Tag: Music
Random GameChops' New 'Zelda & Jazz II' Album Is More Chilled Than The Hebra Mountains
Moblin Club, nice
Pour yourself a strong beverage, grab your swankiest hat and get your clicking fingers ready because game music cover label GameChops has teamed up with the chilled-out jazz group The Deku Trio for another relaxing rendition of some of our favourite Zelda tunes. Fittingly titled 'Zelda & Jazz II', the latest album is a...
News This Castlevania LP Boxset Looks Gorgeous, But It Costs A Pretty Penny
Portrait of Financial Ruin
Video game music record label Materia Collective has revealed its latest vinyl boxset, 'Music from Castlevania - Black & Red' and it looks stunning. There's just one catch, it's flipping expensive! The hefty price tag of £433 / $549.99 will be like garlic to a vampire for many, and we don't blame them. However, the...
News Zelda: BOTW And Animal Crossing: New Horizons Composer Yasuaki Iwata Has Left Nintendo
"Thank you very much for your continued support!"
The man behind some of the Switch's best music tracks, Yasuaki Iwata, has announced that he has left his role at Nintendo. The composer took to Twitter to share that he actually stepped back from the position in July 2023, though this is the first time he has publicly acknowledged it. In his...
News 'Nintendo Music' Smartphone App Surpasses One Million Downloads
It got a surprise release last week
The new smartphone app 'Nintendo Music' has been available for almost a week now and it appears we've already got the first update about how it's performing. According to Sensor Tower, this new app for "active" Switch Online subscribers is estimated to have been downloaded by 265,000 smartphone users within the...
ICYMI 'Nintendo Music' Has Spoiler Prevention, Here's How To Activate It
Keep your playlist spoiler free
In case you missed it, Nintendo's new smartphone app 'Nintendo Music' has a spoiler prevention feature. If you don't want special moments in certain games revealed before you've actually got the chance to play them, then you might want to activate this feature. From the top right corner of the app, click on your...
Video Nintendo Puts Mario & Luigi: Brothership In The Spotlight With This Jolly Sea Shanty
"Yo-Ho, Bro!"
Nintendo often comes up with all sorts of ways to market its games and for the upcoming release Mario & Luigi: Brothership, it's decided to release 'A Sea Shanty'. In this brand new adventure, the Mario brothers will set sail on 'Shipshape Island' (part ship, part island) as they journey the vast world of Concordia. You'll even be...
News 'Nintendo Music' Update Adds Super Mario Bros. Wonder Songs
Here's the full list of music available now
Following the surprise launch of Nintendo Music on smartphone devices yesterday, Nintendo has now updated the application with Super Mario Bros. Wonder game music. This includes music from the game's title screen, the opening Grassland theme and of course the 'Piranha Plants on Parade' song. Many of these...
Guide Nintendo Music App: Every Game Soundtrack Included - How To Download, All Systems
A new mobile app exclusive to Switch Online members
'Nintendo Music' is a new mobile app from Nintendo giving fans access to thousands of songs throughout Nintendo's history. If you are curious to know what exactly is available on this mobile application, you've come to the right place. Keep in mind, you can only use this smartphone application if...
News 'Nintendo Music' Will Add More Tracks Over Time, Here's What's Been Revealed So Far
"From recent releases to nostalgic classics"
Nintendo Music is already pre-loaded at launch with a lot of iconic video game tunes, but there are some notable omissions. There's no need to worry though, as Nintendo has already made it clear in the announcement trailer that more music will be added "over time". It seems we've even got a brief teaser...
News So, Will You Be Listening To The New Mobile App Nintendo Music?
Included with "active" NSO memberships
Well, Nintendo has finally done it... it's released its very own music app and it's available to download on smartphone devices right now. The question we're wondering though is if you'll be downloading the app and trying it out for yourself, or perhaps resorting to some other way to listen to your favourite...
News Final Fantasy Composer Nobuo Uematsu Says Fantasian Neo Dimension Is His "Final Project"
Update: But he's not actually "retiring from video game music work"
Update [Wed 16th Oct, 2024 02:55 BST]: Nobuo Uematsu has followed up this brief message clarifying he's "not retiring from video game music work". He mentions how there's apparently been "some misunderstanding" and he wants to cut back on this music so he has more time to make his...
News Shovel Knight Is Getting Its First Ever Live Concert In 2025
Tickets available now
The smash hit indie franchise Shovel Knight is getting its very own official concert in early 2025 dubbed 'Shovel Knight Live: Steel Thy Concert!'. Tickets are available now for two upcoming shows in Los Angeles and New York on 19th January 2025 and 22nd February 2025, respectively. The shows will comprise a live orchestra and...
