Staff Members :: Marc

Biography

When I was little, I hated music. It was fortunate for me, then, that I didn't realize that the bleeps and bloops coming out of my Gameboy that I so adored was defined as 'music.' My earliest musical memories, from about the age of three, are of Final Fantasy Adventure and Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest, and of those, I most fondly remember the final battle themes of each. I would replay the latter's final boss often, just to hear the music. I remember thinking that it was kind of strange that I enjoyed video game music so much.

Once, I realized that I was very selective about the music I most fondly recalled. Music from Japanese games stood out the most. I could never recall anything from any of my American games. That was the first turning point for me in my musical history. The second came about when I recognized that Culex's boss battle theme — not only my favorite track from the game but also one of the best pieces that I had heard at that point in my life — was also the only track in the game originally composed by Nobuo Uematsu, who more or less immediately became my favorite composer, especially after Final Fantasy VIII's "The Extreme." The final turning point for me was when a friend came over with the Final Fantasy VII soundtrack and informed me that game music had a following, and that the OSTs could all be purchased online. I immediately purchased the Final Fantasy VIII Original Soundtrack, and my collection very quickly multiplied.

For a while, I was very selective about which composers I enjoyed. But in the past few years, my horizons have broadened significantly, and I find myself growing attached to new composers constantly. I'll play the most atrocious games if a composer I adore scored it (most recent example: Heroes of Mana), but thankfully it's rare that I'll find a game that leaves such a sour taste in my mouth. I definitely like to play a game all the way through before I listen to its respective soundtrack, which means that I haven't heard some of the more highly regarded game music out there, but it also grants me an extra reason to play through the game, and a much heightened familiarity with its music.

I know my reviews aren't perfect and that they represent my opinion and no one else's. Therefore, I certainly invite any comments, criticism or (dare I hope?) compliments! Feel free to contact me at any time.

Contributed Reviews