Video game symphonies and orchestral concerts are a really cool thing. They bring together people who are fans of video games, and appreciators of music, people who might not even play the video games whose soundtracks are showcased. I've been to a few concerts in my time, and I love them all.
A few weeks ago I went to see The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses. It was a fantastic show, that was well organized, and all of the arrangements of the classic music from days of 16-bit graphics blew me away.I love The Legend of Zelda games, and talk about them often on this blog. Seeing, and hearing the music live was an amazing experience that I'm glad I was able to attend.
There was an enormous projector screen that showed Zelda game footage. There was a tidal wave of nostalgia and awe that washed over me as I heard the symphony and was entranced by the visuals of the classic franchise. I've seen other video game concerts before, but they didn't have quite the same resonance that this one did. The other concerts were either solely Final Fantasy music, or a smattering of games that I enjoyed, but never had the same kind of attachment that I have with Zelda. Suddenly, I got it, and it made the concert so much better. Every time a clip from a Zelda game that I played, which was most of them that were shown, came on the screen I remembered exactly where I was when I was playing it. It was an incredible feeling that made the concert ten times better.
The concert itself was great, I managed to get seats that were only two rows back from the stage. I could look at an instrument, and single out its sound, and hear it directly from the instrument itself. It was really cool. The compositions of Koji Kondo were rearranged to fit the orchestra stage, and it was amazing. The show felt more genuine than the last video game orchestra that I attended. The hosts, and the conductor were actual fans of the Zelda franchise, having grown up with them and appreciating them the same way that we did in the audience. It felt good to be among my fellow gamers, and go to something classy like an orchestra.
The really cool part of the concert, was that it was an actual symphony. Symphonies are a way of telling a story with the music and compositions of their composers. Zelda is all about the classic story of Hyrule, a story that we've heard time and time again. the feeling of seeing the video and hearing the live music was overwhelmingly wonderful. That night, I truly did go on adventure through the land of Hyrule. I was right there with Link as he fought Ganon, and saved the world, just as he always does.
I think that video game concerts are a good way to get video games out there and more widely appreciated. I know that that's making the argument for "video games need to be taken seriously", and while that's kind of true. I think that what I want to achieve is to have a mass appreciation for video games. Video games combine a multitude of different components from different mediums to create something of their own. Writing, orchestrating, art, gameplay, animation, and pretty much everything in between. The composed music of these video games, is something that sticks with us when we play video games. Music can be appreciated by anyone, regardless of whether or not they've played the video game, or games, that is being showcased.
And while video game can be appreciated by everyone, it can be recognized by the people who played the video games. Those people who play video games are those who spend most of their time doing just that. I may be a social recluse myself, but I know that when to be respectful of others and toward those who are performing a symphony. Here's where it must be said that in order for video games to be taken seriously, acknowledged as an art form, or at the very least appreciated, we, as gamers, need to grow up. We have grown up with these games, we have matured with these games. We should also be growing up as people. Growing up to be adults, or at the very least, be respectful individuals. Here's why I bring this up: during the concert, several people played the "last clap game". That is something that, even when you played it in grade school, was immature and just plain stupid. These people were at the orchestra, and they played the last clap game. This is upsetting and disturbing. I'm sure that a majority of the people that were playing this game were above the age of 7, and that makes it all the more worse. I'm not okay with this, and for good reason. However, the concert itself was amazing enough to wash away my disdain for this act of immaturity.
Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses is an amazing concert, that I recommend to everyone to go see. If I could, I would go see it again. Though, maybe I would see it a few rows back, my neck was kind of sore from staring up at the screen. Video game concerts of all kinds are a great thing, that can bring more people into this wonderful world of video games that we gamers inhabit. Plus, it gives me an excuse to dress up all fancy and sport a bowtie.
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Monday, October 28, 2013
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Bleep Bloop
What is the deal with games only having orchestral scores?
Apologies for the Seinfeldesque intro, but I kind of miss the electronic bleeps and bloops of the 8 and 16-bit eras of video games. The sounds that those consoles produced had a certain charm to them. Video games have a way of creating ridiculous situations that are impossible to the physical realm of reality. I think that some games should bring that old funny sounding electronic soundtrack back.
