ART GALLERY MOVE COMPLETE: YS V PS2 REVIEW COMING SOON

Hey, I just finished moving the art gallery to it's new home, I think you'll agree it is much better now! Check it out in the links section! My Ys V PS2 version is on it's way! I can't wait, as soon as I get to play it, I'll post some pictures and review the musical score to the game.

Art Gallery Update

Hey everyone, I've got a lot in store for the future with this thing, so keep watching. I'm going to create a separate haven for the art gallery, though you'll still find it linked in the links section, and I'll have lots of news about upcoming game soundtracks in the week ahead also. They are finally releasing a Breath of Fire Soundtrack complete Box, thanks to cocoebiz, so I'll have some nice pictures of the set when it comes too.

THE INCREDIBLE XANADU NEXT

Ok, after waiting a while to play it, I just finished Xanadu Next last night!
This is one incredible Falcom action RPG for PC(Japanese). The great thing is you don't have to know Japanese in order to enjoy it, or finish it! Just like Falcom's legendary Ys series, which is my all time favorite. Xanadu Next is not too long, which is good, but it is not an easy game either.

This game is quite a dungeon crawler too, you'll be fighting monsters non-stop and hunting down keys, special guardian cards, magial items, and saving gold (YES!) to buy weapons and armor. The bosses and graphics are all 3D, and in the Falcom tradition all crafted wonderfully well. This is classic sword slinging RPG action at it's very best! There are giant spiders, nasty zombies and hundreds of other creatures, but I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't played it yet. Don't get me started on the music.

As any Falcom or Ys fan knows, the composers, Falcom Sound Team JDK are game music legends and they outdid themselves here once again. My breath was taken away at the awesome dungeon themes, and the glorious symphonic choral pieces in this game. I highly recommend this game to anyone. Now, if you are unsure if you should try a Japanese game, and you don't know Japanese, let me say this, you won't be sorry, and you only live once!

Operating System: Windows 98/2000/ME/XP. CD-ROM or DVD-ROM versions available.


As always, Falcom will not leave their fans wanting, so with this game (the limited edition, still available) they included the classic PC Engine RPGs, Legend of Xanadu I & II, formatted to play on PC! Also included is a Xanadu Music Chronicle CD, spotlighting a couple BGMs from Xanadu Next and some of Falcom's best Xanadu arrangements ever, with some long gone JDK Band Tracks from Falcom Special Box '94.
I will surely link up some of Falcom's Xanadu Next Music Samples soon as well!
Here are some pictures of everything that came with the game (isn't Falcom awesome) and a link to Falcom's official site of the game. Enjoy!

Front cover of game case (comes in a slipcase box)


Back cover of game case


Xanadu Encyclopedia (monster & weapon/item information)


Xanadu Next Playing Manual


Xanadu Music Chronicle CD


The Legend of Xanadu I & II

Official Site For Xanadu Next (Japanese)

DO YOU LIKE ACTION?

Hey, if you're a big comic book fan like me, and have never checked out some of the awesome Chinese Martial Arts titles from Comics One, you should definitely try them out! They are filled with awesome manga styled action, with tons of cool paintings, stories, and wonderful characters. They have been around in the U.S. for a number of years now, even in English. So if you're in the mood to try adding a little more action and culture to your comic book library, check these out! At the end here you will find a link where you can purchase some of these titles. Also above here is a cover scan of Saint Legend, by Andy Seto. Awesome, huh?

Buy Kung Fu Titles Here!

NEW SOUNDTRACK FOR THIS WEEK

Just got this one today, it's the Magic Knight Rayearth Sega Saturn Soundtrack. It's very hard to find now. I think I got pretty lucky getting it.

JUST ARRIVED! SORA NO KISEKI SC (THE LEGEND OF HEROES VI, THE SECOND CHAPTER)

Ok, so I am a little excited today, I have been waiting for this game for a while now. It just arrived from Falcom Japan and I am dying to play it. More pictures coming soon, but first I have to play it!!!!!!!!! If you want to hear music samples from the game I have them in a previous post. Feel free to check them out!!

FINAL FANTASY XII SOUNDTRACK UPDATE/DELAY

I've just received information stating there may be a delay in the release of the Final Fantasy XII Soundtrack. I will report any new information when it comes.

COLLECTION UPDATE

Today I decided to add a special location for my game music collection, so if anyone wanted to view it they will not have to search through my articles for it. So from now on the following link at the end of this article will house my collection. There will be a permanent link to it also in the links section. From time to time I list new additions to my collection, and I will continue to publish those on my blog. The new space for my collection will be specific to that topic. It will be updated only to add any new items. I think this will work out a lot better too. Thanks to all who read this blog and and I will try to make it a unique source of game music information as long as I can. So here is the new link which will host my collection from now on:

View My Game Music Collection

FINAL FANTASY XII ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK LIMITED EDITION ANNOUNCED

The long wait for Final Fantasy XII is almost over. I am eagerly awaiting this game because it is such a big departure from the established style from the series. One can not help but wonder if this trend will continue. The original soundtrack for the game is set for a release date of April 19, 2006, and the limited version looks like quite a package.
Since Hitoshi Sakimoto (FF Tactics, Vagrant Story, Breath of Fire V) has taken over as composer here, it will be interesting to see what he has come up with. Based on what I've heard in the playable demo I love the music so far. The soundtrack will once again feature four discs of music. While that is not unfamiliar to FF fans, to see Sakimoto step up to the plate and continue the legacy certainly made me feel like this will be a very special game, despite some negative comments stemming from the new battle system. Of course, the limited edition of this upcoming masterpiece is available at cocoebiz. Also, there is a contest to get Mr. Sakimoto's autograph, for those who preorder this soundtrack by April 10th! For more information just click the link below.

