Best game intros

[Blotus]

It's been done some time before, but I think we're due again.

My favorite's probably Suikoden 3. I have to have watched this at least a hundred times.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8YmQoREyleE


And with all the Soul Calibur IV hoopla lately, I looked up one I really used to like: Soul Blade... hasn't aged so well.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=A8ppOitQl5g

[Tessian]

I'd have to give this some thought... thinking back on over a decade of gaming isn't easy

Off the top of my head I have two and they're both oldies

Mechwarrior 2. I used to pop in the disk just to watch this... at the time it was amazing. I still loved watching it even now! Gave me chills.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X3GD0UnBCk

Full Throttle. If you didn't play this game I feel sorry for you... this was my first CD-ROM we ever bought. I spent forever trying to find the music to this... The Gone Jackals made it. Wish the internet was around back then
http://youtube.com/watch?v=PktBJ6HpNJQ

[SineSwiper]

In recent memory, Devil May Cry 3 and Bioshock. ("I rejected those answers...instead, I chose the impossible. I chose Rapture.")

Out of this World was really cool when I first saw it. Starcraft, and all of the Fallouts have had awesome intros. For something really old, the intros to both Alternate Reality games (with awesome music for its time).

EDIT: with links...

[Tessian]

In recent memory, Devil May Cry 3 and Bioshock.

Bioshock? really?? That had almost 0 intro to it. You had a 1 minute internal monologue and the plane crashed. I loved the game, but it barely HAD an intro, let alone a great one.

[Blotus]

I think he's referring to the whole intro to Rapture, including the first bathosphere ride. In which case, I agree.

[Kupek]

Final Fantasy 6
Wild Arms

[Andrew, Killer Bee]

Bioshock and FFVI were the first games that leapt to my mind.

I think he's referring to the whole intro to Rapture, including the first bathosphere ride. In which case, I agree.

Yep. Bioshock's intro is tricky because it bleeds slowly into the main game, but just looking at the crash, swim and first bathosphere ride... man. It really grabs you.

[Don]

I assume we're just talking about the equivalent of the opening animation/FMV here. I'll go with Terranigma because this is the only intro I can think of that makes you want to find out about the events of the intro. Throughout the game the question always looms: when does the clock hit the 13th hour? It basically tells you how the game is going to turn out, but you don't know when it happens so it keeps you guessing when the events in the intro will actually happen. There are a lot of ending that's like a slideshow of all the important events in the game (Suikoden 3 is a good example), which is fine, but a slideshow does not have purpose besides looking cool.

I like Wild Arms too, but Wild Arms is kind of a weird intro. The PSX version intro is basically the ending, while the PS2 version IS the ending. I like the PSX version better though, in that the ending and the opening of the game is circular and reversed in their normal positions. At the end of the game, Cecilia runs off with Jack & Rudy for basically the rest of her life. So what did she do with them? That question is answered in the opening: a life of endless adventure (minus the Golems).

[Tessian]

I think he's referring to the whole intro to Rapture, including the first bathosphere ride. In which case, I agree.

I guess... I didn't consider it an intro since you're already playing at the time, but that works.

I assume we're just talking about the equivalent of the opening animation/FMV here. I'll go with Terranigma because this is the only intro I can think of that makes you want to find out about the events of the intro. Throughout the game the question always looms: when does the clock hit the 13th hour? It basically tells you how the game is going to turn out, but you don't know when it happens so it keeps you guessing when the events in the intro will actually happen. There are a lot of ending that's like a slideshow of all the important events in the game (Suikoden 3 is a good example), which is fine, but a slideshow does not have purpose besides looking cool.

I like Wild Arms too, but Wild Arms is kind of a weird intro. The PSX version intro is basically the ending, while the PS2 version IS the ending. I like the PSX version better though, in that the ending and the opening of the game is circular and reversed in their normal positions. At the end of the game, Cecilia runs off with Jack & Rudy for basically the rest of her life. So what did she do with them? That question is answered in the opening: a life of endless adventure (minus the Golems).

What's wrong Don? You could write us 2 paragraphs about the intros but couldn't be bothered to spent 2 minutes to get us Youtube links (I know Kupe already gave one)? how rude...

[Zeus]

Final Fantasy 6
Wild Arms

Exactly the two I was gonna say

[SineSwiper]

Countering Don Wangs would be Xenogears, as it encouraged me to figure out how it linked with the rest of the game, and it was a really nice looking intro for its time.

