Nietzsche once said, āWithout music, life would be a mistake.ā
Imaginary philosopher Richard Riemenschneider once said, āPeople who begin articles with Nietzsche quotes are the worst.ā
Letās agree to meet somewhere in the middle. And with that, letās look back at the best of Kotaku Melodic this year.
The idea of doing discrete Kotaku āProgramming Blocksā was an interesting one: By focusing on specific areas of expertise, individual writers could build up blocks of content that stood apart from the general flow of stories on our site. It worked for some beats more than others, but on the whole Iāve been really happy with how Kotaku Melodic came together.
From critical essays to retrospectives to features to interviews to Carly Rae Jepson fan-mail, we shared all sorts of writing about the worlds of music, video games, and beyond. I hope you had as much fun as we did.
Here now, the best of Kotaku Melodic, 2012.
The Best Video Game Music of 2012
https://lastchance.cc/the-best-video-game-music-of-2012-5968289%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Letās start with our look back at the best video game music of 2012. There was a lot. It was great. Give it all a listen. MoreĀ Ā»
Gameplay and Story Are Exactly Like Music and Lyrics
https://lastchance.cc/gameplay-and-story-are-exactly-like-music-and-lyrics-5885432%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
The first and last thing Iāve had to say about the gameplay vs. story debate. This is an idea Iād been chewing on for a long time, and one I was very happy to finally articulate. MoreĀ Ā»
The Silly Bulls*** of Censored Soundtracks in Sports Video Games
https://lastchance.cc/the-silly-bulls-of-censored-soundtracks-in-sports-vi-452564827%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Owen looks at the silly practice of censoring sports-game soundtracks. MoreĀ Ā»
This Amazing Credits Anthem Mostly Plays at Night. Mostly.
https://lastchance.cc/this-amazing-credits-anthem-mostly-plays-at-night-most-5889370%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Up close and personal with one of the most amazing credits anthems of all time. MoreĀ Ā»
Some Video Games Are Better Without Music
https://lastchance.cc/some-video-games-are-better-without-music-5899519%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Sure, we write about music. But some games are better without it. MoreĀ Ā»
Mass Effect 3ās Musical Secret
https://lastchance.cc/mass-effect-3s-musical-secret-5895616%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Hidden in the background of Mass Effect 3 lay a small, wonderful love-letter to series fans. MoreĀ Ā»
I Donāt Usually Like āGuy With Instruments Playing Video Game Musicā Videos, But This Shit Is Amazing
https://lastchance.cc/i-dont-usually-like-guy-with-instruments-playing-video-5902897%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Of all of the ācheck out this videoā posts we ran this year, this one might be my favorite. Sick. MoreĀ Ā»
Let This Street Fighter II Song be Your Gateway to Shirtless Keyboard Fun
Of course, not all āguy in his room with instrumentsā videos need to demonstrate chops like that last one. They can be wonderful in other ways. Luke shows us how. MoreĀ Ā»
I Can Predict The Entire Halo 4 Plot, Using Only The Halo 4 Soundtrack
https://lastchance.cc/i-can-predict-the-entire-halo-4-plot-using-only-the-ha-5937029%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
An attempt at discerning the entire plot of Halo 4 using only the track-listing from the soundtrack. Not entirely accurate, but surprisingly so. MoreĀ Ā»
The Case for Video Games as Music
https://lastchance.cc/the-case-for-video-games-as-music-5920350%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Sure, video games have music. But in a lot of ways, they are music. What the heck am I talking about? Letās explore. MoreĀ Ā»
Good Lord, Computer Gaming World Had Some Hip Menu Music
https://lastchance.cc/good-lord-computer-gaming-world-had-some-hip-menu-musi-5893323%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Believe it or not, the bundled CDs that came with CGW had some fabulous original music. MoreĀ Ā»
An Open Letter To The Creators Of Rock Band
https://lastchance.cc/an-open-letter-to-the-creators-of-rock-band-5899207%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Jason has an important message for the makers of Rock Band. MoreĀ Ā»
A Game Design Legend, Still Chasing The Video Game Musical Of His Dreams
https://lastchance.cc/a-game-design-legend-still-chasing-the-video-game-musi-5941200%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
The legendary designer Warren Spector dreams of making a video game musical. Hopefully, one day he will. MoreĀ Ā»
Turns Out Max Payne is a Decent Piano Player. Who Knew?
