The Evolution Of The Video Game Soundtrack: From Analog Music ThroughMovie Styled Video Game Soundtracks

A program used by Mac computers to create computer generated music.

Most people recognize that video game soundtracks in the modern day are becoming more and more like Movie or TV soundtracks... But before this really began to take shape, at the beginning of the world of video games... well as it turns out, most video games had computer generated music, and before that, Cassette or LP generated music.

Some of the music that has been computer generated... Well in the early days was pretty horrible, and well, if you really dig in to it, there are some truly fun scores (such as: Super Mario Bros. (Believe it or not, it is a fun soundtrack) and even Final Fantasy 7!)

To really understand this progression, lets really start with the progression of computer generated music (I mean after all, computer generated music is where video game music got it's start.)

In this case, the first computer to generate music was a computer called the, 'CSIRAC', (which stands for: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Automatic Computer.) Now I can give you all the technical jargon if you want (but that is probably not much use for what we are working toward in this blog.)

The earliest known computer to play music.

To say the least, this computer (which is one of the oldest first generation electronic computers ever built,) was built in Australia in the late 40s by Trevor Pearcy & Maston Beard and which in the early 50s would be programmed by a mathematician by the name of Geoff Hill to generate music.

Since then, there has been many advancements in the programming for computer generated music, leading up to, and for our purposes, the first video game to ever play computer generated music...

Now before I continue on I should also mention the direct predecessor to computer generated music for video games...

Like movies, in the case of video games, early video game music was played on independent systems separate from the video game itself.

You see, in the 1970s, when arcades were really having their Golden Age, video game music would be played in analogue form (on cassette tapes, or on LPs.) Well to say the least this proved to be unworkable, and the age of computer generated music was born!

You see, it turns out that a more workable solution for this was to insert a computer chip that would create music from electric impulses created from the games code in to analog music.

Well to say the least, starting with Gun Fight (1975)... A game which proved to be one of the earliest examples of computer generated music for games, we find video games getting better and better computer generated music... Leading to (what I would say), would be some great early computer generated music from such awesome NES games as (well besides what I mentioned above,) such stuff as: Contra (1987), Mega Man (1987) & even Castlevania (1987), to name a few!

Castlevania... A fun game, with a fun computer generated soundtrack! 

And you know what? This music just kept getting better and better, with the passage from, '8 Bit' games to, '16 Bit' games, as well as the advent of the first Playstation, etc... I am going to go so far as to say that the height of singularly computer created music format for video games was with the advent of the first, 'Playstation.'

Don't get me wrong, there has been a ton of fun video game soundtracks to come out before this, but some of the video game soundtracks that came out with the first playstation were truly... Amazing! A great example again is, Final Fantasy 7! I mean the music for this video game was truly prolific , to the point where one could have been said to be a, 'Computer Generated Opera!'

Now I don't exactly know when the change first started occurring (I unfortunately had a bit of an absence from the world of video games,) but I did notice that as time has gone on, and leading (at the very least up until the XBox 360,) that video game soundtracks have become less computer generated, and more like movie soundtracks!

Crackdown for the: XBox 360 is a great example of a video game that has an almost, 'movie' like sound track to it!

I reckon that as long as video games keep getting better and better and the lines between movies and video games get more and more blurred, that in the end, the soundtracks will as well!

For more information, please check out these examples:

5 Classic Video Games That Should Be Made In To 5 Blockbuster Movies

Over the decades there has been a lot of great video games that have come out that have entertained audiences all over the world as movies. But with the failure of, Super Mario Bros. (1993), the fad seems to have faded in to the background!

Well with the movie industry just more or less essentially going through and remaking just about every movie that has ever been made... And oft times butchering the remake, I thought that I would give some suggestions to tap in to a sorely neglected, but extremely plentiful area... The video game!
So without further adieu:

5. Mega Man.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="256"] Mega Man... A great game that could be total block buster![/caption]

Now this game was a truly classic game that came out for the, 'Nintendo' back in the 1980s, and when it did come out, it was a monumental sensation! And with it still maintaining it's cult status decades later, and with the, 'Super Hero' movie being such a hot ticket item right now for the box office, Why not bring this super hero to life?

