Game Sound Museum Famicom Edition Flac Files
By theaterofsalvation
updated 3 days ago
While my interest in playing video games has completely faded that doesn't mean I don't enjoy listening to a rousing good piece of video game music. I originally started collecting soundtracks in 2006 and have come across some great albums. Below you'll find what I have on hand, some information about each album, tips for tracking them down and some info on my personal tastes.
Eastern Vs Western
As you read through the list you'll probably notice that soundtracks from Japanese games/composers outnumber those from western countries like the Americas and Europe. This is far from a coincidence as I generally enjoyed Japanese developed games more than their western counterparts back when I was playing games. There are plenty of exceptions to this trend, but soundtracks for western games aren't as common, sometimes hard to procure because of their age/rarity or are - these days - released digitally. But..
The Indie Invasion
..there is somewhat recent an exception to the above. With the rise of indie titles has come an almost curious (and very welcome) focus on including soundtrack enclosures with video games these days. Of course, not every indie game has a physical copy of its soundtrack available, but a very significant portion of these games seem to reversing the trends of previous years of not doing any soundtrack releases at all. Additionally, given the types of gameplay indie games are providing compared to their more expensive counterparts, I'm beginning to think this is where a majority of the best scores are coming from in this industry.
Orchestration and Choirs: The Staples Easy Button
In general I try to avoid soundtracks that make use of mass amounts of orchestration or choir singing/chanting. While it may seem to be a shortsighted point of view, too many soundtracks (many of them from the west) attempt to emulate scores from Hollywood and it's just a big turn off for me. This doesn't mean I'm against this kind of music entirely, but it comes across as a cheap and easy way to make anything sound epic. I'm more interested in the composer that can do that without leaning on this worn and tired crutch.
Orchestral Concerts and Nobuo Uematsu
A subject where I'll likely ruffle a few feathers, I fail to understand the popularity of live, orchestral performances of video game music like Distant Worlds. I don't believe that a mass orchestra performing an over-layered rendition of a song I'm fine with in its original, in-game incarnation makes it 'better.' Additionally, while I'm not looking to put Nobuo Uematsu down, I feel these shows pay a little too much attention to his output. That said, the appeal remains a mystery to me so I won't be adding these releases to my collection.
Arrange Albums
While you will certainly find some arrange albums below that contain remixes of tracks from various soundtracks, the truth is I'm often at odds with these releases. No, I'm not turned off to the point that I avoid these releases on principle, but I tend to gravitate towards only a small handful of pieces (usually one or two tracks) on a given disc instead of enjoying everything that comes up to the plate on them. There are some exceptions to this, but those exceptions where my feelings differ are few and far between.
Ambient Tunes: Not My Thing
This kind of goes hand-and-hand with the section on orchestration directly above, only it's nowhere as pronounced. I don't have a pointed issue with ambient pieces, in fact there are some ambient numbers I absolutely adore, but on the whole I'm not particularly crazy when an entire soundtrack consists of this type of composition. No doubt you'll find releases below that include pieces of this nature, just be aware that this style doesn't draw me in as much as it does others.
Physical Vs Digital
For the most part I'm going to keep the additions to this list to albums I obtain a **physical** release for. Given the website this list is posted on it's probably no surprise that I'm a proponent of physical media. However, if those reading are interested in the music and just want to go digital I understand that. Having physical copies makes sense from a collector standpoint but if you just want the music without the overhead I'd understand why you'd choose the latter.
Original Vs Reprint
To be honest I'm not a big stickler on having or obtaining an original print of a given soundtrack unless there is something that's unique to the original. For example, I think most of the Squaresoft / Square Enix soundtracks I have are the re-prints (Legend of Mana is an exception since I wanted the slipcase) but then on the flip side I wanted the original the Star Ocean: The Second Story soundtrack since I grew up with the PS1 original and like the game's original namesake more than the rebranded one on the PSP.
The OBI And Completeness
A subject I've had some rather recent reversals in, it probably goes without saying that I try to obtain most of my albums in the best condition possible. Getting albums in complete & pristine condition is relatively easy when you're dealing with the more inexpensive items; however, this becomes harder and harder to do (and justify) with rarer items. Seriously, when the price of an album *doubles* from $400 to $800 just because the latter has the OBI, you start to understand why one may ditch their obsessive compulsion for complete albums. When you're the one ponying up the cash you can start to see why one would make concessions here and there.
Lossy Vs Lossless
When recording music to my computer I just convert to mp3. I'm far from being any kind of audiophile and I don't really see the point of lossless formats. I'm willing to take a small hit in fidelity for a smaller file size but not the opposite. As such, please DO NOT ask me for lossless rips of the albums below. Given that most of these albums have been uploaded to YouTube there is next to no reason to share files in an effort to sample things these days.
