Soundtrack Review: Ni No Kuni

Studio Ghibli is quite the popular animation studio even in the West, with its lovely animated films such as Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke propelling it to near household-name status. Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is the Ghibli's first foray into the world of video games, and fans of the studio will be happy to hear that its soundtrack is as lovely as that of any Ghibli film.

Dynamic Music Demo: Rooftop Run

Those of you who read my posts have probably picked up on my keen love of dynamic music in video games. I recently came across this YouTube video by baldfalk, and was positively enthralled. It's a brilliant proof of concept for how dynamic music might be seamlessly integrated into gameplay, and it even uses a Sonic game! I'll let the (well-annotated) video do the the talking.

Soundtrack Review: Xenoblade Chronicles

Born in the Wii's twilight days, Xenoblade Chronicles was an astounding success story, hailed by many as the best JRPG to grace a television in decades. Xenoblade Chronicles' impeccable quality extends firmly into the territory of music, its team of accomplished composers delivering a soundtrack every bit as majestic as the world it helps bring to life.

Soundtrack Review: Dear Esther

Dear Esther began life in 2008 as an experimental Source engine mod, and its popularity led to a full-fledged commercial remake released earlier in 2012. The Dear Esther experience is perhaps more aptly described as an "audiovisual journey" than a true "video game," and the pivotal role of the "audio" in this is difficult to overstate.

Concert Review: The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses

Megan and I went to this unique concert on July 25th at the Mann Center in Philadelphia, performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. It's been advertised as the first video game concert featuring a full, four-movement symphony, and among many suites and songs, there was indeed an extended-form work.

Video Game Music and Classical Idiom: Emulation to Evoke Emotion

In 2005, Roger Ebert wrote in his blog the claim that video games cannot be art. The article caused an outcry in the gamer population, with gamers citing various games and elements of games as artistic. Five years later, while not changing his mind, Ebert admitted to never having played a video game and said he should not have discussed them at all. While the striking visuals of today’s multi-million dollar games can be cited as often as the simple fluidity of control in a 1980s game in discussing the art in video games, one element that has developed a sub-culture all its own is the music. Akin to the pops orchestra that plays movie soundtracks, websites can be found that allow people to post their versions of game songs (such as vgmusic.com and ocremix.com), and YouTube contains a vast amount of still-image videos just to listen to the original soundtracks or remakes (such as Zelda ReOrchestrated). Indeed, video game music has even gone touring through orchestras with concert series like Play! A Video Game Symphony and Video Games Live.

Soundtrack Review: Sonic Generations

Released in celebration of the Sonic franchise's 20th anniversary, Sonic Generations is truly a product of love for its loyal fans. The game positively brims with nostalgia; references to past Sonic games are everywhere, from the old-school gameplay to the classic sound effects to the modern interpretations of iconic Sonic levels. The music, of course, is no exception.