@@chaos_omega "Oh god, here comes freakin GREG again with the half dozen swords he ganked from the oblivious. Heard he got them over the course of several years at the lounge chair section of the wave pool at some water park. 'You wouldn't believe what people leave out in the open' he says." 🤣
We are living in a magical time where John Williams and Nobuo Uematsu are alive and we are able to listen to their music as they compose them. They did an FF brass ensemble concert series in 2017~ and I got to see nobuo live in Nara. The part where they just invited everyone on stage that had brought instruments or wanted to use the toy tambarines they handed out at the start of the concert was a real treat. Being able to say I've been on stage with the man is something I'll never live down.
Here's a list of all the _official_ arrangements of Clash on The Big Bridge: -The original from FFV -The FFV Advance one -The 20th Anniversary version of FFI for the PSP -The FFXII version -The FFXIII-2 version -The "Yuusnan Version" from Lightning Returns -The FFXIV versions: the one Jesse listened to, and the other one called "Battle in the Big Keep" -The FFXV version, arranged by Keiichi Okabe, the composer for Nier:Automata -The Dissidia version for the PSP, which was also used in Final Fantasy Type-0 -The Final Fantasy Record Keeper Version, which has 3 variations (classic, choir, and guitar). A version was used in Dissidia NT, which is a combination of all 3 versions -"Raffaello's Theme" from FF Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon is an arrangement of this theme -The World of Final Fantasy version -There's one from FF Fables: Chocobo Tales -The version from the Japan only Chocobo to Mahou no Ehon: Majo to Shoujo to Go-nin no Yuusha -The version from Itadaki Street (a FF x Dragon Quest crossover monopoly style game, which is Japan only) -the Pixel Remaster version -the version from Chocobo GP Outside of games, there are also arrangements of the theme released: -the FFV Piano Collection -The Black Mages version -the one from Guitar Solo Final Fantasy Official Best Collection -Piano Opera Final Fantasy IV/V/VI -an 8bit version from SQ Chips2 -a Japanese folk song arrangement composed by Sekizima Takeo for the Final Fantasy Tribute album -the Distant Worlds orchestral version -the recorder version by Kuricorder Quartet from the Cure SQ album A total of 29 versions so far. If there's any I didn't list down, feel free to add.
technically FFXIV has two arrangements of the track. The other one is called "Battle in the Big Keep", though that version is more of a straight reference back to the FFV original.
There's two rearrangements by the artist AKHT, B.B. Evolution and B.B. Revenge. The first one was notable since it was the BGM for the Michael Forever flash animation.
"Are there many songs that stick through the series?" The Chocobo theme song is probably the most iconic. The base melody is the same, but it's slightly different between ALL FF games. Going from Piano, Samba, Rock, etc. Could be interesting to get your take on the variations, if you ever feel so inclined. :)
Awww snap, my favorite final fantasy battle theme getting the treatment it deserves on this channel. Gilgamesh is a fan favorite character, a dimension hopping, sword collecting goofball who shows up across the series. He originated in FFV, and has since appeared in various forms across the series, always seemingly the same character as the original despite the worlds not being the same. His theme song comes with him, and is hype in all forms. As you saw in the FFXII video, he has the buster sword there; he also has FFX's Tidus' water sword and squall's gunblade if memory serves. In FFVIII he appears to have Sephiroth's Masamune as well. His whole gimmick is stealing swords, though he starts as just a minion for the main villain of FFV. He is hilarious and rules. This is literally a song I could listen to on loop for hours and never get bored of it. I'm excited to get all the way through but I had to drop down here and gush.
one thing i love about gilgamesh is that he goes by the "if you're in rome, do it like the romans" mindset, he adjusts to the tone of the game he appears in, depending on the tone of the game he's in, gilgamesh can be a goof, a certified menace and everything in between.
XII Gilgamesh also has Zidane's dagger, a certain summon's weapon (an indicator that he is The Gilgamesh), two copies of an in-game sword (sun and moon, in reference to concept art of swords from FFV), and a blade based on Dragon Quest for good measure. Those weapons are all counterfeits with clear alterations; the sun/moon thing is a direct reference to why that is.
XIII-2's version is fucking awesome lmao. I did not expect that, never played it before either and I was never a fan of XIII, but that song is an absolute banger. I also hadn't heard 14's. That piano and string section is incredible. I almost wish it went on a bit longer or that there was a full version of it. So smooth.
you are so underrated, i normally follow "musicians, composers, singers, etc" on youtube that make videogame or anime music reactions and you are the only one who delivers entirely at least for me, and speaking of anime music reactions you can do some of those to step up your game and oh boy you will be impressed. Keep doing a great job your time is so valuable, this for more to come, cheers!~
The fact you listened to The Black Mages version makes me wish you reacted to their rendition of Dancing Mad (unless I missed it in which case my bad). The guitar solo in the final phase is amazing,
I listen to all of The Black Mages albums at least once a week. Can't get enough of them lmao. And Jesse, they're the ones who did the Advent Children version of One Winged Angel!
I’m actually shocked at the many who haven’t heard this version. But also understandable due to the rep the 13 games got. But this was one of the absolute bangers for such a pain ( but fun ) fight with um
Fun fact, just earlier this month on the concert of the ffxiv band "The Primals", we had a surprise appearance of Uematsu himself and he played a few songs including a completely new version of this song!
"Is that the Buster Sword?!" Yes! Well, sort of! Gilgamesh is kind of a fourth-wall-breaking character with many appearances, but he's always a "master swordsman" and may wield several iconic swords from other games. And you're right, there's not many recurring themes through the series. Clash of the Big Bridge is one, the Chocobo theme is another, Prelude and the FF main theme. Those are the only ones that come to my mind.
There are a few things that get used a few times, if not present in most games. Like the moogle theme. There's also some referential things like FF9 using the Mt. Gulg theme
Well, technically all his swords in 12 are fakes, having subtle differences (the Buster Sword has the kanji for replica on it for instance), which is itself a reference to his original appearance in 5 where he finds the Excalipoor instead of Excalibur.
