all intents and purposes,alien world be classified into one of our mundane musical genres? Sometimes they just can't. I think some instruments better capture the essence of the song and its related setting. The style may be different but it should maintain its unique genre unless it is heavily added to and/or rhythms are altered.

    You should do more RPG soundtracks! This was great.

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  • @scribblingramma(70)· 2d

    That was a fun collection of music! I enjoyed hearing how different the songs sound when played on varying instruments.

    Chaos Shrine: If I have to pick a favorite I'll go with the metal version. But I have to close my eyes so I don't have to look at the antics of the instrumentalist. I find it quite distracting. Even the pianist gets a bit carried away.

    Song of Storms: I'm leaning toward the banjo for this one. The simplicity appeals to me. But listening to that organ was nostalgic. I played a similar instrument, years ago.

    Morrowind: Oooh, tough choice here. I am pleased to learn somebody arranged it for orchestra. I like the added depth the multiple instruments provide. But the guitarist plays it beautifully, and I like his Renaissance-like shirt. (Probably because of my years as head costumes person for the local youth theater group.)