Top 5: love them or hate them game songs

This isn’t a best game songs or a worst game songs list, hence you won’t find ‘Still alive’ from Portal on here, but thankfully you are spared the DK rap being wheeled out once more. These are songs which cause deeper and more intransient divisions and religion or politics ever could.

Sonic Adventure – Open your Heart



In terms of love/hate relationships with game music, choosing a Sonic song is rather akin to shooting a fish in a barrel. In fact, substitute the gun for a grenade and you are probably a little closer to the truth. I’m not for one moment going to argue with the music of the classic Genesis games, as the Green Hill Zone theme is instantly recognizable to anyone who grew up in the 90s. The ‘problem’ arose when Sonic Team switched to the CD format. No longer fettered by the constraints of the cartridge, they were free to express themselves more completely. Then we got Sonic R.
Sonic Adventure was first released in Japan in 1998, but you would be hard pressed to guess that by listening to the theme song. It screams 80s power ballad as loudly as it can through wailing guitar solos and a singer who sounds like his lungs are on the brink of explosion through sheer force of passion. Love it or hate it, you can’t deny that Sonic Team has eclectic musical taste. Try listening to the theme song of Big the Cat after this and marvel that two such wonderfully fantastic/terrible and different songs could ever appear on the same game.

FFX 2 – Real Emotion



I wonder how Final Fantasy fans felt after eagerly putting their brand new copies of FFX 2 into their PS2, only to be greeted by Yuna belting out this J-pop classic. The delicate and beautiful shrine maiden had been warped into a hot-pants wearing sex kitten, thus setting the tone for the first, and probably last, Final Fantasy game based on Charlie’s Angels. It’s true that we knew what we were in for, and hell I even like the game, but it doesn’t make the bizarre spectacle any easier to swallow. For those who needed closure on the tragic ending of FFX and wanted to see the continuation of the romance between Yuna and the kid whose penchant for bleach, tanning, bare mid-riffs, and teeth whitening which made him look more like Britney Spears than a Fantasy hero… I digress. For those who cared about this lesbian couple, it was jarring. Imagine if Aeris returned to life sporting a boob tube and mini-skirt. As for the song itself, it was passable J-pop fluff, but hardly Koda Kumi’s finest work.

Street Fighter IV – The Next Door (Indestructible)



I make no apologies; I adore this song. From the first time I heard it in conjunction with the gloriously over-the-top opening cinematic of SFIV, I fell in love. Unashamedly dramatic, lyrically hilariously simplistic, and god-damn impossible to sing well in karaoke (think about the high notes). Japanese group Exile do a good job on both the Japanese and English versions of the song, which is somewhat surprising. And every time I hear the opening few bars I get in the mood to kick the crap out of hairy Russians, seven-foot, bald, one-eyed Thais, Indian pacifists, and Japanese school girls. So, the song inspires xenophobia?
The only reason this is on a love/hate list is because, shockingly, it seems that not everyone agrees with me. In fact it seems that quite a lot of people who played the game hate the song. Sigh. This is why there will never be world peace. It’s impossible for people to understand each other.

Metal Gear Solid 3 – Snake Eater



I can already hear my friend toomanywires berating me for this one, but I can’t let it slide so easily. Metal Gear is one of my favorite series, but sometimes I really feel that Hideo Kojima takes a wrong turn down Sanity Street, and ends up in Fruit Cake Alley. For some people, Snake Eater was one of those moments. The theme to Metal Gear Solid 2 is one of the finest in video game history. Powerful, stirring, inspirational, melancholy and relentless, it captures the essence of the game perfectly. Snake Eater is an unashamed James Bond parody. With lyrics that sound like Hideo Kojima employed a hundred monkeys with a hundred typewriters. He obviously didn’t give them long enough because this certainly isn’t Shakespeare. ‘One day you’ll feast on a tree frog’... sublime or ridiculous? I still can’t decide.

Gears of War – Cole Train’s rap



I really don’t know how to feel about Mr. Train’s musical epilogue to the first Gear’s of War game. Is it a deep and insightful comment on the shallow nature of the rap music industry, in which catch phrases and sound bites have overtaken lyrical poetry? Is it a sly dig at our perceptions of race by having the sole black character fulfill yet another stereotype? Is it a hilarious cap to an all out action experience; the game equivalent of a final quip? Or did Cliffy. B (or whatever he wants to call himself) and the gang just think it was freakin’ sweet? I’m not sure I really want to know. It is clearly either a high-brow piece of genius, or just terrible.

