January 22, 2025 • 40 mins
In part 2 of 2 of this hilarious episode, Dave, Jon, and Ben - joined by Alyssa and Kayla, listen to and rate Alyssa's top 10 video game songs. From adventurous and mysterious levels to boss fights, these songs are catchy and beautiful in their own unique way. See how they rate them and if you agree! Ben always wows us with his knowledge of psychology and how it applies to the topic. This time he explains why video game music and sounds are so influential on us and how we play. Finally, the gang puts together a video game song bit all with only the use of their voices. Check it out!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Hey, welcome back. We hope you enjoy listening to part two of this episode.
(00:07):
Alright, well, Alyssa's picked out a few of her favorite songs. We're gonna go ahead
and play clips of them, and then we're each gonna rate them on whatever fat, dumb, and
happy criteria we want to apply to it. And we'll see which ones are our favorites. So
we're gonna start with A Cyber's World by Toby Fox from Delta Rune Chapter 2. And if
(00:28):
I'm not wrong, he created that Undertale song that was the most streamed that we had in
our Fun Fact Quiz. Oh yeah, Toby Fox. Yeah, good old Toby Fox. Yeah, Toby. Michael J's
little brother. She's good. So yeah, tell us about it, Alyssa. Any thoughts on that
song, particularly you want to share? Yeah, in Delta Rune Chapter 2, you're kind of in
(00:52):
this world where it's all cyber and all like internet. And so that's the song when you
enter the world. And it's, I find it catchy. I mean, it kind of hurts your ears because
it's like oldish. I mean, it's like, you know, yeah, I know what you mean. No, not old.
No, it's sure. It's fair. Okay, listen to John. Don't listen to John. I mean, like,
(01:15):
like that kind of thing. Yeah, yeah, exactly. The old school for sure. Yeah, that, that,
whatever you want. Good save. Really good save.
(01:50):
I was getting a little worried in the beginning. Like, yeah, beginning until then the beat
kicked in. I was like, all right, all right. Yeah, I like that. It brings the old school
(02:11):
into the new. I love it. So this is just the first one we listened to, but I'm giving
that one a solid eight based on catchiness based on, I love actually bringing that old
retro sound in. So that's a good one for me. Ben, what about you? What score are you giving
it or how are you rating the song? Yeah, for me, yeah, the thing that stands out is one
(02:31):
that it's got some repetitiveness to catch, to make it catchy, but enough variations,
especially as they add in the new instruments and stuff to keep it fresh instead of like
getting annoying after a while. You know what I mean? Yes, good call. I do like that. And
so I don't know if I would rate it quite as high as you. I'm going to give it a seven,
but that's okay. That is solid. That's a solid score still. Alyssa, do you want to give it
(02:53):
a rating or do you want us to wait and you tell us your favorite at the end or anything
like that? I mean, I love all of these just because they're also different. So I don't
really have a favorite, but I really like this one. I probably give it like an eight
or like a seven, seven, eight. Okay. The scores are out of a hundred by the way. No, I'm just
kidding. Stalks. No, this is awesome. All right, Kayla, what about you? Yeah, I definitely
(03:17):
give it a maybe a 7.5, you know, like it definitely has that good beat and pull of fun and quirkiness.
But yeah, the beat is a bit rough on my ears too. So. Okay. Yeah. I see what you mean.
Perfect. Good. One thing I'd add too is that I could totally see this being the first level
(03:37):
music or something. It would not feel right. Unlike the final boss, right? True. True.
Context matters. Needed for like that later levels things. Yeah. Like, you know, as you're
exploring the controls and hopping over whatever, I mean, I have no idea what this game is about,
but I could totally see this being, you know, like that learning or exploring area. You
(04:00):
know what I mean? Yeah. It's got that upbeat vibe and I love that it's like about the internet
and digital realm. So it makes sense that it would kind of sound like that. All right,
John, what about you? I'm going to go like five and a quarter Cheetos out of 10. Okay.
Mid range. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Like I get it for what the gaming and I can get why you
(04:21):
get into that. I think Ben brought up a really good point though about it. It depends on
what kind of level you're at, but yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. But go on because I don't want
that one stuck in my head. All right, Alyssa, tell us about dashing and bashing by Gareth
Coker. It's from Ori and the Will the Wisp. I know you mentioned that game earlier. I have
heard some of the music already and it is pretty cool, but tell us what's the context
(04:43):
of this song and what do you want to tell us about it? This one is also at the beginning
when you're trying to learn controls and all the will the wisps takes in like this kind
of like fantasy land like this completely other world and it's like very beautiful,
but not only is this song like really catchy, but it's also fast and you're like learning
(05:04):
how to climb and how to beat up creatures or whatever. And so yeah, it's kind of at
the beginning. So, cool. It's about like exploration. Yeah. Look at that. The screenshot even. It's
pretty. It's cool. Here we go.
(05:39):
I got out of the water.
(06:02):
All right, let's go over how we felt about that one. We'll start with John this time.
I can totally vibe with that man. I love that. Yeah. I'm not gonna lie like, this is gonna
(06:25):
sound so dumb, but like I wake up to peaceful music, like on my alarms that I set. I can
wake up to that every day. Yes. Like that could be on my alarms. And that's how old people think.
So, pardon me, Alyssa. Right out of the gate, I loved it. I really liked that. Plus the picture
showing there and the picture that was there. I can vibe with that man. I thought that was pretty
(06:46):
good. All right. We'll go like 8.25 cheetos out of 10. Wow. Eight and a quarter. That's pretty good.
Yeah. It's pretty good. All right. So I liked it too. Definitely like the speed of the strings
it sounded like and then like the mystical tones that were in there to make it sound like this
fantasy world for sure. I'm a big nostalgia guy. So I can't rate it higher than that first one because
(07:10):
I love that like chiptune sound that the other one had, but it is up there. So I'm gonna give it like
a 7.935 out of 10. Very specific. Okay. All right, Ben. 7.935. Yeah. Okay. Ben, what about you?
You're going a little too hard on them. 7.936. I was like,
(07:32):
that's fair. You're probably right. You're probably right. No, I would give it an 8.5 for me. I mean,
I really liked it. It was relaxing, but not like sleepy, you know, for me. Right. It's still engaging.
Like it evokes curiosity. Yeah. It is an exploring kind of vibe to it. Like I don't game at all. And
(07:53):
I was like, man, I can play that game. Yeah. And when the bass came in, that was awesome. I like that too, for sure.
Yeah. All right, Alyssa, what about you? Where would you rate it?
I would probably give it like an 8.52 because... Not just 8.5, 8.52.
(08:13):
Also, John. Oh, okay. Or like a 9 because like it later, it's longer. So later it has like some
dark parts because it's like foreshadowing of the next part that you go into. It's like kind of like
this dark area. So it's all the songs kind of like mixed with each other. So it's really cool.
(08:35):
Awesome. All right. All right. Go about you, Kayla. What do you think? Honestly, I'd give it a 9. I mean,
that song really fit the vibe. I haven't played the game. I should play this one time. But
based on the image alone, the picture for the game, I feel like it really fit the vibe. And
yet you said it was an intro song, right, Alyssa? Yeah. Yeah. So it kind of gives that vibe of,
(08:58):
you know, starting off slow and quiet, but like fun, quirky, and get yourself pumped up to jump in
and stuff. Yeah. No cap. No cap. Quit trying not to be old, John. I'm trying. It's so hard.
All right. Alyssa, set us up for this next one. Good Night Stories by David Stanton and Ben Stanton.