I have a sealed copy of XIII-2. After listening to this, I might have to give it a fair shot. WTH?! That was amazing, epic, and with so much personality 😳😳😳
Warning so you know: It's not in the base game. You have to get the Arena DLC. Gilgamesh breaks the 4th wall at the start of the fight commenting that he's been waiting forever for you to buy that particular DLC.
XIII and XIII-2 are both great games. XIII-2 evolves all of the systems in a great way, and doesn't keep you in Tutorial Mode for such a long time. Bonus points for telling a deeply coherent time travel story.
TO be fair, 13-2 has an amazing soundtrack the entire way thru, just make sure to get the DLC to enjoy this amazing and epic battle that you can access anytime. FYI, its not easy, recommend taking it on later in the game.
To answer your question about which music keeps returning in the series, the major ones are: Prelude/Crystal Theme (originally from FF1) Main Theme/Final Fantasy (originally from FF1) Victory Fanfare (originally from FF1, in later games it uses the original ditty as a lead-in to other songs) Chocobo Theme (originally from FF2, though expanded upon to what we know it as in 3) Clash on the Big Bridge (originally from FF5) Moogle Theme (originally from FF5) There are individual songs that have been remixed a few times here and there, and of course games like FF14, Dissidia etc. that basically are celebrations of the series as a whole also have arrangements from across the series, but I'd say those 6 I listed are the main set.
This special episode was absolutely great, it's always a total pleasure watching you dissecting these timeless masterpieces, I can't think about FF music, or FF in general and not think about you Jesse, you're awesome, thank you and can't wait to watch your future playthroughs ❤️
this was my first time hearing the dissidia NT version and I lost my goddamn mind. Remember that second section that shows up? That's a short rendition of Lenna's Theme from FFV. I don't know why they put that in, but it was siiiiick.
Idk why I love this so much. Sent literal chills down my spine and actually teared up a little. Something about hearing other stuff from V in more modern music that I wasn't expecting always gets me. Namely this and the Omega theme in XV
The wonderful thing for me is that i knew Clash on the Big Bridge intimately, but this was the first time I'd ever seen you, and it was *wonderful* to get to watch you get to know a song I love--and also introduce me to some versions I hadn't heard! The Oriental MIX is just amazing--how the heck do you beat rock shamisen and shakuhatchi except by way of Nobuo's own prog rock? It was lovely to meet you, and you have a new subscriber.
So glad you listened to all of these versions, they are absolute bangers! I really hope you do react to and listen to more Black Mages after this one. They aren't game tracks as we know, but considering they're renditions of game tracks maybe you'll listen to more? :D Either way, fantastic video! Happy 400th!
happy 400th vid, good choice for it and yes there are other songs that been through the serie allot, the chocobo theme is one of them and 13-2 did an amazing job with it the music of the 13 trilogy indeed really is amazing
The basic gist of Gilgamesh across the FF franchise is that after his initial appearance in FFV, he became a dimension hopping weapon collector with a personality not too dissimilar from Deadpool. Clash on the Big Bridge isn't as much of a mainstay as it is a semifrequently recurring theme; it's not in every game, but it shows up often enough. The series does have actual mainstay tracks that show up in every mainline game with very few exceptions though: Victory Fanfare, the Prelude, the Main Theme, and to a lesser extent the Chocobo Theme.
The only track that has more renditions and could make a longer theme is the Chocobo theme. There's more versions of the Chocobo theme, with a few Black Chocobo themes included, than there are mainline Final Fantasy Games. So, part of why this particular track has so many versions is that it first plays when you fight Gilgamesh on Big Bridge in FF5. Near the end of the game, he gets lost in the Interdimensional Rift, and becomes a wanderer. He next shows up in FF8 as a summon after Odin is killed and this blade Zantetsuken flies into the sky and slices a hole in the fabric of reality, which gives Gilgamesh the ability to escape. Since then, the same Gilgamesh from FF5 has consistently wandered around the various FF Universes as a duelist and weapon collector. He has multiple arms and will use around 10 at once, but he often gets conned and carries various fakes. He originally wanted the Excalibur and was distraught upon realizing it was the knock-off Excalipur, which only does 1 damage a hit. Even his knock off weapons, many of which are knock-offs of iconic main character weapons, are still powerful though. Gilgamesh is also very popular because, similar to Deadpool, he breaks the 4th wall, and frequently. In FFXIII-2 he even comments about how he'd been waiting around forever for you to buy the DLC so he could challenge you. Since he wanders all realities, he's become aware he's in a video game. Also, of note, in line with the original Sumerian Legend, he has a best friend named Enkidu. Usually in every world after FF5, he will take a creature and paint it green and name it Enkidu. By FF14, he's gotten desperate enough to use a Chicken as his companion.
I revisit this and the Black Mages Dancing Mad videos often, the songs are a prime reason but also especially for those moments in both that catch you off guard in the best of ways. The crying guitar solo in dancing mad, the "that was SEAMLESS" moment here. There's a handfull of songs that get used across the franchise, Battle on the Big Bridge is more of a fanservice recurring one, as they use it specifically when fighting Gilgamesh, who is usually a surprise guest/bonus battle. (Though his muktiple appearances ARE technically canon, despite the "new game, different world" approach of the series). One theme, however has made an appearnce in nearly every game since FF2: The Chocobo theme. If you were going to do another long form multi song video like this again, I would request that it be "Every Chocobo song". Something special about the theme, it has a different style in every game (sometimes multiple in the same game.) Early on it doesn't change much, but FF6 starts a trend of it being much more uniquely genre/styled in each appearance. Every version is titled "*genre/theme* de Chocobo" For example: Mambo De Chocobo Ukelele De Chocobo Techno De Chocobo. So if I saw, some day in the future, a "Chocobo themes" video from you in my notifications, I would be ecstatic.
