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It's a Wonderful Music Sampler
Not only did people who went to the Square Enix Party get to try a bunch of new games-- and, well, a bunch of new releases of old games-- but they also got a bounty of free promotional stuff, including the set of CDs seen above. It contains songs from the soundtracks of two Final Fantasy spinoffs for the PSP, and from It's a Wonderful World, which is more in line with our interests.The CD's have been ripped, and we've got the Wonderful World sampler available for download. It's J-poppy and synthy! Is it ever synthy.1. Twister 2. Give me all your love[Thanks, Jamal!]
Wii Music (Remix) ft. ROBOTOBOTS
We wander the Fanboy office's halls humming the catchy melodies we've picked up from the Wii's different channels, unintentionally mimicking the lives of our own Mii caricatures. There's something delightful about these minute-long loops that stay stuck in our heads like an attractive girl we saw in passing.Electro-experimental group ROBOTOBOTS chopped up the music tracks and added its own flavor to the interface themes. The resulting three songs -- Breaking Points, Revolve Around Planets, and Built to Diistroy -- are just as fetching as the original tunes, albeit more complex and not as light-hearted. We wouldn't mind listening to these reinterpreted tracks in place of Nintendo's pieces, were it possible. [Via Nintendogal]
Mother 3 soundtrack on iTunes pours salt in our wound
Seeing the words "Mother 3" in the same sentence as "released" is cause for excitement. In this case, though, it's more like a kick in the stomach. The Mother 3 soundtrack has just been released on the US iTunes store. All 26 songs from MOTHER3i and the arranged album MOTHER3+ are available for $9.99 each. After almost a year of pestering Nintendo to localize the game, we get a soundtrack.A soundtrack. Are we being taunted? Is this a carrot dangling in front of our faces or a gift of mercy from the overlord? It is the first commercial release of EarthBound merchandise outside of Japan since the SNES game in 1995. And it's not like fans won't snatch it up in a heartbeat. But does it make sense to release a soundtrack for a game very few of us have played?Regardless of our bitter feelings, thank you, Nintendo. We don't mean to be demanding, but how about some graphics, a storyline, dialogue, and gameplay to go along with the music?
EA launches Artwerk, 'full service' music label
EA has partnered with Nettwerk One Music to form a "full-service" music label, dubbed Artwerk. The Los Angeles-based company will seek out new and established talent for publishing and distribution deals, including its first-confirmed contracted recording artist Junkie XL (pictured). Having appeared on numerous EA game soundtracks, in addition to producing the entire soundtrack for Forza Motorsport, JXL is an ideal candidate for EA's new venture.With Artwerk, EA can capitalize on the entire process; no longer having to rely on its partnerships with other music industry labels to maintain EA Trax. "[EA] can now directly sign, develop, and launch artists for publishing, master recordings, sync deals and beyond," declared EA Worldwide Executive of Music and Marketing Steve Schnur. But will the full-service treatment provide a happy ending for the artist? As long as you're willing to sacrifice street cred for the chance to be heard by millions of EA gamers. Submit your demo here, you desperate sell-out.
