Your favorite OST for a game and recommendations

[RJ 17]

Final Fantasy 2(4) always had one of my favorite sound tracks. Other than that the OP already stole my other one: Chrono Trigger.

 

[E-Dogg]

Good thread, but i really feel like the theme from Monkey Island (1/2) needs to be here: I've been humming to this tune the last 15 years of my life:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA8ghBfSmW4&feature=fvwrel

 

[TrevHead]

Spoiler: Snip

Oh man, I especially liked that one. I have yet to give SHMUPs an honest try, but damn, music like that certainly has me interested.

I would suggest that when you do come to entering the genre, you read up a little bit (ask the helpful lot at shmups forum) about them first rather then diving straight in the deep end. As the genre is very similar to Darksouls in many respects. IE a healthy minset along with reading up on the fundamental mechanics of the genre is the key to playing with any degree of skill or fun. Then when you play it's just a case of using that knowledge with observation to find opportunities and exploit them as much as you can. Once it clicks in your head and you "get it" they are as addictive as digital crack.

Then like fighters it's just a case of technical skill, choosing the right shmups / game mode for your skill level and preferences will help you enjoy them and not burning out on something too advanced. Exceed Collection, Jamesown, Refrain Prism Memories, Touhou on PC and CAVE's Deathsmiles, Dodonpachi Resurrection and Akia Katana on 360 are good noob shmups especially those Doujin PC examples.The fundementals aren't that hard to grasp its just that no one has written a decent guide compared to FTGs.

Heres some more shmup music that you might like.

Hellsinker a PC Doujin Shmup

Dodonpachi Resurrecton Black Label (360/iphone) PAL 360 version works on NA 360s

Dodonpachi Saidaioujou stage 3 (Arc / 360)

Touhou 12 (Touhou and the doujinshi surrounding the core games are full of these melodies)

Even those Manabu Namiki is mostly a shmup music producer, he works in different genres, the guy just oozes talent imo.

Love that Melty Blood Tune, for me with fighters i'm in love with Skullgirls ATM. Michiru Yamane's (she's behind Castlevania) Jazz tunes complement Skullgirls 1930s artstyle perfectly. For a budget downloadable game it puts many $60 efforts to shame imo.

Spoiler: SKULLGIRLS

Spoiler: shmups snip

Thanks for the recommendations and advice. Yeah, I'd figured a little bit of reading would be very helpful before delving into SHMUPs. From my minimal past experience, I know they can be very challenging and I can also see how they can become quite addictive. I remember easily falling into a pleasant trance-like state when I played Ikaruga long ago. SHMUP feels like a genre that can trigger that 100% focus, 'being in the zone' feeling pretty reliably like rhythm games, and that feeling is always fun.

I already have Jamestown, so I suppose that will be the first SHMUP I finish from top to bottom. I'm also glad to hear it's beginner friendly. I'll probably start playing the Touhou games afterwards, since I'm somewhat familiar with the Touhou-verse thanks in part by the Touhou fighting games, IaMP and Hisoutensoku. XD

Yeah Jamestown is a good beginner shmup, it's easy and good for getting you into the right mindset for appoaching them. (try to beat Gauntlet mode without using a continue. That's known as a 1 Credit Clear and what many ppl in the genre aim for) Also because it's widescreen you have alot of space to move around you don't need use any of the bullet dodging techniques of std 3:4 ratios where getting trapped in the side of the screen is easy. Touhou are noob friendly also, but it's worth noting that they have slower pacing that of shooters, ie long boss fights and alot of dead time between enemy waves.

Since you liked Ikaruga, You should check out the Exceed Collection, as Exceed 2nd used the same bullet switching mechanic. And Exceed 3rd is simlar to Touhou but with faster pacing and a very agressive style of play. Blue Wish Resurrection and BWR plus are freeware and good noob shmups too, (its how I and many others got into the genre) it plays like a CAVE shmup but the bullets move slowly which is great for teaching your eyes and brain bullet patterns.

BTW you're spot on about shmups putting you in the zone, I find the faster paced ones do it for me personally, Stage 5 of Mushihimisama Futari 360 Original Mode is a fave, so are Nomltest FS and Kenta Cho's freeware games, (Dangun Feveron in MAME would be another if I didn't suck at it so much).

 

[Dubiousduke]

Metroid Prime

Halo: ODST

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Bastion

 

[lovest harding]

The first game that comes to mind is:

Spoiler: Phantom Dust

 

[grijp01]

The soundtrack of Halo 3 ODST was great.