COLLECTION UPDATED!!

I'm not gone, but I was for most of 2012.  I didn't have a computer most of last year.  I'll make it up by creating a lot more content this year!  The collection page was updated today with all new pictures of the music I got.  If you would like to take a look, click the link below.  See you soon!

Gamemusicfreak's Collection

Let's Help Fund the Dethlehem 2012 Tour!

Dethlehem, the great Metal band from Pittsburgh, PA have started a Kickstarter campaign to help fund their 2012 tour! Their music takes Epic Metal to new frontiers by combining both RPG and Fantasy elements, and what could be better than that?
Check out their fantastic videos posted above and below. Together we can provide the Dethlevan with the armor it needs to conquer new realms!

Circle of Deth music video:


Have a look at the links below, I myself will be contributing! The goal is to be fully funded by Friday, April 6th, 2012 with $1,226 remaining to be funded. There are 20 days left! Let's do this!

The official site of Dethlehem

It's a great site!

The official Kickstarter Page for the Dethlehem 2012 Tour

Thanks for reading, see you next time!

Running XP Ys The Oath in Felghana and Ys VI on Windows 7

Before I begin, I assume you are familiar with running Japanese games on your PC. I always run mine in Japanese mode instead of using Applocale, but whatever works for you!
Now, I couldn't find a guide for this anywhere for these specific games, and I know there are some others who are having the same problems I had. Well I have finally gotten both games running perfectly, and I'll tell you exactly what I did. Hopefully it will help you too!

I'm always learning new things, but I'm a person of limited technical skill when it comes to computers. So when I got a laptop with Windows 7 (64-bit) I immediately started going through my Falcom "XP" PC games collection to check their compatibility. I haven't bought any of Falcom's Windows 7 or Vista versions as of yet. Out of 12 games, the only two that didn't work at all were Ys VI and Ys - The Oath in Felghana.

Here's a screenshot of my current laptop's specs:


IS IT WINDOWS 7 SERVICE PACK 1?
Now my system didn't come with Service Pack 1, and coincidentally, I only tried using this method to get the games to work after upgrading to SP1. I don't know if that presented an issue for these two games specifically, since all my other Falcom titles worked fine without WIN7 SP1. I wanted to mention that just in case you haven't upgraded, it may be necessary. SP1 should install in your automatic updates. I'll link to Microsoft at the end of this post.

FALCOM'S SUPPORT PATCHES WERE THE KEY
Looking around for help, I always encountered the same tips:

1. Under Properties for the game, check compatibility mode, and run for compatibility with a previous version of windows.
2. Run as administrator
3. Check the game company's website for patches.

Under XP, I never had to install any support patches for Falcom's PC games. I've now found that it was necessary for the two games in question to work on Windows 7. At least in my case that was definitely part of the issue. Before I go further, I would like to mention that I have the first, or Limited Editions of both games, DVD-ROM versions. But I don't think that should be a problem, you just need to download and install the support patches directly from Falcom.

Installing the games and the English patches won't work at first. I tried it dozens of times. For some reason, and I don't know if it's just Win7, but installing the English patches didn't properly install Falcom's support patches like I thought they were. Thus it never occurred to me that it wasn't installing the support patches(I certainly never had any trouble like that on XP). I also tried installing the games and running them without any support patches at all, and all my other XP Falcom games still work normally like that under Win7.

Here's how my properties for both games look now:

Ys VI:


**FOR YS VI DIRECTX9 MAY BE REQUIRED**

YsF:


Note: The only option I chose for both games was to run as administrator, the OS compatibility was chosen automatically.

Falcom's Ys VI Support Patch

Official Falcom Ys VI Support Site: Update Version 1.1.0.9

Do a clean install of the game, then install the patch linked above. That should do it. If that doesn't work, Falcom has a couple more Ys VI support patches:

Ys VI Support Patch Version 1.2.0.2

and

Ys VI Support Patch Version 1.3.0.5

The one that worked for me was 1.1.0.9.

