Rapid Fire: Tearaway Unfolded, Yooka-Laylee, Super Mario Odyssey

Another Rapid Fire post but this time, it's....
VIDEO GAME EDITION!
Similar to previous Rapid Fire posts, I'll be looking at three albums (or in this case, soundtracks) and briefly discussing them before giving them a rating and highlighting tracks that I thought stood out.
The three video game soundtracks I'll be looking at do share certain aspects. For starters, they're all from 3D platformers and they're all relatively recent releases (two came out this year). However, the musical style for each soundtrack is unique enough to warrant their choices for this post, in my opinion. Apologies if you're not into video game music but you might get some joy out of these soundtracks, if you can find them.


1. Tearaway Unfolded - Brian D'Oliveira and Kenneth Young

Tearaway Unfolded is probably one of my favourite platformers ever and if it weren't for A Hat In Time, it'd be my favourite platformer of the last decade (even if it is technically an adaptation/remake). It contains some amazing platforming segments unlike any other in video game history and brings out the creativity through innovative ways. Thankfully, the soundtrack is equally unique for a video game and doesn't fall into the trap of being too much like Mario, nor does it try to be grand like Skyrim. It's whimsical and at times a bit clunky but it works perfectly in the game.
There's a clear difference between the tracks composed by Kenneth Young and the ones by Brian D'Oliveira. Young tends to be responsible for the tunes that are more jovial and quaint, such as the first tune "The Hole In The Sky" or "Cutting Mat" and its variants whereas D'Oliveira is best at the harsher sounding, more dissonant pieces such as "The Barn" and "Scraps" (again, along with its variants). However, occasionally the two work together to give us some of the game's iconic tracks such as "Gibbet Hill Pilgrimage" or individually choose to blend styles to give us excellent pieces like "The Orchards" or techno-Folk track "Between The Pages, Page Two".
It's hard to accurately describe without getting stuck into the soundtrack (and game) yourself but the great thing about the soundtrack is the bizarre yet soothing nature to it. It's the musical equivalent of a claymation cottage with a roaring fire in a Tim Burtonesque forest landscape; quaint but with a hint of kookiness. It also doesn't fall into the trap of trying so hard to be weird that it forgets to be good. Many tracks are catchy and cute, just like the game itself, but overall the soundtrack for Tearaway Unfolded is delightful. It's not your typical sweeping Disney-lite score or epic World Of Warcraft feast, it's something eclectic and special for fans of the genre.

1. The Hole In The Sky
2. Scraps

3. Cutting Mat #1

4. Green Man Groove

5. The Orchards

6. The Squirrel Village

7. Renaissance Hop (Record Scratching Tune)

8. Pig Riding

9. St. Swithin's Moor

10. St. Swithin's Moor, Corvus Hexus

11. St. Swithin's Moor, Scraps

12. St. Swithin's Moor, The Big Tree

13. Enter The Barn

14. Rollin'

15. The Barn

16. Shouty Orange Head

17. Cutting Mat #2

18. Gibbet Hill Intro, Lament & Hornpipe

19. Gibbet Hill Pilgrimage

20. Gibbet Hill Scraps

21. Gibbet Hill Processional

22. Sogport Scraps

23. The Baby Wendigo

24. Squirrels & Scraps

25. Cutting Mat #3

26. Beach Bum

27. Heartless Reel

28. The Tavern

29. Wendigo Fissure

30. Elevate This

31. Gopher It

32. The Gopher

33. The Lab

34. The Lab Tick Tock

35. The Lab Scraps

36. The Caverns Scraps

37. The Caverns Scraps Chase

38. Scraps Crazy

39. Cutting Mat #4, Scraps

40. Scraps Reformed

41. Between The Pages, Page One

42. Between The Pages, Page Two

43. Desert Of The Mind

44. Desert Pig Ride

45. Desert Plane Ride

46. The Mislaid Message

47. The Tear

48. The You

49. Is This Goodbye

50. The Message

ALBUM RATING - 7/10

Next up is a platformer that everyone's saying was a disappointment even though people loved it when it came out.

