This trailer, which also appears on Square Enix's Japanese website for the game, makes it even harder for me to wait until the end of next month to import the soundtrack for a ridiculous amount of money. McWhertor detailed the four-disc release earlier this month, along with the limited-edition that comes with an extra disc, and ever since I've been scouring import sites trying to find a place to preorder the more money version. If successful, it will mark the first time I purchased music in CD format in more 5 years.

When's the last time you bought a music CD?

Oh, and thanks to DigitalHero for pointing us to the trailer!

PSP minis are about quality over quantity, and Blast Off is the poster game for the concept, delivering a short and sweet experience enhanced to no small degree by its short and sweet ambient soundtrack. It's only four tracks - one for each difficulty level - but the music is lovely, and the price is right.

"To celebrate the New Year and the critical acclaim we've received for Blast Off, we've decided to release the soundtrack for free as a super awesome gift to you all. Enjoy your holidays to the ambient and introspective tunes of everyone's favourite PSP Mini space puzzler!"

You can pick up the four tracks right now via torrent in MP3 or Apple Lossless flavors.

Going on sale next March, the box set will retail for ¥21,000. Which in US dollars is $232. That's a lot, but then, remember, it's on 19 discs. Break that up and it's a steal, at $12.20 a disc!

Sadly, there's no pics of the sure-to-be-amazing box the collection will come on, but we do know that some of the soundtracks featured include the MSX2 version of the original Castlevania, Castlevania Legends, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia and the Saturn version of Symphony of the Night.

There are 18 discs worth of soundtrack, the 19th disc being a DVD containing interviews and some behind-the-scenes footage of the music being recorded.

悪魔城ドラキュラ Best Music Collection BOX [Amazon, via Original Sound Version]

Lunar: Silver Star Harmony is an enhanced remake of Lunar: The Silver Star, coming to the PSP courtesy of XSEED Games in Q1 of 2010. While the game will retail for $29.99, $10 more will net players a special limited edition package containing a soundtrack CD and a set of 13 exclusive "bromide" collector cards featuring the girls of Lunar.

"As the definitive version of Lunar: The Silver Star with completely reworked graphics, a remastered soundtrack containing songs new and old, an enhanced battle system, and additional story elements never before revealed, Lunar: Silver Star Harmony deserved a special Limited Edition version to commemorate the rebirth of this beloved franchise," stated Jun Iwasaki, President of XSEED Games. "For fans of the previous iteration, we've built upon the English script from before to offer returning fans something new while keeping the heart of the original outstanding localization intact."

As I said, it's certainly not the cloth map, soundtrack CD, hardbound instruction manual and making of videos of Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, but it'll do. They just don't make them like Working Designs anymore.

With 20 years of experience in creating video game music and titles like Hitman, Kane & Lynch, and Borderlands under his belt, Jesper Kyd has become one of the go-to guys as far as video game soundtracks are concerned. Kyd really seems to connect with the games that he composes music for, creating sounds that enhance the action rather than drown it out. That, and Ubisoft's Patrice really seems to dig the guy's work.

"Jesper Kyd's score for Assassin's Creed II brings players into the Italian Renaissance by providing a true sense of depth for the poignant moments, while also giving a jolt of adrenaline to the action-packed sequences. We are thrilled to have Jesper Kyd back with us in making Assassin's Creed II an epic title on all levels."

Ubisoft is so proud of the soundtrack that they'll be releasing it on "popular music stores" for download on November 16th. I am assuming that includes iTunes. Why buy it? Just ask Jesper.

"We created a unique musical identity for Assassin's Creed II that reflects the character and story of Ezio and elevated the music, both in terms of creativity and live production, to a whole new level."

Now if I could only stop mistaking the poor guy for Vesper Lynd from Casino Royale.

Originally scheduled for a November 17th release in North America, the stylized arcade racing of EA's Need for Speed: Nitro will be hitting store shelves a full two weeks earlier than expected - November 3rd in the states and the 6th in Europe. In celebration of the game reaching gold status, EA has released the full soundtrack listing for the game, featuring a mix of tracks from international artists that are sure to get stuck in your head for weeks at a time.

"This soundtrack musically exemplifies the intensity, attitude and adrenaline of Need for Speed NITRO," said Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Music Marketing at EA. "This energetic collection of rock, electronic and hip hop, matches the incredible speed and intensity of a game experience players will never forget."

Check out the full track listing below to see what Mr. Schnur feels exemplifies intensity, attitude, and adrenalin.