MGS vs MGS3: thedogbarks vs toomanywires

This is the third in a series of articles in which myself and my friend toomanywires (whose blog can be found on 1up or at his personal website here) debate a number of issues. We hope you enjoy them and please add your own comments to agree or disagree with either of us.

toomanywires
Before I begin, just a quick disclaimer. I love the first Metal Gear Solid game, but it just so happens that I prefer Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. For me, Metal Gear Solid 3 is the defining moment of an outstanding series of games. Snake Eater represents everything that I like about video games; interesting characters, over the top story lines, pseudo-history, great combat, memorable boss battles and an outstanding theme tune. That’s right, I even love the James Bond inspired theme tune. It genuinely gives me goose bumps, even the part about eating a tree frog. So why is it that you prefer MGS1, thedogbarks?



thedogbarks
I, like toomanywires, am a huge fan of the Metal Gear Solid franchise, so I’m not exactly going to slam Metal Gear Solid 3. However I do strongly feel that the Playstation classic was a far superior game for a number of reasons, not only related to its historical significance. However, seeing as that is the most obvious starting point, let’s kick it off from there. On its release in 1998 MGS created a genre, something that very few games can claim. I don’t necessarily mean ‘stealth’ as of course other games had incorporated such elements before, rather ‘tactical espionage action’… which is a fairly meaningless but accurate description of the experience. More importantly it was the first game to be a truly cinematic experience. Spectacular scenes, an intriguing story with plenty of twists, the best voice acting in any game to date; it had it all. The game could be completed in a matter of hours, but that was the beauty of the game. Once you got good enough at it you could play through the game as if it were an action movie. Thus, it was one of the first games that other people would sit down and watch being played all the way through, because it was that well a constructed plot. Oh, and Liquid Snake was incredible. His British accent practically dripped with honey-roasted ham, and that is something that MGS3 cannot compare to.



toomanywires
I agree with your points, especially about Liquid. But, although Metal Gear Solid was a well constructed game, the gameplay had numerous restrictions that were overcome in MGS3. Shadow Moses, although a very memorable setting, was extremely limited. The Soviet jungles of MGS3 were a far bigger part of the gameplay and complemented the stealth mechanics of the series much better. As befits such a game, you were much more reliant upon your environment for survival, whether it was by utilizing your camouflage system to crawl though grass unnoticed, or hunting down a snake for a health booster. The environment actually affected how you played the game, in ways that Shadow Moses never did. Although your movements are still somewhat linear, you are afforded much more freedom than in MGS. The best example is The End, a 100 year old sniper who acts as one of the bosses Naked Snake has to subdue. Aside from being my favorite boss battle of the entire series, set across a huge area and requiring a great deal of strategy to complete, you are presented with numerous methods of besting him. The most unusual of which, and best representing the more open gameplay of MGS3, is the opportunity to snipe and kill The End much earlier in the game, ending his role prematurely and removing the need to fight him as a boss later on. Speaking of the bosses, how do you think they compare?

thedogbarks
To take you up on the freedom that MGS3 provides, I have to say that I preferred the corridor style of MGS. With its (for the most part) fixed overhead camera, and confined geometric rooms it plays out more like a puzzle game wherein there is a perfect solution. Sure you can bungle your way through setting off alarms and gunning down genome soldiers, but for perfectionists finding the optimal route added a lot of replay-ability to the game. With its slow crawls through grass and the heavy reliance on switching camouflage for different foliage the stealth in MGS3 feels a little too laborious.
I do think the bosses in MGS are far more interesting than MGS 3, not necessarily in the way that the battles play out but rather because you have far more of a connection to them. The bosses are introduced early on and you really get a feel for their unique personalities before even meeting them. Also the fact that you face some bosses multiple times strengthens the bond between Snake and the Fox Hound members so that the combat has a deeper meaning, and their final words are more poignant. In MGS3 you meet a boss, defeat them and then move on. There isn’t nearly as much satisfaction in how these sub-plots develop. MGS also has the benefit of taking place later in the timeline than MGS3 and therefore is able to draw upon the history of the series in order to present more dramatic scenarios. Even if you didn’t know who Grey Fox was before you played MGS, his prior relationship with Snake carried more impact than any boss battle in MGS3. If you want to explain why I’m wrong, please try.

