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Three Wizardry Gaiden titles were released for Game Boy, and each got its own arranged album. For Wizardry Gaiden IV, a Super Famicom exclusive release, the only official music publications were three 8cm “mini” CDs. The setup for each of the three CDs was the same: track 1 was an arranged instrumental track from Ikuro… Read More »

Three Wizardry Gaiden titles were released for Game Boy, and each got its own arranged album. For Wizardry Gaiden IV, a Super Famicom exclusive release, the only official music publications were three 8cm “mini” CDs. The setup for each of the three CDs was the same: track 1 was an arranged instrumental track from Ikuro… Read More »

Wizardry is one of the oldest and most beloved computer RPG series. The impact Wizardry (along with the Might and Magic and Ultima series) had on RPGs both in the US and abroad should not be understated. Games such as Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and numerous others, were inspired by and emulated many ideas from… Read More »

The third Tales title to hit the DS, which actually came in two different versions (you could buy the “CG movie” or “anime movie” version separately in Japan), Tales of Hearts brings back some of the classic sounds of the series, but the synth is forced into a level of compression that may displease VGM… Read More »

Elemental Gimmick Gear, or E.G.G., was one of the first RPGs for the Sega Dreamcast. This action RPG had lush, hand-drawn environments and fun, Zelda-like gameplay. Unfortunately, it also had an embarrassingly choppy localization and often vague plot direction. I did not remember much of the music from playing the game, yet listening to Haruyoshi… Read More »

Exodus Guilty is a video game that is truly epic in scope. It features lengthy intertwined storylines starring protagonists from current times, 1200 BC, and 13,000 AD. Revelations in one character’s storyline presented clues to solving another character’s conundrums in a different era. This graphic adventure was released in three parts for US audiences by… Read More »

Tanioka’s back with what is now the third published soundtrack for a Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles title. Two versions of the game Echoes of Time were released: one for Wii, and one for the DS. Based on the audio quality of this two disc set, it seems the music was originally written for Wii (and… Read More »

My friends, it is as the front cover suggests. This is one jazzy album. Sometimes it’s funky, sometimes it’s smooth, sometimes it’s crazy atonal stuff, and other times it’s “espionage jazz” (you know, James Bond music). But the soundtrack to the Kowloon Youma Gakuen Ki (“Chronicle of the Kowloon Ghost School”) manages to work all… Read More »

The newest, coolest Wizard of Oz-based game is on the market now (at least in Japan). RIZ-ZOAWD (an anagram for “Wizard Oz”) was developed by Media.Vision, the same people who do the Wild Arms series. As such, they brought on Michiko Naruke to do composition. But Naruke only composed the opening and ending themes, both… Read More »

The PS1 game “Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kenpuchou” made a lot of waves, and the ripples of those waves affect us even today. The hit game saw several remakes, as well as a sequel, some gaiden titles (such as “Tenshou Gakuen” and “Kamiyo Gakuen”), and even had anime and radio drama made after it. This album… Read More »

When RPG fans think of developer Gust, thoughts initially go to their alchemy-themed 2D RPGs such as Atelier Iris, Ar tonelico, or Mana Khemia. What if I were to tell you that Gust released a 3D adventure game years ago for the Playstation One? As hard as that may be to believe, Gust certainly released… Read More »

NIS America presents fans of the Ar tonelico series a treat with the recent release of the Ar tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica. The sequel comes with a soundtrack, which helps to promote the themes that series is known for. Composers Akiko Shikata, Akira Tsuchiya, Ken Nakagawa, and Daisuke Achiwa contribute to the soundtrack, providing… Read More »

We were burned once by a low-quality Atelier soundtrack for the DS once, and frankly, I didn’t want to get burned again. Atelier Lise, however, was composed by a new team. In this new Atelier DS game, Atelier Annie, the composer is exclusively Daisuke Achiwa, part of the regular “Gust Sound Team” as we know… Read More »

Atlus USA has been kind to us fans, in giving many bonuses when purchasing their games. One such gift is the Eternal Poison Soundtrack. Unlike its Japanese counterpart, Poison Pink, this soundtrack only contains twenty-five tracks on one CD. I find it interesting that when you see the tracks listed for the Eternal Poison Soundtrack… Read More »

In 2004, the Action RPG “Sacred” made its way to the PC, and quickly found itself being called another Diablo clone. Clone or not, Sacred’s soundtrack definitely packs a punch with its passionate instrumentals. I must admit–I have never played Sacred, but after listening to this soundtrack, I regret not giving it a shot. If… Read More »

When RPG fans hear the name Shoji Meguro, many know exactly who he is. Meguro uses the same instruments and style for nearly every soundtrack he composes. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4’s Side A soundtrack resembles his previous works, but becomes updated with a more upbeat and catchier tone than usual. The composer’s main focal… Read More »

In the past half-decade, there have been two different VGM concert series that compete for “top spot” in the niche market. One is “Video Games Live,” led by game music veterans Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall. The other, led by conductor Arnie Roth, is “PLAY! A Video Game Symphony.” The latter takes the more traditional,… Read More »

Here’s a lovely joke: you buy the Mines of Moria expansion, and you get a nice little bonus CD. If you’re buying the game’s expansion, you probably already own the original game, so you already have that Shadows of Angmar soundtrack CD. But you think “oh goodie, now I’ll have the full soundtrack for Moria… Read More »

There have been a few versions for a few soundtrack releases in the “Lord of the Rings Online” franchise. Turbine releases different CDs in different packages, in different regions. But if you want a full OST for the Mines of Moria expansion, this is the closest thing you’re going to find. And if you can… Read More »

Chance Thomas, a game composer known for his ability to take licensed work (be it film, television, book, comic book, whatever) and create a unique score for that franchise’s game. Thomas had done soundtracks for other Lord of the Rings games, but if you really want to see him shine, you’ll want to listen to… Read More »

Chance Thomas, the film, television, and game music composer from Utah, actually had his “humble beginnings” in game music with this 1997 soundtrack. But, among the savvy soundtrack collectors, we know there’s nothing “humble” about this album. Quest For Glory V was a half-decent game, but most people who know anything about the game will… Read More »

Why do I suddenly feel like I’m in France? …It must be all the accordion and orgel (music boxes) coming from this CD I bought. Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (or Pandora’s Box), eh? Who would’ve expected Tomohito Nishiura (Dark Cloud, Rogue Galaxy) to compose such traditional, Western European pieces? The man is good… Read More »

The end of the Layton trilogy marks the end of a series of strange, enigmatic tunes written by Level-5’s in house composer, Tomohito Nishiura. But I promise you, Nishiura goes out with a bang, as I feel this is without question the strongest of the three soundtracks! Why? For starters, there’s the opening track. All… Read More »

I love the accordion and related instruments. If there ever existed a soundtrack that would subdue my love for such an enigmatic sound, however, it would be Professor Layton and the Curious Village. This is not to say that it is a poorly composed soundtrack, only that it is a simple and incredibly repetitive one.… Read More »

Though this tiny promotional album contains no unique, elsewhere-unreleased music, I wanted to get some coverage and visibility of the album. Because, in one key way, it is the best CD you can own among the Layton albums. Each of the three games in the Professor Layton trilogy had a full, one disc OST release.… Read More »