2. Yooka-Laylee - Steve Burke, Grant Kirkhope and David Wise

Similar to the previous soundtrack, the duty of composing the music wasn't just given to one artist. Composers from a collection of classic Nintendo platformers were brought in to give the game that classic N64 feel; Grant Kirkhope provided music for levels, Steve Burke for multiplayer games and David Wise for minecart levels with each of them trying their hand at boss battle themes too. Whilst each artist brings their own specific flair to appropriate tracks, this can work against the illusion of creating a nostalgia fest.
Older games usually stuck with one main composer so the classic N64 or PS1 games often had their own signature sound. The problem with a modern game designed to evoke memories and feelings experienced when playing those classics BUT with multiple composers is that you're never really going to become fully immersed in the memory. One moment, you'll be back in your old living room running around in Banjo Kazooie as you listen to Kirkhope's marimba filled Tribalstack Tropics (or "World 1 Theme" as it's called on the soundtrack to avoid spoilers), the next you'll be riding a minecart listening to one of David Wise's minecart themes that sounds noticeably different, as if it's from a completely different game...because it is! It's from Donkey Kong Country.
As far as the soundtrack goes, it needed to be more consistent to truly achieve its goal. I appreciate that they tried to achieve this by giving different composers different responsibilities and I don't want to give you the wrong idea about the quality of the music; it's well crafted and aside from a few annoying multiplayer game themes, every song is catchy enough to keep you entertained as you play. However, as bad as this sounds, I almost feel like the soundtrack needed less variety. If you wanted a soundtrack that combines elements of the past with modern platforming innovations, this would've been the way to go. Unfortunately, the gameplay doesn't quite go that far so in the end, it doesn't quite work as well as I wished it had.

1. Main Theme

2. Shipwreck Creek

3. Hivory Towers

4. World 1 Theme

5. World 2 Theme

6. World 3 Theme

7. World 4 Theme

8. World 5 Theme

9. Uphill Battle

10. Frosty Fray

11. Armed And Dangerous

12. Track Attack

13. Skiffy Skirmish

14. Final Beeting

15. Kartos Karting

16. Bee Bop

17. Hurdle Hijinx

18. Up 'N' Nova

19. Jobstacle Course

20. Glaciators

21. Blag The Flag

22. Gun-tlet Run

23. Minecart Theme (World 1)

24. Minecart Theme (World 2)

25. Minecart Theme (World 3)

26. Minecart Theme (World 4)

27. Minecart Theme (World 5)

28. Tropic Trials

29. World 1 Variant #1

30. World 1 Variant #2

31. World 2 Variant #1

32. World 2 Variant #2

33. World 3 Variant #1

34. World 3 Variant #2

35. World 4 Variant #1

36. World 4 Variant #2

37. World 5 Variant #1

38. World 5 Variant #2

ALBUM RATING - 6/10

Finally, we have a soundtrack from a game released to critical acclaim just a couple of months ago. It also contains a specially written song as its main theme and I hate it.

3. Super Mario Odyssey - Naoto Kubo, Shiho Fuji and Koji Kondo

Super Mario Odyssey is probably the most ambitious Mario platformer since Sunshine but sadly contains the least ambitious soundtrack since the DS game that basically ripped off "Gusty Garden Galaxy" for one of their levels. It's a collection of generic orchestra music that sounds decent in the levels but holds up poorly outside of the game, something that can't be said for the previous two albums I've looked at in this post...or indeed any video game soundtrack I've written about in length on the blog before. It has the basics covered (each level has its distinct theme, the first proper level has a grand feel to convey exploration, yada yada yada) but to me, it makes one crucial mistake.

When I think of Mario platformers of the past, I can always think of at least one specific tune that stands out and acts as a kind of representative of the game. More often than not it's the game's main theme or hub world music but occasionally it's from a level. Super Mario 64 has "Bob-Omb Battlefield", Super Mario Sunshine has "Delfino Plaza" and Super Mario Galaxy has the aforementioned "Gusty Garden Galaxy". Super Mario Odyssey doesn't have that instantly iconic level theme. The closest it has is the "Steam Gardens" music but even that doesn't grab you in the same way previous tunes do; if anything, it's notable for sounding like music from a series other than Mario. That's about it.