For more information on this game, please check out this clip from: Mega Man.

http://youtu.be/GnGfx0dfi7g

4. Super Maro Bros.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="440"] Doing a remake of the movie, could be a great blockbuster![/caption]

This is a remake that I certainly would like to see! Don't get me wrong, I did like the original movie, but if the studios do it right, not only would it be a great movie, but it could potentially make up for the failings of it's predecessor!

For more information on the game, please check out this clip from: Super Mario Bros.

http://youtu.be/PsC0zIhWNww

As for the movie, please check out this trailer:

http://youtu.be/wtMZKYnLg5c

3. Battletoads.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="444"] Bringing these guys back to life as a big screen film, would be freaking awesome![/caption]

A great video game from the Super Nintendo era, and a fun cartoon... Why not make it in to a movie? I mean they are bringing the Ninja Turtles back, why not bring these fighting frogs back to life?

For more information on the game, please check out this clip from: Battletoads.

http://youtu.be/idZ9C0Qtj2A

As fort he show, please enjoy this clip:

http://youtu.be/hLYCgvQhBro

2. Halo.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="628"] Halo would make for a great movie![/caption]

Now this one isn't exactly classic per-se, but it still applies, this game is to the XBox, what Super Mario is to Nintendo, and is well deserving of it's own movie!

For more information on this game, please enjoy the trailer for: Halo: Reach.

http://youtu.be/-YQZ_-qUYWk

1. Contra.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"] A classic game that I still think would make for a fantastic movie![/caption]

If I have said it once, I have said it 100 times, this game was truly historic, and if they turned it in to a movie, I imagine it will be truly epic!

For more information on this game, enjoy this trailer for: Contra.

http://youtu.be/uzQKF9LUQ90

I am sure that there are a lot more, but these are the ones that I was thinking would be truly the best of the batch!

 

5 Great Video Game Series That Got Their Starts A Generation Ago

That's right folks, with all of the modern games that are coming out at such a rapid rate, that we some times forget where some of these staple franchises have come from, and so I thought that I would remind some of us out there where these modern games got their start:

At number 5: Castlevania.

For more information on this game please check out these scenes from, 'Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow 2' (2014), and 'Castlevania' (1986):

http://youtu.be/ENSDrPpFp-Y

http://youtu.be/pJk-zhp8aA0

At number 4: Contra.

For more information on this game please check out these scenes from, 'Hard Corps Uprising' (2011), and 'Contra' (1987):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzQKF9LUQ90

http://youtu.be/ZDOrp_TMGfA

At number 3: Mega Man.

For more information on this game please check out these scenes from, 'Mega Man 10' (2010), and 'Mega Man' (1987):

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnGfx0dfi7g&w=420&h=315]

 

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaS1c-16frU&w=560&h=315]

At number 2: Sonic The Hedgehog.

For more information on this game please check out these scenes from, 'Sonic Boom' (2014), and 'Sonic The Hedgehog' (1991):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAhNkZWvZJ4

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3ny0Pr09S8&w=420&h=315]

At number 1: Street Fighter.

For more information on this game please check out these scenes from, 'Street Fighter X Tekken' (2012), and 'Street Fighter' (1987):

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_dM7SWLBTQ&w=420&h=315]

http://youtu.be/KLQ1aCOSQos

Mega Man 3 (1990) - Video Game Review

[caption id="attachment_385" align="alignright" width="353"] Official Score = 2 Devils[/caption]

You know it is sad to see some of these truly amazing video game franchises, that in a lot of ways could be said to have helped make the video game industry what it is today, go the way that it has gone... What do I mean by this...

Well lets take, 'Contra'...  This video game franchise which got it's start in 1987 was an amazing action packed video game, that I do truly believe helped to keep the, 'NES' going as one of the more popular video game systems of it's time... The last time a, 'Contra' game was made, it didn't even have the legendary name in it (the last one was, 'Hard Corps: Uprising' that came out in 2011.)

Another unfortunate example of this is the, 'Mega Man' series, which seems to have all but disappeared, but this series, for me personally was not only a video game series that helped keep me interested in Science Fiction in general, but the original video game itself helped keep me interested in video games themselves!

