Unknown game tune…

[ST Dragon]

I just heard this cool tune that sounds like something out of a 2D classic Shoot Em Up, (Kamui, Reflex, Raiden, etc…), or maybe from Mega Man X series or Ninja Gaiden on the NES.

http://www.4shared.com/audio/lq5JgTRn/koori88.html

So, does anyone know what game it is from?

Thanks in advance

[Mortificator]

I've never heard this piece before, and since I've played the X games and NES Ninja Gaidens tons of times, I'm confident it's not from those series. Cool tune, though.

[Ghegs]

File info reads:

]『氷の塔』
(C) Falcom
Arranged by TASH
Mimicopied by Takkun

So, it's from a Falcom game. Putting the japanese characters into Google finds us this. So, it's Legend of Xanadu. HG101 has a page about that.

[ZOM]

Yup, correct. It's from chapter 8 of the first Kaze no Densetsu Xanadu game which is also credited to be DragpnSlayer VIII in disguise, but that doesn't mean much seeing that almost every game falcom released in that time period that is not Ys nor Brandish, was somehow related to the DragonSlayer project.

It's a great game and there's a few catchy tunes like the one you found which is called "Frozen Tower" in english. You might also want to check out the J.D.K arrange of "Dawn of Makria". good stuff.

[ST Dragon]

Thanks for the info!
From the Xanadu series, I have only played and completed the awesome Faxanadu on the NES and it too had catchy tunes.

I noticed that there is also a sequel:

Legend of Xanadu II
The graphics look great, with a vivid & vibrant colour palette like a Super Famicom RPG.
http://www.pcengine.co.uk/HTML_Games/Le ... adu_II.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQDUwDX2 ... re=related

By the way, are the side platform action scenes in both Legend of Xanadu I & II, only used for the Boss fights or for the in-game levels too?
And I noticed that the music in the 2nd game is not CD audio like the 1st game, but chip tunes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Udsx69tI ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70JaDyuPUiA&NR=1

This is a great Boss fight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk15_1oM ... re=related

Which Boss fight is this? It looks like the Croc from TMNT in Time


And this one:

Don’t you think it looks similar to one of the Bosses from Capcom’s 3 Wonders?

[ZOM]

lol the "TMNT croc" Isn't that far into the game IIRC, haven't played those two games in quite a while.
As for the game's layout, for Legend of Xanadu I it's basically like this: game's divided into chapters and each chapter takes place in a different location, you start the chapter always in the typical overhead-view and do mostly little errands for NPC's to either get a key-item, advance into the story, or even to smooth down differences between villages (who brew whiskey lol).
After you've accomplished your goal you're able to reach the, how I call it, "boss passage"; Basically, you enter a door which teleports you to small-to-medium sized sidescrolling levels until you reach the boss which, as you've already found out, is also fought in a side-view. Rinse & repeat.

Once you have more characters in your entourage you can switch to them and use their unique weapons:
Deimos uses a great sword
Lycos throws daggers
Media - bow n' arrows
Nous throws flasks in a castlevania holy water manner
Pyrra casts fireballs
and Sophia I can't remember...
Note that a second player can take control of those characters while playing in a boss passage.


Legend of Xanadu II is a bit different; for once it dropped most of the additional questing and is pretty much driven by one straightforward plot (one that I didn't understand because my Kanji-knowledge is almost zero).
Also, IIRC there's much less sidescrolling going on: there's far more instances where you do all overhead and just battle the boss in side-view, like in the videos you posted.
But hey you are right by thinking that this game is pretty - IMO one of the prettiest SCD2 games released.

As for the music, both games are mixed with chiptunes and redbook audio. The redbook tracks mostly play in the boss passages, chiptunes are more common in overhead areas.

[ST Dragon]

Wow, thanks for all the info!

But don't you agree that the "Frozen Tower" tune that I posted sounds more like a shooter (Kamui) or platform (Mega Man X) tune rather than an adventure / RPG tune?

And I just heard "Dawn of Makria"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbHd8VE794g

It's a cool tune, but interestingly, based on the view statistics, it has only been heard in Japan, not even in the US.

[Enhasa]

Thanks for the info!
From the Xanadu series, I have only played and completed the awesome Faxanadu on the NES and it too had catchy tunes.

Faxanadu is a gaiden (Famicom Xanadu) and made by Hudson instead, so different composer. Absolutely brilliant music and game though. Legacy of the Wizard is Dragon Slayer 4 and thus Falcom proper. Completely different, but also absolutely brilliant music and game.

Those are my two favorites in the series, and yes, I have played more than just those two, heh.