SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - Brightness and Darkness Edition

SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs is here to brighten your Monday with some excellent video game music! You wouldn't think so with the two games that kick off this edition, Alice: Madness Returns and Dead Rising, but we quickly rebound to something more bright and bouncy with the theme of Destiny Islands from Kingdom Hearts. Then, Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits lets loose with a riveting town theme. Finally, Sonic Spinball takes us for a spin with an arranged album theme.

If you'd like to listen to past VGM volumes covered on this weekly segment, look no further than the VGM Database!

v1091. Alice: Madness Returns (PS3, 360) - Main Theme

We start off this edition of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs with the main theme from the dark and twisted Alice: Madness Returns. Forget everything you know about Alice in Wonderland, as EA's take on the well known story is decidedly not for the little ones. However, it is for those who like superb gameplay and wondrous worlds to explore.

v1092. Dead Rising (360) - Cletus

The psychopath that inhabits the gun store in Willamette Mall shoots trespassers on sight. When Frank West appears in front of him, a boss battle occurs. Once he's defeated, Cletus' scared self runs out of the gun store, but unfortunately right into a horde of zombies that start chewing into him like beef jerky. Cletus' song when you face him is a hard rock theme that escalates during the intense battle with him.

v1093. Kingdom Hearts (PS2) - Destiny Islands

Sora and friends start out innocently enough on the Destiny Islands. Then certain events unfold that split the crew up, sending each of the three friends to different parts of parts unknown. Destiny Islands as a theme is suitably uptempo and tropical. The melody is catchy, which helps when you're hearing this theme so much at the start of Kingdom Hearts.

v1094. Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits (PS2) - Yewbell ~ Balmy Breeze

This new age-sounding theme for the town of Yewbell resonates with me whenever I hear it, and that is definitely the case as I listen to it now. Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits recently received a release on the PlayStation 4 with full trophy support, so gamers familiar with the title and those playing it for the first time have the chance to listen to all of the great songs that come from the game.

v1095. Sonic Spinball (GEN) - Flight to Volcanic Fortress (Sonic Boom CD Version)

This version of the opening theme from Sonic Spinball comes from a special soundtrack of music mostly from Sonic CD and some Sonic Spinball music. The CD name? Sonic the Hedgehog Boom! It's a CD in my collection I revisit often as the music is so superb. I actually prefer the US Sonic CD soundtrack over the original Japanese and PAL one, and yes, I know I'm in a rare group here!