If you haven’t read part 1 of the SEGAROCKS feature, check it out here.

SEGAROCK Vol. 2

Track 1: Segagaga – Segagaga March

Original:

Cover:

Wow, talk about top side 1, track 1s! The original is a classic, but the cover just blows it away in my opinion. Everything from the guitar to the vocals is great about this track, but what stands out the most to me are the drums, which really capture the “march” part of the song title.

Track 2: The Super Shinobi – SHINOBI

Original:

Cover:

This Yuzo Koshiro track from The Super Shinobi (aka The Revenge of Shinobi) is great, but the cover definitely added a lot more and just shreds all the way through.

Track 3: Phantasy Star IV – The End of the Millennium

Original:

Cover:

I feel like the cover was just a little too far removed and didn’t really capture the intense, dark, and foreboding feel of the original.

Track 4: Phantasy Star – Planet Palma

Original:

Cover:

The original is no doubt an excellent and charming track, but I have to say that I prefer the cover, with its clever intro and awesome guitar and surprising breakdowns.

Track 5: Victory Goal ’96 – The Sky Leads Off to the Future

Original:

Cover:

We never got this soccer title here in North America (though we would eventually get the later iterations known as the Worldwide Soccer games), so unfortunately I missed out on this superb theme originally and didn’t hear it for the first time until this album. Luckily on SEGAROCK Vol. 2 we got an even better version! With its V-I-C-T-O-R-Y chant at the beginning and solid vocal performance, the SEGAROCKS cover is even more fun than the original!

Track 6: Ashura – WE FIGHT FOR FRIENDS

Original:

Cover:

Man, SEGAROCKS must REALLY like the Ashura (Rambo in the U.S.) soundtrack (they also did a cover on Vol. 1)! Their enthusiasm shows as they do a commendable job covering this 8-bit track.

Track 7: Fantasy Zone – Victory Way

Original:

Cover:

The ending theme of the arcade version of Fantasy Zone is a refreshing, chill, come down track, no matter which version you are listening to.

Track 8: Aa Harimanada – First Harima Exercises

Original:

Cover:

Aa Harimanada is a series of sumo games based off the anime of the same name. This track is taken from the Megadrive game. Both versions are completely bonkers, filled with grunting sumos and weird digitized sound effects.

Track 9: Phantasy Star II – THE PLACE OF DEATH

Original:

Cover:

If you’ve played through Phantasy Star II, you know why the title of this track is so appropriate. Despite some nightmarish memories of fighting the last boss(es) in the game to the tune, I still have a soft spot for the original.

Track 10: Clockwork Knight – A Lullaby

Original:

Cover:

So ending the album with a track from Clockwork Knight? Kind of weird, but cool. Ending the album with an English ballad originally sung by a female? SUPER weird and cool!

Check out part 3 of the SEGAROCKS feature here!