The Game Gear’s first games debut on the 3DS’ Virtual Console this week. Needless to say, this has got me digging out my Game Gear and playing all kinds of games, most notably the game that will surely be the flagship title of the Game Gear’s arrival: Sonic Triple Trouble.
So today’s Tuesday Tunes will be focusing on one of my favorite video game tunes from back in the day: Sunset Park Act 3’s theme. Now, there’s something you should know about Sunset Park Act 3: it’s special. Sonic Triple Trouble had all sorts of neat moments, and this was one of them. For one, it takes place on top of a moving train, which Sonic must run across in order to face the killer train engine at the end. This is also the first auto scrolling level in Sonic history, and perhaps the first example of an “auto run” segment. In addition to all that, it was also the only Act 3 in Triple Trouble to feature its very own musical score, the one posted above. Another interesting little factoid about Sunset Park Act 3? Its song wasn’t only very catchy, but apparently pushed the Game Gear’s sound capabilities to their limits. This is one of the most complicated pieces of music I have ever heard in a Game Gear game. It’s the only example of Game Gear music that layers two pieces of music on top of one another. In addition to the louder theme, there is also another underlying theme playing a separate tune, with a rhythmic beat much akin to the sound of a train moving across tracks. However, unless the player took great pain to hear it, it is virtually impossible to hear the entire piece in game. Why? Because every time the player destroys an enemy, the sound it makes causes the second, underlying tune to go silent for a moment. With the rate of enemies towards the end of the stage, this meant that it was impossible for players to hear a part of the song!
The ways in which Triple Trouble pushed the Game Gear and the Sonic formula never ceases to amaze me. This is something I only discovered tonight, as I was looking for the track on Youtube, when I realized there was an entire tune within the song that I did not recognize. I thought that perhaps I had found a remixed track or a track exclusive to some other version of the game, until I began finding the same tune in track after track. It really was in the game, the Game Gear simply wasn’t capable of playing it while I was smashing enemies.
Below the fold is a neat little remix I found while I was seeking the real thing. Enjoy!
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahXzlX6OH_8
This sounds like a modern arrangement to me.
I don’t think the remaster is really that great. It doesn’t translate some of the channels well, especially the drums
Loved this song!! Not sure, but I think that Yuzo Koshiro was the one responsible for all the Sonic’ games on the Game Gear. He has developed the titles and composed the music, was not?
Hate to be a picky git but:
“This is also the first auto scrolling level in Sonic history”
Is incorrect as sonic1 on the GG had a auto scrolling zone, on bridge zone act 2 😛