Forever Sound Version

Metal Slug is one of my all-time favourite arcade franchises for its frenetic and gleefully over the top run and gun action. As a kid, I was always powerless to resist the allure of the ‘Big Red’ Neo Geo cabinets when they housed a title as timeless as Metal Slug - Super Vehicle-001! Aside from the moreish gameplay and excellent graphics, a lot of Metal Slug’s overall quality is to do with its music, so in this episode, I delve into the soundtracks of the series to enjoy the fine musical chops of the games’ composers, including Takushi Hiyamuta and Toshikazu Tanaka.

Forever Sound Version is one year old! To reflect on a solid twelve months of VGM discovery, here’s a retrospective episode featuring some of my favourite tracks from the first 28 episodes, as well as some special guest picks from listeners Zinn and Mister Krüsli Pants. Thank you for supporting the show, and rest assured that there are many, many more episodes to come!

There’s no school like the old school, and for this episode, I’m joined in the classroom of game music by Rob and Pernell from the excellent Rhythm and Pixels VGM podcast! Join us as we jam on some great picks from games as diverse as Pac-Mania, Hammerfist, and Lemmings!

It’s back!! The Forever Sound Version Battle Series returns, and this time, there’s an actual real trophy to be won! I’m joined by John, Michael T, and super special last-minute guest Ross to slug it out to see who will be the supreme champion. Warning: extra long episode!!

Stuart is back in the Forever Sound Version guest seat to help me honour one of our favourite consoles of all time – the original Sony Playstation! Fast tracks, slow tracks, tracks from RPGs, tracks from sports games… we have it all!

It’s time for Forever Sound Version’s first ever sports games focus – and it’s on the NBA! There are no airballs on this episode as we charge through some great tracks from franchises such as Midway’s frenetic arcade-oriented NBA Jam and the EA basketball sims of the ‘Live’ series. Boomshakalaka!

Turn your POKEY up to 11! It’s time to rock out with some top drawer rippers from the Atari 8-bit family of computers. They may not have been able to set the world alight like the Commodore 64 and NES did in the 1980s, but these machines definitely have a curious place in gaming history, and one that is worth exploring!

I’m joined by Chris Machell to cover some top drawer jammers from the Sonic the Hedgehog games of the 1990s! With the enduring popularity of the original 2D Sonic titles in the world of retro gaming, it’s easy to take their soundtracks for granted, so we’ve picked out some superlative individual tracks – including classics and deeper cuts – to demonstrate the scope of what is among Sega’s most important contributions to the world of VGM!

This episode marks the first time that Forever Sound Version focuses on a single composer, and who better to start with than the legendary Rob Hubbard? This British musician has worked across a number of platforms, but his best-loved work arguably lies in his output for the Commodore 64 – lock in and enjoy these searingly brilliant SID chip burners of yesteryear!

It helped raise a generation of gamers, and cemented Nintendo’s status as a force to be reckoned with on the world stage – it’s the Game Boy! Join me as I dig out my blocky old white Game Boy (which I’ve had since 1991!) to deliver a bunch of top drawer jammers from some of my favourite games on this iconic handheld system.

I’m joined by my good friend Gareth to address what has to be one of the very finest pairs of video game soundtracks of recent years – Hotline Miami and Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number! Expect plenty of effervescent electro bangers as we endeavour to articulate our shared love of these gloriously violent indie thrillers…

The Wu is coming through, the outcome is critical… Video game podcast swordsman / certified chatterbox John Baldasera swings by the Shaolin Temple (my house) to join me in celebrating the chunky beats of Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style. This PS1 title is a licensed game with a difference – a Wu-Tang Clan fighting game! What’s not to love? While the game itself might not be in the same league as some of the PS1’s other fighting titles, it possesses a truly unique character that is well worth discovering. Killa Beeeeeeeeeezzzzz…

Jungle massive… lock in and prepare to rave away to a special Forever Sound Version DJ mix put together by yours truly, journeying through the amazing soundtrack of Tempest 2000! This reimagining of the Atari arcade classic Tempest came out in 1994 on the Jaguar – Atari’s attempt at a fifth generation console that never really took off, but at least we get these great, absolutely buzzing tracks. Send it!

For this episode I’m joined by a new addition to the Forever Sound Version guest roster – Rob Hunter! Rob’s first console was the Sega Master System and he knows one heck of a lot about its games, so getting him on board for a show exploring SMS soundtracks was a no-brainer. We’ve got cheerful ditties, spooky sketches, and moody masterpieces, all pumping out of the Texas Instruments SN76489: the little sound chip that could!

IT’S WAR! For this episode I am joined by special guests John, Michael T, and Stuart… for a VGM battle! We take it in turns to select a track from a video game, scoring each other’s picks as we go. Four combatants, three picks each… Who will be the supreme champion?

For the first episode of 2017, I address the TurboGrafx-16 and its Japanese counterpart the PC Engine. Lock in and enjoy some great wavetable synth tunes from the first console of the fourth generation of video games!

For the last episode of 2016, here’s a bunch of wintry VGM tracks for you to enjoy. Whatever you’re up to, be it driving home for Christmas like Chris Rea or lamenting lost love by the fire like George Michael, these tunes are bound to get you ready for the holidays!

It had to happen – a Final Fantasy VII episode! I’m joined by superstar special guest John Baldasera to explore the legendary soundtrack of Final Fantasy VII, composed by Nobuo Uematsu. We both have pretty hefty emotional investments in this one. Expect some true VGM classics, a couple of deeper cuts, and some alternative versions of pieces taken from what is arguably Square’s finest hour.

It’s 1993, the dystopian future! It might not be the best arcade game you’ll ever play, but it at least boasts one of the wildest pieces of VGM the world has ever heard. Daddy… Daddy Mulk…

We really were spoiled for scrolling shooters in the 16-bit era – I know that I had a pretty serious investment in the genre back in the day. Among the very best of them, for me, were three Mega Drive titles from Masaya: Target Earth, Gynoug, and Gley Lancer. These are vibrant, intense games with soundtracks to match! Hope you’re in the mood for some shooting and dodging…!