(09:22):
Ooh, are they brothers? David and Ben? And it's like us too. I know. Me and Ben. From Kings Quest
Chapter One, A Night to Remember. And that's Night with a K. Tell us about this one. Yeah. So
originally, Kings Quest was like, I don't know if you guys played it, but it was like in your
guys's time. It was like pixels. But I'm hurting over here. John, it's okay. Just embrace it.
(09:49):
We're old. It's okay. And but the latest Kings Quest came out in 2015 because they kept on making
new ones. And this one is really, I love it so much. It's a role-playing game. Different choices
have different outcomes. And this one takes place at the end of Chapter One, where it's...
(10:15):
Is it kind of intense? Is it like you're getting to a bad guy or is it like...
No, it's like you finish this. Oh, okay. Gusto Triumph. Yeah.
Okay. Awesome. Awesome. Let's check it out.
(10:54):
That was amazing. I mean, that sounded like a movie soundtrack.
(11:24):
So let's start with Kayla this time first. What did you think of that one?
Yeah, I think it was good. I would probably give that one maybe a seven. I think, yeah, the vibe
definitely fits that medieval atmosphere. Yeah. Sadly, I'll give it a lower rating because I've
heard songs kind of similar to it. It doesn't have that uniqueness that I was hoping for.
(11:47):
But that's fair. That's fair. Yeah. No, I can see that. I can see that. All right, John, what about you?
So she said that was for like when you triumph and you just finished a quest or whatever.
And I did. I got that movie vibe. That was the role of credits kind of music for me.
I'm going to give 6.71. She goes out of 10. Okay. It wasn't everything for me, but it did
(12:10):
have some gusto to it, like she said. But it definitely had the role of credits vibe for me.
Yes. Yes. All right. I thought it was amazing. I mean, that one to me sounded like a true orchestra.
And I pictured like a Harry Potter film, you know. That's what I was thinking. That's exactly what I
was thinking. Yeah. But like Kayla said, it's definitely got the medieval vibe for King's Quest.
(12:33):
It makes sense. I appreciate what Kayla said about it being like maybe too similar to other
types of songs. So I would give it about a seven as well. I think I liked it a lot.
But yeah, maybe it's not my absolute favorite. Ben, what about you?
I loved it. I thought it was really good. It hit me because I mean, I played a lot of the King's
Quest games and it just fit that. The King's Quest always, always puts a significant amount of
(12:59):
effort into the music. And I felt like it totally hit the right notes. Also, just, you know, how we
skip forward, the music changed. It wasn't like a repetitive stuff. You know what I mean? And I
felt like we could listen to all three minutes or whatever. It would have been even more different.
You know what I mean? It gave me that impression of like, this is not every 15 seconds repeating
(13:20):
itself. You know, it's going to really tell a story almost, you know what I mean? And so I still
give it an 8.5, you know? I really like that orchestra sound to it. And I don't know. It just
gave me the energy, you know, like I wanted to play. Yeah, starting off with those horns. That was
awesome. Yeah. All right, Alyssa, what about you? Well, probably because I've played the game and
(13:44):
like, I know the entire story. I probably give it like an 8. But if I didn't know it, I'd probably
give it like a 7.5. Yeah. I'm seeing that from Ben's comment too, that like, maybe if I had that
background with it, that I might have rated a higher. And I appreciate what he said to about,
you know, if we were able to hear the whole thing. So sorry, we're only doing little clips, but
we have to push through to all the songs. But good comments, everybody. All right. How about this
(14:09):
next one? Hostage Connor by Nima Fakrara from Detroit Become Human. Tell us about that one,
Alyssa. Yes. So this one is when someone is holding someone else hostage and you're trying to capture
them and you're finding the clues of why this person is held hostage, who is holding this person
(14:33):
hostage and how you can save them. Interesting. Let's give it a listen, man.
(15:03):
Wow. Dang. Yeah. That definitely sounds like what it is.
(15:31):
All right. We'll start with Alyssa this time. What do you think as far as how would you rate
that among your favorite songs here and why? I mean, I like it. I think it fits with the atmosphere
very well. But it's not, I give it a 6.5. I mean, I really like it. I like, like, especially when
(15:52):
you're in it and in it. Yeah. It's crazy how like, but just hearing it and not like actually being
in it, I feel like it'd be like a 6.5. I can see that. Like, you're not going to just listen to that
like at any time, right? Like, it's just like a cool song. It's like in the game when you're doing
it. That's where it really fits. That makes sense. What about you, Kayla? What do you think?
(16:15):
I think I'd give it maybe like an eight because I like how and, you know, I haven't played the game,
so I don't know for sure. But I like how at the beginning it kind of does sound like a,
oh, this is a choice I have to make. But like as you venture into the song, it starts to get more
stressful and more intense and more of like a, I really need to think of something quick to
(16:39):
assess the situation and stuff. I really like it. It's really cool. So I can get an eight.
Yeah, that's awesome. John, what about you? Yeah, I was going to give a 7.9 Cheetos out of 10.
So there you go. I actually really enjoyed it. That's my second favorite one so far.
And just with the premise of what the game is like, and then the picture pops up on the screen,
(17:00):
like these robots or whatever. And it looks pretty cool and futuristic and the music,
it started out kind of slow, but then it definitely picked up and got better.
Yeah. No, I like that one. Yeah, nice. 7.9. Okay. Yeah, I agree with all the comments that were made.
I can imagine playing the game and being in it. I mean, it was getting my heart pumping just listening
(17:21):
to it right now. So in the game, I know I'd be like, okay, I got to do this, you know. So I
definitely give it, I think a 7.75, 7 and 3 quarters Cheetos, I think for this one. Really good.
Yeah. What about you, Ben? I get a 7.5. It wasn't my favorite one, but it was definitely you could
feel the intensity. It hit the theme of like, you know, I felt like a spy thriller. You know what I mean?
(17:45):
Yes. Right. It totally fit what, you know, your description was like, I could totally
imagine myself in that scenario, you know? Yeah. I think it did really well with what it needed to do.
It was slow getting to, you know, the next parts of it. But in the game, you don't want it to move
too fast. You know, you're building the tension. And so I think it actually fit pretty well. It's
(18:10):
just that it was a little bit repetitive. Yeah. Which I guess it needs to be like I said, because
it's drawing out a scenario where you want to feel like an urgency, but you can't let it be over too
soon. You know, you got to like, draw it out somehow. And I feel like they did that pretty well.
And so that's a solid 7.5. I thought it was good for sure. I think next time I go searching for
(18:34):
hostage clues, I'm going to download this song. For sure. I was like, am I Jason Bourne right now?
I'm I feel like I'm Jason Bourne. Nice. Leave me. Yeah, leave me. I have a certain set of skills.
All right. How about this one? Alyssa's Latko Kara by Philip Shepard from Detroit Become Human
(18:58):
again. This is also from Detroit Become Human. There are three main characters. This is when
you're playing as this other character who basically has a child to protect and you're trying to
protect her. But currently, there's this guy who you're trying to escape from, because he kind of
kidnapped you guys. And spoilers. Okay. Because you're actually playing as an AI, like as an
(19:27):
artificial intelligence robot. Nice. And so he's trying to get you and it's kind of like a boss
level. It's very anxious. You have to like get away. It's pretty intense. And you also have to
focus on protecting the child. So man, I'm wanting to get this game, I think. It's going to give a
zero for me. I hate AI. Oh, come on.
(20:15):
Nice.