Preorder the Final Fantasy XII Original Soundtrack Limited Edition from cocoebiz!

TODAY'S THE DAY!!!!

I thought I would start a little countdown until the Legend of Heroes VI: the Second Chapter is released on March 9th, I can't wait for it, it is going to be an awesome game.
Well, as soon as the game arrives, I'll have great pictures up!!!

BIG SCORE

Sorry no updates for a while. Managed to score some extremely rare soundtracks today! They will be added to the collection list soon:
The Scheme: By Yuzo Koshiro (Now I have the first & second editions)
Symphonic Suite Gagharv Trilogy : The Legend of Heroes III - V
Shining the Holy Ark Sega Saturn Soundtrack
All Sounds of Albert Odyssey I
Albert Odyssey II OST
Albert Odyssey Sega Saturn OST: Legend of Eldean
Also Pictured is Neutopia, agame I have wanted to play for a long time for the Turbo Grafx.
Once again I have to thank cocoebiz for the continued EXCELLENT service and for obtaining such rare albums.

IT'S FINALLY HERE!

Just got my hands on the official "More Friends" Final Fantasy Concert CD!!!! I am so happy!! I have waited for ever to see a video game music concert I attended put on CD. Edit: I didn't include the little speaker pops that occured in my review, I am aware of them of course because I was there. My review is of the performance, which wasn't affected in any way by those sounds. The CD is flawless, all speaker pops have been removed.
The following is my original review for the concert as written the very next day:

I just got in today from the More Friends: Music From Final Fantasy Concert. Oh man, it was beyond amazing. I loved The Black Mages before, but seeing them perform is quite a sight! Wow! Once again, James Arnold Taylor, the voice of Tidus in FF X and X-2 was the MC, and Arnie Roth conducted.
The show started about 8:20 pm and closed around 10:25/10:30.

Here is the set list:

1. Bombing Mission: FF VII opening. Very cool, I hadn't heard this orchestrated before. I thought it was a great start to set off a concert of this magnitude. The huge monitors showed the familiar scene with Aeris carrying the flowers as the piece started.

2. Aeris' theme. FF VII. Not much different from last years performance, or the one on the 20020220 cd.

3. Zanarkand: FF X Perfect piece to lighten the mood after the first two songs.

4. Don't be afraid: FF VIII battle music. In my opinion, FF VIII had great battle music, and I always loved this piece. Another one to liven things up. No difference in previous arrangements though.

5. Terra's theme: FFVI. Even though I heard this one at last year's show, this particular performance seemed more vibrant and spiced up. The monitors showed the FMV with Terra from the PS version of the game.

At that moment the show had an intermission, and Mr. Tidus remarked that the next half of the show would be completely different. It was not a sellout show, but the amphitheatre was still packed.

6. Swing de Chocobo: From FF X, but newly arranged by Arnie Roth. I thought he really brought something new to it, the fans knew it, too. Very cool, even if you don't like this piece, you would have to appreciate the effort put into it. The Monitors showed scenes from FF II up to XI, with chocobos. I was happy they showed the NES FF II & III. Everyone laughed as the chocobos wiggled around on the screens. When they showed CLoud from FF VII riding a chocobo, there was an uproar of applause from the fans.

7. Final Fantasy main theme: This was awesome, I've heard it before, but it's always had an addictive melody to me. Now things really picked up.

8. THE BLACK MAGES! The made quite an entrance, with a stage background that included cool corlored swirls that kind of looked like something from the 60's. The monitors showed the Black Mages logo flashing and in flames. THEY ROCKED HARD, and everyone went nuts. They played the FF III battle theme from their second cd. Lead guitarist Michio Okamiya had quite a stage presence. Imagine everything you can about how a rock star acts on stage and you'll get the picture.
Nobuo himself joined them and was plugging away on his keyboard. From the response, it would not surprise me if next year or sooner the Black Mages have a full concert in the U.S.

9. Maybe I'm a lion: Once again, The Black Mages ripped right into this one. It was so cool, they really worked the stage in their first overseas performance. I wished for more BM, but more on that later.

10. SUTEKI DA NE: (Isn't it wondereful) FFX. RIKKI came on stage, and the softness in which she sang really had an effect on me. She looked a lot smaller than I had pictured. She was wearing an outfit very similar to Yuna's in FF X. It was awesome to see her perform this live, in Japanese as well. I won't forget it.
The monitors showed the underwater scene with Tidus and Yuna from FF X.

