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Long before Final Fantasy VII took the gaming world by storm, savvy gamers world-wide were already familiar with the previous six games in the series (well, Americans only had access to three, but the well-informed American knew that six existed). “Old-school” gamers are, to this day, nostalgic for a time when FMV sequences didn’t exist,… Read More »

When a person thinks of oft-arranged game music, the top contenders wind up being series such as Ys, Final Fantasy, and Dragon Quest. However, Konami’s Genso Suikoden series is catching up. Not only that, but the majority of the soundtracks produced are of excellent quality, including the subject of this review; Genso Suikoden Piano Collection… Read More »

Note: The original terminology for this game is Hanjuku Eiyuu which translates to “Half-Boiled Hero.” Somehow the half-translated name Hanjuku Hero stuck, so much so that you can even hear “Hanjuku Hero!” sung in this opening theme. Okay, listen up: ISAO SASAKI! This guy is insane. The vocalist for the Hanjuku Hero Vs 3D theme… Read More »

Okay, at first glance, this little Eternity disc for Final Fantasy X-2 looks like an absolute waste of money. As a “Theme Song Single,” you’re looking at three instrumental tracks, standing on their own. Why spend $10-$15 on this three-track, ten minute disc, when you can spend $15 more and get the whole double-disc OST?… Read More »

Okay, now this Come With Me single is just absolutely weird. its application to Final Fantasy X-2 is indirect, but enough of a worthwhile notation to cover on RPGFan. The first and last tracks are not worth talking about: they are just another Kumi Koda song, being the title track of the CD. The tracks… Read More »

We Americans got a different performer for the X-2 Vocals, one Jade from Sweetbox. The Japanese gamers got to hear the lovely voice of Kumi Koda. I’ve heard a lot of debate about who performs these vocal tracks better: some say Koda, others say Jade. Of course, it’s easy to argue that nothing can beat… Read More »

Sound of the Wind (“Kaze no Ne”) is the opening theme to Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. This is the opening theme single from Yae. The third and fourth tracks are from Yae’s second album, entitled “Blue Line.” The first two tracks are the only songs relevant to the game. The first track is the version… Read More »

In 1999, Squaresoft were busy making their 3rd Front Mission title, at least strategy/RPG wise. Like when they’ve hired Riow Arai for Front Mission Alternative in 1997, they wanted to take another chance and hire composers outside the company. So the duo of Koji Hayama (Cho Aniki) and Hayato Matsuo (Ogre Battle, Dragon Force II)… Read More »

What a little hodge-podge of a soundtrack! Because it would be near-impossible to write a sensible review of this thing without going track-by-track, I’m doing the dirty deed and writing a track-by-track review. Don’t kill me, please. Thanks. Well, maybe first an explanation on what this thing is. Maybe you aren’t up to date on… Read More »

Note: This soundtrack, along with the Seiken Densetsu OSV, were reprinted into one disc that is generally available. This disc is entitled Seiken Densetsu Sound Collections. Seiken Densetsu ~ Let Thoughts Ride on Knowledge is an album of epic ambition. Be it the original Final Fantasy Adventure or their latest offering, Sword of Mana, each… Read More »

Note: This soundtrack, along with the arranged disc, Seiken Densetsu ~ Let Thoughts Ride on Knowledge, were reprinted into one disc that is generally available. This disc is entitled Seiken Densetsu Sound Collections. Despite limitations in sound hardware, Kenji Ito’s Seiken Densetsu OSV manages to embrace quality compositions and timeless melodies which will stay engrained… Read More »

For some reason, people like to use the word “gem” to describe a really good, hard-to-find CD. I don’t know how the terminology ever stuck, but it did. And while I usually disagree with people on their usage of the word, I have to say that this soundtrack is truly a gem. Sword of Mana… Read More »

I have to admit that I’m generally not a big fan of Original Soundtracks as they often suffer from low quality sampling or are restricted by a system’s sound capabilities. As such, I usually tend to prefer arranged soundtracks such as fully orchestral arrangements or other type of arrangement that really bring out the full… Read More »

About a year ago, Squaresoft and Enix had the bright idea of teaming up to become one huge company. The benefits were obvious; the strengths of both companies together would make only quality products. Mixing the incredible story and gameplay elements of Enix and the graphical abilities of Squaresoft could only do good things like… Read More »

Drag-on Dragoon Original Soundtrack Vol.2 features the best music of the two volumes. Here Takayuki Aihara and Nobuyoshi Sano still strive to make their own unusual music. The tracks here are far more distorted and twisted (especially those from Sano) and more have choirs in them. Aihara starts off the soundtrack with Drag-on Dragoon‘s secondary… Read More »

In the summer of 2003, Square released three singles through Avex, corresponding to the three main characters of Final Fantasy X-2: Yuna, Rikku, and Paine. The YuRiPa (or YRP in America) trio went “solo” for these three singles: the Japanese voice actors for the characters got a shot at performing two songs. Each song is… Read More »

In the summer of 2003, Square released three singles through Avex, corresponding to the three main characters of Final Fantasy X-2: Yuna, Rikku, and Paine. The YuRiPa (or YRP in America) trio went “solo” for these three singles: the Japanese voice actors for the characters got a shot at performing two songs. Each song is… Read More »

In the summer of 2003, Square released three singles through Avex, corresponding to the three main characters of Final Fantasy X-2: Yuna, Rikku, and Paine. The YuRiPa (or YRP in America) trio went “solo” for these three singles: the Japanese voice actors for the characters got a shot at performing two songs. Each song is… Read More »

The first Lunar game on Sega CD pretty much came out of nowhere and blew away almost everybody who played it. People had been waiting for an RPG on Sega CD for a while and although RPG fans would have been satisfied with any “average” RPG on the system, what they got instead was an… Read More »

I’m a big fan of Final Fantasy IV. I consider it to have the most enjoyable music out of all the Final Fantasy games, including VI. It’s my personal preference based on not only nostalgia, but also an evaluation of the composition and emotion included in the pieces. That being said, it shouldn’t come as… Read More »

To my knowledge, here is the history of Final Fantasy Piano Collections: first IV, then V, then V (with reprints of IV and V)—these were all of the “book format” Piano Collections. Then, many years later, came VIII (skipping VII). Then came IX, then CD-only reprints of IV–VI, then X, and THEN VII (and 4… Read More »

I admit I’m pretty partial to the Final Fantasy Piano Collections CDs, as the piano also happens to be my favorite instrument. Naturally, there are some collections that impress more than others. That, of course, depends on the quality of the piano arrangements which in turn determines how recognizable and enjoyable the songs are compared… Read More »

With the Japanese Genso Suikoden IV on the verge of release, Konami has once again given us another Suikoden remix album, Genso Suikoden Asian Collection. The Genso Suikoden series is known not only for an emotionally riveting game play experience, but for a wealth of powerful and fun music as well, so it’s not shocking… Read More »

Oh great, another Sakuraba compilation. Alright, I don’t mean to sound bitter and jaded, but you should know that I am exactly that. I like Sakuraba: I am especially fond of the work he put into The Second Story. The Valkyrie Profile stuff isn’t bad either. It’s just that, well…this album doesn’t have much new… Read More »

(Editor’s Note: Nearly 15 years after the release of this book+CD combo, the two unique tracks found on this disc were included in a reprint of the Live A Live Original Soundtrack). It was a semi-common practice for NTT Publishing, in the early-to-mid 1990s, to throw together a little 8cm disc to come along with… Read More »