Video games have the capacity to tell a story, or express an emotion, in a way that no other medium can attain. That's all well and good, but games can be fun and silly as well. I've been watching a lot of Let's Play videos on the Youtube. Those Let's Players play a lot of old school video games from the NES and SNES. There's a definite feel to those games that modern games, for whatever reason, try to put behind them. It's true, that as art, a medium should evolve with the time, but what's wrong with a little bit of nostalgia?
A lot of Indie games these days go back to that style of art and sound, as well as difficulty. Indie games are where it's at when it comes to finding something new and inventive, and just plain creative, but that's for a different post. Indie game developers create their games to look and feel like the games of yesterday because that's what they grew up with, and so did we. Part of that experience was the graphical and audio limitations.
While there's nothing wrong with grandiose orchestral scores that sweep me off my feet, there's nothing wrong with a few bleeps and bloops that send me back to my childhood.
Apologies for the Seinfeldesque intro, but I kind of miss the electronic bleeps and bloops of the 8 and 16-bit eras of video games. The sounds that those consoles produced had a certain charm to them. Video games have a way of creating ridiculous situations that are impossible to the physical realm of reality. I think that some games should bring that old funny sounding electronic soundtrack back.
Video games have the capacity to tell a story, or express an emotion, in a way that no other medium can attain. That's all well and good, but games can be fun and silly as well. I've been watching a lot of Let's Play videos on the Youtube. Those Let's Players play a lot of old school video games from the NES and SNES. There's a definite feel to those games that modern games, for whatever reason, try to put behind them. It's true, that as art, a medium should evolve with the time, but what's wrong with a little bit of nostalgia?
A lot of Indie games these days go back to that style of art and sound, as well as difficulty. Indie games are where it's at when it comes to finding something new and inventive, and just plain creative, but that's for a different post. Indie game developers create their games to look and feel like the games of yesterday because that's what they grew up with, and so did we. Part of that experience was the graphical and audio limitations.
While there's nothing wrong with grandiose orchestral scores that sweep me off my feet, there's nothing wrong with a few bleeps and bloops that send me back to my childhood.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
TOP 5 LICENSED VIDEO GAME SOUNDTRACKS!
I play a lot of video games. I mean a lot. They're kind of my only window to the outside world and what the goings on are with things other than video games. In fact, a lot of the music that I listen to I heard from one video game or another. So, without further ado, here is my list of my TOP 5 LICENSED VIDEO GAME SOUNDTRACKS!
In case you didn't get that from the title.
Rules: No music games. So nothing like Amplitude, Rockband, etc. Also, the soundtracks of the game are entirely licensed songs, not just a few songs like the Red Dead Redemption soundtrack, which I love so much.
5. Burnout 3
Among the symphony of crashing cars and twisting metal, there is a fantastically high paced and high quality soundtrack to play among the carnage. Featuring top hits of the day such as "I'm not OK" by My Chemical Romance, "This Fire" by Franz Ferdinand, "My Favorite Accident" by Motion City Soundtrack, and many others. This is a great soundtrack that compliments the energy and speed of the game. Though, to be honest, it doesn't really seem to fit while listening to it in my car while I'm obeying traffic laws...
4. Project Gotham Racing 2
It's really good when your soundtrack includes variety, even more so when said variety is from multiple countries. PGR2 has an amazingly wide selection of music to choose from, and you can completely customize it by creating your own mixtape. There is so much different music to choose from, it's a marathon to get through it all. Tracks including, but not limited to "Fight Test" by The Flaming Lips, "Automatic" by The Androids, "Tango Shoes" by Bif Naked, "Maschine" by Unheilig and so, so many more.
3. Need for Speed: Underground
Ok, so I play a lot of racing games. I guess I have that need for speed. Say, speaking of which.... Need for Speed has a really great soundtrack for a game that was the first of its kind. What with all the customization and the tuning of the cars. The release of NFS Underground coincided with the release of the movie The Fast and the Furious, a movie all about illegal street racing, over the top modifications of cars, and lots of homoerotic undertones, bro. The soundtrack to NFS Underground had a solid mix of rock, electronic, hip-hop, and Little Jon and the East Side Boys. Each time that you start up NFS Underground the song "Get Low" by Little Jon and his East Side Boys will play every time, so that you get that a cappella "badumdumdum..."
