‘It’s a-me, Mario!’ Exploring dynamic changes and similarities in the composition of early Nintendo video game music

As with films, a thoughtfully composed video game soundtrack has the ability to dramatically enhance and elevate the experience for the audience or player. This article explores the potential issues and difficulties of composing for video game systems by studying the sound-producing hardware and music for two popular systems from one manufacturer. By comparing two of Nintendo’s Super Mario titles, which appeared on both 8-bit and 16-bit systems, through an analysis of the technology, audio, visual (audiovisual), music, and gameplay elements, it is shown that the musical composition was affected by the limitations of processing power. The discussion shows how the composer, Koji Kondo, overcame the issues of limited computing power by using layers of repetition while applying various functions of music for film to enhance player immersion. Kondo composed theme music that has become engrained in popular culture and is synonymous with one of Nintendo’s flagship franchises (Greening, 2014). By attempting to understand the method or approach behind the composition for earlier systems, it is possible to investigate and discuss the evolution of video game music while acknowledging and contributing to the study of music for games. A musical analysis of the Castle and Underwater themes on each system allows for a direct comparison of the compositional approach, while an audiovisual analysis reveals the presence of existing cinematic tropes and identifies potential influences on the creation of effective musical soundtracks for video games. Applying audiovisual theory to games will require the use of existing literature from Lissa (1965), Gorbman (1987), Chion (1994) and Tagg (2004), along with the work of Collins (2005; 2007a; 2007b; 2008a; 2008b), which adapts and applies audiovisual analysis to video games

Access, December 2012

https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/accessmagazine/1009/thumbnail.jp

CREATING A COHERENT SCORE: THE MUSIC OF SINGLE-PLAYER FANTASY COMPUTER ROLE-PLAYING GAMES

This thesis provides a comprehensive exploration into the music of the ludic genre (Hourigan, 2005) known as a Computer Role-Playing Game (CRPG) and its two main sub-divisions: Japanese and Western Role-Playing Games (JRPGs & WRPGs). It focuses on the narrative category known as genre fiction, concentrating on fantasy fiction (Turco, 1999) and seeks to address one overall question: How do fantasy CRPG composers incorporate the variety of musical material needed to create a coherent score across the JRPG and WRPG divide? Seven main chapters form the thesis text. Chapter One provides an introduction to the thesis, detailing the research contributions in addition to outlining a variety of key terms that must be understood to continue with the rest of the text. A database accompanying this thesis showcases the vast range of CRPGs available; a literature review tackles relevant existing materials. Chapters Two and Three seek to provide the first canonical history of soundtracks used in CRPGs by dissecting typical narrative structures for games so as to provide context to their musical scores. Through analysis of existing game composer interviews, cultural influences are revealed. Chapters Four and Five mirror one another with detailed discussion respectively regarding JRPG and WRPG music including the influence that anime and Hollywood cinema have had upon them. In Chapter Six, the use of CRPG music outside of video games is explored, particularly the popularity of JRPG soundtracks in the concert hall. Chapter Seven concludes the thesis, summarising research contributions achieved and areas for future work. Throughout these chapters, the core task is to explain how the two primary sub-genres of CRPGs parted ways and why the music used to accompany these games differs so drastically

An Enduring Legend: The Cultural Effect of Thematic and Interactive Music in The Legend of Zelda

This paper will focus on the world of The Legend of Zelda in particular, one of the oldest and most celebrated video game franchises of all time, beloved by casual gamers and dedicated fans alike, sometimes to the level of cult following. The thematic and interactive music of Zelda plays a significant role in establishing its identity as a major game franchise with an influential cultural effect. To examine this phenomenon, let us explore several principal musical themes and their treatments throughout selected games, primarily: Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword. These are three of the most recent and popular titles of the franchise. So far, they contain some of the most developed versions of the principal themes and are therefore among the most interesting, musically speaking. Furthermore, by examining aspects of game music such as timbre and colour, orchestration and instrumentation, meter and tempo, harmony and melody, tempo, texture, style, technique and implementation, we can see why these principal themes or leitmotifs are so effective in establishing identity and loosely track their shape end evolution throughout the previously mentioned titles.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-scoring/1087/thumbnail.jp

The BG News December 4, 2017

The BGSU campus student newspaper. December 4, 2017. Volume 97-Issue 32.https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bg-news/10012/thumbnail.jp

Dracula Defanged: Empowering the Player in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