In FFXII, Gilgamesh is played by voice actor John DiMaggio, also known for his work as Bender from Futurama, Jake from Adventure Time, and Marcus Fenix from Gears of War. He also voiced two characters in FFX, and would return to the series as Heidegger in the FF7 Remake!
I used to load a save at before the big bridge in FFV and just stay there to listen to the music. Such a good track! The XIII-2 version might be my favorite arrangement of it.
Final Fantasy 12 has quite possibly my favorite version of the Final Fantasy Main Theme, the music is great but it's different for sure. Absolutely great themes, very orchestral for sure though.
The FF12 version, to me that is, feels like what the original would sound like if the SNES was limited to MIDI songs. It's my personal favorite when I just want to chill out. The Black Mages version is definitely my favorite when I want to get hyped up.
Wow, first FF12 song too? I thought for sure someone would have requested the Dalmasca Estersands theme from FF12: Zodiac Age. It's got such a wonderful feeling of adventure that hearing it always puts a smile on my face.
The Black Mages version is such a banger! Dissidia version has a really cool vibe as well, love the sound of the keyboard/synth in the chorus(interlude?) with the vocals mimicking it. Has an uplifting Sonic dance feel to it.
The 13-2 soundtrack, to include the one played here, was composed by Masashi Hamauzu the same composer of the banger that is FF7: Remake. He was amazing even before Remake was a thing lol
Congrats on the 400th video!! Oh my, there is a bass line in the original that I've never noticed in the 14 version before! But on the contrast, I never noticed the piano in the 14 version xD But that 13 version? Holy, I love the traditional instruments. And if I'm not too mistaken, it should be a Shamisen you wanted to talk about :D Oh god, that version immediately became my most favorite O__O Dissidia has an interesting part added that wasn't in the other versions and that one sounds really beautiful, too! I don't think many of the songs stay throughout the series (except Prelude and the Main Theme, yes), maybe they appear in one or two games normally. But I don't actually know because before today, I also only knew of this theme in 5 and 14! :D
Gilgamesh is a recurring beloved character that for lore reasons pops up in future games. And now that there's a new version of his theme coming with FF Stranger in Paradise I cannot wait to hear it
The Black Mages were a special discovery back in the day. I don't recall if it was an official site but I remember finding a website with the songs just straight up available for download in high quality mp3s. It sticks in my memory because that was quite a rare thing to come across in general for any band or artist. Before the evening was done I had called, texted, or MSN Messenger'd all my friends to tell them about it, and the next day at college it was all we could talk about.
Oh boy it's Greg day hu Fun Gilgamesh trivia (and because 11 is my favorite game) - in 11 he's actually an NPC, leader of the pirate town Norg and his daughter Lion is the main character of the 1st expansion :) He also looks nothing like his other incarnations - just an old man with an eyepatch.
Congratulations on 400 videos! My favorite would change depending on my mood, but I agree with you FFXIII-2 it is the one that stands out the most with the eastern instruments.
When I first encountered this song in Final Fantasy V, 1 tile short of the Big Bridge, still on the world map. I stopped, and listened to it for like 30 minutes. It has been one of my favourite songs ever since.
I always love fighting Greg and listening to this theme pop off. Its amazing (( In FFXIV one of the Characters in the questline that involve Gilgamesh doesn't bother saying is name so he gave him a nickname and always calls him Greg.
Hildibrand calls Yojimbo "Jim", too. And i don't think it's that he can't be bothered, it's just that he's too self-absorbed and, quite franky, a taaaad dumb. :D
For a song that you can do in any style check out the different variations of the chocobo theme. They’ve done it in every game since ff2 and they’ve done it in a ton of different styles from “mamba de chocobo” to my fav “blues de chocobo”
In the ff 13-2 version that instrument you were asking about is unmistakably a shamisen! It's really cool to hear one in a video game, extremely underrated instrument.
This has probably been explained before but Gilgamesh's deal is that he is from FF5 but in-game events lead to him being banished to the "Rift" which is an area between realities. So the canon is that Gilgamesh is traveling between realities looking for new rivals and new swords to claim for his own. This is why he sometimes is seen wielding the weapons of previous main characters. So in most games he appears in it is actually the same Gilgamesh. Some however are unique characters. Like the FF15 incarnation of Gilgamesh was confirmed a separate character in the mobile game Opera Omnia.
ah yes, the early FF music was designed to loop, mainly due to limited storage space. though there have been people who have done metal covers of the song, since it transcends genre.
I'm actually a big fan of FFXII's soundtrack, and yes it is almost entirely orchestral. The game is set in the same world (Ivalice) as several previous games (FF Tactics, FF Tactics Advance, Vagrant Story), and Hitoshi Sakimoto did the soundtracks for all of them, so they feel very consistent. The original game was released on PS2 in 2006 and then an updated version called FFXII: Zodiac Age was released on several platforms in 2017/2018 with a redone soundtrack, though personally I prefer about half original and half new on the songs. My personal favorites: Eruyt Village, The Battle for Freedom, Esper Battle, Dalmasca Eastersand, and Theme Of The Empire.
The Dissidia version is actually the FF Record Keeper's version, it was then included in Dissida NT afterwards, this track includes the leitmotif of FFV main theme. (One of my favorites FF main themes)
There is one song that sticks through the series and it's the Final Fantasy Main Theme, which always plays in outro. You probably heard it at the end of ff7 epilogue. Oh and there is also the prelude song played on a harp usually as well, usually in the game main menus and such. Oh and also, the victory music, chocobo music variants, at least in the uematsu era.
I only ever hear the FF 14 version, since anything final fantasy always seems to end up there in some way, be it characters or music. So its great to hear all these versions in one video, so nice to listen to :) In FF 14 Gilgamesh is part of the Hildibrand quests, where he stalks and challenges the player and Hildibrand several times only to get beaten or somehow dragged into Hildibrands insane plans.
