This week, celebrations continue, as we dive into the thoughts and interests of the podcast's resident sound guy.

Discover what Yakuza song gets brought up today, see where "team effort" meets Killer Instinct, and learn why Elden Ring is suddenly in ROZEN-tinted glasses.

You can listen along to the music discussed here via the playlist on our YouTube channel: Music Arcade #104

Looking to get in touch with us? You can find us at ⁠[email protected]⁠

We're also on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/music-arcade.bsky.social

And on Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/aM5WWGU

Song credits (in order of discussion):

A song you like that deserves more recognition:

Yakuza 5 - "Hailstorm" by Hidenori Shoji

The most Rana song you like too (or can think of):

Kid Icarus: Uprising - "The Seafloor Palace" by Motoi Sakuraba

The most Edie song you like too (or can think of):

Final Fantasy X - "Via Purifico" by Nobuo Uematsu

A sleeper hit from one of your favorite composers:

"Thousand Lights" by Fury Weekend feat. Megan McDuffee

A song you want to bring up whenever you see it but you never get the chance:

Arknights: Endfield - "We Are Empire" by STARSET

A song that's not from a video game but feels like it could be and you wanna talk about it:

"Suit Up (Instrumental)" by Blue Stahli

A song Rana made you discover that you're still actively into:

Killer Instinct (Season 2) - "Polemos" by Mick Gordon

A song Edie made you discover that you're still actively into:

Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania - "Abandoned Castle" by Keygen Church (cover of "Abandoned Castle" by Michiru Yamane, from Castlevania: Curse of Darkness)

The kind of recent obsession that you've been playing often on your audio app of choice:

"The Twin Moon Knight" by ROZEN (cover of "The Twin Moon Knight" by Tai Tomisawa, from Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree)

Free Space:

Xenoblade Chronicles - "Gaur Plains" by ACE (live version)

Production credits:

Hosts:

Galen "The SoundGuy" Firestone

Ranakel

Edie Alexsander

Audio producer:

Galen "The SoundGuy" Firestone

Executive producer:

Ranakel

Writing and publishing:

Edie Alexsander

Art and design:

Alex Hadzaman

This week, tech issues are gone as the crew resumes the celebrations for 100 episodes, beginning by focusing on the life and thoughts of our very own Brazilian co-host.

See what the band Aria has to do with gaming, remember how cool Mega Man Zero 4's music can actually get and discover with us that apparently the Freddi Fish to Gothicism pipeline is real.

You can listen along to the music discussed here via the playlist on our YouTube channel: ⁠Music Arcade #103

Looking to get in touch with us? You can find us at ⁠[email protected]⁠

We're also on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/music-arcade.bsky.social

And on Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/aM5WWGU

Episode prompts and song credits (in order of discussion):

A song you like that deserves more recognition

Diablo III - "Urzael" by Derek Duke

The most Rana song you like too (or can think of)

Esoteric Ebb - "Days of Jor" by Anders Bach, Kristian Paulsen, and Brian Batz (feat. MØ, GNOM)

The most Galen song you like too (or can think of)

Twisted Metal - "Gentlemen, Start Your Weapons" by Chuck Carr

A sleeper hit from one of your favorite composers

"Mania Velichia" by Aria (composer: Kirill Pokrovsky)

A song you want to bring up whenever you see it but you never get the chance

Mega Man Zero 4 - "Falling Down" by Shinichi Itakura

A song that's not from a video game but feels like it could be and you wanna talk about it

"Cursum Perficio" by Enya

A song Rana made you discover that you're still actively into

Age of Wonders 4 - "Effortless Expansion" by Michiel van den Bos

A song Galen made you discover that you're still actively into

Final Fantasy X - "Otherworld" by Bill Xtillidiex Muir and Nobuo Uematsu

The kind of recent obsession that you've been playing often on your audio app of choice

Forza Horizon 6 - "Sniper Rouge" by Mitch Murder (feat. emi)

FREE SPACE 2

Freddi Fish and the Case of the Missing Kelp Seeds - "Mr. Two Notes" by The Fat Man (George Sanger)

Production credits:

Hosts:

Galen "The SoundGuy" Firestone

Ranakel

Edie Alexsander

Audio producer:

Galen "The SoundGuy" Firestone

Executive producer:

Ranakel

Writing and publishing:

Edie Alexsander

Art and design:

Alex Hadzaman

This week, the crew takes flight, with wings, gliders, flying machines and anything else they can get their hands on.