Need for Speed: Nitro Soundtrack:

Alex Metric - What Now
Bloody Beetroots feat. Cool Kids - Awesome
Crookers feat. Wiley and Thomas Jules - Business Man
Crystal Method feat. LMFAO - Sine Language
Danko Jones - Code Of The Road
Dizzee Rascal and Armand Van Helden - Bonkers
Drumagik - Make It Rock
Earl Greyhound - Oye Vaya
edIT feat. Wale and Tre' - Freaxxx
Evil 9 - All The Cash (Alex Metric Remix) Feat. El-P
Hollywood Holt - Can't Stop
k-os - FUN!
Lady Sovereign - I Got You Dancing
Major Lazer feat. Mr.Lex & Santigold - Hold The Line
Matt & Kim - Daylight (Troublemaker Remix)
Mickey Factz - Yeah Yeah
Pint Shot Riot - Not Thinking Straight
Placebo - Breathe Under Water
Rise Against - Kotov Syndrome
Roots Manuva - Buff Nuff
Rye Rye - Hardcore Girls
Street Sweeper Social Club - Fight! Smash! Win!
Taking Back Sunday - Lonely Lonely
The Enemy UK - No Time For Tears
The Gay Blades - O Shot (Dmerit Remix)
Two Fingers feat. Sway - Jewels And Gems

Announced on the Dreamcast's 10th anniversary, Rush Rush Rally Racing is a top-down racer that, in all fairness, looks rather primitive. Primitive as it is, it is still a new game you can purchase that will play in your Dreamcast, and now you can spend a little more to get a little more. You'll have to wait a little longer for the Deluxe edition, due out in November while the regular version drops this month, but you get a soundtrack CD, full color manual, deleted scenes, and stickers for your trouble. Stickers!

Folks who have already ordered the game from http://www.redspotgames.com/shop are able to change their order to the Deluxe edition via internet magic. The premium package will run you 27,95 EUR / US$ 42.00 / 27,00 GBP.

Perhaps it isn't all that interesting to some, but I'm always fascinated by the approach Hollywood and television composers take when developing music for video games. Tyler here packed the tracks he created full of sounds in order to make sure that every gameplay decision would be covered. It must have been a real challenge, but the man who scored The Day the Earth Stood Still and Rob Zombie's Halloween movies was more than up to the task.

The latest chapter in the Halo saga brings with it new music composed by Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori, and Sumthing Else is ready, with a 2-disc soundtrack for the game released into the wild on September 22nd to coincide with the release of the game. According to O'Donnell, the ODST soundtrack reflects the new direction the series is taking in the game.

"I'm happy to be able to share all new compositions and recordings created for Halo 3: ODST. The music reflects the new mood, new heroes, and new story of the game. I worked with the Northwest Sinfonia for the orchestral recordings and also added some nice alto sax solos and some new guitar solos. The piano sneaks back in again a few times too, but I can't seem to help that."

The 2-disco Halo 3: ODST soundtrack will also be available at www.sumthingdigital.com and iTunes come September 22nd.

Schyman is a great catch on EA's part. His score to BioShock managed to subtly capture the conflict of the utopian society gone wrong in such a way that you barely even noticed there was music at times - it just melded with the experience, becoming part of the game. Hopefully he'll be able to do the same with Dante. He certainly seems to have enjoyed himself at least.

"Scoring Dante's Inferno was one of the most interesting and challenging projects I have ever tackled," said Garry Schyman. "Literally being asked to score hell was fantastic especially once I saw the surrealistically frightening world that Visceral Games had developed. I thought long and hard about every piece of music I wrote to create something new, surprising and fitting. It has turned out to be one of the most creative experiences in my career."

Sure beats my idea of having the entire game accompanied by Meatloaf tunes.

Invincible Tiger is a downloadable Kung Fu action game that's just been released for Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network, and while the full game will run you 1200 Microsoft points or $15, the full soundtrack is now available completely free of charge. Like any good 70's martial arts movie soundtrack, Invincible Tiger's music combines traditional Asian music with a healthy dose of funky bass, horns, and the infamous 'wakka-chikka' guitar sound that certainly has a name other than 'wakka-chikka' that someone in the comment section will call me out for not using.

I've yet to play the game itself, but if it's half as good as the music I might have to dedicate a little bit of my weekend to giving it a go.

