Sound Off With Sega

Written by Akash Suri on May 30, 2001

Sound Off With Sega: 'Sound On' would be a title to suit Dreamcast's audio

64 channels of pure Yamaha sound, that's what the Dreamcast is packing. And developers have sure been using this power; some of the best gaming-music in recent memory is on Sega's wonder machine. From the hits of Offspring, to the wacky Japanese music of Hideki Naganuma, to the rap stylings of Jurassic 5, DC has got just about every УGeneration XФ genre covered, and then some. So let's take a look back over the past year and a half, and reminisce over the DC's shining moments in the audile department.

Sonic Adventure
Half of the Gaming Target faithful know exactly what I'm talking about when I bring up the musical achievements of Naka and the gang, while the other half of you are sitting there with confused expressions on your faces and wondering what the heck I'm smoking. But the fact is, Sonic Adventure had a wide variety of really good music. Good enough for Sega of Japan to go ahead and release the soundtrack, geez SOA, get with the program, first no SA soundtrack and now no SA2 special edition? Even SOE bought in to that! Anyhow, back to the music, Jun Senoue was the mastermind behind this musical heaven, and kudos (get it? MSR?) to him. He managed to please just about everyone with the stunning music, which accompanied Sonic and his pals throughout the game. The most notable of these tracks would have to be УOpen up your Heart,Ф Super Sonic's theme. With its wonderful lyrics and cutting edge guitar sound, this song should be in every gamer's music library. Senoue then manages to transition right into rap with the greatest of ease in УUnknown from M.E.Ф also known as Knuckles' theme song. This song hovers on the line between Rap and Jazz, and perfectly fits the mood for the misunderstood Knuckles. As for the girls, Senoue gave them a fresh sound in УMy Sweet Passion,Ф theme song for Amy Rose. Great song, great lyrics, what more could you ask for? The rest of the soundtrack is just as good as what's above, in fact it would have been perfect, except for one song: УLazy Days ~Livin' in Paradise~Ф theme song for Big the cat. What possessed Senoue to put this song in the game is beyond me, steer clear at all costs. Never hear these songs (losers), head on over to Napster while it's still free and download Сem. And for those of you who have principles and integrity, the soundtrack is still available at major importers, happy huntin'!

Jet Grind Radio/Jet Set Radio
Good gaming music = Jet Grind Radio. That's the gist of it, JGR had an excellent soundtrack and there's no other way to put it. Sure, there were some who weren't open-minded enough to accept the УJapanese-yФ feel of the music, but to them, I say Уexpand your boundaries!Ф Get off the same old same old, and explore the musical genius of our friends across the ocean. The Japanese release of this game had music, which was amazing enough. But SOA decided to throw in a few more tracks (thanks guys), which conveyed a more American feel. Such as УImproviseФ by Jurassic 5, УDragulaФ by Rob Zombie, and УPatrol KnobФ mixed by MixMaster Mike. One heck of a lineup, and this is in addition to the Japanese music. Which included some great music by Hideki Naganuma, my personal favorite being УSweet Soul Brother,Ф I just don't see why someone wouldn't like this music. After this stint in JGR, Jurassic 5 also had their music video УQuality ControlФ on a demo disk for the now defunct ODCM, and their music will also appear on some upcoming non-DC games, keep your eyes open.

Crazy Taxi
You all know what I mean here, YA YA YA YA YA! That's right, Sega and Offspring are rockin' the hiz-house (I just say that?). Hitmaker felt music was just as important as the gameplay in Crazy Taxi, and it showedЕerrrrЕ.heardЕ.errrЕ something to that effect. Your head was bobbin' from side to side as you raced through the streets of San Francisco, and the tunes stayed with you all throughout the day, such was the magic of Crazy Taxi. Expect more of the same from Crazy Taxi 2 when it hits retail shelves within the next few days, Ryan is already foaming at the mouth, and who can blame him? Offspring will be back with Americana and One Fine Day, and Sega threw in a little Tommy Lee for good measure, just one more day, one more day, one more day, one more day, one moreЕ.

The Future
Rest assured, this is just the beginning of a long list of great music on DC, we didn't even mention Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, Space Channel 5, or Shenmue. Part 2 of this feature? Maybe? Anyhow, Sega has more great music planned for the future, Sonic Adventure 2 is just weeks away (Ryan, drooling isn't going to make Sonic get here any faster), Shenmue 2 is fast approaching, and Sega is sure to provide great music for other consoles as well. In fact, Yu Suzuki is reported to be looking into Limp Bizkit for his next few games, maybe Ryo Hazuki will be shoutin' УMy way or the HighwayФ In Lan Di's face. Sound good? So does Sega...