Like most Rare games, Banjo-Kazooie has a fantastic soundtrack. On of my favorites is Click Clock Wood, and I especially love that it has its own variation for each season.

The actual Click Clock Wood level has four different versions, one for each season. While it's the same basic level each time, there are plenty of subtle, thematic changes that not only make each version look different, but play different as well. Different areas can be accessed, there are different enemies to fight, and different environmental interactions are available. And of course, there's a different version of the same basic song. That's what's great about this song- it's the same core melody each time, but there are a ton of small changes made to each one that really make them unique, and fit each season extremely well. First of all, the winter version just feels cold. It makes great use of stereotypical winter instrumentation via chimes and bells, and the pacing is slow and torpid, almost as if the song itself is frozen in a winter wonderland. The blowing wind in the background is another cool touch, and the whole thing fits really well with the bright white snow covering the level. The summer version is similarly slow, but rather than feeling frozen, it just feels lazy. It's as if the brutal heat that summer can bring has bogged this song down, and it's having trouble mustering up the energy to make it to the finish line. The use of animals such as birds, crickets, and bees as instrumentation is also fantastic. Where I'm from, these are certainly the sounds of summer.

The spring and fall versions are more upbeat, and I feel like the song's predominant melodies shine brightest here- especially in the spring version, which is my personal favorite. It's just has a fun, snappy beat that will brighten anyone's day. It's something that Rare has consistently been able to do in their games, and the spring version of Click Clock Wood is among their best. And yet, just because the core themes come out a little more doesn't mean these two versions lose any of their thematic flair. There are still great touches from birds and crickets in the spring, to frogs and woodpeckers in the fall, and the rest of the instrumentation is equally brilliant- everything feels just right. Ultimately, that's what I love most about each version of Click Clock Wood. It all falls into place wonderfully to represent each season incredibly well, which aligns perfectly with the nature of the level itself. I'll never get tired of seeing great music so accurately represent a great game, and Click Clock Wood does that as well as any.

For additional information on this blog, or to view other entries, click here.

If you know anything about my video game music tastes, you know that Chrono Cross’ soundtrack is one of my personal favorites. And if you know anything about said soundtrack, you know that Time’s Scar is its pinnacle track, and is completely amazing.
  

The soundtrack for God of War is as epic as they come, and perhaps no song exemplifies this as much as Minotaur Boss Battle. Prepare to crap your pants:
  

One of the cool things about the music from The Legend of Zelda franchise is how a handful of themes are expertly remixed to fit multiple games. One such theme is the one for Hyrule Castle, which appears multiple times in the series. I’d like to focus on three specific versions, the first being the one from A Link to the Past (I'm including an orchestrated version if you prefer some better sound quality).
 

One of the best things about the Mass Effect 2 soundtrack is that it has a great, thematic song for each party member, and perhaps my favorite such song is the one for Tali.
  

A staple theme in Japanese RPGs is the "town" theme. You know the extremely chill, peaceful music that always plays when you're visiting a small, uneventful town off the beaten path? Yeah, that song. I like that theme in most JRPGs. It's subdued nature is a nice contrast, and a nice break, from the otherwise constant barrage of overly epic melodrama that defines the genre. One of my favorite examples of this practice is Fisherman's Horizon from Final Fantasy VIII. 
 

Alright then, let's start this show with a show stopper. Stickerbrush Symphony (or Bramble Blast, if you prefer) from Donkey Kong Country 2 is without a doubt one of my absolute favorites. First thing's first- if you haven't heard it before, have a listen.
    

I've always felt that one of the most overlooked, under-appreciated qualities of video games is their audio. Video games are meant to transport us to an alternate world, and they do so by engaging our various senses. Touch (controller interface) and sight (graphics) seem to receive the majority of the attention, though sound can play an equally important, if more subtle role. Take a moment to think about some of the most vivid, most memorable moments from your video game experiences. How many of them are driven by the poignant voice of a character delivering an iconic line? Engulfed in the crisp sound effects of raining bullets and glorious explosions? Accompanied by a pulsating, majestic, or beautiful song?

Odds are high that the majority of those memories have an audio component to them, and I'd like to focus on one in particular- music. If you know me in any capacity, then you know I love a good video game song as much as anyone. Not only is a lot of video game music of exceptionally high quality on its own merits, but when used in the proper context it can be one of the biggest driving forces behind a game. A good song can guide your emotional investment in a game better than anything, and I'd like to comment on the music that's affected me over the years. I think this blog space is the perfect venue for that.