Yeah, I forgot about Wild ARMs, too. Another one that wanted me to figure out the rest of the story. (Too bad the crappy low-tech 3D fight scenes weren't nearly as good as the intro.) Although, I can't find the opening winter scene on that YT clip, Kupek.

[Eric]

I guess... I didn't consider it an intro since you're already playing at the time, but that works.

Pfft, way to miss out on the best intro of the year! GOD.

[Julius Seeker]

Final Fantasy 8, easily. For its time, possibly Chrono Trigger or Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness.

[Don]

Terranigma

The opening of Xenogears would be better served as an event cutscene somewhere around the 80% mark of the game as opposed to the opening. At the opening, the events of the Eldridge has no meaning whatsoever. You might be able to infer that this was the equivalent of a creation event, but even if you figure that out, it still has no meaning. The game makes no attempt to allude to the events of the Eldridge until the very end. Consider that Xenogears is one of the longest RPG ever, I really doubt you had the opening in mind for the next 30-40 hours before the events of the Eldridge are finally revealed.

[Blotus]

Final Fantasy 8, easily.

Also excellent. Even if I'll never play it again, I still watch the into and ending occasionally.

[Blotus]

I always meant to play Terranigma, but I hate using emulators, esp. since I don't have a PC controller. Is all the dialog in the game accompanied with that noise (early substitute for speech)? Can it be turned off?

[Don]

I don't think you can turn the text noise off. You don't really spend that much time talking to people, though.

[Eric]

Terranigma is fairly slow paced to start, watching the continents at the start revive them selves(mini-spoiler, you'll live), easily takes 5 minutes lol.

[Don]

Another opening I really liked was FFX, and not the fancy high tech blitzball stuff in Zanarkand, but just the part where Tidus says: "Listen to my story. This may be our last chance." Although that takes place pretty late in the game, from a story point of view, basically nothing imoprtant at all happens before they get to Zanarkand since the entire purpose of the story was to get to Zanarkand.

[Kupek]

Chrono Trigger was a good opening if we say the entire time before you go to 600 AD is the opening. The opening opening are just some birds flying and Crono's mother opening the shades, but being able to explore that entire continent and do all the activities in the Millenial Fair can certainly count. So, yet again, another way in which CT is completely awesome.

Sine, do you mean the segment of the FF6 opening where the mechs are walking in the snow? That's definitely in there, and is my favorite part of the opening. If you mean Wild Arms, then I don't know what part you're talking about.

Consider that Xenogears is one of the longest RPG ever, I really doubt you had the opening in mind for the next 30-40 hours before the events of the Eldridge are finally revealed.

I did, actually. I watched it several times while still playing the game because that opening had me completely. I didn't think of it on my list because since then, I no longer have patience for the game and its themes. (What I thought was novel is really just anime cliches.)

[Julius Seeker]

Terranigma

The opening of Xenogears would be better served as an event cutscene somewhere around the 80% mark of the game as opposed to the opening. At the opening, the events of the Eldridge has no meaning whatsoever. You might be able to infer that this was the equivalent of a creation event, but even if you figure that out, it still has no meaning. The game makes no attempt to allude to the events of the Eldridge until the very end. Consider that Xenogears is one of the longest RPG ever, I really doubt you had the opening in mind for the next 30-40 hours before the events of the Eldridge are finally revealed.

A lot of books utilize similar sorts of plot devices, particularly fantasy books like Lord of the Rings and Wheel of Time. Though you don't directly find the Eldridge until much later, it indirectly effects the plotline throughout. Miang, who largely resembles the opening character, appears much earlier; for example. I didn't think of Xenogears right away, but it had a very effective beginning in my opinion.

FF10 is one I didn't think of either, it had an excellent beginning.

To add another, Chrono Crosses opening was better than everything else in the rest of the game; at least the first time, after a while it started to annoy me somehow.

[Don]

I did, actually. I watched it several times while still playing the game because that opening had me completely. I didn't think of it on my list because since then, I no longer have patience for the game and its themes. (What I thought was novel is really just anime cliches.)

Xenogears demands a lot of endurance. Although your mileage may vary, I know a lot of people who didn't finish the game because they'd leave it for a while and then be unable to pick up the game again since they wouldn't be able to remember what's actually happening (though Xenogears does wander off a lot in the plot). If you have the endurance to play through the entire game in say 2 weeks, maybe the opening would still be relevant by the time you got to the Eldridge.

You also shouldn't have to watch an opening again just to keep your memory refreshed.

