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E3 2011: Miyamoto Discovers an Item With Live Orchestra

June 7, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 5 Comments Share this

A part of the fun of having a full orchestra and choir assembled for Nintendo’s press conference this morning was the live scoring of the events on stage, from a grand entrance by Miyamoto to various jingles that Miyamoto asked the orchestra to perform as he enacted various scenes from the franchise.

One of the most comical moments was when Miyamoto had the orchestra perform the item discovery jingle as he pretended to open a chest and raise the contents above his head in typical Zelda fashion. Sounded quite nice with a live orchestra, too!

Do you think the use of an orchestra at their press conference bodes well for the Skyward Sword soundtrack and other game soundtracks from Nintendo going forward?
Game Music

OSVchannel: FINAL FANTASY IV & THE AFTER YEARS Sound Plus Unboxing Video

April 26, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 1 Comment Share this

You asked for it, and here it is. As I mention in the video, I wasn’t planning to unbox this one. The packaging isn’t all that elaborate. But when you combine the fact that it does still look quite nice for a limited edition pack-in bonus and the fact that it’s going to be pretty rare, I thought you guys might like to see it in detail.

There are still no plans from Square Enix to release this album separately, but rest assured that we’ll let you know if that changes, and we’ll be sure to ask Izumi Tsukushi and Akio Shiraishi at Comic Con this year if they attend.

What do you think of the scarcity of this album and of the packaging itself? Would you be okay without the packaging and settle for a digital release if it was offered at this point?
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OSVchannel: Dissidia 012 FINAL FANTASY Original Soundtrack Unboxing Video

March 1, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 3 Comments Share this

Here we go again! The release of the Dissidia 012 Duodecism Final Fantasy soundtrack is on the horizon, and fans looking to pick up the soundtrack on March 2 have a lot to consider. There are two versions of the soundtrack being released, just as with the first Dissidia game, with drastic differences between the regular and limited editions. Not only is there an extra DVD that comes with the limited edition, but the fancy display case is quite a site to behold.

Well, we hope this unboxing video helps you decide which one to pre-order and pick it up if you’re on the market for this soundtrack. Both sets are nice, but of course the limited edition takes the cake. Wes will provide his review of the soundtrack itself tomorrow, but in the mean time, feel free to gape at the lovely limited edition, and get your pre-orders in for whichever set you prefer ahead of the release this week. It’s available from CD Japan (Limited Edition, Regular Edition) and Play-Asia (Limited Edition, Regular Edition).

What do you think of the packaging? Which one will you be picking up?
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OSVchannel: -Myth- The Xenogears Orchestral Album Unboxing Video

February 22, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 5 Comments Share this

It’s here at last!

I kid, of course, as this one really came out of nowhere, but there was certainly a lot of excitement surrounding -Myth- The Xenogears Orchestral Album once it was announced. Actually, if you dig back into our archives, you can find a blurb from Square Enix Japan’s promotions manager Akio Shiraishi and Music Licensing and Publishing Division head Izumi Tsukushi at Comic Con where we talked about a follow-up to drammatica, and they mentioned wanting to do something with Yasunori Mitsuda. I guess this is what they were working on.

While we’ll have our review in the coming days, I did want to draw attention to the album’s packaging, which is pretty awesome. The really neat plastic slipcase with its see-through red portions, the thick cardboard case, and the attached booklet full of photos, commentary, liner notes, and credits definitely show Square Enix’s dedication to making this album both look and sound great. You can get it here.

Check out the above video and let us know what you think of the packaging. Is this one of Square Enix’s best?
Game Music

OSVchannel: Parasite Eve I & II Original Soundtrack Box Unboxing Video

January 25, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 2 Comments Share this

I know it was only about a month ago that we unboxed Square Enix’s The 3rd Birthday soundtrack for you, but to commemorate the release of the game in Japan, Square Enix has decided to also reissue the first two Parasite Eve soundtracks which were still stuck in the Digicube void. Not only has Square Enix released the two soundtracks in their original and separate 2-disc forms (also shown in the video), but more importantly, Square Enix has bundled the two soundtracks together with some fancy packaging in what they’re calling the Parasite Eve I & II Original Soundtrack Box.

A box for just two soundtracks? Yes, but they’ve done a pretty nice job bringing the two together with some nice packaging and rather… unique artwork selections. See what I mean in the above video, and let us know what you think of Square Enix’s decision to release the soundtrack in these different formats. Which one will you be picking up?

Watch for more Parasite Eve coverage in the coming weeks here on OSV.
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OSVchannel: Opoona Soundtrack Unboxing Video and Giveaway Contest

January 6, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 7 Comments Share this

Yeah, you already knew we were going to be doing this one. Unfortunately (or not) I was out of town for the holidays and didn’t get to unbox it for you when it arrived, but here we are. The packaging on this one is pretty snazzy despite being simple. I love the vibrant colors from this game, and still even swap out my Xenosaga III wallpaper for an Opoona one from time to time!

Oh, so you want to know about the giveaway contest that I mentioned in the video? Basiscape has been kind enough to send a copy specifically to give away to our readers, and all you have to do is either respond to this post on OSV or on our Facebook fan page with your favorite memory from Opoona. Maybe it was the first time you learned how to use your bon bon, or perhaps it was the dolphin ride. For me, it was finally getting to visit that island out in the middle of the water in the Intelligent Sea… I kept moving my camera around to try to get a better look at it from a distance, and wasn’t sure if it was a secret area or not! We’ll pick one person at random as the winner on January 13, 2011 at 11:59 PM PST.

Let us know if you’re excited as us that this soundtrack has finally been released, and feel free to comment on the packaging as well!
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OSVchannel: The 3rd Birthday Original Soundtrack Unboxing Video

December 21, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 1 Comment Share this

Okay, so I caved and did it anyway. I figured you’d all want an advance look at exactly what you’ll be getting when you pick up The 3rd Birthday Original Soundtrack on December 22, 2010 in Japan. By now you’ve likely read our review and know that we were impressed with what we heard, but you’ll be interested to see a packaging style similar to that of Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together which we reviewed and unboxed last month.

In addition to checking out the packaging in the video, we also have the unique “Joy to the World” arrangement performed by members of the Square Enix sound team playing in the background. Let it act as a preview of some of the strangeness that you’ll hear on the album (although I admit it’s the strangest of the bunch).

Let us know what you think of the packaging, “Joy to the World,” and the soundtrack overall as it ships to your homes this week!