Metal Slug is one of my all-time favourite arcade franchises for its frenetic and gleefully over the top run and gun action. As a kid, I was always powerless to resist the allure of the ‘Big Red’ Neo Geo cabinets when they housed a title as timeless as Metal Slug – Super Vehicle-001! Aside from the moreish gameplay and excellent graphics, a lot of Metal Slug’s overall quality is to do with its music, so in this episode, I delve into the soundtracks of the series to enjoy the fine musical chops of the games’ composers, including Takushi Hiyamuta and Toshikazu Tanaka.

Listen:

https://ia601407.us.archive.org/24/items/fsvep30/fsvep30.mp3

Metal Slug (1996, SNK Neo Geo) ‘Operation Explanation, Ranking’ by Takushi Hiyamuta and JIM

Metal Slug (1996, SNK Neo Geo) ‘Stage 1’ by Takushi Hiyamuta and JIM

Metal Slug (1996, SNK Neo Geo) ‘Stage 3’ by Takushi Hiyamuta and JIM

Metal Slug 2 (1998, SNK Neo Geo) ‘Prehistoric Site’ by Takushi Hiyamuta

Metal Slug 2 (1998, SNK Neo Geo) ‘Metamorphosis’ by Takushi Hiyamuta

Metal Slug 3 (2000, SNK Neo Geo) ‘Marine Diver’ by Takushi Hiyamuta, Yoshihiko Wada, Rich Horiuchi, Q_Jirou and Maitaro

Metal Slug 3 (2000, SNK Neo Geo) ‘The Midnight Wanderer’ by Takushi Hiyamuta, Yoshihiko Wada, Rich Horiuchi, Q_Jirou and Maitaro

Metal Slug 4 (2002, SNK Neo Geo) ‘Let’s Run Through! (Stage 1 ‘City’)’ by Toshikazu Tanaka

Metal Slug 4 (2002, SNK Neo Geo) ‘Show Spirit (Stage 2 ‘National Border’)’ by Toshikazu Tanaka

Metal Slug 5 (2003, SNK Neo Geo) ‘Windy Day’ by Toshikazu Tanaka

Metal Slug 5 (2003, SNK Neo Geo) ‘Zoom Down’ by Toshikazu Tanaka

Metal Slug (1996, SNK Neo Geo) ‘Final Scene 1P’ by Takushi Hiyamuta and JIM

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Forever Sound Version is one year old! To reflect on a solid twelve months of VGM discovery, here’s a retrospective episode featuring some of my favourite tracks from the first 28 episodes, as well as some special guest picks from listeners Zinn and Mister Krüsli Pants. Thank you for supporting the show, and rest assured that there are many, many more episodes to come!

Listen:

https://ia601408.us.archive.org/15/items/fsvep29/fsvep29.mp3

Top Gear Rally (1997, Nintendo 64) ‘Mountain’ composed by Barry Leitch

Hagane: The Final Conflict (1994, SNES) ‘Stage 1-4’ composed by Takahito Abe

Ranger X (1993, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Stage 2-1 (Cave)’ composed by Yoshinobu Hiraiwa

Tempest 2000 (1994, Atari Jaguar) ‘Tracking Depth’ composed by Ian Howe, Alastair Lindsey, Kevin Saville, and Julian Hodgson

Mega-Apocalypse (1987, Commodore 64) ‘Main Theme’ by Rob Hubbard

Colony Wars 2492 (1996, PC) ‘TRACK08’ by Christian Kirsch

Colony Wars 2492 (1996, PC) ‘TRACK18’ by Christian Kirsch

Colony Wars 2492 (1996, PC) ‘TRACK05’ by Christian Kirsch

Colony Wars 2492 (1996, PC) ‘TRACK03’ by Christian Kirsch

Master of Darkness (1993, Sega Master System) ‘Thames River’ composed by Takashi Horiguchi and Yoko Wada

NBA Live 95 (1994, SNES) ‘Menu’ by Traz Damji and Brian Shaw

Star Cruiser (1989, Sharp X68000) ‘Star Cruiser (Drastic days will come ～ オープニング)’ composed by Toshiya Yamanaka

Colony Wars 2492 Complete OST on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Fw5mhApO6_I

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There’s no school like the old school, and for this episode, I’m joined in the classroom of game music by Rob and Pernell from the excellent Rhythm and Pixels VGM podcast! Join us as we jam on some great picks from games as diverse as Pac-Mania, Hammerfist, and Lemmings!

