Wii Music.
With Wii Music featuring the Mario and Zelda themes, and little else of note, we thought we'd suggest six old-school Nintendo songs that should be in the game.
We've watched as Guitar Hero and Rock Band have debuted on the Wii, devoid of online features, hoping that Nintendo might grace the games with a few of its classic gaming tunes. That didn't happen. When Wii Music was announced, and Nintendo's finest butchered the Super Mario Bros Theme, we took solace in the fact that Nintendo was finally giving us a title filled to the brim with amazing old-school music.
Unfortunately, the list of Nintendo songs in the retail version of Wii Music ended up being quite paltry. Nintendo's entire 8- and 16-bit heyday is represented by a paltry three titles: Super Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda theme songs, as well as the underrated F-Zero Mute City theme. Beyond that, there's two songs from Animal Crossing, and two from Wii properties--Wii Sports and Wii Music. If Nintendo ever sees fit to appease the hardcore and expand upon those seven songs, these six would be a great start.
With Kid Icarus experiencing a small renaissance due to Pit's inclusion in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, more and more gamers have been introduced to the amazing song that kicks the game off in an epic way. The continuously climbing notes really convey the feeling of flight. In Kid Icarus, it really helped you push Pit upwards during those vertically climbing stages. In Wii Music, it would be an excellent song for a small string group.
Nintendo's made a few sports games in their day, but there are precious songs in their games that can convey the pageantry of sports like the Monday Night Football or NBA on NBC themes. The gameplay theme from Ice Hockey (starts at :28) is a bit more whimsical, but it still gets the blood flowing. The fast pace of the theme should make it an excellent choice for a rock overhaul.
4- Mario Kart Mario Circuit Theme
While Mario's made his way into a few series outside of his platforming home, most of them don't have a signature theme that ties the games together. Where Mario Party, RPG, and his handful of sports endeavours fail, Mario Kart succeeds with the Mario Circuit theme. The first track theme heard by most Mario Kart fans, the Mario Circuit Theme sets itself apart from the standard Mario Bros. music with a lightheartedness accentuated by the rapid bongo beat. There's still an undeniable sense of urgency and importance, however, so we can see this one being played by duelling groups of horns and drums.
3- Super Mario Underwater Theme
While many gaming fans probably recall the Underground Theme from Super Mario Bros. more, the Underwater Theme works much better as a playable piece of music. With a decidedly German Oom-pah sound, we could see this one being played with a tuba, bass drum, and cymbals.
Like the Legend of Zelda Theme, Metroid's Brinstar Theme conveys a sense of an epic adventure yet to come. It's also got an outer-spacey feel to it, which makes the end result a theme that sounds like a glorious combination of the Star Wars Theme and military march. That's why we'd give this one the colonial treatment, with a flute and marching drum. Maybe throw a beatboxer in there to add a nice twist.
When one song is played during every stage of a game without annoying the player, it's the sign of a well-crafted song. Whether you're taking on Glass Joe, Bald Bull, or Mike Tyson himself, the Punch-Out Fight Theme (starts at :32) is probably playing. Since the song is probably coming back for the Wii version of the game, it would behove Nintendo to get the game into Wii Music. Outside of the Rocky Theme, there's no song better suited to throwing a punch to, so this game needs some strong instruments to power through the song. The new trailer includes a pounding trumpet part, so that should be remain, but we'd trade out the tame guitar for a more crunchy metal sound with a deeper drum.