2. SSX 3
This is one of the greatest licensed soundtracks of all time. Seriously. The music in this game fits so perfectly with the insane stunts and the eccentric characters of this game, they couldn't have done a better job. Even the radio's DJ Atomika gets in on the action and brings his own slice of personality to the table. SSX 3 is filled with so much character and personality that it's only fitting that the soundtrack do the same.
1. FIFA 13
A sports game? Yes. A sports game. EA Sports games have surprisingly good soundtracks. You'd think that having music that plays only during the menu screens would defeat the purpose, but it just works so well for FIFA 13. Reason being, is that the amazing soundtrack plays during the incredibly addicting and helpful training games and during the waiting periods in between games in the tournament and career screens. This incredible soundtrack includes "Searching" by Matisyahu, "Top of The World" by Imagine Dragons, "Club Foot" by Kasabian, and so many great other great songs. Sometimes, I don't even play the game, I just turn the TV up really loud and let the music play while I do other things around the house.
In case you didn't get that from the title.
Rules: No music games. So nothing like Amplitude, Rockband, etc. Also, the soundtracks of the game are entirely licensed songs, not just a few songs like the Red Dead Redemption soundtrack, which I love so much.
5. Burnout 3
Among the symphony of crashing cars and twisting metal, there is a fantastically high paced and high quality soundtrack to play among the carnage. Featuring top hits of the day such as "I'm not OK" by My Chemical Romance, "This Fire" by Franz Ferdinand, "My Favorite Accident" by Motion City Soundtrack, and many others. This is a great soundtrack that compliments the energy and speed of the game. Though, to be honest, it doesn't really seem to fit while listening to it in my car while I'm obeying traffic laws...
4. Project Gotham Racing 2
It's really good when your soundtrack includes variety, even more so when said variety is from multiple countries. PGR2 has an amazingly wide selection of music to choose from, and you can completely customize it by creating your own mixtape. There is so much different music to choose from, it's a marathon to get through it all. Tracks including, but not limited to "Fight Test" by The Flaming Lips, "Automatic" by The Androids, "Tango Shoes" by Bif Naked, "Maschine" by Unheilig and so, so many more.
3. Need for Speed: Underground
Ok, so I play a lot of racing games. I guess I have that need for speed. Say, speaking of which.... Need for Speed has a really great soundtrack for a game that was the first of its kind. What with all the customization and the tuning of the cars. The release of NFS Underground coincided with the release of the movie The Fast and the Furious, a movie all about illegal street racing, over the top modifications of cars, and lots of homoerotic undertones, bro. The soundtrack to NFS Underground had a solid mix of rock, electronic, hip-hop, and Little Jon and the East Side Boys. Each time that you start up NFS Underground the song "Get Low" by Little Jon and his East Side Boys will play every time, so that you get that a cappella "badumdumdum..."
2. SSX 3
This is one of the greatest licensed soundtracks of all time. Seriously. The music in this game fits so perfectly with the insane stunts and the eccentric characters of this game, they couldn't have done a better job. Even the radio's DJ Atomika gets in on the action and brings his own slice of personality to the table. SSX 3 is filled with so much character and personality that it's only fitting that the soundtrack do the same.
1. FIFA 13
A sports game? Yes. A sports game. EA Sports games have surprisingly good soundtracks. You'd think that having music that plays only during the menu screens would defeat the purpose, but it just works so well for FIFA 13. Reason being, is that the amazing soundtrack plays during the incredibly addicting and helpful training games and during the waiting periods in between games in the tournament and career screens. This incredible soundtrack includes "Searching" by Matisyahu, "Top of The World" by Imagine Dragons, "Club Foot" by Kasabian, and so many great other great songs. Sometimes, I don't even play the game, I just turn the TV up really loud and let the music play while I do other things around the house.
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