Video Game Music Month Song #14: TTT2 "Character Select" Theme

Tekken is a beast of a fighting game. There's no denying that Namco's prized fighter ranks up there along with my list of influential brawlers, and since I began playing the series way back with Tekken 2 for the Playstation, each entry in the series has been an exciting entry into the world of 3D fighting games. Sure, it still retains a sense of two dimensional rules, but Tekken was always more of a technical brawler than Street Fighter ever was. Unlike the latter, this game relied on getting the first draw and punishing your opponent quickly with devastating moves and combos that looked really painful to watch. Each fighter had his or her own unique fighting style based on real martial arts practices seen from around the world, and while it may sound as simple as picking anyone, it's quite the opposite. Every warrior in Tekken had a plethora of moves one has to master, and players literally spend countless hours practicing in order to hone their skills and learn their character's trade. That's how the game's been played all these years, and the system has only constantly evolved itself to allow new and dynamic ways to play it differently. No matter how much I practice, each new installment of Tekken always proves the point that you can't rely on your old tricks, and that suits me just fine.


Tekken Tag Tournament 2 - Character Select Theme

Choosing a memorable tune from the series wasn't easy. Since Tekken 3, there's always been an electronica/ techno based soundtrack for the series I've grown accustomed to, and right now I'm digging the character select theme for the newest entry to the series, Tekken Tag Tournament 2. Katsuhiro Harada, series producer (and someone I've met personally when he visited the country), has frequently collaborated with Akitaka Tohyama (aka AJURIKA), who also provided the techno beats in the first Tekken Tag Tournament. Since the game isn't out yet in my local arcade or the consoles, you can imagine my anticipation building up as I listen to this catchy beat. Groovy.

Video Game Music Month Song #13: Guile's Theme

Guile. The soldier. The badass military fighter. The Sonic Blade.

I first ran into the man with "broomstick hair" back when I first tasted true fighting game goodness with the original Street Fighter II for the Super NES. My cousin picked this guy as his primary character, and unlike Ryu and Ken, he required a 2 second charging window and input to unleash two of his basic and well-known moves - the Sonic Boom and Flash Kick. Guile's story is also a cliche and tribute to the average action hero archetype - He seeks revenge for the death of his best friend and mentor Charlie (who would later become an actual fighter in the Street Fighter Alpha/ Zero series, named Nash in Japan, but later given the full name "Charlie Nash"). Guile's obsession to bring an end to Shadoloo reflected his heroism and determination as a fighter, and his theme song stands out as one of the recognizable tunes in the Street Fighter universe and beyond.

I suppose this song requires no other kind of introduction once you listen to it firsthand. The theme of Colonel William Guile is considered to be the most flexible, inspirational, and fully capable mash-up theme that has garnered a lot of "comeback videos" that you can freely look up in You Tube. This is the second Street Fighter tune I've featured in this list, and without a doubt, it's a classic that any old school gamer will recognize the instant the music hits. Go on,  be a family man and click on play now.


Street Fighter II - Guile's Theme

Literally, the song goes with EVERYTHING. Oh, and Jean-Claude Van Damme's got nothing on this one.;D

Video Game Music Month Song #12: Devils Never Cry

Devil May Cry. I never thought those three words would translate into awesome.

When I first heard of it back in the latter days of the Playstation era, I wasn't quite sure it would meet my expectations for an action game. Originally, it started off as a proposal by Capcom for what was potentially going to be a new Resident Evil game under the direction of Hideki Kamiya, but those plans quickly changed and everything was radically departing from the traditional survival horror motif. In the end, we ended up with what was to become Devil May Cry, and upon release on the Playstation 2 back in 2001, everything kicked and became synonymous with Stylish and Awesome. We were then introduced to the wicked kick-ass protagonist of cool called Dante, and hack and slash gameplay was redefined for a new generation. The game's popularity eventually warranted some sequels, and while the first attempt, Devil May Cry 2, was a speed bump people would rather forget, Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening gave us one memorable adventure of a lifetime. The series' legacy would see multi-platform releases and another sequel in Devil May Cry 4 in 2008, but Capcom would decide to take a new route in 2010 and present the controversial "DMC: Devil May Cry" developed by Ninja Theory and starring a new version of Dante which looked more emo and punkish than his cool self. The game has no release date yet, and it remains to be seen how this will impact a great series like Devil May Cry.

Choosing a song for this game wasn't easy. With the exception of Devil May Cry 2, I enjoyed the songs presented in every installment thus far. However, if I had to pick one, it'll probably be from the prequel story itself, Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening - Devils Never Cry. Hearing this dark tune brings back memories of that tale, where Dante faces off against not only demons, but his own twin brother Vergil, to prevent them from opening the portal to the demon world and bringing destruction down to Earth. It's truly the definition of an epic action game song for the series if I've ever heard one. Check it out!



Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening - Devils Never Cry