VGM Saturdays #289: Does it Really Feel Like Christmas?

With 2020 being the year it has been, a lot of annual holidays have felt strange. I've wrapped a ton of presents, heard the songs and it still does not feel like Christmas. Even so, I'm still excited to see my family open their gifts and I do hope it feels like Christmas for you. We have some reappearing songs for this week's VGM Saturdays. Christmas-like music has become a reoccurring theme over the years of this feature and I don't intend to break that tradition. 

Stage 3-1 - Super Turrican (SNES)

The first Turrican game I ever played. Naturally the first thing I noticed was the soundtrack. Perhaps it was due to Super Turrican being my first game but this soundtrack is also really dang good! It is full of themes that scream adventure, action and urgency. The bells give this one an especially Christmasy feel.

Diamond Dust Act 1 - Sonic 3D Blast (SS)

The superior version of Sonic 3D Blast music. IMO of course. This is pure winter, Christmas music at it's finest. 

Freeze Man Stage - Mega Man 7 (SNES)

This one leans more towards winter than Christmas but I LOVE this track and I will jump at any chance to plug it. Despite the game's faults, Mega Man 7 remains  huge favorite of mine. The game is filled with secrets and in many cases, you have to use the special weapons from defeated Robot Masters to find them.

Cozy Cabin - Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii)

This game is so freaking adorable. If you're looking for a chill game with a highly unique visual style that still holds up, Kirby's Epic Yarn is a wonderful jam.

White Ice (White Glacier) - Bomberman 64 (N64)

This little banger almost didn't make it into this week's VGM Saturday. I'm pretty sure I've posted this one before but those bells give it some added Christmas flavor and I'm going for more seasons greetings than anything else, so here we are.

Frozen Factory Zone 1 - Sonic Lost World (Wii U)

If not for Ice Cap Zone Act 1, this might be my favorite ice themed Sonic tune. I wouldn't end up playing Sonic Lost World until years after it released but I heard this song long before I played it. It was close to Christmas time, so for me, this song is one that I heavily associate with the holiday.

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Favorite Tunes #262: Back to Saturdays

Favorite Tunes is back, back in the usual Saturday slot and I plan to keep it that way. Enjoy this week's selection.

Dark Forest Area 1 - Odallus: The Dark Call (PC, NS, PS4, XBO)

This Castlevania inspired indie title really took me by surprise and I'll have more to say about it in a Re-Releases post. The soundtrack is catchy and moody and a few tracks remind of of the Ninja Gaiden NES trilogy as well as the earlier Castlevania titles. 

Genesis ~Causing~ (Brave Men's Theme) - Gain Ground (ARC)

Gain Ground recently released on the Switch via the SEGA AGES line. It isn't what I was expecting but I don't regret purchasing it. SEGA arcade games usually have outstanding music and Gain Ground is no exception.

Ambush [BGM2] - Crack Down (ARC)

From one SEGA arcade game to another. There are a lot of games in SEGA's catalog that I've yet to play that I'd love to and some of them are based off the soundtrack alone. I'm a sucker for some good FM synth and Crack Down's soundtrack, although there isn't a wealth of it, has that in spades. Maybe M2 can work their magic and give us the arcade version someday.

Inside the Inverted Pyramid  - Super Mario Odyssey (NS)

Super Mario Odyssey brought back the much anticipated sandbox style gameplay of Super Mario games, something that was missing from the series since 2002's Super Mario Sunshine. That alone was awesome but the addition of more liner areas to explore and platform through and Mario's new ally, Cappy, whom Mario can use to capture various enemies, makes Odyssey one of the greatest Super Mario games in the past decade. The soundtrack is also kinda baller.

Rainbow Palace - Bomberman 64 (N64)

Sadly, we didn't get any Bomberman music on Snake's stage in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Still, its hard for me to gripe when Snake got an awesome selection of tracks and new remixes. Unlike Cloud's Midgar stage because Square Enix is so dang stingy. Besides, Bomberman is an Assist Trophy and a pretty good one and it always makes me happy seeing him show up on the battlefield.

Spring (It's a Big World Outside) - Stardew Valley (PC, PS4, XBO, NS)

Spring has sprung and all that jazz. Stardew Valley has been out for some time now but I've yet to get around to playing it. I think I'd have a good time with this game on the Switch so I'll eventually get around to picking it up. I have, however, listened to the soundtrack and it has some of my favorite relaxing, soothing, peaceful jams and has quickly become one of my go-to soundtracks for mellowing out.

Favorite Tunes Database

Remix of the Week: Blue Resort (Bomberman 64)

This week's is a remix of one of my favorite songs from Bomberman 64, Blue Resort. The arrangement is from one of the best groups of remixers on YouTube, The Consouls, who specialize in jazz works. They more than did this great song justice.

Favorite Tunes #239: These Songs Need to Be in Smash Ultimate

This is a Flash Back Favorite Tunes without the Flash Back in the subtitle because, well, the title above is long enough as it is. But, it isn't just any old Flash Back, no. With Super Smash Bros. Ultimate being three months from release, my excitement for the game is building by the day. So while these are all tracks that have been featured in Favorite Tunes before, I'd love for all of them to be in Ultimate for our Smashing pleasure.

Nebula - Excite Truck (Wii)

Remember the Excite series? It saw a  revival on the Wii with three releases, the first of which was Excite Truck. It didn't set the world on fire but at least Nintendo still recognized that the Excite games existed before letting the series lay dormant after the retail bomb that was Excktebots: Trick Racing, a game that released to zero advertisement. There was a single track from Excite Truck in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and it was carried over to Smash 4. My pick for another Excite Truck is Nebula, hands down.

Lethal Encounter - Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2)

The Tanker is a pretty short section in Metal Gear Solid 2. After you finish it, you spend the rest of the game playing as Raiden on the Big Shell. I kinda wish this was the standard Encounter theme for MGS2 because out of the entire MG series, this Encounter theme is my favorite and it is a shame that you don't get to hear it much in game.

Blaze Heatnix Stage - Mega Man X6 (PS)

The last Smash Direct had a killer Opening Stage remix from the first Mega Man X, so I'm hoping it is not the only X track to be used in the Mega Man stage. As awful of a game as X6 is, the soundtrack is dripping with quality. If any one track from X6 could be in Ultimate, I would love for it to be this theme.

Punch Bowl - Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Wii U)

Breaking news, the Wii U did not sell well and neither did Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. The game has fared much better on the Switch despite the higher price tag attached. I'm happy to see it doing better on the Switch because it is a pretty ace 2.5D platformer. The lack of this song being in Smash 4 made me a very sad panda. I mean, just listen to this track. It needs to be a tune we can Smash to.

Blue Resort - Bomberman 64 (N64)

Bomberman is an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Yes, there are those that wanted him as a playable character but even getting a slot on the Assist Trophy roster in Smash is nothing to scoff at. Since Konami owns the rights to Hudson's IPs, it would be great to see some Bomberman jams used on the Shadow Moses stage.

Athletic - Super Mario 3D World (Wii U)

One of the Wii U games that has not turned up on the Switch (yet, anyway.) Nintendo has been going ham on jazz in their video games and I'm a all for it. Super Mario 3D World. With Ultimate having more music than any other Smash game, I'm hoping to see more tracks from 3D World. As much as I enjoyed Super Bell Hill, give me Athletic/Chainlink Charge all day, every day.

Favorite Tunes Database