Invincible Tiger Original Soundtrack [Big Download]

That's right, two-discs, not just half the soundtrack, like the disc that shipped with Persona 4 for the PlayStation 2. The music is from long-time Megami Tensei composer Shoji Meguro, who collaborated with Hidehito Aoki, Kenichi Tsuchiya and Misaki Okibe on the original game's music.

Of course, between the new localization, new animations, and the inclusion of the Frost Queen quest, which wasn't in the North American version of the original Personal, MegaTen fans were going to buy this anyway, soundtrack or not. Still, it's nice to know that there'll be something extra waiting when they go to pick up the game on September 22nd.

As innovative as Braid's gameplay is, one of the best aspects of that game is it's music. Jonathan Blow licensed tracks from Magnatune artists Cheryl Ann Fulton, Shira Kammen and Jami Sieber, proving that you don't have to hire a composer to find music that fits your video game to a tee. In honor of the game's PC release, Blow and Magnatune worked together to create an official soundtrack for the game, consisting of Braid's eight original tracks and remixes of "Maenam" and "Undercurrent" by Jon Schatz.

The soundtrack can be purchased as a CD or MP3s on the Magnatune website for varying amounts of money, depending on how much you feel the music is worth to you. Or, adversely, you could just listen to the embeddable player we've placed below until the end of time.

Music from Braid by Sieber, Kammen, Fulton and Schatz
Music from Braid [Magnatune - Thanks Evan!]

Big Bang Mini ended up being a very pleasant surprise for the DS, combining simple yet addictive fireworks launching gameplay and great use of the touchscreen to create a shooter experience that is completely unique to the handheld. The experience is greatly enhanced by the soundtrack, created by French electronic group Yubaba, Smith & Fortune, adding life and atmosphere to the game's varied levels. Now the entire soundtrack is available to download for free at the Big Bang Mini website, with 24 tracks encompassing music styles from all around the world.

To get the free soundtrack, simply head to the official Big Bang Mini website and click on the floating download link. It's 102mb of zipped auditory goodness.

Announced back in October of last year, Scratch: The Ultimate DJ is a rhythm game like no other, despite looking like a rhythm game like just about every other. Unlike other rhythm titles, Scratch will allow players to re-imagine songs on the fly, but up until now we've had no inkling of what songs we would be re-imagining. Well now we know, and some of the biggest names in hip hop are coming on board.

The first five songs in Scratch's set list are Kanye West's "Flashing Lights", "Intergalactic" from the Beastie Boys, Tech N9ne's "Slacker", Eric B. and Rakim's "Don't Sweat the Technique", and The Black Eyed Peas with that one song they released that got everyone started and then quickly grew old.

Along with the newly announced tracks, Genius has promised music from The Gorillaz, Deltron 3030, Nelly, and Run DMC, as well as music from the upcoming solo album from Beastie Boy Mixmaster Mike, who is also providing creative and technical support for the game.

Could Scratch have what it takes to take on Activision's upcoming DJ Hero? It's too early to tell, but it's off to a damn fine start.

While we'd heard a few peeps about the new (and old) tunes from Busta Rhymes and Motorhead coming to The Lost and Damned, MTV got the near-final run down. That includes details on a new death metal show hosted by Max Cavalera of Sepultura fame and brand new hip hop recorded exclusively for the game.

Joining returning acts Iggy Pop and Juliette Lewis will be a new DJ, Statik Selektah who hosts a show on Liberty City's The Beat 102.7. While some tracks were revealed, it appears that Rockstar is keeping some of its musical cards close to its chest. We'll know soon, as we expect a copy of the game to be hand delivered later this week.

Of course, all this stuff will be available for purchase via iTunes (not Amazon), Rockstar's new partner in impulse MP3 purchases, should you find the beats good and something you can dance to.

'Grand Theft Auto IV' Expanded Soundtrack Features Busta Rhymes, More [MTV]

Sure the Nintendo DS game is being pushed back to February 24th, but it's for a good cause. The soundtrack pack in with Legacy of Ys: Books I & II heralds the return of the Atlus Spoils campaign, created to give fans a little something extra for their loyalty. Ys is just the first of many releases in a year-long campaign that will more than likely result in the Atlus Faithful being smothered by plushies and bonus discs.

Oh, and before you blame me for being mean-spirited in the headline, check out the headline of Atlus' own release below.

