A Psychotic Little Christmas, Day 12: Freezeezy Peak

To wrap things up we have Banjo-Kazooie's Freezeezy Peak, by Grant Kirkhope. This is a game I must've played through at least 5 times in my childhood. I was engrossed in the wide variety of locales, songs, and characters, and wanted to see them again and again. The plot wasn't much to look at but as a kid you didn't need that, as your imagination filled in the blanks. You could run, swim and fly around the vast expanses of each stage, your sense of curiosity piqued by what might be behind every nook and cranny, with the difficulty constantly raising but managing to stay unfrustrating.

And the music sure doesn't disappoint. Be it a tropical beach, a murky swamp, or in this case a gigantic snowy peak, Kirkhope's works fit the theme and add a whole new layer of flavor. Freezeezy Peak's bells, lead trumpet and background touches make the piece sound celebratory; hell yeah, it's Christmas! Food! Presents! Family! It's a really happy song, and it not only matches the stage and its theme perfectly, but it's a fantastic way to get into the holiday spirit.

This wraps up my Psychotic Little Christmas list. I hope you all enjoyed the tunes as much as I enjoyed writing about them. Take care, and happy holidays! =)

A Psychotic Little Christmas, Day 11: Frappe Snowland

Much like Diddy Kong Racing, Mario Kart 64 is a classic and addictive time sink, spending hours at a time just having a blast with friends and family. Unlike DKR, however, I actually owned this game, and played it quite a lot when my brothers and I got into the mood for it. The variety of tracks was fun and exciting, with a cast of characters gamers have known and loved for years. The music is masterfully done and memorable, and has been remixed time and time again.

Frappe Snowland is one such track, a setting that beckons memories of both good times and frustration. The entire song is carried on a simple three-note chord, but the bells and peaceful melody support it very well. I find it impressive that it maintains repetition without being annoying, but then again, I've built up very high expectations of Koji Kondo. He never fails to deliver, and neither do the games his work encompasses.

A Psychotic Little Christmas, Day 10: Frosty Village

Diddy Kong Racing. Not gonna lie, I've only played this game a few times in my life; I never caught on to the party game scene back then, I was more of a single-player adventure kinda guy. As such, my experience with this game is restricted to the times my friends came over and brought it with them. Still, it's a great game in hindsight, with rich visuals and even better music. Exhibit A is Frosty Village, which draws heavy inspiration from the popular song Winter Wonderland.

Frosty Village is very bouncy and cheerful, fitting in both that it's that magical time of year and songs like this are generally very upbeat, and that the game itself is conducive to gathering a bunch of friends and having fun. It works on both fronts, the hours of the day just flying by in the warm embrace of your living room. Before you know it, it's time for bed, and Christmas is another day closer.

A Psychotic Little Christmas, Day 9: Snow Mountain

Nearing the home stretch in our winter VGM collection, we have the iconic Snow Mountain, from Super Mario 64. I don't think I need to sing Koji Kondo's praises when it comes to music as it speaks for itself really, but this is a Christmas list and it belongs here in any event. Sure enough, in a game with as many hits as it does, Snow Mountain manages to stand out among the pack, which speaks volumes in its own right, but when combined with a game of this caliber it makes for an unforgettable experience.

The song itself is a holiday take on the game's main theme. Lots of atmospheric touches like jingle bells keep it in character, and the melody is a catchy and memorable one. Great stuff, but it's not like it had to try very hard to do its job; the game itself had that covered. Unlike many entries on the list, this one is celebratory, cheerful, and doesn't need to tell a story. It's just about having a good time, and isn't that what Mario games are all about?

A Psychotic Little Christmas, Day 8: Ice Caverns

Next up we have Final Fantasy IX's Ice Caverns, more of a silly song than anything but nonetheless fitting of the season. Nobuo Uematsu is renowned the world over for many of his works and compositions, but Final Fantasy IX is not exactly chief among them. Still, when Zidane and company escape the Petrified Woods and--out of the frying pan and into the freezer--venture into the Ice Caverns, it's a suitable piece of music.

Mostly relying on its minimalistic approach, the song is slow-paced and full of character. Through its use of bells, triangles and even dead silence, it's almost as if you can feel the chill of the caverns Zidane and the gang are exploring. There are several complete pauses throughout the song as well, taking the time to fully convey each idea before moving on to the next.

Not my favorite Final Fantasy, not my favorite soundtrack, but hey! It's got Vivi in it!

A Psychotic Little Christmas, Day 7: Another Winter

Moving into our latter half of the list, we have Anamanaguchi's Another Winter, from Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World: The Game. The snowy streets of Toronto, Canada come alive with the band's signature mix of rock and chiptunes, and for a source like Scott Pilgrim I don't think there could have been a better group for the job.

Characteristic of most side-scrolling beat 'em ups, Another Winter cuts to the chase with its consistent bassline and retro melody. The guitar, drums and chiptunes really capture that blend of old and new that the game itself is embodying, and it matches the Scott Pilgrim vibe just as well. It's something you can easily pound the shit out of your enemies to, which is really all you're going for in a stage 1 theme to a beat 'em up.

A Psychotic Little Christmas - Alec's Seasonal Shopping Guide - #9: Pokémon Black and White

So, did anyone guess my hint? I didn’t think so. Because it was a pretty dumb hint at that. Skinny was supposed to be referring to skin colors, and skin colors are usually black or white. Now do you know where I’m going with this? I knew it. It’s pretty obvious when you think about it. I obviously meant Pokemon Black and White. It was obvious all along, wasn’t it?

So now it’s 10 days until Christmas. We’re reaching the final stretch! It’s so close...there’s so much you can do in 10 days. ...I can’t think of any examples off the top of my head, but just keep in mind there’s a ton you can do in 10 days.

 

 
So now we have Pokemon. Pokemon is fun. Pokemon is glorious. I love Pokemon. Pokemon is what makes the world go round. Without Pokemon, we have nothing. Anybody who doesn’t like Pokemon is bad and should feel bad (looking at you, Crybos).

After five generations of Pokemon, what makes Black and White so spectacular? It’s the fact that the same gameplay from the very first games is still around. Why mess with something that’s brilliant? So, Gamefreak decided to redo the first generation’s gameplay, just adding a bit more and more each time (and then they literally decided to redo the first generation, 3 times, but that’s a different story). And you know what? It’s still amazing.

This game takes place in the Unova region. There’s a hundred and some new Pokemon, and it’s going to be great! This game does something different that the others don’t, though. It forces you to only use the new Pokemon, until the end of the game. I think this is a good addition because you just can’t recycle your old teams again, but instead have to put thought into using only Unova Pokemon, and for a person who’s used to all the older Pokemon (like me), it’s kind of a difficult switch, making for a fun game experience.

 

The Unova Region

 
So, for Pokemon n00bs, you might be wondering why there are two different versions of the same game. There’s a kind of good reason for that (not really, the real reason is that Gamefreak just wants to steal all of your money), and that is that there’s different Pokemon in the different versions. There’s also some different towns, for example White has White Forest and Black has Black City.

So why should you get this game? Because Pokemon is fun! Well, if you like a relaxed RPG with a bit of strategy, I think this is your type of game. I know I love this game. I love Pokemon. So buy this. Or don’t. See if I care.