Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Not only did Super Mario RPG mix two seemingly incompatible genres together, it also managed to create some new and interesting music that still fits into the whimsical world of Mario. With a franchise that has such a long and varied history, that isn't an easy thing to accomplish. Here are a few of my favourite tunes from this game.
This is probably one of the earliest remixes of Mario's famous theme to exist, and it's a good one. It's always nice hearing a familiar theme composed with different instruments, and the flute suits this one. It even mixes in the World 1 theme from Super Mario Brothers 3 as the accompaniment.
This could be considered the “normal stage” music of the bunch. This symphony of flutes, xylophones, and bass is as energetic and bouncy as the portly plumber himself, so it fits well as a sort of theme song for the game. Since it is heard in a number of places throughout the game, it's a good thing that they got it right.
Maybe it's just because this is the theme played the most throughout the game, but I actually liked this one. At first, the lack of drama in an RPG battle theme may seem out of place, but this is a Mario game. The more upbeat tone fits the chubby Italian's lighthearted personality, a person who can still goof off and enjoy himself even in the face of danger.
It is kind of funny how a Mario game has some of the best battle music, but it is so. It captures the mischievous antics of the Smithy gang quite well. This one has some impressive bass to it, especially for an SNES game; cranking it up is enough to shake my whole place.
I've got to agree with a lot of your picks, perhaps excluding Vortex. I don't dig techno.
I loved Super Mario RPG's music. It's memorable to this day, as is all the rest, especially that found in Chrono Trigger...
But I think Super Metroid music is even better than you give it credit for. I find myself "thinking" the music on a regular basis, particular the boss music and whenever a building is going to blow up.
Honestly, if you were to ask me again, I'd probably pick a different five games to highlight here. There were a lot of good choices to write about, and just because I didn't doesn't mean I think any less of even the ones that weren't mentioned in the Honourable Mentions. I could have easily expanded this and wrote about each and every one of those games, but for the sake of readability, I couldn't make it longer than the average attention span. I had to put a limit somewhere, and trust me, it wasn't an easy decision.
Though I can't believe I forgot to mention the Nimbus Land music for Super Mario RPG. That isn't just one of my favourites, it's probably my most favourite. How it slipped my mind I'll never know. The volcano music is another worth mentioning, as it also had enough bass to rattle the speakers.
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