MIDI Week Singles - "Dance of Thorns" - Homestuck (webcomic)

"Battle 2" from Homestuck, Webcomic (2011)
Publisher: MS Paint Adventures
Composer: Joren "Tensei" de Bruin

Continuing the "Fight Theme" kick I've been on lately, here's one from Homestuck's 'Strife' collection. As I've mentioned before , Homestuck isn't actually a video game, but it contains many video game influences, one of which is battle music!  Five tracks of such are in the 'Strife!' collection, my favorite of which is the above theme.  

While this theme perhaps runs a little long, and maybe tries to do too much, I'm a real sucker for synth violin in a heavy rock/metal setting (with a guest appearance by a harpsichord).  I'm accustomed to this sort of genre blending from video game music, and I think Joren 'Tensei' de Bruin does a good job.  

-D

MIDI Week Singles: "Boss Fight Theme" - Final Fantasy II (IV) - (SNES)

"Battle 2" from Final Fantasy II (IV)  - Super Nintendo Entertainment System (1991)
Publisher: Square Co/NTT Publishing
Composer: Nobuo Uematsu

This song popped into my head while at work, and remained stuck in my head for the rest of the day, and pleasant memories abound.  My reactions to hearing this theme are heavily colored by my experience playing it (twenty plus years ago).  As I play the song in my head, I have the sensation of tensing up, holding on, knowing that the killing blow and that satisfying pop of the boss monster death rattle is just around the corner. Yes, I could die any moment, but just hang on!  Cure, Bersk, Ice 2, Attack!  What I love about this theme is that it really contributes to the sense that the enemy is a 'villain' not just an obstacle.  The grand, sweeping movements of the music also speak well to the length of time spent fighting bosses in this game.  

Usually this theme came after some sort of brief story portion, fit with its own music, following a longer exploration portion, with it's own unique song and full of battles containing a different fight theme.  So when this fight theme came on, the increased intensity was palpable.  Good memories.

-D

MIDI Week Singles: "Fight Theme" - Dragon Warrior - (NES)

Title: Fight

Game: Dragon Warrior

Developer: Enix

Release: 1986

Platform: NES/Famicom

Composer: Koichi Sugiyama

Arrangement: Takenori Yamamori

I've really been on a Dragon Warrior kick lately, so why not share this singular musical track from the first Dragon Warrior?

To the unbiased ear, the early NES sounds from DW may be somewhat grating, really not the best MIDI, and the compositions, in general, may not seem like anything to write home about.  However, each song has a special place in my heart, and none more so than the battle theme.  I love it because it leads me to ask:  "What the heck is going on with this theme?"  It's so odd!  So delightfully strange.  It's only the bridge at the end that sort of ties the thing together.   

Instead of using speed and heavy rhythm to generate excitement and create a sense of danger, the composer chooses to use a bizarre melody.  And it works, the much calmer sounds of the overworld map are very relaxing by comparison.  So yeah, big kudos to Koichi Sugiyama and Takenori Yamamori for this unequaled track among video game battle music.  

-D