Listen:

https://ia601408.us.archive.org/8/items/fsvep28/fsvep28.mp3

Twin Turbo V8 (1989, Sinclair ZX Spectrum) ‘Title’ by Lyndon Sharp

Pac-Mania (1988, Commodore Amiga) ‘Level 2 BGM’ by Ben Daglish

Zynaps (1987, Atari ST) ‘Title’ by Dave Rogers

The Vice Squad (2013, Commodore 64) ‘Title Tune’ by Linus (Sascha Zeidler)

The Great Giana Sisters (1987, Commodore 64) ‘Loader’ by Chris Hülsbeck

Hammerfist (1990, Commodore 64) ‘Track 3’ by Wally Beben

Gunhead (1994, Atari 8-bit family) ‘Title’ by Radek “Raster” Sterba

Lemmings (1994, Commodore 64) ‘Smile if You Love Lemmings’ by Jeroen Tel

The Duel: Test Drive II (1989, Commodore Amiga) ‘Intro’ by Kris Hatfield

Switchblade II (1991, Commodore Amiga) ‘Title’ by Barry Leitch

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It’s back!! The Forever Sound Version Battle Series returns, and this time, there’s an actual real trophy to be won! I’m joined by John, Michael T, and super special last-minute guest Ross to slug it out to see who will be the supreme champion. Warning: extra long episode!!

Listen:

https://ia601408.us.archive.org/3/items/fsvep27/fsvep27.mp3

Rocky (2002, Nintendo Game Boy Advance) ‘Gonna Fly Now’

Mega Man 3 (1990, Nintendo Entertainment System) ‘Snake Man’ by Yasuaki Fujita

Goldeneye 007 (1997, Nintendo 64) ‘Facility’ by Grant Kirkhope

Animal Crossing: Wild World (2005, Nintendo DS) ‘Main Theme’ by Kazumi Totaka

Marvel Vs. Capcom: Clash of Superheroes (1998, CP System II) ‘Theme of Morrigan’ by Masato Kouda and Yuko Takehara

Ikaruga (2002, Sega Dreamcast) ‘Boss 01 – Butsutekkai’ by Hiroshi Iuchi

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 (2000, PC) ‘Hell March 2’ by Frank Klepacki

The Sims (2000, PC) ‘Buy Mode 1’ by Jerry Martin and Marc Russo

R-Type (1989, Commodore Amiga) ‘Main Theme’ by Chris Hülsbeck

Persona 5 (2016, Sony Playstation 4) ‘Last Surprise’ by Shoji Meguro

Cannon Fodder (1993, Commodore Amiga) ‘War Has Never Been So Much Fun’ by Jon Hare

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997, Sony Playstation) ‘Crystal Teardrops’ by Michiru Yamane

Road Rash 3 (1995, Sega Mega Drive) ‘United Kingdom’ by Don Veca

Civilization IV (2005, PC) ‘Baba Yetu’ by Christopher Tin

AM2R (2016, PC) ‘Hydro Station’ composed by Milton Guasti

Final Fantasy VII (1997, Sony Playstation) ‘Fanfare’ by Nobuo Uematsu

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Stuart is back in the Forever Sound Version guest seat to help me honour one of our favourite consoles of all time – the original Sony Playstation! Fast tracks, slow tracks, tracks from RPGs, tracks from sports games… we have it all!

Listen:

https://ia601502.us.archive.org/16/items/fsvep26/fsvep26.mp3

Armored Core (1997, Sony Playstation) ‘Shape Memory Alloys’ by Keiichiro Segawa and Masaru Tateyama

Armored Core (1997, Sony Playstation) ‘Dotted Line’ by Keiichiro Segawa and Masaru Tateyama

Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee (1998, Sony Playstation) ‘Rupture Farms’ by Ellen Meijers-Gabriel

Jade Cocoon: Story of the Tamamayu (1997, Sony Playstation) ‘Moth Forest’ by Minami Matsumae

Jade Cocoon: Story of the Tamamayu (1997, Sony Playstation) ‘Legend of Arcana’ by Minami Matsumae

Actua Soccer (1995, Sony Playstation) ‘Menu Theme’ by Patrick Phelan

Gran Turismo (1997, Sony Playstation) ‘TVR Dealer’ by Masamichi Seki, Takashi Kanai, Yasuaki Yabuta and Mitsukuni Murai

Gran Turismo (1997, Sony Playstation) ‘Honda/Acura Dealer’ by Masamichi Seki, Takashi Kanai, Yasuaki Yabuta and Mitsukuni Murai

Tomb Raider II (1997, Sony Playstation) ‘The Temple of Xian’ by Nathan McCree

Bushido Blade (1997, Sony Playstation) ‘Hiding in Shadow’ by Ayako Saso

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It’s time for Forever Sound Version’s first ever sports games focus – and it’s on the NBA! There are no airballs on this episode as we charge through some great tracks from franchises such as Midway’s frenetic arcade-oriented NBA Jam and the EA basketball sims of the ‘Live’ series. Boomshakalaka!

