Official(?) Nintendo Consoles Music Thread v2.0

The Cappuccino Kid wrote:

There went the one opportunity where something on here could be accurately described as a 'banger'.

He's done it again

It must be time for some festive music!  You know what to expect, then: the Cool Cool Mountains, the Frappé Snowlands, the Icicle Mountains...

...not this time.  The Switch is almost through its second year, so that's plenty to pick through.  What, then, are the Christmassiest pieces on Switch?  Over to... er, well, me.


5. Octopath Traveler, Flamesgrace



Not automatically bringing to mind images of bounding through the snow, perhaps; but I was brought up on carols like 'Silent Night'.  Flamesgrace embodies those perfectly.  It's a quiet snowy city, filled with the grace of God the Flame.  There's room for quiet considerate carols amidst your 'Hark The Herald' and the like.


4. Celeste, First Steps



As if I wasn't going to include this year's indie darling that's all about climbing a snowy mountain.  Admittedly, the piece may need some context: it doesn't sound all that snowy in and of itself.  But in the level where it plays, the snow is falling; and this music feels warm and comforting like none of Celeste's other levels.  


3. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Animal Crossing (Winter)



You could have picked Sherbet Land, of course, but for me this is the cutest Christmassiest piece in the game.  Definitely reminiscent of the wintry pieces of Animal Crossings from days gone.  Lovely.


2. Undertale, Snowdin



We have Undertale on Switch now!  Undertale has a whole town themed around Christmas, and yes it has excellent festive music.  Hooray!


1. Super Mario Odyssey, Shiveria



Of course the town filled with fat sealbears was going to come top of the list.  3D Mario has a real knack when it comes to Christmas tunes, from Cool Cool to Frosty Flake, and now to this.  Filled with festive cheer.


Have I missed some out?  Of course I blooming have.  Mind telling me which ones?  (Christmas) Cheers!

Baubleadeer wrote:

5. Octopath Traveler, Flamesgrace



Not automatically bringing to mind images of bounding through the snow, perhaps; but I was brought up on carols like 'Silent Night' and the like.  Flamesgrace embodies those perfectly.  It's a quiet snowy city, filled with the grace of God the Flame.  There's room for quiet considerate carols amidst your 'Hark The Herald' and the like.

I think I've posted this before elsewhere on the forum, but I prefer Stillsnow for a wintery theme from Octopath. Again, it's maybe not filled with festive cheer like Snowdin or whatnot, but I think it fits the same vein as The Snowman or indeed, as you mentioned, Silent Night. And those strings! Gorgeous.

I find it hard to choose, they're both good wintry tunes with a warmth underlying them.

Indeed! It also served as a reminder that a certain Scottish admin was meant to do an Octopath music highlight several months ago...

Wasn't going to say anything...

...maybe in the New Year. Maybe.

Aw, that's sweet! Even if IitR's 'keyboard face' is still far and away the best part of it.

Jay continues to be rubbish, so I'd like to pick up one of the definitive soundtracks from last year.  JRPGs are known for their 'banging choons', as GNamer's Number One JRPG Fan TCK has been moved to say on occasion; and Octopath Traveler is no exception.  The music and graphics are really where this game shines: so much so that I almost couldn't bring myself to reduce my choices down from my shortlist.  Then I remembered that nobody else wants to listen to ten tracks from me.  So without further ado:


5. Cyrus' Theme



Do I like the posh nerd's theme filled with violins?  But of course!  Best character theme in my opinion.  Courtly waltzes are good.


4. Stolen Dreams, Lost Light



Hopefully the picture isn't too spoilerful.  This plays in some of the final towns you visit, and all of them have something very wrong.  If the light filters didn't tell you that, the bleak and desperate music will.  Abandon hope all ye who listen here.


3. Bolderfall: Atop the Precipice



From the most despairing town music to the bounciest.  I started my adventure here, so maybe I have a certain amount of extra fondness.  Or maybe it is genuinely the piece most likely to make you bob in your chair.  


2. The Sunlands



My favourite overworld piece, because of its instrumentation, its melody, and its association with Primrose breaking out of her living hell.  Desert pieces can be hit-and-miss in gaming: this is definitely a hit.


1. Determination



I can't really post a picture of the most memorable place where this plays, because it's spoileriffic.  Instead here's a character vaguely associated with this excellent dramatic theme.  I don't think you necessarily need to know the context to tell that this plays at crucial and upsetting moments.  I wasn't expecting to choose this as my top pick, but when I browsed through the soundtrack and heard this tear-jerker, I didn't really have a choice.


Have I missed anything, people who've played this (=Jay)?  And for everyone else... the music really is one of the best bits of this game, so enjoy I suppose!  And pick it up at a discount if it's ever in a sale.

Boulderfall would have been one of my picks - I still finding myself humming along to that track without thinking months after having put Octopath down. It's just so catchy! I like the other tracks you highlighed - they wouldn't have been what I'd have gone for, especially that creepy town track, but I honestly don't think there's a bad track in the game. Easily my video-game OST of the year in 2018.

