A couple of months ago we reported on the release of Power Up! Mutations and Mutilations of 8-Bit Hits, a compilation of covers from various bands who offer their own perspectives on themes from classic games such as Tetris and Contra. Bookending the tracklist are covers of the Zelda Overworld theme and Main themes, making it of particular interest to you guys. Well, thanks to the kind guys at Dwell Records, we’ve got a copy and have spent the past few days sucking the blood from its musical veins, and it’s a fruity, if occasionally flat brew.
The marketing hyperbole on Dwell’s online store promises “an elite team of fearless musicians… taking you to a world where few have dared to tread,” when the reality, as Rerun’s peaceful Mega Man 2 tribute will reveal, is a lot tamer then they want you to believe. Buy expecting a hardcore, all guns blazing assault on your childhood, and you’ll be disappointed. The line-up are talented unknowns, hardly elite but evidently proficient, offering melodic, sometimes quite beautiful (Doug McDiarmid’s Marble Madness tribute) adaptations that will politely compliment your memories. That’s not to say that every cover is docile; Upsilon Acrux’s interpretation of Rush’n Attack is an epic journey, weaving threads of fast, plunky guitar riffs with more roaring undertones as a mighty drumming powers it along. Kindergarten Hazing Ritual’s River City Ransom tribute would be earth-crumbling if it wasn’t for its oddly-baseless dub; a real shame. Those looking for true old-school tunes can take solace in the Metal Man and Tetris 3 tracks, MIDI dreams, though unfortunately indistinguishable from the better Overclocked Remixes. The only truly bad track is Flossin’s Castlevania noise. Ouch.
Before you ask, yes, the Zelda tracks are rather good. The Fucking Champs lead in with a triumphant Overworld Theme, a confident wailing implicates the story of an exhausted yet successful hero. Closing shop is the Twelve-Handed Men of Mars who provide a rendition of the Main Theme that haunts and builds over four and a half minutes without reaching the climax it should, winding down appropriately but not sending off in the appropriate blaze of glory. Solid but unremarkable.
If you were a big gamer back in the NES days, or are discovering some of these lost classics on Wii Virtual Console, you’ll appreciate this unique compilation, despite the odd miss. As a more general gaming fan, its nostalgic magic won’t translate perfectly and its flaws will be less forgiveable, but most tracks are genuinely enjoyable on their own merits. You can pick up a copy of Power Up! from Dwell’s webstore (international shipping available) for $14.98, a price that erects a barrier to those buying purely for the two Zelda cuts.
