Sega’s been rather lucky in it’s audio department over the years; several of the greatest talents in the industry- and even those outside of it- have gone through their doors since their founding, and perhaps no franchise of theirs is more celebrated in this regard then their flagship series, Sonic the Hedgehog. Not exactly a bold statement, really; much has been written and spoken about the music from the blue spike ball’s various adventures, from it’s cultural influence to the musical theory behind it, but as I’m often wont to use October as an excuse to talk at length about video game music, I wanted to explore and highlight one particular aspect of Sonic’s soundtracks; that of the songs that back the more spookily themed stages across the franchise. Though not as wildly explored as your rolling green hills or your oppressive factories, the macabre- or at least family friendly interpretations of it- have occasionally cropped up in various Sonic titles, and the varying ways the composers have approached representing these themes aurally merits a little discussion. I intend to keep this as comprehensive a list as I possibly can, so I’ll only be dedicating a few words to each song. In theory, anyway. Now I’ve said that, I’ll probably end up writing a 5000 word thesis on each bloody song.
---
Mystic Cave Zone (1 Player ver), composed by Masato Nakamura. From Sonic the Hedgehog 2
This one has always kind of fascinated me from a thematic perspective; though Mystic Cave has a certain atmosphere to its general visual design- broken down mining trails in a deep dark cave, filled with overgrown vines / moss, and jam packed with tricks and traps (the most infamous being that poxy bloody spike pit in Act 2), there’s nothing really specifically “supernatural” about it. None of the three S’s- spooks, spectres, and skeletons- make an appearance for example, and the enemies are themed after insects rather then, say, bats. Yet, the music actively strives for a charming, hoaky “ghost house" sort of vibe- the lead melody of the song’s A section and several phrases in the C section are played using a waveform evoking a Theremin, the melody in the B section features plenty of stylistic dissonance within it’s plinky-plonky melody (both with the chords and bass and with itself), and the iconic brassy stabs that open up the song and appear throughout all end up in a song that wouldn’t be out of place at a Halloween party. Albeit with a slightly funkier bassline, maybe. The combination of the zone’s visuals and theming and the music lead to a kind of “less is more” effect; we don’t actively see anything supernatural happen at any point in the level (levitating platforms and boxes aside, but those are hardly exclusive to Mystic Cave), but the music leaves you with a lingering feeling that maybe, somewhere in the depths of the big booky cave, something cerebral lurks...
Mystic Cave (2 Player), composed by Masato Nakamura. From Sonic the Hedgehog 2
The 2 player versions of Emerald Hill, Casino Night, and Mystic Cave Zone all had alternative themes to their single player mode counterparts, which I always thought was a nice touch. There’s a fair bit of debate among Sonic aficionados as to whether this was originally composed with the lost version of Hidden Palace Zone in mind instead of Sound Test 10, not aided by the Sonic 2 iOS port using it for the reinstated version of that Zone. I bring this up partially because whilst my bias leans towards Sound Test 10, I do believe this song fits both Mystic Cave and Hidden Palace quite nicely; rather then going for a spookhouse feel, this song instead has a certain... well, mystic quality to it. More contemplative and, for lack of a better wording, “ancient” sounding melodies and counter melodies backed by a sustained, near unchanging bassline pattern that’s in quite stark contrast to it’s single player counterpart in it’s simplicity. Those little brass-like hits still appear however, both on the lower and higher end of the scale, so it’s not entirely removed from the single player variant either. In some ways, I feel the competition mode version fits the visual theme of Mystic Cave a tiny bit more then the single player one, but neither are contradictory and out of place there, and both emphasises different qualities of the stage (the former the spooky aspect, the latter the “old and arcane” one).
