HTTP, HTML, Gopher, Mosaic…

If you recognize these words, then we were there when the World Wide Web was just beginning. Today, on August 1st, we’re celebrating World Wide Web Day, that online place where we browse the pages, game with friends across the world, and stream our favorite videos, music, and podcasts.

Tim Berners-Lee is the father of the World Wide Web, creating and building a program based on hyperlinks, markups, and protocols. He started in 1980 with ENQUIRE, a database of people and software models while experimenting with hypertext. Later, he installed TCP/IP protocols in Unix machines, which turned CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) into the largest Internet site in Europe at the time. When the first direct UP connection between Europe and North American was established in 1988, it brought about the possibility of creating a web-like system at CERN.

We’ve got a list of tracks from video games that feature the World Wide Web in some form: a NetNavi fighting crime on the Net, a lone player searching for answers about comatose players, and a character exploring an MMORPG to fill the void of her amnesia. There’s also covers and remixes to follow.

Enjoy this tracks in celebration of the World Wide Web…

World Wide Web Day

Track Listing

“Theme of Mega Man Battle Network” – [Mega Man Battle Network] – composed by Akari Kaida

“Theme of Rockman EXE – Orchestral/rock Arrangement – Megaman Battle Network” – rearranged by Tyler Gonelli

“aura1″ (Aura’s Theme)” – [.hack series] – composed by Chikayo Fukuda

“Dot Hack – Aura’s Theme Piano Cover” – covered by Azamonde

“Battle 2” – [CrossCode] – composed by Deniz Akbulut

“Battle 2 / S-Rank Battle (Crosscode) – GaMetal Remix” – remixed by GaMetal

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July is about to end, which means it’s time for our special episode of “On Stage Now”. It’s an episode where I step back after introducing a musician of covers or remixes of video game music and play their works for all to hear. This month, we’re featuring Smooth McGroove.

A virtuosic musician of acapella, Smooth McGroove (real name Max Gleason) has been performing covers and arrangements of video game music as a one-man band. He also records and produces his music and videos all by himself, showing how passionate he is about his work. If you get a chance to watch any of his videos, you may catch a glimpse of his feline buddy Charl.

Prepare to have your ears entertained by Smooth McGroove…

Smooth McGroove (YT, FB, IG, X, TikTok, Spotify, Bandcamp, Patreon, Merch)

Track Listing

“Zelda’s Lullaby Acapella” – [The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time] – composed by Koji Kondo

“Chrono Trigger – Corridors of Time (Zeal Theme) Acapella” – [Chrono Trigger] – composed by Yasunori Mitsuda

“Punch Out!! – Fight Theme Acapella” – [Punch Out!!] – composed by Yukio Kaneoka, Akito Nakatsuka, Kenji Yamamoto

“Super Mario World – Overworld Theme Acapella” – [Super Mario World] – composed by Koji Kondo

“Gwyn, Lord of Cinder Acapella” – [Dark Souls] – composed by Motoi Sakuraba

“UNDERTALE – Bonetrousle Acapella” – [Undertale] – composed by Toby Fox

“Sonic 2 – Metropolis Zone Acapella” – [Sonic 2] – composed by Masato Makamura

“Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow – Title Theme Acapella!” – [Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow] – composed by Junichi Mitsuda

“Super Mario Kart – Battle Mode Acapella” – [Super Mario Kart] – composed by Soyo Oka

“Chrono Trigger – Schala’s Theme Acapella” – [Chrono Trigger] – composed by Yasunori Mitsuda

“Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum – Lake Theme Acapella!” – [Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum] – composed by Junichi Mitsuda

“Super Mario World – Athletic Theme Acapella!” – [Super Mario World] – composed by Koji Kondo

Outro: “Flying Battery Zone Acapella” – [Sonic & Knuckles] – composed by Howard Drossin, Jun Senoue, Milpo, SEGA Sound Team; arranged by Smooth McGroove

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Today we’re celebrating the arcade release of Street Fighter IV in Japan, back in July 18, 2008. The following month, August 12th, it was released in the North America regions. In 2009, it was ported to consoles in February and later July to Windows. As the first original main entry in the series since Street Fighter III back in 1997, SF IV features 3D models and backgrounds yet maintains the same gameplay known to all fans and players.

For this week’s episode, we’ll play a couple tracks for two characters (C. Viper and Gouken) and two stage themes (Volcanic Rim and Snowy Rail Yard). Following these tracks are covers and remixes.

