Meet the Mob: Tristan Damen (Part 3 – Sounds Like a Memory)

I'd like to reminisce a little bit; let's talk about the marriage of music and games. Not in a
conventional sense though, I'm not referring to the increasing quality of original videogame
soundtracks, or even licensed ones for that matter: sometimes the best soundtrack is the one you
create yourself.

This goes back to the days of the Sega Mega Drive, when my older brother and I completed the
classic RPG, Shining Force to the soundtrack of Madonna: The Immaculate Collection. That's right
dear readers, each time I banished a skeleton warrior to the netherworld, old Madge would pipe
in with the likes of "Holiday," and "Like a Virgin." There was something about her chirpy, flirtatious
sound that made saving the world all the more satisfying. This particular habit became all the
more bizarre when I played Star Wars: Tie Fighter to the sound of Michael Jackson's twin album
opus, History. While I was a huge Star Wars fan and a lover of Williams' classic score, "Earth Song,"
and "Stranger in Moscow," accentuated the drama in LucasArts' classic flight sim.

Note: Play both clips together so you get the improvised soundtrack and the classic videogame
action. You'll need to mute the game footage (even though in the case of Shining Force, you may
not want to).

[embed:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDZ3T5S7sck ]

[embed:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daZQqnrwXc8 ]

There were times when the music seemed to fit the action on-screen, such as when a friend and I
played multiple sessions of Grand Theft Auto III to the dulcet tones of System of a Down. Try hitting
one of the many stunt jumps with "Spiders," playing in the background. I get goose-bumps even
thinking about it. If that doesn't suit your taste, you could always try a flamethrower rampage
with "Sugar," blowing out your speakers. System of a Down was also on constant rotation when I
played Mercenaries mode in Resident Evil 4. Sometimes it looked as though the chainsaw-wielding
gonados were dancing to "Old-School Hollywood."

Recently (not too recently, mind you), I have found some winning combinations. I
thoroughly enjoyed playing Gears of War with a soundtrack of Bruce Springstein, Prince and
Mastodon. "Sleeping Giant," fits the crumbling vistas and wreckage found in the fiendishly-designed
multiplayer maps so brilliantly, and I always loved to have "1999" playing to compliment a victory.
In 2009, I spent many hours playing Battlefield: Bad Company to the sounds of Jay Dee (aka J
Dilla); specifically the album titled, Donuts. I loved every moment of it, with the mash-ups of soul
tunes adding to the impact of every structure-shattering explosion. I'd thoroughly recommend the
combination.

Time to battle for my Little Red Corvette!

What about you guys? Has there been a time where a game's aural component has failed
to measure up to your record collection? If you find the time, boot up Bad Company and J
Dilla’s "Stop." You will not regret it.

You better stop, and think about what you're doing.

Do you have a videogame and music mash-up that you would like to share? Is it acceptable if I just
like Madonna’s older stuff?