Remixed medley of The Legend of Zelda's soundtrack
One of our favorite touches of the new Phantom Hourglass' trailer shown at this year's GDC event was its use of the reworked Hyrule Castle theme from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. If there's one thing we love, it's retro tracks brought back for another round. That's why we're featuring a medley of songs from the original Zelda game (NES) remixed by electronica musician Ochre, for your Sunday listening pleasure. We imagine that trying to add anything on top of Koji Kondo's classic work without ruining it is a difficult task, but this arrangement doesn't miss a step. Ochre's interpretation blends the 8-bit pieces with his own playful style, taking the listener through a six-minute daydream of Link's adventures. If you're a fan of lush synths and summery rhythms, we definitely suggest downloading this song along with Ochre's other remixes and original offerings at his site. [Via The New Gamer]
Dead Rising gets its OST
Those of you looking to get your groove on while chilling in a mall and massacring zombies now have you chance, as the Original Soundtrack for Dead Rising has been announced. Ordering online will also net you a snazzy T-Shirt designed by Yoshiki Takahashi, who did the layout for the Kill Bill posters. It seems to be limited edition as our Babelfishery indicates there are only producing 2000 sets. If you buy it now, it will cost you a little over fifty bucks, but there are talks of the soundtrack making its way to Europe and North America. Did you enjoy Dead Rising enough to want to pick up some cool swag and its tunes? [Via QJ.net]
Warner Music acquires Microsoft game music rights
Warner Chappell Music, the publishing division of Warner Music Group, has reached an agreement to claim, administer, and license music compositions owned and controlled by Microsoft. The catalog includes several thousand compositions; notably those featured in the Halo, Age of Empires, Fable, and Kameo series. Music composed for future Microsoft published games is also included in the deal.Warner Chappell will be responsible for creating new opportunities to showcase Microsoft's music worldwide. "By partnering with Warner Chappell, we can continue to extend the value and experiences for our music and also inspire and give further recognition to the composers who are dedicated to working on video games," said Microsoft senior director Ed Ventura.
Avril Lavigne premieres new song in Burnout Dominator
Burnout Dominator is getting something new. And no, it's not Infrastructure support. It's something just as good, we swear! "Girlfriend", Avril Lavigne's latest single will be debuting in EA's latest racer. Some of the artists included in the game's somewhat eclectic soundtrack include: B'z, Filter, Jane's Addiction, Killswitch, N.E.R.D., Sugarcult and Wired All Wrong. "The Burnout series is an amazing, proven platform for launching the world's biggest songs and artists, and we're thrilled to be working with Avril Lavigne this year to help debut her new song "Girlfriend," said Steve Schnur, EA's Worldwide Executive of Music. "From pop to rock to metal Burnout Dominator is all about attitude and rebellion, which makes it a perfect fit for the 33 artists."
Breakfast Topic: A little tune to set the mood
cadoret over on the WoW Livejournal asks for some good music to listen to while capturing the flag in Warsong Gulch. cad wants some "badass, probably techno/house" music, but for some WSG matches, I really feel Benny Hill sets the mood quite well.But seriously, what's good music for anything in Azeroth? Last time we discussed this one, David said he watches TV while playing more than listening to music. and while I do that quite often, I've also been known to squeeze in a podcast or two while grinding away. Truthfully, when I listen to music while playing, it just tends to be whatever I've been listening to lately-- I don't actually choose, say, the Lord of the Rings soundtrack to accompany my epic quests.But what about you? Do you listen to music, or need a certain genre for PvP or grinding? During instances, I tend to keep background noise off-- I figure I owe it to the people I'm with to pay attention. But while grinding on my own, anything goes. What's on your WoW playlist?
Sample some of Monster Kingdom's impressive soundtrack
Did you read my hands-on of Atlus' upcoming PSP-exclusive RPG, Monster kingdom: Jewel Summoner? The game has some serious talent behind it, especially in the music department. The RPG features works from celebrated composers, listed below: Shinji Hosoe (Ridge Racer series) Hitoshi Sakimoto (Final Fantasy XII) Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger, Xenosaga) Kenji Ito (Sword of Mana) Yoko Shimomura (Street Fighter II) Masaharu Iwata (Final Fantasy Tactics) Tsukasa Masuko (Shin Megami Tensei series) Yasuyuki Suzuki (Doshin the Giant) Ayako Saso (Phantom Kingdom) Takahiro Ogata (Shin Megami Tensei NINE) The soundtrack to the game features 44 tracks from these famous composers, and samples can be heard on Atlus' newly opened official website for the game. The game hits stores on February 13th. Expect a full review closer to that date.
