I HAVE ALWAYS been into video game music. Yeah, sure, I'm part of the Nintendo generation, but still... I began my musical education as a six years old boy with a keen ear and a somewhat freakishly effective memory. Once I heard a tune I liked, I could sit at the piano and play it right away. My parents were annoyed with me playing so much video game music, instead of the classical pieces I was supposed to learn.

 

When I look back, from the first time I watched my friends play video games (before I actually ended up playing, years later), some melodies and soundtracks hit me like a ton of kremlings, twelve magitek armors and, oh, let's say... two or three technodromes. The first three I can think of are, without too much hesitation, Final Fantasy III (VI in Japan), Donkey Kong Country and Mega Man X.

 

When I think of the latest of these memorable chiptune treasures, I remember the intensity, the virtuosity of every part and track, bounded to inescapable melodies (Boomer Kuwanger's tower theme and Spark Mandrill's powerplant... COME ON). And that was BEFORE I discovered Mega Man 3... man, what a jawdropper. So, yeah, as an hommage of some sort, I ended up composing some Mega Man music. I chose to redo Mega Man 3's Magnet Man stage and boss fight, including themes for the stage selection menu, the actual stage, boss fight and victory tune.

 

I asked a friend, visual artist Nicolas Grenier (www.nicolasgrenier.ca), to illustrate the project with his own rendition of Rockman's universe and I used original video footage from the game to work out the rest of the stunt.