toomanywires
(WARNING - Spoilers ahead)
Poor thedogbarks, you have walked right into this one. With the exception of the fourth-wall-breaking fight with Psycho Mantis, the boss battles from MGS3 far eclipse those of its predecessors. I have already talked about The End, so instead I am going to concentrate on another boss. The Boss. Has the protagonist of a Metal Gear Solid ever had a closer, or more emotionally charged relationship with an enemy? She is his mentor, his friend and mother-figure. And Naked Snake is the substitute for the son that was taken away from her. Yet she still makes the ultimate sacrifice, knowing that it will pit her against Naked Snake. Their eventual showdown to the death, set amongst a carpet of white flowers is a far more poignant moment than anything else seen in the series, before or since. You also mentioned timelines, and that MGS is better able to draw upon the existing history of the series. I would counter that MGS3's importance lies in it being the creation myth, the point from whence all else comes. The seeds are sewn for the rise of Big Boss, the foundation of the Patriots, the role of Ocelot and the Les Enfants Terribles project. And we all know where that leads us.



thedogbarks
Sigh. Wow, your little speech on the role of The Boss really had me in tears...cough. The scenery-chewing, pompous and grandiose final speech, all delivered with a plummy British accent (well we have to be good for something) by Liquid is more in keeping with the action movie analogy which I referred to earlier.
One of the reasons that these two MGS games are so comparable is because unlike the other games in the franchise they stand as complete stories where knowledge of the other games isn't necessary. As a single game the plot of MGS is an incredibly compelling piece of fiction. The nuclear plot (also present in MGS3) not only spells out concerns still relevant to the world today, the elements connected to gene manipulation and the use of viral warfare also ring true. But as a simple story of heroism, love, betrayal and war, which is told in a far more complex manner, it has rarely been topped in the medium. And unlike the other MGS games, it has two endings. Whilst for many games that could be perceived as a negative, the difference in their tones make them both thought provoking and evocative in their own way. The fact that whether you submit to torture or not directly affects if Meryl lives or dies is a weight of responsibility that few games can capture.

toomanywires
I agree that both games do stand on their own outside of the series, and that is one of the things that make them so accessible. With that being said, as for the two endings, having any knowledge of the rest of the series removes any real weight of responsibility, as only Meryl’s survival is canon.
For me, one of the most impressive things about MGS3 is that it’s the only game in the series that nailed the balance between gameplay, dialogue and cut scenes. MGS is a little on the short side, and features far too much intrusive radio talk early on. MGS2, although an enjoyable game, is full of mind numbing babble, and MGS4, despite having a hefty amount of gameplay, relied on cut scenes far too much. Finally, MGS3’s Naked Snake remains the most enjoyable and sympathetic lead in the series. He seems a far more complex, believable and human character than the first game’s incarnation. This is further aided by your knowledge of what he is destined to become, and how the events of the game will irrecoverably change his life.
Last year I played all four MGS games back to back over a short period of time. By revisiting these classics, and playing MGS4 for a second time, I found that MGS3 was still an absolutely riveting experience and remains my personal favourite. And just for the record, in order of preference – MGS3, MGS1, MGS4, MGS2.



thedogbarks
Whilst I have argued for MGS in terms of its appeal in terms of an action cinema experience, its canonical importance, and its bosses, perhaps the reason I am so enamored with the game is all the deft, genius touches that it introduced, and Kojima has never since managed to surpass.
Think back on MGS and rather than just Snake and the story, I remember flashes of the small moments in the game which challenged my own perception of what games are. Remember having to find Meryl's CODEC on the back of the game box? That was truly a moment that perhaps will never be topped in terms of originality. How about when you first sparked up a cigarette as Snake and wondered what was making a beeping noise, and then realized that smoking also had a practical use in the game? Everything to do with Psycho Mantis? Finding out that a dog urinating on you could have a positive effect? The FoxDie revelations? I could go on forever. When I think about MGS so many wonderful memories come to mind. So many memories that have changed the way I felt about videogames. Very few games could hold such esteem in my mind, so whilst I do love MGS3, it could never scale the heights of its Playstation forefather.



If you enjoyed this article the please check out our previous articles 'SNES vs Genesis' and 'Do we need fanboys?' on my 1up blog or on toomanywires personal website.

Eternal Sonata WTF???

I have just recently finished Eternal Sonata a mere two years after its release. As you can see I’m on the cutting edge here. I have to say that I came out of it with mixed emotions. I have been a fan of Japanese RPGs since the SNES, and having been starved of the traditional fare on the current generation I was keen to get back to the grind. Sure I played and loved Valkyria Chronicles and Disgaea 3, but both are essentially strategy games.

