I’m late to post on this one, but the NES/Famicom and arcade versions of the Contra soundtrack is available on vinyl and ready to purchase over at Mondo Tees!
When I was a very young boy, the Contra soundtrack was very much a part of my video game mix tapes I would record with a boom box placed right next the speaker of my black and white TV. I placed my order for this last week and I’m looking forward to receiving it.
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to play Yu Suzuki’s Super Hang-On at my local arcade for the first time in years. I forgot how much fun the classic Sega arcade game was, but even more so I forgot about just how damn good the soundtrack was. The soundtrack written by Koichi Namiki, Katsuhiro Hayashi and Shigeru Ohwada; definitely gives off a jazzy but frantic feel that captures the essense of screaming down the road on a high speed motorcycle. After spending a few credits on the game, I remembered that Data-Discs actually released the soundtrack on vinyl ; so I decided to hunt it down.
Both sides of the record are very good, but if I had to pick a favorite track; I’d have to go with “Outride a Crisis. Again, this track just captures the mood the game so well and its fun to listen to it while on the road or while going for a run. Don’t take my word for it though, check out the full album below for my rips of the record.
SIDE A
A1. Opening
A2. Outride a Crisis
A3. Sprinter
————————–
SIDE B
B1. Winning Run
B2. Hard Road
B3. Goal
B4. Name Entry
For our fourth release in partnership with SEGA, we are proud to present the soundtrack to one of the defining arcade games of the 1980s: SUPER HANG-ON. Using audio sourced directly from the original 1987 arcade machine sound board, this carefully restored and remastered edition presents the unforgettable soundtrack to SEGA and Yu Suzuki’s classic racer on vinyl for the first time outside of Japan.
Housed in a meticulously designed custom die-cut sleeve, on 400gsm matt finish cardstock, with 300gsm printed inner sleeve and a traditional OBI strip. 180g vinyl cut at 45rpm for maximum driving power!
Music by Koichi Namiki, Katsuhiro Hayashi and Shigeru Ohwada.
Released in the following editions:
180g clear vinyl with blue, white and red tri-colour splatter (limited edition)
Data Discs latest is Altered Beast! The first time I played this game was actually in a 711 on the original arcade cabinet release and I thought it was pretty cool back then. I had a chance to replay the arcade version a few years ago with my friend Randy Hope cooperatively and after finishing it together, we were not too impressed by the game. I do own the Genesis version which is what Data Discs used to source the music from, but I’ve only played the first or second level of that version.
Listening to the two track sampler that Data Discs put up, I’m actually surprised as the music is far catchier then I remember. Looks like I’ll be picking this one up tomorrow.
WWISE FRUM YO GWAVVE! Originally released in the arcades in 1988, but quickly ported over to SEGA’s new Mega Drive console, where it entered countless homes as a pack-in game, Altered Beast remains memorable for many things over its gameplay, not least its soundtrack. Composed by Tohru “Master” Nakabayashi, the music of Altered Beast moves between intense battle themes and cavernous dirges; the perfect backdrop to traversing the netherworld, punching pigs and powering up.
Sourced from a Japanese Mega Drive and carefully mastered for vinyl, Altered Beast is presented as a 45RPM cut LP in a 400g matt varnished sleeve and printed inner sleeve, both of which feature hand-painted artwork from the SEGA archives. Also included is a foldout poster of the original painting used for the game’s box art.
This release is available in the following editions:
– Clear with Orange Splatter (Limited Edition, available exclusively from us)
– Opaque Orange
– Classic Black
SHIPPING BEGINS IN THE FIRST WEEK OF JULY, HOWEVER WE WILL REQUIRE 2-3 WEEKS TO FULFILL ALL ORDERS
A1. Rise from Your Grave
A2. Altered Beast
A3. Gaum Hermer
————————
B1. Crystal Theme
B2. Closed in Upon Me
B3. I’ll Be Back
B4. I’m Not Scared of Wolves
B5. Game Over
Please note: the splatter effect on the limited edition will vary between copies. Images shown here are mock ups; the final product may differ slightly. We will also not accept any reservation requests (sorry!).