11. Melodies of Life: FF IX
Emiko Shiratori was extremely graceful in her approach to the stage. She sang in Japanese, with a couple of verses in English. Seeing these two ladies perform was something special. I may never experience it again, which is why I went to LA only for this event. I arrived 8 hrs. before it started, and left two hrs. after it ended. Both plane rides were a tough 4 hrs. each to and from Atlanta, but I think it was worth it. I simply could not get any more time off work.

12. The complete Maria & Draco from FF VI:
The reason I came to this show, I had longed to one day see this performed, being a longtime fan of FF VI. It was flawless.
Stephanie Woodling (mezzo-soprano), Chad Berlinghieri (tenor), and Todd Robinson (bass-baritone) performed this. It was all so perfect, and the walz part was way better than the one on the Nintendo Orchestral Game Concert 4 cd. And it was in English. Nobuo came on stage for a while and made some remarks through translation about how grateful he was to be able to bring such a show to life. Then, after a lot of suspense, and laughs, an encore.

13. One Winged Angel: FF VII. THIS WAS INCREDIBLE. What an end to a concert! The BLack Mages, together with the CSUF University Singers choir, and the World Festival Symphony Orchestra brought the house down with this one. This was Sephiroth battle music the way it was meant to be. New additional lyrics were added and the Black Mages turned it into a fast paced rock megamasterpiece. The crowd went insane over this. Soon after everyone took their bows, and the night was complete. I had to hightale it back to the airport.

Merchandise included T-shirts, two compilation cds, based on this concert and the Dear Friends shows. A poster signed by the Black Mages, and program books. VERY EXPENSIVE. They had FF VII Advent Children merchandise on display, but not for sale. No cameras were allowed, not even inside the theatre. I took pictures of the outside, and some signs that advertised the show, but I had to turn my camera in.

This was worth every penny in my book, and if they do it again next year, I'll be there.

NEW SOUNDTRACKS

Added more soundtracks to my collection.
Kingdom Hearts II
Legend of Zelda Triforce Trilogy
Battle Collection 3 by J.M.'s Music
Shifting Horizon: Final Fantasy by Serenade
Falcom Collection I
I am considering the idea of giving the CDs in my collection a "click & view" option.

FINAL FANTASY CONCERT CD UPDATE

I have received confirmation my Final Fantasy concert CDs are almost here! I updated my previous post about it as well, since now it is available for purchase.
I am so excited! I can't wait to start reliving that night.

ART GALLERY PREVIEW

Hey everyone, I just added a couple pages to what will be a very large art gallery on this blog. Check them out in the links section!

LEGEND OF HEROES VI: THE SECOND CHAPTER

A sequel to one of the best Japanese PC games of all time is on the horizon. Falcom's Legend of Heroes series is one of those rare titles that many RPG fans here in America have never gotten to play. However, if you're brave enough, you won't let a little thing like playing a game in a language you don't understand stop you. On March 9, the next chapter in the series is coming out. This is a direct sequel to 2004's Legend of Heroes VI: Sora no Kiseki, and I couldn't be happier. Who else could make this game but Falcom, the creators of Ys, and the best in the business for that matter.

Titled Legend of Heroes VI: The Second Chapter, the story definitely picks up where the previous game left off. Follow Estelle Bright on another epic journey as she seeks out the whereabouts of Joshua, who left suddenly at the end of the first part. Expect incredible graphics and characters, an awe-inspiring soundtrack, and a combat system that fuses traditional and strategy RPG elements. Below is a link which will introduce you to this fantastic world of adventure and fantasy!

More On Legend of Heroes VI: The Second Chapter

Also, if you want to hear some music samples from The Legend of Heroes VI The Second Chapter, click on the links below!

Vocal

Town?

3

4

Orchestral

6

Rock!

NEW SOUNDTRACKS ADDED THIS WEEK

Just added the following Soundtracks to the Collection List:
Special Thanks to MP83 for assistance obtaining some rare albums!
Super Mario All Stars
Konami Midi Power Snatcher
SCC Memorial Series: Snatcher Joint Disk
Shining Force III OST
Shining Force II Symphonic Suite
(Thanks aorforever!)

FINAL FANTASY CONCERT CD RELEASED

It's here! The scheduled release date for the concert of the decade on CD is here. "More Friends: Music From Final Fantasy" was a legendary concert that I had the opportunity to attend on May 16th of last year. It was a blast, and thankfully they have released a CD of the performance. I will put up a full review of the concert soon. I will never forget it. For order info check the links below.

Order Final Fantasy "More Friends" Concert CD Here

Or Try Play-Asia

Otaku.Com

COMING SOON: ART GALLERY

Very soon I will have an art gallery of some of my work up. Keep Watching!

NEW SOUNDTRACKS

The following soundtracks were added this week to my collection:
Bomberman the Music
Tales of Destiny
Tales of Destiny 2