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Featured, Game Music

Ragnarok: The Imperial Princess of Light and Dark (Interview)

March 6, 2012 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on Ragnarok: The Imperial Princess of Light and Dark (Interview) Share this

I love Ragnarok Online. While the original PC title will always been one of my favorite games, we’ve checked out the Ragnarok DS spin-off here on OSV, and it looks as though GungHo Online is set on redefining the series with a number of spin-offs that have been slated for iOS (Ragnarok Violet), PSP (Ragnarok: The Imperial Princess of Light and Dark), and the PlayStation Vita (Ragnarok Odyssey). The Imperial Princess of Light and Dark is a strategy title for the PSP that was released in Japan on October 2011, but as of yet has no release planned for North America.

Still, I couldn’t help but be intrigued by the score for the game, composed in part by composer Hideki Sakamoto who has impressed us with his work on echochrome and other titles. He’s joined by composer team 12sound to create a blend of orchestral fantasy music that is a lot of fun, even if distinctly different from the music soundTeMP wrote for the original PC game.

I was curious as to how Sakamoto was brought on board for this title and the nature of his contributions, so join us after the jump as we inquire! (more…)
Game Music, Reviews

Sakimoto’s Grand Absence: Grand Knights History (Review)

November 30, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 1 Comment Share this

Another Vanillaware game, another Basiscape soundtrack. This time, however, Hitoshi Sakimoto is out of the picture, leaving composition duties to the rest of his capable team at Basiscape, and I think everyone will be surprised by just how much the team has been able to emulate Sakimoto’s signature style.

While the game and soundtrack were released in September 2011 in Japan, regions abroad are still anticipating the game’s release, so what better time to delve into the soundtrack to see if worth your attention?

Hit the jump for more. (more…)
Game Music, Reviews

It Will Leave You Naked: Gachitora! Original Soundtrack (Review)

September 19, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 1 Comment Share this

Yes, this is a strange one. I honestly had no idea what Gachitora! was until after listening to the soundtrack for this review. Beforehand, looking at the ‘hip’ main character on the cover and hearing the groovy electronic and rock tracks found on this CD, I was thinking something along the lines of No More Heroes. I guess this is a pretty valid comparison given just how strange the game is.

Apparently the main character, a teacher, can turn into a tiger and punch the clothes off his female students as he attempts to defeat their inner demons. Regardless of what the game is about, however, Yasushi Asada from noisycroak (who you may recall from his work on Castlevania Judgment) handles the score and dose a pretty good job of it.

Find out if it’s worth picking up in our review after the jump. (more…)
Game Music, Reviews

First Steps Towards Falcom: Ys I & II Chronicles Musical Selections (Review)

March 23, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on First Steps Towards Falcom: Ys I & II Chronicles Musical Selections (Review) Share this

Ever since XSEED picked up publishing rights to Nihon Falcom’s wares, we’ve been getting a slew of Ys titles on the PSP. We loved Ys SEVEN last year, and I think Oath of Felghana is a favorite for a lot of fans out there. Most recent, however, was the release of Ys I & II Chronicles, remakes of the first two games in the series with a killer arranged soundtrack.

The single disc release comes with the Premium Edition of the game in the United States, and features a “selection” of tracks from the bigger 2-disc official soundtrack release that came out in Japan in 2009. Yeah, I know it sucks to get only half of the music, but if you look at the Japanese Ys I & II Chronicles Original Sound Track mini album, it only featured 8 tracks, so be happy that you’re getting a full disc of music here!

Are the arrangements any good? Hit the jump to find out. (more…)
Game Music, Reviews

DJMAX Portable 3 Soundtrack: The Usual Suspects With Unusual Results (Review)

November 3, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 4 Comments Share this

From Patrick’s positive review of DJMAX Portable 3, we already know that Korean game music maestros ESTi and Nauts are not involved with this title, but that doesn’t mean that other familiar names don’t surface. Time and time again we’ve been impressed by what Pentavision and PM Studios have been able to accomplish this series not only through their games, but through the amazing production values associated with their soundtracks.

It wasn’t too long ago that we checked out DJMAX Technika 2, and it should come as no surprise that a number of tracks from that game are found here, but there’s also an entire disc of new material from artists including NieN, Makou, Planetboom, XeoN, Mr. Funky, and my personal favorite, 3rd Coast. Most interesting of all, however, is the fact that these artists jump into genres that they’re not necessarily known for from their past work on the series.

Find out what I mean in our review after the jump. (more…)
Game Music, Reviews

I Just Got Served… By DJMax Portable 3 (Review)

October 22, 2010 | Patrick Gann | 5 Comments Share this

It’s a big season for rhythm games: DJ Hero 2 and Rock Band 3 are on the horizon. But for me, one of the most exciting titles is also the least talked about: DJMax Portable 3.

Last year I discussed at length DJMax Fever, which was a combo title of Portable 1 and 2 localized for North America. This PSP rhythm game, developed by Korean studio Pentavision, has some of the best music and most challenging rhythmic patterns you’ll find for a handheld. It’s one thing to sit around playing top 40 pop-rock hits in your living room. It’s another thing entirely to keep up with frantic techno or chill with some J-pop (and K-pop) while inputting complex combinations.

DJMP3 has a new set of songs (over 30 new tracks), a couple new modes of play, and some “hidden” difficulty. To find out what I mean by this, follow along after the jump! (more…)
Game Music

Check Out DJMax Portable 3! Vids and Pics Galore

September 18, 2010 | Patrick Gann | 1 Comment Share this

Hey kiddies!You guys do realize that DJMax Portable 3 (PSP) is coming to North America next month, right? October 14th if you’re picking up a physical copy (preorder here), followed by downloadable version from PSN on October 19th. Pretty exciting. Especially if you’ve been hankering for a good, portable rhythm game.

If the above trailer, which features a variety of the songs from the new game, gets you excited, be sure to check out some gameplay videos and some packaging pictures (for the sweet, $110 Special Bundle Edition) after the jump. You can also expect a review from the OSV staff shortly after the game’s release! (more…)