Explanation Music is relative. It effects us in such a personal way that we can't possibly hope to describe the extent of that effect to anyone. It's why we are so protective (and sometimes even snobby) about it. Your personal taste in music will always be better to you than anyone else. So it's best to probably just accept that.
Being gamers, we can't help but be influenced by not only the story and visuals of a game, but the music as well. Even if we didn't recognize it while we were listening to it, game music can evoke nostalgia like no other piece of a game can. It can immediately bring back memories of characters, stories, locations, and much more. I love game music and I'm guessing that you do as well, so welcome to Sound Test!
Here I will weekly (hopefully...) choose a piece of game music that I love and share it! Then talk about it. Not too complex, but I hope it's something you'll enjoy!
Sound Test: Chrono Cross-Time's Scar (Opening)
The first time I heard this song was probably in 2000 or 2001 when I first played the game. I was in 8th grade and my friend had just gotten me into RPGs. In fact, the only ones I had really played were Final Fantasy IX and Legend of Dragoon. So on a Friday night, I rented Chrono Cross.
I was laying on the guest room bed at my grandma's house with my two brothers. I had never played Chrono Trigger so I wasn't expecting the second coming of Christ like most were. I just knew that I thought the chick on front was hot and the main character had a weird weapon... Then I saw the intro video.
While it started up a bit slow, the music swelled and grew into a tropical/celtic epic that definitely got my blood pumping. I was sold on this game. Sure the graphics were pretty but MAN that music was awesome! I had no idea what was even going on in the video, I just knew that the music got me excited for whatever it was. My little brother just said "Coooool!" and we fell asleep playing Chrono Cross that night...
I came into gaming late and RPGs even later than that, but this is one of the 3 or 4 games that I credit with getting me excited about RPGs, which are now my favorite genre.
Chrono Cross isn't the best game ever and I'm not even saying it's a worthy sequel to Chrono Trigger, but it's a good game. A great game in fact. However, the music is spectacular. I could fall asleep (and do) to how relaxing the majority of it is and the other half gets my blood pumping so much that I could be excited about buttered toast. The music in this game pulls you in and forces you to care about whatever is happening, which is exactly what a great soundtrack should do. I'm sure I'll be making another one of these about this game's amazing music at some point.
Chrono Cross is a great soundtrack, definately one of my favorites. I love that a few songs take theme from Chrono Trigger and rearrange them with the CD technology and island feel. The soundtrack is definately closer to a sequel than the game is.
@Retro gamer- Hahaha, congrats on the most generic retro gamer named EVAR! Wow, I can't believe that was available. Yeah, I like how you put it. The soundtrack is more of a sequel than the game is.
@Retro Gamer- ALSO!! You fail at blogging. Stop it. Make some blogs about retro gaming. If you do, you will be added to my friends list, where there will be reading and procrastinating of homework.
@Retro Gamer- Actually, that is not an attempt at making myself feel better, hahaha. It's a demonstration of how desperately Destructoid needs an "Edit" button for comments.....
I played it before I played Chrono Trigger as well and really loved it. I think having no preconceived notions is a prerequisite for fully enjoying this game.
Damn kid, if you think this is good, you really need to do you rpg music homework. So much good game music out there from games you've never played, but kudos to you for doing a game music piece.
Frankly, while this is cool music, I do prefer the Chrono Trigger OST, as it spanks all of this from a great height. Check it out if you can.
@Coyboy Ttop- Well, first off I'm not really a kid, hahaha, I'm 21. And second, I must have done my homework if I know enough music to write to right about it all weekly (if not more). I know that Final Fantasy VI has amazing music as well as Secret of Mana and all the millions of other RPGs (including Chrono Trigger) on the Super Nintendo as well as games on the NES, etc. I'm a retro gamer so that stuff is pretty much all I play. Like I said, I came into gaming late in my life and Chrono Cross was one of the games that inspired me to start playing more RPGs. I didn't say that all I had been playing for the past 7 or 8 years was PSone games, haha.
@EternalDeathslayer- Well, I love Chrono Cross, but I really think that i would have liked Chrono Trigger better. I kind of see them as two separate entities since they're so different. I'm fonder of Chrono Cross, but having gone back and beaten Chrono Trigger (beaten is key because the coolest stuff happens later on) I think I can say that Chrono Trigger is a superior game. However, personally? Yes, I'm fonder of Chrono Cross.
