Battle for Evermore

Secret of Evermore was made by a North American division of Squaresoft. When Japan got Seiken Densetsu 3 (Secret of Mana 3), we got Secret of Evermore. Both were really good games, and both countries should have got both games, but instead we were all divided. Personally, I think we came out on top with this one, because Secret of Evermore was a subtly amazing game.

Ever notice how I mention 'atmosphere' in a lot of music? Well, that's what I've seen SoE do that no other game has been able to top. When lost in an odd and curious world, going somewhere new actually felt like honest exploration. The game is just so eerie and lonely, and the music captures it perfectly. This game was made by an amateur composer, his time working on a video game before. But he knew exactly how to play his cards: Not trying for a simple catchy style, he tries to fit the game, adding to what makes SoE such a unique experience. Literally half the game is just ambiance, no music, and its just so powerfully done.

There were 4 worlds you could visit in this game: The dinosaur world, the Egyptian world, the Victorian Gothic, and the robot world. My personal favorite was the Gothic one for the music.


Then there's the Boss Track #1, which feels fitting for the whole game. I love the tribal-esque sound of the drums, the, once again, atmospheric 'aaaahs', and that string instrument which you'd hear in the egyptian or goth world. It kinda of fuses them all together for a hard hitting track that tells you shit is going down.

Oh man, Mana

I owned Secret of Mana as a kid. My two brothers always dragged me into playing it, and I absolutely LOATHED it. When I play Secret of Mana music, its all just so terrible to me, I can't stand it.

We still got Legend of Mana on PS1 when we got the console. I decided to give it a shot since the watercolor-style artwork was really nice, and since I got to play as a chick who punches and suplexes everything to death. The game was subpar at best. But the music was definitely one of the better soundtracks. I prefer to take unbiased approaches at everything, and while I didn't enjoy Legend of Mana, the music was DAMN good. This song is aptly titled "The Wind Sings of a Journey" which seems to describe it quite well.

Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy, as a series, is different for everyone. I was one of the very few North American gamers who's first Final Fantasy was the first, on the NES. Thief is totally the best, by the way. Now if only Square would make a new FF where you get to choose the classes of your party without a job system, that's would be great.

I feel everybody has one Final Fantasy they connect with. With most people, this was Final Fantasy 7. To anyone who played the series before 7, its universally agreed that 6 was the best. I'm a fan of 6 no doubt (5 makes a close second, but the music pales in comparison), and that's because it has one of the best music scores in video games that 7 just didn't quite get. I've played 6 over and over, and anyone can agree its dated and pretty average for a game, I keep coming back because the music just hits home so well. The main theme throughout the series is Terra's Theme, which gets played as you wander the world map.



The game has something like 13 characters you can have in your party, which is a lot, but not overdose like Chrono Cross. They also emphasize using each member equally, which I find really breaks the repetition, because in FF7 you can pick 3 members and play the game like that, and woop-dee-doo I'm bored by the Golden Saucer. What really shines is everyone's theme, each one is just an amazing piece of music, and if you don't mind I'm posting a handful of songs.

Each one captivates the characters well. Locke, the thief--Er, I mean, "treasure hunter" fights for a woman he lost, and has a very inspirational piece that gives that feeling of "keep on fighting, things will look up eventually", while still keeping a theme of adventure.


Celes has a much somber theme. One more of romance, desperation, and sadness, which I find strikingly similar to the scene where Aeris dies (SPOILER!!!). A lot of people call that the best Final Fantasy scene, other will say the Opera Scene in 6 where this song plays. The sad romance of a woman who lost her loved one in war, yet the song works just as well when Celes loses everything and drives herself to suicide via cliff.


And lastly, the windswept tune of a warrior who lost his wife, son, and entire castle to a psycho who poisoned the water supply. A song of wandering loneliness really gives you a feel for the poor man. Now if only the translation didn't turn him into a comic relief character 10 minutes later, they could have captured emotions better. But eh. Take it for what it is, a really good song.


Thanks for listening!