Tuesday Tune Two-Fer: Joysticks

Two of the most joyful tunes in video game music

The Dreamcast is the console I most associate with “Video Game Soundtracks That Rock My Body Til Canada Day,” mostly because of the core memory of being at an E3 and hearing “Mexican Flyer” start up at the Space Channel 5 booth.

But I was a little surprised tonight to discover that the two video game songs that make me the absolute happiest aren’t actually from the Dreamcast.

“Funky Dealer” by Hideki Naganuma is actually from the Jet Set Radio Future soundtrack, which was an Xbox title. I just remember having a CD-R with a ton of ill-gotten Sega music on it, and this was the absolute highlight.

But the most absolutely joyful song in video game history is, of course, “Katamari on the Rocks,” from the soundtrack to Katmari Damacy. If you can listen to the first 60 seconds of that track and not be grinning from ear to ear, feeling like the King of all Cosmos, then you have a cold dead heart and I do not wish to know you.

I said good day, sir.