[Don]

A lot of books utilize similar sorts of plot devices, particularly fantasy books like Lord of the Rings and Wheel of Time. Though you don't directly find the Eldridge until much later, it indirectly effects the plotline throughout. Miang, who largely resembles the opening character, appears much earlier; for example. I didn't think of Xenogears right away, but it had a very effective beginning in my opinion.

To add another, Chrono Crosses opening was better than everything else in the rest of the game; at least the first time, after a while it started to annoy me somehow.

Eldridge did not indirectly influence anything other than that it created the world. As the player you're oblivious to its, and Deus's, existence for about 80% of the game with absolutely no way to find out. It's like saying 'Let there be Light' in the Bible influenced everything else that happened in the Bible because otherwise there wouldn't be a world.

The person in the opening was when Miang/Elly was one person (Miang = bad, Elly = good). It would take a considerable leap of logic to deduce that she was Miang since the only thing they had in common was purple hair, and she wasn't Miang anyway. Miang had little influence in the grand scheme of things and her existence is mostly just another reason to read Xenogears Perfect Works.

Chrono Cross probably wins the award for coolness, but the intro is devoid of meaning. I assume the part that is supposed to have any meaning is the beach part, which actually doesn't have any meaning when you actually play the game. I liked the opening of CC, but it'd be nice if there was actually some kind of coherent theme or deeper meaning beyond a cool soundtrack and a bunch of CGs.

[Blotus]

Silent Hill 3

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Wz3ufaZCoVw

Mostly for the music. I'm glad they included it in the closing credits of the movie. Still didn't make up for the WTF ending.

[Tessian]

Terranigma

The opening of Xenogears would be better served as an event cutscene somewhere around the 80% mark of the game as opposed to the opening. At the opening, the events of the Eldridge has no meaning whatsoever. You might be able to infer that this was the equivalent of a creation event, but even if you figure that out, it still has no meaning. The game makes no attempt to allude to the events of the Eldridge until the very end. Consider that Xenogears is one of the longest RPG ever, I really doubt you had the opening in mind for the next 30-40 hours before the events of the Eldridge are finally revealed.

I'm sorry guys... but coming from someone who's never heard of Terranigma until now (didn't own an SNES) that has got to be one of the DULLEST and DRAWN OUT intros ever. It explained almost nothing and showed even less. I want those 5 minutes back.

[Kupek]

(didn't own an SNES)

Wait, what? Double take.

(didn't own an SNES)

You mean you missed out on the entirety of Square's and Nintendo's 16-bit titles? Good god...

[Tessian]

(didn't own an SNES)

Wait, what? Double take.

(didn't own an SNES)

You mean you missed out on the entirety of Square's and Nintendo's 16-bit titles? Good god...

My first system was a Genesis in Christmas of '92. Then when Sony crushed my young soul by dropping the system like a bad habit I stuck with PC games until getting a PS2 half way through college. Wasn't until my Xbox here that I started playing more console than PC games.

[Don]

I'm sorry guys... but coming from someone who's never heard of Terranigma until now (didn't own an SNES) that has got to be one of the DULLEST and DRAWN OUT intros ever. It explained almost nothing and showed even less. I want those 5 minutes back.

Every cryptic scene in Terranigma exists for a reason, from the beginning to the end. The intro basically covers everything in the game up to before the final battle, but it is not immediately obvious why. But then an introduction is not supposed to just a snippet of every major event in the game (Chrono Trigger and Suikoden 3 are the examples of such openings that are done well). The intro of Terranigma establishes the world, the timeline, flow, and the eventual outcome of the story. It is up to the player to fill in the rest.

[Andrew, Killer Bee]

Wait, what? Double take.

Haha! It's my secret shame that I never owned a NES. Master System, represent!

[Blotus]

Wait, what? Double take.

Haha! It's my secret shame that I never owned a NES. Master System, represent!

Kill yourself!

I guess you can't be held too responsible for Sega putting the beatdown on Nintendo in the PAL territories.

[Zeus]

Wait, what? Double take.

Haha! It's my secret shame that I never owned a NES. Master System, represent!

MS may have sucked hard but it did have the best 8-bit RPG ever

[Julius Seeker]

With 5 or 6 games aside on the NES, I liked the SMS better than NES, and I liked Genesis better than SNES until about Final Fantasy III and DKC. I don't think the PAL territories got many of the great RPGs and adventures that the SNES got in its final two years here in North America.