Each entry will focus on either a single game, or more likely a single song, providing a write-up as to why I like the selection so much. I'll also include embedded Youtube videos containing the music in question for you to listen to while you read, provided I can find them of course. For the sake of being consistent, I'll preface the title of each entry with "Awesome Video Game Music". I'll also link each entry back to this introductory one, where I will include a full list of every entry I've ever written. Kind of like an archive.

Last but not least, this is meant to be fun, and is something I get pretty into. I feel like there is a lot of potential for music in games, and hope anyone reading this comes away with a better appreciation of the medium. I'd like to hear your comments, experiences, and thoughts pertaining to video game music as well, and look forward to engaging in some conversations via the comments. That's pretty much it- enjoy!

EDIT: As of July 17, 2012, I have discontinued this blog series. See the final entry, "Finale", for more details. Thanks for reading!

Archive

It seems to me that most people have varying notions on what a video game review is supposed to be. As such, I feel it helpful to give a good idea on what I deem to be the purpose of my reviews, as to better give any reader of them a better sense of where I am coming from. Here you will find what I consider when writing my reviews, which will hopefully lead to them making more sense, as well as being more useful to you, the reader.

Review Style

The first thing you should know is that I don't summarize games. I usually get put off by reviews that simply run through the bullet-point features of a game- "There's this mode, where you do this, and then there's that mode, where you do that..." There's enough info on the web to satisfy anyone just looking for raw details and facts. I'm more about trying to explain why I did or didn't like the game, and whether or not I feel it was worth my money.

The other thing I don't do (which kind of follows from the first point) is write a book when reviewing. You know, those 5 page long super-reviews that sites like IGN tend to do? Not my style. I'm not going to assault anyone with a fat old wall-o'-text. Basically, I try to pick out the main points about the game, and give my reaction on how they shaped my enjoyment of the game. Most reviewers seem to cover all the little details, so if that's what you are looking for, I'm sure you can easily find it elsewhere.

Finally, as games have become much more mainstream, I feel that the distinction between a game being considered universally "good" or "bad" has become hard to determine. I feel that practically every game will be enjoyed by someone, and hated by someone else. As such, it's my perception that the act of thinking a game is "good" or "bad" has become a mostly subjective exercise. Therefore, my reviews are purely that- subjective. I'm writing about how much I enjoyed the game, and whether or not I felt it was worth my time and money. You may end up feeling differently about the game than I did, which is all well and good. In fact, it's great. Diversity is a wonderful thing.

These 3 points are the core of my main review philosophy for any review I post here on good old GiantBomb: Talk about how much I liked the game, in as clear and concise of a manner as possible. Leave out the fluff, the gory details, and keep it short and to the point. It's likely that anyone reading one of my reviews found it by sifting through numerous other user reviews, meaning you are probably looking to sample a wide variety of opinions in a timely manner. Therefore, I'm attempting to give that quick burst of feedback, but also back it up with clear reasons for why I make my claims.

Scoring System

So that's that for the written portion. As for the 5 Star scoring system, I think most people seem to interpret it differently. Therefore, I once again feel it helpful to give my interpretation of the scoring system, and briefly describe what I mean when I give a game X Stars (I won't be giving half-stars).

5 Stars: I had a blast playing this game, and also feel that just about anyone who goes into the game with an open mind will also enjoy it, though maybe to varying degrees. There might be a few small quirks, but for the most part I wouldn't really change anything about this game. This is the real deal.

4 Stars: I really enjoyed this game, and would recommend it to almost anyone. However, there are one or two noticeable issues that just didn't sit right with me. There will be a handful of players who won't be able to get past those issues, but for everyone else this game is a great choice.

3 Stars: I had fun with this game in the long run, but questionable design choices make me wonder how many other people will share my sentiment. It was kind of an up and down experience, and one that I think many players will enjoy, while many others will not.

2 Stars: I had a handful of problems with this game, and the overall experience was one that left me feeling somewhat cheated. It had its moments of glory, but wasn't consistent enough to deliver from start to finish. Not sure that many players will appreciate this game, though some should.

1 Star: I didn't enjoy this game one bit. It might have the slightest bit of redeeming value, and may even entertain a select few. But when compared to other games coming out it's just not worth it. I imagine that pretty much everyone could find something else they would have more fun playing.

And that sums up my review style- enjoy!