Jam of the Day: Wild Street (The King of Fighters XIII)

Having just reviewed The King of Fighters XIII (and thus spent an entire weekend marathoning it), I couldn’t help but notice the game’s music. With games like Street Fighter IV mostly switching to hard hitting electronica (which I admittedly love in its own way), it’s nice to see The King of Fighters focus on very catchy melodies. Like the beautiful 2D art that stands out in this 3D-centric world, this soundtrack feels like it’s from a bygone era, and I mean this in the most positive way.

Of course, instrumentation and production is a bit more modern than its quarter eating predecessors, but the spirit of the arcade shines through brightly.

Listed KOFXIII Composers: Tetsuhiro Ogawa, Iku Mizutani, Toshihiko Hiraguchi, Tomonao Niiya, Makoto Suehiro, Tasuku Mizutani

Jam of the Day: Little Fugue in G Minor remixed by Shoji Meguro (Catherine Sound Disc)

The soundtrack to Catherine can essentially be divided into 2 sections, both of which are handled by Persona series composer Shoji Meguro. The first is an original score that plays in the background to the real world. The second is an assortment of classical remixes that play during the games nightmare stages.

While the original material certainly does its job, I find the latter far more interesting, not just because of the quality of the time-tested compositions, but because of how odd it is to hear them arranged this way and placed in this context.

The arrangements vary in style and are consistently enjoyable, but Meguro’s take on J. S. Bach’s Little Fugue in G minor hits me in all the right places. Perhaps it’s the infectiously heavy beat or the source’s use in another game I love. Either way, it’s my favorite track featured in the game thus far.

Jam of the Day: Labyrinth IV - Cherry Tree Bridge by Takahiro Izutani feat. Rebecca Evans (Sekaiju no MeiQ² *shoou no seihai* Super Arrange Version)

I’ve been listening to a lot of the Nier soundtrack lately which features Emiko Rebecca Evans’ vocal work quite heavily. Looking for more things she’s contributed to led me to the Etrian Odyssey (Sekaiju no MeiQ) arranged soundtracks.

The original soundtracks themselves are composed by Yuzo Koshiro whose music I tend to enjoy quite a bit. Takahiro Izutan’s remix definitely has a much more “trippy” quality to it. But as I write this during my last sleepy moments before I go to bed, it just seems right to post.