Game Soundtracks For Your Soul: Level 14

I was a huge anime fan in my teen years and very much still am. Some of my favorite gaming memories are having the opportunity to play video games related to an anime series.

In this edition of Game Soundtracks For Your Soul I am looking back at some of the Anime related video games that had memorable video game scores. The games I’m looking back at include a fighting game,  and two action games where you could play as a tank, or transformable fighter jet. Come on in to hear some of the best music from some of my favorite anime related game titles I’ve enjoyed.

The first Anime fighting game my brother and I got our hands on was Dragonball GT: Final Bout. It was released for the Playstation (PSX) console, and one of the best things about it was the multiplayer. Most often it was both of us playing as Super Saiyan 4 Son Goku or playing Vegeta  vs. Piccolo. The music in the game was a series of recycled pieces of other Dragonball game music but one track really made an impact on me. The original sound version of the game song has never been officially released, but the game did get a soundtrack release featuring arranged tracks. Super Saiyan 4 Son Goku’s theme features some thundering percussion, and some vocals that really take themselves way too seriously – which in my humble opinion is the pure essence of the Dragonball series. Kenji Yamamoto composed the track, and on the arranged album it’s titled “Hero of Heroes” and you can hear the vocals kick in at the one minute mark. I just love this song as it brings back such great memories of button mashing mutli-player fun and hilarity.

The next anime related Playstation game that had memorable music was Ghost In The Shell. I was familiar with the anime film at the time of the release and was very surprised at how different the music in the game was compared with the film.

The title track composed by Takkyu Ishino accompanied the game’s opening animated sequence which featured brand new Ghost in the Shell animation. It is a glorious electronic tune, featuring a pulse pounding beat that was a perfect accompaniment to the animation.

The game’s in game music also featured a variety of electronic music. My favorite track after the opening was the first level’s music. Although a bit repetitive, the constant oonce-oonces really drove the gameplay. The track is titled “Blinding Waves” by Scan X, and both tracks are available on the soundtrack album. I own the European version which I purchased at a local record from the import section back in 1997.

My favorite anime OAV in the 90’s was Macross Plus.  A good friend of mine taped in when it aired on late night TV and it became a constant source of entertainment. Imagine my excitement when some game magazine began to list Macross VF-X2 as an upcoming title for North American release. To say that I was excited would have been a serious understatement. I had read about the previous game Macross Digital Mission VF-X, but this new title sounded so much better.  As anime destiny prevailed I ended up importing the title once I learned it would not be released domestically. The opening sequence is one of my all time favorite because the animation is very good, and it captures the essence of Macross: rockin’ music and transforming fighter jets kicking serious ass. Also being a huge Macross fan-boy the video features in action the successors to the two main prototype fighter jets in Macross Plus.

The song for the mission briefings is my favorite of Yukinori Kikuchi’s music for the game. If you listen to the song with headphones you can really hear some of the sound of digital waves in the background around the thumping beat. At about 54 seconds the music hits a nice variation, give you a little kick in your pilot’s seat (which for me was my couch). I have to say there is nothing more satisfying that a shooter that lets you hurl an endless supply of missiles, and ‘some’ high maneuver missiles at enemies. The rest of Yukinori Kikuchi’s music is just as engaging throughout the rest of the game.

Did you play any anime tie in games that had amazing music? Please share your anime game music story with us.