Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Eight Bits o' Power



Let the video load, and turn the volume up at around 2:48 because that's the jam to which my spiel pertains. This song was from the undersea base level in Double Dragon II (stage 4, after the helicopter ride).

Mario's & Zelda's themes were more well-known, but in my honest opinion, this track was the best song that came outta the original Nintendo era. The melody had a killer hook, and the accompanying bass added depth and texture that helped this song transcend the limitations of the time.

I'd also like to add the fact that my copy of the original Double Dragon was most likely stolen from me by my neighbor before we carpooled on the way to school at a time when NES games ran for about $50 a pop and the best I could hope for was a dollar a week from my grandma for good behavior.

As such, I've been moderately obsessed with the original Double Dragon series for some time now (subsequent SNES installments just blew), and to this day, the holy grail from which I've yet to drink has been a decent version of the undersea base melody to blast in my car.

So far, I've found two fan-made MIDI's:

Double Dragon - Undersea Base (version 1)

It sounds like 8-bit, ass-wiggling porno music, and while the novelty has yet to wear off, it's just kinda stupid.

Double Dragon - Undersea Base (version 2)

While it's a little more respectable than the first version, it is a little too airy and mellow that it just ends up trivializing the mad ceiling spikes, conveyor belts, and various other life-threatening obstacles that lurk around every corner.

In conclusion, as I continue to search for a better version, I'd just like to say the following: My neighbor was a little asshole.

New techniques include the whirlwind kick and the gang rape.

1 comment:

Bobby Lin said...

Finally! A video game music post.