Other than the chocobo theme and a few other small ones, Gilgamesh's theme and character are one of the longest running reoccurences. He is a multiverse traveller so any game he appears in isn't a reincarnation, it's the same character every time.
I'm a bit late to the party, I know, but I thought I'd mention it anyway: The repitition of the music has its reasons. Even though each of the main Final Fantasy titles plays in a different universe, there are only a few version of Gilgamesh out there; far fewer than he has appearances. He essentially is an interdimensonal traveler who abuses his powers to steal powerful weapons, and only a few titles like "FFXV" and "FF Type-0" feature a different character. Eventually, the 'primary' Gilgamesh even became aware of its own existence as a character in a video game. And as for Uematsu: He was part of a band for a while, the "Earthbound Papas". You can find some cool stuff there.
Top 3 famous themes in ff over the decades. 1. One wing angel 2. Chocobo theme 3. Battle of the big bridge Can't even count how many official and fan made version of gilgamesh theme by now
I'm *fairly* sure that the only songs that are around as much as Big Bridge are: The main theme of the series, the Chocobo Theme, and the Victory fanfare
26:33 This section of this version is actually an exerpt of the main theme of the original game added in to hammer home nostalgia, and also probably why it's most people's favorite remake of the song.
For FFXII-2's version, I'm not specialist but I think that the main cord you hear is either Shamisen or Biwa (probably Shamisen), and you can hear (relatively early in the background) a Koto, which is a type of Japanese harp, and then it sounds like the wind instrument used is a Shakuhachi. The way they're mixed with western instrument is sick. I had never heard of that version of the Gilgamesh them before, really nice.
For 500 you should do a similar video for the Chocobo Themes over the years. My only specific request for that is that you have to end with "Crazy Chocobo" from XIII-2
Ngl, the 20th anniversary version’s guitar sections sound like Kurikinton Fox 🤔. I havent looked it up so idk 🤣, but literally sounded like it was ripped from a video he uploaded 😅
If you like the mix of traditional instruments with electric instruments, I highly recommend you check out Wagakki Band, particularly their song Strong Fate. This isn't a request for the channel or anything as it's not VGM, but they're damn good at mixing the two and making it blend beautifully.
Another Black Mages recommendation: Advent: One-Winged Angel. A new version of OWA they made for Advent Children. ALSO: Battle with Seymour. Both the FFX version and the Black Mages version are insane.
“Enough expository banter! Now we fight like men! And ladies! And ladies who dress like men! For Gilgamesh...it is morphing time!”
first thing I did coming into the comments section was look for exactly this
I was gonna comment this i none else would had and you my friend did not dissapoint. ; )
"For Yojimbo... it is gilgameshing time!"
@@shadowcat1606 Did not see that coming in that fight.
@@Varizen87 Right?
"Is that the Buster Sword?"
Probably. Greg tends to collect a lot of weapons :)
Or just replicas... :)
GREG 💀
@@peggieschafer485... Gilgregmesh?!
@@chaos_omega "Oh god, here comes freakin GREG again with the half dozen swords he ganked from the oblivious. Heard he got them over the course of several years at the lounge chair section of the wave pool at some water park. 'You wouldn't believe what people leave out in the open' he says." 🤣
I love Greg lol
We are living in a magical time where John Williams and Nobuo Uematsu are alive and we are able to listen to their music as they compose them. They did an FF brass ensemble concert series in 2017~ and I got to see nobuo live in Nara. The part where they just invited everyone on stage that had brought instruments or wanted to use the toy tambarines they handed out at the start of the concert was a real treat. Being able to say I've been on stage with the man is something I'll never live down.
Here's a list of all the _official_ arrangements of Clash on The Big Bridge:
-The original from FFV
-The FFV Advance one
-The 20th Anniversary version of FFI for the PSP
-The FFXII version
-The FFXIII-2 version
-The "Yuusnan Version" from Lightning Returns
-The FFXIV versions: the one Jesse listened to, and the other one called "Battle in the Big Keep"
-The FFXV version, arranged by Keiichi Okabe, the composer for Nier:Automata
-The Dissidia version for the PSP, which was also used in Final Fantasy Type-0
-The Final Fantasy Record Keeper Version, which has 3 variations (classic, choir, and guitar). A version was used in Dissidia NT, which is a combination of all 3 versions
-"Raffaello's Theme" from FF Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon is an arrangement of this theme
-The World of Final Fantasy version
-There's one from FF Fables: Chocobo Tales
-The version from the Japan only Chocobo to Mahou no Ehon: Majo to Shoujo to Go-nin no Yuusha
-The version from Itadaki Street (a FF x Dragon Quest crossover monopoly style game, which is Japan only)
-the Pixel Remaster version
-the version from Chocobo GP
Outside of games, there are also arrangements of the theme released:
-the FFV Piano Collection
-The Black Mages version
-the one from Guitar Solo Final Fantasy Official Best Collection
-Piano Opera Final Fantasy IV/V/VI
-an 8bit version from SQ Chips2
-a Japanese folk song arrangement composed by Sekizima Takeo for the Final Fantasy Tribute album
-the Distant Worlds orchestral version
-the recorder version by Kuricorder Quartet from the Cure SQ album
A total of 29 versions so far. If there's any I didn't list down, feel free to add.
There is also a recorder version by Kuricorder Quartet on the Cure SQ album!
Project Majestic has another version as well, great fan remix project celebrating FF
Highly recommend listening to them if you get the chance
technically FFXIV has two arrangements of the track. The other one is called "Battle in the Big Keep", though that version is more of a straight reference back to the FFV original.
There's two rearrangements by the artist AKHT, B.B. Evolution and B.B. Revenge. The first one was notable since it was the BGM for the Michael Forever flash animation.
FFRKs tracks are incredibly underrated
Jesse: This could work in any genre.
