Author: Michael Beckwith

My VG Music Picks #87 – Weight of the World – Prelude Version (Final Fantasy XIV)

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WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Final Fantasy XIV

Because of how music from Final Fantasy XIV can only be uploaded to YouTube if it’s accompanying gameplay footage, I should mention that the video above shows off the final boss of the game’s Nier: Automata raid and it’s a big ol’ spoiler so if you play FFXIV and haven’t completed said raid yet, don’t click on the video. I won’t give away who it is in the text, though.

I’ve actually been meaning to highlight some of FFXIV‘s music for years since it’s got some great tunes I want to write about. But the moment its Nier crossover was announced and played this music over the announcement trailer, it took immediate priority. I was feverishly waiting ages for it to come out just so I could get a clean rip of the song.

Weight of the World, the credits song for Nier: Automata, already had, like, four different versions and every one of them is amazing, though this new one is possibly one of the best variations. I’m a sucker for an orchestra and dramatic choir already, but it also changes the overall feel of the original song.

Weight of the World is melancholy and desperate; a lone individual searching for hope in a dark world. This one, I think, has the exact opposite feeling. It’s no longer downtrodden but fighting back, pushing itself off the ground and giving it everything it’s got to break through whatever it’s against and claim its personal victory. It perfectly fits the image of a small army of players working together to take down a massive boss. Honestly, that would be enough, but there’s also that really nice touch where it briefly turns into the Final Fantasy series’ Prelude theme, symbolising the union between the two series.

While I don’t think it’s better than the original, and certainly not better than the End of YoRHa version, it’s still a fantastic rendition that helps it fit into the more magical setting of Final Fantasy XIV and makes the event’s final battle as epic as it is.

Random Rankings – Steven Universe: The Movie Songs

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WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Steven Universe: The Movie

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After watching the Steven Universe movie, I immediately went to check if the soundtrack was on iTunes. And I was very happy to find that it was. The movie is far from flawless but I thoroughly enjoyed what it offered, and I think we can all agree that its songs are undeniably good, though I wasn’t expecting it to have so many of them (which, in hindsight, is really silly of me considering it was being advertised as a musical). I also wasn’t expecting to fall in love with many of them. I had previously written about my favourite songs from the show and I’m really glad I did that list before the movie came out because a lot of the movie’s songs would’ve ended up on there.

But while the soundtrack is overall great, which ones am I rather indifferent towards (because there are NO bad songs here) and which ones are my new absolute favourites? Well, to find out, let’s subject them to a Random Ranking! Continue reading →

My VG Music Picks #86 – Bully (River City Girls)

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I may have mentioned this before, but if a videogame has actual lyrical songs in it, I’m much more likely to buy it. It’s weird since videogames featuring songs isn’t new or special anymore, but I can’t help but be impressed/excited whenever it happens. I very nearly bought River City Girls just because it had an opening song that was only four lines long, and I was somewhat surprised that it had more songs like it. Continue reading →

RWBY Volume 6 – Rises Like the Moon or Sinks Like a Rock?

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WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for RWBY

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RWBY Volume 5 left me feeling quite anxious after it finished. I’ve already made my feelings on it perfectly clear, both in my review and in the episode recaps on The Entertainment Dome, but it meant that I went into Volume 6 with trepidation when it began. Would the quality of the show continue to dip or would it pick itself back up? Some of you no doubt already know the answer, but these reviews are tradition at this point so let’s just get on with it before Volume 7 comes out. Continue reading →

Ten Characters I Want in Super Smash Bros. – Part 2

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WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for the following games:

Tekken 7
The Wonderful 101
Xenoblade Chronicles 2

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It’s been four years since my first “Ten Characters I Want in Super Smash Bros.” list and, boy, how things have changed since then. Back then, those choices were the whimsical wishes of a young dreamer, unlikely to ever come true. But now, thanks to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, it seems anything is possible. Hell, two of my picks have since been included, which is very vindicating, though one part of that list has aged horribly.

“… [Yu Narukami] does stand a better chance than Ridley.”

Oh, 21 year-old me, you were such a fool. But yes, between the likes of Ridley, King K. Rool, and Joker, I’ve found myself coming to accept that characters I would’ve initially scoffed at the mere suggestion of including could actually happen. Super Smash Bros. is no longer just a celebration of all things Nintendo, but of videogames as a whole.

So, with the current run of DLC nearing its conclusion and still more to come throughout 2020, how about I list off another ten characters I’d personally love to see get to join the roster, whether it be in Ultimate or in a possible sequel. Continue reading →

Favourite Moments in Fiction #25 – The Hooktail Boss Fight (Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door)

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WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

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It’s such a shame that Nintendo doesn’t seem to know what to do with the Paper Mario series anymore. The first three entries are fantastic games that I could easily recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in RPGs or games with well-written stories and dialogue. Of those three, there’s no denying that the GameCube title, The Thousand-Year Door, is the best one. I could write several of these articles on that game alone with how many memorable moments it has, but for this instance, I’m going to focus on the game’s first major boss fight. Continue reading →

My VG Music Picks #85 – The Final Antasma Battle (Mario & Luigi: Dream Team)

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WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

It’s such a shame to hear about AlphaDream going bankrupt. They were the studio that brought us the imaginative, funny, and just enjoyable Mario & Luigi series of RPGs. And while we can argue about whether or not the quality of the games diminished over time, there’s no denying that all of them were at the very least decent and fun games to play. I had high hopes for the potential of the series when the Switch was released but, sadly, it is not to be.

There is quite a bit I love about this series; one primary aspect being its music. The legendary Yoko Shimomura lent her talents to all of the games and created such varied soundtracks, filled with pieces that fit right at home in Mario’s world, as well as ones that felt like they belonged in more “serious” RPGs. That’s not me complaining, by the way. I think that’s amazing, hearing these Final Fantasy-like dramatic scores in a game starring a short Italian plumber who jumps on turtles. One example being this track. Continue reading →