DJ Max Portable 2 songs for download
While you're waiting for today's edition of PSP Fanboy Theatre to arrive, get your PSP's wi-fi revved up and check out these awesome tunes from the upcoming import music game, DJ Max Portable 2. To download from your PSP, head over to m.pspfanboy.com and download the tracks from Ruriweb.For the rest of you, don't forget to check out videos from the first game (now available in English!). DJ Max Portable 2 will hit Korea in either February or March.[Via PSP-Vault]
Hey, Grammys, where's the video game love?
The music world is all in a tizzy at today's announcement of the 49th annual Grammy award nominations, and all the the nominated artists should be very proud. Unfortunately, music artists, producers and engineers who work in the video game industry have nothing to be excited about. Aside from an obscure video game reference in Arctic Monkey's Best-Rock-Performance-nominated-song "Chun Li's Flying Bird Kick," [thanks, avtiger27] video game music has no representation in the expansive Grammy nominees list.It would be ridiculously easy for the Recording Academy to shoehorn video game music into the Film/TV/Visual Media category -- surely the Gears of War soundtrack can hold its own against the likes of the soundtrack for Grey's Anatomy, Season 2. Better yet, the Recording Academy could create a whole new category for video game music, much like the MTV Video Music Awards did last year.It seems a shame that great soundtracks for games like Xenosaga: Episode III, Zelda: Twilight Princess and Tomb Raider: Legend don't even have a chance to be honored during the recording industry's biggest night of the year. So how about it, Recording Academy? Why not respect video games as the culturally important force that they are with a few nominations next time around?
Rock it dude, GoW music downloads
After reading the interview with the mastermind Kevin Riepl, who's behind the music of Gears of War, are you dying to get your hands on the video game soundtrack? Fear not fanboys, because you can download a sample of the main theme song and Locust battle tracks for free. Damn does this music sound badass, it's very edgy and just makes me want to play some Gears right now. Who's loving the sounds and music Kevin Riepl has put together for this game? After hearing these sample tracks I'm definitely picking up a copy of the soundtrack, how about you?[Via, Digg]
Japanese Lumines II to feature expanded soundtrack
I praised Lumines II's soundtrack for its breadth and diversity. However, it looks like the upcoming Japanese release of this puzzle favorite will improve the already impressive song lineup by adding more Japanese music into the game. 1UP reports that artists like DJ Ken Ishii and the Genki Rockets will have additional songs, making this version of the game something importers and Mizuguchi collectors will certainly want to keep an eye on.The game's still far off: February 15th for 4980 yen ($43). The game won't be published by Bandai Namco, as previously expected. Rather, it will be self-published by Q? Entertainment, making their very first foray into publishing.
MGS:PO interview confirms game's awesomeness
The fine folks at IGN have interviewed Ryan Payton, Associate Producer at Kojima Productions, to kick off their week-long hype-fest on the soon-to-be-released Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. Just in case you weren't excited enough for this project, Mr. Payton reveals a few nice tidbits that will surely please any PSP owner. "Single and multiplayer modes are totally integrated, thus prolonging the life of the campaign mode. Online is accessible from the campaign mode for good reason -- players bring one of their 1P Sneaking Units to the online arena." "We have a number of Wi-Fi-enabled modes. First off is Game Sharing, allowing you to play MPO multiplayer with friends who don't own a copy of MPO." (Yes!!!) "The official soundtrack is coming to Japan. It's a forty-four track, beast of a soundtrack. Norihiko Hibino, best known for his composition of the Snake Eater theme, is back with some really cool tracks for MPO." Oh, and two more things:IGN: Are there plans to port Portable Ops to the PS2, in the event that the game receives poor sales on the PSP? Ryan: Absolutely not.IGN: Will there be sequels if this proves to be the PSP's killer app? Ryan: Absolutely. If the response to MPO is as good as we're expecting, you can look forward to new chapters in the Big Boss legacy on PSP. We still have many stories to tell about the early years of Metal Gear Solid -- I hope we can continue to do that on PSP.::jaw drops::
More grooves from Gunpey
Hope you're not too busy playing Lumines II and Every Extend Extra, because there's another Q? Entertainment puzzler coming out soon: it's Gunpey. It recently went gold, and IGN got access to some videos, and awesome MP3s from the game's kickin' soundtrack. Folks that are reading this on their PSP (via m.pspfanboy.com) may want to download the music files directly onto their systems:Cigar and DesertDrippedCool LadySee also:Downloadable music from Gunpey
Custom soundtracks in Excitetruck?
