PRIMED AND READY
Some housecleaning items to start with: the website has undergone another visual overhaul, this time in the guise of the Metroid series. In anticipation of Metroid Dread launching October 8th on Nintendo Switch, I’m celebrating the series with a few new illustrations. The main logo is a homage to Metroid Prime, one of my favorite games from the Gamecube era. The background behind my picture is a flat-art interpretation of the key-art to Metroid Dread, featuring the E.M.M.I. robot ready to strike a badass-looking Samus Aran in the foreground. Lastly, the background is a criss-cross of Samus’s morph ball transformation from two games: the power suit variants from Metroid Prime (on the left) and Metroid: Samus Returns (on the right).
The Metroid series was a big influence growing up and has entered back into my adult life in a big way: from watching speedrunners beat the game in record time during many GDQ finales, and the recent release of Metroid: Samus Returns and being a favorite in every Super Smash Bros. game since the beginning. With Metroid Dread on the horizon for Nintendo Switch, I’ll be looking forward to revisiting another world with Samus Aran in the coming weeks and await the slick gameplay that awaits.
Get hype!
The New Illustrations are posted a gallery below:
***
MEGAMAN’S BEST SYMPHONY
I watch quite a few video game symphonies (soundtracks not withstanding—they are all beautiful), and the reason I do is because, like all live music, there’s an energy that goes along with being there, hearing the music in person. With medleys, there comes the added depth of juxtaposition. A symphony isn’t just a greatest hits compilation. Along with musical selection comes the power of narrative, to tell a story through a collection of pieces that makes something arguably more compelling than the source material it came from—all the while adding the allure of nostalgia to sell the script.
There’s one symphony I’ve rewatched on repeat this past week and it’s The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra’s rendition of the “Megaman Suite”. Not only does it include some of the series’ finest hits, but the tempo and flow of the medley is downright moving. It triumphantly begins with the introduction to Megaman 3, transitioning to the adventurous and frenzied tracks of “Flashman Stage” and “Topman Stage”, and turning dark and sinister with a duo of Wily Stage themes, all the while building towards a finale that speaks to the heroic robot at odds against a metal vision of the future.
A symphony like this isn’t just a homage to video game music – which certainly catches the attention of orchestra conductors around the world – but exists because there is something in the story of the music that pulls us all in. Though this recording was done a few years ago, I only pine for the next big-time symphony to take a stab at some of video game’s greatest musical iterations—perhaps an homage to Donkey Kong Country is long overdue?
You can find the video of the “Megaman Suite” below:
***
ABOUT THAT SUMMER PROJECT…
Elephant in the room: all those weekly updates and essays that were promised are officially delayed (after being two months late already? Shocking news, I know). When it came to writing up the project, I realized that it was more extensive than I had previously planned. Essays and other pieces are well underway, but as of this writing, I’m not ready to announce a delivery date. Until then, plan on some unique pieces showing up every once in a while until the big reveal.
It will be worthwhile; I promise you that.
Stay tuned….
***
A NEW SHORT STORY APPROACHES!
It’s been nearly four months since I’ve posted a short story…*sigh*. I’ve been editing a few over the past couple months and one is nearly ready. I won’t say much about it other than the length being short and sweet. As a teaser, here’s the cover art below:
The story will be posted sometime this week, so keep an eye out.
***
- “Powder Blue/Cascine Park” by Yumi Zouma
- “Distant Past” by Everything Everything
- “Dover Beach” by Baby Queen
***
Wishing everyone as well as they can be. You’re not alone out there,