EVERY LAUNCH COPY OF LEGACY OF Ys™: BOOKS I & II FOR NINTENDO DS™ TO BE A PREMIUM BOXED RELEASE WITH SOUNDTRACK INCLUDED, ATLUS ANNOUNCES; ALSO, GAME DELAYED TWO WEEKS, BUT NO ONE CARES BECAUSE BOXED RELEASES ARE AWESOME
Atlus quickly slips new release date of February 24th, then deftly avoids questions

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 28, 2009 - Atlus U.S.A., Inc., the only publisher that makes it look oh-so-Ys-ee, today announced that Legacy of Ys™: Books I & II for Nintendo DS™ will ship two weeks later than originally scheduled, now slated to bump into retail stores on February 24, 2009. This was of course immediately accepted because this delay would allow for each and every launch copy of the game to magically transform into a premium boxed release, with the soundtrack CD-formerly intended as a pre-order bonus-to physically be included with each and every copy of the game's first print run.

This unexpected upgrade signals the return of Atlus Spoils, a fan appreciation campaign intended to give a little extra something to the company's faithful followers as a thank you for their continued support. The program is planned to remain active indefinitely during 2009, meaning fans can expect additional bonuses and extras in future Atlus releases throughout the year.

"While we're never eager to announce delays for our products," began Tim Pivnicny, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Atlus, "we are incredibly excited to be able to upgrade the final release of Legacy of Ys to a premium boxed package. The soundtrack CD, once a bonus for pre-orders, is now going to be offered to everyone who picks up a copy from the game's limited first print run."

One of the most heralded action RPG franchises of all time, Legacy of Ys: Books I & II delivers the first two epic adventures of the famed saga on one cartridge, presented with a series of never-before-seen enhancements. Now, the finished North American launch will be available in a special boxed release, with a soundtrack CD featuring the game's famed score included with each and every copy of the game's first print run.

Legacy of Ys: Books I & II is now scheduled for release on February 24, 2009, with an MSRP of $34.99.

For more information about Legacy of Ys: Books I & II, visit the official website:
http://www.atlus.com/ys

The game's 27 tracks add up to an 85MB zip file. The mirrors are crashing fast, so if you're interested in getting the music, I'd hop over there pronto.

Here are the track notes to wet your appetite:

1. World of Goo Beginning
This is the main theme of World of Goo, and the first chunk of music I wrote for the game, specifically for our first trailer. I wanted the theme of the game to somehow reflect the song Libertango by Astor Piazzolla, which was the track I used in the original Tower of Goo prototype back in school. Listen for a similar chord progression once the melody kicks in.

2. The Goo Filled Hills

3. Brave Adventurers
A livelier version of Ode to the Bridge Builder.

4. Another Mysterious Pipe Appeared

5. World of Goo Corporation

6. Regurgitation Pumping Station
From a soundtrack I wrote for a friend's short film about going on a date with the devil.

7. Threadcutter
From one of my small games, Blow.

8. Rain Rain Windy Windy
From a soundtrack I wrote for a short kid's movie. Writing kid's music was difficult.

9. Jelly
Music I wrote for a virtual reality world. You are in a subway. And you are a giant banana.

10. Tumbler

11. Screamer
Almost didn't include this one in the game, but a friend convinced me a few days before we finished. I'm glad he did!

12. Burning Man
Theme I wrote for a friend's drama/mystery series. I recorded two friends singing single notes, and then I was able to play them back with my keyboard to get a "choir". This became the theme for "progress" in the game. A variation is used for MOM's theme.

13. Cog in the Machine
You can hear a clip from this track in one of my other small games Robot and the Cities Who Built Him

14. Happy New Year (tm) Brought to You by Product Z
Recorded some great singers from Carnegie Mellon. This is the first time the "what's up there anyway" theme can be heard. You can hear the same theme in the tracks Years of Work and The Last of the Goo Balls.

15. Welcome to the Information Superhighway
I wrote this one back in high school, which makes me feel old. You can hear a nod to phantom of the opera in a section of the organ part. I had forgotten this song existed, and was glad to find it burned onto an old rotting cd-rom. I think this was the first time I ever recorded someone singing. Only the second half of this clip is used in the game.

16. Graphic Processing Unit

17. Years of Work

18. My Virtual World of Goo Corporation
Originally written for a friend's NES game Dikki Painguin.

19. Hello, MOM

20. Inside the Big Computer

21. Are You Coming Home, Love MOM

22. Ode to the Bridge Builder
This was the second track I wrote for the game. The goal was to make a variation on Amazing Grace, in the style of those old western soundtracks by Ennio Morricone.

