Topic: Episode 147: Skate or Die

[NWR_Neal]

This week, we discuss our favorite boss and battle themes and take a look back at Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/connectivity/38342/episode-147-skate-or-die

Hello and welcome to this week's Connectivity! We have two segments for you this week.

Kicking the show off, Zach and Scott get together to share their absolute favorite boss and battle themes. Pulling from Donkey Kong Country, EarthBound, Dragon Quest IX, Xenoblade Chronicles and more, the guys go over what makes a boss or battle theme so memorable and why they love these particular themes. Have your own favorite theme that we don't mention? Mail us a link and tell us what makes it so great! We'll feature user submissions on a future episode.

After that, Neal and Zach take a look back at Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, this episodes Game of the Week. Here, you'll learn what makes THPS3 so timeless and that Zach used to skateboard. It's true! They also read your entries for who should be included in a future Tony Hawk game as an unlockable character. We don't have a contest this week, but you should still be excited for next episode's Game of the Week: Metroid Zero Mission!

Be sure to click here to send us your listener mail and favorite boss/battle themes. We'll see you next week!

[Leo13]

I'm sure hearing next weeks episode will make me want to download Zero Mission on my Wii U. Too bad it's still not available (didn't they already release it in Japan?)

[Shaymin]

Boss music: The Lavos theme from Chrono Trigger, if only because of how shamelessly it rips off Thus Spoke Zarathustra.

Battle music: Final Fantasy Mystic Quest.

Also, there were actually four Dragon Quest games on DS, though only one original one (DQIX). There were remakes of 4, 5 and 6.

[azeke]

Battle themes:
Bravely Default live concert starts with battle theme -- i haven't even played the full game yet, but i love the music so much
Etrian Odyssey IV battle theme -- kinda sorta similar to Bravely's theme, but a bit more rock-y. Same deal -- didn't play the full game yet, but i love boths themes just from my time from demos so much.

Fly Me to the Moon from Bayo 1 and Tomorrow is Mine Bayo 2 never get old which is exactly whan you need from battle themes that you will hear for majority of the games.


Boss themes:
Both final themes from Bayonetta and Wonderful 101 get so much orchestral bombastic, they become generic and main melody gets lost inside chanting and thunderous musical explosions.

These themes are more connected to what's going on in-game than other tracks, probably because Platinum wanted music to enhance galactic levels of outrageousness and crazy going on in the final battles but in result they got music that really doesn't work as separate musical piece.

Similar issue with Super Mario 3D Land final boss music -- amazing final boss, meh music by itself.

Usually middle game bosses have better music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVSYSfHo-MI Battle for Umbra Throne (Jeanne 1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF49ZCjXygo Red & Black (Jeanne 2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_moHXjH7pc Tables Turn (several of the bosses)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h37oTZEGRXE Intertwined
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osVWAufnauE Vorkken's theme (Vorkken duh)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U61dLabdRmo Guyzoch Space Pirates
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVjjPbQMpFA Final Vorkken's theme -- culmination of a game with remix of Guyzoch Space Pirates with Vorkken's theme

[Soren]

I like "Pokey Means Business", but as a piece of music that stands side by side with the 5-6 pieces that form Giygas final battle there is no comparison. The former might be a great piece of conventional video game music, but the latter is almost an ambient music masterpiece and totally complementary with what's going on in that final battle. Yeah, it's hard to listen to it, and bands aren't going to be rushing to make covers of it, but that's part of what makes it a masterpiece.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYb9kSCkjE8 (no spoilers)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82fDOtt8Qlw (with spoilers)


I want to give a shoutout to the final battle music from The Last Story, if only because it was so hard it got burned into my brain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kt809kr0jQo (no spoilers)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mes5hn7hC-k (with spoilers)

[chilenozo]

Great music episodes guys.

I can't decide cause I have so many favorite music, but I agree with your choices, I've heard most of them!

Even the ending, with Motorhead's ace of spades was awesome!