Old Vs New
As the beginning of this intro states, I've kind of lost interest in games themselves and haven't played many games beyond the sixth generation of hardware (PS2, etc.) so I wouldn't expect music from more recent games to appear on this list. As much as I hate the terminology and negativity that surrounds it I was more of a retro gamer and the mound of games I use to have reflected that. This doesn't mean that I automatically feel that older games are better per say, just that I prefer them over what's coming out these days.
The Usual Suspects
Compared to some other collectors I've met over the years, I have to point out my collection is full of 'typical suspects' releases; in other words, those reading this list will be familiar with *most* of the games these soundtracks hail from. I haven't stumbled into a whole lot of 'off the beaten path' gems as I'd like, but there are only so many hours in the day. This being said, as of 2018 I've obtained most of the no-brainer additions, so I'm going to have to be more adventurous in what I attempt to listen to in the future.
Context Killer?
As you will notice below, there are several soundtracks below where I state I haven't heard a given soundtrack within the confines of its actual game. This is because (as much as I hate to admit it) knowing the in-game context of certain piece of music can be very important in the scheme of things. Of course, this isn't always the case (the biggest example of context not playing any role in my enjoyment of a album's music would be the Lost Child visual novel releases) but knowing how a piece of so-so music is used can be the missing piece that upgrades it to a favorite. It's difficult to explain, but in saying this I want to point our while context is important, it's a bit too important in some cases and makes things a little more difficult for me to digest since I don't play games anymore.
Chit-chat & Questions
If you have any questions about any of these albums, have a question about one of my opinions or would just want to talk about video game music in general, feel free to contact me through Discogs. However, again, please do not contact me for music files (I'm assuming asking this of other users is against Discogs terms of service anyway) or to ask me if I'm interested in selling a particular album. If an album is in my collection you can bet it's there for a reason.
Game Sound Museum Famicom Album Art
Naoshi Mizuta - 光の4戦士 -ファイナルファンタジー外伝
1 For Sale from €54.78
Various - Final Fantasy XIII-2 Original Soundtrack
1 For Sale from €53.73Free movie editor.
Various - Final Fight Original Sound Collection
2 For Sale from €61.65
Various - Furi Original Soundtrack
Various - Furi Original Soundtrack
2 For Sale from €24.29
Taro Bando - F-Zero X Original Sound Track
1 For Sale from €427.50
N.EX.T, Daisuke Ishiwatari, Koichi Seiyama - Guilty Gear XX #Reload Korean Version Original Sound Track
5 For Sale from €27.00
Christopher Larkin (2) - Hollow Knight Official Soundtrack
Yumi Kinoshita - Virtual Hydlide
Austin Wintory - Journey - Original Soundtrack
Graeme Norgate - Killer Instinct Super Nintendo OST
Graeme Norgate, Robin Beanland - Killer Cuts
1 For Sale from €17.99
Unknown Artist - Killer Instinct Gold Cuts
Masafumi Takada - Killer7 (Original Sound Track)
5 For Sale from €49.50
Yoko Shimomura - Kingdom Hearts Original Soundtrack Complete
Various - The Very Best Of Kirby: 52 Hit Tracks
Konami Kukeiha Club - Perfect Selection Konami Shooting Battle
Various - Masaya Game Music Collection Vol.1 ~Langrisser I-Ii-Iii~
1 For Sale from €61.19
Michiru Oshima - The Legaia Original Soundtrack
3 For Sale from €87.32
(SVWC-7008)
> Overall Thoughts
Released during the height of the J-RPG days on the original PlayStation, The Legaia (known to westerners as Legend of Legaia) was definitely among the 'who's who' games of that moment. However, given that was far from being yesterday, this lead me to replay this one back in 2011 and refresh my memory and boy did time throw its two cents into the equation. As campy as it sounds, and despite what I say below, if console role-playing games are your thing (and you have never experienced what Legend of Legaia has to offer) I would recommend it because it's an interesting case study in two main ways, and really, who doesn't like to play a game to see how it does and doesn't work on a conceptual level?
If you take the time and read on some of the opinions voiced about Legaia around the time it was released you may encounter a lot of talk about it being 'uninspired' and 'mediocre.' While I wouldn't necessarily go that far with my own point-by-point analysis, I do feel the game only excelled in one area and that area was combat. Unfortunately, as clever as the game's combat was and still mostly is, that one unique part of the game as a whole can't really prop up the entire experience because it's somewhat hogtied by old and tired tropes you'd think role-playing games would have outgrown by that point.
Given that the game's main highlight is handicapped to a certain degree, the elements surrounding it become even more suspect in their quality, and one of the areas to come under fire from a lot of people, especially video game music enthusiasts themselves, was Michiru Oshima's soundtrack.
