Shooters

• Game Music, Reviews

  Doujin Shmup Revival! Gundemonium Collection Soundtracks (Review)

  August 3, 2012 | Patrick Gann | 2 Comments Share this Doujin Shmup Revival! Gundemonium Collection Soundtracks (Review)

  

  And it’s not Touhou!

  About a decade ago, one-man studio Aeju Murasame created a trilogy of shmups. They were Gundemonium, GundeadliGne, and Hitogata Happa. The first two were horizontal (side-scrolling) shmups that took place in chronological sequence. The last was a very interesting prequel that was a vertical scrolling shmup and also featured a unique system that required kamikaze attacks, sacrificing precious (limited) lives for your dolls to move forward.

  I’d have never played these games had it not been for localization firm / publisher Rockin’ Android, who released the trilogy as the Gundemonium Collection in 2011. To make the deal even sweeter, purchasing this trilogy on Steam will bring the customer a free bonus: full soundtracks for all three games, both in their original forms (from Murasame himself), and the new remixes from DM Ashura and Woofle.

  I’m going to do a little compare ‘n’ contrast after the jump. Won’t you join me? (more…)

• Game Music, Reviews

  All Hail The Conquistador! Jamestown OST (Review)

  February 29, 2012 | Patrick Gann | 2 Comments Share this All Hail The Conquistador! Jamestown OST (Review)

  

  After awarding a strong 2nd-place finish to the Jamestown soundtrack under our OSVOSTOTY indie games category, I noticed we didn’t have a proper review of the soundtrack on the site. Shame on us!

  I’d like to quickly rectify the situation by telling you why I think this particular collection is so wonderful, and how it shows the ability of the “indie” market to compete toe-to-toe with some of the established franchises in peer genres (in this case, we’re talking CAVE shmups).

  All that and more, after the jump! (more…)

• Game Music

  E3 2011: Nano Assault Composer Revealed, CD in the Works

  June 27, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 5 Comments Share this E3 2011: Nano Assault Composer Revealed, CD in the Works

  

  One of the biggest surprised for me at E3 came from Majeco’s booth. I had never got to try my hands at Shin’en’s Nanostray or Nanostray 2 although I was already interested in checking them out, and when I saw Nano Assault for the 3DS sitting there at the Majesco booth I just couldn’t help myself. I was flying and shooting in some very non-traditional and all 3-dimensional stages which covered everything from stages that resembled planetoids from Super Mario Galaxy where you flew around their surfaces searching for objectives, to a cool tunnel stage where I was flying into the screen. Theses levels wouldn’t be nearly as powerful without the 3D functionality of the 3DS.

  While playing, however, I noticed some pretty cool drum ‘n’ bass music in the background. I immediately asked the Majesco staff person next to me, who happened to be the game’s leader tester, about the game’s music. As it turns out, Shin’en staff member Martin Schioeler is responsible for the music (and has worked on the music for several other Shin’en titles). I was told that Schioeler is a new presence on the Nano team, however, as studio president Manfred Linzner actually composed the scores for the two Nanostray games. Even more, the studio is also working on a special soundtrack album featuring music from Nanostray, Nanostray 2, and Nano Assault to release alongside Nano Assault on both iTunes and CDBaby.

  I was excited by what I heard, so definitely keep an eye on this game. We’ll keep you posted on details regarding the soundtrack disc as well.

  Were you a fan of any of Linzner’s work on the Nanostray or IRIDION series? Are you looking forward to Nano Assault?

• Featured, Game Music

  OSV Exclusive: Otomedius X Artist List Revealed

  February 24, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 2 Comments Share this OSV Exclusive: Otomedius X Artist List Revealed

  

  Otomedius X (Excellent) has been delayed numerous times, but I think game music fans will find the wait worth it once they see who’s involved with the soundtrack. The series is known for taking the classic side-scrolling shooter formula and combining that with many of Konami’s most beloved franchises, and with so many franchises to cover, there’s a lot of music that needs to be composed and arranged. How much music, you ask? Around 120 tracks, with 28 different artists from all around the globe contributing to that tally.

  As it turns out, our friends over at GEM Impact have been responsible for coordinating the talent for this project. With Norihiko Hibino at the helm, the 28 artists from around the world have gathered to create a true international collaboration. To name a few, GEM Impact, Unique Note, SuperSweep, and members of Basiscape appear from Japan, with Roc Chen from China, Bently Jones from the UK, and Jake Kaufman, Justin Lassen, and Jeremy Soule from the USA.

  With both the Otomedius X for the Xbox 360 and the first game’s soundtrack due out on March 24, 2011, here’s hoping that Otomedius X also gets an official soundtrack release. Looking at the roster alone, I know it will be worthy of one.

  Hit the jump for the full artist list. (more…)

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