We behold the might of the Highwind from Final Fantasy VII, hear the jet engines of fighter planes from Project Wingman: Frontline 59 and even manage to make the land itself fly with Driftland: The Magic Revival.

You can listen along to the music discussed here via the playlist in our YouTube channel: Music Arcade #102

Looking to get in touch with us? You can find us at ⁠[email protected]⁠

We're also on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/music-arcade.bsky.social

And on Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/aM5WWGU

Song credits (in order of discussion):Final Fantasy VII - "The Highwind Takes to the Skies" by Nobuo Uematsu

Xenogears - "Soaring" (aka "Flight") by Yasunori Mitsuda

Assassin's Creed II - "Flight Over Venice 1" by Jesper Kyd

Skies of Arcadia - "Delphinus" by Yutaka Minobe

Secret of Mana - "Meridian Dance" by Hiroki Kikuta (arr. by Evelyn Lark aka The Noble Demon)

Mega Man 7 - "Cloudman" by an unconfirmed composer (no composers officially credited, fan credits include Yuko Takehara, Toshihiko Horiyama, Makoto Tomozawa, and Ayako Mori)

Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War - "Blue Skies (remix)" by Hiroshi Okubo ("Blue Skies Infinity" cover by The Tiberian Sons, Videri String Quartet, Game Brass, et al.)

Project Wingman: Frontline 59 - "Wild Dogs" by Jose Pavli

Driftland: The Magic Revival - "Flowing Sky" by Grzegorz Wlodarski and Pawel Golinski

Pilotwings - "Hangglider" (unconfirmed title) by Soyo OkaProduction credits:

Hosts:

Galen "The SoundGuy" Firestone

Ranakel

Edie Alexsander

Audio producer:

Galen "The SoundGuy" Firestone

Executive producer:

Ranakel

Writing and publishing:

Edie Alexsander

Art and design:

Alex Hadzaman

This week, the crew presses the pause button a bit too strongly after the big quiz and get stuck in the menus.

Our navigation goes from the iconic Age of Empires II menu to the classic save game menu from Final Fantasy Tactics and the watch you probably already have in your mind from GoldenEye 007.

You can listen along to the music discussed here via the playlist in our YouTube channel: Music Arcade #101

Looking to get in touch with us? You can find us at ⁠[email protected]⁠

We're also on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/music-arcade.bsky.social

And on Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/aM5WWGU

Song credits (in order of discussion):

Dragalia Lost - "Bokurano Network" by DAOKO and Yasutaka Nakata

Age of Empires II - "Age of Empires II Main Theme" by Stephen Rippy, Kevin McMullan, and Vitalis Ehrich (live performance at the Royal Albert Hall by an unconfirmed ensemble and arranger)

Final Fantasy Tactics - "Save/Load Screen" by Hitoshi Sakimoto

Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate - "OPTIC LINE –Camp–" by Masato Koike

Assassin's Creed: Mirage - "Mirage Theme (Menu Version)" by Brendan Angelides, Akram Haddad, and Layth Sidiq

Overcooked! - "Restaurant" (unconfirmed title) by an unconfirmed composer

Castlevania Judgment - "Accessories" by Yasushi Asada

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links - "Tag Duel Tournament Main Theme 1 (Ver.2)" (unconfirmed title) by an unconfirmed composer

Sonic Mega Collection - "Main Menu" (unconfirmed title) by an unconfirmed composer

GoldenEye 007 - "007 Watch" (unconfirmed title) by an unconfirmed composer (soundtrack credited to Grant Kirkhope, Graeme Norgate, and Monty Norman)

Production credits:

Hosts:

Galen "The SoundGuy" Firestone

Ranakel

Edie Alexsander

Audio producer:

Galen "The SoundGuy" Firestone

Executive producer:

Ranakel

Writing and publishing:

Edie Alexsander

Art and design:

Alex Hadzaman

This week, tomfoolery is afoot as a wild quizmaster appears to celebrate our 100th episode by testing our knowledge.

Do we really know what's video game music and what isn't? Can we tell if a song is in Super Smash Bros.? And who can pander the best to our gracious quizmaster Ranakel? The only way to find out is by listening through...

You can play along with our quizzes by checking the playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwyCfmXgbLJuvwCKNLgYKKsNKq9TqVTs1&jct=yTl9HOan3euIgXV8WbTg8g

Looking to get in touch with us? You can find us at ⁠[email protected]⁠

We're also on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/music-arcade.bsky.social

And on Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/aM5WWGU

On this episode:

Pregame: Do we know OC Remix well enough?