Sandopolis Zone Act 2, by an unknown composer. From Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles
I always had a bit of a softer spot for the “& Knuckles” portion of the complete Sonic 3 package, mostly due to owning Sonic & Knuckles standalone first and for a little longer. Sandopolis still ranks as one of my favourite stages from the classic titles almost entirely for it’s aesthetics- both acts look gorgeous and make fabulous use of the Mega Drive’s limited colour palette, for one thing. I fully admit to being more partial to the Act 1 variant of Sandopolis’ music, but I fully appreciate how well the Act 2 variant captures the vibe of “a big ol’ Pyramid jes’ burstin’ wit ghosts”. We’ve got the requisite “Hollywood Egypt” style melody, all in a minor key with the chords to back it up, a simple but very strongly emphasised bassline that spends much of it’s time relying on alternating octaves over complex patterns, and a slightly slower, more foreboding tempo and pace compared to the more upbeat Act 1 variation. To say it punctuates the Ghosts-and-Light-Switches mechanic the act introduces, as well as the significant gameplay tension that goes along with it, is an understatement- that bassline in particular is enough to cause the muscles to tense, I reckon.
Endless Mine, by an unknown composer. From Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles
The Zones created for S3&K’s competition mode are, in my opinion, kinda lacklustre and dull loops that make for a kinda droll experience on the gameplay front. Which is a shame, because not only are they all visually interesting in their way, but they have some of the best level tunes in the entire series- Endless Mine in particular is a personal favourite of mine. I admit though I’m not entirely sure if I should count it; thematically it’s something of a callback to Sonic 2‘s mystic cave, but the overall atmosphere is more sombre and bittersweet then, say, “Mr. Bone’s Wild Ride” levels of Bookiness. This is really reflected in the music; though I’d hesitate to call it heartbreakingly sad, there’s a real air of melancholy to the piece that always made it stand out to me; the fairly complex, always progressing arrangement gives the Zone a sense of history, one of a once prosperous Zone long left abandoned and derelict. You never get the sense that Endless Mine is haunted by ghosts so much as the ever encroaching threat of Entropy, but isn’t that just a little bit more frightening anyway? No? Too deep, huh? Yeah, probably.
Dark Castle, by Chikayo (aka Chikayo Fukuda) and/or Kazunechan (aka Kazune Hiiragi). From Tails’ Skypatrol
This one’s probably my least favourite track on the list. Not because of any objective issue with the song itself; I’m just not big on tracks that go into full on Oompah Brass Whimsy like this one (well, an 8-bit emulation of it at least). It does work well with the aesthetic of the stage, which is a death trap filled gothic tower-type joint overseen by a literal Witch; the sort of joint that Felix the Cat might have a wacky adventure in set to music of a similar nature. The sound programming isn’t too bad, either, all things considered; the Master System and Game Gear both have a fairly abrasive sound to them naturally, and it was fairly easy to lapse into screeching nightmare territory, but the waveforms across this track are smoothed out quite nicely or- as it the case with the lead- edge towards the calmer side of harsh.
Labyrinth of the Castle, by Atsuko Iwanaga. From Sonic Labyrinth
Hey, an irregular time signature! There’s not enough of those in Sonic Songs, honestly. To say Sonic Labyrinth is a not very good game is an understatement- it’s a Sonic game who’s main conceit is that Sonic is forced to go very, very slow for pete’s sake- some of the music in it wasn’t half bad, setting a precedent followed by Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 11 years later. Befitting the level’s status as the last one, the song’s got a real feeling of climactic desperation and finality to it, and whilst it isn’t a particularly spooky sounding song it does rather match the intensity of the level from a difficulty perspective. The sound programming here’s a bit rougher then the Tails’ Skypatrol track, at least in part due to having a heavier percussive emphasis (and Master System/Game Gear percussion is almost always a bit abrasive), but it’s not outright unpleasant to listen to, and the compositional strength of the track allows it to overcome the slightly rough sound fairly well.
Fakery Way... for Twinkle Park, by Fumie Kumatani. From Sonic Adventure
Ok, so this is more a “section of a level” then a full level in of itself, but it’s definitely one of the more memorable set pieces in a level that’s got a fair few to begin with. Given the fact that Twinkle Park is, well, a theme park, and that Amy’s gameplay in Sonic Adventure was centred around escaping an ever present and undefeatable foe, doing a brief bit of the level in a horror attraction was a pretty obvious idea. Throwing in a disorienting mirror maze to heighten the tension was a lovely touch too, but by gum they’d have gotten along fine with the song alone. Ms. Kumatani makes use of several spooky music tropes at once, and to quite delightful effect; we’ve got the vaguely creepy, almost lullaby-ish piano melody, slightly detuned and almost wind-like sustained synth bass, stacking and rising string notes, a couple of dissonant chords, a manic rising crescendo after a fairly quiet first phrase, and some weird and just barely tuneful sound effects and clangs to close out. With that baby chuckle sample that comes in at 21 seconds thrown in for garnish, the end result is the EXACT kind of song I would expect to hear playing in the mirror maze itself, to the point I’m almost convinced it’s an example of Diegetic Sound (a term I did not solely throw in to look smarter then I am, no sir).
