#75 - Contra
Waterfall (Stage 3)
Listen to this track:
Requires Flash10
Track information:
| Game title: |
Contra |
| Track title: |
Waterfall (Stage 3) |
| Game release year: |
1988 |
| Composers: | Hidenori Maezawa, Kyouhei Sada |
| Download: |
NSFE
(complete), NSF (track 3)
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Review by Jace:
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It's very difficult for me not to associate this song with the Minibosses' arrangement, which slows it down significantly (and to powerful effect). Regardless, the rhythm chokes about 30 seconds in create a fist-pumpitude of potentially unparalleled proportions in NES music. For that matter, I think there aren't a lot of riffs to parallel the end of this loop in the general realm of rock music overall. |
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#74 - Batman
Stage 3
Listen to this track:
Requires Flash10
Track information:
| Game title: |
Batman |
| Track title: |
Stage 3 |
| Game release year: |
1990 |
| Composer: | Naoki Kodaka |
| Download: |
NSFE
(complete), NSF (track 3)
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Review by Jace:
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The process of ranking these NES tracks actually provided me with my first serious exposure to 1989's Batman soundtrack. Sunsoft nails the austerity of Gotham City with powerful and dark melodies that are somehow not melodramatic. Mid-paced, deliberate melodic movements with pulsing basslines create an atmosphere of complex heroicism perfectly suited to the trials the Bat Man. |
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#73 - Shatterhand
Ending
Listen to this track:
Requires Flash10
Track information:
| Game title: |
Shatterhand |
| Track title: |
Ending |
| Game release year: |
1991 |
| Composers: | Iku Mizutani, Koichi Yamanishi |
| Download: |
NSFE
(complete), NSF (track 13)
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Review by Jace:
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I am baffled that this song didn't crack the top 50, or even the top 20. It's well known that I'm a Mizutani fanboy, and I can't say his work isn't well-represented on this list, but I think this is one of his greatest compositions and one of the greatest staff rolls for any system. The buildup beginning at 60 seconds has one of the most playful melodic progressions I can imagine with a deliciously aggressive rhythm ramping it up to one of the most triumphant figures in video game music (partially so because I swear there's a slight hint of FUNK in the way the melody surfs that greasy major scale). Maybe I'm just delusional, but as this is one of the longer pieces on the list, I have to wonder if it wasn't hurt by flash voting (despite our efforts to curtail such shenanigans). Listen, and then listen again. Transcendent. |
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#72 - Super Mario Bros 2
It's just a Dream… (Ending)
Listen to this track:
Requires Flash10
Track information:
| Game title: |
Super Mario Bros 2 |
| Track title: |
It's just a Dream… (Ending) |
| Game release year: |
1988 |
| Composer: | Koji Kondo |
| Download: |
NSFE
(complete), NSF (track 14)
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Review by Jace:
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Such a quaintly idiosyncratic tune. Just when think I understand the priorities of The Shizz, I see something like this on the list. It's a great tune, don't get me wrong. It's just so--beautifully--simple. It's not really metallic, or clever...it just WORKS. It is the end of the game. "Duh." - everyone ever. |
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#71 - Contra
Energy Zone (Stage 6)
Listen to this track:
Requires Flash10
Track information:
| Game title: |
Contra |
| Track title: |
Energy Zone (Stage 6) |
| Game release year: |
1988 |
| Composers: | Hidenori Maezawa, Kyouhei Sada |
| Download: |
NSFE
(complete), NSF (track 5)
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Review by Jace:
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More mystical modes signifying an increasing proximity to impending doom. Still frantic and rocking, but ominous. One of the shorter loops on the list, but fairly air-tight. |
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#70 - Journey to Silius
Boss Battle
Listen to this track:
Requires Flash10
Track information:
| Game title: |
Journey to Silius |
| Track title: |
Boss Battle |
| Game release year: |
1990 |
| Composers: | Mabocha N, Marumo, Naoki Kodaka, Nobuyuki Hara,
Shinichi Seya |
| Download: |
NSFE
(complete), NSF (track 7)
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Review by Jace:
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A boss fight to the bitter end! Minor key with propulsive tension. A sledgehammer of angsty melody. Ride passenger on this motorcycle, driven with an appropriate and effective posture. |
