RPG 30, a set of 30 essential tracks for RPG and adventure games, has two different styles: Modern and Retro. After we started to work on RPG30, we came up with the idea of making the retro version of each track which would fit well for retro style games.

Retro (8-bit / chiptune) arrangement is a very fun creative challenge. A long time ago, I arranged Naruga Kuruga’s theme from Capcom’s Monster Hunter 2ndG. When I worked on it, I transcribed the orchestra phrases first, then picked up the most important parts from the music. Finally, I put them together with 8-bit / chiptune sounds.

This time, since the original (modern) version was written by myself, I didn’t have to transcribe the music. However, figuring out how to exclude all but the bare necessities for the track was the biggest challenge. I think this might be similar to an author trying to cut down a story’s page length.

Another challenge was to rephrase the music in the way that would fit better with retro sounds. Not only did I minimize the elements of the track, but also I changed the phrases and patterns in a way that would fit better in retro style.

For example :
Music score sample of "Journey To Adventure"
The top was the phrase from modern version of “Journey To Adventure”, and is played by strings. If I didn’t make a change and just simply played the phrase with 8-bit / chiptune sound, it would become much heavier and louder than it should be. Therefore, I changed it to the notation on the bottom which still contains the elemental notes but more in a light way. This helped to keep the original feeling in the modern version.

The modern version was created first, but I do believe that the retro version has its own attraction. In your project, you can just simply use one style throughout your project, or even mix and match to create a dramatic effect!

For example :

  • Use the retro version throughout your project, then use the modern version for your trailer or special cut scenes.
  • Use the modern version throughout your project, then use the retro version for parody / comical effect.
  • Have a both versions available for your project, and let the audience / player pick which style to play.

 

If you’d like to find more, please visit our Royalty-Free Music Shop!
http://www.skittlegirlsound.com/product-tag/rpg-30/