Feature: The Musicians

I want to take the time to celebrate the musicians of the video game industry; the composers who give video games life and their unique vibe. I present to you three of the most predominant musical figures in the video game universe.  

Yoko Shimomura

Yoko is best known for her work at Squaresoft later Square-Enix but she has composed for many game companies including Capcom and Nintendo. Yoko is known for being able to capture both epic and cheery happy-go-lucky moments in JRPGs. And this Yoko totally didn't break up the most important band in history.

Forest Maze from Super Mario RPG [1996, Super Nintendo]

One of her earlier and most notable pieces is the Forest Maze from Super Mario RPG. It plays while Mario and his friends are searching through a forest full of enemies. It's a simple and catchy song which is why it is the most remembered from Super Mario RPG. There were other musical gems in the game, but Forest Maze is the what comes to mind when thinking of SMRPG music.

Night on Bald Mountain from Kingdom Hearts [2002, PS2]

This piece is a great example of her talent. Taking Modest Mossorgsky's classical Night on Bald Mountain and giving it her own take of it. This song plays while fighting Chernabog [that crazy demon looking thing that destroys a poor village at the end of Fantasia]. This is one of the more unique songs in the game but it still sounds like Yoko.

Sinister Sundown from Kingdom Hearts II [2006, PS2]

Now this song is very representative of the Kingdom Hearts series. It is whimsical yet dramatic. Dark yet childish. Sinister Sundown plays as a battle theme in the beginning of the game. You start as a young boy, Roxas, who finds some sinister creatures are causing mischief in his home. These creatures, you learn, are causing havoc and destruction in worlds afar. This song very much suits these battles.

Battle Against The Dark Star from Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story [2009, DS]

This is an example of Yoko taking something as simple as Bowser battling his evil impostor and making it sound way too epic for its own good. Classic Yoko. It sounds fantastic but in context with the game's cartoony style, it just doesn't fit but stands as a magnificent piece in itself.

David Wise

Wise is known for his ambient influenced very 'groove-able' themes for the Donkey Kong Country series. For the most part he composes for Rare and Nintendo, having given them the zany music you might find in Diddy Kong Racing or the cool and relaxing tunes of Donkey Kong Country. There's no way of knowing how many of his songs have been covered and uploaded to Youtube. I would bet that he is the most covered video game musician out there.

Jungle Hijynx from Donkey Kong Country [1994, SNES]

Even if you aren't familiar with his name [or not too keen on video games for that matter], odds are you've come across this tune. This song plays on the first level of Donkey Kong Country and acts like its theme throughout. The song shows a bit of how ambiance is used in his songs but the key element here is his use of percussion which stays dominant throughout most of his DKC songs.

Mining Melancholy from Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest [1995, SNES]

This is definitely my favorite David Wise tune. The sound of what appears to be hammers slamming against mine cart rails flows with the rhythm of the song so well. The atmoshere that this song sends to the player is trance inducing. I have to admit, the first time I heard this song, I just let DK and Diddy idle for a bit while I took it all in.

Stilt Village from Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! [2005, GBA]

This song wasn't including in the original DKC3 on the SNES. The original Stilt Village sounded way more campy. In 2005, it was changed to this gem. I would love to know why Wise decided to change the music for the level but whatever reason, it was a great idea. I love this song.

Koji Kondo

His name may not be as recognizable as his music but I'll bet that I could go to anyone walking down the road and they'll know his work. Kondo is the man behind some of the most famous tunes in video game history, including the Super Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda themes. That should be enough to make him the most respected man in video game music but Kondo has quite the resume of ear pleasing songs that span his entire career.

Underground from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island [1995, SNES]

People often forget that Yoshi's Island is actually the sequel to Super Mario World. It is a solid game with music on par with the original. I don't know if it's the twinkling affect or the just the overall composition that sets the song apart from the rest in Yoshi's Island. Anything Yoshi related in the Mario universe has a certain sound to it (whether it be added bongos or drums in general) and I believe this is the most well composed one.