https://lastchance.cc/turns-out-max-payne-is-a-decent-piano-player-who-knew-5914660%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
A look at a hilarious musical easter egg that turned up in an unlikely place. MoreĀ Ā»
Chiptunes, Schmiptunes: Embracing The Human Side of Video Game Audio
https://lastchance.cc/chiptunes-schmiptunes-embracing-the-human-side-of-vid-5907460%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Chiptunes are great, but some amazing video game sounds have been made using only the human voice. MoreĀ Ā»
Olympic Gymnast Uses Zelda Medley During Performance
https://lastchance.cc/olympic-gymnast-uses-zelda-medley-during-performance-5930983%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
The Zelda medley heard āround the world, literally. MoreĀ Ā»
The Rise of the New Music Games
https://lastchance.cc/the-rise-of-the-new-music-games-5895659%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
As our coverage this year has borne out, weāre at an exciting time for musical games. Hereās a rundown of the latest trends. MoreĀ Ā»
Guitar Hero 7 Was Going To Have Six-String Guitars, No Drums, No Singing. Was Cancelled In 2011.
https://lastchance.cc/guitar-hero-7-was-going-to-have-six-string-guitars-no-5965684%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Sources gave us all sorts of info on the now-cancelled Guitar Hero 7, which sounds like it was a real disaster. MoreĀ Ā»
The Mind-Numbing Music of the PlayStation Vita
https://lastchance.cc/the-mind-numbing-music-of-the-playstation-vita-5885430%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
The first of our āmenu musicā features took a look (and listen) at/to the boring-ass music that played in the Vitaās menus. MoreĀ Ā»
The Many Melodies of the Nintendo 3DS
https://lastchance.cc/the-many-melodies-of-the-nintendo-3ds-5887751%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
As a follow-up, we also took a look at the (much better!) music that plays in the 3DSā menus. MoreĀ Ā»
Morrowind Really Did Have The Best Elder Scrolls Music, Didnāt It
https://lastchance.cc/morrowind-really-did-have-the-best-elder-scrolls-music-5905585%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Suddenly it hit me. Morrowind really had the best soundtrack. MoreĀ Ā»
May The Incredible Music of Final Fantasy Live On Forever
Jason looks back at the amazing music of the Final Fantasy games. MoreĀ Ā»
From Uematsu to Lucasarts: A Kotaku Melodic Mix-Tape Roundup
https://lastchance.cc/from-uematsu-to-lucasarts-a-kotaku-melodic-mix-tape-ro-5907533%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Chris Person put together an incredible collection of a/v mixtapes for us, and this post rounds up most of them. MoreĀ Ā»
This Game Will Make Your Epic Sax Guy Dreams Come True
https://lastchance.cc/this-game-will-make-your-epic-sax-guy-dreams-come-true-5897506%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
We all want to be Epic Sax Guy. Pippin Barrās game let us understand what that would be like. MoreĀ Ā»
Geeks and Gamers are Taking Over Hip-Hop
https://lastchance.cc/geeks-and-gamers-are-taking-over-hip-hop-5908939%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Patricia took a look at backpack rap, and the various ways gaming and hip-hop are and have collided. MoreĀ Ā»
Geek Rap Star Kicks Fan Out Of Concert Over Tweet
https://lastchance.cc/geek-rap-star-kicks-fan-out-of-concert-over-tweet-upda-5927150%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Drama! Hurt Feelings! Twitter! MoreĀ Ā»
Choosing The Perfect Victory Music For Lifeās Little Triumphs
https://lastchance.cc/real-life-should-have-jrpg-victory-music-5905529%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Itās important to choose JRPG victory music for the triumphant moments in your life. So, we did. MoreĀ Ā»
Jonathan Blowās The Witness is an Exercise in Symphonic Game Design
https://lastchance.cc/jonathan-blows-the-witness-is-an-exercise-in-symphonic-5893336%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
A game can work like a symphony, and Jonathan Blowās upcoming The Witness feels more symphonic than most. MoreĀ Ā»
Why the Chrono Cross Soundtrack is My Favorite
https://lastchance.cc/why-the-chrono-cross-soundtrack-is-my-favorite-5885428%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
We ran a lot of short pieces about various writersā favorite video game music, but this one by Leigh Alexander is still my favorite. MoreĀ Ā»
I Canāt Stop Listening To This Portal 2 Dance Remix
https://lastchance.cc/i-cant-stop-listening-to-this-portal-2-dance-remix-5909420%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Another favorite among the āHere, listen to thisā posts. I still listen to this track. MoreĀ Ā»
Somehow The Video For The Song From Robot Unicorn Attack Is Even Weirder Than Robot Unicorn Attack
Worth keeping in mind. MoreĀ Ā»
The Many Samples and Sound-Alikes of Earthbound
https://lastchance.cc/the-many-samples-and-sound-alikes-of-earthbound-5887789%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Chris put together a fantastic video assembling the many musical echoes in the Earthbound soundtrack. MoreĀ Ā»
Video Games are the New Best Way to Make a Living Composing Music
A look at how video games offer a fantastic new way to make a living composing music. MoreĀ Ā»
Non Game-Related Stuff
In addition to video game music, we also covered a fair bit of non-game-related music. When there was something that needed to be said, sometimes it got said here. And when there were harp-playing blonde twins that needed to be recognized, that happened too.