(20:43):
Nice. That was definitely intense. That was intense right out of the gate. Yeah. Later,
like when you fast forwarded and the strings came in too. Yeah. Like the violin were coming in.
Man, that's like you can feel the anxiety just through that song. Yes. Yeah, that's good. I like
that. I liked it. All right. Let's start with Ben this time. How would you rate that song?
(21:05):
Oh, wow. You know, I liked it for sure. And you know, one of the things that stood out to me about
this one was the blended sounds. Like it was what I mean. It was not like a clear distinct exact note
being played. It was all these sounds kind of coming together blended. It had a powerful effect.
You know, I feel like that is something that you could never have done on an older game system or
(21:29):
something. I was just thinking that, dude. I'm like, can you imagine Super Mario or something,
one of those old ones like sounding like this? I never heard that over with not. There's no way. Yeah.
But man, you know, it is pretty immersive. That said, and this is a total personal thing,
it didn't suck me in the way some of the other ones did. Yeah. So I would give it seven. It was good.
(21:51):
I really liked the tone of it all and the way that blended in everything. But the overall thing
didn't do it as much for me. Okay. What about you, Alyssa? I probably give it like
an eight point five or like maybe a nine. Just like just how like anxiety it is. And you're like
(22:13):
trying to run away and trying to find out how to escape and who you're trying to protect is also
in another room. So you're trying to find them too. So yeah. Yeah. I love it. Awesome. Kayla,
what about you? I actually give it a nine point five. I this song is probably the most exciting
induced song I've heard so far. I don't know. Yeah. Yeah. Like, yeah, like what Ben and Alyssa
(22:38):
said, the sounds that it blends in, I've noticed there's a sound in there. I don't know if it's
like a clock ticking, but it sounds like yes, like as if saying like you need to hurry and do this
thing before it's too late. And yeah, that anxiety inducing sounds and stuff. So yeah,
nine point five for just most anxious song I've heard in a game so far. Nice. It really got your
(23:01):
emotions going. Nice. All right. What about you, John? I want that to be the new Tetris music.
The new wordle music. Yeah. Yeah. That'll be the wordle soundtrack. It just gets more and more
intense every every time you miss a letter. But no, that was pretty cool, man. A little bit lower
(23:23):
on the scale for me. Like I don't game at all. If I were to play Alyssa, you got me. This would be
the game that I would start to play. It would be Detroit becoming, but because the soundtrack is
awesome. This song, I liked the other one better, but this song, I'm giving it a six point eight.
Six point eight cheetos. Yeah, I know. A little bit lower on the scale for me, but.
(23:44):
No, it was awesome. I agree with everything that's been said so far. And like Kayla mentioned that
like clicking sound, that was like my favorite part when it brought in that percussion, like rhythm
and stuff. That was so cool. I think I would give it an overall seven point eight, three, two,
eleven, five. No, I don't know. Yeah, it was really good though. I liked it a lot. All right,
(24:07):
let's see. We got a couple more here. Hopes and Dreams by Toby Fox from Undertale. What do you
want to tell us about that, Alyssa? Okay, so this is a very strange one because it is actually the
final boss level, but it's not really daunting and it's not as intense. It's actually, well,
like it says in the title, it's hopeful. Yeah, it's like kind of happy ish. And it's because the
(24:31):
lesson that Undertale teaches is to keep persevering through trials and to like maintain a positive
attitude and keep going. So it's supposed to be encouraging you to keep moving forward. Yeah,
that makes sense. Yeah, let's check it out. Another one from Toby Fox.
(25:15):
Man. So I don't know. I think it must be a Toby Fox style maybe because that's the second one
(25:44):
for him. But I like the synthy retro type sound that's in the background of that and then bringing
in that kind of rock sound. So that one was definitely cool for me. I'm going to give that one an 8.2.
Ben, what about you? I'm right there with you, man. I love that nostalgia mixed with new and
the energy gets you pumping in. I like that idea of having a boss battle where you're trying to be
(26:08):
even more positive. I mean, yeah, I can imagine how it still gets you pumping. It still gets your
energy going, but in a different way, kind of like I'm going to try it. I like that. I give it an 8.4.
Nice. What about you, Alyssa? I give this a 9 just because of how catchy it is. And it's like
(26:29):
always stuck in my head and I always like to listen to it and they have different kinds of versions
by different orchestras. And so it's just so catchy for me. Nice. Nice. All right, Kayla, you? Yeah.
This song is definitely unexpected for me, especially in the beginning because I'm like,
oh yeah, this is nice. And when the guitar solo kind of comes in, I'm just like, oh dang.
(26:54):
Yes. Awesome. They give it an 8 for how the vibe feels. It's really fun. Yeah. All right, what about
you, John? Yeah, I'm going to go 8.2 Cheetos. 8.2 Cheetos for sure. I think exactly what Kayla said.
When it starts out, I'm like, all right, this is cool. It's cool. And then the guitar kicks in,
you're like, oh my gosh, okay. Cool. You know what game? I felt like that could fit into a retro
(27:17):
game though. Yeah. Like I could see that in like Double Dragon. Yeah. Like from back in the day.
I feel like that could really be in there somewhere. I'm like, where would I put this?
I feel like it could be. I feel like that could be a successful one back then. I agree. I agree.
All right. Last song on the list here. Shriek and Ori. I almost said Shrek, but I didn't.
(27:38):
I'm making so much better. You better preface this one because that's all I got on my mind now
is Shrek. This is 10 out of 10 already. Yeah. Shrek and Donkey. I'm just going. Shriek and Ori
by Gareth Coker. This is from Ori and the Will of the Wisps again, which is a great one. We've
already heard a little bit from that game, so I'm excited to hear this one. But tell us a little
background. Yeah, this is also a final boss level. This one isn't as hopeful. It's kind of more intense.
(28:05):
And so it's a final boss level. Basically, the fate of the world is depending on you. So yeah.
Nice. Let's take a listen.
(29:11):
John, we'll start with you on this one. What did you think? Okay. Highest rated one. 9.6.
There we go. 9.6. That was awesome, man. This guy, Gareth Coker,
and this soundtrack for the whole game is amazing. It's funny because, like I'm sitting there,
I've watched so much Harry Potter lately, guys. I'm like, okay, this is Baltimore versus Harry
(29:31):
Potter at the very end. And I can see that, but like that was really cool. That was by far my
favorite. I think that was definitely my favorite, which is funny because my second one was Dashing
and bashing. But yeah, man, that's pretty good. That's definitely a boss level type music, man.
I liked that one. I enjoyed that quite a bit. I think it's funny though how for you, Alyssa,
you know, these are soundtracks that you think of. You think of these songs at random times throughout
(29:55):
the day, right? Yeah. Yeah. It's just like how I would think of a movie soundtrack, right? And it's
just because I don't game, maybe I would think of these more, but it's just kind of my equivalent
to a movie soundtrack that I like. So I just think that's interesting. But that one, that was awesome.
9.6 Cheetos. Nice. Yeah. That was definitely just such a rich and full sound. And I don't know if we
(30:18):
missed it in other ones, but that was the only one that we heard a clip from that had a choir in
it, right? Like there was vocals. And so that was huge. Definitely. Yeah. Right away. I'm like, oh,
this is a boss battle. And definitely could feel it for sure. So I also liked it a lot. I will
give it a 9. So what about you, Ben? Dude, yeah, I think this is probably my favorite too, man.
(30:40):
And you're right. You could totally feel this is a boss battle. I liked how you have all these
different sounds. They had like, they had the blends, they had the variety, they had the intensity,
and just the vocal part, I think just fit right in with this like, this is the edge, you know?
