tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85943525739431029442024-02-06T21:25:09.363-08:00Beyond the ControllerReviews, Commentaries, and Discussions Centered Around the Medium of Video GamesBeyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.comBlogger222125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-30707403851790953072012-06-11T09:22:00.001-07:002012-06-11T09:22:53.484-07:00Why I Skipped E3Half a decade ago, I easily would have explained, if asked or even just hinted at, that E3 was one of my favorite big events each year. I used to count down towards each years E3, and then spend every waking moment watching new trailers, studio conferences, and interviews. I loved E3. It was the biggest event of the year for me.
But over the last few years, I've noticed myself caring about E3 Beyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-7815908934574691022012-05-28T23:33:00.000-07:002012-05-29T10:00:57.523-07:00How to Save Kingdoms of Amalur: No Princess Needed
Amalur currently faces a foe much mightier than anything in it's own world: Debt
On paper, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning sounded like a sure hit. It had a strong (and massive) development team behind it, one with a lot of money to throw around. The story was written by one R.A. Salvatore, a fantasy and science-fiction author with dozens of successful and well-received novels under his belt. Beyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-71793942372419083462012-04-30T14:18:00.002-07:002012-04-30T14:18:18.763-07:00A Few More GlimpsesHey everyone! I know, I know, it's been quite the delay. A months worth in fact. But that's about to be alright, because I haven't been sitting resting while I've been off. Quite the opposite actually, I've been more busy than ever, and a lot of it is because work has moved ahead quite steadily on my studios upcoming game. We're not quite ready to throw some in-game images out there yet, but Beyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-69432721077091020762012-03-30T11:59:00.000-07:002012-03-30T11:59:05.215-07:00The Top 25 Soundtracks 2012: Number 1Number 1: Chrono Trigger
I'll admit, this was kind of a given. Either most of you noticed that Chrono Trigger hadn't made an appearance yet this year, or you knew that Chrono Trigger had taken position number 1 last year. Or crud, maybe you just listened to it on your own, nodded, and said "yep, it's the best."
Chrono Trigger is one of the most famous works of a composer who is no stranger to Beyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-63224793865156003692012-03-29T13:24:00.000-07:002012-03-29T13:24:38.880-07:00The Top 25 Soundtracks 2012: Number 2Number 2: Sonic 3 & Knuckles
The year is 1992. You've just finished releasing your second title in what looks to be a hit series. It's sold faster than any other title out there and kept your system on the map, even going up against your long term rivals newest console. You're hard at work on the next game in the series that's been so successful for you only to show up at work the next day Beyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-32942271241279409282012-03-28T11:27:00.001-07:002012-05-22T13:47:48.072-07:00The Top 25 Soundtracks 2012: Number 3
Number 3: Halo Reach
Martin O' Donnell is one of those composers who has managed to get exactly what he wants, which is anything that he wants, for his music. Call it the happy side effect of creating the sound of one of the biggest franchises in gaming history, but O' Donnell could probably put in a request for three-hundred world-class Kazoo players for whatever soundtrack he's working Beyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-42356604459635006632012-03-27T10:21:00.002-07:002012-03-27T10:25:52.608-07:00The Top 25 Soundtracks 2012: Number 4Number 4: Sonic Generations
I'll say this right now, Sonic Generations might be cheating by someones standards. Yes it has won the fourth position, but it does so in a manner some may find questionable. It doesn't make it ineligible for the list, nor does it do anything that any other game composer couldn't conceivably do for their own titles. But because its the only soundtrack even reviewed forBeyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-63730111720718417452012-03-26T11:37:00.001-07:002012-03-26T11:44:00.234-07:00The Top 25 Soundtracks 2012: Number 5Number 5: Halo 3: ODST
If one were to go through and read over every soundtrack that has made the list up to this point, they may notice a few common threads that more often than not tip the scale one way or the other. One of the most common elements of the higher placing soundtracks is often whether or not it is somewhat unique. If a soundtrack experiments with a often unheard of style, genre, Beyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-72183161509433668572012-03-23T11:15:00.001-07:002012-03-23T11:16:35.007-07:00The Top 25 Soundtracks 2012: Number 6Number 6: Donkey Kong Country Returns