Now for Ys - The Oath in Felghana

Falcom's YsF Support Patch

Official Falcom YsF Support Site: Update Version 1.2.0.3

Just like for Ys VI, first do a clean install of the game, then install the patch. This is the one that worked for me. Also, in both cases, after doing this, I was able to run the English patches for both games and they finally worked normally.

Additional thoughts:
I've heard it mentioned that Windows 7 has a 32-Bit version. I don't know if that has any implications here, but Falcom's support patches are designed for Windows XP 64-bit, so there may be something to that.

About Windows 7 Service Pack 1 - I am still unsure if this has helped the games run for me. If anyone knows an answer please comment. Anyway here is a link to help upgrading to Win7 SP1 from Microsoft:

Instructions from Microsoft on how to install Windows 7 Service Pack 1

I hope this has been of help to you, I have tested the methods above including trying to run the games (unsuccessfully), installing the patch, and then successfully running them first try after the patches were installed.

I'd like to thank Red Hairdo over at the Ancient Land of Ys Forum for creating a topic about all the different versions of the Ys games. It was that topic specifically that got me motivated to "try again" and also make this post.

Later!

Ys vs. Sora no Kiseki Collective Music Files and Falcom 30th - Kiseki & Ys Best Secret

Got them for excellent prices from a couple Yahoo Japan auctions! Even though Falcom has chosen to release the soundtrack for Ys vs. Sora no Kiseki - Alternative Saga separately now, I had to get the original version with the Collective Music Files set. Who knows, I'll probably get the new version from Falcom as well.

Total soundtracks now at 671.

Later!

Finally got a Secret of Evermore Soundtrack!!

From my collection page:


I can't tell you how long I have waited to get my hands on it. Having bought the game when it first came out, I didn't have any way to order the CD, though I really wanted to. Of course it didn't come cheap, but it was just the right time to go for it.
(Album #669)

ANCIENT GRADE - DOUJIN ALBUM REVIEW

The Ancient Grade Front Album Cover - Catalog #SFCD-0001

So I got my hands on what I consider to be the best Falcom Doujin Album in existence, and it's from Sound Factory Carolina! I had to go through a Yahoo Japan auction to get it, and it was totally worth every penny. In short, this album is a perfect Falcom rock monstrosity. Sound Factory Carolina released it in 2006!

It's been a while since I was able to actually win an auction on a doujin album at Yahoo Japan, but this was a "buy it now," and it is all Falcom so I jumped on it. Plus, as a visitor of Sound Factory Carolina's site, this is the first time I've been able to get an actual album by them.
The album contains 12 tracks and only three of them are what I would consider soft, four if you count the "Cagesong of the Ocean Suite," (track 9) but that is EPIC, and it has plenty of rocking parts. I'm going to review every track, so let's get down to it!

The Track List

ALL MUSIC ARRANGED, GUITAR AND BASS PLAYS, SYNTH PROGRAMMINGS AND ARTWORK BY TOMOT

1. Feena (From Ys)
2. To Make the End of Battle (From Ys II)
3. Battle Ground (From Ys II Eternal)
4. Ruins of Moondoria (From Ys II)
5. The Limits of Strength (From The Legend of Heroes V)
6. The Dawn of Ys (From Ys IV)
7. The Gods of the Four Winds (From The Legend of Xanadu)
8. Illburns Ruins (From Ys III/The Oath in Felghana)
9. A Cagesong of the Ocean Suite (From The Legend of Heroes V)
10.Valestein Castle (From Ys III/The Oath in Felghana)
11.Final Battle (From Ys)
12.The Morning Grow (From Ys)

1. Feena (From Ys)
Have you ever wondered what Feena might sound like with a guitar? It begins like any other version of Feena. Soft synth, and the familiar melody by Yuzo Koshiro. Then, at around 15 seconds, the guitars kick in, and you know you're in for something different. It gets a little orchestral, with the guitar coming back in at intervals. It is so sweet! It feels almost like an urban piece. He tweaked what I'd call the main chorus melody, but it fits perfectly! Very well done, and well balanced. It sets the standard for the rest of the album.