The first thing I did after I finished the game was to go online and look for an explanation for the ending. Don’t worry; there won't be any spoilers here. But it’s clearly a sign of some ambiguity in the conclusion when half of the results are entitled ‘Eternal Sonata ending WTF!!!!’ I like to think that I am a fairly open minded individual who enjoys some element of mystery to a story, but with so many plot holes and gaping questions left unanswered I felt I couldn’t give it a pass.



I guess I’m more worried that, like Roger Murtaugh, “I’m getting too old for this s***”. I don’t mean that the genre no longer appeals to me, or that I have lost any of my affection for Japanese gaming, just that elements of it seem too archaic for me to endure. When Final Fantasy IX came out I clocked the game in under a week, playing for around 12 hours a day. The 30 hours it took me to complete Eternal Sonata took closer to a month. I guess having a job is partially to blame.

There are so many things that I liked about the game, of course including a stunning soundtrack (much of it composed by some guy called Chopin, keep an eye out for him in the future) and beautiful visuals. The combat was entertaining, and whilst the characters weren’t especially interesting, there were some well executed moments. But one thing that surprised me was just how point A to point B linear the game was. There really are no decisions to be made and any deviation from the fastest route will get you to a dead end pretty quickly. It didn’t bother me in FFX but it seemed a little too constrictive in this game. I’m still keen to try Tales of Vesperia when it is released on the PS3 later this year but perhaps my expectations will be tempered a little.



Until FFXIII I don’t think we will have seen the true potential of JRPGs this generation. The release of a Final Fantasy game has always served to set the bar for the genre every console generation. Next year we will see just how high that bar can be set. Consider this; Persona 4 came out on the PS2 eight years after the launch of the console. The best is undoubtedly yet to come.

That still may not be enough to quieten a few internal demons though. If an entire genre which used to be arguably the most important, and enduring of the last three console cycles is so reliant on the appeal and the inspiration that one game can provide, it is hardly an indication of rude health. Are the mechanic of a pure JRPG just too 'last gen'? Is the futue more closely tied to the hybrids like Valkyria Chronicles or even the Fallout 3 model? I would like to think that isn't true. However for me, it shouldn't be an Eternal Sonata; pretty but not progressive. Over to you Square-Enix.

thedogbarks vs toomanywires: Do you love or hate fanboys?

This is the second in a series of articles in which myself and my friend toomanywires (whose blog can be found on 1up or at his personal website here) debate a number of issues. We hope you enjoy them and please add your own comments to agree or disagree with either of us.

thedogbarks

Ah fanboys. Lifeblood of the industry, and the heart and soul of what makes video games so different to other forms of media. Yet tragically these champions of gaming are hated and derided by the world at large. It is true that often the venom with which they express themselves and the stubbornness of their beliefs can at times be trying but that merely speaks of the passion they have. We have much to thank fanboys for, no matter how we may try to deny it. They may be the minority, but they are a very vocal minority that can affect the industry in a positive way. Let’s take Nintendo as an example. This year they announced not one, but two Mario games, a drastic re-imagining of Metroid and overtures to a completely new motion-plus controlled Zelda. Why? The wrath of the fanboys. Last year’s E3 was so pathetic for them, was so casual focused, was so Cammy Dunaway’s family stories, that they took an absolutely pounding from the Nintendo faithful and had to reevaluate their approach this year. Reggie Fils-Aime said that Nintendo had listened to the concerns of the hardcore fans (probably out of fear of being stabbed) and responded, so you should be damn grateful to fanboys. Without them the only Wii game you would be looking forward to is Mario Party 15. Don’t you agree toomanywires?

toomanywires


Mario: 10% recyclable

No I don’t.First of all, let’s make an important distinction between a fanboy and a hardcore gamer. I consider myself a relatively hardcore gamer, but I would absolutely draw the line at fanboy. A hardcore gamer is someone who plays a lot, has a certain knowledge and appreciation of the medium, knows what they like but is open to trying something new, as long as its not shite. Fanboys are spiteful beasts, more concerned with minute details, series continuity and giving everyone who doesn’t agree with them an earful. It’s an obsession that clouds the judgment and prevents one from seeing the big picture. And all of this is detrimental to their acceptance and enjoyment of anything new, which can have a profound knock-on effect upon other gamers, and even the quality of games. You say we should be grateful to the fanboys for Nintendo’s surprising announcements at E3. If Nintendo is truly catering to the fanboys, then can we blame them for a new Super Mario Galaxy that boasts 90% new levels? How is that acceptable? What happened to the other 10%!? I blame the fanboy influence and their inability to embrace change. Let’s hear it thedogbarks.

