PixlBit

It's time for those pulsating, jazzy, groovy-type themes to pound your eardrums!

Music is wonderful because it can be so diverse. It can be slow and beautiful, or fast and exciting, or somewhere in the middle. Today I thought we would pull out the big guns: eight songs that are pulse-pounding grooves that are pure awesomeness! These themes are upbeat and exciting, and will probably get stuck in your head. Either way, hope you enjoy these ones, and I hope they put a little pizzaz in your day.

Palm Tree Groove from Donkey Kong Country Returns/Composed by Kenji Yamamoto

I had to include this one. After all, "groove" is in the title! But seriously, the DKCR OST is really great, being composed by the man behind the Metroid soundtracks! This particular one puts a jazz spin on the original DKC theme, and it's awesome! It starts out quiet and mysterious, then the piano kicks in, and the groove begins! It's a stand-out song among many.

Violent Breathing from Streets of Rage/Composed by Yuzo Koshiro

The music for the entire Streets of Rage trilogy is groovin' stuff, but this song by far is the most upbeat song of the first game. This one plays while you're riding a giant elevator up to the top floor to beat up Mr. X, and it goes a long way in making you feel invincible. The constant beat never gets dull, but simply pushes you to keep fighting. This is my favorite theme in the first game.

Tantalus' Theme from Final Fantasy IX/Composed by Nobuo Uematsu

In FF9, Tantalus is a group of thieves, which the main protagonist Zidane, is a part of. This group of misfits is easily one of the best groups in the game, and their theme is amazing. It's a jazz theme that has that feel of mischief in it; it says loud and clear "We can do anything." It's confidant, slightly sneaky, and very groove-like. It's just another reason to love FF9.

Grab-Grab Battle from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards/Composed by Jun Ishikawa and Hirokazu Ando

Kirby music is alwasy upbeat, but this theme is even more, with a groove-infused feel to it. This exhilerating theme plays while you're trying desparately to. . . get fruit in your basket. It sounds boring, but it's one of Kirby 64's fun multiplayer games. The best part about this song is that it sounds like a Kirby song, and that just makes it awesome.

Go for the Gold from Chameleon Twist/Composed by Takashi Sugioka, Takashi Makino, Yuuji Nakao, Nobutoshi Ichimiya, Koki Tochio, Tsutomu Washijima, Hiroshi Takami, and Fumihiko Yamada

I love this song! It gets stuck in my head all the time, and that's not a bad thing. This is another groove-like song that plays during a multiplayer battle. It's fast, exciting, intense, and keeps the battle from becoming boring. Not with this song playing! It's loud and in-your-face, and it might get in your head too.

Remix 9 from Rhythm Heaven/Composed by TSUNKU and Masami Yone

Remix 9 is my favorite remix from this awesome rhythm game. It starts off a little slow, but it picks up as the song progresses. It's short, so make sure you hear it all the way to the end, because the ending is great. This is another one that will probably get stuck in your head, especially if you're hearing it while playing the game! There's a lot of groove in this rhythmic song!

Toad's Factory from Mario Kart Wii/Composed by Asuka Ohta and Ryo Nagamatsu

This one is a stand-out song in a game that has a great OST. For some reason, it sounds like a funky Disney song to me, which is awesome. This is easily one of the most groove-tastic themes I've ever heard in a Nintendo game. The loud trumpets, bass piano, and the whole jazz feel just make the song feel very special. Most Mario games these days have a jazz-type soundtrack, but this particular song is more groove-infused than jazz.

Opus 13 from Castlevania Rondo of Blood/Composed by Akiropito, Keizo Nakamura, Tomoko Sano, and Mikio Saito

Dude, this is a dance song--in a Castlevania game! And yet, it shouldn't bother you because it's awesome! Castlevania music is great because it's not always deep and somber, but will many times go outside that dark atmosphere and be loud and boisterious. Opus 13 is probably the most groove-infused song in the entire franchise, and it's a special song for it.