You got to do this, you know, this is not like a one of those fake boss battles where there's
(31:03):
going to be a real boss later. Yeah, I hate those. Like this is really, really the edge, you know?
And so if it isn't the real boss battle, then they're really punking you. So
yes. Anyway, yeah, what did I say? Like 9.2 or something like that? Yeah, I would give it a
way up there. Nice. Nice. All right. What about you, Alyssa? I give this like a 9.5
(31:26):
because how it changes throughout the song. And I love how it goes like,
I send like the strings and the choir is good too. Yes. All right. What about you, Kayla?
Yeah, definitely. Yeah, I really, really like the song. I'd give it a 9.7, not quite 10, but
up there. Nice. That was up there. Yeah, because this song definitely gives me that motivation
(31:51):
and like determination, like if I were to be in a boss battle. Yeah, this is it. This is the final
fight. Gotta give it my all, try to pursue and just do all that I can. And yeah, the sounds of music,
the choir especially, really make that vibe really fit in with that song. Nice. Well, man,
(32:12):
these were a great list of songs, Alyssa. Thanks for picking those out and sharing them with us.
And I don't know if anyone else wants to share what their favorite was. It sounds like maybe everyone
loved Shrieken Ori the best. That was a pretty awesome song for sure. You know, Shrieken Ori
is number one for me. Dash and Ambassador followed by Good Night Stories. No, that's a lie. Followed
by Hostage. Hostage was my third favorite. So that's my top three. Nice. Hope the dream's good too,
(32:36):
though. Yeah, man, they're all good. All right, Ben. So tell us a little bit about the psychology
behind video game music. Why it matters so much to us? Why we get so into it? Well, here's the thing.
I mean, with so many things about psychology, it depends, right? You know, and it's also like
finding that balance, right? So, you know, the sounds in video games, they can be classified as
(32:57):
diegetic or non-diegetic. And basically, the diegetic sounds are the ones that come from
objects in the story, you know, voices of characters, sounds of footsteps, clashes of
swords, that kind of stuff, you know, and then the non-diegetic sounds are the ones that originate
from outside the story space, like the musical scores, the ambient music, all that kind of stuff.
(33:18):
And so both of those can increase feelings, right? You know, I mean, when you hear footsteps
coming from behind you, I mean, that's gonna increase your emotion and your immersion and
everything. But also, you know, like we just listen to all those soundtracks, the musical scores,
can really have an effect on not just our emotions, but our presence, our engagement,
(33:38):
our immersion in this. And what they found is that the non-diegetic music has been found to,
like, affect the physical and cognitive tasks, right? And your ability to do those things,
both of them really can help. But what they found is that there's a limit, I guess you could say.
And if sometimes we get over aroused, you know, like our cognitive capacity becomes unduly
(34:00):
taxed. And so then we're trying to process too many things at once. I don't know if you've ever
noticed this, it depends on the person, right? That's the other factor, and I'll get back to that in
a sec. But like for me, if I'm listening to music, while I'm trying to study something,
then I like it when there's not words much. Or I heard the words so many times that I kind of tune
it out. But if it's something where I'm learning the words to it, I pay too much attention to the
(34:25):
song and not enough to what I'm studying, you know what I mean? So that's what happens in video games
too. You know, like if there is too much going on, it can almost be distracting. You know what I
mean? It almost reduces our performance. Our brain is just trying to process too many things.
But the tempo and the mode where they call it, like the major or minor key, can really impact
(34:50):
the arousal that we have, the mood and our cognitive performance. But again, like I said,
it really can depend on the person. Because what they found in studies is that the impact of music
can vary based on their level of introversion or extroversion, which is interesting, you know?
You know how introverts, they need their time to kind of regenerate, you know what I mean?
(35:14):
And extroverts thrive on feeding off of other people's energies to some extent. And so that
sweet spot for how much complexity in the music or the sound effects and all the different things
going on, it seems, and again, they're continuing to do more and more studies on this, but it seems
like the sweet spot is different between introverts and extroverts on that. And so that's why I think
(35:38):
some of us will rate a particular song really high and others. Part of it is just, you know,
personal preference, but part of it may just be kind of overload almost a little bit, you know?
And just like what actually helps us. And there's a difference between what we enjoy to listen to
and what actually helps us perform either in the game or like gives us energy. They've done studies
(35:59):
where people will listen to music from video games and then actually perform some physical task
where the music actually helps them lift more weight.
That's super interesting, Ben. Thanks for sharing that. And yeah, I think you're right. I have noticed
when the music is at that sweet spot where it's just like it brings me into the game and gets me
excited for what's coming next or feel the vibe or whatever of the scene. But I can see how if it was
(36:25):
too much and I'm actually like listening to that more than I'm focusing on the game.
Wouldn't work either. So yeah, thanks, Ben. Appreciate it. All right. So we thought this might
be kind of fun doing a little fat dumb and happy video game soundtrack of our own using our gifts
of sounds from our own mouths. Okay, so we're going to have to do different parts. And what
we're going to do is we'll record it now and in post editing, I'll put it together and make our song.
(36:49):
So first of all, do we want to have kind of a scene we're looking at? Are we talking like
intro? We talking boss battle? Are we talking something mysterious? What do we think, guys?
Alyssa, you choose. I was thinking of something like either at the beginning or at the end.
Okay. Either a boss battle or like something happy and sunshiney and like that introduces you into
the game. All right. So happy or boss battle? What do we think, guys? Ben, Kayla, any thoughts?
(37:13):
I think you're happy too. Happy? Happy sunshine. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Fat dumb and happy. Fat dumb
and happy. Let's make this happy. Hopefully not fat or dumb, just happy. But let's see. Okay.
So I think we should start with like a bass beat like.
(37:37):
So I'll use that and I'll loop it. Okay. Then we need some percussion. Should we do percussion next?
Ben, were you starting to do it? Starting to. I don't know if this is good. I don't know what you
mean. Yeah. So we'll get that. That's good. All right. And we need like a melody. So Kayla or
Alyssa, do you guys have an idea for like a happy melody? You know, whatever. And maybe it's kind
(38:00):
of, you know, synthy like that, or maybe it's something you kind of are singing a little bit
almost or something. Yeah. Throw it out. You guys can both do one and we can see how it goes.
(38:21):
Nice. All right, Kayla, you want to try to put in a track in there too? We see how it goes. Maybe
it's like a second, like a chorus or something even. Sure. Okay. Nice. I think it's going to be
(38:43):
awesome. All right, John, you got to add some kind of sound effect or something. So what do you want
to do? You want to do a little guitar? When you jump on the bag? Yeah, you can give us
some sound effects. You do the choir. Yeah, the boss battle choir.
(39:12):
Yes.
No, that's awesome. I think it'll be hilarious and cool. So and we put it together and here's
the final product.
(39:45):
John, why don't you close this out for the night? All right, Ben, thanks again for that
enlightenment. Always one of my favorite parts of the show. Special thank you to my bro host Dave,
our special guest, as for Ben. And you know, I hope everybody paid attention to what Alyssa did.
She had a topic that she wanted to talk about. She brought it to us and we made it happen. So
give us that five star review, reach out to us and you can be on the show as well. Alyssa,
(40:09):
fantastic job. And thank you so much for coming on with us. Kayla as well. Always a pleasure to
have you here. Everybody at home and across the world. Thank you for listening. Don't forget to
rate and subscribe. Five star reviews are not just appreciative of mandatory. Happy New Year to
everybody. Let's all make our New Year's resolutions last more than a couple of weeks. The biggest
(40:32):
resolution is to make sure that you're listening to every single episode so that you can stay
fat, dumb and happy. Peace, everybody. Bye. Thanks guys.