Sit back and enjoy these tracks as you ponder your purpose for fighting…

Street Fighter IV

Sheng Long

Interview: One-Two Punch of Street Fighter IV’s Audio (Game Developer)

Track Listing

All tracks, unless noted, were composed by Hideyuki Fukasawa

Intro: “Introduction”

BGM: “THE NEXT DOOR” (Japanese version), by Exile, from their album “The Monster ~Someday~”

“Theme of C. Viper”

“Street Fighter – C. Viper’s Theme [8 Bit Remix] – remixed by 2mg

“Theme of Gouken”

“Nothingness”//Street Fighter 4 GOUKEN CONCEPT” – produced by Okugawa Jr. “KAIRU”

“Volcanic Rim Stage”

“Volcanic Rim Stage/Street Fighter IV [Music Box]” – covered by R3 Music Box

“Snowy Rail Yard Stage -Russia-”

“SF4 Snowy Rim Yard Theme in Atari Advanced Music System II” – remixed by Nuclear Productions

Outro: “Street Fighter IV – Orchestral ver.-“, composed by Hideyuki Fukasawa

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The open road lays ahead of you. You look far down the lane and then mount your two-wheeled stallion. With a turn of the key, the beast between your lets roars to life. You twist the handle, coaxing its combustible instincts, and then, after kicking up the stand, you accelerate your way onto the road. The wind rushes about you as the sun bears its heat…

Today, on the second Friday of July, we’re celebrating National Motorcycle Day, to honor this vehicle that has become a symbol of freedom of the road and power among other riders. What started out as a wooden bicycle with an engine mounted on rubber blocks has become a complicated metallic cycle with a powerful engine.

We’ll be playing tracks from video games that feature motorcycles: a race that leans into the turns, a rash of racers trying to knock each other out, and a group of mice in a race for their planet. There’ll also be some rocking covers and remixes to follow each track.

So, mount the saddle, kick up the stand, start and rev the engines, and let’s ride!!!

National Motorcycle Day

Track Listing

“Main Theme” / “Theme of Love” – [Hang-On] – composed by Hiroshi Kawaguchi

“SEGA HANG ON – MAIN THEME – Epic Metal Guitar Cover” – covered by CelestiC

“Main Theme” (Genesis) – [Road Rash] – composed by Ron Hubbard

“Road Rash – Title Theme | Rock Metal Guitar Cover” – covered by Kris Di’Kascos

“Circuit” / “Race Theme 4” – [Biker Mice from Mars] – composed by Hideto Inoue, Nobuyuki Akena

“Rock and Ride” – remixed by WillRock

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Today, on the Fourth of July, we are celebrating Independence Day properly…

Well, on Episode 22, we celebrated the Fourth of July with video games about America in some form. This year, we’re celebrating with video games that highlight independence and freedom: a colony sailing to the New World, Allied Forces fighting against power-hungry regime, and a one-man army up fighting to take back America. Of course, we’ve got covers and remixes to follow each track.

Fire up the grill, cook up some burgers and hot dogs, and enjoy the music freely…

Independence Day (Fourth of July)

Track Listing

Intro: “God Bless the U.S.A.” (“Proud to be an American”), written and performed by Lee Greenwood

“Bonny Morn” – [Sid Meier’s Colonization] – arranged by Allister Brimble and Anthony Putson; originally composed by Jeffrey L. Briggs, Ken Lagace, and Roland J. Rizzo

“Colonization (Bonny Morn Remix)” – remixed by Aknotronic

“Hell March” – [Command & Conquer: Red Alert] – composed by Frank Klepacki

“Hell March (Retaliation Remix)” – remixed by Frank Klepacki

“The New Colossus” – [Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus] – composed by Mick Gordon, Margin Stig Andersen

“Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus – Main Theme (Electro Rock cover)” – covered by Music Interpretation Laboratory

Outro: “United States of America – National Anthem (Chiptune Cover) | Star Spangled Banner” – arranged by Chiptuverse (Joshua Foster), music composed by John Stafford Smith, lyrics based on a poem by Francis Scott Key (Spotify)

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June went by fast, with today as the last Friday of the month. That means it’s time for our special episode of “On Stage Now”, and this month’s musician is Rachel Hardy.

