SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - We Heart Indies Edition

Indies are a nice replacement to the lower and middle budget games that big publishers used to release on a monthly basis. That's not all they're good for, however. So many indie games showcase such a high amount of creativity that there is an embarrassment of riches of fantastic games, indie or not, to play!

This edition of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs celebrates indies with five themes from five different indie games. We start off with two Legend of Zelda-inspired takes on the formula with Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas and Ittle Dew 2. Then, Undertale delivers a delightful winter tune. Following that, Toki Tori hatches a wonderful theme. Finally, Super Meat Boy trims the fat with an excellent funk track.

Click on the VGM volume name to hear the theme mentioned. Finally, check out the VGM Database for every past VGM volume ever featured on this weekly segment. Now, let's get on to the music!

v1311. Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas (Multi) - Sky Island

Let's start this week's and this indie game-centric edition of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs with an isometric adventure game inspired by The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Although Nobuo Uematsu and Kenji Ito, two veteran Japanese video game composers, are credited with top billing in Oceanhorn: Monster of the Uncharted Seas, the majority of the music, including this riveting theme, was written by Kalle Ylitalo. Considering many confused Kalle's themes with Uematsu and Ito's, that's quite the compliment for Ylitalo! All around, Oceanhorn's wonderful soundtrack is absolutely incredible.

v1312. Ittle Dew 2 (PS4, XB1, PC) - Cowboy (Peppermint Prairie)

Another Zelda-like game, but this one is less influenced by The Wind Waker and more influenced by the original Legend of Zelda and A Link to the Past. It's Ittle Dew 2, a game by Ludosity that is a great improvement from the original, being one of SuperPhillip Central's favorite indie games of 2016. The music hits all the right notes, such as this one for the Peppermint Prairie area of the game, an area full of Wild West imagery, volcanoes, lava, and magma.

v1313. Undertale (PC) - Snowy

If you have yet to play Undertale, perhaps this perfect-for-winter theme from the game might influence or persuade you. Undertale was a massive indie success, made primarily with one person, showing that you don't need a humongous team to create a great game (though that does help). Snowy is a peaceful, tranquil, and delightful theme starring piano and then lovely strings.

v1314. Toki Tori (Multi) - Forest Falls

We move from a winter wonderland to a peaceful forest setting where the first world of Toki Tori takes place. The game was originally a Game Boy Color release before getting a massive makeover on WiiWare and then multiple other digital storefronts. A sequel was made several years later, and it's one of the best puzzle adventure games around. Both possess a positively glorious soundtrack to them, as evidenced in Toki Tori with this song.

v1315. Super Meat Boy (Multi) - Forest Funk

One of the earliest major indie success stories out there, Super Meat Boy was a main fixture of the Xbox 360's library of digital gaming goodness. The game was also featured prominently in Indie Game: The Movie, detailing the massive hell it is to make, launch, and market a game of any size. Toki Tori passes the forest-themed baton to Super Meat Boy, showcasing a truly funky song-- if the name of the track didn't already spell that out, of course!