Soken: Challenge accepted.
Also, Iwata/Sakimoto: accepted.
"Are there many songs that stick through the series?"
The Chocobo theme song is probably the most iconic. The base melody is the same, but it's slightly different between ALL FF games. Going from Piano, Samba, Rock, etc.
Could be interesting to get your take on the variations, if you ever feel so inclined. :)
there's also the Prelude obviously and the Final Fantasy theme that comes back once in a while
"slightly different"
Techno de Chocobo (Pixel Remaster version): lmao
How could you have forgotten the Victory Fanfare? /j
Awww snap, my favorite final fantasy battle theme getting the treatment it deserves on this channel.
Gilgamesh is a fan favorite character, a dimension hopping, sword collecting goofball who shows up across the series. He originated in FFV, and has since appeared in various forms across the series, always seemingly the same character as the original despite the worlds not being the same. His theme song comes with him, and is hype in all forms. As you saw in the FFXII video, he has the buster sword there; he also has FFX's Tidus' water sword and squall's gunblade if memory serves. In FFVIII he appears to have Sephiroth's Masamune as well. His whole gimmick is stealing swords, though he starts as just a minion for the main villain of FFV. He is hilarious and rules.
This is literally a song I could listen to on loop for hours and never get bored of it. I'm excited to get all the way through but I had to drop down here and gush.
one thing i love about gilgamesh is that he goes by the "if you're in rome, do it like the romans" mindset, he adjusts to the tone of the game he appears in, depending on the tone of the game he's in, gilgamesh can be a goof, a certified menace and everything in between.
XII Gilgamesh also has Zidane's dagger, a certain summon's weapon (an indicator that he is The Gilgamesh), two copies of an in-game sword (sun and moon, in reference to concept art of swords from FFV), and a blade based on Dragon Quest for good measure.
Those weapons are all counterfeits with clear alterations; the sun/moon thing is a direct reference to why that is.
Pretty sure ff12 gilgamesh also has masamune
XIII-2's version is fucking awesome lmao. I did not expect that, never played it before either and I was never a fan of XIII, but that song is an absolute banger. I also hadn't heard 14's. That piano and string section is incredible. I almost wish it went on a bit longer or that there was a full version of it. So smooth.
you are so underrated, i normally follow "musicians, composers, singers, etc" on youtube that make videogame or anime music reactions and you are the only one who delivers entirely at least for me, and speaking of anime music reactions you can do some of those to step up your game and oh boy you will be impressed. Keep doing a great job your time is so valuable, this for more to come, cheers!~
An hour of god-tier content. You truly never fail to bless us, Uncle.
The fact you listened to The Black Mages version makes me wish you reacted to their rendition of Dancing Mad (unless I missed it in which case my bad). The guitar solo in the final phase is amazing,
100% Agree. I hope Jesse will react to Dancing Mad by the Black Mages. That ending solo always brings me to tears with how amazing it is.
I listen to all of The Black Mages albums at least once a week. Can't get enough of them lmao.
And Jesse, they're the ones who did the Advent Children version of One Winged Angel!
He needs to listen to all black mages songs
Jesse: "I was just thinking about how thirteen's going to be hard to top."
Soken: Hold my sake.
Wow, first time hearing the XIII-2 version. What a sick rendition!
I’m actually shocked at the many who haven’t heard this version. But also understandable due to the rep the 13 games got. But this was one of the absolute bangers for such a pain ( but fun ) fight with um
@@MasterXiggy XIII-2 is awesome. It's big weakness is being the sequel to XIII, which is rather mid.
Fun fact, just earlier this month on the concert of the ffxiv band "The Primals", we had a surprise appearance of Uematsu himself and he played a few songs including a completely new version of this song!
Any recordings of it?
@@AklyonX you were able to buy a ticket to watch it but only until the 14th so right now there is no official way of seeing it.
32:16 the exact reaction I expected
The Black Mages, LET'S F ING GOOOOOO!
The shamisen solo in 13's rendition is so sick!
"Is that the Buster Sword?!" Yes! Well, sort of! Gilgamesh is kind of a fourth-wall-breaking character with many appearances, but he's always a "master swordsman" and may wield several iconic swords from other games. And you're right, there's not many recurring themes through the series. Clash of the Big Bridge is one, the Chocobo theme is another, Prelude and the FF main theme. Those are the only ones that come to my mind.
Don't forget the FF Victory theme!
There are a few things that get used a few times, if not present in most games. Like the moogle theme. There's also some referential things like FF9 using the Mt. Gulg theme
Is he fourth wall breaking, or just dimension hopping due to his exile in the eX-Zone ?
@@maxentirunos Both. You can be dimension hopping without breaking the fourth wall
Well, technically all his swords in 12 are fakes, having subtle differences (the Buster Sword has the kanji for replica on it for instance), which is itself a reference to his original appearance in 5 where he finds the Excalipoor instead of Excalibur.
I have a sealed copy of XIII-2. After listening to this, I might have to give it a fair shot. WTH?! That was amazing, epic, and with so much personality 😳😳😳
Warning so you know: It's not in the base game. You have to get the Arena DLC. Gilgamesh breaks the 4th wall at the start of the fight commenting that he's been waiting forever for you to buy that particular DLC.
@@Varizen87 The Steam Version has all DLC unlocked when you finish the game for the first time.
XIII and XIII-2 are both great games. XIII-2 evolves all of the systems in a great way, and doesn't keep you in Tutorial Mode for such a long time. Bonus points for telling a deeply coherent time travel story.
TO be fair, 13-2 has an amazing soundtrack the entire way thru, just make sure to get the DLC to enjoy this amazing and epic battle that you can access anytime. FYI, its not easy, recommend taking it on later in the game.
@@rantingrodent416I never finished XII-2 but I really enjoyed the improvements from the first. Mainly the crystarium not being locked to chapters.
