You know “Half-Minute Hero,” that PSP RPG where you have a time limit in every zone and the graphics look super-retro? This is the soundtrack to that game. A diverse team of composers worked on its soundtrack. Did too many cooks spoil the broth?
No, not at all.
The two disc soundtrack includes over 60 songs from a variety of composers, and in a variety of styles. The audio does not match the graphics in “retro”-ness. These aren’t chiptunes, this isn’t FM synth. For the most part, these are recorded tracks in the styles of jazz, speed-metal rock, and pop-orchestra. And they’re all fantastic. Honestly, I’m a little surprised. I didn’t expect to enjoy this soundtrack. I had a feeling I’d enjoy the game, what with its quirky rules and old school graphic style, but I didn’t think the music would be of such high quality. I was pleasantly surprised by this soundtrack.
However, it does fail the “remember the melodies” test. The only song that really stuck with me was “Casablanca.” Both the original and remix versions are incredibly catchy. The other 59 tracks on the album? They’re great too, but I can’t recall them without giving the album another listen, and then I’ll forget what I heard within a few hours. All I can remember was that I enjoyed hearing them. The battle themes, the town themes, the epic adventure music… this has all the trappings of good RPG score!
I predict this soundtrack will fall below the radar for many game music enthusiasts and time will forget it. But while it was in my car’s CD player, I know that I, for one, had a great time listening to it.
