Game Scores: Katamari Damacy (PS2)

I've mentioned before that Katamari Damacy for the Playstation 2 is the complete package.  It has well designed graphics, controls, themes, and this extends to the soundtrack as well.  While the iconic first track is so great and representative of the game that we featured it twice here as part of our MIDI Week singles series, the rest of the soundtrack is fun an delightful as well.

Walking on a Star

This song has a lush blend of acoustic and electronic instruments, creating a very strong sense of Whimsy.  This whole game is whimsical, and this is the music that plays in between stages while you choose what you want to do.  I particularly love the funny Vocal synth that shows up every few measures, in the first part of the song.  Occasionally, the sensation of the song rises to a steady forward march before mellowing out again.  Almost as if saying "alright, let's head forth!  ...No?  Okay, let's hang out." 

Lonely Rolling Star

The chorus of this song is so catchy, yet so gentle and soothing.  This song is a perfect background to the early stages of hte game, where you are learning how best to prioritize your rolling, to gather up all the right sized items, and move ahead, unimpeded.  This levels have low stakes, and are contained in small buildings, this soundtrack encourages you to just relax and have fun.

Gin and Tonic and Red Red Roses

Scatting?  Why not?  This song is very silly and I love it. It's a fun, upbeat piano jazz song with a really great vocalist scatting along the way.  Not knowing Japanese, the scatting blends seamlessly into her singing.  It has a lot of hop, and I can see my katamari rolling when I hear this song. 

Que Sera Sera

The tone on this song is very hard to place.  By all rights, this song seems to be dramatic, but it comes across as so cheesy, I can't help but imagine that this is on purpose.  I mean, you have a look at this silly game, and it seems clear the makers must know a thing or two about camp sensibilities.  Ultimately, it is a distinctive song in a soundtrack full silly sensibilities.  

MIDI Week Singles: "Katamari on the Rocks" - Katamari Damacy (PS2)

"Katamari on the Rocks" from Katamari Damacy on the Playstation 2 (2004)

Composer:  Yuu Miyake

Album: Katamari Fortissimo Damacy

Label: Columbia Music Entertainment

Developer: Namco

I think that this, expanded version of the theme song is the track that sticks with me the most, but there are some great alternate songs as well.   I was just humming this song, because it entered my mind, unbidden, months after the last time I played Katamari Damacy.  While I was humming it, Jane  knew the reference right away, and joined in for a "ka-ta-mari, do your best!" at the chorus.  

Katamari Damacy is a game with unique mechanics, visuals sounds and music.  It is the complete package.  It is noteworthy that, similar to Koji Kando with the Mario series, Yuu Miyake was both the composer and Sound Director of Katamari Damacy.  I'm glad to share this song with all of you, and I plan to share some more from this classic game.

-D

P.S.  Jaconian originally featured this song as a MIDI week single back in September, 2015.  I hadn't realized that before I completed this post.  So, I decided to find some alternative tracks from the game, which easily could have been my first choice.

• Lonely Rolling Star
• Gin and Tonic and Red Red Roses
• Que Sera Sera

These are all silly and fun songs from a silly and fun game.  Enjoy!

MIDI Week Singles: "Stage 16 Theme" - Lemmings (SNES)

 

"Stage 16 Theme"  - Lemmings on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Composers:  Tim Wright and Brian Johnston
Developer: DMA design 
Publishers:  Psychosis, Sunsoft

Lemmings is such a sleeper game.  So easy to forget, but so much fun.  I really love this game, I wonder if it's received any kind of update over the years.  The last time I tried to play the SNES version, I couldn't deal with the interface, and longed for a mouse and keyboard. 

Whenever I think of Lemmings, I think of this silly track.  Mostly a cheerful, brainless plodding, just like the Lemmings themselves, but the juxtaposition of the doom melody with the wedding melody is pure comic genius, in my mind. 

-D