Unfortunately, 'Mega Man 3' (1990) was not that for me, but it does come from a great series!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="200"] Mega Man 3... Not bad... Not great...[/caption]

Developed & Published by: Capcom for the NES, this game (which would be one of the last to be made for the, 'NES') told the story of how supposedly Dr. Wily has  finally come to terms with his errors and ends up going back to work with Dr. Light, but when things start to go awry, and Dr. Wily decides to go evil again, Mega Man and his new dog, 'Rush' jump in to action to foil Dr. Wily's evil plot!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Mega Man is back in action and ready to stop Dr. Wily in this classic 1990s sequel in the immense video game franchise![/caption]

In the end, the music for this game is good, the characters on this game are also good, and some people say that this game is, 'hard' to play... (The best games usually are...) The main problem with this game for me was the fact that the truest sign of a great game is in how often you would want to play it... And the truth is, is this game just doesn't have the same staying power that it's predecessors have!

In the end, it is not bad, it is just not great, and I hate to say it, but if you give it a try, you might find the same thing as well!

http://youtu.be/SwZ_YwvYHo4

Mega Man 2 (1988) - Video Game Review

[caption id="attachment_557" align="alignright" width="307"] Official Score = 3 1/2 Devils[/caption]

One of the interests that was instilled in me at a very young age is an interest in the Science Fiction genre... And you know what? I am glad, because having grown up in a world that is still very turbulent, Science Fiction has in a way shown a very practical view of a future where Mankind has stopped trying to destroy each other for petty reasons... But not just that, but also have shown a very practical way of getting to that future (all wrapped up in exciting adventures...)

Then there is also the other side which is just fun escapism, and that is when that world of the future shows a time when a hero or a group of heroes need to overcome some truly overwhelming odds!

A fun example of this first side is stuff like, 'Star Trek', but a great example of the second side is the video game, 'Mega Man'... Or to be more direct, 'Mega Man 2'!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="273"] A truly classic video game![/caption]

Developed and Published by Capcom & originally released on the NES on December 24th 1988, this Sci-fi/Action platform (which would eventually be re-released for the various Playstation platforms, Wii & 3DS as well as iOS,) tells the story of how after his epic of defeat of the evil Doctor Wily in the first video game, Doctor Wily rebuilds his forces and creates a new fortress...

Because of this, Dr. Light sends his own robotic hero back out in to the world to destroy Dr. Wiley and his forces once again before Dr. Wiley can see his plans for world domination realized!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="256"] Dr. Wiley & Mega Man go head to head in, 'Mega Man 2'![/caption]

Now the truth is, is I found this game to actually be better... What I mean by this is the fact that I found the bad guys in this game to be a bit more fun (Don't get me wrong, the original bosses were fun, but these were just kind of cooler), Also this video game's controls were a little bit more refined... And also the last thing that I wanted to say is that in a lot of the old Nintendo Games, alot of the times you couldn't save these really long games that you would play... So you either had to play the game to completion... (Or you could do what I did, and pause the game and turn off the TV and go to sleep with the system still on and continuing playing in the morning...) But with Mega Man 2... Well they still didn't exactly allow you to save your game... but they did give you a code option so that when you came back to the game, that you could restart the game from where you left off.

The only problem that I had with this game is that the story was not terribly inventive, and thus even though there was a lot of cool additions to the new game, it was still packaged in the same basic wrapping from Mega Man...

Well despite that, this game is fun, and if you get a chance, then I would recommend checking it out. I found it well worth my time, and if you give it a chance, you might find the same thing as well!

http://youtu.be/3WnNS3TrlbE

Mega Man (1987) - Video Game Review

[caption id="attachment_322" align="alignright" width="258"] Official Score = 1 1/2 Devils[/caption]

Video games titles often times only will end up doing one run, but some times, just some times there are particular titles that are so popular that they end up not only having their own following, but sometimes will end up becoming an awesome institution more then just a game!

A couple of great examples of this are:

1. The, 'Call Of Duty' series.

2. The, 'Final Fantasy' series.

3. And even the, 'Castlevania' series.

And that is just to name a few of the truly awesome series that are out there that kick ass... Another great example of this is the, 'Mega Man' series!

