Every time you turn around, Falcom has found another way to repackage their classic soundtracks.
In this case, Falcom released not one, but two promotional albums alongside their PSP port of Oath in Felghana (which, itself, is a massive overhaul of Ys III).
One of those discs is an OST based on a particular sound font: X68k. So, we’re talking about old PC-based music for Falcom’s games from the late ’80s and early ’90s. Ys III had a number of albums associated with it, even 15 to 20 years ago: a “Music From” disc, a “JDK Special” disc, a Perfect Collection, a Super Arrange Version, and more. In all of that, a full X68k disc was never released (though a few X68k-based bonus tracks popped in here and there).
I myself am a much bigger fan of SNES “FM Synth” and the NES hardware-based chiptunes. But X68k had its uses, and having a full disc of Ys III music in this format, as it would’ve been heard by many Japanese gamers 20 years ago, is really an exciting piece of history to have in my personal Falcom collection.
What makes this sound version enjoyable? First of all, I love the percussion. Yes, it’s super-artificial in sound, and there are a lot of limitations. But it was light-years beyond the alternative stuff available during its time (unless you were playing a redbook audio version of the game on PC Engine). The hand claps, the snare hits, the restrained cymbal crashes: I love it!
I also like some of the upper-octave Celeste sound, like what you can hear providing decoration in pieces including “Snare of Darkness” and “Radiant Key.”
At the end of the disc, they have some bonus PC-88 version tracks. This, in my humble opinion, was a great decision. It’s more classic, ultra-nostalgic Falcom music. And it’s a great way to quickly compare X68k to other sounds of the time.
In the end, this disc is just one more way to enjoy the classic Ys III soundtrack from Falcom’s “Sound Team JDK.” Get it while the gettin’ is still good.
