August’s big Nintendo Switch is Astral Chain. We’ve been playing this cop action-adventure from PlatinumGames for a few days now, wrapping up tons of monsters in sci-fi handcuffs, but we aren’t quite ready to give it a full review yet. However, can say that it is is extremely anime, and that includes continuing the wonderfully cheesy modern tradition of Nintendo games getting vocal theme songs. Check out the opening to Astral Chain featuring “Savior.”
Astral Chain also comes just weeks after Fire Emblem: Three Houses. We loved the strategy RPG for its engrossing school teacher mechanics and heaping helping of deep tactical gameplay. And if you play it for as long as we’ve had, you’ll hear all sorts of remixes of its great dumb theme song.
As Fire Emblem becomes increasingly popular it also, unfortunately, becomes increasingly anime. Fire Emblem: Fates had a vocal theme, but at least the instruments used felt in line with the franchise’s classy pedigree. That applies to the main Fire Emblem theme as well. However, with Three Houses the anime opening lyrics combined with the techno breakdown beat made me wonder if I was playing Dance Dance Revolution instead.
?? Turn your sound up to hear the main theme song from #FireEmblem: Three Houses! You’ll be able to listen to this song and even more memorable tracks when the game launches for #NintendoSwitch on July 26th. pic.twitter.com/iNnSsDfP5D
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) March 12, 2019
Dumb doesn’t have to mean bad though. Being dumb can also give a game a strong memorable identity and recognizable personality. And for as dumb as they are, that’s why I appreciate this new trend of vocal theme songs in Nintendo games.
For me that semi-sincere love all started back in 2008 with Super Smash Bros. Brawl. That game is all about Nintendo cartoon characters (and Solid Snake) beating each other silly. But the theme is this lush, gorgeous, somber orchestral piece written by Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu and featuring a full-on Latin choir.
It’s gloriously dumb and combined with that game’s epic realistic aesthetic it honestly gives the game more of a sense of identity compared to the lyrics-free Smash Bros. follow-up on Wii U and 3DS. It’s why a vocal theme was on my wishlist for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and why I’m so excited whenever “Lifelight” kicks in to remind me to “search my soul and reawaken the undying light.” It’s great! It’ll make a great fit with “Last Surprise” when Joker from Persona 5 joins the battle.
But before Fire Emblem or Smash Bros., vocal themes for big Switch games were already a thing with “Jump Up, Super Star!” from Super Mario Odyssey. That game has another vocal track, too, but it didn’t catch on the same way. While most of these dumb songs suffer from the fact their lyrics sound like poor translations that work better in Japanese, the Nintendo Treehouse posted a cool story about their cross-language localization collaboration when writing the song. It makes sense for Americans to have a big say in writing a jazzy tune for a fake New York City level.
And while its lyrics may be gibberish no matter what country you’re from, we would be remiss not to mention the absolute bangers that make up the Splatoon 2 soundtrack. The Octo Expansion theme alone, “Nasty Majesty,” is better than most other songs, from video games or otherwise, we heard in 2018.
So what’s the next big Nintendo game to get a dumb theme song? A David Bowie space ballad for Metroid Prime 4? A folksy K.K. Slider melody for the new Animal Crossing? Some lyrics for the “Ballad of the Wind Fish” in the Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening remake? Whatever we hear, it won’t sound worse than any Sonic the Hedgehog theme.
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