We all have cynical days: days when every single game looks bland and you resist the urge to push yourself away from your desk in disgust and shout "If I don't see something something cool in the next ten minutes, I'm done with gaming!".
And just as you're about to call the whole hobby off, someone reminds you of games like Panzer Dragoon or Phantom Dust, and you remember just how cool games can be.
This week's Kotaku Mixtape is devoted to Yukio Futasugi and his colleagues at the now defunct Team Andromeda. Together they created the Panzer Dragoon series, before Yukio left to join Microsoft Games Studio and create the cult classic Phantom Dust. Both the Panzer series and Phantom Dust sport not only gorgeous, unique artwork (Including work from the recently deceased Mobius) but amazing and eclectic soundtracks.
Also, for some bizarre reason, Buffalo ‘66 director Vincent Gallo did the end-credits song for Phantom Dust. I still have no clue how that happened.
THE LIST:
Panzer Dragoon - Main Theme - Yoshitaka Azuma
Panzer Dragoon Orta - Altered Genos - Soari Kobayashi
Phatnom Dust - October 10, 1986 (Lane) - Yoshiyuki Usui (with Yuko Araki)
Panzer Dragoon Saga - Sora Mi Areru Ec Sancitu - Saori Kobiyashi (with Mariko Nanaba)
Panzer Dragoon II Zwei - The Unexpected Enemy (Alternative Elements Ver.) - Tomonari Sawada
Panzer Dragoon Saga - Ecce Valde Generous Ale - Saori Kobiyashi (with Mariko Nanaba)
Panzer Dragoon - Flight - Yoshitaka Azuma
Phantom Dust - Yes I'm Lonely - Vincent Gallo
There ya have it. Here's hoping Crimson Dragon is just as good as these games! Special thanks to Daniel Pierce for suggesting the Panzer series.