Here comes the boom
Lena Raine has so much to say, and she’s figured out a lot of different ways to say it all. Of course, avid game players have been listening to her musical scores for over a decade now, which includes music for Minecraft, as well as the soundtracks for Chicory: A Colorful Tale and the BAFTA-nominated Celeste score. She’s...
News Baten Kaitos Soundtracks Now Available On Various Music Platforms
Listen to 118 songs
The Baten Kaitos games made a return last September, and if you enjoy the music from this JRPG series by Monolith Soft, you might be interested in Bandai Namco's latest announcement. The soundtracks for Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean as well as Baten Kaitos: Origins are now available on "various music platforms"...
News Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Soundtrack Now Available, But Only In Japan
You can import a copy, if you really want it
To mark the first anniversary of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom earlier this year, Nintendo lifted the lid on a new soundtrack featuring a whopping 344 tracks across 9 discs. The Limited Edition version also includes a Master Sword USB containing 15 high-resolution sound sources. As of this...
News Sonic X Shadow Generations Continues To Show Love For Sonic 06
Brand new music remix shared by Sega
Need to hear some excellent new music for the upcoming Sonic X Shadow Generations? Sega has you covered today, as the developer has shared a new remix from the upcoming game. The new track is a remix of Kingdom Valley, one of Shadow's levels from the much-maligned Sonic the Hedgehog (or Sonic 06 as it's often...
News Sonic 3 Movie Composer Junkie XL Excited After Early Screening
"I saw the film for the very first time yesterday"
The Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie is fast approaching, and unsurprisingly, people who worked on the film have already seen it following the end of production earlier this year. One of these individuals happens to be the composer Tom Holkenborg (who you might also know as JunkieXL). In a recent...
News Bō: Path Of The Teal Lotus Reveals Contributions From Xenoblade Chronicles Composer
Fox! Fox!
The beautiful hand-drawn Metroidvania Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is just days away from launch. And to help build up excitement, producer Robert Sephazon has unveiled a guest composer who has contributed music for the game. Sharing the news on Kickstarter, Sephazon announced that Xenoblade Chronicles composer Manami Kiyota has composed...
News Metroid, EarthBound & Tetris Composer Shares More Private Demo Tracks On New Album
Hear more than ever before
Back in 2021, the legendary composer behind the likes of Metroid, Mother and Tetris, Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka, released the aptly-named 'Lost Tapes' album, providing a never-before-heard sample of his demo tapes from the '80s and '90s. Record label Super Fuji Discs has announced that a fresh bat
News Atlus Game Snowboard Kids Scores A New Vinyl Soundtrack
"There’s SNOW way you’ll want to miss this…"
Snowboard Kids might not have made a return on modern platforms (at least yet), but Fangamer has the next best thing. In an announcement on social media, Atlus revealed the soundtrack for this game, which originally debuted on the N64 in 1997/98, can now be purchased on vinyl. You can pick it up...
News Off The Hook And Deep Cut Face Off In Splatoon 3's New Splatfest Rap Battle
Tune-a fish
After last week's Splatoon 3 music shenanigans (in which Nintendo uploaded and removed one track only to quickly replace it with another), you might assume that there would be a short break before we heard any more tunes from the Splatlands. But you would be wrong! This is Splatoon that we're talking about, and new music waits for no...
News Fire Emblem Engage "Limited Edition" Soundtrack Out Now In Japan
Featuring a stunning replica ring
Calling all Fire Emblem fans! Nintendo and Intelligent Systems have just released the official Fire Emblem Engage "limited edition" soundtrack in Japan including a sizable collection of discs. The regular edition (priced at about $49.00 USD) comes with seven CD featuring the soundtrack from the main game and DLC,...
News Jam Out To The Penny's Big Breakaway OST, Now Available To Stream
Yo-yo!
We were treated to the surprise release of Penny's Big Breakaway last week during the February 2024 Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase and now Evening Star has dropped yet another way to keep us thinking about the 3D platformer at all costs. Tee Lopes' vibe-filed score for Penny's Big Breakaway is now available to stream on just about ever
News Lady Gaga Joins Fortnite Festival Season 2
"Get ready to go gaga"
Season 2 of Fortnite Festival is now underway and as part of this the "legendary superstar" Lady Gaga (known for smash hits such as 'Poker Face' and 'Just Dance') has joined in on the fun as the festival icon. From now until 22nd April 2024, you'll be able to participate in the new festival pass 'Unlock your talent', and...
News Mario vs. Donkey Kong's OG Composers Talk Making The Jump From GBA To Switch
“This was the opportunity of a lifetime”
Mario vs. Donkey Kong is finally here on Switch. This remake gives the original GBA puzzle platformer a fresh lick of paint and throws in a handful of new features too — including a fully revamped score. The composers for the GBA original, DigiPen Music Department, were brought back on this time around...
