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« on: February 18, 2008, 06:27:20 PM »
Well, I saw it, and it was incredible! And they did mix it up more than last year, with new segments (like Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix...huh?) and new footage (like Super Mario Galaxy footage edited into the Mario segment).
I'm not going to write as detailed an account of it all like last time (enough of it was similar), but I'll recount the new bits and highlights...
1) Last year, Tommy hid in the cardboard box (used in the Metal Gear Solid segment). But this year, the guy under the box turned out to be Martin Leung! Of course you've heard of him, and most people who ever saw Video Games Live has seen and heard him live. Last year in Edmonton, we got his sister Lee Ann, who is also a really good pianist, but it was cool to see the guy who has the legacy.
2) As a surprise to everyone, before Zelda, Tommy introduced a segment that was "the most requested" ever since Video Games Live began. He said tonight was its premiere and was a surprise to everyone...because it wasn't Edmonton-based BioWare stuff, I was surprised that they would've chosen here to be the first showing. But to the deafening roar from everyone (including my brother beside me), the Metroid segment premiered. It began with the title screen and opening text from the first Metroid game, and then after some footage from of it, went into a montage of all the other games in the series. I believe they covered every single game (including the handheld ones - unlike the Zelda and Sonic segments - they had some Zero Mission, Prime: Hunters, Fusion, and even a brief glimpse or two of Prime: Pinball. Least represented was II: Return Of Samus). Finishing off with all the various in-game images of suitless/Zero Suit Samus in mostly chronological-by-release-date order (except they finished off with Prime, which had the most realistic Samus) and then Fusion's "Mission Accomplished" screen was a nice touch. No Ridley music in there, but of course Ridley did show up a couple times in the montage.
3) Richard Jacques, who has worked on some Sega games, flew in from England. Here he played music from OutRun 2 on the piano - the camera was focused on him but the orchestra did join in - and while I haven't played that game, I do have to say that medley was one of the most energetic pieces of music I've ever heard.
4) Mass Effect music was the premiere that everyone was expecting. While I haven't played it yet (it's yet another one of those Xbox games that will eventually make its way to the PC, I'm sure - I'll catch it then), it was interesting to see that they didn't go for the usual "John Williams space opera" vibe. As Jack Wall and the technical director on the game mentioned on stage a few times before the segment, they were going for a "Blade Runner/Tangerine Dream/'80s ultra-futuristic soundtrack" or something, and I think they got it. To mix things up, the second half of it was played and sung by local band The Faunts, who apparently did that song in-game as well.
5) Jack Wall pointed out that it was Tommy's birthday, so he had all of us sing "Happy Birthday" to him - with the orchestra and choir joining in, of course. That was neat. Not a huge deal, but obviously that can't happen every show!
6) After Halo 3, they obviously came back for an encore. It was FF VII's One-Winged Angel (again). But then there was a second encore. They said they just learned it recently, and it was what me and a friend wanted to see, the Castlevania segment! I thought they played it before - pretty sure actually - just not here in Edmonton. Maybe when they said they "learned it a few days ago" it meant with Martin Leung on the piano and Tommy on the guitar as well. Love that Castlevania music!
I still didn't wait around long enough to meet Tommy Tallarico. (My friend volunteered to help with the costume contest, so he did.)
Awesome night. Now I'm sure I'll go again each year if they can keep adding new stuff and have some surprises.
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