To answer your question about which music keeps returning in the series, the major ones are:
Prelude/Crystal Theme (originally from FF1)
Main Theme/Final Fantasy (originally from FF1)
Victory Fanfare (originally from FF1, in later games it uses the original ditty as a lead-in to other songs)
Chocobo Theme (originally from FF2, though expanded upon to what we know it as in 3)
Clash on the Big Bridge (originally from FF5)
Moogle Theme (originally from FF5)
There are individual songs that have been remixed a few times here and there, and of course games like FF14, Dissidia etc. that basically are celebrations of the series as a whole also have arrangements from across the series, but I'd say those 6 I listed are the main set.
This special episode was absolutely great, it's always a total pleasure watching you dissecting these timeless masterpieces, I can't think about FF music, or FF in general and not think about you Jesse, you're awesome, thank you and can't wait to watch your future playthroughs ❤️
This is the song that I associate the most with Final Fantasy. It’s just so iconic to me
this was my first time hearing the dissidia NT version and I lost my goddamn mind. Remember that second section that shows up? That's a short rendition of Lenna's Theme from FFV. I don't know why they put that in, but it was siiiiick.
Idk why I love this so much. Sent literal chills down my spine and actually teared up a little. Something about hearing other stuff from V in more modern music that I wasn't expecting always gets me. Namely this and the Omega theme in XV
The wonderful thing for me is that i knew Clash on the Big Bridge intimately, but this was the first time I'd ever seen you, and it was *wonderful* to get to watch you get to know a song I love--and also introduce me to some versions I hadn't heard! The Oriental MIX is just amazing--how the heck do you beat rock shamisen and shakuhatchi except by way of Nobuo's own prog rock? It was lovely to meet you, and you have a new subscriber.
So glad you listened to all of these versions, they are absolute bangers! I really hope you do react to and listen to more Black Mages after this one. They aren't game tracks as we know, but considering they're renditions of game tracks maybe you'll listen to more? :D Either way, fantastic video! Happy 400th!
I mean, they are the ones who played Advent: One-winged Angel, so he has indirectly listened to them.
Hearing this song in 12 was such a wonderful surprise. It felt like seeing an old friend, as bizarre as that sounds.
happy 400th vid, good choice for it and yes there are other songs that been through the serie allot, the chocobo theme is one of them and 13-2 did an amazing job with it the music of the 13 trilogy indeed really is amazing
Here's to another 400 Jesse! 🍻
The basic gist of Gilgamesh across the FF franchise is that after his initial appearance in FFV, he became a dimension hopping weapon collector with a personality not too dissimilar from Deadpool.
Clash on the Big Bridge isn't as much of a mainstay as it is a semifrequently recurring theme; it's not in every game, but it shows up often enough. The series does have actual mainstay tracks that show up in every mainline game with very few exceptions though: Victory Fanfare, the Prelude, the Main Theme, and to a lesser extent the Chocobo Theme.
The only track that has more renditions and could make a longer theme is the Chocobo theme. There's more versions of the Chocobo theme, with a few Black Chocobo themes included, than there are mainline Final Fantasy Games.
So, part of why this particular track has so many versions is that it first plays when you fight Gilgamesh on Big Bridge in FF5. Near the end of the game, he gets lost in the Interdimensional Rift, and becomes a wanderer. He next shows up in FF8 as a summon after Odin is killed and this blade Zantetsuken flies into the sky and slices a hole in the fabric of reality, which gives Gilgamesh the ability to escape. Since then, the same Gilgamesh from FF5 has consistently wandered around the various FF Universes as a duelist and weapon collector. He has multiple arms and will use around 10 at once, but he often gets conned and carries various fakes. He originally wanted the Excalibur and was distraught upon realizing it was the knock-off Excalipur, which only does 1 damage a hit. Even his knock off weapons, many of which are knock-offs of iconic main character weapons, are still powerful though.
Gilgamesh is also very popular because, similar to Deadpool, he breaks the 4th wall, and frequently. In FFXIII-2 he even comments about how he'd been waiting around forever for you to buy the DLC so he could challenge you. Since he wanders all realities, he's become aware he's in a video game.
Also, of note, in line with the original Sumerian Legend, he has a best friend named Enkidu. Usually in every world after FF5, he will take a creature and paint it green and name it Enkidu. By FF14, he's gotten desperate enough to use a Chicken as his companion.
Gilgamesh in ff is an analogies for the warrior monk Benkei and the battle of the bridge on which he regularly fought
I revisit this and the Black Mages Dancing Mad videos often, the songs are a prime reason but also especially for those moments in both that catch you off guard in the best of ways.
The crying guitar solo in dancing mad, the "that was SEAMLESS" moment here.
There's a handfull of songs that get used across the franchise, Battle on the Big Bridge is more of a fanservice recurring one, as they use it specifically when fighting Gilgamesh, who is usually a surprise guest/bonus battle. (Though his muktiple appearances ARE technically canon, despite the "new game, different world" approach of the series).
One theme, however has made an appearnce in nearly every game since FF2:
The Chocobo theme.
If you were going to do another long form multi song video like this again, I would request that it be "Every Chocobo song".
Something special about the theme, it has a different style in every game (sometimes multiple in the same game.)
Early on it doesn't change much, but FF6 starts a trend of it being much more uniquely genre/styled in each appearance.
Every version is titled "*genre/theme* de Chocobo"
For example: Mambo De Chocobo
Ukelele De Chocobo
Techno De Chocobo.
So if I saw, some day in the future, a "Chocobo themes" video from you in my notifications, I would be ecstatic.
In FFXII, Gilgamesh is played by voice actor John DiMaggio, also known for his work as Bender from Futurama, Jake from Adventure Time, and Marcus Fenix from Gears of War. He also voiced two characters in FFX, and would return to the series as Heidegger in the FF7 Remake!
I used to load a save at before the big bridge in FFV and just stay there to listen to the music. Such a good track! The XIII-2 version might be my favorite arrangement of it.