News Nintendo's The Legend Of Zelda Orchestra Concert Is Now Available To Watch For Free
Da-da-da-DAAAAAAA
Ready for some Hylian tunes? Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda orchestral concert is now available to watch on YouTube for free! This broadcast follows the cancellation of Nintendo Live 2024, with both The Legend of Zelda and Splatoon concerts being rescheduled for today and tomorrow respectively. The eagle-eyed viewers out there...
Video We Chat To Eastward's Composer About How Game Music Is Actually Made
"'Perfect' is way overrated"
We love a good bit of video game music. Whether it is keeping us company throughout a gruelling boss battle or stuck on in the background while we make our dinner in the evening, there is something about these tunes that just hits different. Despite all of these hours getting familiar with the scores, however, very few...
News Legendary Nintendo Composer Koji Kondo To Be Inducted To AIAS Hall Of Fame
"I am extremely humbled"
Koji Kondo, Nintendo's in-house composer one of the most renowned names in the video game composers industry, is to be inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame, the Academy has announced. Kondo will be honoured during the 27th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards ceremony, which takes place on 15th...
News Nintendo To Broadcast The Legend Of Zelda Orchestra Concert For Free
Mark your calendars
You know the classic saying, "You wait ages for a bus, then two come at once"? Well, perhaps not, but the point is that less than a full day after ZREO: Second Quest released an orchestral recording of 'Midna' from 'Twilight Symphony', Nintendo itself has now announced that it will be broadcasting a special performance of The...
News ZREO Is Revisiting Zelda: Twilight Symphony With An 80-Piece Orchestra
Starting with 'Midna'
ZREO: Second Quest, the group behind the sublime Legend of Zelda-inspired Twilight Symphony, is back with 'Scoring Sessions', a new series recorded with a live studio orchestra. Each entry to the series will bring with it a full-performance video and high-quality audio recordings, with ZREO kickstarting proceedings with a...
Feature From Banjo To Mario - Grant Kirkhope Talks Big Huge Troubles And Composing For Massive IPs
Part Two: "How the f*** am I going to write music for a Mario game!?"
Last week, in celebration of Banjo-Kazooie's 25th anniversary, we published the first part of our career-spanning interview with Mr. Grant Kirkhope, composer extraordinaire and the man responsible for some of our favourite music ever, video game or otherwise. Part One covered his...
Feature From Bon Jovi To Banjo - Grant Kirkhope On The "Complete Fluke" Of His Rare Musical Journey
Part One: Mr. Banjongles
Grant Kirkhope is an interviewer's dream, and not just because he's responsible for some all-time great video game soundtracks. He’s great company — frank, funny, and loquacious. We spoke to him most recently for our Nintendo Life VGM Fest back in 2021 and only ended up publishing a small fraction of our chat in our...
Community Nintendo Life Staff's Non-Game Highlights Of 2023
Our favourite non-interactive media this year
It's been another tumultuous year — is there really any other kind? Although 2023 has been a landmark year for incredible video game releases across all platforms, the state of the gaming industry itself — with post-pandemic layoff announcements from big companies coming on a seemingly daily basis...
Feature The Real Songs That Inspired Iconic Nintendo Music
And a few non-Nintendo ones for good measure
Have you ever been listening to music, enjoying yourself, and then BAM, suddenly you hear the first four notes of a song from a video game — and then you have that song stuck in your head for the rest of the day? Well, that's not always a coincidence. Many musical composers take heavy inspiration from...
Feature 16 Best Nintendo Switch Soundtracks Of 2023
The Sounds of the Switch
2023 hasn't just been a banger year for quality video game releases — it's also been a bloomin' good year for video game music. We're living in a time where video game music is becoming more recognised and celebrated worldwide — earlier this year, the Grammy's gave out its first-ever award for 'Award for Best Score...
News Undertale Creator Toby Fox Remixed Ed Sheeran's Pokémon Song In The New Scarlet & Violet DLC
Fox also composed for the main game
Remember how the music superstar Ed Sheeran did a song for Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet? Well, as highlighted by our friends at VGC, this same song 'Celestial' has now been remixed by the Undertale developer Toby Fox in the latest DLC. As noted by the source, Fox worked on some other music for Scarlet and...
News Fortnite's New 'Big Bang' Event Features A Crossover With Eminem
Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?
Fortnite has reportedly had a resurgence thanks to its community-created content but it's also been in the headlines for certain other announcements, like the controversial age ratings update which restricts cosmetics. Now, to add to all of this, it's announced a new live "Big Bang" event featuring a...
