Auricular Discovery

Can’t say I’ve ever enjoyed a Contra game quite the way I did the original, but props to Konami for not abandoning or abusing the series like some other developers would have. I guess I just really struggle to play these games with 3D graphics, even when they use fixed 2D perspectives. At least I can still enjoy the music. Shattered Soldier (Shin Contra in Japan) has the best soundtrack since Super C on the NES. The quality of the metal here is pretty outstanding, while the rest of the tracks are some very heavy sci-fi techno, with a little Blade Runner vibe thrown in. And yes, this is Akira Yamoaka, the Silent Hill guy. This track alone proves that his recent departure from the survival horror series should give him the much needed freedom to excel in totally different styles. Seven SH scores was enough. We don’t want him getting burnt out.

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Easily one of the best JRPGs of all time. Why is Grandia 2 so great? Well, what can I say? It polishes the genre mechanics to perfection, while having the balls to ditch or replace the aspects that often fail. No random encounters. A turn based combat system that moves like a real-time one. A phenomenal soundtrack that makes full use of streamed audio instead of sequencing. A perfect frame rate. A high contrast story that can handle cute, upbeat moments and dark, mature, tragic scenes while treating you like a mature adult. An English dub that includes much of the Metal Gear Solid cast is the cherry on top. While it doesn’t reinvent anything, it administered a much needed evaluation of the JRPG. Even if you absolutely hate the genre to a borderline racist degree, give this one a shot. But, for your own sake, stick with the Dreamcast version. The PS2 got the laziest port imaginable.

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I’ll try not to repeat what hundreds of blogs have stated but the short of it is, this game was amazing, yet it sold terribly. You need to acquire it by any means necessary. A lot of the blame can be placed on UbiSoft for not marketing it worth a shit, and also for releasing it in November, the most competitive month for game releases. There have been a couple videos hinting at a sequel, but if you’ve followed the roller-coaster of announcements and denouncements, you’d believe that nothing is set in stone. Even if we do get a sequel, I’m not sure it will be what we want. I’m sure UbiSoft will be making some massive changes to the formula. From a business point of view, the product didn’t sell, therefor something must be wrong with it, and needs “fixing”. I’ve seen a lot of fans clamoring for more Jade, but I’m placing my coin on pessimism this time.

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So last night I watched Reign Over Me, knowing nothing about it besides hearing that it showed Shadow of the Colossus being played. Usually when a character in a movie is playing a video game, they have some footage from some mock job FPS spliced with PacMan sound effects, and an Xbox controller is seen, while the console is a N64, and the guy is holding it upside down, and there’s not even a cartridge in the slot. Well surprisingly, Reign not only depicted the visuals and audio correctly (though they changed the Colossi roars), but the characters were even discussing legitimate tactics and button mappings. Not only that, but the game’s story serves as a giant metaphor for what Adam Sandler’s character was going through, though the audiences who hadn’t played the game would have never known this. I was pretty fucking stunned how intelligently this material was handled. Bravo, Hollywood. Now please don’t fuck up the Colossus movie in 2012!

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Unlike the awful sequels that followed, Sands was perfection. If it weren’t for Viewtiful Joe and Shadow of the Colossus, it would be my favorite title of that generation. This end credits track capped off the entire experience in the best way possible, and surely encapsulated it in my memory for ages. You see what I did there? No? Fair enough. Well, it was made by Stuart Chatwood, and sung by Cindy Gomez. I believe there is an extended version that doesn’t end with a typical fadeout, but this is the version that’s on the official soundtrack, and I make use of what I have.

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I really don’t know how in the world the lyrics are supposed to work, but this song seems so appropriate at the end of Max Payne 2. What a great closing. After all the devastation and tragic loss, that acoustic guitar applies like a band-aid. The song is performed by the band “Poets of the Fall“, who seem to have little else in connection with gaming. Remedy finally announced Max Payne 3 this year, after a massive 6 year gap following MP2′s end credit promise of such.

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Headhunter might have been the first console game to really prove to myself that high budget orchestral film scores can work perfectly in a game. This specific track is a little different, however. It’s a slightly remixed techno-ish version of the symphonic main theme which would play in the later half of the game, if I remember correctly. I personally digitally ripped this and a few other pieces from the game which didn’t make it onto the official soundtrack CD. I was never able to find the unreleased tracks from any of my sources, so you might consider this a rare download.

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