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#69 - Shadow of the Ninja
Ending
Listen to this track:
Requires Flash10
Track information:
| Game title: |
Shadow of the Ninja |
| Track title: |
Ending |
| Game release year: |
1990 |
| Composers: | Iku Mizutani, Koichi Yamanishi |
| Download: |
NSFE
(complete), NSF (track 11)
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Review by Jace:
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A theme for the ages. Pomp and circumstance beyond measure. As the dinosaurs saw the fire in the sky close in around them, this theme played from the craters of the moon. A child is born; does he even have a self to know? This song is the key to gateways we cannot approach. What am I doing? Why am I doing it? This is a piece of music that exists to me as a force of nature, as a crest of mountains on the horizon. |
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#68 - Mr. Gimmick
Strange Memories of Death
Listen to this track:
Requires Flash10
Track information:
| Game title: |
Mr. Gimmick |
| Track title: |
Strange Memories of Death |
| Game release year: |
1993 |
| Composers: | Masashi Kageyama, Shinichi Seya |
| Download: |
NSFE
(complete), NSF (track 2)
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Review by Jace:
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Rare is the composition that can inhabit as many worlds at once as this one does. It's undeniably wistful; the main melody almost sounds to me like an actual human voice, lamenting something pure from deep within its speaker. Yet, it rocks. The figure coming in at 50 seconds is a typhoon of rhythmic cleverness that whips me into a delightfully confused frenzy of headbanging and Jazzy Jeff dancing. There's also a tremendous playfulness in the transitions between phrases. On some days, I personally consider this the top musical achievement on the system. I first heard it in the car on the way to MAGFest 8 with Ashane, Zoast, DragonBurk, and MegaMatt, and therefore I ultimately associate it with friendship and the simple joys of being alive.
Additionnal comments by juef:
This track is pretty special in many ways to me: notably, it uses the "rare" FME-07 mapper, and the track is actually never used in the game. For more information, one might want to read this. |
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#67 - Mega Man 3
Proto Man
Listen to this track:
Requires Flash10
Track information:
| Game title: |
Mega Man 3 |
| Track title: |
Proto Man |
| Game release year: |
1990 |
| Composer: | Yasuaki Fujita (BUNBUN) |
| Download: |
NSFE
(complete), NSF (track 19)
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Review by Norrin_Radd:
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A surprisingly long NES song. I think it's clocking in at over 2 minutes?! This is definitely a chill track, with a butt load of smooth lounge style. I seem to have an easier time picturing this music in a pool game, or a casino game or something. Regardless, it takes a long time to build up past the all-too-familiar flute riff that plays when you encounter Proto Man in game. Once it does, however, you're greeted with a shockingly soulful NES performance. It's hard to expect anything less from Mega Man 3 at this point, but even this song, which I would normally consider a weaker track in the game, is absolutely shutting my mouth once I man up and get to the later stages of the song. The more I am hearing this song right now, the more I am glad it is well represented on this list. This is a list that (hopefully) will point some of the less educated out there to some of the best that NES music has to offer. It can't all be prog metal and drums from here to ya ya. Sometimes you need to let people know that normal music was done extremely well on the NES, too. I couldn't care less about the fact that this was in a Mega Man game. These are melodies and chord progressions that demand to be heard by more people than just Mega Man blow hards. |
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#66 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 - The Arcade Game
Fire!! (Stage 1)
Listen to this track:
Requires Flash10
Track information:
| Game title: |
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 - The Arcade Game |
| Track title: |
Fire!! (Stage 1) |
| Game release year: |
1990 |
| Composer: | Keizou Nakamura |
| Download: |
NSFE
(complete), NSF (track 109)
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Review by Jace:
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The perfect tune for kicking bad guys' asses inside of a building that is on fire. I bet that fire would be perfect for making some roasted pizzas in between bad guy ass kickings. This song makes me think of jetskiing on a wave that turns into a big evil water skull whose ass you then kick and the water turns into the bad guy's blood. |
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