Hey, welcome back. We hope you enjoy listening to part two of this episode.
(00:07):
Alright, well, Alyssa's picked out a few of her favorite songs. We're gonna go ahead
and play clips of them, and then we're each gonna rate them on whatever fat, dumb, and
happy criteria we want to apply to it. And we'll see which ones are our favorites. So
we're gonna start with A Cyber's World by Toby Fox from Delta Rune Chapter 2. And if
(00:28):
I'm not wrong, he created that Undertale song that was the most streamed that we had in
our Fun Fact Quiz. Oh yeah, Toby Fox. Yeah, good old Toby Fox. Yeah, Toby. Michael J's
little brother. She's good. So yeah, tell us about it, Alyssa. Any thoughts on that
song, particularly you want to share? Yeah, in Delta Rune Chapter 2, you're kind of in
(00:52):
this world where it's all cyber and all like internet. And so that's the song when you
enter the world. And it's, I find it catchy. I mean, it kind of hurts your ears because
it's like oldish. I mean, it's like, you know, yeah, I know what you mean. No, not old.
No, it's sure. It's fair. Okay, listen to John. Don't listen to John. I mean, like,
(01:15):
like that kind of thing. Yeah, yeah, exactly. The old school for sure. Yeah, that, that,
whatever you want. Good save. Really good save.
(01:50):
I was getting a little worried in the beginning. Like, yeah, beginning until then the beat
kicked in. I was like, all right, all right. Yeah, I like that. It brings the old school
(02:11):
into the new. I love it. So this is just the first one we listened to, but I'm giving
that one a solid eight based on catchiness based on, I love actually bringing that old
retro sound in. So that's a good one for me. Ben, what about you? What score are you giving
it or how are you rating the song? Yeah, for me, yeah, the thing that stands out is one
(02:31):
that it's got some repetitiveness to catch, to make it catchy, but enough variations,
especially as they add in the new instruments and stuff to keep it fresh instead of like
getting annoying after a while. You know what I mean? Yes, good call. I do like that. And
so I don't know if I would rate it quite as high as you. I'm going to give it a seven,
but that's okay. That is solid. That's a solid score still. Alyssa, do you want to give it
(02:53):
a rating or do you want us to wait and you tell us your favorite at the end or anything
like that? I mean, I love all of these just because they're also different. So I don't
really have a favorite, but I really like this one. I probably give it like an eight
or like a seven, seven, eight. Okay. The scores are out of a hundred by the way. No, I'm just
kidding. Stalks. No, this is awesome. All right, Kayla, what about you? Yeah, I definitely
(03:17):
give it a maybe a 7.5, you know, like it definitely has that good beat and pull of fun and quirkiness.
But yeah, the beat is a bit rough on my ears too. So. Okay. Yeah. I see what you mean.
Perfect. Good. One thing I'd add too is that I could totally see this being the first level
(03:37):
music or something. It would not feel right. Unlike the final boss, right? True. True.
Context matters. Needed for like that later levels things. Yeah. Like, you know, as you're
exploring the controls and hopping over whatever, I mean, I have no idea what this game is about,
but I could totally see this being, you know, like that learning or exploring area. You
(04:00):
know what I mean? Yeah. It's got that upbeat vibe and I love that it's like about the internet
and digital realm. So it makes sense that it would kind of sound like that. All right,
John, what about you? I'm going to go like five and a quarter Cheetos out of 10. Okay.
Mid range. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Like I get it for what the gaming and I can get why you
(04:21):
get into that. I think Ben brought up a really good point though about it. It depends on
what kind of level you're at, but yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. But go on because I don't want
that one stuck in my head. All right, Alyssa, tell us about dashing and bashing by Gareth
Coker. It's from Ori and the Will the Wisp. I know you mentioned that game earlier. I have
heard some of the music already and it is pretty cool, but tell us what's the context
(04:43):
of this song and what do you want to tell us about it? This one is also at the beginning
when you're trying to learn controls and all the will the wisps takes in like this kind
of like fantasy land like this completely other world and it's like very beautiful,
but not only is this song like really catchy, but it's also fast and you're like learning
(05:04):
how to climb and how to beat up creatures or whatever. And so yeah, it's kind of at
the beginning. So, cool. It's about like exploration. Yeah. Look at that. The screenshot even. It's
pretty. It's cool. Here we go.
(05:39):
I got out of the water.
(06:02):
All right, let's go over how we felt about that one. We'll start with John this time.
I can totally vibe with that man. I love that. Yeah. I'm not gonna lie like, this is gonna
(06:25):
sound so dumb, but like I wake up to peaceful music, like on my alarms that I set. I can
wake up to that every day. Yes. Like that could be on my alarms. And that's how old people think.
So, pardon me, Alyssa. Right out of the gate, I loved it. I really liked that. Plus the picture
showing there and the picture that was there. I can vibe with that man. I thought that was pretty
(06:46):
good. All right. We'll go like 8.25 cheetos out of 10. Wow. Eight and a quarter. That's pretty good.
Yeah. It's pretty good. All right. So I liked it too. Definitely like the speed of the strings
it sounded like and then like the mystical tones that were in there to make it sound like this
fantasy world for sure. I'm a big nostalgia guy. So I can't rate it higher than that first one because
(07:10):
I love that like chiptune sound that the other one had, but it is up there. So I'm gonna give it like
a 7.935 out of 10. Very specific. Okay. All right, Ben. 7.935. Yeah. Okay. Ben, what about you?
You're going a little too hard on them. 7.936. I was like,
(07:32):
that's fair. You're probably right. You're probably right. No, I would give it an 8.5 for me. I mean,
I really liked it. It was relaxing, but not like sleepy, you know, for me. Right. It's still engaging.
Like it evokes curiosity. Yeah. It is an exploring kind of vibe to it. Like I don't game at all. And
(07:53):
I was like, man, I can play that game. Yeah. And when the bass came in, that was awesome. I like that too, for sure.
Yeah. All right, Alyssa, what about you? Where would you rate it?
I would probably give it like an 8.52 because... Not just 8.5, 8.52.
(08:13):
Also, John. Oh, okay. Or like a 9 because like it later, it's longer. So later it has like some
dark parts because it's like foreshadowing of the next part that you go into. It's like kind of like
this dark area. So it's all the songs kind of like mixed with each other. So it's really cool.
(08:35):
Awesome. All right. All right. Go about you, Kayla. What do you think? Honestly, I'd give it a 9. I mean,
that song really fit the vibe. I haven't played the game. I should play this one time. But
based on the image alone, the picture for the game, I feel like it really fit the vibe. And
yet you said it was an intro song, right, Alyssa? Yeah. Yeah. So it kind of gives that vibe of,
(08:58):
you know, starting off slow and quiet, but like fun, quirky, and get yourself pumped up to jump in
and stuff. Yeah. No cap. No cap. Quit trying not to be old, John. I'm trying. It's so hard.
All right. Alyssa, set us up for this next one. Good Night Stories by David Stanton and Ben Stanton.
(09:22):
Ooh, are they brothers? David and Ben? And it's like us too. I know. Me and Ben. From Kings Quest
Chapter One, A Night to Remember. And that's Night with a K. Tell us about this one. Yeah. So
originally, Kings Quest was like, I don't know if you guys played it, but it was like in your
guys's time. It was like pixels. But I'm hurting over here. John, it's okay. Just embrace it.
