SNES Generation / SNES Generation / SNES Generation

SNES Generation is a series of arrangements and covers of modern game music composed to the limitations of the Super Nintendo. Each game is paired with one from the SNES that was either from the same series or they shared similar gameplay and sounds.

Some of the choices of the paired titles may seem odd to some. I explained some of the choices and sources used in each of the songs' descriptions but I'll write a couple here. For example Assassin's Creed and Chrono Trigger to me shared themes of time travel, apocalypse and interesting eras. Where as Skyrim and Secret of Evermore were both composed by Jeremy Soule and he even created the games' samples. This has been a fun experiment though and was enjoyable. If I do this again I will definitely give fans more of what they want.

- Track notes -

1. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (Super Castlevania IV)

This was by far my most popular arrangement in this series. Lords of Shadow I think has a wonderful soundtrack and I feel great about arranging it. I love the older Castlevania music, but I think Lords of Shadow has great emotion and power, I hope that translates well in this arrangement.

Here's a list of what was used in order:
  (SCIV - Prologue) / Luminous Vista
  (Belmont's motif)
  The Warg, Besieged Village
  Waterfalls of Agharta
  Belmont's Theme
  Final Confrontation

2. Assassin's Creed Series (Chrono Trigger)

The similarities are uncanny between Assassin's Creed and Chrono Trigger: a time travel element, history rife with conflicts, an ancient civilsation seemingly advanced and an impending world catastrophe. I actually planned to use more songs from the games but it was already becoming quite long as it was. I sort of designed my own kind of Animus loading as if it were on the SNES and there's a little nod to the view point melody from Assassin's Creed 2 with a little eagle sound in the middle. Of course there is some Chrono Trigger references! Mainly Battle 1 then Corridors of Time, with a vibe of Courage and Pride and Trigger's theme towards the end.

Songs used from Assassin's Creed 2 and Revelations:
  Earth
  Venice Rooftops
  Ezio's Family
  Revelation's Theme

3. Mass Effect Series (Super Metroid)

An arrangement of the music from Mass Effect 1, 2 and 3. Including the music for Brinstar and Mother Brain from Super Metroid. The reason why I chose Super Metroid to cover Mass Effect is because obviously they are both set in space but also that Metroid's sounds were really compatible with the music from Mass Effect. It seemed like a good fit. Could argue that I should have used Star Ocean but I never played the original.

Music covered/arranged from the Mass Effect series:
  Leaving Earth
  Mass Effect Theme
  Normandy
  The Attack
  The Lazarus Project
  Uncharted Worlds
  New Worlds
  Suicide Mission
  An End Once And For All

4. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Secret of Evermore)

Skyrim and Secret of Evermore are both composed by Jeremy Soule. The sounds used for Evermore were also built by Soule, which has been really fun to play with. I was mostly looking forward to covering 'The Streets of Whiterun' which I think is a beautiful piece and probably my favourite Skyrim song.

Here's a list of what songs were used in order:
  Skyrim - Dragonborn
  Evermore - Main Title
  Skyrim - Watch the Skies
  Evermore - Minor Minion
  Skyrim - The Streets of Whiterun
  Skyrim - The Jerall Mountains
  Skyrim - Dragonborn
  Evermore - Main Title
  Skyrim - Far Horizons.

5. Super Mario Galaxy 'Gusty Garden Galaxy' (Super Mario World)

Gusty Garden Galaxy is probably my favourite Nintendo tune in recent memory. Recent...holy crap it came out nearly 6 years ago! *sigh* Getting old. This one is a cover as well as I didn't really have time to make it a big arrangement but I tried to make it sound more like a track from World.

6. Zelda: The Wind Waker 'Outset Island' (Zelda - A Link to the Past)

This is literally a cover of Outset Island. Wind Waker HD was soon to be released at the time and I looove the song. I was losing inspiration to do the series and this gave me a little boost. I should have tied it in more with Ocarina of Time since Kokiri Village shares some of the same music from Outset Island, but I was happy to just do a cover.

7. Batman Arkham City (The Adventures of Batman and Robin)

I love a good Batman game. I really had to use The Adventures of Batman and Robin to do Arkham City. City has a great soundtrack but I don't think much of it is really that memorable to people besides its epic main theme. This is a cover too but I wanted to give it more of the SNES Batman edge by including some of the original theme.

8. Max Payne 3 (Contra 3)

When I finished Max Payne 3 I got these Contra samples and just started to try and cover the song 'Tears' with them and it sounded pretty cool. That is what gave me the idea to do this series. If I hadn't tried doing this then I probably never would have thought to do it. I've heard some great arrangements of modern songs turned into SNES music before but not a lot of modern game music. So I felt compelled to do some.

Music used from Max Payne 3 is the song Tears and also the theme of Max Payne.