According to this
http://www.gmronline.com/info.asp?CatNu … CT-26221~9

There is one...

I am not sure where that information came from though.

~Andy

It's true: http://www.towerrecords.co.jp/sitemap/C … ORT_CD=101

Just announced very recently, it seems, as I check for new EMI releases frequently and hadn't seen it before.

9 discs, though? Maybe that means (Re:)Chain of Memories gets a disc or two?

Well, it could be like this; KH I & II OST (4 disc), Chains of Memories OST (1 disc), Final Mixes (2 disc) and those Utada Hikaru singles (2 disc). Or could have some extra arrange stuff like FF XI box, like piano or something else.

wow. That's some crazy crap right there. I wonder how much it'll cost...

Ramza

15000 yen, if you click the Tower Records link. 

Edit: It would be great if they expanded KH2 to 3 discs and the tracks looped!

VGM Boxsets have really taken off during the past 2 years, with the trend gaining even more momentum as time goes on, so big Boxsets must be quite profitable...

I say bring 'em on. VGM boxsets are great ideas. Too bad they canned that NAMCO Wonderbox from a couple of years ago.

oh yeah, I've bought at least 6 of them myself 
There were a few that I had to skip though, didn't have money for ALL of them.

I'm not really such a big fan of the recent boxed sets, especially if they come out so long after the originals that I've already bought the majority of the discs separately.  I don't want to have to pay over $100 to re-buy things I already have just to get a single exclusive disc or whatever.

I don't mind boxed sets that have a lot of new content like the Capcom ones (not counting the Biohazard one).  I frown upon stuff like the FFXI one where it's mostly rehash with some exclusives.  I want the exclusives, but I'm not paying a fortune just to get them (a few years ago, I probably would have, but I find my passion for going out of my way for VGM isn't what it used to be).  I  have no problem with boxed sets that simply compile old stuff I already have since it's a great way for those who missed them the first time around to get in the game, and I don't have to worry about missing anything new.

Neowing's description seems to imply that KH II will have different edits, although they confirm that KH I's soundtrack will remain the same as before. They also mention a Chain of Memories soundtrack and other rare tracks. No word on any arrange discs, unfortunately.

I see Kuja put up the tracklist on GMR.  I just gotta say, if the Chain of Memories segment isn't Re: Chain of Memories, I'll be disappointed.

Nine discs of Shimomura...that's quite a lot...

Making comparisons with the GSF set I did for Chain of Memories, it looks like there's several more "original" tracks than in the GBA version, so I'm guessing this is indeed the music for the remake. That said, I find it kind of odd that all that KH music is in there - are they revamped versions of the original KH music, done with the KH2 soundfont (or soundbank or whatever the term I'm trying to think of is)?

I guess we'll find out when the game/soundtrack comes out...

For anyone interested in track lengths:

http://www.jbook.co.jp/p/p.aspx/3275243/s

The Kingdom Hearts II tracks really are considerably longer than before.

The KH2fm website was updated with pics of the set:

http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/7559/kh2fmfp6.jpg

How tempting is that....but 15000 yen...ARGH....

-Joshua

The official site is up, and it confirms that Discs 7 and 8 are indeed for Re: Chain of Memories.

And it's seriously tempting, but the series is definitely not over, and I fear that they'll release a newer, updated "Complete Box" when the next game comes out.

Does anyone know if the longer KH2 tracks will feature upgraded synth a la FFXII or is it the same lackluster synth as before?

my thoughts exactly... I do want some KH music and some more Shimomura work but give or take 15,000 yen (more or less $125 + shipping) is a lot of scratch

Very tempting. I don't even care for KH music much myself, but for some reason I want. That. Boxset.

>_>

<_<

Ok, what the hell is with that Re:Chain of Memories synth? It sounds even worse than the one they used in KH II!

I mean, come on. Fire Takeharu Ishimoto's sorry ass already and rehire Ryo Yamazaki!

You do realize COM is a GBA game, right? It's not going to sound like PS2 synth.

And *you* do realize that the CoM discs that come with the boxed set are for the PS2 remake of the game and not from the GBA one, right?

That said, I'm enjoying the set and not really having any problems with the synth.  Mmm... 9 discs of Shimomura (on top of the much-better-than-expected Murmur album from last week).

Do'h! No, I did not. Sorry about that, Flexar! My mistake.

Haha, never mind.