Rachel Hardy has lived and breathed music since high school, when she started posting videos of her covers of music from video games and other popular media on YouTube. In the meantime, she’s earned an education in music (B.A.  in Music from University of Calgary and Professional Certificate in Composition for Film and Music from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass.) and applied her knowledge (a grant from Alberta Foundation for the Arts as an intern for Sacred Tiger Music and one of the runner-ups for the Spitfire Audio and HBO’s Westworld Scoring Competition). Rachel first worked as a Music Supervisor for Hidden Path Entertainment for an unannounced video game. She’s also worked on video game projects for several companies (Tencent, Real Game Machine, NatGames, Nexon, etc.) and composed scores and contributed vocals for a variety of media (documentaries/docu-videos, podcasts, events, sample libraries, TV broadcasts, albums, and short films).

Sit back as you listen to her vocal and choral covers of video game music, some in collaboration with other musicians…

Rachel Hardy (Personal Website, YT, FB, IG, X, Patreon, Merch)

Track Listing

“Daughter of the Sea – World of Warcraft” – [World of Warcraft] – composed by Neal Acree, Logan Laflotte

“Dragon Age: Inquisition – The Dawn Will Come” – [Dragon Age: Inquisition] – composed by Trevor Morris

“Skryim – The Dragonborn Comes” – [The Elder Scrolls V: Skryim] – composed by Jeremy Soule

“HADES – Good Riddance (Eurydice Solo)” – [HADES] – composed by Darren Korb

“We All Life Together (WARFRAME)” – [Warframe] – composed by Keith Power

“Lullaby of Woe (Cover)” – [The Witcher III: Wild Hunt] – composed by Marcin Przybylowicz

“Setting Sail, Coming Home (End Theme) from Bastion” – [Bastion] – composed by Darren Korb

“Dungeons of Dreadrock” – [Dungeons of Dreadrock] – composed by Christoph Minnameier

“BALDUR’S GATE SONG || “Answer the Call” ||” – composed by Jonathan Young

Outro: “Memory of You” – [Remothered: Tormented Father] – composed by Mattia Cupelli, lyrics by Rachel Hardy, performed by Rachel Hardy, available on Amazon Music

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This past Sunday was Father’s Day, celebrated on the third Sunday of the June. Similar to Mother’s Day, this day honors fathers and dads of all families and relations. Sure, they work hard to earn a living and at times offers words of advice or humor, but they may feel dutiful to protect their family and their children. Their presence may be felt or absent, yet fathers can provide some wisdom and guidance in life.

For this week’s episode, we’re celebrating Father’s Day with several tracks from video games that have fathers or father figures: a man searching for his infant daughter, an absent dad that can only be reached by phone, and a long-time mentor on the adventure of a lifetime. We’ve also got covers and remixes to follow.

Enjoy these tracks as you think about the dad or father figure in your life, or perhaps from video games you’ve played…

Father’s Day

Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light

Track Listing

“A Moment’s Respite” – [Resident Evil Village (RE 8)] – composed by Shusaku Uchiyama

“Resident Evil Village – Save Room Theme [Mono Memory Synth Remix]” – remixed by Mono Memory

“Home Sweet Home” – [Earthbound (Mother 2)] – composed by Hirokazu “Hip” Tanaka, Keiichi Suzuki, Hiroshi Kanazu

“Home, sweet home – Earthbound/Mother 2 REMIX” – remixed by Kowjja

“A Thief’s End” – [Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End] – composed by Henry Jackman

Audio clip from “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”

“Uncharted – Nates Theme (Altered Serentiy Remix)” – remixed by Sensu Audica

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One of my favorite days of the week, Friday the 13th, which means it’s time for something superstitious and mythical. Previous episodes have discussed fear (#15), death and dying (#51), video game superstitions (#92), RNG or randomness (#136), and Christmas (#149).

For this Friday the 13th (the only one happening in 2025, in fact), we’re discussing a few superstitions and myths during the summertime, according to Grok (an AI assistant). We’re playing tracks from video games that have or mention these superstitions: an adventurer able to control the weather, a white wolf saving Japan, and a hunter saving a cursed town. As always, there’s also covers and remixes to follow each track.

