To get (re)acquainted with past parts of "Underrated Games With Even More Underrated Soundtracks", then look no further than these delightful links:
ARMS (NSW)
Our first underrated game and soundtrack for part seven of this recurring series of articles is ARMS, a game that like a certain recent Nintendo game, also launched with the bare minimum of content. No doubt this caused many critics to slam this aspect of the game. Thankfully, a stream of steady content came ARMS players' way with new characters, stages, modes, and features to enjoy. This was on top of the already superb fighting-based gameplay. This wasn't your daddy's fighting game--that much was certain with ARMS' unique perspective, approach, and method of fighting. Many of the themes heard from the game play off the main theme of the game, and man, is it a great one! Now that ARMS is fully featured after all this time, maybe we can hope that a certain tennis game that launched this past Friday gets the same TLC given to it.
Fire Emblem Warriors (NSW, N3DS)
Releasing on both the Nintendo Switch and New Nintendo 2DS and 3DS (note the "New" in there--the game won't work on standard 2DS and 3DS systems!), Fire Emblem Warriors was maligned for various reasons, whether rightfully or not. From the character selection that leaned too heavily to modern Fire Emblem games, to the relatively basic maps and Dynasty Warriors-style combat that is deceptively not deep enough for some, Fire Emblem Warriors didn't brighten the day of some reviewers and Fire Emblem fans. As someone with a loose interest in the franchise, I happened to think Fire Emblem Warriors was a solid effort and ended up putting over 50 hours into the game. Though, quantity time with the game does not indicate quality, of course--just a lot of free time during the holidays. What really rocks about Fire Emblem Warriors is its inspired remixes from past games in the series. Even without knowledge of some of the games (due to missing out on them), I still loved every piece of music in this Musou edition of Fire Emblem.
Sonic Forces (Multi)
Sega's composers really know how to bring it--no matter the game. Heck, we've seen--er--heard that with even Sega's weakest efforts, and yes, some of those are, in fact, games featuring the company's mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog. That continues with Sonic Forces, a soundtrack that I originally didn't find much enjoyment to be found through the samples shared by the Sonic the Hedgehog social media account. Listening to the majority of the tunes during the course of gameplay eventually made me come around to the entire soundtrack. Well, almost the entire soundtrack, as I'm not the hugest fan of most of the faux-Genesis sound chip style Classic Sonic themes in the game. But the vocal themes for your avatar and the standard rock of the Modern Sonic levels? I certainly liked listening to them. Sonic Forces may be a quick game to beat, but it doesn't outlast its welcome. It also features enough longevity to keep players coming back for more for those who were entertained during their experience with the game.
Everybody's Golf (PS4)
From a super speedy game to a more relaxed, slower-paced one, we turn our attention to Everybody's Golf, the latest in the long-running series that debuted on the original PlayStation--though the series was known then as Hot Shots Golf in North America until this PlayStation 4 entry which unified the name worldwide. Everybody's Golf broke new ground in the series, featuring the ability to traverse freely around an interconnected course, split up between the front nine and the back nine. The soundtrack is so mellow and marvelous that I often found myself just standing still on a given course with my custom golfer just bobbing my head to the tunes as they played. If you've yet to check the latest installment of the Everybody's Golf series, you really should, especially with the game's budget price.
Super Bomberman R (NSW, PS4, XB1, PC)
Bomberman, Bomberman! Does whatever a Bomberman can! His return last year with the Nintendo Switch launch title Super Bomberman R was quite the blast, and it has recently--as of this month--seen a release on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Each of these ports have their own exclusive character to play as in multiplayer, in addition to the bombers already in the game. The game was a bit of a mess on the Switch, but with consistent and invaluable patches and updates, Super Bomberman R is now a massively entertaining package on Nintendo's hybrid platform. You can thank us launch Switch owners for being the beta testers, PS4, Xbox One, and PC players! The actual game delivers all the bombastic and bomb-tastic thrills one would expect from traditional Bomberman games, and the music is catchy enough to make bombing runs all the more explosive.
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Wii U, 3DS)
Pairing up two former mascot rivals from the Nintendo vs. Sega golden years of classic gaming sounds like a dream come true put on paper, but interested parties didn't quite get what they wished for. Instead of a platformer or action game, Mario and Sonic took their rivalry to the Olympic Games way back in 2008, and almost every two years after, they continued this. Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games appropriately brings some inspired Mario and Sonic theme remakes, but what really wowed me were the bright, colorful, and jovial percussive and brass-featured original songs in the game. Rather than name a bunch of remixes that you've probably already heard before, here's some fantastic tracks from the game, both Rio-inspired and some just plain rockin'.
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