Forever Sound Version

Everyone knows about the Sony Playstation and Sega Saturn, but what about those other CD-based video game systems? In this episode I take a deep dive into the world of early Redbook audio VGM, covering platforms such as the FM Towns, PC Engine CD, Sega CD, 3DO, and Neo Geo CD!

Listen:

https://ia601509.us.archive.org/33/items/fsvep40/fsvep40.mp3

Shadow of the Beast (1991, FM Towns) ‘Opening’ by Chris Howlett and Ian Henderson

Super Street Fighter II (1994, FM Towns) ‘Dee Jay’s Theme’ by Shun Nishigaki and Isao Abe

Popful Mail (1994, PC Engine CD) ‘Volcanic Zone (Exploration)’ by Falcom Sound Team

Gate of Thunder (1992, PC Engine Super CD-ROM) ‘Stage 6’ by M. Takeda, K Yamaoka, T. Nagami, and N. Wada

Lunar: The Silver Star (1992, Sega CD) ‘Battle Theme’ by Noriyuki Iwadare, Hiroshi Fujioka, and Isao Mizoguchi

The Terminator (1993, Sega CD) ‘Taking to the Air’ by Tommy Tallarico

Ballz: The Director’s Cut (1995, 3DO) ‘Crusher’ by Kurt Harland, Ted Hommel, Brendan McCarthy, and Aaron Winett

Starfighter 3000 (1996, 3DO) ‘Death By Stereo’, composer unknown

Pulstar (1995, SNK Neo Geo CD) ‘Back Alive’ by Harumi Fujita

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Forever Sound Version is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://foreversoundversion.wordpress.com/

It’s the first episode of 2018 – let’s go an adventure! In this episode I get stuck into the rocking tracks of Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun, a Sega Mega Drive exclusive from 1992. Expect crunching drum beats and raging riffs, and watch out for that red dragon…

Listen:

https://ia601509.us.archive.org/2/items/fsvep39/fsvep39.mp3

Dungeon & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun (1992, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Title Theme’ by Paul S. Mudra, Frank Klepacki, and Dwight Kenichi Okahara

Dungeon & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun (1992, Sega Mega Drive) ‘City Theme’ by Paul S. Mudra, Frank Klepacki, and Dwight Kenichi Okahara

Dungeon & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun (1992, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Azcan Wander’ by Paul S. Mudra, Frank Klepacki, and Dwight Kenichi Okahara

Dungeon & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun (1992, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Elven Wander’ by Paul S. Mudra, Frank Klepacki, and Dwight Kenichi Okahara

Dungeon & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun (1992, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Elven Combat’ by Paul S. Mudra, Frank Klepacki, and Dwight Kenichi Okahara

Dungeon & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun (1992, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Beastman Wander’ by Paul S. Mudra, Frank Klepacki, and Dwight Kenichi Okahara

Dungeon & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun (1992, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Jungle Wander’ by Paul S. Mudra, Frank Klepacki, and Dwight Kenichi Okahara

Dungeon & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun (1992, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Lavapit Wander’ by Paul S. Mudra, Frank Klepacki, and Dwight Kenichi Okahara

Dungeon & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun (1992, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Lavapit Combat’ by Paul S. Mudra, Frank Klepacki, and Dwight Kenichi Okahara

Dungeon & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun (1992, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Swamp Wander’ by Paul S. Mudra, Frank Klepacki, and Dwight Kenichi Okahara

Dungeon & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun (1992, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Swamp Combat’ by Paul S. Mudra, Frank Klepacki, and Dwight Kenichi Okahara

Dungeon & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun (1992, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Victory (unused)’ by Paul S. Mudra, Frank Klepacki, and Dwight Kenichi Okahara

Dungeon & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun (1992, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Credits’ by Paul S. Mudra, Frank Klepacki, and Dwight Kenichi Okahara

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Forever Sound Version is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://foreversoundversion.wordpress.com/

For the final episode of 2017 I dip into something a bit unusual – games released via Sega’s Meganet service, a means of downloading Mega Drive software via a dial-up connection that was available in Japan in the early nineties! Thank you for checking out Forever Sound Version in 2017, and here’s to a rocking 2018!

