After recently listening to a plethora of incredibly orchestrated music in Super Mario Galaxy, I just couldn't resist in expressing my love for great music in games. My favorite type of game music has to be the orchestrated kind. Of course, each game is unique, and if you include orchestrated music in every game, for example, things will get boring and even stale. But if you include just a few of these music tracks at correct times, a game can truly become an adventure.
Epic novels and poetry predominantly tell the story of a hero on a quest for something grand. Readers follow this hero on his adventures of daring feats of courage and risk. I think this adjective well suits this type of music that accompanies a game.
For those of you who played Shadow of the Colossus and remember fighting each colossus, the music made a great impact on how you felt during these fights. Upon seeing the colossus the music is calm and alluring. Then, as you finally find a way onto the giant, the music picks up speed and a new music track is heard. This track is full of cymbals, drums, and horns that turns this seemingly mundane encounter into an epic battle - hero versus villain.
Orchestrated music like this gives players a feeling or urgency and a rush of adrenaline. Having moments where music changes during a boss battle gives games a whole new depth. The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess did this as well. It wasn't orchestrated, but the sudden change in musical speed and rhythm made it awesome. As soon as you found a boss's weakness, the song changed to inform you, and perhaps even Link, that an opening had been made and the time to take action was now.
Other games choose to have orchestrated music that accompanies the player beyond a boss battle. Final Fantasy games are known for having music like this. In fact, it's usually RPG games or action RPG games that incorporate music in a this style that gives the game a new level of enjoyment. In an RPG's case, an orchestra can take a player back in time to an age where technology did no exist. Hence in this method, this type of music can create a time for the player. Locations and places can be created through the use of music as well. Soul Calibur III did this as it gave each character his or her unique stage with music from the character's region. Also realize that by incorporating a choir or a vocal hymn into any song, battles and encounters become something holy.
Regardless of how it's used, well created music has the power to make a game truly an adventure. Remember how Melee turned a seemingly humble Pokémon song into a grand symphony complete with a choir for Pokemon Stadium? Or what about a little pink puffball's epic clash of cymbals in Fountain of Dreams?
Epic novels and poetry predominantly tell the story of a hero on a quest for something grand. Readers follow this hero on his adventures of daring feats of courage and risk. I think this adjective well suits this type of music that accompanies a game.
For those of you who played Shadow of the Colossus and remember fighting each colossus, the music made a great impact on how you felt during these fights. Upon seeing the colossus the music is calm and alluring. Then, as you finally find a way onto the giant, the music picks up speed and a new music track is heard. This track is full of cymbals, drums, and horns that turns this seemingly mundane encounter into an epic battle - hero versus villain.
Orchestrated music like this gives players a feeling or urgency and a rush of adrenaline. Having moments where music changes during a boss battle gives games a whole new depth. The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess did this as well. It wasn't orchestrated, but the sudden change in musical speed and rhythm made it awesome. As soon as you found a boss's weakness, the song changed to inform you, and perhaps even Link, that an opening had been made and the time to take action was now.
Other games choose to have orchestrated music that accompanies the player beyond a boss battle. Final Fantasy games are known for having music like this. In fact, it's usually RPG games or action RPG games that incorporate music in a this style that gives the game a new level of enjoyment. In an RPG's case, an orchestra can take a player back in time to an age where technology did no exist. Hence in this method, this type of music can create a time for the player. Locations and places can be created through the use of music as well. Soul Calibur III did this as it gave each character his or her unique stage with music from the character's region. Also realize that by incorporating a choir or a vocal hymn into any song, battles and encounters become something holy.
Regardless of how it's used, well created music has the power to make a game truly an adventure. Remember how Melee turned a seemingly humble Pokémon song into a grand symphony complete with a choir for Pokemon Stadium? Or what about a little pink puffball's epic clash of cymbals in Fountain of Dreams?
Labels: games, music, nintendo, smash bros, wii
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