However, what the game DOES have is its own song with lyrics and everything. "Jump Up, Super Star!" or, as it's called on the soundtrack, "NDC Festival". This is the song that's used in the game's opening menu and in all the fucking promotional material for the game, emphasis on "promotion". I hate this song because I don't hear a colourful piece of video game music; I hear manufactured, soulless advertising in the guise of a song. The music's alright but when lyrics contain lines like "It's freedom like you never knew" and "I'm flipping the switch" that sound like they're trying to push a product instead of entertain gamers, the catchy tune doesn't mean shit.

There are a couple of decent tracks in this game but everything else just kind of blends into the scenery. Even 8-bit remixes of each level fall flat because...well, it's fucking 8-bit. It sounds like crap compared to a fully orchestrated score (although the concept is still neat). Iconic music has been replaced by undeniable corporate box-ticking, although the game is great so I guess it must have worked on me in some level. That doesn't stop me from pointing out how weak the soundtrack is compared to the last couple of proper 3D Mario platformers that also used an orchestra but had the benefit of being led by Koji Kondo, a much superior composer to Naoto Kubo.

1. Bonneton

2. Fossil Falls

3. Fossil Falls (8-Bit)

4. Fossil Falls: Dinosaur

5. Tostarena: Ruins

6. Tosatarena: Ruins (8-Bit)

7. Tostarena: Night

8. Tostarena: Night (8-Bit)

9. Tostarena: Town

10. Tostarena: Jaxi

11. Steam Gardens

12. Steam Gardens (8-Bit)

13. Steam Gardens: Sherm

14. Lake Lamode 1

15. Lake Lamode 1 (8-Bit)

16. Lake Lamode 2

17. Lake Lamode: Underwater Passage

18. Forgotten Isle 1

19. Forgotten Isle 2

20. Forgotten Isle 2 (8-Bit)

21. New Donk City: Night 1

22. New Donk City: Night 2

23. New Donk City: Daytime

24. New Donk City: Cafe

25. New Donk City (Band Performance)

26. NDC Festival

27. NDC Festival (Japanese)

28. NDC Festival (8-Bit)

29. Bubblaine

30. Bubblaine: Underwater

31. Bubblaine (8-Bit)

32. Shiveria: Town

33. Shiveria: Race Course Entrance

34. Mount Volbono

35. Mount Volbono (8-Bit)

36. Mount Volbono: Town

37. Bowser's Castle 1

38. Bowser's Castle 1 (8-Bit)

39. Bowser's Castle 2

40. Honeylune Ridge

41. Honeylune Ridge (8-Bit)

42. Honeylune Ridge: Caves

43. Honeylune Ridge: Wedding Hall

44. Honeylune Ridge: Collapse

45. Honeylune Ridge: Collapse (8-Bit)

46. Honeylune Ridge: Escape

47. Honeylune Ridge: Escape (Japanese)

48. Honeylune Ridge: Escape (8-Bit)

49. Peach's Castle

50. Broodals Battle

51. Madame Broode Battle

52. Knucklotec Battle

53. Torkdrift Battle

54. Mechawiggler Battle

55. Mollusque-Lanceur Battle

56. Mollusque-Lanceur Battle (8-Bit)

57. Cookatiel Battle

58. Ruined Dragon Battle

59. RoboBrood Battle

60. Bowser Battle 1

61. Bowser Battle 2

62. Run, Jump, Throw! 1

63. Run, Jump, Throw! 2

64. Run, Jump, Throw! 2 (8-Bit)

65. Subterranean 1

66. Subterranean 1 (8-Bit)

67. Subterranean 2

68. Caves

69. Ice

70. Another World

71. Ruins

72. Ruins (8-Bit)

73. Projection Room (Above Ground)

74. Projection Room (Underground)

75. Above The Clouds

76. Toad Brigade Member

77. To The Next Kingdom

78. Shop

79. Race

80. RC Car

81. Spinning Slots

82. Climactic Duel!

83. Staff Roll

ALBUM RATING - 5/10

Jesus, that was a pain to type out. The next blog post won't be so long or arduous on the scroll bar!

