=4 – Proof of Destruction (Mastertronic, Shaun Southern, 91%)
Listen to Proof of Destruction via DeepSID
A classic case of the soundtrack fitting the game perfectly. The title tune is a nice little number by Shaun and does set the tone for the game well, with some lovely filter swooshes for cymbals. However, in-game, you get an iconic bassline playing to drive you on, with the sound effects given room to flow with explosions and shots to accompany. That bassline is interactive with the end of level tune and indeed the bonus stage tune, meaning one lovely interactive piece that gives a perfect accompaniment to the game and shows the thought that went into it. And if you have not played this, you really should. In fact, the Zzap! Review mentions that bassline several times as a thumping good bassline, and hard to disagree really.
3 – One Man and His Droid (Mastertronic, Rob Hubbard, 94%)
Listen to One Man and His Droid via DeepSID
Herding ramboid robots in space may not have sounded like the best concept for a game, but this was a good game for its time. What elevated this version was the manic almost six minutes that Rob Hubbard provided for its soundtrack, sourcing inspiration from the television series Police Woman and indeed Maneater by Hall and Oates later on (listen from around three minutes fifteen or so) – Rob admitted to fellow C64 musicians Peter Clarke and Barry Leitch recently he loathed that tune’s saxophone break as he had to play it in a band he was in a lot, so put it in for the sake of it. In fact, that gives way to a lovely middle part with a great lead too, before resuming the completely manic feel the game has. A classic without question.
Did You Know?
For Mastertronic’s second attempt at a game you could play during loading, Richard Aplin came up with a Space Invaders clone. Just when you thought it was safe to make a cup of tea, it’s Invade-a-Load! That certainly needed something manic to accompany the game during loading, and the One Man and His Droid soundtrack was used – something Rob had no idea that was used, incidentally. Richard Aplin himself posted a review and article on Lemon64 about it all, that is a really good read too – https://www.lemon64.com/review/invade-a-load/564
2 – Finders Keepers (Mastertronic, David Dunn, 95%)
Listen to Finders Keepers via DeepSID
The first of the Magic Knight games had become a sizeable hit on the Spectrum, and thankfully the Commodore 64 version came across well as a port. What was also very nice was the soundtrack, which had a cutesy feel to it, to match the cartoon-esque characters of the game, and a lovely main melody that just was typical of Dunn’s work at the time – focussing on some lovely arrangements that made the tune flow rather well. I do love the change of key around half way through and the second part where it really does sound a little more like delving into an adventure as you progress along. Simple it may sound, but just perfectly done and again a case of a great accompaniment to the game.
NOTE: David Dunn is now Julie Dunn, but was David at the time of composing this piece.
Did You Know?
In Rob Hubbard’s demo 5 Title Tunes, the third tune selected (Short Title Tune) clearly has inspiration from the Finders Keepers soundtrack.
1 – Flash Gordon (MAD, Rob Hubbard, 97%)
Listen to Flash Gordon via DeepSID
The Commodore 64 version of Flash Gordon was an impressive licence from the comic, and clearly with the 1980 film being a cult classic, would have fans enjoying the game. What made each of the three sections stand out even more was the Rob Hubbard soundtrack, with the jungle section having interactivity and atmosphere as you explored, with the fighting level and the 3D shooting later having a thumping bassline to drive you in. But the piece de resistance? The six-and-a-half-minute title theme, which is that good a likeness to the style of Queen’s soundtrack from the Flash Gordon film that if Queen had covered Rob’s title theme and stuck it in, no one would have batted an eyelid. Yes, it is that good and that epic, getting the atmosphere and emotion perfect – especially with the mid-section quieter break and developing into a thunderous finish. In fact, that title tune is right up there with my favourite Rob Hubbard pieces.
Did You Know?
Flash Gordon was released as Captain Zapp in the USA (the cover says Captain Zapp, in game says Captain Zzap – a hint to Zzap! 64 perhaps?), with all hints of Flash Gordon removed. This was potentially due to the scope of the licence of the game not covering all regions.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it, an interesting top ten, and although inevitably there is a sizable nod to Rob Hubbard’s soundtracks, it was interesting to see some others feature. Perhaps Proof of Destruction is the biggest surprise, but when you play it, the soundtrack to that really works superbly well and I can appreciate why it got the rating it did. No doubt there will be some games, that if they had been reviewed by Zzap! 64 or given a sound rating a la Kentilla and Master of Magic, may have made it here too. Nonetheless, a solid selection all round (maybe except Hunter Patrol) and certainly if you have never heard some of these classics before, now is the time to do so.
Main picture by Evan-Amos – Own work, Public Domain, Link
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