Time to rock out to some DoD remixes this week. And I’ve got two doozies for you.
Rose of Solemn (Phantom and a Rose/Rose & Ghost, originally compsed by Hiroki Kikuta for Secret of Mana for the Super NES by Square, remixed by Ashane)
Another Secret of Mana remix, you say? Well, McVaffe’s was fairly peppy – Ashane goes the opposite route with their remix, a guitar-driven take on a more melancholy song from the soundtrack, Phantom and a Rose. This starts off contemplative and moody, but becomes a thrashing wave of sadness halfway through. A brilliantly well-done spin on this excellent source.
My Sweet SOPHIA (Level 4/Level 1/Level 2, originally compsed by Naoki Kodaka for Blaster Master for the NES by Sunsoft, remixed by Vikingguitar)
YAY! I’ve wanted to highlight this phenomenal remix of Blaster Master’s more memorable tunes for some time now, and it’s up at Youtube at last! Vikingguitar excellently coupled three of Kodaka’s songs, building into each segway with exquisite care. Soaring into Level 1 after the slower segment from Level 4, it’s the final third of the track that blasts into Level 2′s awesome theme that cemented this as one of the finest remixes ever made in my mind. Kudos! Vikingguitar released this and other remixes as a CD a bit back if you’d like to hear more from him.
Billy Talent wowed me with their first album, but I cemented them as my second favorite band with their phenomenal II, which showed tremendous growth in their lyrical prowess and musical progression. You can see this quite clearly in “The Navy Song”, one of my absolute favorites of any song. It’s got a fantastic vibe to it that captures the sense of a love torn asunder from a disaster, and it’s incredibly fun to sing along to.
Fans of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time may be familiar with the tune “Pizza Power”. It plays during the credits of the SNES port, but the original arcade version had lyrics and was played during the attract screen. (It was also in the Genesis game TMNT: The Hyperstone Heist.)
However, the song was originally from a TMNT stage show called the “Coming Out of Their Shells Tour”, and an accompanying soundtrack was available at Pizza Hut. Here is that original full version.
This is a quick and dirty post. I don’t have a ton of time, so I’m only doing one game this week, despite Europe not seeing a release last Friday (swore they did, but I got my dates mixed up). I’ll make up for it next time with three.
42. Batman (NES, Sunsoft)
Brief Synopsis – Based on the film by Tim Burton, you’ll control the Caped Crusader as he makes his way through various setpieces from the movie. Sunsoft equipped Batman with three projectile attacks that you’ll need to gather up ammo for, as well as some of the best walljumping controls I’ve experienced. This is a fantastic licensed game that serves up ample platforming and action segments.
Why is it Missing? – Warner Bros. holds the DC license, which is the umbrella Batman falls under, so I doubt Sunsoft would ever be able to re-release it. WB Games is a well-oiled machine at this point, releasing their own wonderful Batman games (Arkham Asylum did very, very well), but I don’t know if they’d make the effort to resurrect this classic. They also haven’t released anything for the Virtual Console, so its chances are pretty slim to null.
Other (Legal) Options - Only available on the NES, but it was a fairly popular game based on a radically popular movie, so it’s more common than some other NES titles.
…That’s how it was described within the Disney Feature Animation Studios when they began work on what they perceived as an offbeat experiment. It wasn’t directly based on any fairy tales or previous fiction. There was absolutely no human element, with the film set in the wild Serengeti, and the cast consisting entirely of talking (and singing) animals. Yet, The Lion King achieved massive success when it was released into theaters on June 15, 1994. It became Disney’s most successful film ever, the highest grossing animated film of all time, and the third highest grossing film (animated or not) of all time. It also spawned two straight-to-video sequels, a TV series, and was adapted into a critically acclaimed Broadway musical.
The Lion King made a huge impression on me when I first saw it in 1994 at the age of 15. To this day, it remains my favorite animated movie, and one of my favorite movies in general. So, I thought it would be fun to take a look back on the original film, as well as its two follow-ups.
The story follows Simba, a young lion who’s destined to inherit the throne from his father, Mufasa. Unfortunately, Simba’s jealous uncle, Scar, murders Mufasa, convinces Simba that he was responsible for it, and subsequently exiles him. As Scar assumes rule over the Pride Lands, Simba grows up trying to separate himself from his past.
Although the film was touted as an original work when it was first released, the filmmakers have openly admitted that it was heavily influenced by Shakespeare’s Hamlet. It does follow the same basic plot, but reinterprets it as a dark coming of age story.
The movie also infamously bears strong resemblance to Osamu Tezuka’s anime series Jungle Emperor, or Kimba the White Lion. While Disney has always maintained that any similarities were nothing more than coincidence, the late Tezuka’s studio, Mushi Production, actually considered the connection flattering.
What always struck me about The Lion King was how strangely epic it feels, despite its relatively brief 88-minute running time. A lot of it probably has to do with how thematically dark the film is, dealing with issues such as murder, guilt, exile, the death of a parent, and even allusions to Nazism and communism. But its majestic depiction of Africa is also stunningly beautiful, and the style was quite unlike anything else seen in an animated Disney film at the time.