Tonight, we are back with SIDE B of this fantastic Zuntata Record. The stand out track for me here is “Colors of Nights”, which takes all the melodic elements of “Blow Up” from SIDE A and goes even further with them. The Elevator Action Returns soundtrack was really something else and its a shame that the game didn’t get more exposure in the U.S. The rest of the tracks on the album are also fantastic but nothing really matches the movement and excitement that “Colors of the Nights” has. Combined with SIDE A on this album, you have no excuse not to pick up this album up! Do it before its gone.
Legendary Japanese video game developer Taito has always had one constant throughout most of its existence: incredible soundtracks by in-house band ZUNTATA.
Ship to Shore PhonoCo. is proud to present the first volume in a series of compilations showcasing the incredible work that ZUNTATA did on Taito’s arcade titles. Volume one contains selections from Night Striker, Metal Black and Elevator Action Returns, three classics from the early 90s.
Remastered for vinyl using source files from the Taito archive and housed in a gatefold jacket with liner notes by USgamer’s Jeremy Parish and ZUNTATA member Katsuhisa Ishikawa, this is a release not to be missed by classic VGM fans.
Arcade Classics Volume One was my second purchase when I was getting into video game soundtracks on vinyl and I was not disappointed. Side A has two stand out tracks for me: “Urban Trail” from Night Striker and “Blow Up” from Elevator Action Returns.
The first time I heard “Urban Trail” was on a deluxe sit down cabinet of Night Striker. The cabinet featured extra visual effects and a very crisp speaker system that made both the sound effects and the soundtrack stand out from other games in a very loud arcade. The drop of the track matches your first look at the neon lit city in the game as you ride out of a tunnel into it. Hearing the track the first time gave me goose bumps and still does to this day. Little did I know at the time, that being able to play that game (and in a deluxe cabinet to boot) was a rare privilege as the game was not officially released in North America. The arcade must have had it imported from Japan! Sadly, “Urban Trail” skips on my copy and I have yet to get it replaced.
“Blow Up” is a nice jazzy track with a killer sax line in it. It definitely fits the spy persona of a game like Elevator Action Returns, but almost fits better in a game like Snatcher.
Enjoy this listed to side A of this album! I’ll have Side B up soon.
Legendary Japanese video game developer Taito has always had one constant throughout most of its existence: incredible soundtracks by in-house band ZUNTATA.
Ship to Shore PhonoCo. is proud to present the first volume in a series of compilations showcasing the incredible work that ZUNTATA did on Taito’s arcade titles. Volume one contains selections from Night Striker, Metal Black and Elevator Action Returns, three classics from the early 90s.
Remastered for vinyl using source files from the Taito archive and housed in a gatefold jacket with liner notes by USgamer’s Jeremy Parish and ZUNTATA member Katsuhisa Ishikawa, this is a release not to be missed by classic VGM fans.
Just in time for Sonic’s 26th Anniversary and to celebrate the launch of his newest adventure, SEGA and Data Discs are proud to announce the official Sonic Mania vinyl album.
Featuring select tracks by composer Tee Lopes, as well as new gatefold art featuring Sonic, Tails, & Knuckles exploring the lush vistas of Green Hill Zone Act 2, the vinyl album is a must-have for any fan or Sonic music aficionado, and a gorgeous addition to any Sonic collection.
The Sonic Mania LP is packaged in a heavyweight gatefold sleeve with UV spot varnish, featuring new artwork exclusive to this release, along with a printed inner sleeve featuring an array of characters from the game. The release also includes a download code of the album in both lossy and lossless formats.
Sonic Mania will be available in the following editions:
– 180g Limited Edition (TBA), available exclusively from our site.
– 180g Translucent Blue
– 180g Classic Black
Please sign up to our mailing list or follow us on social media for updates on when this product will be available to order! In the meantime, please enjoy the album’s opening track, “Lights, Camera, Action! (Studiopolis Act 1)”.
Note: The images featured here are mock ups and may be subject to change.