2. To Make the End of Battle (From Ys II)
It's a classic, and what Falcom arrange album would be complete without it? The piece starts with a piano and then roars in with drums and guitars all over the place, there's a bit of organ too! At about 3:05 you're treated to a little bit of acoustic guitar, but the electric guitars come right back to close out the piece. It's relentless! It is one of the best versions I've ever heard. Period.

3. Battle Ground (From Ys II Eternal)
Originally a left out, though unforgotten piece of music intended for Ys, Battle Ground finally made it's in-game appearance when Ys II Eternal first hit. This is outstanding here, it's fast, and doesn't let up with the guitars and synth, IT'S A BEAST, I love it! It's over four minutes, and there are so many new parts SFC have created for it, it's just amazing.

4. Ruins of Moondoria (From Ys II)
Opening with some drums and guitar, it doesn't sound like the Ruins of Moondoria you know at first. At around the 24 second mark, here comes a piano and then you become aware of where he's headed with it. There's a lot of different things happening here, and even a part that sounds like Metal Max's "Tank Boss" when S.S.H. did it. Then at other parts it reminds me somewhat of a marching song. It's great, and fast right where it needs to be.

5. The Limits of Strength (From The Legend of Heroes V)
I've never finished Legend of Heroes V, but I do own the OST. I don't know if this is a boss theme or not, but it always sounded like one to me. This is another fast rock piece, with ruling guitars and drums. After three minutes there's an awesome guitar solo. I'm so glad this is on the album, as it made me want to go ahead and play LoH V some more. By the way, this is track 35 on disc 1 of The Legend of Heroes V OST.

6. The Dawn of Ys (From Ys IV)
This is the only performance on the album that I don't like as much as the others. It is kind of different from what you're used to hearing. Perhaps not arrangement-wise once the guitars come in, but in tempo. I would have liked it to be faster, but the way he did it, it does have a certain charm. Don't get me wrong, it is an excellent performance, and I could see this as fitting really well with an anime version of Ys IV, or if Ys IV was remade by Falcom. In the grand scope of the album, it fits well among the other speedy rock tracks. He has done well with it. Since I'm quite used to the Dawn of Ys version of this song, that may be the reason why I'm not too taken with it yet. There's some saxophone in here that did remind me of what Ryo Yonemitsu did with the desert theme in Ys IV -The Dawn of Ys. Atsushi Fukai even turned Ys IV's Battle #58 into a fantastic, cheery, piano jazz piece. Maybe it will grow on me after a few more listens.

7. The Gods of the Four Winds (From The Legend of Xanadu)
After the somewhat toned down "Dawn of Ys," he once again brings the album back to a really rocking mode with this arrangement of one of the action scenes from The Legend of Xanadu. Heavy drums and guitars throughout, it fits the tempo of the original chiptune perfectly. If you know me, you know I'm very fond of The Legend of Xanadu, and this is just awesome. The short organ part is very cool, and there is plenty of improvising on the melody. This is track 43 on disc 2 of The Legend of Xanadu OST.

8. Illburns Ruins (From Ys III/The Oath in Felghana)
In my opinion, this is the best, the pinnacle of the album. It is by far the best version of Illburns Ruins I've ever heard, and it COMPLETELY ROCKS! You don't hear the original opening of this piece until you're well into the track, but that doesn't matter, because this is Ys purity. It's frantic dungeon running, non-stop monster slashing at it's best, and it's another masterpiece. Perfection. If you're familiar with Tomohiko Kishimoto's (JDK Band) Ys III work on Adol's Theme, if you listen closely, you may hear some of that in here.

9. A Cagesong of the Ocean Suite (From The Legend of Heroes V)
This is the suite from Disc 2 of The Legend of Heroes V OST, tracks 22-25. THIS IS INCREDIBLE. I never imagined this piece could be done as such a rock anthem, but that's what comes to my mind when I hear it. Again, perfection, and almost 7 minutes in length.