Final Fantasy 12 has quite possibly my favorite version of the Final Fantasy Main Theme, the music is great but it's different for sure. Absolutely great themes, very orchestral for sure though.
The FF12 version, to me that is, feels like what the original would sound like if the SNES was limited to MIDI songs. It's my personal favorite when I just want to chill out. The Black Mages version is definitely my favorite when I want to get hyped up.
Was the FF12 version the first you heard?
Also, it's super clear the SNES version would have been prog metal/rock with maybe some orchestral if the console hadn't been limited.
@@MMasterDE No. FF5 was.
One of the best themes through all Final Fantasy franchise.
Actually, it's 400th comment for Ep. 400.
Oh boy, watching those FFXIV White Mages casting Stoneskin.... brought back some memories.
Fun fact: The voice actor for Gilgamesh in FFXII is the same guy who voices Bender in Futurama!
IT IS I, GILGAMESH! YOUR WEAPONS ARE FORFEIT TO ME!
John DiMaggio is legendary
HEY! I didn't actually think you would download this part of the game!
Wow, first FF12 song too? I thought for sure someone would have requested the Dalmasca Estersands theme from FF12: Zodiac Age. It's got such a wonderful feeling of adventure that hearing it always puts a smile on my face.
FF XII is absolutely amazing, i recommend checking Streets of Rabanastre or Eruyt Village from that one :) Amazing video as usual :)
The Black Mages version is such a banger! Dissidia version has a really cool vibe as well, love the sound of the keyboard/synth in the chorus(interlude?) with the vocals mimicking it. Has an uplifting Sonic dance feel to it.
This needs an additional episode for the Rebirth version.
The 13-2 soundtrack, to include the one played here, was composed by Masashi Hamauzu the same composer of the banger that is FF7: Remake. He was amazing even before Remake was a thing lol
Congrats on the 400th video!!
Oh my, there is a bass line in the original that I've never noticed in the 14 version before! But on the contrast, I never noticed the piano in the 14 version xD
But that 13 version? Holy, I love the traditional instruments. And if I'm not too mistaken, it should be a Shamisen you wanted to talk about :D Oh god, that version immediately became my most favorite O__O
Dissidia has an interesting part added that wasn't in the other versions and that one sounds really beautiful, too!
I don't think many of the songs stay throughout the series (except Prelude and the Main Theme, yes), maybe they appear in one or two games normally. But I don't actually know because before today, I also only knew of this theme in 5 and 14! :D
The extra part in the Dissidia version is a sped up version of Lenna's theme from FFV.
@@givemeabreak432 Oh my, thank you! I should have recognized it since there's a version of it in FF14, and I love it there, too :D
Gilgamesh is a recurring beloved character that for lore reasons pops up in future games. And now that there's a new version of his theme coming with FF Stranger in Paradise I cannot wait to hear it
The Black Mages were a special discovery back in the day. I don't recall if it was an official site but I remember finding a website with the songs just straight up available for download in high quality mp3s. It sticks in my memory because that was quite a rare thing to come across in general for any band or artist. Before the evening was done I had called, texted, or MSN Messenger'd all my friends to tell them about it, and the next day at college it was all we could talk about.
Oh boy it's Greg day hu
Fun Gilgamesh trivia (and because 11 is my favorite game) - in 11 he's actually an NPC, leader of the pirate town Norg and his daughter Lion is the main character of the 1st expansion :)
He also looks nothing like his other incarnations - just an old man with an eyepatch.
The song I really like from The Black Mages is "Matoya's Cave"
Haha! Shinigamisparda writes some fanfiction I've quite enjoyed. The fact that he requested this on a channel I watch is kind of amazing.
You need to check out more of The Black Mages such as "Blue Blast - Winning the Rainbow"
You once listened to Maybe i'm a Lion, you NEED to check Black Mages' version! Also check out Force Your Way always from FFVIII. You won't regret it.
both the original and XIV versions of Force You Way. The organ in the XIV version is so good.
@@jennifermckay5585 I lost it when I zoned into Eden prime the first time.... So can confirm XD
Love you Jesse, so glad to see you grow.
Congratulations on 400 videos!
My favorite would change depending on my mood, but I agree with you FFXIII-2 it is the one that stands out the most with the eastern instruments.
Thank you! Such dedication.
Oh hell yes, Greg- i mean Gilgamesh's theme!!
When I first encountered this song in Final Fantasy V, 1 tile short of the Big Bridge, still on the world map.
I stopped, and listened to it for like 30 minutes.
It has been one of my favourite songs ever since.
I always love fighting Greg and listening to this theme pop off. Its amazing
(( In FFXIV one of the Characters in the questline that involve Gilgamesh doesn't bother saying is name so he gave him a nickname and always calls him Greg.
I got irked that Greg's not coming back in the EW section of that questline
Hildibrand calls Yojimbo "Jim", too. And i don't think it's that he can't be bothered, it's just that he's too self-absorbed and, quite franky, a taaaad dumb. :D
@@Ladywizard To be fair, we don't know he won't randomly show up later. He was also absent from the Stormblood quests until he wasn't.
My favorite music from Dissidia FF Arcade is Massive Explosion but the short version.
And now you have the rebirth version!
Still waiting for maybe im a lion by the black mages! You rock
For a song that you can do in any style check out the different variations of the chocobo theme. They’ve done it in every game since ff2 and they’ve done it in a ton of different styles from “mamba de chocobo” to my fav “blues de chocobo”
In the ff 13-2 version that instrument you were asking about is unmistakably a shamisen! It's really cool to hear one in a video game, extremely underrated instrument.
Finally checking out the Black Mages, shame it's this late.