Despite the crappy synth, I was also positively surprised by some of the tracks. "Castle Oblivion" and "Forgotten Challenge" translated very well. "Lord of the Castle" is my absolute favourite, however I'm not quite sure whether it's a new song or an arrangement since I never finished the original Chain of Memories.

But wait a minute, didn't CoM pretty much consist of music that was used in KH and KH2 anyway?
Are you telling me they arranged everything anyway, instead of just using the old music?

Guess I'll find out soon enough once I get the game (perhaps today).

I don't really remember anywhere near as much original music in the GBA game as shows up on this CD set... I think they added a significant amount of new material to it for the PS2 version.  Also, the arrangements I've heard so far are a bit different.

"Lord of the Castle" is definitely new. I'm guessing they added a new final/optional boss, or replaced the music for the Reverse Rebirth final boss (which appears here as "Revenge of Chaos").

I don't quite agree with you on "Forgotten Challenge" translating well - the original seemed to me like it was supposed to be a loud and imposing piece (and an intentional contrast to "Castle Oblivion"). Some of that came through in the PS2 version, but if I had my way with the song, it would've been blaring and ear-blastingly powerful.

And Qui-Gon, I'm going to have to play the anal-retentive here - while some of the songs definitely seem to be arranged differently, the only ones new to the PS2 version (that are featured on the complete box) are "Lord of the Castle", "March-a-Long" and "Dash-a-Long". I assure you that everything else was in the original game.

I'd really like to know the original intended uses of the extra music (tracks 5-12 on the last disc). Maybe it's in the liner notes somewhere...

"What a Surprise?!" sounds like something out of FFTA.....and with it and "Happy Holidays", I wonder if there was at one point going to be a Christmas-based world, perhaps related to "The Nightmare Before Christmas"?

Man, some of this unused music is really good. Would've been great in the games.

EDIT: Those tracks may not be unused afterall.... "The 13th Reflection" is used in at least two of the RE: Chain of Memories battles (Larxene and Zexion)....

1. Ah, okay.  It's been a long time since I played Chain of Memories and I wasn't particularly moved by it, so my memory of most things within is pretty hazy.  Thanks for the clarification.

2. Tracks 5-12 on the 9th disc are from KH2 Final Mix, according to the liner notes (so disc 9 is just a collection of new material added to the second version of each game).

The box I got in the mail yesterday, it's a pretty solid set.  Plus I got a KH CD tote thingy too.  I hope to get around to listening to some of this stuff soon.

i'm a bit late to the party here, and you've probably already heard about it, but yeah, the final boss in Sora's story now has three forms (GBA original only had two), and 'Lord of the Castle' is heard in the final form.

No, '13th Struggle' is used for both Larxene and Zexion. I'm pretty sure '13th Reflection' is only used in some of the KH2FM Org-battles, but it definately isn't anywhere in Re:CoM. Also, I believe 'What a Surprise!' and 'Happy Holidays' are, indeed, new field and battle themes for Christmas Town, respectively. Pretty cool how they gave Christmas Town sort of a new "image" of it's own with different character costumes and more fitting music, although I kinda wish Shimomura had arranged Elfmans 'What's This?' as the new battle theme.

Anyways, I, for one, am pretty disappointed with Re:Chain of Memories. While the new and CoM-exclusive tracks are pretty good, the shitty synth quality really hurts the re-used KH1 music. I might have forgiven them, had they at least gone for more 'radical' arrangements (as they did with 'Destiny Islands') but now it's just all-around disappointing. :/ Square definately needs to bring Ryo Yamazaki back for KH3 and that new spin-off series Nomura has been hinting at lately. Hopefully, with Crisis Core and It's a Wonderful World, Takeharu Ishimoto is going to make his way into a full-time composer, as he'd be a lot better off that way (based on what we've heard so far).

So 1 month after the box has been released - how are your opinions?

Is it worth for me to buy the whole box when I already have Kingdom hearts OST 1 and 2? How much better is the quality of the 4-cds kingdom hearts 2 ost instead of the regular 2-cds?

I have them too, but I think I would buy the box anyway. That is, if it wasn't so damn expensive with all the toll crap etc. Besides, there are other (cheaper) albums I'd like to buy first.

And the 4 disc KH2 OST isn't any better quality-wise, it's just that there are a few (minor) songs that weren't in the original release and the tracks loop.

Yeah, and all the CoM stuff is pretty much rehash too.

-Joshua