10. Valestein Castle (From Ys III/The Oath in Felghana)
The arrangement begins with a beautiful harpsichord (is that a little bit of Sorcerian I hear?) which ends with the "lucky" Treasure Chest Theme. Then it takes a cue from The Oath in Felghana and rocks hard, loud and fast as it should, in the Ys tradition. This is ruling. Did I mention that somewhere already? The organ section at around 2 minutes is glorious. I so love this! Forgive me if I go on about this album like that, it is just so refreshing to hear incredible, quality arrangements of music you've grown up listening to. It is still possible to breathe new life into Ys music after all.

11. Final Battle (From Ys)
The final battle with Dark Fact comes alive just before the album's end. While I consider the TG16 CD version as perfection when it comes to this piece, Tomot continues to demonstrate here the mastery of the Falcom style of arranging with drums, synth, and guitar all rolled into one. I think this may be the most synth heavy track on the album, and it's awesome.

12. The Morning Grow (From Ys)
The Ys I Staff Roll. A fantastic way to close out this album with soft guitars, flutes, and piano. It all fits so well together.

Well, that's it. I was completely shocked by the beauty and quality of this album, it goes to show you that "Doujin Artists" such as Sound Factory Carolina have what it takes to arrange on the same level and even better than the game companies.
I hope you enjoyed this review. I'll leave a link and some more scans below:


Ancient Grade Back Cover


Ancient Grade Inner Cover and Disc

Sound Factory Carolina

You can even download songs from this album! I give it a 10 out of 10. Great job Tomot!
See You Next Time!

All About FF Distant Worlds Atlanta!!

I had such an awesome time at the FF Distant Worlds Concerts over the weekend! Lots of cool things happened. The performances were great, especially on Saturday, when Symphony Hall was packed!

Mr. Arnie Roth conducted, and Mr. Nobuo Uematsu attended as well! It was wonderful to see him again. Not only that, but I got to meet the awesome Mr. Larry Oji from Overclocked Remix on Friday. On Saturday I got to attend with a longtime friend from Ancient Land of Ys message boards. (You rule SkyeWelse! Thanks so much!)

THE PERFORMANCE - Featuring the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Georgia Tech Chamber Choir (Approx. 2 hours)

Liberi Fatali (VIII)
FF Victory Fanfare (Series)
Don't Be Afraid (VIII)
FF I-III Medley 2010
Memoro de la Stono - Distant Worlds (Featuring Beverly Blouin) (XI)
To Zanarkand (X)
J-E-N-O-V-A (VII)
Dear Friends (V)
Vamo' alla Flamenco (IX)
The Man With the Machine Gun (VIII)

SECOND HALF

Opening - Bombing Mission (VII)
Fisherman's Horizon (VIII)

Fabula Nova Crystallis (XIII)
Blinded By Light (XIII)
- The two pieces above were my first time hearing any of Mr. Masashi Hamauzu's music for FF XIII, and I must say they were incredible. I will get a next gen system besides a Wii soon so I can play it!

Navigator's Glory - The Theme of Limsa Lominsa (XIV)
At a previous Distant Worlds Concert, I heard some of Mr. Uematsu's FF XIV work, and this piece was new to me. I loved it!

Chocobo Medley 2010 - Now features an intro from FF XIV, and it was wonderful, the other half of it was Swing de Chocobo from FF X!

Opera "Maria and Draco" (VI)
Featured Beverly Blouin, Bradley Howard, and Michael Arens. I've seen this performed a few times now, and while I like Susan Calloway over Beverly Blouin, this had to be one of the best performances I've ever heard of the legendary scene from FF VI. Bradley Howard even sounded like the SNES synth!

Terra's Theme (VI) - Final Piece
Encore - One Winged Angel (VII) - Mr. Uematsu joined in with the Choir on this one! I could even see him dancing along with the music!

I was surprised by the number of pieces from FF VIII, and the absence of favorites like "Aeris" and FF IV's "Theme of Love." I thought the performance was fantastic on both nights! Thank you Distant Worlds and Mr. Uematsu for traveling so far south!

Lot's of cool Merchandise was on sale, so I got FF XIV Battle Tracks, Distant Worlds II, and the Distant Worlds "Returning Home" CD/DVD set:


My Chrono Trigger OST that I've had for over 15 years now, which was autographed by Mr. Mitsuda at Play! now features Mr. Uematsu's signature as well!


