Pixelated Audio

It’s safe to assume you’ve heard of Bandai, but did you know they developed a handheld console called the WonderSwan? If not, don’t worry, its obscurity comes from the fact that it was never released in North America and had the misfortune to be in direct competition with the Game Boy... ouch! This doesn’t mean it was bad, in fact it was quite amazing... just unlucky (and maybe marketed poorly). Buffers Evolution is a handheld VGM masterpiece and a great example of what this system could do both in sound and graphics. We've played music from the handheld before but this is our first featured game from the system; complete with audio overview. Enjoy! Show notes and track list can be found at http://pixelatedaudio.com/59

Matt Furniss is one of the most well-known Western composers for his audio contributions on the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. Matt joins Pixelated Audio for a deep dive into some of his more 'obscure' tracks (but all amazing!). Join the fun as we attempt to stump the legendary composer with his own tunes! Track list and show notes at pixelatedaudio.com/58

In the world of retro gaming there is no shortage of shoot ’em ups. It’s hard not to fall in love with their intense gameplay, flashy sprites, and insane music. Today we return to Compile, a company that had shoot’em ups down to an art form and with Musha Aleste, we feel they hit the perfect balance of look, control and sound. Join us as we dissect one of the best top down shooters of the entire 16-bit era with composer Toshiaki Sakoda as our guest towards the end of the show. For track list and show notes check http://pixelatedaudio.com/57

Compile was responsible for dozens of games in the 80's and 90's but well-loved for their amazing shooters like the Aleste series. Aleste got its roots on the Sega Master System but made a portable detour on the Game Game for two installments: GG Aleste (1991) and GG Aleste II: Lance Bird (1993). These vertical shooters are a blast to play, look gorgeous on Sega's first handheld, and are bundled with music from the SN76489 that totally rocks our world.

Composed by Toshiaki Sakoda and Keiji Takeuchi / Imami Pon and Ba. M (Tomonori Minami)

For track list and show notes:

http://pixelatedaudio.com/56

Granada is a top-down tank shooter developed and published by Wolf Team in 1990 for the Sharp X68000. It was also ported to the Sega Genesis the same year (in NA and JP) and is largely the same game in terms of gameplay, but the X68000 version is far superior in most aspects, esp the audio department. Join in as we listen to both the FM synth and MIDI versions of the soundtrack composed by Motoi Sakuraba.

In 1991, Konami was cranking out hits for pretty much every system available. However, Sunset Riders for the arcade, refused to blend into the herd of releases. While it's fun music, bright colors and its availability in a beastly 4 player cabinet made it hard to miss, the gameplay made it hard to forget. Join us as we bury you with pixels from the music of the arcade (Motoaki Furukawa) and console ports. Visit http://pixelatedaudio.com/54 for track list and show notes

Everyone knows that “Amiga love” flows thick in our veins; it’s just a fact. The humble home computer has had so many incredible composers write music for it's games that many of us in North America are a bit unfamiliar with. Today we bring you the music of Jim Power in Mutant Planet from one of the most prolific western composers in video game history, Chris Huelsbeck. Not only that, he's also a guest on the show! Track list at http://pixelatedaudio.com/53

Madou King Granzort was released in 1990 by Hudson Soft (developed by Mutech) for the PC Engine SuperGrafx. Sure, it's a bit on the obscure side but we fell in love with this game almost immediately for its fun gameplay, challenging platforming, and vivid graphics. This little gem didn't get a whole lot of love (namely due to being an exclusive SuperGrafx title) but packs a great soundtrack composed by Norihiko Yamanuki.

Madou King Granzort - 魔動王グランゾート

NEC PC Engine SuperGrafx

Composed by: Norihiko Yamanuki

Back in episode 24 we covered an amazing Konami game for the Famicom Disk System titled Ai Senshi Nicol. Today we are covering another 1987 Konami game for the Famicom Disk System titled Falsion and you’re in for quite an auditory ride. This Japan-only released game has an excellent soundtrack and we couldn’t help but share it with you... (plus we are overdue for some more Disk System ear-gasms!) Show notes at http://pixelatedaudio.com/51

We're extremely proud to have made it to episode 50 and put together a great show worthy of that milestone. So, with much thought and many show ideas kicked around, we finally decided on a plus sized Expansion Pack! Get ready for 14 tracks from several different systems, game genres, and styles!