This sounds like it'll be a pretty good series of blogs. There's so many choices in great video game music, and I feel like I've only just heard the tip of the iceberg when it comes to great game music, so I hope I can get some education out of this.
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about me
I'm mostly a retro gamer. I don't hate everything after the 90's, but I tend to prefer retro game design. I enjoy alot of indie and portable games, not to mention a blockbuster title every now and then. However, like I said, the majority of my gaming takes place on older consoles.
Game Run!- Check out the exciting life of a poor retro gamer!
11/19/08- Batman(NES) and Power Blade
10/11/08- Mystical Ninja and Clash at Demonhead
10/10/08- MASSIVE update! NES and loads of games.
8/12/2008- Killer Instinct, TMNT:TF, Super Tennis
7/20/2008- Inindo, Wonderboy, Crusader of Centy
7/9/2008- NBA Jam, Out of This World
My Favorites:
Keep in mind that these change SO much... I'm terrible at lists...
Destructoid is an independently-run publication forged by our love of video games and the gaming community's need of accountable enthusiast press living the dream since March 16, 2006
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Wow, this blog has been up for an hour and it JUST NOW made the front page. That's weird.
Chrono Cross is a great soundtrack, definately one of my favorites. I love that a few songs take theme from Chrono Trigger and rearrange them with the CD technology and island feel. The soundtrack is definately closer to a sequel than the game is.
@Retro gamer- Hahaha, congrats on the most generic retro gamer named EVAR! Wow, I can't believe that was available. Yeah, I like how you put it. The soundtrack is more of a sequel than the game is.
@Retro Gamer- ALSO!! You fail at blogging. Stop it. Make some blogs about retro gaming. If you do, you will be added to my friends list, where there will be reading and procrastinating of homework.
thats one way to get comments on your blog... 3 of 4 (now 3 of 5) are from youself. awesome...
@Retro Gamer- Actually, that is not an attempt at making myself feel better, hahaha. It's a demonstration of how desperately Destructoid needs an "Edit" button for comments.....
I played it before I played Chrono Trigger as well and really loved it. I think having no preconceived notions is a prerequisite for fully enjoying this game.
Damn kid, if you think this is good, you really need to do you rpg music homework. So much good game music out there from games you've never played, but kudos to you for doing a game music piece.
Frankly, while this is cool music, I do prefer the Chrono Trigger OST, as it spanks all of this from a great height. Check it out if you can.
I played Chrono Trigger first, and I'm honestly not afraid to say that I think Chrono Cross is the better game. Seriously.
And I think you feel the same way, you're just afraid to admit it.
As for the music, I agree, it's fucking spectacular. Again, I personally like it better than it's predecessor's soundtrack. Nice write up.
Ooh. This gives me a chance to share my favorite youtube video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXt7ophGi64
@Coyboy Ttop- Well, first off I'm not really a kid, hahaha, I'm 21. And second, I must have done my homework if I know enough music to write to right about it all weekly (if not more). I know that Final Fantasy VI has amazing music as well as Secret of Mana and all the millions of other RPGs (including Chrono Trigger) on the Super Nintendo as well as games on the NES, etc. I'm a retro gamer so that stuff is pretty much all I play. Like I said, I came into gaming late in my life and Chrono Cross was one of the games that inspired me to start playing more RPGs. I didn't say that all I had been playing for the past 7 or 8 years was PSone games, haha.
@EternalDeathslayer- Well, I love Chrono Cross, but I really think that i would have liked Chrono Trigger better. I kind of see them as two separate entities since they're so different. I'm fonder of Chrono Cross, but having gone back and beaten Chrono Trigger (beaten is key because the coolest stuff happens later on) I think I can say that Chrono Trigger is a superior game. However, personally? Yes, I'm fonder of Chrono Cross.
This sounds like it'll be a pretty good series of blogs. There's so many choices in great video game music, and I feel like I've only just heard the tip of the iceberg when it comes to great game music, so I hope I can get some education out of this.
Awesome. Game music always has a special place in my heart, and it's nice to see a regular feature covering it here. :D