Masashi Hamauzu

Game Music

5-Disc Final Fantasy XIII Limited Edition Soundtrack Announced

October 22, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | 3 Comments Share this

The announcement we’ve all been waiting for. We talked about the game’s music in our review of the music featured in the demo earlier this year, and again when we reviewed the Square Enix Music Sampler Volume 4 CD, but now we have a massive 5-disc soundtrack to look forward to, courtesy of Masashi Hamauzu.

It turns out that only the limited edition will feature 5 discs, whereas the standard edition will contain 4. What’s on the fifth disc? Probably not much that any of us care about, as it’s planned to be a drama album. Still, the packaging looks pretty snazzy, and I can imagine it’ll be awesome if past limited edition releases are any indication. Also, the game will feature two vocal themes featuring the voice of Sayuri Sugawara. The albums are both due out on January 27, 2009, with the limited edition costing about $50 and the regular edition costing around $40. Start saving!

Are you at all surprised by the size of the Final Fantasy XIII soundtrack? Will you be picking this one up in January?

[via VGMdb]
Game Music

OSVchannel: Unpacking the 21-Disc Behemoth That is the SaGa Premium Box

August 25, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | 5 Comments Share this

So, it’s finally here. We mentioned this massive 20 CD + 1 DVD SaGa collection some months ago, and even talked to Square Enix’s Music Licensing Division Manager and Promotions Manager about the set, but we now have it in our hands a full day ahead of the Japanese release. I thought some of you out there who are considering purchasing the box, or have already placed your orders may be interested in checking out what’s inside, so we’ve gone ahead and done just that.

This thing is massive. And the “assembly required” thing I mention in the video? It will take you a good half-hour, and I still don’t know if I put it together correctly. When it’s done, however, it’s quite a stunning sight to behold. Oh, and the music is awesome too! I’ve been digging the Gameboy SaGa titles (they were my most anticipated soundtracks of the set), and am looking forward to digging into the rest of the material in the coming days. Watch for our review!

Is this unpacking video at all entertaining to you? If it’s something you find interesting, we can pursue stuff like this more often in the future. Anyway, I can’t imagine Square Enix is making very many of these, so get one while you can!
Game Music

Square Enix Announces Largest VGM Box Set Ever… And It’s For the SaGa Series?!

May 16, 2009 | Patrick Gann | 8 Comments Share this

You heard that right. In August of this year, Square Enix will ship out copies of what is not only their largest box set, but is actually the largest box set of game music in the history of the genre. The SaGa Series 20th Anniversary Original Soundtrack -PREMIUM BOX- contains 20 CDs of music (OSTs for every game in the series, though no arranged albums unfortunately), as well as a bonus DVD and some extra visual content included in the box.

Of course, it’s retailing for over $200, so you’d better start saving for it now. The Square Enix Members Store is already taking preorders. As for me, I’ll wait until an import-friendly shop like Play-Asia or VGM World lists it.

So we really want to hear feedback on this. Why this large a box, and why for this “underdog” franchise? Obviously, celebrating the 20th anniversary is a big deal, but it’s not like they put out a 40 disc box set for the Final Fantasy 20th anniversay (which took place two years ago). And who’s looking forward to reliving their favorite musical moments from Kenji Ito and Masashi Hamauzu?
Game Music

Preview: Hamauzu’s Final Fantasy XIII Soundtrack Not to Disappoint

April 28, 2009 | Shota Nakama | 6 Comments Share this

The latest of the massive Final Fantasy franchise has finally arrived – well, sort of. As a nice bonus feature of the Blu-ray version of Advent Children that was released in Japan this month, a generous Final Fantasy XIII demo was included, finally giving fans a taste of one of the most anticipated games of 2009 and 2010.

The demo lasts about two hours and is broken up into two sections, featuring 4 pieces of music that appear to be near-final versions. The pieces include music for the menu, the “dungeon” area, battles, and the boss battle. For those who may not be aware (none of you, I hope), Masashi Hamazu is handling the score, finally getting his well-deserved moment in the spotlight.

Read our preview of the Final Fantasy XIII soundtrack after the jump. (more…)
Game Music, Reviews

The Way To My Heart: Square Enix Music Sampler CD Vol. 3 From TGS 2008 (Review)

November 6, 2008 | Jayson Napolitano | 1 Comment Share this

Call me behind the times, but I never realized Square Enix had put out so many music samplers and promo discs at their various events over the years. The annual Square Enix Party events and recent Tokyo Game Shows have each featured their own unique collections of music given to attendees as a preview of upcoming soundtrack releases from Square Enix.

So, what did they have in store for fans at the Tokyo Game Show this year? The Square Enix Music Sampler CD Vol. 3 of course, featuring music from both released and unreleased titles from the Square Enix catalogue. While the packaging isn’t as elaborate as the Square Enix Party 2007 CD (awesome!), the collection of six tunes do get me excited about a couple of Square Enix’s upcoming albums.

Hit the jump for impressions of Square Enix’s snazzy sampler. (more…)