Space Storm/Boo Moon from Super Mario Galaxy 2 [2010, Wii]

With the help of some friends and a live orchestra, Kondo helped bring Super Mario Galaxy 2 to life through music. Most of the songs are whimsical but this song is rough and tough. Kind of like most of the parts of the game. Hey, not all of the levels in SMG2 can be fluffy and fun. This song reminds me that I spent hours of pain staking platforming and perfectly timed jumps to get passed each level. The great music helped me from throwing the control out the window at times. (Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic game).

These are only 3 of the many talented musicians creating works of art for every video game being developed. Music is just as important as the graphics or gameplay and without it, some games would just feel incomplete. Here's to all the video game musicians out there who continue to caress my eardrum with angelic melodies!  I plan to highlight even more musicians in the coming weeks.

The V Files: L is Real 2401

On the first post of the V Files, which takes video games myths, legends, and lore and analyzes them, I've decided to go with one of the most famous (or infamous) legends of video games. The L is Real 2041 legend.

In Super Mario 64, there is a courtyard which contains a small fountain or pond. In the pond is a statue much like the one you see to the left. It's in the shape of a star with scribbled words below it. Fans everywhere have created such a ruckus over these words that in turn created a mystery and legend almost as big as the game itself (Well, maybe not THAT big.)

Many people who played the game didn't even notice the texture. Others thought it just read "Eternal Star" referring to the final obtainable star in the game. But then, there were the few that took it to a whole new level. They claimed that the awkward spacing of the letters couldn't possibly spell out the word "eternal" and the "star" looked more like a number.

They claimed it to read "L is Real 2401"

But what does this mean? L is universally understood to refer to Luigi, who does not appear in Super Mario 64. Hopefuls everywhere took it that the cryptic message was proof that Luigi could be playable in Super Mario 64 . . . or perhaps in another game altogether.



Could Mario's green clad brother be behind this mystery? All theories point to Luigi being the subject. In fact there was a picture [below] in Nintendo Power that showed Luigi standing right behind Mario just outside of Princess Peach's Castle. Although it turned out to be a badly Photoshopped hoax, it nonetheless fueled the flames of Luigi's existence in the classic 64 title.

Here are a few possible explanations that fans have come up with to explain the odd text:

Luigi will appear in the game after 2,401 coins are collected.
This theory was debunked quickly as many gamers who have collected every single coin in the entire game still come up a couple hundred coins short of 2,401.

The text refers to Luigi's appearance in Paper Mario

Luigi appears in Paper Mario which released on the Nintendo 64 about five years after the release of Super Mario 64. People claim that the 2401 refers to the date that Paper Mario released which they claim is February 4th, 2001. There are a few things wrong with this explanation, however. First is the length of time between SM64 and PM. It is highly unlikely that Nintendo planned a whole generation ahead for a single game let alone boast about the appearance of a secondary character. Second, Luigi appeared in many other games such as Mario Kart 64 and Super Smash Bros. before the release of Paper Mario. And finally, Paper Mario was released on February 5th not the 4th.

Others

Many people have put various Latin lettering, Chinese, Russian, and Japanese characters to fill in the markings of the plaque but the only things that do fit are in fact "Eternal Star" and "L is Real 2401" Not much has been determined about the scribbles below the legendary text as it is much too blurred to make any real claim about it.

Most Logical Conclusion:

The blurry text on the plaque may be nothing at all just referential images to take the

place of words, much like the lettering on every other sign in the game. If anything the

programmers just tried to make the blur spell out "Eternal Star". People just made it into much

more than it was supposed to be allowing Nintendo to run with it and put it again Ocarina of

Time to further increase interest. Oh, Nintendo, you so curazey.

Feature: Video Games as Art

With the dawning of the modern age of video games, the debate of whether or not video games can be considered art has raged through the video game industry. Gaming fanatics who believe they are an art form note the unique graphic visuals, beautiful or appealing music, and emotionally driven story-lines. Those opposed consider them money-grabs, or that the elements are not defined enough to be compared with other art forms such as paintings, poetry, music, or movies.