23. The Last of the Goo Balls and the Telescope Operator

24. Best of Times
This has become the unofficial second theme to World of Goo, after we used it in our second trailer. I originally wrote this for an animated short film I made with some friends. I recorded a bunch of performers all huddled around a single microphone in my bedroom to get the layers used in this track. Drums were made by banging on chairs and cardboard boxes.

25. Red Carpet Extend-o-matic
I wrote this in 2001 as a joke for a music class in undergrad. Only the beginning of this song is used in the game, and for only one level, but it has become one of the most requested pieces of music. So, here's the "full song", but it comes with a warning - this song is designed to sound like every cheap 90's dance song ever made. The singer is great though, an astrophysicist named Jessica. I gave a her a chainsaw for her wedding and we never spoke again. The end.

26. World of Goo Corporation's Valued Customers

27. World of Goo Ending
Main theme to World of Goo, and used in our third and final trailer.

World of Goo Soundtrack

Apparently the massive, 198MB download has been sitting there for quite some time, but nobody bothered to let us know, so we were fully prepared to go into the new year without the stirring main theme from Troels Brun Folmann, or the bulk of the game's music from composer Colin O'Malley. Thankfully that isn't the case.

Well, assuming all of the folks who now know about the soundtrack finish up their downloads so we stop getting "Too many connections. Try again later" errors. Just give yourself a little time for the sharks to stop circling and the music shall be yours.

Tomb Raider Underworld Original Soundtrack Download [Tomb Raider Chronicles via Xbox 360 Fanboy]

Legacy of Ys is an update of the first two games in the classic Ys RPG franchise, with updated graphics, new enemies and equipment, a remixed score, and touch screen controls to make it more DS-errific. Now fans who pre-order the game will get a special bonus, which I will reveal to you the way Atlus revealed it to us.

Representatives from Atlus today stood silently before assembled members of the gaming press for an estimated 30 to 40 minutes, headphones in ears, listening to the Legacy of Ys: Books I & II soundtrack. Following the awkward delay, it was then announced that the game's renowned musical score would be offered as a free pre-order bonus at select retailers.

It's not just delivering the news...it's how you deliver the news.

ATLUS REVEALS FREE PRE-ORDER BONUS SOUNDTRACK CD FOR LEGACY OF Ys™: BOOKS I & II

Experience the revered music of Ys with this limited edition companion disc

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 30, 2008 - Representatives from Atlus today stood silently before assembled members of the gaming press for an estimated 30 to 40 minutes, headphones in ears, listening to the Legacy of Ys: Books I & II soundtrack. Following the awkward delay, it was then announced that the game's renowned musical score would be offered as a free pre-order bonus at select retailers.

Epic in melody and arrangement, the Ys Books I & II soundtrack has long been considered one of the greatest video same scores ever created. Originally released in an era when many games used music simply to avoid stretches of silence, Ys offered a sweeping emotional score, building on action and tension to provide players with an altogether potent experience. As relevant today as ever, the freshly arranged music CD still manages the same level of excitement and energy, and stand as a testament to true excellence in game music.

For more info and to sample the pre-order bonus disc:
http://www.atlus.com/ys/pre-order.html

For more information about Legacy of Ys: Books I & II, visit the official website:
http://www.atlus.com/ys

Legacy of Ys: Books I & II is scheduled for release for Nintendo DS™ on February 10, 2009, with an MSRP of $34.99.

About Legacy of Ys: Books I & II
Stories tell of a land of yore, now shrouded by centuries of time forgotten, called Ys. Despite its great knowledge, endless wealth, and bountiful prosperity, a sudden and unexpected cataclysm devastated the realm. Soon, its memory had faded completely from the minds of man.

Centuries later, a young adventurer named Adol set sail to explore the world and leave his mark on history. During his travels, he learned of the tragic tale of Esteria, a once prosperous island now inexplicably engulfed by a crippling storm. Adol plotted a course for the besieged isle, curious to unravel the mystery...

Key Features

* Two Legendary RPGs on One Cartridge! - Experience two all time classics that helped shape the action RPG genre... Now on a portable system!
* Upgraded Ys Experience - Behold remastered 3D graphics, a remixed musical score, and new enemies and equipment to discover. Touch control and local wireless multiplayer for up to four people deepen the adventure, while difficulty levels and dual control schemes tailor the experience to the gamer.
* The Definitive Story - Available to North American audiences for the first time, this ultimate translation delivers the most substantial version of the famous Ys story ever made!

Legacy of Ys: Books I & II has been rated "T" for Teen with Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Animated Blood, Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, and Partial Nudity by the ESRB.