The Golden Era of Silent Videogames

November 19, 2014 5:16 AM

Mega Man 2 on stage with live soundtrack.

It's a classic action game with a classic soundtrack, played on a stage accompanied by a four piece rock band. The band.

BONUS: the 8-bit soundtracks for Mega Man and Mega Man 3 reinterpreted using a very slightly more advanced 8-bit sound processor by rushjet1. Video of the first game accompanied by the re-done soundtrack.

posted by grobstein (21 comments total)

What the fuck, man.

I have go to to work now.

Why would you do this to me.

This is.. the greatest thing I've ever seen. ;_____;

(the comet was fine, whatever. but this!)
posted by curious nu at 5:22 AM on November 19, 2014 [1 favorite]

I have go to to work now.

I'm a bowling ball dreaming I'm a piece of sashimi!

The intro for 2 is very rousing, but I agree about the intro for 3! I think 3 is my favorite soundtrack of the bunch. When I was a kid I found the Protoman story emotionally affecting.
posted by grobstein at 5:27 AM on November 19, 2014 [3 favorites]

Well I guess he can defeat Airman.
posted by yeolcoatl at 5:38 AM on November 19, 2014 [2 favorites]

When I was a kid I found the Protoman story emotionally affecting.

*mournful whistle*
posted by curious nu at 6:13 AM on November 19, 2014 [7 favorites]

I thought someone would be playing the sound effects :(
posted by Infernarl at 6:45 AM on November 19, 2014 [1 favorite]

Gotta say, I'm blown away by the band's ability to stay in sync with each other and with the progress of the game--seamlessly changing from one tune to the next based on the progress made in each level by the speedrunner.

In other words...
posted by duffell at 7:15 AM on November 19, 2014 [1 favorite]

[this is good]
posted by cashman at 7:15 AM on November 19, 2014

posted by cashman

Ironically, cut from Mega Man 2 due to lack of funds.
posted by jermsplan at 7:26 AM on November 19, 2014 [3 favorites]

I spent several lunch and recess periods in grade school sketching my own Mega Man bosses. (Did they ever end up doing a Candy Man? Because I always thought they should.)
posted by duffell at 7:39 AM on November 19, 2014 [1 favorite]

Apparently Heat Man and Quick Man were my least favorite stages, because I didn't recognize the music right off the bat.

Bubble Man must have been written on a Gibson Flying V. Here's another good heavy cover.
posted by infinitewindow at 7:52 AM on November 19, 2014 [1 favorite]

Huh, some friends and I were talking just last night about Mega Man 2 and how wonderful it was (in general, and in particular the soundtrack). Serendipity!

Thanks so much for sharing! I've watched a bit and I'm dangerously close to getting sucked in, but work beckons- looking forward to giving it a proper viewing this evening.
posted by kryptondog at 8:05 AM on November 19, 2014

I could have sworn I'd seen a video of the Minibosses doing this ages ago, but there's no evidence.

Either way, just skip to 26:00 for the greatest 8-bit cockrock jam I ever listened to for 3 hours at a time while biting a controller in half.
posted by SharkParty at 8:06 AM on November 19, 2014 [1 favorite]

Got to see Bit Brigade at PAX. The room had incredible energy, and yeah, the band was super tight. Audience was really into it; the player was so incredibly good, that on the rare occasion when he'd miss a jump or something, the crowd went nuts.
posted by xedrik at 8:16 AM on November 19, 2014 [1 favorite]

Had to smile at the 24 minute mark. Just this past weekend I played the Vault of Glass in Destiny for the first time, and immediately emailed my brother to tell him it included a weak easy version of MM's block jumping puzzles. His immediate response was that they were all easy, because the correct way to do them was to call Rush Jet and refuse to interact with the level design.
posted by jermsplan at 8:22 AM on November 19, 2014 [2 favorites]

Those guys really feel it!

Disappointed that they don't play the GET EQUIPPED! beat, though. I still sing that every day without even thinking about where it comes from.
posted by ignignokt at 8:23 AM on November 19, 2014 [1 favorite]

so is the guy playing the game an official part of the band?
posted by SharkParty at 8:41 AM on November 19, 2014

At 18:00 they're all like "fuck this Crash Man shit, let's play Spark Man instead." I don't really blame them because it's a long stage, but dammit, that's my favorite Mega Man music.
posted by Metroid Baby at 9:10 AM on November 19, 2014 [3 favorites]

You can also buy a similar recording from the band on Amazon.
posted by grobstein at 8:29 AM on November 20, 2014

I've seen this game speedrun lots, but... Not with live accompaniment. My heart swelled about 14 sizes when the title music kicked in.

Mega Man 2 was the first NES game I ever owned (even before Mario/Duck Hunt), so that one in particular aside from being the best of the NES ones is an extremely important part of my childhood. It's also the only one I've ever beat up until Mega Man X.
posted by sparkletone at 1:41 PM on November 20, 2014 [1 favorite]

so is the guy playing the game an official part of the band?

According to Bit Brigade's website, yes.

Unrelated: I just got to the start of Wily's castle and had a good laugh when the crowd booed Dr. Wily as his flying saucer flew on screen.
posted by sparkletone at 2:07 PM on November 20, 2014 [1 favorite]

It's also the only one I've ever beat up until Mega Man X.

I beat 2 and 3 as a kid, and then I didn't really play any of the sequels. Don't know if I ever beat 1, though I did spend some time with it.

I finally got to try Mega Man X a few years ago, and I almost beat it -- just about everything in the game was my speed, except the final boss which I found impossible.
posted by grobstein at 8:29 PM on November 21, 2014