I want to start by saying that my stance on whether video games can be considered art is dependent upon two factors. The first is whether movies and music are considered art. If movies and music are considered art then video games surely can be. Video games take the audience into deeper emotional trips than music or movies ever could. Video games place the player directly into their story and have them experience the visuals, music, story first-hand. The second factor is the definition of art itself. Everyone has there own definition. My definition of art is anything that is portrayed to an audience which brings forth personal emotions through music and/or visuals, and/or story-telling. Video games fit this very well.

The Opposition:
Hideo Kojima, the creator of the Metal Gear Series, (which is considered by many to be a great example of video game art itself), has gone on record as saying that video games are not or will ever be art.

"The thing is, art is something that radiates the artist, the person who creates that piece of art. If 100 people walk by and a single person is captivated by whatever that piece radiates, it's art. But videogames aren't trying to capture one person. A videogame should make sure that all 100 people that play that game should enjoy the service provided by that videogame. It's something of a service. It's not art. But I guess the way of providing service with that videogame is an artistic style, a form of art." - Hideo Kojima

Kojima's ideas seem to be more business related rather than content driven. He never states whether or not the story, graphic style, or music that he and the developers put into the game can be considered art. I wonder if spending so much time as a game developer working on a video game, putting your ideas and even your emotions into a project makes you an artist. According to Kojima, it does not. But of course, Kojima and I are working on totally different definitions of art.

Roger Ebert made the video game media turn upside with protested rage when he put up a blog at the Sun Times website called "Video games can never be art." Ebert believes art is "the creation of one" and that group projects such as cathedrals or tribal dances all originate from one mind; one artist. It reminds me of how video games are created. There are many people working on a single video game at one time. But the original story, character concepts, and overall feel of the game usually come from one or a set few whose mind created the entire project in the first place. He takes games like Braid and Flower, which people often cite for the debate, and blows them off as if he just only watched the trailers. He only took small portions of the piece and criticized it. (It's obvious he didn't take the time to play Braid or he would have noted the importance of theme in gameplay. And don't get me started on his view of Flower.) Ebert is definitely entitled to his opinion but he should take a deeper look into the realm of video games before making such obviously hasty assumptions.

Those For:
Kellee Santiago, a game designer and producer for Thatgamecompany (creators of Flower, a game which was described by Game Informer magazine as "poetry"), defended video games as an art form during a presentation at USC. Santiago uses video games such as Waco Resurrection (an odd choice), Braid and Flower. While being a terrible game, Waco Resurrection was described by Santiago as being a certain person's representation of the events that occurred during the FBI siege of the Camp Davidian compound. David Koresh never summoned magical spells to fend off the officers. It was the developers artistic style and thought and it does follow Plato's definition of art. It's an imitation of nature or in this case history. She also uses Braid and Flower as examples which I will touch on later.

I disagree with her idea that video games are in the cave wall paintings era of art. I believe they are more advanced whereas the old-late-70's-early-80's-Atari-era of video games fit the lines of cave wall paintings. (The ancient cave painters, as Santiago says, were the great artists of their time.) She also says that no one has ever mentioned a video game that could be compared to the great poets, story-tellers or artists. This may be true but how many artists, poets, and writers today could be compared to the greats of the past?

Game Informer magazine presented a feature titled "The Great Debate" in which various members of their staff chose certain video games that they felt exemplified what it meant to actually be art and explained why. Adam Biessener said how Mass Effect 2's method of giving the player numerous ways to progress. He said giving players the opportunity to meddle with on-going genocides, war, and other moral issues while feeling the emotion of your endeavors and consequences is art. "The NPCs (non-playable characters) in Mass Effect 2 are collections of pixels, code, and audio recordings just as Saving Private Ryan is made of celluloid and Anna Karenina is born of ink and paper."