Red Hot Skull... for Red Mountain, by Jun Senoue. From Sonic Adventure
If there’s any song that solidifies that yes, this game came out when Limp Biskit and Crazy Town were a thing, it’s undoubtably this one. Although I was always know it for sharing some samples with, of all things, the Hip Hop mix of Super Cat’s Ghetto Red Hot. Red Mountain is another somewhat outlier in terms of level theming- it’s a Volcano / Fire themed stage overall- but there ARE Skulls embeded in the walls at a few points, and there are a few Jail cells dotted about containing ghostly prisoners, so ehhh, it counts. The spookier vibe of the enormous mountain’s interior is punctuated largely by those sampled sound effects- one of them’s a siren of some sort, but heaven help me if I can figure out what the other one is- both of which sound otherworldly due to the manipulation of the sounds. The shuffled beat definitely goes a long way towards helping though- partially due to the sampled portions being compressed and distorted, and partially because spookiness and funkiness go hand in hand- as do the wailing lead guitars and oft. pitchbent rhythm/backing guitars. To say it’s a massive contrast to the track that Kenichi Tokoi composed for the zone’s outer portions is an understatement, but I dig the contrast in tone a lot- and the song itself still rates as one of my favourite Jun Senoue pieces.
A Ghost’s Pumpkin Soup... for Pumpkin Hill, by Tomoya Ohtani (featuring Hunnid-P on vocals). From Sonic Adventure 2
Ahhhh yes, the song that launched a thousand memes. Whilst the original Sonic Adventure did play around with a stylistically diverse soundtrack, Sonic Adventure 2 tried to push it further by assigning styles to specific characters. This ran from as subtle as Sonic’s Butt Metal/Pop Punk and Eggman’s Industrial Rock, to as quite markedly different as Rouge’s Jazz and, of course, Knuckles Hip Hop/UK Garage. Much maligned both back in the day and in the present, I argue that the backing tracks for Knuckles’ are all expertly crafted, clearly reflecting the hip hop styles of the time the game came out, and the raps themselves have a certain cheesy charm to them that just brings a smile to my face. This track in particular could arguably called Sonic’s own personal “Thriller”, in it’s way; it’s horror-themed hip hop track where a rapper, speaking from the perspective of a naive anthropomorphic treasure hunting anteater, talks about hunting for green gemstones in a Rather Frightening Neighbourhood™ and remarking on the casual leery-ness of the local ghost population. It’s goofy, yes, but it’s aware of it’s own silliness, and I think that comes across in touches like the plinky-plonky plucked melody, the sustained theremin notes over the chorus, and the meaty bassline that cuts through the mix. If this isn’t on your personal Halloween Playlist, you’re either lying or have no taste.
Deeper... for Death Chamber, by Tomoya Ohtani (featuring Hunnid-P on vocals). From Sonic Adventure 2
Y’know, as iconic as A Ghost’s Pumpkin Soup is, both in the fandom and out, I can’t help but feel it overshadows Deeper somewhat. Which is impressive, considering it features the rapper role playing a conversation between Knuckles and Sonic during the breakdown. Without changing his voice to differentiate between the two. In which the line “YA DAMN RIGHT, KNUCKLES!” is said. For my money that’s infinitely funnier then anything in A Ghost’s Pumpkin Soup. With that said, though, I feel it’d be disingenuous to undermine Tomoya Ohtani’s work by just focusing on that, so I’d like to focus on the beat itself for a minute. Though the level it’s for takes place in a Pyramid and features it’s share of apparitions, there’s nothing traditionally spooky about the song itself (unless you find screaming saxophones absolutely terrifying). Instead, we’ve got a 2 Step style beat with mellow synth chords, some deep, silky smooth bass, and a little bit of funky by way of wah-wah guitar licks and a smatterings of brass every now and then. The vibe is definitely on the mysterious side of things, though, with the husky, whispered cadence of “Death Chamber, Death Chamber, Death Chamber...” adding to the ambiance quite beautifully.
