> For anyone that has enjoyed Shining Force III on Sega Saturn or an emulator,
hearing the game's soundtrack is nothing short of spectacular. I loved
the music so much that I bought all the official soundtracks I could find.
After purchasing "Force of Light" (and others) many moons ago, my expectation
of hearing music directly from the game was quickly dashed. I had to have
the video game soundtrack!
> Twenty two years ago, I spent many hours sorting, selecting, recording,
naming, and editing the music tracks of Shining Force III. Of course, being
a huge fan of Sega, I made every effort to create a realistic box and CD
art. Upon unsuccessfully looking for the original box art image files,
I decided it was time to update and remake them. Unfortunately, I don't
have access to color printed CDRs (in small batches), so I'm going with
superior media, Mitsui Gold.
> So what's different on Scenario 3? There's not much overlap here, just
the main songs heard throughout the series. Disc 3 features 17 songs not
found on the previous two discs -- not necessarily because they aren't
in those games but because of disc memory. Disc 3 combines more of the
same music from discs 1-2 with emphasis on the peaceful serenity side.
Having heard these three CDs many times in the last 22 years, I can honestly
say, I never get tired of SF3's soundtrack. Scenario 3 is my absolute favorite
disc of the three. As for my favorite songs (besides all of them), I would
pick "Truth be Known", "Serenity", "Gracia's Blessing" [5 star], "Taste
of Victory", and "Honor the Fallen". Believe me when I tell you, this CD
is the "coup de grace" of all three discs, much like the Scenario 3 game
is for the story of Shining Force III.
Bottom
Line:
> It's been 22 years since the original CD was released. After spending
50+ hours on a Scenario 1 play through, the nostalgia overwhelmed me and
created the incentive to remake this amazing 3 disc compilation. Scenario
3's soundtrack is better than either of the first two -- possibly even
if 1-2 were combined! This is not the same as the "Force of Light" or "Shining
Force III" soundtracks that were released ages ago. Those are studio recordings
of an orchestra arrangement. My friends, this is the epitome of superior
video game music! No SEGA FAN should live without hearing Shining Force
III's music.
Overall:
10 |