Norihiko Hibino and Yuzo Koshiro revealed at Extra 2008 that the Gradius meets boobs shooter port Otomedius G would be arranged by lots of awesome arrangers. People like Miki Higashino, Michiru Yamane, Norihiko Hibino, Motoaki Furukawa, Yuzo Koshiro, and Masato Kouda will arrange music from classics like Gradius and Twinbee. I've wrote a bit more here for those of you who are interested.

"It will be available as downloadable content with the game. "

Now THAT'S an important distinction for this arrange album.  As in available as DLC within the game.  I like that idea a WHOLE lot better than iTunes.

If Megaman 9's Arranged album (or even it's OST) was available from inside the game as DLC just like other additions are, that'd be a killer opportunity.

I don't know if this is a first for Konami or if anyone else has done it, but I certainly like the direction that is going!  It'll certainly give more gamers a chance to purchase the material this way.

Actually, it was Hibino alone who talked about this while introducing KPLECRAFT and quad who then took the DJ stage as a duo and did a killer Konami shooting game techno set based on Otemedius G.

Awesome news indeed though.

- Justin Pfeiffer

Thanks for the clarification there. Fixed accordingly! Was anything else mentioned about what Konami music would be arranged? Also, anyone know much about the original Otomedius' music?

is the OST any good?

whatever, i need this stuff on CD.

Higashino??? And the rest of the people... this should be good.

Holy Crap, some of these BGM Pack Arranges turned out really cool.

Big thanks to Gamestone over at Gradius Home World, who took the effort to make recordings of the BGM Packs for our listening pleasure!!

Vol.3 isn't out yet, but all the other Volumes are here in a nice little package, hooray!

Otomedius G - Unofficial Music Soundtrack + BGM Packs.rar
sendspace.com/file/sbzxfd

Thanks Carl!! Here are the composers of the BGM packs (if it's not in the file already):

http://www.konami.jp/gs/game/otome_g/do … dex.html#3

Quite a few that I didn't mention. Kenichiro Fukui,  Naoki Maeda, Takehide Ayuzawa, Takahiro Izutani, and some people I don't know well.

EDIT: Ah, I see it's tagged. Very nice job. Just one question -- where is Vol. 3?

Vol.3 apparently isn't out yet.  Not sure when that one will open up for download

Thanks for the link, Carl.

Just a heads up, that the XWB format used for Otomedius is handled by VGMStream, so if you have access to the disc image, you can listen to them with proper loops and fades (the rip Carl posted seems to be only one loop with a very short fade).

Not sure about the DLC content, guessing it's encrypted in a way, so even if you could transfer it to the PC, wouldn't help much (do correct me if I'm wrong)

Confused (sorry), where can one acquire the full take of these songs (with proper fade and loop?)

I took a listen to some of teh the rip that was provided, LOTS of great stuff here (the term 'VGM gold' comes to mind).

Also, if anyone may know, is this game available on Xbox live, USA? 

cheers!

No US release for the game. (and even if the game did get published here, the extra downloadable BGM content probably wouldn't).

Could have sworn I read somewhere that Higashino was retired. This is great news, I guess for Gradius fans. Never heard the music ever, so . . . 

She's pretty much retired. Got married and left game music behind in 2002. That said, she's made a number of guest contributions since:

- 2005: Composed some big band pieces for Tsukyo ni Saraba / Moonlit Shadow at the desperate request of her friend Yasunori Mitsuda
- 2005: Composed the B-side for Yu Michigoe's debut single Hatenu Kagiri alongside Kazumi Mitome, probably because of her Mitsuda connection
- 2006: Reunited with The Thelonious Monkees to perform a remix and two new compositions for the Moon commemoration albums
- 2007: Contributed two new pieces for pop'n music 15 ADVENTURE, "Forest Song" and "Fu-Fa", on behalf of Konami once again
- 2008: Remixed a Gradius piece and possibly more on behalf of GEM Impact for the tribute title Otomedius G

It seems like she tends to make a few new pieces every year as a sort of hobby. I'm not too sure what her current job is.

My guess would be housewife.

Haha, that's what I would have thought too, although these liners seem to indicate differently. Seems she combines being a wife and mother with non-game music roles (possibly still musical?) and the odd guest game music project. One of us should really try to interview her some time; it'd be amazing to do given her legacy.

Though I appreciate the rip, am I the only one disappointed? When I saw the arranger list, I was excited for some more substantive arranges and music here in the arrangers' own stylings. These are all kind of ho-hum soundboard workings.

Those liner notes were interesting, and it just sounds like it's only occasional freelance writing she's doing, not salaried employment anywhere.  Which is pretty optimal if you ask me, freeing up her main time to be wife/mom and only freelances on a music project when she feels like it (or feels obligated to).

Remember, these are IN GAME substitute BGM arranges, meaning it still has to work within the gameplay structure and swap in/out interchangeably, so they can't go all crazy by making drastic genre rearranging or extended solos or anything, as it's not standalone audio.

Agreed that it could have been more extravagant, but I think some restraint was needed for the reasons Carl said. I was far more disappointed with Gradius ReBirth, which was more of a port of semi-obscure tunes than really anything outgoing.

It's good that Higashino is continuing, even if in a small capacity.

Thanks for the set, Carl!

I must admit I'm also somewhat disappointed. Naoki Maeda definitely isn't on Salamander 2 level with his arrangements, and generally there isn't anything of Sota Fujimori's Gradius Medley level goodness (but when is there?!). But there are also some very good tracks like Hibino's Boost Up, Koshiro's Planet Ratis (that guy still has it for chiptunes!), Yamaoka's Thunderbolt, SuperSweep's A Fighter and Dancing Venus and then Slash Fighter by Higashino herself. So while it's not everything I expected, it's good to see Konami giving arrangements and Gradius music still a chance in the changed vgm landscape.

The original music also has some good ones like Alexandria ~The Pyramid~, both Antarctic tracks and Against Big Boss ~Odin Core~, but the voice sample tracks are pretty disconcerting.

And here's pack No.3

BGM Pack Vol 3 - Emon 5 Pack - Thunder Cross Series.rar
sendspace.com/file/6zd4ne

And another thanks to GameStone for the recordings.
This should finish off the set, unless there's gonna be more than 6.

The soundtrack's beginning to grow more on me. I even like quad's Challenger 1985, which gives me Megaman 1 vibes for some reason.

i love thunder cross.

thanks for posting.

The 7th (and final !?!) BGM Pack is now available, although we might as well re-download the entire set, as GameStone went back and did Digital Extractions for the songs now, rather than the Analog Line-Out Recordings from before.

The increase in clarity is noticeable on the new digital extractions, so DL all the updated BGM Packs again here:

http://www.gamestone.co.uk/gradius/foru … php?t=2199

Big Thanks to GameStone!

thats amazing.

big thanks to GameStone!