(09:49):
We're old. It's okay. And but the latest Kings Quest came out in 2015 because they kept on making
new ones. And this one is really, I love it so much. It's a role-playing game. Different choices
have different outcomes. And this one takes place at the end of Chapter One, where it's...
(10:15):
Is it kind of intense? Is it like you're getting to a bad guy or is it like...
No, it's like you finish this. Oh, okay. Gusto Triumph. Yeah.
Okay. Awesome. Awesome. Let's check it out.
(10:54):
That was amazing. I mean, that sounded like a movie soundtrack.
(11:24):
So let's start with Kayla this time first. What did you think of that one?
Yeah, I think it was good. I would probably give that one maybe a seven. I think, yeah, the vibe
definitely fits that medieval atmosphere. Yeah. Sadly, I'll give it a lower rating because I've
heard songs kind of similar to it. It doesn't have that uniqueness that I was hoping for.
(11:47):
But that's fair. That's fair. Yeah. No, I can see that. I can see that. All right, John, what about you?
So she said that was for like when you triumph and you just finished a quest or whatever.
And I did. I got that movie vibe. That was the role of credits kind of music for me.
I'm going to give 6.71. She goes out of 10. Okay. It wasn't everything for me, but it did
(12:10):
have some gusto to it, like she said. But it definitely had the role of credits vibe for me.
Yes. Yes. All right. I thought it was amazing. I mean, that one to me sounded like a true orchestra.
And I pictured like a Harry Potter film, you know. That's what I was thinking. That's exactly what I
was thinking. Yeah. But like Kayla said, it's definitely got the medieval vibe for King's Quest.
(12:33):
It makes sense. I appreciate what Kayla said about it being like maybe too similar to other
types of songs. So I would give it about a seven as well. I think I liked it a lot.
But yeah, maybe it's not my absolute favorite. Ben, what about you?
I loved it. I thought it was really good. It hit me because I mean, I played a lot of the King's
Quest games and it just fit that. The King's Quest always, always puts a significant amount of
(12:59):
effort into the music. And I felt like it totally hit the right notes. Also, just, you know, how we
skip forward, the music changed. It wasn't like a repetitive stuff. You know what I mean? And I
felt like we could listen to all three minutes or whatever. It would have been even more different.
You know what I mean? It gave me that impression of like, this is not every 15 seconds repeating
(13:20):
itself. You know, it's going to really tell a story almost, you know what I mean? And so I still
give it an 8.5, you know? I really like that orchestra sound to it. And I don't know. It just
gave me the energy, you know, like I wanted to play. Yeah, starting off with those horns. That was
awesome. Yeah. All right, Alyssa, what about you? Well, probably because I've played the game and
(13:44):
like, I know the entire story. I probably give it like an 8. But if I didn't know it, I'd probably
give it like a 7.5. Yeah. I'm seeing that from Ben's comment too, that like, maybe if I had that
background with it, that I might have rated a higher. And I appreciate what he said to about,
you know, if we were able to hear the whole thing. So sorry, we're only doing little clips, but
we have to push through to all the songs. But good comments, everybody. All right. How about this
(14:09):
next one? Hostage Connor by Nima Fakrara from Detroit Become Human. Tell us about that one,
Alyssa. Yes. So this one is when someone is holding someone else hostage and you're trying to capture
them and you're finding the clues of why this person is held hostage, who is holding this person
(14:33):
hostage and how you can save them. Interesting. Let's give it a listen, man.
(15:03):
Wow. Dang. Yeah. That definitely sounds like what it is.
(15:31):
All right. We'll start with Alyssa this time. What do you think as far as how would you rate
that among your favorite songs here and why? I mean, I like it. I think it fits with the atmosphere
very well. But it's not, I give it a 6.5. I mean, I really like it. I like, like, especially when
(15:52):
you're in it and in it. Yeah. It's crazy how like, but just hearing it and not like actually being
in it, I feel like it'd be like a 6.5. I can see that. Like, you're not going to just listen to that
like at any time, right? Like, it's just like a cool song. It's like in the game when you're doing
it. That's where it really fits. That makes sense. What about you, Kayla? What do you think?
(16:15):
I think I'd give it maybe like an eight because I like how and, you know, I haven't played the game,
so I don't know for sure. But I like how at the beginning it kind of does sound like a,
oh, this is a choice I have to make. But like as you venture into the song, it starts to get more
stressful and more intense and more of like a, I really need to think of something quick to
(16:39):
assess the situation and stuff. I really like it. It's really cool. So I can get an eight.
Yeah, that's awesome. John, what about you? Yeah, I was going to give a 7.9 Cheetos out of 10.
So there you go. I actually really enjoyed it. That's my second favorite one so far.
And just with the premise of what the game is like, and then the picture pops up on the screen,
(17:00):
like these robots or whatever. And it looks pretty cool and futuristic and the music,
it started out kind of slow, but then it definitely picked up and got better.
Yeah. No, I like that one. Yeah, nice. 7.9. Okay. Yeah, I agree with all the comments that were made.
I can imagine playing the game and being in it. I mean, it was getting my heart pumping just listening
(17:21):
to it right now. So in the game, I know I'd be like, okay, I got to do this, you know. So I
definitely give it, I think a 7.75, 7 and 3 quarters Cheetos, I think for this one. Really good.
Yeah. What about you, Ben? I get a 7.5. It wasn't my favorite one, but it was definitely you could
feel the intensity. It hit the theme of like, you know, I felt like a spy thriller. You know what I mean?
(17:45):
Yes. Right. It totally fit what, you know, your description was like, I could totally
imagine myself in that scenario, you know? Yeah. I think it did really well with what it needed to do.
It was slow getting to, you know, the next parts of it. But in the game, you don't want it to move
too fast. You know, you're building the tension. And so I think it actually fit pretty well. It's
(18:10):
just that it was a little bit repetitive. Yeah. Which I guess it needs to be like I said, because
it's drawing out a scenario where you want to feel like an urgency, but you can't let it be over too
soon. You know, you got to like, draw it out somehow. And I feel like they did that pretty well.
And so that's a solid 7.5. I thought it was good for sure. I think next time I go searching for
(18:34):
hostage clues, I'm going to download this song. For sure. I was like, am I Jason Bourne right now?
I'm I feel like I'm Jason Bourne. Nice. Leave me. Yeah, leave me. I have a certain set of skills.
All right. How about this one? Alyssa's Latko Kara by Philip Shepard from Detroit Become Human
(18:58):
again. This is also from Detroit Become Human. There are three main characters. This is when
you're playing as this other character who basically has a child to protect and you're trying to
protect her. But currently, there's this guy who you're trying to escape from, because he kind of
kidnapped you guys. And spoilers. Okay. Because you're actually playing as an AI, like as an
(19:27):
artificial intelligence robot. Nice. And so he's trying to get you and it's kind of like a boss
level. It's very anxious. You have to like get away. It's pretty intense. And you also have to
focus on protecting the child. So man, I'm wanting to get this game, I think. It's going to give a
zero for me. I hate AI. Oh, come on.
(20:15):
Nice.
(20:43):
Nice. That was definitely intense. That was intense right out of the gate. Yeah. Later,
like when you fast forwarded and the strings came in too. Yeah. Like the violin were coming in.
Man, that's like you can feel the anxiety just through that song. Yes. Yeah, that's good. I like
that. I liked it. All right. Let's start with Ben this time. How would you rate that song?
