(Editor’s note: From Super Mario Bros. to Metal Gear Solid, everyone’s got at least one videogame tune stuck in their heads. With hours spent exploring Hyrule or shooting fools in Moscow, it’s no surprise there’s a massive fanbase of the music in games. Enter Liner Notes: a new Pixelitis feature in which our writers (starting with Editor Patrick Kulikowski) discuss their favorite videogame soundtracks.)
"When Capcom unveiled the reveal trailer for the GRIN-developed Bionic Commando: Rearmed back in 2008, I went nuts. One of my favorite NES action platformers, retaining its 2D gameplay but with the added benefit of high-definition visuals!? Yes, please!
As I ogled at a revamped Nathan Spencer swinging about just like he had in 8-bit form, my ears picked up on the trance-esque version of the classic, triumphant Bionic Commando theme pumping out from my speakers. It was a very interesting new take on the original chiptune, one that I had not seen coming.
Original composer Junko Tamiya (credited as “Gondamin” in the game) had made a very melodic and militaristic-sounding soundtrack for the NES version. With Rearmed, composer Simon Viklund eschewed that militaristic, orchestral feel (leaving that for the 3D Bionic Commando), instead remixing it in an electronic style that’s reminiscent of modern breakbeat and house music.
Viklund essentially worked the game’s classic music into something both unique and familiar, and in the end, it wins out. Incredibly."
Jason Dietz: "We reveal the past year's best and worst video game publishers (based on their 2025 releases) in the 16th edition of our annual Game Publisher Rankings."
I was just going to say this, their biggest and top rated game here is TLOU2 for PC….it’s embarrassing.
Even Ubisoft and EA are ahead
Kind of surprised Nintendo is pretty low aswell, their biggest game is also a rerelease with the Switch 2 version of TotK.
That’s what happens when you start shutting down your own studios and forget what actually made you matter in the industry in the first place. Sony used to set the standard — now it feels like they’ve lost that identity. And if they decide to walk away from the PC market too, that’s going to be another huge mistake — that platform is only growing, and ignoring it now would just put them even further behind.
@christopher:” Take note, Sony, you're falling behind by a lot.”
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Why single out Sony? Microsoft didn’t do any better than the year before 5th same as Sony 9th and they have acquired activision and other mayor titles that have boosted their score massively from a 9th and Sony a 4th the year before the acquisitions.
Sony does need to do better without a doubt and I do hope they do take note but not the note of buying publishers is the way to succeed.
1. Microsoft didn't get worse.
2. Sony got way worse.
3. Because Sony needs the criticism the most considering their publishing output this generation has been propped up by last gen ports and third-party developers for the most part.
1Victor,
I don't wanna speak for Christopher, but like most of us we recognize that Sony's output this Gen has been way below their own standards.
Also Sony did buy a fair amount of Devs, I know you will say they were not publishers, and don't compare in size, but they had their fair share of Aquisitions, including the very well established Bungie.
The overall point is with their stellar first party track record of the past, they should not be going down, they are singled out because they are some of the best videogame devs/publisher on the planet...no matter what reasons we attribute to the situation, they are moving in the wrong direction... period.
Its widely accept that Sony this generation has been underwhelming. We've had more peripheral releases, controller variants, PS5 accessories than games it feels like. The exclusives were also PS4 and what little output they have put exclusively on PS5 is nowhere near as memorable as what came in every generation before that.
This isn't a Sony hate post but anyone who's older and has been around for a long time gaming will agree that PS5 is by far Sony's worst generation. As much as Xbox is in the gutter, I pray the do bounce back in the hope we get Sony to wake up again.
If you want to critique MS... you are doing so towards their management. The games output and their hardware have been much better than PS this gen. Sadly... people still hold a grudge against XB because of MS. Thankfully i am not that petty... I've been enjoying their games output in the drought of PS. And add in some NS1/2 games as well to balance things out. Things will change for me once Wolverine hits, and I start using my 5 more. That one I'm looking forward to. And the Marvel fighter... I'm not a GTA player so that has no bearing on my view of things.
Big part of that has been the live service push resulting in cancellation or flop after flop but when they put out the games their fans want we get amazing stuff like astro bot
Leadership really screwed the pooch trend chasing
https://www.metacritic.com/...
https://www.metacritic.com/...
Well I apologize I was wrong about not doing worse but my statement of Microsoft getting a boost still stand 🤷🏿
Well OBSCURED unlike you I’m honorable enough to recognize when I’m wrong and apologize.
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@ The software you know there’s no comparison between what Microsoft acquired and what Sony acquired that’s why you tried to get ahead of the conversation, yes we all know Sony can do better than what they have done this gen but they inhaled the poison GAS they thought would bring money for years but we make sure they got the message and quite a few games got cancelled you know as well a hit like that take years to be corrected and by now they hopefully will have taken steps away from the GAS and slowed their approach to them.
You will say anything when you are in denial that your hardware is dead and nobody wants your platform. Good luck with Helix because nobody will buy it.
But... but... the garbage-mongers always tell us that Square Enix is in trouble! 😂
Square doesn't help that it fear mongers itself with ridiculous 'goals' that they can't reach and then they proclaim failure if they don't reach it. They're quite freaking profitable and people act like they're dying.
Keep in mind that these "proclamations" are usually third-hand bad translations from somedude who was at the investor conference, posted on Twitter, and picked up by press and youtubers like they were gold, and then when the official translation comes out, they're much softer statements, but at that point, the damage is done.
to be very fair
being number one on these things does not indicate how "well" their games do selling wise.
Capcom has clarified its current stance on generative AI in its videogames. The major Japanese publisher and developer behind popular series like Resident Evil, Street Fighter, and Monster Hunter has revealed that while it doesn't use gen-AI assets in their games, it is exploring ways to use generative AI to streamline the game development process.
Using Artificial Intelligence (more like Realistic Stupidity) art assets in your games is a great way to get people to boycott your product. We don't need that ugly, unsophisticated, generic, fake art in our games, good on CAPCOM for not using that garbage.
Naw you can't fool us, You work with Nvidia, that's a fact! And here you wanted to advertise but now look stupid!
Saudi Arabian investment company Electronic Gaming Development Company has acquired just over five percent of Capcom.
