Earthbound might be old enough to warrant the moniker âcult classicâ at this point, but Nintendoâs beloved SNES-era RPG has still managed to win over new fans ever since it came to the Wii U last year. One such player fell in love with the game so wholly that heâs now honored it withâwhat else?âa rap mashup tribute.
The album is called âWord Is Bound,â and was made by a musician who goes by the handle Aviscerall online. He says he first discovered the true beauty of the eccentric old-school RPG only a year ago when he finally decided to play through the whole thing. He was quickly taken by its music.
âI fell in love with Earthbound about a year ago,â Aviscerall writes on his page for the album. âIt was a game I knew I needed to play and finish, and I am definitely glad I did. Not only was the gameplay and story something that Iâll never forget, the soundtrack was definitely one of the best soundtracks Iâve ever heard in my lifetime. And not just for a video game, but for music in general. I really hope I was able to capture the Earthbound style of music, and bring it into the world of hip hop (Which I felt like it was begging to join).â
Some of the combinations are more than a little wonky. This makes sense, given the source material, though in cases like the remixed version of 50 Centâs banger âIn Da Clubâ the tinny Earthbound tunes donât mix that well. But this track using the legendary Notorious B.I.G. lyrics from âJuicyâ is pretty great. I love how Earthboundâs music adds an extra bit of whimsy to the songâs triumphant message:
Hereâs the original, for a point of comparison:
Man, I dunno about you, but hearing this really makes me want to listen to a mashed-up gaming version of âGimme The Loot.â Seems particularly appropriate for video game purposes, donât you think?
The instrumental tracks are my favorites:
You can listen to, and download, the full album here.
To contact the author of this post, write to [email protected] or find him on Twitter at @YannickLeJacq
