Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Entry 461 - Rusty

 

It's amazing how versatile chip tunes are. Each system's sound chip is so diverse and different. Depending on the nuances of the sound you can tell what system it's from. Sega Genesis (Master System) has a gritty and almost distorted sound to it. Super Nintendo has this refined sound but still sounds very compressed. NES sounds like the prototypical bleeps and bloops that I fell in love with as a child. And then there is PC98.

I've never heard a PC98 soundtrack before this... it's really not even a system, it's more like an all in one personal computer that was popular in Japan - similar to the Amiga, ZX Spectrum, or the Commodore 64 was in their respective countries. Needless to say it was a new experience for me.

I would say the sound of the PC98 falls somewhere in between the Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis and Original PlayStation (when not using CD audio). It handles a wide variety of sounds well, getting that gritty feel of the Genesis, but still having a bit of refinement as the SNES, but with the diversity of the PlayStation. It's quite a powerful sound for chip tunes.

Why go into all this detail before even mentioning the music? Its because there is so much about this style of music that is defined by the sound chip that produces it. It has a definitive influence on how not only the music feels but how it's presented, and with a soundtrack like Rusty - you need something that is going to do it justice.

This soundtrack fucking rocks. It's upbeat, it's moody, it's full of joy and sorrow when needed. It knows what to be when it's needed. Yes, it does have some early Castlevania influence, but damn they couldn't have picked a better series to emulate... it successfully channels that same energy. That is not an easy task.

When it comes to chip tunes, something has to be really damn good for me to like it. Not only do I like Rusty as a soundtrack... this thing is becoming one of my favorite soundtracks not just from the time period... but overall. Time will tell how it holds up, but for now this thing is a banger.

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