Just one thing I'd like to note: despite a lot of people's distaste for Secret of Evermore, I actually quite like the game and find it still quite enjoyable to play even today, I went through it until the end of the Medieval era a few years ago. I think the main reason is that it wasn't Secret of Mana 2, but, from what I played of Seiken Densetsu 3, it is probably better that way; I don't see what is so attractive about that game.

[SineSwiper]

Kupek, I was talking about the beginning scene in Wild ARMs before you push anything on the title. It was one with somebody trying to escape somewhere in the snow. I know I'm being vague, but I can't find it anywhere. It had some really good music, too.

Also, my first console I owned was a PSX, though I rented the SNES and played with friends' SNES a LOT.

EDIT: Secret of Evermore 4EVER! Heh, I actually have a few of his songs as ring tones.

[Don]

Kupek, I was talking about the beginning scene in Wild ARMs before you push anything on the title. It was one with somebody trying to escape somewhere in the snow. I know I'm being vague, but I can't find it anywhere. It had some really good music, too.

Also, my first console I owned was a PSX, though I rented the SNES and played with friends' SNES a LOT.

EDIT: Secret of Evermore 4EVER! Heh, I actually have a few of his songs as ring tones.

That's when Jack was trying to escape from Arctica Castle with Elmiya after the demons attacked them first. I think it's one of the top intros for an intro that is simply the first event that sets the game in motion, with the only complaint being due to the length of the game and that Jack is roughly the least story significant important character in the game out of the starting 3, there's a lot of wasted potential for that intro.

While we're on the subject of music, Wild Arms is a pretty good example of where music is a perfect valid substitute for plot. This is especially true in the Code F.

[Julius Seeker]

Michiko Naruke is wicked. One of my favourite composers.

[Don]

I don't think WA would have ever gotten anywhere without Michiko Naruke. What did Jane Maxwell, the bunny girl, do? I have no idea, but she has 2 cool character themes. Alter Code F had something like 15 battle music theme and pretty much every one of them is appropriate and sets the mood for the encounter. When Boomerang Flash comes back from hell, I don't think anyone is impressed by a guy who had relatively little significance somehow returned from hell with the Guardian Blade, but his battle music sure is awesome (sucks Code F doesn't have a new version of Boomerang Flash).

[SineSwiper]

I miss Konami's PSX music team. There were some great composers brought together during that era. Suikoden, Vandal Hearts, C:SotN, just to name a few.

[Julius Seeker]

Michuru Yamane did the new material for the 2D Castlevania games from Bloodlines onward (including the PSX, GBA, and DS ones). I also think she did Suikoden. Though the main Castlevania series themes (like Bloody Tears) were all done beforehand.

[Zeus]

Most of the best music comes from the 'additional' releases from those composers. Uemetsu's symphonic arrangement in particular are awesome. There's also tons of DQ Symphonic stuff that's released as well as rock arrangements and stuff.

There is a site that puts up the newest stuff for release that they like. There's like releases every week in Japan of this stuff. www.gamemp3s.net

[Don]

Most of the rearranagement stuff is just a quick way to get some more money for the same thing. I assume if you never actually paid for any of these stuff, it's not a bad deal, but they're generally even worse buy than OSTs in terms of good tracks per $ spent.

[Zeus]

Most of the rearranagement stuff is just a quick way to get some more money for the same thing. I assume if you never actually paid for any of these stuff, it's not a bad deal, but they're generally even worse buy than OSTs in terms of good tracks per $ spent.

Every CD ever released is a waste of money re: good tracks per $. If I were to pay for this stuff, I'd prefer a pay-per-song method like we have with the mp3

[Don]

It's easy to talk about what stuff is good if you never have to pay for it.

If you actually ever paid your own money for the 'remixed' whatevers, you'd not be recommending them to anyone because they're even more waste of money than say, OSTs, which are actually quite worth it if you know what you're getting into.

[Zeus]

Probably. But i was just going by the music itself not by whether or not it's worth it. The music industry has been a rip off for years

[SineSwiper]

Every CD ever released is a waste of money re: good tracks per $. If I were to pay for this stuff, I'd prefer a pay-per-song method like we have with the mp3

People like you are the reason why radio sucks. If the whole album isn't good, then your artist sucks. When I get an album with only a few good songs, it's pretty much a failure, and I generally don't get anything from that artist again.

[Kupek]

I gotta disagree. In terms of number of songs, half of any Tool album is unremarkable. But there are generally four or so songs that are some of the best I've heard, and those four songs can be half an hour of music.

