Style: Video game music
Primary Emotions/Themes: The joy of discovery, open paths, freedom of choice, rescuing loved ones
Thoughts: I used to listen to video game music on a near daily basis. A large portion of my collection was acquired so that I could listen to a different soundtrack every day if I wanted to.
This is not the case anymore. I listen to one or two VGM soundtracks a month, sometimes more, sometimes less - but the days of daily listening are far behind me. Every now and then the urge hits to revisit one of the classics and Super Mario 64 is indeed a soundtrack of that caliber. Along with that, the recent announcement that Charles Martinet was stepping away from the character made this selection all the more appropriate for listening.
This game is special. Of course I played the first four Mario games, but there was something a bit different about 64. Maybe it was the freedom that it provided. After the start of the game, it opens up and you are free to get the stars in practically any order you want. Maybe it was the first time that I saw the need for an analog stick. I never realized how well they could be used prior to the Mario 64 implementation. The one thing I do know though is that the music brings me back in a wave of nostalgia.
Every stage in Mario 64 has an iconic theme to it. Every stage has that melody that takes me back to the first time I played it. Getting stuck in Tiny Giant Island, or the first time I figured out the platforms in Tick Tock Clock. Or the way that I had to throw Bowser off the ledge into bombs with his menacing boss music playing in the background. This record brings it all back.
I wasn't sure that I should spin this when I first put it on, but I'm glad I did. I got to share stories with my family about the adventures we all had when we first played the game at different stages in our lives. I don't know of games like that anymore, but I am happy for the memories I do have of these kind of games in the past.
Written September 5th 2023
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