Part 1: Can we tell video game music from non-video game music?

Part 2: Can we remember details about our own podcast?

Part 3: Who can pander to Ranakel the best?

Part 4: Can we tell which songs found their way into Super Smash Bros. games?

Part 5: Trial by fire - aka: can we tell what the hell Ranakel is singing?

Production credits:

Hosts:

Galen "The SoundGuy" Firestone

Ranakel

Edie Alexsander

Sam "Zeral"

Audio producer:

Galen "The SoundGuy" Firestone

Executive producer:

Ranakel

Writing and publishing:

Ranakel

Edie Alexsander

Art and design:

Alex Hadzaman

This week, the crew gets distracted from the main quest to delve into some mini-games on the side.

Of course, Final Fantasy mini-games can't be ignored, but we also dive into Pokémon, Tekken, ULTRAKILL, and more!

You can listen along to the music discussed here via the playlist on our YouTube channel: Music Arcade #99

Looking to get in touch with us? You can find us at ⁠[email protected]⁠

We're also on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/music-arcade.bsky.social

And on Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/aM5WWGU

Song credits (in order of discussion):

Final Fantasy VIII - "Shuffle or Boogie" by Nobuo Uematsu

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time - "Sewer Surfin'" by unconfirmed composers (credited as Konami Kukeiha Club)

Pokémon Red/Blue - "Rocket Game Corner" by Junichi Masuda

Rogue Galaxy - "Factory (In Editing)" by Tomohito Nishiura

Tekken 8 - "Our Tekken Ball (Climax)" by Shogo Nomura

Final Fantasy X - "Blitz Off" by Masahi Hamauzu

Tiny Toon Adventures: Wacky Sports Challenge - "Birdman Contest" (unconfirmed title) by an unconfirmed composer

ULTRAKILL - "Lakeside Songbook" by Heaven Pierce Her

Soul Calbur III - "Nameless Calamity" by Ryuichi Takada

Yakuza Kiwami 2 - "Cabaret Grand Prix" (unconfirmed title) by an unconfirmed composer (credited soundtrack composers include: Yuri Fukuda, Keitaro Hanada, Hidenori Shoji, Saori Yoshida, Sachio Ogawa, Chihiro Aoki)

Destiny - "Circuit Runner" by Skye Lewin (unconfirmed title and composer)

Production credits:

Hosts:

Galen "The SoundGuy" Firestone

Ranakel

Edie Alexsander

Audio producer:

Galen "The SoundGuy" Firestone

Executive producer:

Ranakel

Writing and publishing:

Edie Alexsander

Art and design:

Alex Hadzaman

This week, friend of the podcast Sam finds an isolated Galen and the duo decides to make lemonade out of the lonely lemon by tackling themes of isolation.

From isolation in the magical world of Final Fantasy VI to an isolated vampire in Vampyr, we try not to let things get too lonely.

You can listen along to the music discussed here via the playlist on our YouTube channel: Music Arcade #98

Looking to get in touch with us? You can find us at ⁠[email protected]⁠

We're also on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/music-arcade.bsky.social

And on Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/aM5WWGU

Song credits (in order of discussion):

Final Fantasy VI - "Dark World" by Nobuo Uematsu (unconfirmed arranger - full list of "A New World" arrangers include: Arnie and Eric Roth, Shiro Hamaguchi, Adam Klemens, Casey Ormond, and Nobuo Uematsu)

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - "The Lost Woods" by Manaka Kataoka

Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward - "Anxiousness" by Shinji Hosoe

Silent Hill 2 (Remake) - "White Noise (Actual Noise)" by Akira Yamaoka

Persona 4 - "Who's There?" by Shoji Meguro

Vampyr - "The Struggle" by Olivier Deriviere

Nier: Automata - "Dependent Weakling" by Kuniyuki Takahashi

Production credits:

Hosts:

Galen "The SoundGuy" Firestone

Sam "Zeral"

Audio producer:

Galen "The SoundGuy" Firestone

Executive producer:

Ranakel

Writing and publishing:

Edie Alexsander

Art and design:

Alex Hadzaman

This week, the leylines align, refresh our MP and have us discuss songs about that most fantastical of gaming elements: magic!

Join us as we get into magical bouts in Street Fighter V, deal with ancient magic in Divinity 2: Ego Draconis, and also just marvel at the kinds of musical magic Tim Follin pulls off in Solstice and... Pictionary?!

