# Final Fantasy Music--The Black Mages **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 27, 2004, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/final-fantasy-music-the-black-mages/236757 "2004-03-27T17:21:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/final-fantasy-music-the-black-mages/236757/1 "2004-03-27T17:21:11Z")
I just saw the link on Penny Arcade this morning, but this is pretty cool. > [@](#): > > It all started in February 2003. Uematsu produced “The Black Mages,” an album composed of FINAL FANTASY battle music arranged in rock style. He formed a group called The Black Mages and performed as the keyboardist himself. [Link](http://www.square-enix-usa.com/uematsu/black_mages/index.html) I only vaguely recognize the music…but it’s pretty cool on its own! ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/final-fantasy-music-the-black-mages/236757/2 "2004-03-28T00:57:00Z")
Final Fantasy has always had good music - or as good as its systems allowed for. The big boss themes (One Winged Angel, Liberi Fatali, etc) lyrical themes of the PS/PS2 games (Eyes on Me, Melodies of Life, 1000 Words, etc) and certain repeated bits (Chrystal Theme, Chocobo theme, Victory, etc) tend to be the ones remembered, but a lot of the more unique incidental and battle music is also great. I’d have liked to here a similar arangement for some of the other stuff (Crystal Theme, Chocobo Theme, Victory, some of the location and character themes), but I can’t say I completely fault Uematsu for sticking to the battle themes. I really like their arrangement of Those Who Fight Further. ---
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/final-fantasy-music-the-black-mages/236757/3 "2004-03-28T03:57:20Z")
While we’re at it, let me link you to [The Minibosses](http://minibosses.com/), who are also Metallicizing (is that a word?) game music. Looks like they’re taking their music down to redo it, though, because there used to be a lot more on the site. If you can find their Castlevania songs, you’ll be happy. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/final-fantasy-music-the-black-mages/236757/4 "2004-03-28T04:00:16Z")
To confirm: the FF5 music is obviously your first fight with Gilgamesh, and the FF7 music is the Safer Sephiroth (tri-party) battle? ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/final-fantasy-music-the-black-mages/236757/5 "2004-03-28T16:42:10Z")
Thanks, Leaper. I’m not real familiar with the series enough to know the music. I mean, some I haven’t played at all, and some I’ve only played once. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/final-fantasy-music-the-black-mages/236757/6 "2004-03-28T16:51:15Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > Final Fantasy has always had good music - or as good as its systems allowed for. > > The big boss themes (One Winged Angel, Liberi Fatali, etc) lyrical themes of the PS/PS2 games (Eyes on Me, Melodies of Life, 1000 Words, etc) and certain repeated bits (Chrystal Theme, Chocobo theme, Victory, etc) tend to be the ones remembered, but a lot of the more unique incidental and battle music is also great. > > I’d have liked to here a similar arangement for some of the other stuff (Crystal Theme, Chocobo Theme, Victory, some of the location and character themes), but I can’t say I completely fault Uematsu for sticking to the battle themes. > > I really like their arrangement of Those Who Fight Further. Everyone raved over One Winged Angel, but I really loved the Jenova battle themes. I replayed the Jenova battles several times over, drawing them out, just to hear the themes. I really like the Chocobo themes. I’m talking, in both cases, about the music IN THE GAME ITSELF, I don’t have CDs of game music, except the CD which came with the PSX repackaging of FF 5 and 6(j). ---
**Author:** ![dotchan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@dotchan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dotchan)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/final-fantasy-music-the-black-mages/236757/7 "2004-03-28T18:32:23Z")
Current favorite boss-type music, in no particular order: \*Culex’s theme from FF4. It’s so cool it even got a cameo in _Super Mario RPG_. ;p \*“Dancing Mad”, Kefka’s theme from FF6. Fun and morbid all at the same time. The final boss music, a variation on this, is okay at times, but it gets a bit grandiose with all that church organ stuff. \*The Dark Lich’s theme from Secret of Mana. Evil, but very catchy. \*Magus’ theme from Crono Trigger. Ominous, yet rocking. \*Altima’s Theme from FFTactics. But then, it’s just about the only battle music in that game that has any sort of driving melody. \*Kura’s theme and the Kuja battle from FF9. Another one of those creepy/fun/evil themes. Although, I have to say, the final final battle music totally gave me the shivers. :eek: (Hm, there’s something these themes all have in common… ;p) But I have to say my all-time favorite is the Crono Trigger sound track. I love that music. It’s got great mood-setting stuff, good non-intrusive music one can study to, and a very eclectic collection of “instruments”.