Chiptune Showcase: Sega Genesis (Part 6) - Genre Examples 3

This is part 6 in a multipart series on the chiptune music of the Sega Genesis. Check out the links to the other parts below!

This is also our last batch of genre examples, so let's get into it!

Funk:

{ToeJam & Earl - ToeJam Jammin’}
No better representation of Genesis funk than the ToeJam & Earl series. I consider this track the litmus test for whether you’ll enjoy Genesis chiptunes. If you can get behind that “twang”, there’s nothing on the platform you won’t grow to like.

{ToeJam & Earl: Panic on Funkotron - Lewanda’s Love}

Not much to say here. This sequel is just more of the same music as its predecessor, and I’m not complaining!

Grunge:

{Skitchin’ - Title Screen}
And the “Most Aggressively 90’s” award goes to Skitchin’! The bizarre decision to use crudely sampled electric guitars as the primary lead is bonkers to say the least. It sounds awful, but I have to admire the audacity.

{Comix Zone - Episode 1 Page 1}
I think this is grunge, but I’m no expert. Comix Zone is a rare example of the “GEMS” sound driver being used to great effect. We’ll get to “GEMS” later…

Chill/Ambient:
This is a grab bag of some of the more downbeat Genesis soundtracks out there, of various subgenres. It wasn’t all just techno and heavy metal!

{Columns III - Column Dive}
I tried playing this game to figure out where this track plays, but I could never find it. Hopefully it’s not a multiplayer-exclusive one, because it’s one of the best, and chillest, in the soundtrack.

{Ecco the Dolphin - Jurassic Beach}
The Ecco games are certainly flawed, but they attempted an ambient style that was pretty uncommon. This doesn’t hold a candle to the incredible Sega CD version’s music, though.

{Ristar - Ice Scream}
I’m torn. On one hand, Ristar’s a late release with really stellar instruments, but also has some of the worst sampling on the console. This track gets by, but if you know anything about the rest of this game, it becomes a big, BIG problem later on. Ugh, my ears are still ringing…

"Game Music":
Whether it's to set the mood of a particular level, represent a tense moment in gameplay, or ring out in fanfare of a particular achievement, “game music” wouldn’t really work anywhere else but in a video game.

{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist - The Gauntlet}
You really can’t go wrong with Ninja Turtles games from Konami, this one sharing a lot of music with TMNT: Turtles in Time on the Super Nintendo. The two couldn’t sound more different, but they’re both amazing—a testament to Konami’s golden era.

{Ys III - Seal of Time}
Pronounced “ees”, this series of Action RPGs has been a recent obsession of mine. Despite the fantasy setting, developer Falcom doesn't hold back with some really high-energy compositions here.

{Puyo Puyo - Theme of PuyoPuyo}
This popular puzzle game began life in the arcade, was quickly ported to the Genesis, and has seen many, many sequels and re-releases since—and this is the theme that started it all.

Next, we'll take a look at some obscure soundtracks. Stay tuned!

Links:
Part 1: https://imgur.com/gallery/chiptune-showcase-sega-genesis-introduction-Gche4uo
Part 2: https://imgur.com/a/chiptune-showcase-sega-genesis-part-2-hardware-breakdown-lidmM1D
Part 3: https://imgur.com/a/chiptune-showcase-sega-genesis-part-3-popular-soundtracks-TrHCgSl
Part 4: https://imgur.com/a/chiptune-showcase-sega-genesis-part-4-genre-examples-PoK5kYF
Part 5: https://imgur.com/a/chiptune-showcase-sega-genesis-part-5-genre-examples-2-KY1IzMt
Part 6: https://imgur.com/a/chiptune-showcase-sega-genesis-part-6-genre-examples-3-zKLC1bx
Part 7: https://imgur.com/a/chiptune-showcase-sega-genesis-part-7-obscure-soundtracks-sX920Ft
Part 8: https://imgur.com/a/chiptune-showcase-sega-genesis-part-8-obscure-soundtracks-2-cypm1XX
Part 9: https://imgur.com/a/chiptune-showcase-sega-genesis-part-9-composer-spotlight-5IgMxNZ
Part 10: https://imgur.com/a/chiptune-showcase-sega-genesis-part-10-composer-spotlight-2-2h4pWJx
Part 11: https://imgur.com/a/chiptune-showcase-sega-genesis-composer-spotlight-3-PsCm1xs
Part 12: https://imgur.com/a/chiptune-showcase-sega-genesis-part-12-worst-of-worst-OH9zc0x
Part 13: https://imgur.com/a/chiptune-showcase-sega-genesis-part-13-favorite-soundtracks-9bxgUsd
Part 14: https://imgur.com/a/chiptune-showcase-sega-genesis-part-14-favorite-soundtracks-2-9Ruvo7b
Part 15: https://imgur.com/a/chiptune-showcase-sega-genesis-part-15-favorite-soundtracks-3-hFG7odC
Part 16: https://imgur.com/a/chiptune-showcase-sega-genesis-part-16-favorite-soundtracks-iv-8x78Jko