I got the Earthbound Papas CD autographed! (I'm sending it to a friend)

Mr. Uematsu was very pleased to see that I had bought the album, and he thanked me for purchasing it. He and his assistant also inquired as to where I got it.

I knew Larry Oji from Overclocked Remix was going to be there, and it was so great to meet him! He is one of the coolest guys I've ever met. We talked after the concert on Friday and during the meeting/autograph session.


It was my seventh time meeting Mr. Nobuo Uematsu!



Thanks for reading, maybe I'll be in Chicago next month!

-GMF

At Final Fantasy Distant Worlds Atlanta Tonight and Tomorrow!

See you there! They've been posting a lot of songs that will be played over at Twitter, so it looks like it's gonna be a great concert! I'll be at both shows, Friday and Saturday. It will be nice to see Mr. Uematsu again!

SPECIAL AUCTION TO HELP JAPAN!

Hello friends! I'm auctioning my Autographed Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Soundtrack CD for a charity to help Japan! This is part of my commitment to do all I can to help! Spread the word if you can! Below is a "Link to the Auction."

Click!

I've set the auction at ten days to give time for as many people as possible to see it! See you again soon!

Attending Distant Worlds Atlanta in May!

Thrilled that they are finally coming to my home town in Atlanta! It's really cool that Mr. Nobuo Uematsu has taken the time out to travel that far south. I believe it will be his first public appearance in Atlanta! Awesomeness!

More Information Here!

See you there!

The Best of JDK Band #3

The Best of JDK Band #3 features Go Fight! It's also my first Star Trader Music video.
I used the Star Trader X68000 version, which I got from Project Egg.

New Best of JDK Band Playlist on Youtube!

Falcom's JDK Band are legends, and I'm making a new playlist of their best arrangements through the years. It will have the original and current Band lineup.
Here are the first two videos!


Legend of the Wind - From The Legend of Xanadu


A medley of Stealing the Will to Fight, and Illberns Ruins from Ys III/The Oath in Felghana

*The Xenogears Orchestral Album giveaway contest I mentioned on the collection page will be delayed for a little while due to the tragedy in japan. Right now I'm just trying to do what I can to help them.

ZREO Twilight Symphony Choir Contribution

A small contribution to Zelda Reorchestrated was made to help them secure a live choir for their upcoming Twilight Symphony album. Hope it will be of some help, you guys are awesome!

Sanctuary Crew is taking donations up to 4/16 for Japan relief!

The crew did an amazing job with their marathon stream this weekend, and raised over 700 hundred dollars so far! Let's help them reach their goal! All the links are below:

Article on the Sanctuary Crew Site!

Click Here!

100% of the money earned from the marathon will be given to the IRC- the International Rescue Committee.

The Sanctuary Crew campaign website!

Click!

A lot of awesome games were featured over the weekend.

Check their Justin.TV site!

Click!!

Keep up with the crew here as well.

The Sanctuary Crew Presents FIGHT FOR JAPAN!

The Sanctuary Crew is doing a gaming Marathon to help Japan!

Article on the Sanctuary Crew Site!

Click Here!

100% of the money earned from the marathon will be given to the IRC- the International Rescue Committee.

The Sanctuary Crew also has a campaign website up!

Click!

Japan is hurting, spread the word and join the fight! Let's do what we can to support the people of Japan as they cope with this crisis.

Check their Justin.TV site below, you will be able to watch live:

Click!!

The marathon will be from 3/18 through 3/20.

Collection Updates!

I've been updating the collection page, will be back soon over here!

Click!

And I'll get a review up for Ys Seven finally.

Recommended Reading #1 - Leviathan and Behemoth

Having previously worked at a retail/bookstore the name Scott Westerfeld was very familiar to me. I knew him as the author of "Uglies",and "Specials" but I never looked beyond the cover of those. Aside from manga,comic books, and some fantasy novels, I'm not much of a reader.