Thanks to some new screenshots of the upcoming launch title Excitetruck, it now indeed looks as though we called it. That's right: if the picture here is any indication, the arcade racer will be able to read .mp3 files from your very own SD card and insert them into the game, a la the Xbox and Xbox 360. It's a nice little feature, and the ability to rock out to our latest find on Pandora while catchin' some air is quite enticing indeed.Does this feature matter to you guys? More importantly, how many games are actually going to support it? Only the flying spaghetti monster time will tell.
Downloadable music from Gunpey
Of the three upcoming Mizuguchi music fusion games, it feels like Gunpey's getting the least attention. And that's not fair! The line-connecting puzzler features the same sensory candy as Lumines, with impressive skins and even better music. IGN has secured some footage of the game in motion, and it is a beautifying mix of colors and sound. But that's not all! You'll definitely want to download the three MP3s they have from the game's soundtrack, plop them into your PSP and then listen to some really groovin' techno while you're on the go.Gunpey hits stores one week after Lumines, one the 14th. It's also retailing for the budget price of $30. Rad.See also:Heavenly Star Fan Pack
Why you want Vice City Stories: the interview
Ever since the official trailer for Vice City Stories dropped on us, Rockstar has been very actively hyping this PSP-exclusive follow-up to the insanely successful Liberty City Stories. (Of course Rockstar doesn't have much of a choice: this game may be the only thing that saves the company from financial ruin.) IGN recently had a chance to talk to Gordon Hall from Rockstar, and Mr. Hall (obviously) has a lot of good things to tell us: Game features twice the number of polygons and a new radiosity lighting model. A new way to have the CPU and GPU communicate to each other was developed so that improvements could be made across the board. A new streaming process and lossless animation streaming allows the game to load more data at once. "With the Jet Ski you can dive under water and come bursting back up, you can really feel it bounce off the waves as the weather conditions change, you can turn on a dime and really send the water spraying." (Sounds like they packed in an entire water racing game in our GTA!) "The combat system has more depth to it than any other Grand Theft Auto game." Targeting and combat has been tweaked just a bit: you can now fight unarmed and do grappling moves and throws. "The soundtrack has over 100 tracks, and is probably the best, deepest collection of songs ever assembled for any one project -- TV, Film, or Game." (But the game includes Custom Soundtracks too if you don't like retro music.) Call me stunned. I know this is mostly PR hype, but considering how amazing the original Liberty City Stories was, I'm willing to believe that Rockstar is making this game a masterpiece. It sounds to be this could be the best GTA yet... handheld and console. And you didn't even have to wait until 12:01 AM for such amazing news. The game hits America the same time as Killzone. Ouch: my wallet's already crying.
Happy Loco Roco contest news & sad soundtrack news
How much do YOU love Loco Roco? The game's now available in stores and VH1 is giving away this huge inflatable figure, and other prizes, to fans of the game. All you have to do is send them a picture of LocoRoco in the "real world" (riding the train, in a diner, etc.), and you can use any method you want: PhotoShop, cardboard figures, creating a real LocoRoco from the primordial ooze you have stored in the freezer. See all the contest details. In other Loco Roco news, GamesRadar has confirmed our fears that a Loco Roco soundtrack CD won't be made any time soon. That didn't stop GamesRadar from hosting a few of the songs on its servers. Check out creatively titled songs like Black Song, Blue Song and even Green Song. Wow. See also: Who sings the Loco Roco song?