Yesterday I said that Twilight Princess was an example of Nintendo's composers at their finest. So some of you may have read that and expected that no more Nintendo titles would be appearing on this list. Wrong I say, and as you may have just realized, because this years sixth position goes to none other then the absolutely stellar-in-every-way Donkey Kong Beyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-13321135073366479112012-03-22T12:13:00.000-07:002012-03-22T12:13:53.302-07:00The Top 25 Soundtracks 2012: Number 7Number 7: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Ever find yourself humming a song but having absolutely no idea where it was originally from? Then years later, while performing some activity you find yourself listening to that exact same song that you've been humming for so long and exclaiming "So that's what this is from!" in complete surprise? That was my experience a few weeks ago when I sat Beyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-21173991303703239292012-03-21T11:27:00.000-07:002012-03-21T11:27:01.933-07:00The Top 25 Soundtracks 2012: Number 8Number 8: Chrono Cross
Chrono Cross always had an incredibly high standard to live up to. As the sequel to one of the most beloved RPGs of all time, I can only imagine what the development crew felt like when they sat down for their first meeting. It'd be like sitting down to make a seventh Star Wars movie: Everything you make had better be good, or else legions of fans will devour you.
In the Beyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-18917197373052852082012-03-20T12:26:00.000-07:002012-03-20T12:26:14.126-07:00The Top 25 Soundtracks 2012: Number 9Number 9: Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles
Looking back, it's a shame that Crystal Chronicles wasn't the title that it could have been. As a game, it was fun to play, especially with friends, but the difficulty in tracking down the requisite number of Game Boy Advance Systems and connector cables just to play (plus the lack of an online system to transfer saves or carry characters with you) madeBeyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-19569169977488605572012-03-19T13:32:00.000-07:002012-03-19T13:32:03.418-07:00The Top 25 Soundtracks 2012: Number 10Number 10: Xenogears
Yasunori Mitsuda. If you understand game music at all you've been waiting for his appearance on this list, because any acknowledgement of gaming soundtracks that didn't include him would by default be a complete failure. Mitsuda is largely famous in most gamers minds for two reasons. First, he has composed some of the best loved soundtracks out there, earning him Beyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-67316740665628333022012-03-16T13:05:00.001-07:002012-03-16T13:05:58.267-07:00The Top 25 Soundtracks 2012: Number 11Number 11: Portal 2 [SONGS TO TEST BY]
If you haven't heard of Portal or Portal 2 at all at some point, I must congratulate you. As popular and well received as the games were, still not knowing what they are by this point would be a bit like not knowing what Star Wars is after The Empire Strikes Back has hit theaters. But if you've somehow missed it, Portal is a first-person puzzle game that Beyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-66746980092387060412012-03-15T12:24:00.000-07:002012-03-15T12:24:25.401-07:00The Top 25 Soundtracks 2012: Number 12Number 12: Final Fantasy VI
There are impressive soundtracks out there, and then there are impressive soundtracks. What's the difference? The former can be anyone who manages to create an exceptional piece of music. The latter is someone like Nobuo Uematsu, who's ever impressive works throughout over twenty years of compositional work are finally beginning to receive the interest and recognition Beyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-2935049401137001232012-03-14T11:13:00.000-07:002012-03-14T11:13:09.821-07:00The Top 25 Soundtracks 2012: Number 13Number 13: Sonic Colors
It's pretty much a known quantity that if you go anywhere online to discuss video games, the Sonic the Hedgehog series will be the acknowledged butt-monkey. A.K.A. the butt of all the jokes, the one that never gets any credit for anything good, the one that will always be a failure in the eyes of the public. Well, for the most part that reputation is sadly deserved. While Beyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-41268539846128481202012-03-13T11:41:00.000-07:002012-03-13T11:41:44.165-07:00The Top 25 Soundtracks 2012: Number 14Number 14: Command & Conquer
The Command & Conquer series has been a long time favorite of many players, with an extremely dedicated (and surprisingly fairly sane) fanbase and quite a few very respectable releases. Oh and being created by the inventors of the RTS genre, being the first series to explore it and the one to make it popular doesn't hurt a series popularity either.
But classicBeyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-24902837642777192072012-03-12T12:35:00.001-07:002012-03-12T12:37:27.419-07:00The Top 25 Soundtracks 2012: Number 15Number 15: Super Mario Galaxy 2
Long-time readers of this blog will recognize that I've had an entry from the Mario Galaxy series on this list every year. In fact if the day ever comes when a Mario title isn't on this list, I'll be one of the most shocked. This year the only shock I had regarding it was finding that by complete coincidence Super Mario Galaxy 2 has taken the 15th position held Beyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-1042263847240375522012-03-09T13:21:00.001-08:002012-03-09T13:43:52.437-08:00The Top 25 Soundtracks 2012: Number 16Number 16: Dragon Quest VIII - Symphonic Version
Dragon Quest is a title that often reminds me of the days of SNES and Genesis rivalry. Not because of it's game style (it's a JRPG) or it's graphics, but because of it's release pattern. Dragon Quest has to be one of the last major series still suffering from import lag in the US. In other words, VIII was the first to come to US shores under the Beyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-66170487251122839352012-03-08T11:26:00.000-08:002012-03-08T11:26:03.231-08:00The Top 25 Soundtracks 2012: Number 17Number 17: Civilization IV
So you're a composer for video games now! Excellent! You've got great pay, plenty of musical talent at your fingertips, and of course, plenty of work to be done! Your first assignment has just come in the door! Looks like you need to make a soundtrack for a futuristic space FPS! No problem! Some rock, some techno, maybe a little bit of pop music and you've got yourself Beyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-73097672305225786432012-03-07T11:00:00.007-08:002012-03-07T11:07:31.009-08:00The Top 25 Soundtracks 2012: Number 18Number 18: Bastion
"Listen, all this takes a lot of getting used to...and you do get used to it, after a while. There's three things I'll always miss though. One, not having to watch my step all the time. Two...ahhh, forget about two. And three, I miss the songs..."
2011 was truly a year of surprises. Games were announced that no one had expected, such as the new Counter-Strike. Games sworn for aBeyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-43814415970338825022012-03-06T10:51:00.001-08:002012-03-10T12:02:51.650-08:00The Top 25 Soundtracks 2012: Number 19Number 19: Halo 3
This is it. Humanity is destitute, waging a losing battle against the alien Covenant for control of the Earth. The Halo array has been primed, ready to exterminate all life in the galaxy at the touch of a button. The Flood have escaped, freed from their long imprisonment and carrying a serious grudge from their defeat at the hands of the Forerunners, as well as a general desire Beyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-62550108674394621572012-03-05T10:57:00.001-08:002012-03-05T10:57:26.704-08:00The Top 25 Soundtracks 2012: Number 20Number 20: Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War
Sometimes music is meant to be epic and emotional, like the Ace Combat 6 soundtrack that appeared on this list last week. And quite honestly, since this soundtrack is from the exact same series, you would be pretty spot on if you expected it to sound similar.
Except that it doesn't. Well, at least, not entirely. Where Ace Combat 6 reminded me of an epic Beyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-58392455126244197622012-03-02T12:05:00.000-08:002012-03-02T12:05:35.630-08:00The Top 25 Soundtracks 2012: Number 21Number 21: Donkey Kong Country 2
Nintendo has earned the honor of being known for a lot of classic gaming tunes: The Mario Bros. theme, The Legend of Zelda theme, the Metroid theme. However, you may notice a common trait among all of those themes. None of them are here. This swinging beat however, is.
If you've dabbled in video game music at all over the years, its very likely that you've run Beyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8594352573943102944.post-41715074969567623292012-03-01T10:27:00.000-08:002012-03-01T10:27:15.588-08:00The Top 25 Soundtracks 2012: Number 22Number 22: Ace Combat 6
One of my passions closely tied to gaming is music. Now that may seem obvious given the topic of discussion currently because after all who else goes through such lengths to find some of gaming's greatest music? But I point out my attraction and enjoyment of gaming soundtracks for a reason. To draw attention to the question of how, in all the years I've been Beyond the Controllerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17271112487293165523noreply@blogger.com0