Guitar Hero Live - Various Artists

Apologies for another video game review so soon but I had to type this after realising what I was missing out on.

Guitar Hero Live is the last and best game in the Guitar Hero franchise. It's the byproduct of a five year hiatus brought about by Activision's oversaturation of the music game genre and a desire for money. However, unlike previous Guitar Hero games, it's not a simple cash grab. Guitar Hero Live takes bold steps in completely destroying everything that made the series fun and rebuilding it to be a little bit more realistic.
However, I'm not here to talk about the brave innovations in gameplay or genius pay-to-play system that gamers were surprisingly unwilling to adopt after shelling out £100 to buy the game and new controller. I'm here to discuss the soundtrack and whether or not it works. As the name suggests, Guitar Hero was built around a strong soundtrack of Rock songs classic and contemporary, particularly ones with excellent riffs and solos. Guitar Hero Live abandons this clunky old setlist with a fresh, exciting one featuring just under forty songs from the 21st century and just three from before the 80s.
This is a fantastically smart decision to capitalise on a small but non-fictitious audience; people who like gaming, listen to modern music and have plenty of disposable income. One of the biggest selling points of the franchise had been combining fun gameplay with an awesome soundtrack perfect for the type of gameplay involved. However, now that the gameplay is no longer fun, the soundtrack should reflect this too. Forget epic riffs and furious solos, Guitar Hero Live is all about strumming and awkward note sequences now!

But what about gamers who don't like Rock? Never fear, Activision thought of that! By focusing on one genre, the game is missing out on so many young listeners who need to listen to the latest chart topping songs in order to function properly, hence the inclusion of artists such as Eminem, Rihanna, Katy Perry and Skrillex. Their generic music translates well into this new form of realistic gameplay as you play riffs sampled from much greater Rock songs or electronic dubstep beats on guitar.
The setlist also reflects the fact that the gameplay has taken a step backwards in removing playable instruments. Guitar Hero soundtracks used to have to include tracks with fun drum and bass charts but now the developers can focus on tracks with catchy vocals to sing along to or guitar rhythms to play such as "The Rock Show" - Blink-182 and "The Kill" - Thirty Seconds To Mars, songs that have already been in the Guitar Hero franchise but have now been revitalised with the changes in gameplay.
Whilst it would've been easy for the developers to include plenty of great songs on-disc, only forty two songs are playable without an Internet connection, which is less than half of the amount of songs on the last Guitar Hero game. It's a risky move but it ultimately pays off as it gives gamers more time to hone and practise those songs without worry about too much variety and music to enjoy. Also, whilst it's easy to include a random bunch of tunes without any real place in a series about living the life of a Rock star, slimming down the setlist to Avril Lavigne, Mumford & Sons and OneRepublic ensures we get a game with the best material available.

There's one more area of the game's exceptional soundtrack I've yet to discuss and that's the GHTV mode. Instead of paying money to download songs that you get to play and keep or making previous paid songs compatible with this new game, Activision took yet another intelligent step in making additional music available through a music video system where new tunes are cycled in themed playlists for free. Tracks vary from music from the 10s, music from the 00s, music from the 90s and about twenty songs from the 80s and 70s.
Whilst this means the majority of music will be contemporary, since music videos only really took off in the 80s and even then Metal music videos didn't become popular until the early 90s, the fact that you can play along with your favourite bands (provided they only started releasing music after the 90s) is incredible. It's also a great way of licensing more music due to cheaper fees to pay, meaning players get more songs to be given without any choice.
However, when you do earn coins to purchase songs to play once, it's a great experience. The riffs are more complex and the solos are challenging, even if most of them have been cut due to the fact that music videos tend to be shorter versions of songs for promotional purposes. The developers deserve credit for trying to fit challenging songs into the game despite the new note layout not accommodating sweeping solos and furious fretting.

Guitar Hero Live's soundtrack is perfect. It's beyond perfect and deserves to be recognised as one of the strongest setlists in all of gaming history along with Guitar Hero: Van Halen and Power Gig: Rise Of The SixString. It's so incredible that it transcends a score on this blog, something that has absolutely nothing to do with the date in which this review was posted.