Musical Inspirations

Overview

Last updated July 25, 2014

No music has been composed yet, but when I run across themes in games or in my playlist that fit the feel I'm after, I jot them down for later reference. And now I'll keep that in wiki form!

Overworld Themes

Dreamblazers will probably have at least two overworld themes. Inspirations would include:

Hopeful and Adventurous Themes

[Pokémon Heart Gold and Soul Silver: Route 3] - This theme, in its many incarnations, is still and always the first music I think of when I think of overworlds. I love its palpable sense of optimism and grandeur. Particular favorite aspects are the flute trills and the main melody switching off between brass and woodwinds.

[Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire: Route 120] - Probably my favorite overworld theme of all time. It's a sunny and positive piece that says that no matter what might go wrong, you'll win in the end. The tempo is a bit too slow for what I'd want and I probably wouldn't go for brass, but as a holistic piece, the overall feeling nails it.

[Tales of Phantasia (PSX): The Second Act] - A very upbeat piece that captures the spirit of my characters. It might be lacking a bit in "power" because of its instrumentation, but the energy, tone, and flow are all there.

[Ys Seven: Innocent Primeval Breaker ~Game Version~] - The violin here is so amazing and such an unusual choice that I would have done the entire main melody in that and cut the guitar, but in general this is the sort of tempo and energy I'm looking for. It also has a very strong sense of flow and smoothness.

[Ys Seven: Mother Earth Altago] - Another Ys piece with incredible flow. I love the instrumentation more than "Innocent Primeval Breaker," but could do without the dips in the melody.

Upbeat Themes

[Bravely Default: Ship Soaring Through the Heavens] - Like with the Ys violin, I'm really impressed by the use of piano for the main melody in what's essentially a rock theme. The melody is even better here, with frequent rests building anticipation for rising and falling notes in succession, distinguishing it from the normal Bravely Default main overworld theme.

[Lagoon: Elf Field] - Digging into obscurity here! The music in Lagoon is what the game isn't: very good! This is one of those themes that keeps a player pumped to play; it's a tightly-focused piece with a minimalistic melody played over a fast-paced beat in the background.

[Neutopia II: Sphere 6] - Nearly the same concept as "Elf Field." This is perhaps a bit short, but otherwise energetic and lovable!

Dramatic Themes

This is the category I'm least likely to have, but if I do use it, then...

[Bravely Default: The Land of Light and Shadow] - Very probably the best use of a flute or piccolo I've ever heard in music. Ever! Everything after 0:36 doesn't quite live up to that introduction, but until that point it's a perfect piece with the background building up to a crescendo, slowly increasing complexity before you know it: first a regular rhythm and occasional percussion, then come the brass flourishes to introduce a full countermelody. Simply untouchable.

[Final Fantasy VI: Searching For Friends] - I love the simultaneous mixture of melancholy and hope. The woodwinds and synthesizers are very haunting and the second half of the song features one of my favorite musical elements: call and response! 0:48-0:54 responds to 0:41-0:47, which is pretty long for a call and response, especially in a composition this short, and really adds to the feel.

[Pokémon Black and White: Route 10] - Another melancholic yet hopeful piece. I'm not totally sold on the lead instrument, but the background instruments are perfect here both in their choice and rhythm.

Town Themes

I probably don't have the resources to get a unique theme for each town, but I can break towns down into types and have one theme for each!

Lively Towns

[Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals: Theme of Port Town] - The predominant "lively town" theme in my book! The simplicity of the percussion allows the main melody to shine, especially from 0:30 to 1:00, and the whole piece is composed around building to a climax. The long whole notes help lend a feel of "continuous activity in a bustling town."

[Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire: Slateport City] - This port town theme takes an opposing approach to the one in Lufia II with a heavy emphasis on quarter notes in the main melody. By constantly hitting notes on the beat, you get a feel of regularity and schedule; by changing their pitch so rapidly, you get a feel of "to and fro." I'd probably use a different lead instrument, but otherwise this is excellent.

[Pokémon X and Y: Bicycle] - While not technically a town theme, this is the most appropriate place for it. Usually I can explain what I like about a piece to some extent, but with this one I'm not sure other than the really cheerful instruments and flow. I've probably heard this for over a thousand hours since I'm a competitive Pokémon player, but I never, ever grow tired of it.

[Wild Arms: Adlehyde Castle] - This piece is flawless. The flute trills, the string countermelody, the military-style drums, the rising and falling, the pauses in the main melody. It's beautifully complex and complete, which is all the more astonishing and powerful because it's only 45 seconds long.

Cheerful Towns

[Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies: Come to Our Town] - I thought nothing could top the Dragon Quest IV town theme, but I thought wrong. Flutes as the flourishes instead of, say, trumpets immediately establish the warm everyday feel, then we have a lot of beautifully-flowing music with softer instruments like strings.

[Pokémon Diamond and Pearl: Hearthome City (Day)] - I love the interplay here as the piece constantly hands off the main melody between contrasting instruments, each of which has an upbeat feel, but in a different way.

[Secret of the Mana: The Color of the Summer Sky] - With acknowledgment that the percussion is completely overpowering the melody, this theme is otherwise just so peppy and cheerful. It's never left my love list and never will!

[Shining Force II: Ancient Sealing: Town] - One of the best Sega Genesis/Mega Drive pieces, this composition mainly relies on a sense of flow and continuity and works out perfectly for it.