(21:05):
Oh, wow. You know, I liked it for sure. And you know, one of the things that stood out to me about
this one was the blended sounds. Like it was what I mean. It was not like a clear distinct exact note
being played. It was all these sounds kind of coming together blended. It had a powerful effect.
You know, I feel like that is something that you could never have done on an older game system or
(21:29):
something. I was just thinking that, dude. I'm like, can you imagine Super Mario or something,
one of those old ones like sounding like this? I never heard that over with not. There's no way. Yeah.
But man, you know, it is pretty immersive. That said, and this is a total personal thing,
it didn't suck me in the way some of the other ones did. Yeah. So I would give it seven. It was good.
(21:51):
I really liked the tone of it all and the way that blended in everything. But the overall thing
didn't do it as much for me. Okay. What about you, Alyssa? I probably give it like
an eight point five or like maybe a nine. Just like just how like anxiety it is. And you're like
(22:13):
trying to run away and trying to find out how to escape and who you're trying to protect is also
in another room. So you're trying to find them too. So yeah. Yeah. I love it. Awesome. Kayla,
what about you? I actually give it a nine point five. I this song is probably the most exciting
induced song I've heard so far. I don't know. Yeah. Yeah. Like, yeah, like what Ben and Alyssa
(22:38):
said, the sounds that it blends in, I've noticed there's a sound in there. I don't know if it's
like a clock ticking, but it sounds like yes, like as if saying like you need to hurry and do this
thing before it's too late. And yeah, that anxiety inducing sounds and stuff. So yeah,
nine point five for just most anxious song I've heard in a game so far. Nice. It really got your
(23:01):
emotions going. Nice. All right. What about you, John? I want that to be the new Tetris music.
The new wordle music. Yeah. Yeah. That'll be the wordle soundtrack. It just gets more and more
intense every every time you miss a letter. But no, that was pretty cool, man. A little bit lower
(23:23):
on the scale for me. Like I don't game at all. If I were to play Alyssa, you got me. This would be
the game that I would start to play. It would be Detroit becoming, but because the soundtrack is
awesome. This song, I liked the other one better, but this song, I'm giving it a six point eight.
Six point eight cheetos. Yeah, I know. A little bit lower on the scale for me, but.
(23:44):
No, it was awesome. I agree with everything that's been said so far. And like Kayla mentioned that
like clicking sound, that was like my favorite part when it brought in that percussion, like rhythm
and stuff. That was so cool. I think I would give it an overall seven point eight, three, two,
eleven, five. No, I don't know. Yeah, it was really good though. I liked it a lot. All right,
(24:07):
let's see. We got a couple more here. Hopes and Dreams by Toby Fox from Undertale. What do you
want to tell us about that, Alyssa? Okay, so this is a very strange one because it is actually the
final boss level, but it's not really daunting and it's not as intense. It's actually, well,
like it says in the title, it's hopeful. Yeah, it's like kind of happy ish. And it's because the
(24:31):
lesson that Undertale teaches is to keep persevering through trials and to like maintain a positive
attitude and keep going. So it's supposed to be encouraging you to keep moving forward. Yeah,
that makes sense. Yeah, let's check it out. Another one from Toby Fox.
(25:15):
Man. So I don't know. I think it must be a Toby Fox style maybe because that's the second one
(25:44):
for him. But I like the synthy retro type sound that's in the background of that and then bringing
in that kind of rock sound. So that one was definitely cool for me. I'm going to give that one an 8.2.
Ben, what about you? I'm right there with you, man. I love that nostalgia mixed with new and
the energy gets you pumping in. I like that idea of having a boss battle where you're trying to be
(26:08):
even more positive. I mean, yeah, I can imagine how it still gets you pumping. It still gets your
energy going, but in a different way, kind of like I'm going to try it. I like that. I give it an 8.4.
Nice. What about you, Alyssa? I give this a 9 just because of how catchy it is. And it's like
(26:29):
always stuck in my head and I always like to listen to it and they have different kinds of versions
by different orchestras. And so it's just so catchy for me. Nice. Nice. All right, Kayla, you? Yeah.
This song is definitely unexpected for me, especially in the beginning because I'm like,
oh yeah, this is nice. And when the guitar solo kind of comes in, I'm just like, oh dang.
(26:54):
Yes. Awesome. They give it an 8 for how the vibe feels. It's really fun. Yeah. All right, what about
you, John? Yeah, I'm going to go 8.2 Cheetos. 8.2 Cheetos for sure. I think exactly what Kayla said.
When it starts out, I'm like, all right, this is cool. It's cool. And then the guitar kicks in,
you're like, oh my gosh, okay. Cool. You know what game? I felt like that could fit into a retro
(27:17):
game though. Yeah. Like I could see that in like Double Dragon. Yeah. Like from back in the day.
I feel like that could really be in there somewhere. I'm like, where would I put this?
I feel like it could be. I feel like that could be a successful one back then. I agree. I agree.
All right. Last song on the list here. Shriek and Ori. I almost said Shrek, but I didn't.
(27:38):
I'm making so much better. You better preface this one because that's all I got on my mind now
is Shrek. This is 10 out of 10 already. Yeah. Shrek and Donkey. I'm just going. Shriek and Ori
by Gareth Coker. This is from Ori and the Will of the Wisps again, which is a great one. We've
already heard a little bit from that game, so I'm excited to hear this one. But tell us a little
background. Yeah, this is also a final boss level. This one isn't as hopeful. It's kind of more intense.
(28:05):
And so it's a final boss level. Basically, the fate of the world is depending on you. So yeah.
Nice. Let's take a listen.
(29:11):
John, we'll start with you on this one. What did you think? Okay. Highest rated one. 9.6.
There we go. 9.6. That was awesome, man. This guy, Gareth Coker,
and this soundtrack for the whole game is amazing. It's funny because, like I'm sitting there,
I've watched so much Harry Potter lately, guys. I'm like, okay, this is Baltimore versus Harry
(29:31):
Potter at the very end. And I can see that, but like that was really cool. That was by far my
favorite. I think that was definitely my favorite, which is funny because my second one was Dashing
and bashing. But yeah, man, that's pretty good. That's definitely a boss level type music, man.
I liked that one. I enjoyed that quite a bit. I think it's funny though how for you, Alyssa,
you know, these are soundtracks that you think of. You think of these songs at random times throughout
(29:55):
the day, right? Yeah. Yeah. It's just like how I would think of a movie soundtrack, right? And it's
just because I don't game, maybe I would think of these more, but it's just kind of my equivalent
to a movie soundtrack that I like. So I just think that's interesting. But that one, that was awesome.
9.6 Cheetos. Nice. Yeah. That was definitely just such a rich and full sound. And I don't know if we
(30:18):
missed it in other ones, but that was the only one that we heard a clip from that had a choir in
it, right? Like there was vocals. And so that was huge. Definitely. Yeah. Right away. I'm like, oh,
this is a boss battle. And definitely could feel it for sure. So I also liked it a lot. I will
give it a 9. So what about you, Ben? Dude, yeah, I think this is probably my favorite too, man.
(30:40):
And you're right. You could totally feel this is a boss battle. I liked how you have all these
different sounds. They had like, they had the blends, they had the variety, they had the intensity,
and just the vocal part, I think just fit right in with this like, this is the edge, you know?
You got to do this, you know, this is not like a one of those fake boss battles where there's
(31:03):
going to be a real boss later. Yeah, I hate those. Like this is really, really the edge, you know?