Well, now that my computer is half dead, I found myself with a little more free time. So I started browsing through some book titles at a local Target, and one caught my eye. "Leviathan" by Scott Westerfeld. It seemed to be an alternate retelling of the first World War, but with a steampunk edge to it. Personally, I'm not completely well-versed in steampunk, but I love it's visual aspect. Simply put, it just looks freakin' cool.

I bought a paperback copy of Leviathan and was completely enthralled with the stories of Alek and Deryn. It only took five days to read, and that's saying a lot for me. The world of 1914 came to life with massive "Stormwalker" war machines, and fabricated monsters, which also serve as flying airships. I'll let the above trailer speak for the plot of the book, because I would end up just posting a ton of spoilers otherwise. I'll add that the illustrations by Keith Thompson really bring something special to the story.

When I purchased Leviathan, I noticed that part two of the "Leviathan Trilogy" was out, called Behemoth, so I went ahead and picked that up too, the same week. By the way, Behemoth just came out in October this year.
I read the whole thing the same day I got it, and it was truly fantastic. It's even better than Leviathan, and Westerfeld introduces us to even more Stormwalkers, beasties, and some new allies for Deryn and Alek. Keith Thompson once again rules the art board with some of his fantastic drawings, depicting the protagonist's' experiences and the epic battles. Having firmly established the backgrounds of Deryn and Alek in the first book, Scott Westerfeld puts them to the test physically this time. Alek has to pilot a different kind of walker, continue running, and deal with people who may or may not know who he really is. Deryn has to be even more resourceful to keep her secret, learn to trust, and survive in the face of death numerous times. After this book, I really loved Deryn Sharp. She's really one of the best characters ever!

There won't be any more spoilers from me, but I think you'll really love these two books. I recommend treating yourself to them if you're a lover of fictional or alternate time lines, and Scifi action adventure. I'm eagerly awaiting the third book, which is called Goliath.

Now, if only Miyazaki would animate them!
Thanks Mr. Westerfeld for writing such incredible novels, I'm sure I'll be reading your other works very soon!

Sorcerian Perfect Collections at Egg Music

It's a chance to obtain all three rare (and awesome) Sorcerian Perfect Collections without having to track down the discs yourself, like I had to years ago. Plus, Egg Music is an official distributor, not a pirate. There are six discs in all, and each disc is 1575 yen (around $19.41 USD) to download at Egg Music. You can listen to samples or purchase individual tracks as well. You'll have to create an account, but after that you'll be able to buy all the mp3s you want through Paypal.

A link to the Egg Music Catalog:

Egg Music Catalog

How to buy mp3s from Egg Music for English speaking game music fans:

Click!

I've received word that the Ys Seven contest winner has received the game. Hope you enjoy it!

Well, anyway, I'm going to be formatting my PC soon, so I haven't been able to produce any more finished pages for the web comic, make any music videos, or upload any more episodes of "In the Beginning," but I'll be back to full functionality soon!

I have finished my first playthrough of Ys Seven in English and it was hands down the best in the series I think. Now I'm really lamenting that it's over. It feels like there are no games out there worth playing. Ys Seven is just plain epic. Trust me, Falcom has reached new ground with it. If you haven't played it yet I HIGHLY recommend playing it, if you're a PSP gamer. Can it ever be topped? I look forward to posting my "Ys Seven Fan's Review" once everything is back to normal again.

Later!

-GMF

contest over! There is a winner!

Thanks! I'll contact the winner now!

Ys Seven Limited Editon Giveaway Contest on Friday!!

Ok, so I got two copies of the Ys Seven Premium Edition, and have been waiting to give one of them away. Friday, October 1st will be the day.
I will not be doing it via Twitter this time.

All you have to do is send an e-mail titled "Ys 7 contest", or "Ys Seven Contest" to: (address to be announced) when I post "Ys Seven contest is open" on Friday. The first e-mail I receive will be the winner! Profanity in the e-mail is not allowed, and any such messages will not be eligible as a valid entry.

This contest is open to everyone, and I will ship worldwide. This contest is for one premium edition English Ys Seven game for the PSP system. There will be only one winner. I wish I could do more but I'm funding this contest myself.
The last Ys giveaway I did was very successful, and the contest ended quickly. Be ready on Friday!