Hang Castle A, by Tomoya Ohtani. From Sonic Heroes
Ok, I’m gonna just gush for a moment; Hang Castle is probably the piece on this list that best hits just the right amount of cheesy spookiness, in a way that brightens my day everytime I hear both versions of it. This initial version is probably my favourite of the two, and plays when the stage is right-side up; right off the bat I like how several of the sounds and samples are either compressed or filtered to sound extra scratchy, old, or otherwise otherworldly. We’ve got a lead melody played on a ghostly flute that pans between speakers, filtered string chords, pizzicato string plucks, the odd brass hit here and there, and a really nice backing beat that’s heavy on the percussion, which is always a plus with me. That’s just the leading elements though; the smaller touches, like the harp loop during bridge, the interjections of plodding, marching string basslines that, and little castanet clicks really help make this track something special.
Hang Castle B, by Tomoya Ohtani. From Sonic Heroes
Then, when the level gets flipped turned upside down, the track changes to a similar but quite markedly different variation on the song. It’s a bit more stripped down then the original in a few ways- the most notable being the beat, which is less busy and swaps out the meatier samples for lighter, crisper ones, swapping the upfront flute melody for harp plucking that’s a bit more subtle, and putting more of an emphasis on string chords. The little flourishes really elevate the track, from the brief theremin whines to the chopped and filtered vocal samples (which are probably my favourite element of the track). I really like both variations on the song, but I lean more towards this one; the slightly more atmospheric take lends a more genuine air of menace to the level, in contrast to the somewhat cheesier rightside-up version.
Mystic Mansion, by Naofumi Hataya. From Sonic Heroes
Sonic Heroes’ level structure tended to put two very similarly themed levels back-to-back, as a kind of homage to the multi-act structure of the classic titles, which I always thought was a cool touch. Speaking of cool, this song; it’s probably my favourite one on this list, and given I love everything on here that’s a fairly bold statement. Mr. Hataya has always been masterful at fusing video game style arrangements and melodies within contemporary genre frameworks- particularly House, Techno, and other forms of Electronica- and I think this piece shows that talent off beautifully; it’s a spectacular Halloween Jam, blending together ghostly synthesizers and punchy dance rhythms perfectly. Particular elements I like are of course the whiny synth used for the lead melody, the fantastic use of tubular bells (which, frankly, there haven’t been enough of on this list so far), and liberal use of guitar loops and bends here and there to amp up the song up considerably. I’m also a total sucker for cutoff tweaking synth patches and arpeggiated sequences, and this track manages to pack plenty of both in, so it’s win/win all around.
Cryptic Castle, by Jun Senoue. From Shadow the Hedgehog
Arguably, given the game’s Darker and Edgier slant (or as close to one as could be allowed in a Sonic title), almost any song from any Shadow the Hedgehog level could’ve been used here. Given Cryptic Castle’s specific Halloween-y theming, though, I decided to just go with that one. I admit, I find the song a bit lacking overall; the arrangement is kind of barren in places, the beat’s a little bit weak, and the only real element of the track that seems to be directly going for the “haunted level” vibe is the synth sound used for the lead melody at points. The guitar riff that opens the song and appears throughout seems to be trying to play into that theme, and the wah-wah guitar loops smattered across the song do their part to keep the ambience up, but it just doesn’t really do it for me personally. A shame, really.
Digital Dimension, by Fumie Kumatani. From Sonic Riders
Sonic Riders’ gameplay may be divisive, but I always loved it’s rave-scene-ready soundtrack full of Techno, Trance, and Hardcore numbers, and this cut in particular is probably my favourite of the lot. Given Digital Dimension’s status as kind of a surreal level thematically (some of it is a grim, stark, red hellscape with screaming spectral faces and spiked fences, some of it is a pure white heavenly garden dotted with angelic statues, and the very last bit is an overtly digital, TRON-like tunnel), it’s song eschews most of the typical cliches you expect with a “spooky” level theme. There are some wordless choral synths mixed in with the chords and some odd electronic SFX noises, sure, but by and large it’s harsh synth patched, tweaked arpeggiated sequences, and a beat that bounces between thumping and chaotically shuffled. It captures the vibe and feel of each of the three wildly contrasting environments perfectly, mind, in differing ways; the desperate melodies and minor chords bolster the hellscape environment, draw out a certain sense of finality and awe in the heavenly areas, and few songs work quite as well for a place with “digital” in the name then ones that are entirely electronic in nature. It’s an indicator of Fumie Kumatani’s talents that she was able to get a song to work with disparate themes so fluidly.
