Hey guys.  I need some album recommendations here.  I recently aquired all three volumes of the Ys IV Dawn of Souls Perfect Collection albums!  WOW!  THIS IS the game music i absolutely love.  That fast paced rock synth stuff!  Can anyone recommend me any other albums that have this SAME EXACT style!?  Especially tracks like "Karhna" on the volume 1 album!  Thanks!

I would recommend the following:

Perfect Collection Ys I/II Complete Works of Ryo Yonemitsu
http://vgmdb.net/album/1705

Ys III PC-Engine redbook soundtrack

Perfect Collection Sorcerian Vol. 1
http://vgmdb.net/album/1349

Perfect Collection Dragon Slayer ~ The Legend of Heroes
http://vgmdb.net/album/1148

Falcom JDK Band 1
http://vgmdb.net/album/97

The Very Best of Ys
http://vgmdb.net/album/1727

Falcom Special Box '94 (though the first disc is completely made of tracks directly from the Ys IV Perfect Collections)
http://vgmdb.net/album/1465

The Konami Battle series
http://vgmdb.net/album/552
http://vgmdb.net/album/553
http://vgmdb.net/album/2568
http://vgmdb.net/album/2569
http://vgmdb.net/album/827
http://vgmdb.net/album/865

Megaten World
http://vgmdb.net/album/518

Crash's list is pretty good. There's also

Phantasy Star Collection 1 (the arrange disc):
http://vgmdb.net/album/2359

Megami Tensei I & II (again, the arrange disc):
http://vgmdb.net/album/2484

Wow, my kind of thread, lol...But all the easy ones have been said. That style isn't too prevalent in VGM anymore, unfortunately.

It's rare, but have a look for the Double Dragon II Arrange album. Very distinctly 80's synth rock there. Ditto for Xexex Perfect Selection, Growlanser II OST (really an arrange album) and All Over Xanadu.

If you don't mind the NES synth, check out the Rockman 1-6 OST's, as well as 9. I always said Falcom music sounded like the composers for classic Rockman/Megaman doing RPG music.

Outside of VGM, have a look at Rush's material in the 80's (from Moving Pictures to Presto, I believe). I might be off base with this one, but the way they used the synths and guitars for their 80's material (combined with killer drum/guitar work) always resembles classic Falcom to me. Oh, and Power Quest, Stratovarius and Axxis...I knew and obsessed over Falcom before them and I took to these power metal bands like ants to a sugar cube.

Some more..in no particular order

Gunhard (just the Gunhard rock arrange):

http://vgmdb.net/album/3293

Skull Fang:

http://vgmdb.net/album/3308

Woodsoft - Music From Falcom Games:

http://vgmdb.net/album/8544

Langrisser:

http://vgmdb.net/album/2522

Masaya Omnibus:

http://vgmdb.net/album/2521

Sapphire Redbook audio (no game music CD version exists)

Remastered Tracks Rockman Zero 4 - Physis:

http://vgmdb.net/album/264

Street Fighter EX3 OST:

http://vgmdb.net/album/1632

G.S.M. Capcom albums (just a few tracks each):

http://vgmdb.net/db/albums-search.php?do=results

Hmm, I don't really think this is what he's looking for...More experimental electronic music, if anything, and a lot of it is pretty laid back, which ultimately turned me off to it. Not bad, but I can't remember anything besides Area's Theme and the opening track that would really qualify as synth rock. I'd be pretty disappointed if I heard this and expected something like the Ys IV PC's.

But as far as Gunhard goes...Gamadelic's arrange albums in general are so 80's-synthrock, they hurt. I like how they collect from various CD's.

Wow guys, thanks for all the recommendations!  Much appreciated.  Surprised you guys didnt mention albums like Thunder Force V and that Broken Thunder album that recently came out!  Great synth rock done in the 21st century!  Oh and also the Under Defeat OST absolutely floored me (glad I got the LE edition of the game that came with the OST

I guess the next game coming out that will also have this type of music is THUNDER FORCE VI for PS2 (still cant believe its coming).  I cannot WAIT to hear music from that game!!  I'm really hoping that game comes stateside!

Yes, Under Defeat is quite enjoyable, and that trail also leads to IBARA.
(Both shooters by Shinji Hosoe)

I'll have to chime in and agree with GX about it being different than what the Ys IV PCs bring forth. It's a great album in its own right but has a different sound to it. Ironically enough, that laid back quality to the album is what makes it so enjoyable for me.

Yeah, absolutely. Both the UD OST and the DC LE pack-in discs are excellent albums and along with IBARA are some of my favorite works by Hosoe. You should definitely check out IBARA if you have the chance. It's very melodic and energetic synth rock at its best, IMO.

you can listen to some samples here:

http://thunderforce.sega.jp/sound.html

I was hesitant about including that one and I predicted someone would say something. But I feel it is similar enough and worth recommending. As an example, consider Bronze District from Ys IV PC Vol. 3. It is comparable to what is contained on Street Fighter EX3. So is Lilia from Vol. 1; it is comparable to Iron Eyes, in terms of happiness.

I actually thought about mentioning Thunder Force V, but it is so much heavier than Ys IV. With Thunder Force V, you're getting into Lost Child territory. A domain commanded by S.S.H. So that leads me to further mention the Atelier Iris Eternal Mana arrange albums, if heavy is what you want.

The rock tracks on the OST from the Mega CD version of Alshark (not the PC-98 version) are similar, if a bit less synthy, but the album as a whole is a mixed bag stylistically. It's about one part rock, one part synth-orchestra, and one part love-sim (I don't think the game's a love sim, but that's what the music sounds like). I don't care much for the last category, but overall it's a pretty good album.