The film walks a fine line between its darker, heavier portions and a lighter, more humorous mood. It always finds time to toss in a clever gag or jubilant musical number, and somehow manages to do it without breaking the atmosphere. The film takes itself very seriously when it’s required, but effortlessly transitions into good-natured whimsy.
The journey that Simba takes in the film is far more emotional than physical. The character is given a great performance through both excellent animation and Matthew Broderick’s terrific voice work as Adult Simba. Simba displays a lot of complex emotions, but it never feels forced or melodramatic. The character is very round and organic, making him easy to sympathize with.
Scar, on the other hand, is despicable and conniving, yet dignified and charismatic. Jeremy Irons’s excellent voice work gives Scar a cold sophistication that underscores his amorality. It elevates the character to a level among the all time great Disney villains.
And of course, we can’t talk about The Lion King without mentioning its amazing soundtrack. The combination of Elton John and Tim Rice’s catchy songs with Hans Zimmer’s stirring score is an odd one, but somehow it works amazingly well. And it wouldn’t be right not to mention Zimmer’s collaboration with Lebo M, who not only contributed to the score, but also arranged the African choir harmonies and lyrics. In fact, Lebo M is the very first voice heard in the film as the sun rises from behind the horizon.
After The Lion King’s enormous success, I was quite surprised to learn that it was actually regarded as a second-string film within the studio. Most of the studio’s top-tier animators and production staff passed up The Lion King in favor of working on Pocahontas, which was thought to be the next big blockbuster. But despite the low confidence, early test screenings received very positive responses, revealing the film’s potential.
Overall, The Lion King is a majestic masterpiece. It’s a film that lives up to the early Disney classics, perhaps even more so than its contemporaries, and for me, it was the apex of the Disney Renaissance.
And with the movie’s huge success and Disney’s then-recent change in sequel policies, it was inevitable that there would be follow-ups, for better or for worse. But we’ll discuss that in the next part when we take a look at The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride.
Lion Cuts
Tim Rice wrote somewhere between 10 and 15 different sets of lyrics for “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” as it kept changing place and context within the story. One infamous version was sung entirely by Timon and Pumbaa, which horrified even Elton John. Another early version, however, is a favorite among fans, and was only released on the laserdisc version of the film.
For this week, here’s a good game of Weird Newscasters featuring Stephen Colbert. Perhaps this foreshadows his subsequent work on The Daily Show and The Colbert Report?
And as usual when I take over Weekly Whose Line, I have a bonus clip! And it comes from the original UK version of Whose Line.
Of all the UK cast members, my favorite by far was Tony Slattery. I was always a little disappointed he never made a guest appearance on the US version (though, Josie Lawrence was on a couple of episodes). Here he is in a game of Scene to Music in which he needs laundry detergent of a higher power.
Developer: Nintendo Publisher: Nintendo Platforms: NES, SNES, Game Boy Advance, Wii
The Game: 2D Platformer
Why it’s a Favorite: Don’t get me wrong, I love Super Mario 2, but after Mario’s detour into the land of Sub-con, Super Mario Bros. 3 was like a return to form. It brought back the gameplay that made the original game so appealing, with power-ups, brick-breaking and Koopa-stomping.
Bowser was also back, and this time he wasn't alone.
But it didn’t just regurgitate the original game into a remixed expansion pack (like the Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 2). Everything about SMB3 was improved, expanded, and pushed through the roof, from the core gameplay to the graphics and sound. Mario was back with a vengeance.
SMB3 was also the last of the Super Mario games to embody a more arcade-style flow. The game progresses in a linear fashion, and the levels are more obstacle-course-like. Super Mario World would be more freeform and exploration-based, encouraging revisiting previous levels to find alternate exits. Super Mario 64 placed a heavy emphasis on collecting things, an aspect that has since bled back into the 2D games. But personally, I was always a fan of the straightforward arcade style.
Memorable Moments: The game itself is brimming with so many brilliant ideas that it’s impossible to pin down just one. But beyond that, the sheer amount of hype that was surrounding the game both before and after its release was unlike any game before it.
All right, I admit it – I’ve got nothing. Not a damn thing. It’s been a little odd this week – Grace has been home all week, we’ve had a nasty leak in our house, been busier with my new job (soon to be jobs) and with friends…whew. But I’ll try to reform and get something together next week. In the meantime, I’ve got a meatier than usual update to the Scraps section of the Imagery you may want to check out. Here’s a sketch of Shi I did last year as an example:
That being said, I’ll be out most of the weekend, too. So don’t expect too much else from me until Monday!
Super Mario Sunshine (Gamecube)
Pub/Dev: Nintendo
ESRB: E/Players: 1
With the Gamecube, Nintendo made the curious decision to not launch with a Super Mario adventure. Instead, Luigi carried that torch with Luigi’s Mansion (to be covered in the upcoming Gamecube Spin-offs piece), which was a very radical shift in Mario gameplay that certainly has its own charms, but it was not a blockbuster Super Mario platformer! The following summer, Nintendo unleashed the first proper 3D sequel of the Mario franchise, the tropically-oriented Super Mario Sunshine.