This has probably been explained before but Gilgamesh's deal is that he is from FF5 but in-game events lead to him being banished to the "Rift" which is an area between realities. So the canon is that Gilgamesh is traveling between realities looking for new rivals and new swords to claim for his own. This is why he sometimes is seen wielding the weapons of previous main characters. So in most games he appears in it is actually the same Gilgamesh. Some however are unique characters. Like the FF15 incarnation of Gilgamesh was confirmed a separate character in the mobile game Opera Omnia.
I love The Black Mages so much. Best official Video game Band.
ah yes, the early FF music was designed to loop, mainly due to limited storage space. though there have been people who have done metal covers of the song, since it transcends genre.
I'm actually a big fan of FFXII's soundtrack, and yes it is almost entirely orchestral. The game is set in the same world (Ivalice) as several previous games (FF Tactics, FF Tactics Advance, Vagrant Story), and Hitoshi Sakimoto did the soundtracks for all of them, so they feel very consistent. The original game was released on PS2 in 2006 and then an updated version called FFXII: Zodiac Age was released on several platforms in 2017/2018 with a redone soundtrack, though personally I prefer about half original and half new on the songs. My personal favorites: Eruyt Village, The Battle for Freedom, Esper Battle, Dalmasca Eastersand, and Theme Of The Empire.
I can't wait for him to cover more of Tactics and IX
Uematsu San plays the keyboard/piano he's self taught supposedly. No wonder he gives himself a sick keyboard solo/bridge
The Dissidia version is actually the FF Record Keeper's version, it was then included in Dissida NT afterwards, this track includes the leitmotif of FFV main theme. (One of my favorites FF main themes)
There is one song that sticks through the series and it's the Final Fantasy Main Theme, which always plays in outro. You probably heard it at the end of ff7 epilogue. Oh and there is also the prelude song played on a harp usually as well, usually in the game main menus and such. Oh and also, the victory music, chocobo music variants, at least in the uematsu era.
I only ever hear the FF 14 version, since anything final fantasy always seems to end up there in some way, be it characters or music.
So its great to hear all these versions in one video, so nice to listen to :)
In FF 14 Gilgamesh is part of the Hildibrand quests, where he stalks and challenges the player and Hildibrand several times only to get beaten or somehow dragged into Hildibrands insane plans.
“They threw a bridge in here.” Well it IS Clash on the Big Bridge :)
Holy hell I've never heard the 13 version before but that was amazing
Uematsu plays exactly the instrument you'd imagine him to. He's a keyboard man through and through, complete with cape!
"It is I! The mighty Gilgamesh! Your weapons are now forfeit to me!"
Other than the chocobo theme and a few other small ones, Gilgamesh's theme and character are one of the longest running reoccurences. He is a multiverse traveller so any game he appears in isn't a reincarnation, it's the same character every time.
I'm a bit late to the party, I know, but I thought I'd mention it anyway:
The repitition of the music has its reasons. Even though each of the main Final Fantasy titles plays in a different universe, there are only a few version of Gilgamesh out there; far fewer than he has appearances.
He essentially is an interdimensonal traveler who abuses his powers to steal powerful weapons, and only a few titles like "FFXV" and "FF Type-0" feature a different character.
Eventually, the 'primary' Gilgamesh even became aware of its own existence as a character in a video game.
And as for Uematsu: He was part of a band for a while, the "Earthbound Papas". You can find some cool stuff there.
Top 3 famous themes in ff over the decades.
1. One wing angel
2. Chocobo theme
3. Battle of the big bridge
Can't even count how many official and fan made version of gilgamesh theme by now
wait 51 minutes...*looks at description* WOW all of them? dope! my favorites are FF12 and Dissidia NT, though obviously respect to the original.
I'm *fairly* sure that the only songs that are around as much as Big Bridge are: The main theme of the series, the Chocobo Theme, and the Victory fanfare
FFXIII-2 is like: **Gun Belade no jutsu**
Never heard it before, I always thought Black Mages did it best. but that FFXIII-2 version is out of this world...!
The grand theme of Greg and FFV, Battle on the Big Bridge!
So glad yer finally hearing the Black Mages!
26:33 This section of this version is actually an exerpt of the main theme of the original game added in to hammer home nostalgia, and also probably why it's most people's favorite remake of the song.
I'm sure someone said it, but the Asian stringed instrument you're thinking of is a Shamisen, a three stringed banjo type instrument from Japan.
Dissidia NT's music is tops imo.
Yeah, The Black Mages is incredible. Uematsu plays keyboard and he just. goes. ham. It's fucking great.
For FFXII-2's version, I'm not specialist but I think that the main cord you hear is either Shamisen or Biwa (probably Shamisen), and you can hear (relatively early in the background) a Koto, which is a type of Japanese harp, and then it sounds like the wind instrument used is a Shakuhachi. The way they're mixed with western instrument is sick. I had never heard of that version of the Gilgamesh them before, really nice.
This might sound crazy to some but I honestly prefer this over One Winged Angel and Dancing Mad.
Correction, you have heard the black mages at least some. The Advent Children version of One Winged Angel features them... And an orchestra.
The 13 version reminds me of something you'd hear from Naruto
For 500 you should do a similar video for the Chocobo Themes over the years. My only specific request for that is that you have to end with "Crazy Chocobo" from XIII-2
30:18 Yes.
Ngl, the 20th anniversary version’s guitar sections sound like Kurikinton Fox 🤔. I havent looked it up so idk 🤣, but literally sounded like it was ripped from a video he uploaded 😅
If you like the mix of traditional instruments with electric instruments, I highly recommend you check out Wagakki Band, particularly their song Strong Fate. This isn't a request for the channel or anything as it's not VGM, but they're damn good at mixing the two and making it blend beautifully.
The arrangement of "Crash on the Big Bridge" is a must for the "BKMJMBOX".
Another Black Mages recommendation: Advent: One-Winged Angel. A new version of OWA they made for Advent Children.
ALSO: Battle with Seymour. Both the FFX version and the Black Mages version are insane.
26:33 it's actually the entering of FF V main theme.
Merry Gregsmas