Listen:

https://ia601404.us.archive.org/4/items/fsvep25/fsvep25.mp3

NBA Jam Tournament Edition (1995, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Main Theme’ by Jon Hey

NBA Jam Tournament Edition (1995, SNES) ‘End of Game’ by Jon Hey

NBA Jam (1994, Nintendo Game Boy) ‘Main Theme’ by Jon Hey

NBA Jam (1994, Nintendo Game Boy) ‘Team Select’ by Jon Hey

NBA Live 95 (1994, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Title Theme’ by Traz Damji and Brian Shaw

NBA Live 95 (1994, SNES) ‘Menu’ by Traz Damji and Brian Shaw

NBA Live 96 (1995, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Title Theme’ by Traz Damji, Steve Royea and Vince Mai

NBA Live 97 (1996, SNES) ‘Title Screen’ by Brian Schmidt

NBA Live 98 (1997, SNES) ‘Crowd’ by Mark Oritz

NBA Live 98 (1997, SNES) ‘Defense!’ by Mark Oritz

NBA 3 on 3 Featuring Kobe Bryant (1999, Nintendo Game Boy Color) ‘BGM2’ by Chris Lamb

NBA in the Zone 2000 (2000, Nintendo Game Boy Color) ‘02’, composer unknown

NBA in the Zone 2000 (2000, Nintendo Game Boy Color) ‘03’, composer unknown

NBA in the Zone 2000 (2000, Nintendo Game Boy Color) ‘11’, composer unknown

NBA in the Zone 2000 (2000, Nintendo Game Boy Color) ‘13’, composer unknown

NBA Showdown (1993, SNES) ‘Title’ by Traz Damji

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Turn your POKEY up to 11! It’s time to rock out with some top drawer rippers from the Atari 8-bit family of computers. They may not have been able to set the world alight like the Commodore 64 and NES did in the 1980s, but these machines definitely have a curious place in gaming history, and one that is worth exploring!

Listen:

https://ia801501.us.archive.org/13/items/fsvep24/fsvep24.mp3

Hunter (1995, Atari 8-bit family) by Falk Büttner

Jet Set Willy (1987, Atari 8-bit family) by Rob Hubbard

Chimera (1985, Atari 8-bit family) by Rob Hubbard

Ninja Commando (1989, Atari 8-bit family) by Adam Gilmore

Draconus (1988, Atari 8-bit family) by Adam Gilmore

Red Max (1987, Atari 8-bit family) by David Whittaker

Storm (1987, Atari 8-bit family) by David Whittaker

Space Lobsters (1990, Atari 8-bit family) by Richard Munns

Zero Wars (1990, Atari 8-bit family) by Richard Munns

Pacmania (Unreleased, Atari 8-bit family) by Sal Esquivel

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I’m joined by Chris Machell to cover some top drawer jammers from the Sonic the Hedgehog games of the 1990s! With the enduring popularity of the original 2D Sonic titles in the world of retro gaming, it’s easy to take their soundtracks for granted, so we’ve picked out some superlative individual tracks – including classics and deeper cuts – to demonstrate the scope of what is among Sega’s most important contributions to the world of VGM!

Listen:

https://ia601508.us.archive.org/23/items/fsvep23/fsvep23.mp3

Sonic the Hedgehog (1991, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Title Theme’ by Masato Nakamura

Sonic the Hedgehog (1991, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Green Hill Zone’ by Masato Nakamura

Sonic the Hedgehog (1991, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Spring Yard Zone’ by Masato Nakamura

Sonic the Hedgehog (1991, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Scrap Brain Zone’ by Masato Nakamura

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Chemical Plant Zone’ by Masato Nakamura

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Emerald Hill Zone (2P)’ by Masato Nakamura

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Final Boss’ by Masato Nakamura

Sonic the Hedgehog (1991, Sega Master System) ‘Bridge Zone’ by Yuzo Koshiro

Sonic the Hedgehog (1991, Sega Master System) ‘Scrap Brain Zone’ by Yuzo Koshiro

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992, Sega Master System) ‘Gimmick Mountain Zone’ by Naofumi Hataya and Masafumi Ogata

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992, Sega Master System) ‘Invincible’ by Naofumi Hataya and Masafumi Ogata

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Hydrocity Zone Act 1’ by Michael Jackson and Brad Buxer

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994, Sega Mega Drive) ‘IceCap Zone Act 1’ by Brad Buxer

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Final Boss (Big Arms)’ by Tatsuyuki Maeda, Tomonori Sawada, Sachio Ogawa, Masayuki Nagao, and Masanori Hikichi

Sonic & Knuckles (1994, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Title Screen’ by Sachio Ogawa, Tatsuyuki Maeda, Jun Senoue, and Howard Drossin

