The Art of Battle

… Battle MUSIC, that is.

If you can hear this GIF, you’ve come to the right place. If you can’t hear this GIF, you’re not crazy … There’s no sound. So how can we hear it? Stick with us to see what’s up.

*pause* technical talk for a minute: the way people can hear something in their heads that is not actually being played/sung is called audiation. We can audiate something when we know it, like, really well. For example – think about your favorite song on the radio right now. Don’t sing it, that’s cheating! Can you hear it? Maybe you don’t hear all the parts of it, but can you hear the singer? You’re audiating! If that didn’t work, when was the last time something was stuck in your head? Maybe a jingle from a commercial? See, you don’t need to be a fancy musician to do it …

That moment when you enter a battle in Pokemon (or any game, for that matter) is critical. It has to fit the style of game, the type of encounter, and – of course – the timing. Have you ever battled in a game where it just didn’t feel satisfying? Boot it back up and listen to the music … How is it? Could it be that the music is not what you’re looking for in a battle theme?
Below, we’ll take a look at the battle music from different games through my eyes and maybe come out with a different perspective.

We all go for different types of music at different times. When we’re stressed, some people turn to music that helps them let go while others turn to music that makes them feel nostalgic or music that makes them feel happy. The question is: when you want to pump up, what do you turn on? Something with a good beat or something with a strong melody? Something you can sing along with or something that simply floods your senses? Answering this question might point you toward the right music to listen to during a battle.

First, step into the arcade. There are a lot of lights and sounds going on around you, but you’re only here for one thing – Street Fighter. Disclaimer: the “battle music” here also goes with the characters as it’s each of their individual stages, but you have to remember that each piece was written knowing that people would be fighting while this played.

May I draw your attention here:

My personal favorite theme, although I’ve never played the game … sorry to disappoint!

Note the intensity and the driving rhythm to this theme. It gives you a sense of urgency, it makes you want to move somehow (even with the limitations they had). Good battle themes will often do this to get you on the edge of the seat – the “serious” position. You simply cannot lounge and listen to this theme. Moving to another fighting game …

“Bullet Dance II” from BlazBlue really makes you think it’s going to be a grand and spacious theme. I really love how they use the organ in this one, especially at the beginning. You don’t hear distorted electric guitar and organ together very often … but what better to fit that face? She needs something grand. Anyway – when it kicks into gear (0:42), it really hits it. 42 seconds may not feel like long, but in a video game a lot can happen in that time. That opener sort of lulls you into feeling complacent before punching you in the gut, reinvigorating you to take on the rest of the match. Not to mention how much of a rock star that guitar player is just for doing this part. Yet another example of what good battle music looks like.
Now let’s get nostalgic:

The trainer battle from Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow (referenced above) may be the most nostalgic of all battle music. This was the music we heard when we set out on our very first Pokemon adventure, and there’s something about that quick fall into the melody that gets you every time. What I love about that is how perfectly it times with the visual in-game. I mean, I know that was the point but still! And listen to that bass line – to be joined by two distinct upper voices. We hear an opening idea, a new strain to that idea, a development, and return to the beginning … Which is a very typical form for classical music. Yep, I mean it.

You can always look to Pokemon battle themes for some energizing listens (although of course some are better than others)

and now for a change of pace:

This one, from Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, doesn’t have that same rhythmic/driving aspect as the others above, but instead combines desolation and determination into the beautiful bit you hear there. Its expansive complexity adds another layer to any player’s experience – rather than pumping you up, this makes battle less of an excitement and more of a necessity. You don’t enjoy the fight, but you have no other option. That comes from the soaring violins combined with zooming piano lines fosters feeling weightless and driven all at the same time. The result is beautiful and emotional, and encapsulates so much of Roxas’s story.

If you couldn’t tell, I’m a sucker for this

Hit play to hear an even more extreme example of the forlorn battle music. This is a battle that is impossible to win (part of the story), and the music perfectly encapsulates that.Skip to 4:53 to hear the official start of the battle music or start from the beginning to get the full effect. Sometimes (in real life) people go into battle knowing that its hopeless and if this doesn’t do that for you then listen again. At the beginning: Do you hear how empty it is? It kind of puts a pit in your stomach. The repetition? It makes you feel like you’re stuck, like you can’t move forward. Once the battle starts, there is one low sustained note and a solo flute, also playing in its lower register. With just one moving voice (that is not rhythmic, take note) that feeling of hopelessness is created. It’s like you’re cut off from other options. We do get a bit of a rhythmic force after the initial statement of the theme, but it is understated and doesn’t last long. It’s like the will ebbs and flows, but the battle is always there to come back. (I mean, until you inevitably lose)

Moral: battle music is (pretty much) unavoidable in video games. While it might seem like the most simple or straight-forward kind of music, it actually inspires all kinds of emotions and sets all kinds of scenes that enhance your gameplay. So next time you’re sick of the random encounters in an RPG, turn the volume up a notch. Really listen for that music in the background and get a better look into how the makers intended for you to feel at that moment.

Tell me your favorite battle music in the comments or on Twitter!
Oh, and keep an eye out for some posts on specific battle music –
Until next time