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Given the mostly positive responses to my previous exposure of the music in lesser-known RPGs, I decided that another installment could easily be accommodated. The same caveats apply: listening to the music is essentially the point and thus sufficient time must be granted to hear it, and dial-up is not the friend of one wishing to download quickly (I hate my connection).
Dark Savior, a unique Saturn action-RPG, elicits highly varied reactions from those who play it, but its music is definitely a high point. http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/3410/32 plays during the lengthy exploration of an underground facility, and certainly manages to help make the trip interesting. The opening stage, aboard a ship with a dangerous convict aiming to escape, is this: http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/3410/1. There are many ship themes in the annals of RPGs, and this is definitely one of the better compositions. Hiroshi Kondo seems to be the composer for this title, incidentally.
Grandia is not exactly unknown, but it hasn't been played by the audience it could have reached. Noriyuki Iwadare came up with some very good music for the game, such as this http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/212/4 very wistful piece played when the character Sue must leave the party. Also this battle piece http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/212/6 played when Justin must convince Myuren of his cause's righteousness. The former two being played with real instruments, here is http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/213/39 a tense, atmospheric piece taken directly from the game during an unauthorized exploration of an airship.
A bit more Langrisser 2 seems warranted while I'm spreading Noriyuki Iwadare music: Leon's theme http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/6453/2 alerts the player that this is not a minor personage (and is played for the player in Der Langrisser if the player chooses to join the Rayguard Empire that Leon serves). http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/6453/20 is one of the more energetic credits sequence compositions I've ever encountered, and certainly makes the epilogue have a punch. One more http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/6453/13 is what plays prior to each battle, when the player assigns troop order and can buy/sell items. It sounds a bit different this way than the original game audio, however.
Minako Adachi and Shigeki Hayashi composed some excellent music for Rivera: the Promised Land, which has been arranged on the official soundtrack. http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/2956/19 doesn't really bring a forest to mind, which is the area it covers, but it certainly has a good riff to fall back upon. And http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/2956/35 actually does manage the feel of a crypt while standing out from any other crypt-like music I've ever heard before. All the battle themes in Riviera are top-notch, so just one is a good lure http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/2956/24.
Panzer Dragoon Saga, as noted previously, features a uniquely interesting blend of instrumentation courtesy of Saori Kobayashi and Mariko Nanba's compositions. http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/570/41 is one of my favorite compositions in the game, played after being discovered while smashing an Imperial base to pieces. http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/570/30 plays for several battles against Ancient Weapons, all of which are bizarre-looking creations. And http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/570/46 is featured when Edge must fly up the Tower, which is not operational. Yet...
Toshiyuki Sasagawa's work with Tengai Makyou I deem worthy of further exposure, so here http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/7248/32 is a unique composition denoting holy ground occupied by an animal of the Chinese Zodiac from Tengai Makyou Zero. More TMZ goodness in Shiranui's theme http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/7248/30 which clearly demonstrates he is not a nice fellow, and http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/7248/59 for when he must be fought. A side note: the battle with Shiranui takes a very long time thanks to it being a duel and his ability to sap HP from Higan, thus to accurately emulate my experience try repeating it about 10 times.
And the OTHER Tengai Makyou score, the one from the most ludicrous RPG ever made: Tengai Makyou The Apocalypse IV. A good dungeon theme http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/6603/71 for exploring the pyramid of Oaxaca, Mexico. Another dungeon theme, http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/6603/92 but this is for Carube's mansion overlooking Detroit and has a very Romantic feel to it. And a bizarre techno-Japanese feel http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/6603/96 for entering a place in Zengo's mind, where battles with Japanese food products take place over a backdrop depicting Zengo striding along the waves. It was weird.
Sailor Moon: Another Story manages quite a feat by being a perfectly acceptable RPG based on a license, and its music is pretty good as well. Takanori Arisawa came up with http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/6297/10, which probably should have been labeled 'Adrenaline and Peace' to better denote the moods it covers but is good at that. Also http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/6297/12 for boss encounters, with the tempo downshift near the end mimicking what happens for the most powerful bosses near the end of the game.
Once more I shall close with a vocal from a Sakura Wars composed by Kouhei Tanaka, this time the ending of Sakura Wars 3. 'Mirai' http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/1436/26 features all five of the Paris Kagekidan singing, and reminds me strongly of a certain film's score. I won't label the film, preferring to let others see if it stirs the same sentiment.
Again, massive kudos to Galbadia Hotel for its enormous listing of music (though I must chide the lack of an update for months).
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