The Castlevania games are not designed to scare the player, but they resort to elements from horror literature and film, including references to Bram Stoker’s novel and using characters from monster movies as level bosses. Horror conventions are used as cues to build the gameworld and to understand the game design, and how the player appropriates some of those conventions to empower herself in the process. The article focuses on the figure of the vampire in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and how the conventions set in previous media are integrated in the design of the game. Dracula has been divested of his vampiric powers; rather, he acquires typical videogame boss powers, launching fireballs and teleporting himself within the screen. The powers lost by Dracula as a videogame boss are picked up and amplified by the player character, the half-vampire Alucard. This shift is the result of a process started in other media. The powers of the vampire have now been appropriated by the player as a means to empower their interaction in the gameworld, making the vampire a desirable character to the player. *** Bien que les jeux Castlevania ne soient pas conçus pour effrayer le joueur, ils ont recours à des éléments de la littérature et du cinéma d’horreur, par exemple en faisant référence au roman de Bram Stoker et en utilisant des personnages de films de monstres comme boss de niveaux. Les conventions de l’horreur sont utilisées comme indicateurs pour construire le monde du jeu et pour comprendre son design, ainsi que la manière dont le joueur s’approprie certaines de ces conventions pour accroître sa puissance. Cet article s’intéresse à la figure du vampire dans Castlevania: Symphony of the Night et sur les modes d’intégration des conventions établies dans les médias précédents à l’intérieur du design du jeu. Dracula est dépossédé de ses pouvoirs vampiriques et acquiert plutôt des pouvoirs typiques de boss de jeux vidéo, lançant des boules de feu et se téléportant ailleurs dans l’écran. Les pouvoirs que perd Dracula sont récupérés et amplifiés par le personnage-joueur, le demi-vampire Alucard. Ce renversement résulte d’un processus initié dans d’autres médias. Les pouvoirs du vampire ont été réappropriés par le joueur pour augmenter son pouvoir d’interaction dans l’univers du jeu, faisant du vampire un personnage désirable pour le joueur. This issue was generously supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and published in partnership with Ludiciné

Dracula Defanged: Empowering the Player in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

The Castlevania games are not designed to scare the player, but they resort to elements from horror literature and film, including references to Bram Stoker’s novel and using characters from monster movies as level bosses. Horror conventions are used as cues to build the gameworld and to understand the game design, and how the player appropriates some of those conventions to empower herself in the process. The article focuses on the figure of the vampire in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and how the conventions set in previous media are integrated in the design of the game. Dracula has been divested of his vampiric powers; rather, he acquires typical videogame boss powers, launching fireballs and teleporting himself within the screen. The powers lost by Dracula as a videogame boss are picked up and amplified by the player character, the half-vampire Alucard. This shift is the result of a process started in other media. The powers of the vampire have now been appropriated by the player as a means to empower their interaction in the gameworld, making the vampire a desirable character to the player. *** Bien que les jeux Castlevania ne soient pas conçus pour effrayer le joueur, ils ont recours à des éléments de la littérature et du cinéma d’horreur, par exemple en faisant référence au roman de Bram Stoker et en utilisant des personnages de films de monstres comme boss de niveaux. Les conventions de l’horreur sont utilisées comme indicateurs pour construire le monde du jeu et pour comprendre son design, ainsi que la manière dont le joueur s’approprie certaines de ces conventions pour accroître sa puissance. Cet article s’intéresse à la figure du vampire dans Castlevania: Symphony of the Night et sur les modes d’intégration des conventions établies dans les médias précédents à l’intérieur du design du jeu. Dracula est dépossédé de ses pouvoirs vampiriques et acquiert plutôt des pouvoirs typiques de boss de jeux vidéo, lançant des boules de feu et se téléportant ailleurs dans l’écran. Les pouvoirs que perd Dracula sont récupérés et amplifiés par le personnage-joueur, le demi-vampire Alucard. Ce renversement résulte d’un processus initié dans d’autres médias. Les pouvoirs du vampire ont été réappropriés par le joueur pour augmenter son pouvoir d’interaction dans l’univers du jeu, faisant du vampire un personnage désirable pour le joueur. This issue was generously supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and published in partnership with Ludiciné

Everything comes full circle

Following Wim Wenders’ Paris, Texas (1984) filming locations from Houston, Texas to Los Angeles, California, I use a 16mm Bolex camera to capture the vastness of the American West. The footage draws me to reminisce about snippets of my everyday life. I contemplate how we perceive the world through analog optical apparatuses and how memories are multidimensional yet fragile. Our recollections of people and places can be distorted, unrecognizable, and fictitious. These memories would eventually diminish with the passing of time. By converting the filmmaking back and forth between analog and digital filmmaking, with the loss of information during the process of recording and recreating, Everything Comes Full Circle is my attempt to remember things that will soon be forgotten

Electronic Dance Music and Culture in the Pacific Northwest

In today\u27s world of music, everything is constantly changing alongside the progression of technology. With these developments, new musical genres have emerged and many people are still unaware of them. If you listen, you can hear these styles and genres being used in popular music. For the past several months I have jumped headfirst into the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) and rave scene. I have been documenting, observing, and researching all that it has to offer. I have been networking with people involved, be they DJs, Go-Go Dancers, Participants, Promoters, or Photographers. It has been a truly rewarding experience. Far too often, I see research about music scenes that are told only by text and the occasional grayscale photo. Music is more than just what you can hear; it is a full sensory experience. I wish to show the world of raves and Electronic Dance Music through words, photography, video, and sound. In addition to the thesis you can download here, this will be found on a website dedicated to showcasing my thesis in a multimedia format