The SHMUP music sharing game.

[LordHypnos]

Wow, why did nobody tell me how excellent the music in Rayforce is?

G

[FRO]

Wow, why did nobody tell me how excellent the music in Rayforce is?

G

Yes, one of my favorite ZUNTATA works!

[ptoing]

Might as well crosspost this here I guess.
2 "Discs", Stereo and Mono. Click image to download.

[mamboFoxtrot]

Wow, why did nobody tell me how excellent the music in Rayforce is?

G

Be sure to check out the live versions!
(G, Mobius, Penetration)


Anyways, the Ice Cave music from Dragon Saber is one of my favorites from Hosoe.
(Remix!, and random metal cover, because there's always at least one)

[FRO]

Another solid soundtrack is that of Salamander 2 - more Konami goodness. In particular, I found the following tracks great:

All Is Vanity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mM90dSywg0

Fire Tripper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv49vTheoIM

Granted, I know "Fire Tripper" is technically an unused song, but it's a good one.

[LordHypnos]

Wow, I think I might have found a reason to download a SNES emulator O_o

Bio Metal - Desert Storm
Bio Metal - Deep Underground Ruins

...Actually for the gameplay, mind you, but the OST is also pretty fantastic

[BIL]

Great OST for a great shooter. Always gives me that poppy yet melancholy, eccentric Zuntata vibe.

Check out Taito's Megablast - broadly similar tone and style. For a while, I wondered if its (AFAIK) uncredited composer might be the same person.

edit: for the sake of clarity, and the love of god and all things holy, it's the SFC soundtrack being discussed here folks. ;3

[trap15]

The SFC soundtrack is quite great, Yoshio Nagashima at his finest. Some other things he's done: J.J. Squawkers, Uchuu Senkan Gomorrah, Koutetsu Yousai Strahl, and Acrobat Mission.

[Squire Grooktook]

Biometal's ost is really what sets the melancholy atmosphere in that game. Compliments the excessively grey monster palette nicely. Great stuff.

Particularly fond of the opening theme, Bio Metal Warfare. Immediately sets the mood of the game, every time you boot up.

[LordHypnos]

Does it get more intense than Otani's G Lobster BGM?

[BIL]

Always loved how from TFIII, onto IV, V, Elemental Master, Hyper Duel and Blast Wind, TS always gave individual bosses their own BGM. Craftsmanship.

Stumbled onto a really cool fan work: a conceptual shooter soundtrack inspired by classic Konami STG music, MSX Gradius 2 in particular. It's killer. "Colony" is an absolute gem, shading the stoic gallop of Life Force's "Thunderbolt" with the rising euphoria of Salamander 2's "Sensation." "Iceberg That Approaches" has one helluva fat, grainy, catchy riff. Good stuff from the attract intro right up to the staff roll!

[Perikles]

Just played through Avenger on the PCE - pretty average shooter overall, but it has a rockin' boss theme for sure.

[LordHypnos]

Always loved how from TFIII, onto IV, V, Elemental Master, Hyper Duel and Blast Wind, TS always gave individual bosses their own BGM. Craftsmanship.

Oh yes, I agree completely.
Wish more games did this.

[Captain]

Darius gave bosses their own themes, but there's some sharing

[Perikles]

Always loved how from TFIII, onto IV, V, Elemental Master, Hyper Duel and Blast Wind, TS always gave individual bosses their own BGM. Craftsmanship.

Oh yes, I agree completely.
Wish more games did this.

Just too bad that they don't live long enough in TFIII and Elemental Master (can't comment on the other ones except TFIV) for you to hear much of it.

Rayxanber II's stage four and stage five tracks create a superbly gloomy atmosphere, it's almost like you're too late to fix the damage. That's just trickery, though, it's never too late to blast some symbiotic worms (which are heavily inspired by R-Type II) and crustaceans into oblivion.

[Captain]

That is really bizzare. The game doesn't have any gloomy themes if I recall correctly.

Why would the music be so horribly depressing?

Anyway Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie/Shooting Macross for the SNES has some wonderful stuff in its soundtrack.

My Highlights include

Player Select
Space (stage 1)
Cave (stage 3 if I recall correctly)
The boss theme
And the final boss theme

[BIL]

Valkyrie's second stage theme is pretty hype, especially combined with those rushing hyper-parallaxed clouds. Player select is great too, I always want to hang around a bit to listen.

Favourite musical moment for me was "My Boyfriend is a Pilot!" coming on during the colony battle.

[Perikles]

I love Macross's Unknown Song 2, I wonder why they never used it during the actual game.

[Captain]

snip. damn youtube.

[BIL]

I love Macross's Unknown Song 2, I wonder why they never used it during the actual game.

I always find killer unused tracks kinda bittersweet. Posted by FRO already, but Fire Tripper from Salamander 2 comes to mind. Was used years later to good effect in this trailer for a GV superplay collection.

Veering off topic for a sec, Strange Memories Of Death from Gimmick is definitely another unused gem.

Noticed for the first time recently that one of Thunder Force IV's Omake tracks actually was used, in Thunder Force AC's exclusive asteroid stage. Far from the series' greatest tune, and most definitely no match for the monster hooks of the MIA "Truth," but I still thought that was neat. I wonder which project it belonged to first.

[Captain]

Here have some more truth...

[BIL]

Otani must be so proud! Or litigious?

[LordHypnos]

Hahaha! now I know what the secret to Tyrian's awesome music is
Was this the TFIV Omake track used in TFAC?

I ran into this cool BGM from Exzeal the yesterday: "Typhoon #12"
Pretty hard to find music from Exzeal on Youtube, though, apparently

[Captain]

Gluon

[BIL]

Was this the TFIV Omake track used in TFAC?

Yep!

Speaking of AC and new music... Thunder Spirits (SFC) might be a weak port, but it does have a pretty cool original Cerberus BGM. Not quite up to the real thing, but no slouch either.

[Captain]

Whether you prefer the smooth and simplistic original or the simply amazing MD/GEN theme, the snail continues to kick ass.

Dangerous seed as a whole is one amazing soundtrack. But the snail stands out.

Anti-sized ant link

[BIL]

Anyone else always hear a tiny bit of Darius II's "War Oh!" (Drio Sawm BGM) in Abadox's stage 1 BGM? Well you do now. ;3

@ 6 seconds

@ 12 seconds

Naw for real that always sticks in my mind.

Abadox stage 3 BGM is masterful btw. So plaintive and hard-hitting. Iku Mizutani (composer) worked on FC Contra with Hidenori Maezawa, and it shows in those glorious thumpy drums.

[Captain]

Masterful. So plaintive and hard-hitting.

I raise you Bydo core

[BIL]

I raise you Bydo core

Eh, not really the same thing - there's no percussion at all, and it's melodically very floaty and ethereal. "Illegal Illusion" from X-Multiply would be closer in spirit. Slower-paced, but it has the same principle of a hard backing section propelling a downbeat, dejected-sounding lead.

As Gregorian chant stuff goes Final's sendoff is decent, but I prefer Delta's similarly grandiose yet much more concentrated (and malevolent!) track. Then again by Final the Bydo had become less and less of an extraterrestrial menace and more of an abused and neglected puppy/Frankenstein's monster, so the dialling down to something more contemplative makes sense.

[Captain]

It wasn't meant to be the same in style/spirit, just in the uneasy/grim effect it generates.