Lufia All Over Again: Estpolis Original Soundtrack (Review)

Lufia was certainly an interesting series. It came out during a much simpler time, in what I like to think of as the golden age of RPGs during the SNES era. I always enjoyed the puzzle-based dungeons, and of course Yasunori Shiono’s excellent soundtrack for the games, although I never did manage to beat them when I rented them as a kid.

The soundtracks have always been immensely popular. The soundtracks for Lufia and Lufia II (the series is called Estpolis in Japan) were released way back in 1996, and quickly became hard to find. The soundtracks were then remastered and re-rereleased in 2006 along with the Lufia GBC soundtrack and a few bonus tracks. Well, three times must be a charm, because here we are again looking at a Lufia soundtrack, and while this album is two discs, we’re only getting the original Lufia soundtrack, redone for the DS, along with a second disc containing vocal drama and a lengthy list of arranged tracks that should be a huge draw to fans of the series.

Is the album worth your time if you already own one of the past Estpolis soundtrack releases? Find out in our review after the jump.

While the Lufia soundtracks are pretty highly regarded among fans, the first thing you’ll notice with this album is that it’s quite cliché. That doesn’t necessarily mean bad, as this game was partially responsible for building these kinds of clichés, but you’ll quickly pick out the town, castle, overworld, dungeon, and battle themes within seconds. The first disc is dedicated to the DS version of the original Lufia soundtrack, and is credited to arrangers Tomoko Morita and Yukio Nakajima. Honestly, I can’t really tell the difference between the DS version and the SNES version, which is good if you’re looking for that nostalgic SNES sound, and I suppose the arrangement tracks at the end of the second disc won’t leave you disappointed if you are looking for something new.

In terms of what’s here, there are lovely town themes including “Town of Abundance, Elcid” and “Water Capital Parseraito” which are sweet and relaxing. Later, “Mountain Path of Ice Fog” is a short but sweet tune with rich harmonies that provide a warmth that contrasts nicely with chilly atmosphere the instrumentation creates. Super upbeat tracks like “Lexus Research Facility” and “Parseraito Mayor” are incredibly fun, and will have you in a good mood in no time. The dungeon themes range from ominous with the droning pads of “Soma Shrine Aboveground” to epic with “”Logismos Shrine Aboveground.” “Soma Temple Basement,” on the other hand, really hits the spot as it ventures into Castlevania territory with its belltone arpeggios, funky bassline, and electronic percussion. Finally, “North Land” is your typical overworld theme, complete with a dancing harp and a whimsical woodwind melody that seems to sway with the wind.

We have to talk about the battle themes, as these ones have stuck with me over the years. “Battle #1” is one of my favorite battle themes from the 16-bit era, sporting some killer bass along with an epic brass melody. It’s really a great battle theme. “Battle #2” takes things up a notch, coming almost as a rock opera with organs, strings, electric guitar, and a desperate melody that offers a brief glimpse of hope. “Battle #3” features some impressive percussion, an active bassline, and builds up to a powerful climax. “Final Battle” isn’t nearly as energetic, and is rather subdued, opening with ascending and descending harp lines before a repetitive bassline jumps in to move the heroes forward. It’s definitely an interesting battle theme in that it’s more contemplative than epic.

The ending theme, “To the Future” is an awesome pop tune that could have totally been recorded with a female vocalist and been a great single. Instead, we get some lovely belltone chords, some light, echoing percussion, and a sweet synth lead that carries us through a beautiful and highly rewarding conclusion to the journey. A snare and a flood of strings come in towards the end to add an emotional swell that ends the soundtrack on a moving note.

But we’re not done! The second disc opens with 30+ minutes of vocal drama (in Japanese), which I’m sure is awesome if you speak the language. Unfortunately most of us will likely pass it up, but I appreciate Square Enix taking the time to do this for fans. After the drama tracks, there’s about 30 minutes of arranged music by Square Enix’s Hidenori Iwasaki and Ryo Yamazaki. If you’re a fan of Lufia, and already own one of the previous soundtrack releases, this is where it’s at for you. It’s not like they’ve recorded live instruments or anything, but compared to the DS version, they sound great.

As far as which tracks are featured, there are fourteen in all, and it appears as though their favorites were in line with mine, as a number of the tracks I mentioned above appear. A rousing orchestral take on “Opening Theme” starts us off before a woodwind and string version of “Town of Abundance, Elcid” coos you to sleep. “North Land” works in acoustic guitars and flutes, sounding almost like a theme out of Wild ARMs. All four battle themes are featured, with “Battle #1” taking on a hardcore synth rock sound, and “Battle #2” and “Battle #3” rocking out with some convincing electric guitar work. There’s a thick layer of reverb on the guitars, creating an almost live feel. These three are the highlights of the 2-disc set.

I’m surprised to see this CD, to be quite honest. Both Lufia albums in the past have featured the soundtracks to both games, so perhaps we’ll see another soundtrack like this if Square Enix tackles the second game in the series. I hope they do! While the DS version is similar to the SNES version, the arranged tracks are definitely worth your attention if you’re a fan, and if you’re like me and missed most of the Lufia series, this is a great way to get acquainted with Yasunori Shiono’s fantastic melodies. I recommend checking it out.

Are you a fan of the Lufia series? Are you surprised that Square Enix bothered to include the drama and arranged tracks?