Saturday, January 31, 2015

Song of the Week! 31 January 2015


Truth be told, the early image we got of the February Don Challenge was already posted online two day prior to the January Taiko mini-stream! Based on the Jet Pilot outfit's looks, Nigelliusnitrox tried to guess the related Don Challenge song...but it was a brand new song instead. Better luck next time!

Let's see what was his guess for the last Kimidori DonChare song.

 Night And Day Ace Combat 2
Version
Allx4 (156)x6 (259)x8 (481)x9 (698)
 Taiko 3DS 2, Taiko Wii U 2
 140
 none
 ac2nad


In direct contrast with the first 3DS Taiko game, Don to Katsu no Jikuu Daibouken's Game Music genre focused on the old rather than the new, with just one brand-new track for the genre. This new track is today's focus. Gathering the composing efforts of Nobuhide Isayama (諌山亘秀) and Oogami Masako (大上昌子), Night and Day is a rock-styled track from Ace Combat 2, the first console sequel to Namco's hybrid combat/flying simulator series, which started in 1992 as an arcade franchise (known as Air Combat outside of Japan) and then becoming a console game series from AC2 onwards.

Released in Japan on May 30, 1997 (and months later in the rest of the world), AC2 is the first title in the series to be set in the fictional continent of Usea (gee I wonder which real-world continent this is based on), where a sudden insurrection by a group of military rebels threatens the peace being negotiated by several political leaders in a summit faraway. The player, as member of the elite mercenary force Scarface, was hired in order to quell the rebels' threat. Like many other titles in the series, the main selling point is the ability to control a variety of close-to-real-life aircrafts, including slightly modified models and never-released prototypes.

The game was rereleased in 2005 for Japanese Playstation 2 users as part of the NamCollection, a 5-game pack made for Namco's 50th anniversary. It's also the only sequel in said collection, as the other franchises featured (Mr. Driller, Tekken, Ridge Racer and Klonoa) all have their first title included. Years later, a Nintendo 3DS remake of AC2's world and gameplay called Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy was released, but we'll digress about that game further in a future Song of the Week.

Night and Day's Oni chart is often seen as a slower version of 3piece-Jazz Party!, borrowing the latter song's penchant for handswitch streams and backbeats. Though slow, players have to be on their guard for any unexpected misses.