Random Sonic & Chill Is The Ultimate Chillout Music Album For Sonic Fans
Ah, so relaxing
GameChops and music artist Funk Fiction have released Sonic & Chill, a relaxing new addition to the '& Chill' album series featuring multiple tunes from classic Sonic games. Comprised of 14 tracks in total, you've got the likes of Chemical Plant Zone, Welcome to Station Square, and Hydrocity Zone to accompany you while you...
Random Dragonforce's Latest Single Is A Perfect Tribute To The Legend of Zelda
'All for the glory of the Master Sword'
For many gamers, Dragonforce is probably most well-known for the absurdly difficult 'Through the Fire and the Flames' song on 2007's Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. The band, however, also happens to be pretty darn good in its own right, even if its music isn't quite to everybody's taste. Ahead of the...
News Stardew Valley "Festival Of Seasons" Concert Tour Announced
Tickets go on sale later this week
Stardew Valley creator Eric 'ConcernedApe' Barone is currently hard at work on the next major update for the farming and lifestyle sim, but if that wasn't already enough, he's now announced a whole concert tour taking place in 2024. The "Festival of Seasons" concert tour will feature a selection of music from the...
News Super Mario RPG For Switch Showcases Newly-Arranged And Original Soundtracks
Go on, have a listen
The Super Nintendo classic Super Mario RPG will land on the Switch in November with updated graphics and cinematics that give the game a fresh look. That's not all, either. As highlighted by Nintendo Europe's social media account, there'll be the option to swap between the "original" 1996 Super Nintendo soundtrack and the...
Video Live Orchestra Sinks Its Teeth Into Vampire Survivors' Brilliant Soundtrack
From bullet hell to rhythm heaven
If you're anything like us, then Poncle's brilliantly addictive Vampire Survivors has probably taken up a fair amount of your time since it was released last month. Many of the tension-rising tunes from the game's soundtrack are probably firmly stuck in your head by this point (we know that they are for us), so we...
News Baten Kaitos Soundtracks Available On Streaming Services Ahead Of Remaster's Launch
Star quality
Bandai Namco has uploaded the music to both halves of the Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster, ahead of its launch this Thursday and Friday. From today, you can stream the music from Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean and Baten Kaitos Origins on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, and a variety of other...
Gallery Here's A Look At The Gorgeous Xenoblade Chronicles Original Soundtrack Trinity Box
A musical tri-umph
If you love the Xenoblade Chronicles series, regardless of what your favourite game in the franchise is, there's something everyone can agree on — the music is phenomenal. Earlier this year, not only did we get a long-awaited release date for the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 soundtrack, but we also got the reveal stunning new...
Random Jack Black Sings Mario Movie Song, 'Peaches', Live At The Game Awards Concert
Annnd, it's stuck in our heads again
We had just about managed to get Bowser's Mario Movie love ballad, 'Peaches', out of our heads after singing it on repeat for the past three months. Now the voice of Bowser himself Jack Black has ensured that we're humming it all over again after he performed the song live at last night's The Game Awards 10-Year...
News Grant Kirkhope Appears To Have Completed His Work On Mario + Rabbids
"8 years writing music for Mario is at an end"
Legendary video game composer Grant Kirkhope, known for hits like GoldenEye 007 and Donkey Kong 64, appears to have completed his work on Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. In a brief message on social media at the start of this month, Kirkhope mentioned how he thought his time writing music for Mario was...
News Jam Out To Splatoon 3's Jazzy New Battle Song Before Sizzle Season Kicks Off
Yoko's back
We are nearing the release of Splatoon 3's Sizzle Season 2023 later on this week, and to get us all in the mood Nintendo has released one of the fresh new tracks that will be backing up our splatting from 1st June. Titled 'Rockagilly Blues', this jazzy little number sees the former front-woman of in-game band Ink Theory teaming up with...
News Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope Wins Award For Best Original Video Game Score At The Ivors
BWAAAH!
We had a good time with Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope when it was released on the Switch in late 2022, and the game has just been recognised for its excellent soundtrack at this year's Ivor Novello Awards, where it took home the prize for Best Original Video Game Score. The award was presented to Gareth Coker, Grant Kirkhope and Yoko...
Random Fan's Minor-Key Nintendo Covers Put A Strange Twist On Classic Gaming Themes
Tuning in
We love a good gaming tune. Our Nintendo playlists consist of hours of upbeat tunes from our favourite games, each one capturing the carefree, joyous feeling of the level from which it originates (bar some exceptions, of course — we're looking at you 'Forest Temple'). But what if these tunes weren't quite so upbeat? What if the happy...
Random Japanese Orchestra Performs Two-Hour Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Concert
With a little TOTK to finish
The Breath of the Wild soundtrack might have been something of a departure for the Zelda series with its grand themes and sweeping scores replaced by something a little more subtle, but there are still some top-notch tunes to be heard in there. Many of us have been listening to the soundtrack on repeat in the run-up to...