Blonde Twins Playing A Metallica Cover On Harps While Standing In The Desert
Sometimes the headline says it all. MoreĀ Ā»
Blonde Twins Playing The Elder Scrolls Theme On Harps While Standing In A Forest
Other times, the headline still says it all. MoreĀ Ā»
Blonde Twins Playing Final Fantasy Music On Harps While Standing Next To A Lighthouse
Yet other times, the headline continues to say it all. MoreĀ Ā»
Avishai Cohen, One of the Great Composers of our Time
https://lastchance.cc/avishai-cohen-one-of-the-great-composers-of-our-time-5885436%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I was happy to share the wonderful music of bassist Avishai Cohen with a few new listeners. MoreĀ Ā»
AntƓnio Carlos Jobim, The Great Romantic Melodist
https://lastchance.cc/antonio-carlos-jobim-the-great-romantic-melodist-5903568%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Ditto A.C. Jobim, a composer everyone should know. MoreĀ Ā»
The Best (And Worst) TV Show Opening-Credit Anthems
https://lastchance.cc/the-best-and-worst-tv-show-opening-credit-anthems-5918560%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I love TV, and this was a good excuse to write about opening credits themes, reminisce about Veronica Mars, and piss off West Wing fans. MoreĀ Ā»
The Band That Made the Scott Pilgrim Movie Like 300% Better
https://lastchance.cc/the-band-that-made-the-scott-pilgrim-movie-like-300-be-5920377%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I continue to be in lesbians with Metric. MoreĀ Ā»
Miles Davis Hated Everything
https://lastchance.cc/miles-davis-hated-everything-5927583%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Everybody loves Miles, but Miles hardly loves anything. MoreĀ Ā»
Amanda Palmer Asks Musicians To Play For Free, Pisses Off Musicians
https://lastchance.cc/amanda-palmer-asks-musicians-to-play-for-free-pisses-o-5943112%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
An interesting look at the many challenges plaguing professional instrumentalists today, and how an innocuous request can go off the rails. MoreĀ Ā»
This Gloriously Cheesy MIDI File Was Windowsā Greatest Hit
Canyon.mid! Canyon.mid! MoreĀ Ā»
Forget Gotye, Kimbra Is The Most Exciting Singer Iāve Heard in Ages
https://lastchance.cc/forget-gotye-kimbra-is-the-most-exciting-singer-ive-he-5918581%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Another of the standout āHereās a thingā posts, this was just too good not to re-share. MoreĀ Ā»
A Hidden Gem on the Greatest Jazz Album of All Time
https://lastchance.cc/a-hidden-gem-on-the-greatest-jazz-album-of-all-time-5897511%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Sometimes you just have to geek out about āFlamenco Sketchesā and modal jazz. MoreĀ Ā»
Growing the Jazz Audience āCanāt Be Done.ā Maybe Thatās Okay?
https://lastchance.cc/growing-the-jazz-audience-cant-be-done-maybe-thats-oka-5913112%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Jazz is in trouble. Whatās to be done? MoreĀ Ā»
The 12 Greatest Drum Solos On The Internet
https://lastchance.cc/the-12-greatest-drum-solos-on-the-internet-5931058%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
A worthy list, if ever there was one. Incomplete, of course, but there is some great stuff on here. MoreĀ Ā»
And at last, we come to the end, where Iād like to recognize what Iāve come to think of as, just for me personally, the Coolest Musical Thing That Happened All Year: the TV series Kids on the Slope
Here are two articles; one about the show, and one about the music.
From The Creators of Cowboy Bebop, a Dreamlike Ode to Youth, Love and Jazz
https://lastchance.cc/from-the-creators-of-cowboy-bebop-a-dreamlike-ode-to-y-5914624%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I loved this show so much. MoreĀ Ā»
A Listenerās Guide to the Music of Kids on the Slope
https://lastchance.cc/a-listeners-guide-to-the-music-of-kids-on-the-slope-30786490%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I loved the music on this show even more. MoreĀ Ā»
And thatās that. Thanks for reading, and for bearing with us as we explored the wild and wonderful world of music. I hope youāll stick around next year, and if thereās some musical something or other youād like to see us talk about more, shoot me an email with āMelodicā in the subject or let me know in the comments.
Iāll leave you with a final thought from Mr. Albus Dumbledore:
āAh, music,ā he said, wiping his eyes. āA magic far beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!ā
