Konami Game Music Volume 1

I previously griped a bit about Taito Game Music, a CD which I liked despite its shortcomings but really couldn’t see recommending to a general audience. Well, as it turns out, some of the same problems rear their heads with Konami Game Music Volume 1, but those problems are tempered by one thing: generally, Konami’s 80s arcade games had more music than Taito’s, lending themselves more readily to a release like this.

Covered in this first volume of Konami coin-op audio tributes are Gyruss (whose techno take on Bach’s “Tocatta And Fugue In B Minor” was the first video game music ever presented in stereo), the original and arrangement versions of Twin Bee and Gradius, music and effects from Pooyan, Time Pilot, Yie Ar Kung-Fu, Roc ‘N’ Rope and a Japan-only release, Kekkyoku Nankyoku Daiboken. All strictly 80s goodness.

The sound transfers, as usual, are phenomenal, but all the difference is made when one tries to do this with games which had music to begin with. Gyruss and Time Pilot are personal favorites of mine in this department, and there’s no doubt that you’ll probably dig others that have memories attached to them for you as well. Good stuff, but still something for only the biggest video game fans.

Twinbee
1. Credit – Start BGM (Stage99) (0:10)
2. Twinbee’s Home Town Song BGM (Game BGM 1) (0:19)
3. Power Up – Fantastic Powers (1:05)
4. Boss BGM1 – Clear (0:45)
5. Boss BGM2 – Stage Clear – Extend (0:54)
6. Warning – Boss BGM3 – Game Over (0:52)
7. Normal Ranking (0:18)
8. Top Ranking (0:26)

   Kekkyoku Nankyoku Daiboken

9. BGM (1:15)

   Gradius Arrange Version

10. Beginning Of The History – Challenger 1985 – Free Flyer (4:44)

    Gyruss

11. Gyruss BGM (3:02)

    Roc ‘N’ Rope

12. Game Start (0:10)
13. BGM1 (0:56)
14. BGM2 (0:54)
15. BGM3 (0:53)
16. BGM4 (0:59)

    Yie Ar Kung Fu

17. Game Start (0:09)
18. BGM (1:02)
19. Game End (0:36)

    Gradius

20. Credit – Beginning Of The History (0:24)
21. Challenger 1985 (0:47)
22. Beat Bank (0:17)
23. Blank Mask (0:22)
24. Free Flyer (0:46)
25. Mazed Music (0:18)
26. Mechanical Globule (0:33)
27. Final Attack (0:24)
28. Aircraft Carrier (0:16)
29. Game Over (0:05)
30. Ranking (0:21)
31. BGM (0:53)

    Pooyan

32. Game Start (0:13)
33. BGM1 (0:52)
34. BGM2 (1:02)
35. BGM3 (0:53)
36. BGM4 (0:04)
37. BGM5 (0:41)

    Time Pilot

38. BGM1 (0:10)
39. BGM2 (1:18)

    Twinbee Arrange Version

40. Twinbee’s Home Town Song – Game Over – Normal Ranking (4:54)

Released by: Scitron Digital
Release date: 2000
Total running time: 35:24