Mario, Peach and an small army of Toads (plus adviser Toadsworth, who made his debut here) decide to escape the monotony of The Mushroom Kingdom and fly to the wonderful Isle Delfino for a much needed vacation. However, it doesn’t take long for problems to begin – Mario’s apparently a criminal here for causing a massive amount of vandalism, and he’s been tasked with cleaning the island. Thanks to Professor E. Gadd’s FLUDD device and the occasional help of his old pal Yoshi, rinsing off the goop isn’t too much of a hassle, but the doppelganger Shadow Mario quickly becomes one! He whisks off Peach in the midst of your gathering up the needed Shine Sprites and cleansing the various locales. However, Shadow Mario is merely a disguise for another newcomer to the Mario series – Bowser Jr. He continues to antagonize Mario throughout the remainder of the game, culminating in a final battle against Bowser Sr. in…a hot tub. Peach is saved and the Isle is back to normal, so Mario, Peach and their entourage return home.
Let’s talk up our new additions to Mario’s character pantheon before diving into anything else. Bowser Jr. is a bit reviled, perhaps unnecessarily so. He is seen as a lackluster replacement to the more beloved Koopalings, who took an extended break from any Mario platforming villainy until New Super Mario Bros. Wii. I think more than that he’s disliked due to viewing Peach as his “mommy”, which was a bizarre and disturbing plot twist that certain practitioners of hentai would appreciate, but the majority of Mario fandom did not. Since this, however, I think he’s become much more tolerable. Toadsworth is Peach’s steward, and has popped up in several Mario titles in the same role. He’s been more prominent in the RPG spin-offs, particularly the Mario & Luigi series, and he’s also playable in the Mario Baseball games developed by Namco. He’s likable enough for me.
Mario saw more than a few changes to his moveset from Mario 64 to Mario Sunshine. Several of his melee attacks were dropped in favor of FLUDD, a water-spraying backpack gizmo that can also hover or fire Mario off like a rocket straight ahead or up in the air. FLUDD is primarily used to wash away Shadow Mario’s maliciousness (which takes the form of multicolored goop), which can also coat Mario if he’s not careful. Mario’s jumping abilities are the same save the Hover nozzle, which allows Mario some extra airtime when used. FLUDD is a love-it-or-hate-it addition, which comes into play in the game’s secret stages (which I’ll cover next). Out in the standard levels, it’s a decent enough mechanic that is fun to play around with.
However, Mario’s not going to be using FLUDD all of the time. Each level has at least one “secret stage” where Mario is teleported to a special arena that challenges the player’s platforming knowhow, and for some crazy reason, Nintendo felt compelled to strip away the key gameplay nuance the game had going for it – FLUDD. Mario without FLUDD is not as tight or refined as Mario’s 3D debut in Mario 64 – he feels more slippery, and reflexive squeezes of the Shoulder Trigger are completely in vain here in efforts to save yourself…since you don’t have the apparatus you utilize for the rest of the game here to do that. I found it quite annoying, and Mario’s edge grabbing talents were significantly lacking. Strike one for me.
Secondly, the game’s programming isn’t as tight as it could have been. The camera is deceivingly against the player, taking any chance it can to make the game more frustrating. It isn’t as loose as Mario 64′s (which really wasn’t all that loose to begin with, and that’s saying something), tends to get snagged in backdrops more often, and occasionally picks terrible angles that makes it tough to properly gauge distance. 3D platforming really needs to have a camera that is better than this one. Strike two.
Lastly, my major beef with the game stems from its sloppiness. It did not feel as polished as it could have been. Enemy renders are atrociously cobbled together, looking more like late-gen N64 models than high-poly Gamecube ones. The secret stages lack much in presentation, with simplistic platforms hovering in empty space backed by a looping background texture also hanging out in the middle of nowhere. The game relies far too heavily on Rare-esque item hoarding compared to Mario 64 – blue coins need to be gathered up to BUY SHINES (Wha?), for example. Another beef is the tendency to make the secret stages hard to reach, and if you fail them by running out of lives, you get to relive that aggravation to try again. I’ve heard the “Mario needing extra lives is an outdated throwback” argument relating to Galaxy, but I think it was more necessary to make that claim for Sunshine. Strike three.
Mario’s lone 3D platforming outing for the ‘Cube disappointed me immensely. It lost a lot of the joys Mario 64 had, and made several boneheaded mistakes. Luckily, Nintendo learned from this misstep and made up for it bigtime with the two Mario Galaxies, which we’ll cover soon.
This is from Dredg’s album Catch Without Arms, and that is an amazing disc, that it is. I love a lot of the songs off of this album, but I went with this one as it’s a beautifully played tune with cutting lyrics and a great drumline. Enjoy.