Listen:

https://ia601505.us.archive.org/7/items/fsvep38/fsvep38.mp3

Mega Anser (1990, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Title Theme’, composer unknown

Sonic Eraser (1991, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Puzzle Mode’ by Masaru Setsumaru

Ikasuze! Ai no Doki Doki Penguin Land MD (1992, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Ingame’ by Keisuke Tsukahara

Phantasy Star II Text Adventures (1991, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Rolf – Exploration’, composer unknown

Phantasy Star II Text Adventures (1991, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Rudo – Action’, composer unknown

Kiss Shot (1992, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Title Screen’ by Naofumi Hataya and Hiroshi Kubota

Kiss Shot (1992, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Nineball Game’ by Naofumi Hataya and Hiroshi Kubota

Putter Golf (1992, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Title Screen, BGM 2’ by E. Fugu

Putter Golf (1992, Sega Mega Drive) ‘BGM 1’ by E. Fugu

Hyper Marbles (1991, Sega Mega Drive) ‘BGM 1’ by Masafumi Ogata and Tohru Nakabayashi

Hyper Marbles (1991, Sega Mega Drive) ‘BGM 4’ by Masafumi Ogata and Tohru Nakabayashi

Paddle Fighter (1991, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Ending’ by T’s Music

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Forever Sound Version is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://foreversoundversion.wordpress.com/

You wanted the best; you got… the third instalment of Forever Sound Version’s VGM battle series! For this special extra-long episode I’m joined by John, Michael T, and Joseph for a good old Saturday afternoon listening party in my living room. Who will be the Supreme Champion this time around?

SPOILERS: A complete score card can be downloaded here!

Listen:

https://ia601503.us.archive.org/4/items/fsvep37/fsvep37.mp3

Hessian (2016, Commodore 64) ‘Courtyard (Pink Cadillac Blood)’ by Lasse Öörni

Little Big Adventure 2 (Twinsen’s Odyssey) (1997, PC) ‘LBA’s Theme’ by Philippe Vachey

Super Meat Boy (2010, PC) ‘Forest Funk’ by Danny Baranowsky

Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos (2002, PC) ‘Blackrock & Roll’ by Tracy W. Bush, Derek Duke, Jason Hayes, and Glenn Stafford

Ys: Book I & II (1989, TurboGrafx CD) ‘Palace’ originally composed by Yuzo Kosiho, arranged for TurboGrafx CD by Ryo Yonemitsu

Xenoblade Chronicles (2012, Nintendo Wii) ‘Gaur Plains’ by ACE+

Spelunky (2009, PC) ‘Mines A’ by George Buzinkai

Castlevania (1986, NES) ‘Wicked Child’ by Kinuyo Yamashita

Burning Rangers (1998, Sega Saturn) ‘We Are Burning Rangers’ by Naofumi Hataya

Yakuza 0 (2017, Sony PlayStation 4) ‘Heart Break Mermaid’ by Yuri Fukuda, Chihiro Aoki, and Saori Yoshida

World of Warcraft (2004, PC) ‘Stormwind Theme’ by Jason Hayes, Tracy W. Bush, Derek Duke, and Glenn Stafford

Gran Turismo 2 (1999, Sony PlayStation) ‘The Drift of Air Version 2’ by Isamu Ohira

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Forever Sound Version is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://foreversoundversion.wordpress.com/

Fire is dangerous and should be treated with respect! In this episode I cover tracks composed for firefighting games – a very interesting niche theme in the world of video games that has inspired a lot of imagination and creativity. Feel the heat… of the fire…!

Listen:

https://ia601405.us.archive.org/33/items/fsvep36/fsvep36.mp3

Fahrenheit (1995, Sega 32X CD) ‘Feel the Heat’ by Lou Nadeau

The Firemen (1994, SNES) ‘Raging Fire’ by Hideto Maeda, Konomi Ito, Hironori Tanaka and Hiroyuki Naka

The Firemen (1994, SNES) ‘Last Resort’ by Hideto Maeda, Konomi Ito, Hironori Tanaka and Hiroyuki Naka

Real Heroes: Firefighter (2009, Nintendo Wii) ‘34 2’ by Bret Johnson

Real Heroes: Firefighter (2009, Nintendo Wii) ‘bond 1’ by Bret Johnson

Rosco McQueen (1998, Sony PlayStation) ‘Auto’ by Paul Hodgson

Rosco McQueen (1998, Sony PlayStation) ‘Leisure’ by Paul Hodgson

Rosco McQueen (1998, Sony PlayStation) ‘Credits’ by Paul Hodgson

The Ignition Factor (1994, SNES) ‘Toxic Mine Shaft’ by Takahiro Ogata and Saika Chan

