SNES

Experimental, Indie Music

Switched on SNES Returns with more Zelda Tapes, Secret of Mana Teaser

December 15, 2017 | Shawn Sackenheim | Comments Off on Switched on SNES Returns with more Zelda Tapes, Secret of Mana Teaser Share this

If you missed grabbing a cassette copy of Switched on SNES’s analog synth rendition of A Link to the Past, they’ve got a little Christmas miracle for you. There are only 100 cassettes up for sale after filling the second round of pre-orders so if Zelda, synths, or cassettes fit the bill for you or someone on your shopping list, hop to it!

Alongside the new cassettes, Switched on SNES has released a preview track from their next album that focuses on another beloved SNES RPG, Secret of Mana. I wasn’t sure how Hiroki Kikuta’s score would sound with the analog synth treatment but “Into the Thick of It” definitely benefits from the extra boost of melancholy that the Switched On SNES style brings. Check it out, grab a tape of Zelda, and look for the Secret of Mana album to hit Bandcamp in January.
Experimental, Indie Music

Switched on SNES: A Link to the Past Cassettes & New Album Announced

August 30, 2017 | Shawn Sackenheim | Comments Off on Switched on SNES: A Link to the Past Cassettes & New Album Announced Share this

Back in late Spring the initial run of Switched on SNES: A Link to the Past on cassette sold out pretty quickly. The selection of classic Zelda themes rearranged for analog synthesizers is still available on Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube but for those who missed the physical offering there is once again hope.

Pre-orders are up now for the second, limited edition run of 300 cassette tapes to be shipped out this Fall. The $10 purchase gets you the gold label cassette with a uniquely colored liner as well as a digital copy of the next Switched on SNES release featuring Secret of Mana.

Surprise, the next Switched on SNES release is Secret of Mana! We’ll be sure to let you know when that new release is out.
Experimental, Indie Music

A Link to the Past gets the Analog Synth Treatment

April 24, 2017 | Shawn Sackenheim | 2 Comments Share this

If Luminist’s Metroid: Resynthesized has left you wanting more Nintendo music on analog synthesizers, let me point you to Switched on SNES. It’s the first in a series from producer Will Patterson that aims to bring gaming’s musical masterpieces to new listeners by way of analog synths and drum machines.

The style fits quite well for A Link to the Past, smoothing out the instrumentation of the SNES original without sounding like a near-unrecognizable remix. Unfortunately, and just like Resynthesized, the album is painfully short and runs for just under 15 minutes. In its defense, the album doesn’t promise to rearrange the entire soundtrack and the themes that Patterson has chosen fit his minimal and subdued style in unison. I just wish there could be more of it!

<a href="http://switchedonsnes.bandcamp.com/album/switched-on-a-link-to-the-past">Switched On: A Link to The Past by Switched On SNES</a>

While he may never expand on A Link to the Past, Patterson does have plans to visit more SNES franchises. The album’s Bandcamp page mentions Secret of Mana, Earthbound and Donkey Kong Country as potential upcoming entries. Switched on SNES is available now for $5 on Bandcamp.

What SNES soundtrack would you love to hear given the analog synth treatment? Let us know in the comments below.
Featured, Game Music

Game Soundtracks For Your Soul: Level Seven

May 29, 2015 | Ryan Paquet | 1 Comment Share this

In this edition of Game Soundtracks For Your Soul I am looking back at the music of two of the best multi-player games of my early gaming life. My brother was much better at video games than I was but often he was player 2, and we both drank heavily from the Nintendo Kool-Aid jar. We spent hours playing many two player games on Nintendo and Super Nintendo, but two in particular stood out musically. One is in my opinion, a Capcom classic and only recently did I learn that they made a sequel. The other game is now one of the rarest Super Nintendo titles and one of the most treasured games in my cartridge collection.

Here are my thoughts on the music of Chip and Dale’s Rescue Rangers composed by Harumi Fujita, and the music of Metal Warriors by Eric Swanson.

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Chip Music

Reflect On These Rhythms and Beats From Ubiktune.

September 10, 2012 | Audun Sorlie | 2 Comments Share this

It’s always a good time when Ubiktune sends a bit of news our way, and today is no different. Continuing their amazing year of releases, The last few weeks have seen two new albums released on the label, sure to peak the interest of chiptune lovers of all types and stripes.

Reflections of a Dancing Leaf by fluidvolt is an album based on Claude Debussy, celebrating his 150th birthday. The album is a tribute to the composer using the hardware of SNES, N64, NES and even uses 1bit sounds to demonstrate the greatness of grand compositions using the most restricted of electronic sounds.

Rhythm’n’Bits is a tribute album dedicated to the video game soundtracks that had a big impact on the artist, Yoann Turpin, as a child. The result is pure melodic bliss, inspired by the RPGs from the 90’s as well as Sega Mega Drive and Super NES games, blended with a good bit of funk to create a truly unique album atmosphere. With this album, Yoann has managed to make one of the best chiptune albums of the year, and it’s creative and original take with so many familiar sounds and themes makes it a must hear of the year.

<a href="http://yoannturpin.bandcamp.com/track/ta-konauts-love">Taïkonaut’s Love by Yoann Turpin</a>

Reflections of a Dancing Leaf and Rhythm’n’Bits are available at Ubiktune right now. Rhythm’n’Bits can also be purchased on iTunes for $9.99.
Game Music, Reviews

The Bible According to SuperSweep: Last Bible III (Review)

March 2, 2012 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on The Bible According to SuperSweep: Last Bible III (Review) Share this

My only familiarity with the Last Bible series is when Patrick got really excited about SuperSweep finally releasing the soundtracks for the first two games in the series. Beyond that, I know it’s an RPG series, I know that Last Bible III was released on the Super Famicom, and I know that composer Hiroyuki Yanada has been on board since the beginning.

So, here I am looking at the Last Bible III soundtrack. Do I fight, flee, or listen?

Find out after the jump. (more…)
Featured, Game Music

Soundtrack of the Month 01/2011: Final Fantasy Mystic Quest Sound Collections

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

Looks like we’re starting a trend, as our January 2010 soundtrack of the month was also late! Our bad.

So, Mystic Quest. Too often is this game mocked and reviled by RPG fans, but I’ve always had a special place in my heart for this game. Not only did I love the characters, dungeons, on-field enemies, and changing animations as enemies took damage in battle, but Ryuji Sasai and Yasuhiro Kawakami’s soundtrack have remained one of my favorites to this very day.

The memory I primarily associate with this game is one summer that I spent with my cousins in Las Vegas where we would start a new game in the morning (naming our character CLASHION), and finish it by the evening, repeating the process the following day for nearly a week. Yes, I know this game, and I love it, and you should too!

Find out why you can at least appreciate the soundtrack even if you hated the game in our Soundtrack of the Month feature to start off 2011! (more…)