Matt Miller describes video games as "musical themes, visual images, and writing" which is how I define art. Miller uses Super Mario Bros. as an artistic synthesis between these elements blended into one experience. "Ultimately, Super Mario Bros. is an artistic experience because, like all good art, it affects one experiencing it emotionally and empirically."

The Exhibition:

I have selected a few examples of gaming art. Each of these games use some, if not all, types of artistic element to bridge an emotional gap between it and the audience.

Shadow of the Colossus

Shadow of the Colossus is a massively empty game yet filled with perseverance, courage, strength, and love. You set out as a young man named Wander who is determined to revive a woman named Mono from an eternal rest. A disembodied entity named Dormin tells Wander that it can revive her only if he were to destroy sixteen colossi. The entire game is basically you fighting against these gigantic beings. You travel vast lands of green emptiness only stopping, not for a rest, but to slay these massive beasts. The art comes from the story and design. Wander must venture and endure battle with Colossus, that are comparable to skyscrapers in height, and continue to fight them with every succeeding Colossus being more difficult than the last. It's the story of David and Goliath with an intimate and affection twist.

Braid

Braid is about theme, interpretation, art and emotion. The premise seems simple enough; a Mario-like game where you platform across an odd world, solving puzzles, in hopes of rescuing a sweet princess from an evil knight. Each level has a theme and short anecdotes that shed light, not on the story, but on the psyche of the protagonist, Tim. The first level, Time and Forgiveness, begins with a book that explains that Tim is off to rescue the princess from an evil monster. This happened because Tim made many mistakes. This level introduces the power to reverse time, thus preventing any mistakes the player may have made that would lead to Tim's death. Braid is a perfect example of gameplay, literary themes and story melded together to tell a story of perception through art. (Video contains spoilers.)

Flower

Using nothing but the PS3's motion controls, you guide a single flower petal through grassy plains and city suburbs in order to preserve the beauty of nature in an ever growing industrialized world. The message, through metaphor in imagery, is not preaching how ugly industrialization destroys the beauty of nature but rather that true beauty is finding a balance between these two opposing forces.

Metal Gear

The art of Metal Gear comes from its portrayal of war and those involved in it. It's not just about mindless killing (you can play through the game without killing a single person), it's about the evolution of each character. Metal Gear started out as a simple stealth action game with the goal to thwart the plans of a terrorist from getting their hands on a weapon that could potentially destroy the world. The series ended in a way that makes you rethink every event in the series past. The evil terrorists you hated at the beginning of the series you will look at as war heroes and honorable patriots by the end. Each character is an epic all into themselves and there lies the art. The emotion that comes with the trailer alone is proof enough that Kojima is wrong and his brain child is gorgeous artwork.

Heavy Rain

Imagine that your first born child was killed in a car accident. Despite it being an accident, the blame and neglect falls on your shoulders. Your wife divorces you and your youngest child hasn't the faintest of interest in being around you anymore. Then your youngest is kidnapped by an infamous serial killer who prays on children. The blame is once again on you. This is the premise of Heavy Rain. You play as the father of a kidnapped child, a former detective searching for the killer, an FBI agent prying for justice, and a journalist who just happens to be entangled in the entire matter. Each character searches and fights their way to the killer in their own way. However, what they are searching for and what they are fighting for varies from character to character. The choice is given to the player. Would you kill an innocent person to save your son? Would you risk the termination of your job to see that a killer is behind bars? Would you risk being raped to help a friend? In a way, each character is a different personality of the player. You choose what they will say and what they will do. That's the art of it all. A medium that allows you to place yourself in crisis and gives you the consequences of your actions in the form of cutscenes.

The Verdict:

Art is something that entices people's emotion. Art is anything musical, visual, or story driven that has a certain purpose. Video games combine all these. All I have to say to the art community: Video games do have a place as an art form. The definition of art varies from person to person and in the minds of those loyal to the games, it is art. If something is so strong emotionally as to bring you to tears with its story, in awe with its visuals, or in a trance with its music; yeah, that's art.