The Legend of Heroes II never gets mentioned.  Yonemitsu did the arrangements on the PC-Engine SCD version of that game too, and the Perfect Collection album isn't half bad either.

Yeah, I'd recommend looking into some old redbook game soundtracks, like Dungeon Master II or Efera & Jiliora for PC-Engine CD.  Maybe even Nazo^2/NON's work like Guardian Heroes redbook for Saturn.

- Justin Pfeiffer

I still don't hear it, but the Street Fighter EX1 Arrange album would probably more likely qualify, ironically.

This is like a hidden recommendation mentioned briefly in passing. Definitely check out the Lost Child albums (at least the ones by SSH).

Rightly so. Stick close to the SSH stuff and beware of this one: Lost Child Infinia - http://vgmdb.net/album/1393

  I can not tell you how disappointed I was when I heard it. I'm sure that's great stuff for some people, but I was expecting something similar to the previous Lost Child albums.

  But now I'm thinking about Thunder Force V again, and I did realize something the last time I listened to it. It is basically a very raw and brutal version of Einhander. It could be Einhander 2, or perhaps the prequel.

.

Castlevania yo!

More like Final Fantasy.  The FF1/FF2 GBA remake shares the same subtitle.

Have you heard Machinae Supremacy's score for the PC shooter Jets 'n Guns?  I don't think it ever got an official release, but their official site was offering it as a free download at some point.  Since I can't seem to find it anymore, I've taken the liberty of uploading it for you.  Check it out, it's incredible synth-rock work:

Jets 'n Guns Original Soundtrack:
http://www.mediafire.com/?inwoydmznmf

Surprised no one's given a nod to Gate of Thunder.  Its sequel, Lords of Thunder, too.

I'd also recommend the SEGA-CD version of LoT. It has a more refined and clearer sound with better guitar playing. The DUO version always sounded way too fuzzy.

You're damn right it is great stuff for some people. That second disc is pure gold.

And I second Jets n' Guns. Splendid splendidness, definitely give it a download (it didn't get a physical release).

Y's is pretty overrated in my opinion Daniel.  Try the Valkryie Profile 2 OST or the Samurai Troopers Soundtracks.

Hey, I have an idea...Why not just recommend any random release and not even read what the guy was asking for. Heck, why not recommend Chrono Cross? I mean, yeah, it has some electric guitar in it, a little bit of rock in there, a couple of upbeat pieces and...and...yeah, it's just like what the guy was asking for. Or how about something from DDR? I mean, certainly the soundtracks that have the word "Mix" in the title (read: just about all of them) MUST be compatable with the Ys IV Megamixes to indiscriminate listeners. Right? Right?

EX3 might be off base (arguably), but VP2 isn't even remotely close to what was asked for. At least VP1 would be somewhere in the ballpark.

And is it really THAT hard to spell Ys properly?

That's what I said!

...d'oh.

I personally agree, and let's express this opinion in the right place at the right time

Don't think that much of Ys either, but Ys Origin is awesome. I love a few other Falcom soundtracks -- Zwei, Gurumin, VM Japan, Dinosaur -- but not bothered much with their other works.

Thanks for that Jets n Guns link, Angela. Awesome fun stuff. Heh, I seem to be listening to more and more Western VGM these days.

Also, no Gradius music recommended? Get the Gradius Arcade Soundtrack and check out everything. Everything's got its merits although I'd say Gradius II & IV might be more to your tastes and the classic Gradius III hopefully too.

.

Gotta agree there. They used really competent arrangers and orchestras / bands too not just crappy illusionists like Konami did. I have to say most of their employees are damn good too and many of them (especially Koshiro and Shirakawa) have gone on to do amazing things. I still respect the original scores but they don't appeal to me as much as a lot of other classic game music.

Yeah me too...

Oh wait, we were talking about Ys and not Hitoshi Sakimoto...nevermind.

There's a link to a full soundtrack rip of Thunder Force VI over at the SEMO forums (check the fourth post in this thread). The sound quality is great, and I'm really beginning to enjoy the music. Its more electro-inspired than earlier Thunder Force music, but there's a fair share of hard rock in there, too. Overall I'd say its split 50-50 between electro/techno and hard rock, and although I feel the rock tracks are much better than the techno ones, there are some electronic gems there (like "STAGE02-B" by Tamayo Kawamoto). Let's hope for a physical release of this, so the I-only-listen-to-officially-released-VGM-CDs people can enjoy this one as well.

I also noticed a case of VGM plagiarism in this soundtrack. Tsuyoshi Kaneko's track "ORN EMPEROR 2" rips off an entire section from Akira Yamaoka's "Sky to the Ocean" from the Shin Contra OST. The guitars are a bit weaker, but some parts are exactly copied, riff by riff. Whatever you can say about that, at least the guy had the good taste to rip off the best.

After finally getting to play the game in the form of the Ginga Ojousama Densetsu Collection, I wholeheartedly agree: Sapphire is positively kickin'.

Does anyone have a high quality rip of the original redbook audio that they're willing to share?  I'd like to compare it to my own recording of the PSP version; see if the quality took much of a hit in terms of compression on UMD.

Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire Game Recording (PSP):
http://www.mediafire.com/?nwoylytjjng

EDIT: With thanks to Carl, he was able to provide the redbook rip here.  Mine or Carl's, make sure you give one of these badboys a listen.  It's freaken phenomenal.