Let it be known that I don't really like Mega Man V all that much. While it's a clear cut above Mega Man IV, something about it has always felt off to me. Maybe it's the waveracer in Wave Man's stage or maybe it's the whole stupid idea of trying to make Proto Man a bad guy again. Regardless, I really, really like the music in Mega Man V. My favorite track should be fairly easy to guess if you've noticed either the picture above this paragraph or my ridiculous title for the post.
(Pst... It's Gravity Man's theme)
Since posting about the music of the Donkey Kong Country series got me in the mood, I thought I'd just share the song and some of the remixes that have come along since.
Gravity Man
If you're used to the music that's shown up in the prior Mega Man games, you'll find something that's kind of off about Gravity Man's theme. There isn't really a defining melody in the song and what's there is almost an 8-bit attempt at either Prog rock or Jazz Fusion. It's pretty strange when you think about it in context of songs like Elec Man, Crash Man or even some of the more adventurous songs like Shadow Man's theme. I guess what I really like about the song is just how balls out freaking creative it is for a game that I've always felt was lacking in terms of sheer ingenuity. I've listened to it repeatedly to try and see if its charm runs out, but I've yet to tire of it.
Gravity Man[Jazz Techno] by Shachinobu
This remix is probably my least favorite traditional take on the track. Every note that was in the original song is present here and the flourishes that are added atop it are pretty nice. The horns were somewhat distracting at first, I've grown to appreciate them a bit after repeated listens. In the end though, I don't think I like it that much.
Gravity Man Remix #2
I honestly have no idea where this one came from. If I had to take a guess, I'd say it actually came from Capcom in that PSX Rock Man collection that Japan saw. This one is really nice, it gives the original track a bit greater care than the other one did. The chorus was treated really nicely and it's played lowkey enough to stay true to the original. Overall, the real highlight of this remix is the basswork. (Sorry for the repeat of the traditional theme after the remix ends.)
Gravity Man (8-Bit VRC7 Remix) by NewAgeRetroGamer
I honestly had no idea what VRC7 meant prior to hearing this remix. Apparently, it's a special sound chip that Konami used in one game, Lagrange Point, for the Famicom. If I had to describe it to someone, I'd just say "think Genesis/Megadrive." Simply put, it sounds a good deal better than NES Monaural sound but not quite SNES quality. For the most part, I really like it, but it does get a little dissonant during my favorite part, but maybe that's just being true to the particular sound chip this guy is trying to emulate. It's good stuff.
Gravity Man Stage (Aftermath Sleaze Edit) by Zinger
This particular remix actually made it on an actual CD, Chiptuned Rockman, so it really makes me happy that the track gets love from others. Zinger's remix is probably the most polarizing for me as a fan of the original song and as a fan of music in general. The end result is really appealing to me, but I can't listen to it without noticing the two best parts of the original song have been cut out in their entirety. In the end, I guess it's okay, but a part of me is still saddened.
Well, hopefully if Mega Man V gets a growth in popularity and nostalgia, it will be for the right reasons instead of the wrong. I could go on about some other tracks from the game, but I'll refrain. When I play games, I can't help but feel like the music is one of the driving forces for my enjoyment. The music is the only reason I still play Mega Man V and I find it to be a pretty damned good reason.
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