Contra

• Doujin, Game Music

  Contra 4: Rocked n’ Loaded Roundtable #1: Recruit Camp

  December 5, 2009 | Audun Sorlie | 7 Comments Share this Contra 4: Rocked n’ Loaded Roundtable #1: Recruit Camp

  

  It seems Konami’s classic franchises are everywhere these days. We reviewed Contra Rebirth last month, there was the announcement of Castlevania: The Concert, Castlevania Rebirth is set to whip some ass on WiiWare sometime soon, and even Sparkster is coming back to consoles next year.

  But what we are gonna do here concerns a gem that came out in 2007, Contra 4. You see, there is an arrangement project in the works for this game which is wrapping up, and anyone who’s played this game know it has an amazing soundtrack, composed by Jake Kaufman, better known as virt. We thought it would be fun to talk to the guys behind this project about the the process of getting a remix project together and discuss the reasons why they chose this specific game. We are proud to present part 1 of this roundtable, which should be highly interesting to any fan or musician out there.

  So please enjoy Part 1 of the Contra 4 roundtable after the jump! (more…)

• Game Music, Reviews

  Contra ReBirth: Basiscape’s Manabu Namiki Goes Retro (Review)

  November 9, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | 5 Comments Share this Contra ReBirth: Basiscape’s Manabu Namiki Goes Retro (Review)

  

  I somehow continue to be surprised by each successive “ReBirth” title that Konami announces. First it was Gradius, now it’s Contra, and there’s even a Castlevania title coming up in the near future. All three of these franchises are legendary in their own right, but what we care about here is the music. The music from Contra needs no introduction, and the music for Contra ReBirth won’t either, as a lot of it is arranged music from the original!

  As the title suggests, Manabu Namiki of Basiscape was the man behind the Contra ReBirth soundtrack, just as he was responsible for Gradius ReBirth (maybe he’ll be on Castlevania as well?). This is good news, as Namiki has built himself quite a fan base with his work on deathsmiles and a number of projects with Basiscape. While I’ll say there’s nothing groundbreaking here, I think series fans will be pleased not only with the intense and challenging gameplay, but also the retro soundtrack.

  Our review of the Contra ReBirth soundtrack can be found after the jump! (more…)

• Chip Music

  Get Your Somewhat Weekly Chip Tune Fix With Famicom Fridays

  August 22, 2008 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on Get Your Somewhat Weekly Chip Tune Fix With Famicom Fridays Share this Get Your Somewhat Weekly Chip Tune Fix With Famicom Fridays

  

  Having enjoyed extreme fame and fortune after placing first in the “Student/Apprentice Contest in Music” at the 6th annual G.A.N.G. awards earlier this year, Michael “Skitch” Schiciano is finally using his powers for good, launching a G.A.N.G. community blog titled “Famicom Fridays.”  The idea is that he will weekly/bi-weekly/whenever-he-wants share his love for chip music with the world by writing a chip tune for your listening pleasure.

  His first week’s offering is appropriately titled “Famicom Fridays Anthem,” which he admits takes a nod from Contra. Good stuff, and written with Reason, interestingly. This is good news, as we need more places to get quality chip music!

  Do you think Skitch’s Famicom Fridays is a good idea? Would you like to see something similar to this on OSV in the future?

« Next Entries

Covering and promoting discussion of composers and music with a focus on video games and other contemporary media entertainment

Join Us Online Or Log in

 Got tips? Get in touch Or Browse our Categories Game Music Music Production Gear Anime Demoscene Software Television Doujin Chip Music Indie Music Film Events Japanese Miscellaneous Experimental Featured Editorial Reviews Interviews