The Ignition Factor (1994, SNES) ‘Ready to Save Lives’ by Takahiro Ogata and Saika Chan

Burning Rangers (1997, Sega Saturn) ‘Soothing Heat’ by Naofumi Hataya, Fumie Kumatani and Masaru Setsumaru

Burning Rangers (1997, Sega Saturn) ‘Angels With Burning Hearts’ by Naofumi Hataya

Fahrenheit (1995, Sega 32X CD) ‘Feel the Heat’ by Lou Nadeau

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Forever Sound Version is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://foreversoundversion.wordpress.com/

The early to mid-nineties was what I consider to be the golden age of console gaming, with Nintendo’s sleek grey wonder, the SNES, leading the way creatively and commercially in tandem with the Sega Mega Drive. Lock in and enjoy some great sample-based VGM picks – the system’s sound really is as good as you remember! Many thanks to the Diad from The Diad Presents: A VGM Podcast for contributing a pick and some commentary to this show.

Listen:

https://ia601502.us.archive.org/30/items/fsvep35/fsvep35.mp3

David Crane’s Amazing Tennis (1992, SNES) ‘Main Theme’ by Mark Van Hecke

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991, SNES) ‘Majestic Castle’ by Koji Kondo

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991, SNES) ‘Dark Golden Land’ by Koji Kondo

Pilotwings (1990, SNES) ‘Choose Aircraft’ by Koji Kondo and Soyo Oka

Pilotwings (1990, SNES) ‘Rocketbelt’ by Koji Kondo and Soyo Oka

Chrono Trigger (1995, SNES) ‘Secret of the Forest’ by Yasunori Mitsuda

Super Bomberman (1993, SNES) ‘Level 3’ by Jun Chikuma

Super Bomberman (1993, SNES) ‘Level 4’ by Jun Chikuma

Alien 3 (1993, SNES) ‘Collect, Deliver, and Seal’ by Steve Collett

Hagane – The Final Conflict (1994, SNES) ‘Stage 2-2’ by Takahito Abe

Hagane – The Final Conflict (1994, SNES) ‘Stage 5-2’ by Takahito Abe

Mechwarrior 3050 (1995, SNES) ‘Ridderkerk’ by Brian Schmidt

Mechwarrior 3050 (1995, SNES) ‘Game Over’ by Brian Schmidt

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991, SNES) ‘Staff Roll’ by Koji Kondo

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Forever Sound Version is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://foreversoundversion.wordpress.com/

This week, ‘Scary’ Michael is joined by ‘Spooky’ Rob to bring you a very special Halloween-themed episode! In true Forever Sound Version fashion we’ll be enjoying tracks from classic games including Resident Evil and Super Mario World as well as some sounds from rarer titles like Countdown Vampires. Happy Halloween!

Listen:

https://ia601508.us.archive.org/19/items/fsvep34/fsvep34.mp3

Ghosts ‘n Goblins (1999, Nintendo Game Boy Color) ‘BGM #02’ by Jeremy Mika

Resident Evil (1996, Sony PlayStation) ‘First Floor Mansion’ by Makoto Tomozawa, Akari Kaida, and Masami Ueda

Resident Evil (1996, Sony PlayStation) ‘Save Room’ by Makoto Tomozawa, Akari Kaida, and Masami Ueda

Super Mario World (1990, Super Nintendo Entertainment System) ‘Haunted House’ by Koji Kondo

Super Mario World (1990, Super Nintendo Entertainment System) ‘Fortress’ by Koji Kondo

Friday the 13th (1989, Nintendo Entertainment System) ‘Crystal Lake Camp Map’ by Hirohiko Takayama

Splatterhouse 3 (1993, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Stage 1’ by Eiko Kaneda

Splatterhouse 3 (1993, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Ending (Jennifer + David Dead)’ by Eiko Kaneda

The Last Door (2013, PC) ‘Angels Protect This House’ by Carlos Viola

Countdown Vampires (1999, Sony PlayStation) ‘Horrible Panic!’ by Kenichi Kamio

Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse (1990, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Stage 1 – 2’ by Shigenori Kamiya

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Forever Sound Version is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://foreversoundversion.wordpress.com/

The RPG genre is an incredibly fertile source of VGM, with sprawling and varied soundtracks to match the lengthy and oftentimes cinematic nature of the games, so it’s about time I made an episode dedicated to it! RPG connoisseur and Forever Sound Version veteran John Baldasera swings by to enjoy some tracks from games such as Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers, Ax Battler: A Legend of Golden Axe, and Nier Automata.