Sonic & Knuckles (1994, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Flying Battery Zone Act 2’ by Sachio Ogawa, Tatsuyuki Maeda, Jun Senoue, and Howard Drossin

Sonic & Knuckles (1994, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Miniboss’ by Sachio Ogawa, Tatsuyuki Maeda, Jun Senoue, and Howard Drossin

Sonic & Knuckles (1994, Sega Mega Drive) ‘Lava Reef Zone Act 1’ by Sachio Ogawa, Tatsuyuki Maeda, Jun Senoue, and Howard Drossin

Sonic the Hedgehog CD [Japanese / European OST] (1993, Sega Mega CD) ‘Tidal Tempest (Present)’ by Naofumi Hataya and Masafumi Ogata

Sonic the Hedgehog CD [Japanese / European OST] (1993, Sega Mega CD) ‘Wacky Workbench (Bad Future)’ by Naofumi Hataya and Masafumi Ogata

Sonic the Hedgehog CD [North American OST] (1993, Sega Mega CD) ‘Ending’ by Spencer Nilsen, David Young, and Mark Crew

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This episode marks the first time that Forever Sound Version focuses on a single composer, and who better to start with than the legendary Rob Hubbard? This British musician has worked across a number of platforms, but his best-loved work arguably lies in his output for the Commodore 64 – lock in and enjoy these searingly brilliant SID chip burners of yesteryear!

Listen:

https://ia601500.us.archive.org/34/items/fsvep22/fsvep22.mp3

Arcade Classics (1987, Commodore 64) ‘Title Screen’ by Rob Hubbard

Delta (1987, Commodore 64) ‘Title Screen’ by Rob Hubbard

Thing on a Spring (1985, Commodore 64) ‘Main Theme’ by Rob Hubbard

Mega-Apocalypse (1987, Commodore 64) ‘Main Theme’ by Rob Hubbard

Action Biker (1985, Commodore 64) ‘BGM’ by Rob Hubbard

International Karate (1986, Commodore 64) ‘Main Theme’ by Rob Hubbard

Commando (1985, Commodore 64) ‘Title Screen’ by Rob Hubbard

Monty on the Run (1985, Commodore 64) ‘Main Theme’ by Rob Hubbard

Sanxion (1986, Commodore 64) ‘Loader’ by Rob Hubbard

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It helped raise a generation of gamers, and cemented Nintendo’s status as a force to be reckoned with on the world stage – it’s the Game Boy! Join me as I dig out my blocky old white Game Boy (which I’ve had since 1991!) to deliver a bunch of top drawer jammers from some of my favourite games on this iconic handheld system.

Listen:

https://ia601403.us.archive.org/17/items/fsvep21/fsvep21.mp3

Wizards & Warriors Chapter X: Fortress of Fear (1990, Nintendo Game Boy) ‘BGM #01’ by David Wise

Jurassic Park 2: The Chaos Continues (1994, Nintendo Game Boy) ‘BGM #06’ by Jonathan Dunn

Jurassic Park 2: The Chaos Continues (1994, Nintendo Game Boy) ‘BGM #04’ by Jonathan Dunn

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (1993, Nintendo Game Boy) ‘Mysterious Woods’ by Minako Hamano, Kozuo Ishikawa, and Kazumi Totaka

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (1993, Nintendo Game Boy) ‘Tal Tal Mountain Range’ by Minako Hamano, Kozuo Ishikawa, and Kazumi Totaka

Motocross Maniacs (1990, Nintendo Game Boy) ‘BGM #03’ by Michiru Yamane and Tsuyoshi Sekito

Motocross Maniacs (1990, Nintendo Game Boy) ‘BGM #05’ by Michiru Yamane and Tsuyoshi Sekito

Kirby’s Dream Land (1992, Nintendo Game Boy) ‘Stage 1 – Green Greens’ by Jun Ishikawa

Kirby’s Dream Land (1992, Nintendo Game Boy) ‘Stage 5 – Mt. Dedede’ by Jun Ishikawa

Tetris Blast (1996, Nintendo Game Boy) ‘BGM #03’ by Niwaka‑Zu, Bunbunmaru, Lah++, and Gocky‑7 Alives

Tetris Blast (1996, Nintendo Game Boy) ‘BGM #05’ by Niwaka‑Zu, Bunbunmaru, Lah++, and Gocky‑7 Alives

Donkey Kong Land (1995, Nintendo Game Boy) ‘Map’ by Graeme Norgate and David Wise

Donkey Kong Land (1995, Nintendo Game Boy) ‘Waterworld’ by Graeme Norgate and David Wise

Super Mario Land (1989, Nintendo Game Boy) ‘Ending & Credits’ by Hirokazu Tanaka

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