This series, which opened up in the United States for the NES by, 'Capcom'... This series which in Japan is known as, 'The Rockman' series told the tale of Dr. Wiley and his various attempts to try and take over the world, and how Dr. Light sends his robot, 'Mega Man' in to stop Dr. Wiley...

Now in this first one, Dr. Light and Dr. Wiley are working together, with Dr. Wiley as the assistant to Dr. Light... During this time Drs, Wiley and Light are building robots with the intention of helping the people of. 'Monsteropolis'... But as they are going along, Dr. Wiley ends up stealing the robots and re-programming them as their henchmen to try and take over the world!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="256"] Mega Man as he is going after, 'Ice Man' in Mega Man (1987)![/caption]

Now Dr. WIley sends out one of his other 2 remaining robots... 'Mega Man' to stop Dr. Wiley and destroy Dr. WIley's henchmen, before Dr. Wiley can destroy the world!

The truth is, is this game is fun, considering the fact that this game was for the NES, the graphics are pretty good... The problem is, is the music, albeit was pretty good, but there are times when the game slows down, and when that occurs, the music can be a little annoying, and the game play (which gets better in the future versions of the game,) is not good at all!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="319"] The Box Cover for the original North American release of, 'Mega Man',[/caption]

Regardless, for most people these days, they probably don't have NES's anymore (considering the fact that Nintendo stopped producing these systems in the early 90s, but this game has been re-released for such systems as: The Playstation, some mobile phones, etc...

Now I will be honest and say that this game is not the best of the series, and it probably is not the best to get started with the series, but in the end, it is well worth it, and if you get in to this series, then I think that you might in the end get in to this one as well!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnGfx0dfi7g&w=420&h=315]

 

 

Dr. Wiley Vs. Dr. Robotnik: Who's Better?

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Dr. Wiley Vs. Dr. Robotnik... Who is better?[/caption]

In this next phase in the, 'Who's Better' series, I thought that I would expand beyond movies, and start off the new phase of this with doing 2 classic video game characters from a couple of video game series of yore, and that is, 'Dr. WIley' from the, 'Mega Man' series and, 'Dr. Robotnik' from the, 'Sonic The Hedgehog' series...

Now you might be wondering why I am mentioning these 2 villains... I mean after all Dr. Robotnik and Dr. Wiley are both from 2 different series that have mostly to do with 2 different heroes (one being a robot, and the other being a hedgehog)... Well simply put, they both have to do with evil mad scientists that create robots in an effort to try to take over their respective worlds! For Dr. Wiley, he just builds straight robots, and Dr. Robotnik has captured Sonic's friends and defends the capsules that he has captured them in using robots!

Now for what is great about Dr. Wiley:

1. I have to admit that the Robots that he builds are pretty cool!

2. I also have to admit that I do like that the look as being more like an animated human then an actual robot is pretty cool as well!

3, I also like the overall story line of how Dr. Wiley became the mad scientist that he is!

The bad parts about Dr. Wiley:

1. Primarily the fact that despite the fact the robots that he obviously creates, and the bosses that you play are from him, the only problem when you play him as the final boss at the end of most of the games, just is not as cool as the bosses that you play before hand!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Mega Man Vs. Dr. Wiley![/caption]

Now as for the good things about Dr. Robotnik:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320"] Dr. Robotnik battling Sonic![/caption]

1. You know the levels that you play in Sonic the Hedgehog you would assume the bad guys that you fight you would assume are the same robots that are being sent by Dr. Robotnik, and those are usually pretty fun!

2. Robotnik himself is usually a fun bad guy to do battle with at the end of the game!

As for the bad side of Dr. Robotnik:

1. Oddly enough, the characters in Sonic The Hedgehog are pretty well created... Except for Dr. Robotnik...

2. And as for the bosses at the end of each level, they just aren't as much fun!

In the end, you would have to make up your own mind, but for me I have to admit that my favorite is Dr.Wiley!

http://youtu.be/hpqaE22S6hw

http://youtu.be/5A54A2OoNoo