Enjoy learning about some of these summertime superstitions and myths…

Track Listing

“The Great Sea is Cursed” – [The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker] – composed by Kenta Nagata, Hajime Wakai, Toru Minegishi, Koji Kondo

“Zelda: The Wind Waker – The Great Sea is Cursed (Reorchestrated)” – remixed by HoopsandHipHop

“Agata Forest” – [Okami] – composed by Masami Ueda (Clover Studio)

“Okami – Agata Forest (Geass Trap Remix) [Phonk Instrumental]” – remixed by Geass Studio

“Moon Presence” – [Bloodborne] – composed by Ryan Amon

“Moon Presence – Metal Cover” – covered by Ekstal

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On June 6, 1993, “The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening” was released on Japan for Nintendo’s Game Boy. It would later be released in the North America and European regions on August 6th and December 1st respectively, and then the following year worldwide. It was initially developed as an attempt to port “A Link to the Past” from the Super Nintendo Entertainment System to the Game Boy but it became its own project under the direction of Takashi Tezuka. In 1998, it was re-released for the Game Boy Color and then remade in 2019 for the Switch.

For this week’s episode, we’re simply celebrating with several tracks from the game, along with several remixes to follow.

Prepare yourself, adventurer, for the dream of a lifetime…

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

Fandom – The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

Track Listing

All original tracks were composed by Minako Hamano, Kozue Ishikawa, and Koji Kondo

Intro: “The Storm” – composed by Minako Hamano

BGM: “Title Screen”

“Mabe Village”

“Mah Boi” [Mabe Village] – remixed by PROTO-DOME

“Mysterious Woods”

“Mysterious Groove” [Forest] – remixed by Scott Peeples

“Tail Cave”

“The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening – Tail Cave (Remix)” – remixed by DJMykah

“Boss Battle”

“The Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening – Boss Theme (WillRock Remix)” – remixed by WillRock07

“Nightmare Battles”

“NIGHTMARE/Final Boss – Zaxiade’s Metal Remix || Link’s Awakening” – remixed by Zaxiade

Outro: “The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening – Ending/Credits Theme (Orchestrated)” – composed by Minako Hamano & Kozue Ishikawa, remixed by Wurtzel

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May ends within two days of this post, and that means it’s time for “On Stage Now”, our special monthly episode in which a cover or remix musician is featured.

This month’s musician is LucasGitanoFamily, a Frenchman who’s been learning to play rumba gitana since six years old and influenced by the Gypsy Kings. He has toured the world over, showing his ability to improvise his solos. Lucas is on a mission to teach others how to play, no matter what level of experience. His YT channel shows lots of videos of his covers of music from video games, anime, and movies. He’s also recorded his own original compositions and currently released his own albums on many streaming services.

Prepare to be mesmerized and entertained by LucasGitanoFamily.

Oh, and thanks to Rob, Pernell, and Chris Wisner for the inspiration for this episode…

(Note: There are parts of this episode which sound different, and that’s because I found out after finishing that I was mispronouncing the name incorrectly. I merely went back and made the corrections as best as I can.)

LucasGitanoFamily (Personal Website, YT, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, Patreon, BuyMeaCoffee)

R&P Chat 38-7: Limit Breaking 2: Electric Boogaloo with Chris Wisner

Track Listing

“Battel Theme – Those Who Fight – Flamenco Gipsy Guitar – FF7 final fantasy xii fingerstyle cover” – [Final Fantasy VII] – composed by Nobuo Uematsu

“AERLITH’S THEME Meets Flamenco Guitar – FF7 ost fingerstyle cover final fantasy vii” – [Final Fantasy VII] – composed by Nobuo Uematsu

“[Vamo’ Alla Flamenco] (Final Fantasy IX) meets flamenco gipsy guitar [fingerstyle ost game cover]” – [Final Fantasy IX] – composed by Nobuo Uematsu

“[Eula – Flickering Candlelight] (Genshin Impact) meet flamenco gipsy guitar [game fingerstyle cover]” – [Genshin Impact] – composed by Yu-Peng Chen

“[Lost Woods | Saria’s Song] (Zelda Ocarino of Time) meet LucasGitanoFamily[flamenco guitar cover]” – [The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time] – composed by Koji Kondo

“[Bloody Tears](Castlevania) meet LucasGitanoFamily [flamenco guitar cover]” – [Castlevania] – composed by Konami Kukeiha Club

“[Encounter] (Metal Gear Solid) LucasGitanoFamily [flamenco guitar cover] snake battle theme alert song” – [Metal Gear Solid] – composed by KCE Japan Sound Team

“[Gold Saucer] (Final Fantasy VII) meet LucasGitanoFamily

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