The White of Sky (Skeleton Dome), by Fumie Kumatani (featuring Runblebee on vocals). From Sonic and the Secret Rings
Sonic and the Secret Rings was another really divisive game in the series from a standpoint, but similarly I think the music is objectively really solid. This song in particular is one of the more interesting takes on representing a ghastly level aurally, largely down to it’s emphasis on and use of strings over other conventional spookzone favourites like pipe organs or theremins. Using stringed instruments to evoke fear or disquiet isn’t quite new, but still, it’s worth pointing out given how insanely well this song uses them both in it’s melodies and in it’s chords. They also go hand in hand with the brass in conveying a more “grandiose” atmosphere compared to some of the other songs on this list, which works with the gladiatorial dome aspect of the level in question. That the song manages to throw in acoustic guitar noodling, buttery smooth and ultra mellow funk bass with some quite complex patterns going on, and rapped vocals and make them work with that established atmosphere without clashing is also pretty darn impressive.
Haunted Ship [Act 1 & 2 Mix], by Mariko Nanba. From Sonic Rush Adventure
I still can’t quite decide if I like this track as much or even more than Mystic Mansion, honestly. Certainly it’s in my top 5 from Sonic Rush Adventure, which has a thoroughly excellent soundtrack all around. Firstly, that synth loop; instantly familiar to fans of Techno Grooves and Frogger 2 alike, damn it all if there’s not something about it that just works so damn well for a literal ghost ship. It almost certainly wasn’t created for that purpose, but bless the people that made the sample pack it came from for it all the same. The lead melody the song is built around isn’t overly complex, but a tune descending down the scale (with the odd accent here or there) is a trope as old as time when it comes to spine-tinglers, and for good reason. As prior noted, I’m a huge sucker for complex percussion and chopped + looped breakbeats, so those are greatly welcomed here too- those bongo and conga loops in particular are pretty tasty, and again fit the vibe perfectly. I like the switch up in tone slightly from the song’s A and B sections to the C section, in both it's Act 1 and Act 2 variations (which correspond the first and second halves of the song, respectively)- the first two are largely typical minor key affairs dripping with horror cheese, but the C sections take things in an ever so slightly bittersweet direction that adds a fair bit of depth to the tracks, changing them up significantly.
Mystic Haunt Zone Acts 1, 2, and 3, by Chris Rezanson. From Sonic Rivals 2
I’m covering all 3 acts in one go, due to how short and vaguely similar they are to each other. I feel like these are a slightly more successful attempt to work the angle Cryptic Castle was going for; a fusion of harder, electronica tinged metal and various spooky music tropes. In particular, the use of a organs- something that’s been sorely lacking on this list so far, so out the gate that pleases me. The songs also make clever use of sound programming to get the mood and tone across; I particularly like the screeching synth lead in the Act 2 variation of the track. Throw in some driving, fast paced breakbeats, gritty distorted rhythm guitars, and even a touch of acid bass here or there, and you’ve got some fairly solid tracks that are held back pretty much solely by their incredibly short length; perhaps it was due to limited storage space on the UMD, but I’m kinda shocked that a game made in 2007 features in-game tracks that only go for around 40-45 seconds before looping. Whether the songs reusing instruments, samples, and tone across the three tracks, instead of a repeating leitmotif or melody, is a good or bad thing will likely depend on the individual (it’s something I’m torn on myself).
---
I’d say “it’s a shame we have to stop there”, but I’m 8 pages deep into this work document so perhaps it’s for the best. The realms of the damned aren’t visited often in the Sonic universe, but when they are it’s usually fairly memorable from visual and aural perspectives, and honestly I just want the people making Sonic games to include more Haunted Zones on the basis that we’ll probably get more great music out of it.
~ Decon Theed
(06/10/17)