thedogbarks


The Reggie has only one natural predator; the fanboy

90% new levels is better than no new levels, but of course I agree with some of your comments about fanboys. But looking at the industry you have to be able to appreciate the value of fanboys. Let’s take the Left 4 Dead 2 announcement recently. The petition was started to boycott the game as people felt that Valve had moved on to a full sequel too quickly, and from a company which has always prided itself on free additional content and continued support for their products, it surprised many. In response to the petition Valve pledged its continual support and free content patches to the original Left 4 Dead as well as compatibility between the two games. Perhaps they would have done it anyway .Perhaps most ‘hardcore’ gamers or enthusiasts wouldn’t have bothered to raise a fuss. But fanboys are our industry watchdog, haranguing companies to ensure that we get more bang for our buck. It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it. As a ‘hardcore’ gamer have you done anything to encourage developers to give us a better deal?

toomanywires

I can't say that I have been that pro-active. If I feel that a developer is unfairly over-charging for something, I make myself heard simply by electing not to buy it (RE 5 Versus mode). But, point taken about Left For Dead 2, though I get the feeling that Valve were always committed to the first game as well as the sequel. Still, do you equate that movement of gamers to fanboys? When I think of the term fanboy, I think of it as being a somewhat derogatory term. By making their voices heard and achieving something worthwhile, I do not think of the people who signed that petition as being fanboys, merely dedicated gamers who felt like they were being ripped off. They are a group of gamers displaying their passion in a constructive way. That’s something to be praised, so I don’t consider that fanboyism (is that a word?!). So where do we draw the line between being passionate about a game/console and being a fanboy?

thedogbarks


War never changes...

Fair points but I think we are both getting bogged down in the terminology. So let me close by noting how fanboys have helped to elevate videogames. They lift them from entertainment into something far more cultish. In the same way that Star Trek and Star Wars can be enjoyed by many, even loved and appreciated by many, but only worshipped by a few, videogames can inspire the same loyalty that those two iconic franchises can generate. As well as the irrational hatred that comes with it. The frantic, unreasonable devotion or hatred is something that can almost be compared to how people feel about sports. You can love or hate another team unconditionally for no other reason than you are a fan. And in the same way that sporting heroes can inspire grown men to burst into tears, Miyamoto's mere presence reduces Nintendo fanboys to blubbering wrecks. And for those people who waited in line for a week to be among the first to buy a PS3, you brought media attention to our passion which is belittled and misunderstood by most of the mainstream press. Yes we are crazy, but seeing as videogames have surpassed movies in terms of revenue generated, you had better listen to our crazy. Whilst a neutral fan of football could enjoy a game between Man United and Man City, and appreciate both teams (like those of us who own multiple systems), we also need the madness of the fans who scream their lungs out. We need fanboys.

toomanywires


10 seconds later WWIII erupted

I suppose fanboys are inevitable. I wouldn’t go as far to say that we need them, but they may have their place. For a start, they make the rest of us look far more reasonable and cognitive! And I like the football analogy. But, even with the popularity of online connectivity and massively multiplayer games, I still see gaming as quite a personal experience. In football, fans fully embrace a team to exist, bond and revel within that extended community. This may be for the better; that feeling when a country comes together during a world cup run, or worse; the violence that has become synonymous with European football. However, for most people video games remain an activity that largely involves sitting in your living room and interfacing with an inanimate entity. So, this “frantic, unreasonable devotion or hatred” is somewhat misplaced in the realms of video games, and I’m thankful for that. And part of the problem is that unlike football, there is no end in sight. We can’t put Mario and Sonic in a stadium and make them play each other in front of 40,000 fans. There is no closure. It’s an endless cycle that, I will admit, when done in good humour can be a great deal of fun. But when taking the “I’m right, everyone else is wrong” fanboy approach, it’s just a waste of time. Passion? Yes, the industry thrives on it. Fanboys? Not so much.

If you enjoyed this article please check out our first article SNES vs Genesis here

Top five: Fighting game stereotypes

A bellow… well at least he isn’t making sexual double entendres.

For more fighting game nonsense check out Top 5: differences between Street Fighter and real Fighting here