A little over a month ago I had the distinct privilege of seeing my sister walk down the aisle. The wedding was absolutely magnificent, but the one moment I keep going back to was the one of music choices for the prelude. As I greeted families entering the church I heard a familiar tune being played by the organist. I thought to myself, “Was that what I think it was? No, it couldn’t be.” Sure enough, my sister had selected “A Wish” from Japanese composer Hiroki Kikuta. Veteran gamers might recognize the song as of the themes from the 1993 RPG Secret Of Mana. I had never been more proud to have her as my sister as I was that morning.
Secret of Mana (or Seiken Densetsu 2 as it is known in Japan) was a big deal in my household when I was a kid. The game featured cooperative play for up to 3 players, which usually included my sister, my mother and yours truly. The experience was fun yet harrowing all at the same time. Secret of Mana was notorious for its unforgiving difficulty (Really, Squaresoft? You can only hold 4 of each item?) and emphasis on teamwork over individual conquest. There were also numerous game-related arguments between my family that played out like a videogame equivalent of a VH1 Behind The Music special. Even with all the disagreements I look back on those days fondly. Videogames always proved to be one of the best bonding tools for my family, and no game since will ever live up to that experience.
Now that I’m a weathered, craggy old coot at the ripe age of 28, it has dawned on me that it has been 20 years since Secret of Mana first graced my Super Nintendo console. For over 18 months a bevy of VGM heavyweights have been toiling away in secret on a project which has now been unveiled as Spectrum of Mana, a massive musical/visual tribute which aims to dwarf the size and scope of the Mana Beast itself. Overseen by project director Nate Horsfall, the album will feature over 60+ bands, span 3 discs and clock in at over 3 hours worth of music. Some of the participating artists announced are Grant Henry (aka “Stemage”), the Super Guitar Bros. (the duo responsible for that fantastic Sonic The Hedgehog medley) and Erik “VikingGuitar” Peabody.
Spectrum of Mana drops in August 2013. Time to break out the Flammie Drum!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPfXVP4pUDY?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
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