[Don]

Even when you look at say a 'best of whatever game music' rearranged thing, half of the music sucks. And no I don't think whoever composed these music cannot tell what is good and what is not. For example you look at Final Fantasy anything, Aeris's theme is always missing even though it is widely a fan favorite. It's not there because they got to sell you the remixes song version somewhere else. Boomerang Flash's theme is not in the Wild ARMS OST because they know that's like the best track in the game so they want you to pay for it elsewhere. That's why OST is generally a good deal because they usually have to include the entire soundtrack, unless you're Wild ARMS where they actually know the music is so good an OST no longer needs to include every track in the game (though I'm still bitter about that). I have rearranged music from Uematsu, Mitsuda, and probably a few other guys and they all fall in the same pattern of purposely picking uninspiring tracks because they want to spread out all the good tracks over multiple CDs.

I suppose one can argue that these composers are trying something new, but I'm not really too interested in Chrono Corridor in Jazz, or Relm's theme with real scotish bagpipes (it sounds horrible). I feel if the composers want to try something cool they could put an entire CD of random stuff they want to mess around instead. One of the FF remixes has a track that was like Garden theme that eventually blends into Ami (Trebia Garden, basketball court scene). It's almost like you've to put up with a totally uninspired track (Garden) before you get to one of the best track in FF8, unless you remember exactly which part of the track Ami starts. Suteki da ne has a really cool melody that spans across 2 octaves around 2:30 and that's like the only part worth mentioning in the entire song (and of course it's not sung because it'd have been way too difficult). It seems like game music these day is just mass produced and quantity trumps quality. It's really bad when Shining Force Exa OST which has 5 original tracks in the whole OST (with 40 other stolen from SF Neo OST) is probably one of the top 5 OSTs for RPGs in for the PS2.

[Julius Seeker]

Actually, I usually play Balamb Garden and Ami side by side when I do listen to them, or at least in close proximity. I really enjoy both songs. I think a blend would be fairly cool, I'll have to look that one up.

The final song of FF10 was a remix blend between that Shrine music and To Zanarkand, and is my favourite song in the whole game.

I haven't heard the bagpipe Relm music, but imagining it, I don't think it would sound good at all.

[SineSwiper]

I suppose one can argue that these composers are trying something new, but I'm not really too interested in Chrono Corridor in Jazz, or Relm's theme with real scotish bagpipes (it sounds horrible).

Hey, don't knock Brink of Time. With the OSTs you're talking about with only a few good songs, Brink of Time is an exception to that rule.

FFT is another good example. Yes, it's four CDs. And all four CDs rule! (I was highly disappointed that FF12 didn't have the same high-class music FFT did.)

I'm not sure how C:SotN's soundtrack ended up. (I personally ripped the music into MP3s myself a long time ago.) But, most of the songs there are top-notch.

[Don]

Actually, I usually play Balamb Garden and Ami side by side when I do listen to them, or at least in close proximity. I really enjoy both songs. I think a blend would be fairly cool, I'll have to look that one up.

The final song of FF10 was a remix blend between that Shrine music and To Zanarkand, and is my favourite song in the whole game.

I haven't heard the bagpipe Relm music, but imagining it, I don't think it would sound good at all.

There must be like 10 tracks in FF10 that's a variant of To Zanarkand (intro) or Someday the Dream Will End (Zanarkand area), including the song. The problem is that none of the Zanarkand themed variants are tied together with any coherency, and I think they're inferior to the actual Zanarkand themes (this is obviously a matter of taste). For example one of the area music on the way to one of the temple was a variant of To Zanarkand. You probably don't remember what it is because it's another area music that serves no purpose except something to listen to where going to one of the temples.

[Don]

I suppose one can argue that these composers are trying something new, but I'm not really too interested in Chrono Corridor in Jazz, or Relm's theme with real scotish bagpipes (it sounds horrible).

Hey, don't knock Brink of Time. With the OSTs you're talking about with only a few good songs, Brink of Time is an exception to that rule.

FFT is another good example. Yes, it's four CDs. And all four CDs rule! (I was highly disappointed that FF12 didn't have the same high-class music FFT did.)

I'm not sure how C:SotN's soundtrack ended up. (I personally ripped the music into MP3s myself a long time ago.) But, most of the songs there are top-notch.

I can accept maybe Mitsuda just wanted to do something different in Brink of Time.

FFT had both quantity and quality. Even the filler battle music weren't bad. There might be 10 different variants of the main FFT theme but they are used in a consistent way.

C:SoTN I don't see much structure to the music. It was just good all around.