Listen:

https://ia601400.us.archive.org/8/items/fsvep33/fsvep33.mp3

Ghost Lion (1989, NES) ‘Title Theme’ by Hiroyuki Masuno

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers (1997, Sega Saturn) ‘Algon NS Building (Vision Quest)’ by Toshiko Tasaki, Tsukasa Masuko, and Shoji Meguro

Dragon Riders: Chronicles of Pern (2001, Sega Dreamcast) ‘Danger? Action!’ by Laurent Parisi

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (2004, PC) ‘Path to Libel’ by Hayato Sonoda, Wataru Ishibashi, and Takahide Murayama

Ax Battler: A Legend of Golden Axe (1992, Sega Game Gear) ‘Wilderness’ by Keisuke Tsukahara

Nier Automata (2017, Sony PlayStation 4) ‘City Ruins (Shade)’ by Keiichi Okabe and MONACA, vocals and lyrics by Emi Evans

Death Bringer (1989, Sharp X68000) ‘Last Odyssey (Ending)’ by Shinobu Ogawa and Tenpe Sato

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Forever Sound Version is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://foreversoundversion.wordpress.com/

The Roland MT-32 was a powerful pre-General MIDI sound module for PC that offered game composers a ton of different voices to make music with. Lock in and enjoy some of my picks from DOS game soundtracks played on the MT-32, and humour my musings on Black Sabbath’s unsung hero, management simulation games, and BBC Ceefax!

Listen:

https://ia601403.us.archive.org/21/items/fsvep32/fsvep32.mp3

Nova 9: The Return of Gir Draxon (1991, DOS) ‘Title’ by Dale Cooper and Christopher Stevens

Sim City 2000 (1993, DOS) ‘Dancing Megalopolis – Credits’ by Sue Kasper

Sim City 2000 (1993, DOS) ‘Work Work Work!’ by Sue Kasper

Waxworks (1992, DOS) ‘Egypt Theme’ by Jezz Woodroffe

Waxworks (1992, DOS) ‘Vladimir Battle’ by Jezz Woodroffe

Fire Hawk: Thexder The Second Contact (1990, DOS) ‘Mission 1’ by Hiromi Ohba and Masahiko Yoshimura, Roland MT-32 music adapted by Rob Atesalp

Fire Hawk: Thexder The Second Contact (1990, DOS) ‘Mission 7’ by Hiromi Ohba and Masahiko Yoshimura, Roland MT-32 music adapted by Rob Atesalp

Transport Tycoon Deluxe (1995, DOS) ‘Cruise Control’ by John Broomhall

Transport Tycoon Deluxe (1995, DOS) ‘Funk Central’ by John Broomhall

Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss (1992, DOS) ‘Introduction’ by David Govett and George Alistair Sanger

Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss (1992, DOS) ‘Combat’ by David Govett and George Alistair Sanger

Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers (1993, DOS) ‘Wolfgang Ritter’ by Robert Holmes

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Forever Sound Version is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://foreversoundversion.wordpress.com/

I need your clothes, your boots, and your motorcycle…! The golden age of action movies gave us a ton of licensed games with a wide variety of styles represented in their soundtracks. Join me as I put on a bullet belt and a pair of sunglasses to check out tracks from titles like Rambo on the NES, Die Hard Trilogy on the Playstation, and Predator 2 on the Amiga!

Listen:

https://ia601406.us.archive.org/1/items/fsvep31/fsvep31.mp3

Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991, Commodore 64) ‘Intro’ by Jonathan Dunn

Rambo (1988, NES) ‘Title Introduction Theme’ by Toru Hasebe

Rambo (1988, NES) ‘In-Game Theme’ by Toru Hasebe

Universal Soldier (1992, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Stage 4 (Underwater)’ by J. Dave Rogers and Paul Kenny

Die Hard Trilogy (1996, Sony Playstation) ‘Church’ by Stephen Root and Neil Palmer

Die Hard Trilogy (1996, Sony Playstation) ‘Reception’ by Stephen Root and Neil Palmer

The Running Man (1989, Atari ST) ‘Main Theme’, composer unknown

Timecop (1995, SNES) ‘The San Andreas Fault [Stage 2]’ by David Cage

Timecop (1995, SNES) ‘Germany [Stage 4]’ by David Cage

Predator 2 (1991, Commodore Amiga) ‘Main Theme’ by Justin Scharvona

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Forever Sound Version is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://foreversoundversion.wordpress.com/