This begs the question, are the fans of this community wrong or does Oshima's work just take abuse for the game's other shortcomings? Well, before I answer that (with what is just my own opinion) it should be said that when heard in context of the game the music works but once the backdrop of the game is gone most of the soundtrack's processing power evaporates. In fact, even to those that have played the game, The Legaia is the kind of release that really only skates by because of the ghost of nostalgia. That said, it shouldn't surprise any one reading this is exactly why it's in my collection.
> What You Should Know
In what is to become an unflattering cliche the further we get down this list, The Legaia (SVWC-7008) is a product of SPE Visual Works, a company that has a very annoying *habit* of half-assing soundtrack releases. What am I talking about? Soundtracks by SPE usually don't include every track from their given game which means some material is left to the ages and game rips. Some releases are worse than others, but to its benefit, The Legaia kind of falls on the more positive side as it contains a very significant portion of the game's music. However, the reason this is so is because compared to other role playing games (even games from the same era) Legend of Legaia doesn't have a massive amount of music. The other thing that might throw people off with this release is how Oshima has given many tracks unique endings that can't be heard within the game. This sounds interesting from an outside vantage point, but some of the 'conclusions' are very off-putting and I know some people (myself included) would have preferred the tired and true fade-out.
> Looking for a Copy?
Sorry for the obligatory Family Guy reference here, but finding a copy of The Legaia is more trouble than a moose on the interstate. Seriously, the situation you'll face when trying to buy a copy of this album is all different shades of ironic. While I'm exaggerating (somewhat) you'll find that while next to no one on the planet really wants this disc, that does not stop it from being pricey. You're easily looking at fifty dollars without the OBI and possibly one-hundred if it is complete. Given that the music on the disc isn't highly sought after this is one album most people will simply pass over.
> Who should pick this up?
Not to sound standoffish, but the paragraphs above makes it pretty clear who should attempt to obtain this one and that is next to no one. Only people with the utmost love for the game and its music (e.g. people wearing nostalgia goggles like me) should seek this one out. Its value to everyone else won't register high enough to make the acquisition worth it.Takeshi Matsumoto, Petrov Svyatoslav, Yasuyuki Yamazaki, Tomohiro Horihata - The Liar Princess And The Blind Prince -Lullabies For The Blind Prince-
S.S.H - Lost Child Original Sound Track from S.S.H Side-A
2 For Sale from €17.96
(HBMC-008)
> Overall Thoughts
If you've never heard of Lost Child do not fret. I never heard of this Japanese-only visual novel until my friend sent me a dub of this album and its accompanying sequel Side-B on a burned data disc. Out of general curiosity I did check out some footage of it on YouTube, but what I and most people are going to take away from the cover art of this album is that the mech designs look strikingly similar to those in Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Such similarities aside however (oh the wise cracks one can make on the state of creativity in any given country's media) the music of Lost Child is rooted more in Lost Child's identity as a visual novel than Neon Genesis Evangelion's identity as a full motion anime. Penned by Saitama Saisyu Heiki (S.S.H), originally a pair of bothers who remixed classic chip tunes from classic video games, the younger brother made his professional debut with this album.
> What You Should Know
From what I was able to gather, these visual novels contain more music than what is available on the albums that were released, but the albums generally tend to focus on including the rock-infused battle themes more than the backdrop pieces for in-game conversations. A few low-key pieces do make an appearance but generally the adrenaline level on these discs is kept pretty high. S.S.H's instrument set may be a concern for some listeners. Some may be put off by the rather thin nature of the samples used here, but in a hard-to-explain way this odd quirk of the music actually works to its benefit. Also be aware there is another album (Side-B) out there with even more tunes not to mention the Side-Z arrangement disc.
> Looking for a Copy?
It seems the last few places that stocked this album have burned through their remaining inventory so you are probably going to have to go the second hand route for these ones but asking prices are generally very reasonable and not as high as other Japanese produced albums.
> Who should pick this up?
As silly as it seems, you don't know how glad I am that I can't say 'if you enjoyed what you heard in the game you'll love/want this' because next to no one outside of Japan is going to play this game due to the language barrier. However, you really don't need to play the game or hear the music in context to enjoy and respect these tunes; hell, I can easily attest to that myself as I was hook, line and sinker for this disc pretty much on the first listen.S.S.H - Lost Child Original Sound Track From S.S.H Side-B
2 For Sale from €37.80
S.S.H, Soshi Hosoi - Lost Child Original Soundtrack Alternative Side-X
S.S.H - Lost Child Original Sound Track From S.S.H The Final Side-Z
Yasunori Shiono - Estpolis Denki I & II -Super Rom Cassette Disc In Taito Vol. 1-
1 For Sale from €37.35
Game Sound Museum Famicom Set
This is a complete listing of all the files in the Super Nintendo directory, as of September 18. Dias Flac Comments; Alan and Cerl Forever (5) 5443 bytes. Jan 14, 2018 - Zemax 12 is available in three editions: Zemax IE, Zemax EE and Zemax SE. 1 5 Cracker Game Sound Museum Famicom Edition Flac File.