You can listen along to the music discussed here via the playlist on our YouTube channel: Music Arcade 97

Looking to get in touch with us? You can find us at ⁠[email protected]⁠

We're also on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/music-arcade.bsky.social

And on Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/aM5WWGU

Song credits (in order of discussion):

Fate/Grand Order - "Corridor of Memories" by Keita Haga

Dark Savior - "Presentiment Clock Tower" (unconfirmed title) by Hiroshi Kondo

Age of Wonders 4 - "Sphere of Influence" by Michiel van den Bos

Solstice - "Title Screen" (unconfirmed title) by Tim Follin

Pictionary (NES) - "Title Theme" (unconfirmed title) by Tim Follin

Chrono Trigger - "Corridors of Time" by Yasunori Mitsuda (cover by Luke Pickman aka InstrumentManiac)

Street Fighter V: Champion Edition - "Theme of Rose" by Hiroshi Takaki

Atelier Rorona ~The Alchemist of Arland~ - "Dark Domain" by Ken Nakagawa

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II - "Seidh" by Davíd Garcia Diaz and Heilung (Kai Uwe Faust, Maria Franz, and Christopher Juul)

Dynasty Warriors 6 - "Ignition (Yellow Turban)" by MASA (Masayoshi Sasaki)

Elden Ring - "Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon" by Yuka Kitamura

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree - "The Twin Moon Knight" by Tai Tomisawa

Divinity 2: Ego Draconis - "Ancient Presence" by Kirill Pokrovsky

Production credits:

Hosts:

Galen "The SoundGuy" Firestone

Ranakel

Edie Alexsander

Audio producer:

Galen "The SoundGuy" Firestone

Executive producer:

Ranakel

Writing and publishing:

Ranakel

Edie Alexsander

Art and design:

Alex Hadzaman

This week, the crew - minus one - brings an optimistic vibe to the conversation. And no, the "minus one" isn't our resident Goth.

We take a personal approach and show the many forms of optimism, including an optimistic look back through the Game Awards medleys, an optimistic look forward in Chrono Trigger, and just sheer, distilled optimism in The Wonderful 101.

You can listen along to the music discussed here via the playlist on our YouTube channel: Music Arcade 96

Looking to get in touch with us? You can find us at ⁠[email protected]⁠

We're also on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/music-arcade.bsky.social

And on Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/aM5WWGU

Song credits (in order of discussion):

The 2025 Game Awards Game of the Year Medley, by Lorne Balfe (featuring compositions by Jan Valta, Ludvig Forssell, Lorien Testard, Christopher Larkin, et al.)

The Wonderful 101 - "The Won-Stoppable Wonderful 100 (English Version)" by Hiroshi Yamaguchi (lyrics by Brian Gray)

Anno 1800 - "Dance of the FIreflies" by Dynamedion

Rise of Nations - "Santiago" by Duane Decker

Soul Calibur II - "Unwavering Resolve" by Junichi Nakatsuru

Mega Man 7 - "Freeze Man Stage" by an unconfirmed composer (soundtrack by Yuko Takehara, Toshihiko Horiyama, Makoto Tomozawa, and Ayako Mori)

Devil May Cry V - "Devil Trigger" by Casey Edwards, ft. Ali Edwards and Cliff Lloret

Chrono Trigger - "Chrono Trigger" by Yasunori Mitsuda ("Main Theme" cover by Malcolm Robinson)

Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania - "Treasure Room" by Konami Kikeiha Club (Masanori Adachi and Taro Kudo) ("The Treasury Room" cover by Daniele Zandara)

Production credits:

Hosts:

Galen "The SoundGuy" Firestone

Ranakel

Edie Alexsander

Audio producer:

Galen "The SoundGuy" Firestone

Executive producer:

Ranakel

Writing and publishing:

Edie Alexsander

Art and design:

Alex Hadzaman

This week, the crew takes out some crystal balls (and the Wikipedia page for 2026 in video games) to take a peek into the future. So join us as we discuss the 2026 edition of our yearly list of games we're most excited about when it comes to music.You can check known songs, trailers, or related music for the games discussed on this episode by checking the playlist on our YouTube channel: Music Arcade #95Looking to get in touch with us? You can find us at ⁠[email protected]⁠

We're also on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/music-arcade.bsky.socialAnd on Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/aM5WWGUProduction credits:Hosts:Galen "The SoundGuy" FirestoneRanakelEdie AlexsanderAudio producer:Galen "The SoundGuy" FirestoneExecutive producer:RanakelWriting and publishing:Edie AlexsanderArt and design:Alex Hadzaman