And so if it isn't the real boss battle, then they're really punking you. So
yes. Anyway, yeah, what did I say? Like 9.2 or something like that? Yeah, I would give it a
way up there. Nice. Nice. All right. What about you, Alyssa? I give this like a 9.5
(31:26):
because how it changes throughout the song. And I love how it goes like,
I send like the strings and the choir is good too. Yes. All right. What about you, Kayla?
Yeah, definitely. Yeah, I really, really like the song. I'd give it a 9.7, not quite 10, but
up there. Nice. That was up there. Yeah, because this song definitely gives me that motivation
(31:51):
and like determination, like if I were to be in a boss battle. Yeah, this is it. This is the final
fight. Gotta give it my all, try to pursue and just do all that I can. And yeah, the sounds of music,
the choir especially, really make that vibe really fit in with that song. Nice. Well, man,
(32:12):
these were a great list of songs, Alyssa. Thanks for picking those out and sharing them with us.
And I don't know if anyone else wants to share what their favorite was. It sounds like maybe everyone
loved Shrieken Ori the best. That was a pretty awesome song for sure. You know, Shrieken Ori
is number one for me. Dash and Ambassador followed by Good Night Stories. No, that's a lie. Followed
by Hostage. Hostage was my third favorite. So that's my top three. Nice. Hope the dream's good too,
(32:36):
though. Yeah, man, they're all good. All right, Ben. So tell us a little bit about the psychology
behind video game music. Why it matters so much to us? Why we get so into it? Well, here's the thing.
I mean, with so many things about psychology, it depends, right? You know, and it's also like
finding that balance, right? So, you know, the sounds in video games, they can be classified as
(32:57):
diegetic or non-diegetic. And basically, the diegetic sounds are the ones that come from
objects in the story, you know, voices of characters, sounds of footsteps, clashes of
swords, that kind of stuff, you know, and then the non-diegetic sounds are the ones that originate
from outside the story space, like the musical scores, the ambient music, all that kind of stuff.
(33:18):
And so both of those can increase feelings, right? You know, I mean, when you hear footsteps
coming from behind you, I mean, that's gonna increase your emotion and your immersion and
everything. But also, you know, like we just listen to all those soundtracks, the musical scores,
can really have an effect on not just our emotions, but our presence, our engagement,
(33:38):
our immersion in this. And what they found is that the non-diegetic music has been found to,
like, affect the physical and cognitive tasks, right? And your ability to do those things,
both of them really can help. But what they found is that there's a limit, I guess you could say.
And if sometimes we get over aroused, you know, like our cognitive capacity becomes unduly
(34:00):
taxed. And so then we're trying to process too many things at once. I don't know if you've ever
noticed this, it depends on the person, right? That's the other factor, and I'll get back to that in
a sec. But like for me, if I'm listening to music, while I'm trying to study something,
then I like it when there's not words much. Or I heard the words so many times that I kind of tune
it out. But if it's something where I'm learning the words to it, I pay too much attention to the
(34:25):
song and not enough to what I'm studying, you know what I mean? So that's what happens in video games
too. You know, like if there is too much going on, it can almost be distracting. You know what I
mean? It almost reduces our performance. Our brain is just trying to process too many things.
But the tempo and the mode where they call it, like the major or minor key, can really impact
(34:50):
the arousal that we have, the mood and our cognitive performance. But again, like I said,
it really can depend on the person. Because what they found in studies is that the impact of music
can vary based on their level of introversion or extroversion, which is interesting, you know?
You know how introverts, they need their time to kind of regenerate, you know what I mean?
(35:14):
And extroverts thrive on feeding off of other people's energies to some extent. And so that
sweet spot for how much complexity in the music or the sound effects and all the different things
going on, it seems, and again, they're continuing to do more and more studies on this, but it seems
like the sweet spot is different between introverts and extroverts on that. And so that's why I think
(35:38):
some of us will rate a particular song really high and others. Part of it is just, you know,
personal preference, but part of it may just be kind of overload almost a little bit, you know?
And just like what actually helps us. And there's a difference between what we enjoy to listen to
and what actually helps us perform either in the game or like gives us energy. They've done studies
(35:59):
where people will listen to music from video games and then actually perform some physical task
where the music actually helps them lift more weight.
That's super interesting, Ben. Thanks for sharing that. And yeah, I think you're right. I have noticed
when the music is at that sweet spot where it's just like it brings me into the game and gets me
excited for what's coming next or feel the vibe or whatever of the scene. But I can see how if it was
(36:25):
too much and I'm actually like listening to that more than I'm focusing on the game.
Wouldn't work either. So yeah, thanks, Ben. Appreciate it. All right. So we thought this might
be kind of fun doing a little fat dumb and happy video game soundtrack of our own using our gifts
of sounds from our own mouths. Okay, so we're going to have to do different parts. And what
we're going to do is we'll record it now and in post editing, I'll put it together and make our song.
(36:49):
So first of all, do we want to have kind of a scene we're looking at? Are we talking like
intro? We talking boss battle? Are we talking something mysterious? What do we think, guys?
Alyssa, you choose. I was thinking of something like either at the beginning or at the end.
Okay. Either a boss battle or like something happy and sunshiney and like that introduces you into
the game. All right. So happy or boss battle? What do we think, guys? Ben, Kayla, any thoughts?
(37:13):
I think you're happy too. Happy? Happy sunshine. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Fat dumb and happy. Fat dumb
and happy. Let's make this happy. Hopefully not fat or dumb, just happy. But let's see. Okay.
So I think we should start with like a bass beat like.
(37:37):
So I'll use that and I'll loop it. Okay. Then we need some percussion. Should we do percussion next?
Ben, were you starting to do it? Starting to. I don't know if this is good. I don't know what you
mean. Yeah. So we'll get that. That's good. All right. And we need like a melody. So Kayla or
Alyssa, do you guys have an idea for like a happy melody? You know, whatever. And maybe it's kind
(38:00):
of, you know, synthy like that, or maybe it's something you kind of are singing a little bit
almost or something. Yeah. Throw it out. You guys can both do one and we can see how it goes.
(38:21):
Nice. All right, Kayla, you want to try to put in a track in there too? We see how it goes. Maybe
it's like a second, like a chorus or something even. Sure. Okay. Nice. I think it's going to be
(38:43):
awesome. All right, John, you got to add some kind of sound effect or something. So what do you want
to do? You want to do a little guitar? When you jump on the bag? Yeah, you can give us
some sound effects. You do the choir. Yeah, the boss battle choir.
(39:12):
Yes.
No, that's awesome. I think it'll be hilarious and cool. So and we put it together and here's
the final product.
(39:45):
John, why don't you close this out for the night? All right, Ben, thanks again for that
enlightenment. Always one of my favorite parts of the show. Special thank you to my bro host Dave,
our special guest, as for Ben. And you know, I hope everybody paid attention to what Alyssa did.
She had a topic that she wanted to talk about. She brought it to us and we made it happen. So
give us that five star review, reach out to us and you can be on the show as well. Alyssa,
(40:09):
fantastic job. And thank you so much for coming on with us. Kayla as well. Always a pleasure to
have you here. Everybody at home and across the world. Thank you for listening. Don't forget to
rate and subscribe. Five star reviews are not just appreciative of mandatory. Happy New Year to
everybody. Let's all make our New Year's resolutions last more than a couple of weeks. The biggest
(40:32):
resolution is to make sure that you're listening to every single episode so that you can stay
fat, dumb and happy. Peace, everybody. Bye. Thanks guys.
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