A personal favorite: a tribute to Metropolis Zone

There is tons of great music out there these days. No matter what you like there will be a song to define your day, your mood or even your life. There are even awesome power metal remakes. But none of those songs compare to the awesome that is Metropolis Zone. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has always stood out for me as having the best soundtrack during the 16 bit era. Sure Megaman was great, of course Castlevania was up there, and who can forget the tunes for Super Mario World or the Opera from Final Fantasy VI, or whatever the hell it was here in the states.



These games all have great soundtracks, but Sonic 2 stands out for having so many great tunes. From the jazzy sounds of Casino Night, to the quirky and menacing tones of Oil Ocean, every level had it's own unique feel, not just due to the design, as all the levels were brightly colored and full of spikes and floating platforms. No, it was the music that really made each stage come alive. However, one track, one track amongst all stood out.



Metropolis Zone's music was the best. The offset scratch, the epic bouncing bass rhythem and that amazing wailing guitar in the background, all culminating in a frenzied chorus. It was the only stage so epic that it got THREE acts. It was the toughest stage by far, filled with impressively annoying enemies who were placed ready to fire just off screen and at the edge of cliffs, ready to knock you off to your doom and steal all of your rings. Metropolis zone was the industrial stage. It was the stage Trent Reznor would make if he had a fascination with the color green and with annoying screws and starfish. But really, Metropolis Zone is more than just green tinted awesome with great music. It is an excuse to post the following video:



That's right, Michael Jackson mixed into Metropolis Zone. I cant tell if this is the greatest or worst thing ever, but I don't care, it's awe inspiring nonetheless.

Metropolis Zone is essentially the night cap, the climax of the game. After this, up is the only way to go, with Sky Chase, Wing Fortress and Death Egg Zones being the only things standing between you and the end game. But the music for Metropolis stands out as the best in the game.

These days, a lot of music has gone orchestral, but maybe that's why I love Atlus, those guys currently hold the banner up for excellence in original game music, and if you dont believe me, check out the Persona soundtracks for some of the best Jazz based game music ever. And one final thing, the only song(s) to actually rival the amazingness that was Metropolis Zone in the 16 bit era was in Sonic and Knuckles, and they are called Lava Reef Zone, Act's One and Two (cause theyre so awesome, they get two different songs, each of which are amazing.





(I like Act two a little more, though it is no Metropolis Zone)

I know Im not the only one who loves these songs, what do you guys think?

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LOOK WHO CAME:

ArcticFox