Stunned that you didn't include any of the games amazing battle themes though. Battle III is the best in my eyes - the first time it kicked in on the way to the third tier towns was a treat.

I'm sure I've highlighted Stillsnow before and I'll do it again! It's just so wistful, yet there's something oddly calming about it. It might just be my overall favourite in the game.

This is gorgeous too. Those strings!

The Victor's Hollow Olberic chapter was one of the best in the game and the area music played a hand in that. It feels perfect for a town filled with warriors getting ready to do battle in the arena. God, the strings again!

And lastly, I'd be remiss not mention that FamilyJules put out a 32 (!!) track cover album for the game. Not all of them are winners, but it's a huge effort from him and deserves a listen, at least.

Battle II and Decisive Battle II were both in my shortlist (as was Victor's Hollow. Alfyn's theme and Frostlands rounded out the set).  Battle III wasn't: I actually felt it was a step back from Battle II.  As well as sounding like a Pursuit theme from Ace Attorney at the start.

I do agree with the general thrust of your post, mind, which is: DEM STRINGS DO.

not canon

Balladeer wrote:

As well as sounding like a Pursuit theme from Ace Attorney at the start.

Is that a bad thing?

It... doesn't really feel all that as an evolution from the excellent, viola-featuring Battle 2.

Drunkalilly wrote:

not canon

While we wait for our favourite content creator to pick up the series again, we're continuing our AU fanfiction music periods.

I'm never going to play Tetris 99.  The stress of a battle royale combined with a puzzler I'm not that keen on?  Nah.  But I am going to listen to its soundtrack ad infinitum.

Here's the whole bloody thing.  It's great.  But you're probably after the classic theme, spruced up.  It's always sounded tremendous, and this really manages to keep that retro quality at the same time as going full dance music.  My new favourite piece is the last ten music, though.  Utterly manic!

Remixes?  Oh for crying out loud, it's Tetris!  Do you know how many time it's been done?  Whatever, here's my favourite of the Tetris theme, and here's the last ten theme.  Kind of.

Balla wrote:

a puzzler I'm not that keen on?

I think that's the highest order of blasphemy we've ever had on this forum.

This on a forum where 'The Christ' was a thing. It's linked to my stance on high score games, which to be fair Tetris 99 isn't; but I'm not terribly keen on battle royale-style win-once-in-a-hundred-tries gaming either.

Not a massive fan of BR style games either (even though I tried my first proper one in Apex legends over the weekend and liked it) as they tend to be full of extreme lows as you get used to the game before that extreme high of winning happens. Tetris 99 is great fun for a half an hour or so here and there though and it doesn't really feel like you are playing against people until you hit the last 50.

Uh

I think we are at a point where, if you don't like Tetris, there may be something actually wrong with you...

There are lots of things wrong with me, Jim.  This may well be one of them.  I'm thinking that failing to enjoy shooting, or strategy, or any games that have a realistic art style, are probably worse wrong things.

I'm on a music kick, so how about a music game?  Much like Smash Bros., Rhythm Paradise Megamix's soundtrack is more a 'best of' than full of bangers in its own right.  That's not to say it doesn't have some bangers of its own, though, and I've found some original bangers for you.  Bangers.



Tongue Lashing



Is this the 'Drum and Bass' young people sometimes talk about?  I think I like it.


LumBEARjack 2



I suspect this might not work at all without the video of a hunky 'bear' (looks lupine to me) chopping logs in front of a crew of admiring cats.  With it, though, it's sufficiently entertainingly ridiculous.  Still the least good piece of the three.


Sumo Bros.



There's nothing that isn't ridiculous and entertaining about Sumo Bros.  I'm not sure I even know what genre this is.  Particularly impressive work on the background from the YouTuber too.  Here's... one of the greatest things in fact.


Finally, almost completely unrelated, but... Bomb Rush Blush as Rhythm Paradise.  The Rhythm Heaven fandom throws up some pretty amazing things!

I don't have enough exposure to Rhythm Paradise to comment on the rest, but that Bomb Rush Blush remix was awesome! Thanks for linking.

Sadface. Not enough people seem to have played Megamix, which is a pity.  Although keep an eye out in this, a post about a game that certainly doesn't suffer from that problem, for another video of the same ilk...





This works out quite nicely: a while back I did Period 156, focussing on some of the lesser-heard tunes from this same game.  Now I'm doing Period 165, and I'm definitely not focussing on lesser-heard tunes.  I'm going to post my top five better-appreciated musics from Super Mario Odyssey.  

That means latter-game spoilers.  I think you've all seen them anyway, but if for some reason you haven't and you're browsing the mobile site/Topic'It, be warned!

Here we go:

What a bloody tremendous game.  It's one of the few games I'd consider replaying right from the beginning.  Suppose I should try to get the last moon first through...

Oh lord, I do not like the tank version of Steam Gardens! I think the original track is just too good to tamper with like that. I think it's probably my favourite in the whole game, to be honest. It came out of nowhere and soothed my ears.

This music week has me wanting to go to back to Odyssey, actually, so that's one thing accomplished at least!