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Sunday, March 18, 2018

Favorite Tunes #219: Fast Lane

I'm still reeling over last Week's Nintendo Direct. A Switch version of Super Smash Bros., the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is getting a Switch port and more Wii U games are heading to Nintendo's fast selling console/handheld. But, I still gotta make posts on this blog and despite my and everyone's excitement for Smash or Switch, this week's Favorite Tunes is not Smash nor is it Nintendo based.

Move Me - R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 (PS)


One of the more ambitious titles, Ridge Racer Type 4, had a ton of different car various to unlock and different racing teams to choose from. It made 100% completing the game a long and arduous task. The series has always had some outstanding music but R4 really elevates itself above other entries. It's a wonderful blend of rock, jazz, and numerous other genres, sometimes all in a single song. You'd be hard pressed to find a song to dislike in this game.

Ship Deck - Spot Goes to Hollywood (PS, SAT)


The mascot of the 7-Up cola was something of a rare breed for video games in the early '90s. Most licensed properties that made their way to the gaming medium crashed and burn. Spot was an exception. His 1993 above average platformer Cool Spot was on just about every system you can imagine. 1996 saw the release of Spot Goes to Hollywood. Gone was the 2D gameplay in favor of an isometric view with some clumsy controls. At least Tommy Tallarico was still doing the music and it is some phenominal stuff on CD-based hardware.

Shop - River City Ransom (NES)


I was looking through older entries and it occurred to me that I've posted very little in the way of music from this game in Favorite Tunes. That really is short sighted of me because I love this game's soundtrack. The game's Main Theme is easily the most remembered but since the baddies you KO drop cash, you'll frequently visit the shops to buy stuff to upgrade your stats. Meaning this jovial theme is sure to get stuck in your head.

Bay Area - Final Fight CD (SCD)


For years, the SEGA CD version of Final Fight was the definitive version of the game. Too bad not many people owned the thing. This version had a killer arranged soundtrack that I'd love to see get used as some selectable BGM for a Final Fight collection. You know, once Capcom stops and realizes that they have more game series that can be released in anthology formats besides Mega Man and Street Fighter.

Menu - Mario Tennis (N64)


The Mario Tennis games have been waning in quality over the last few years. They haven't been terrible but certainly not up to the snuff of the earlier entries. 2018's Mario Tennis: Aces looks to bring the series back on track. The RPG elements, features usually reserved for the handheld entries are being implemented and given the Switch's portable nature, that makes perfect sense. I had a lot of fun with the original Mario Tennis and with the release of Aces, I felt like taking a musical trip down memory lane.

Boss - Breath of Fire (SNES)


The SNES translation certainly isn't gonna win any awards and it can be infuriating not to know how much EXP is needed to reach the next level. Nevertheless, the SNES version of Breath of Fire is still a decent RPG. The music is especially awesome with composers ranging from Yasuaki Fujita (Mega Man 3), Mari Yamaguchi (Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts), and Yoko Shimomura (Kingdom Hearts).

Favorite Tune Database

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