2024-08-29T07:19:00+00:00
I have always been a big fan of 8-bit and 16-bit era video game music. There is something very special about the melodies and sounds created using the limited hardware of older game consoles. A modern game that perfectly channels this nostalgic euphoria through its retro soundtrack is The Messenger (2018). One track in particular, "Harness The Winds" aka "Harnessing the Wind," builds a soaring, uplifting atmosphere that had me mentally escaping into vivid scenes of bouncing across crumbling ruins and scaling treacherous mountains. Even years later, simply hearing brief snippets of that track is enough to flood my mind with vivid feelings of adventure, exploration, and possibility. For a long time, it was even my ringtone -- which was later replaced by the equally rousing "The Amazing Ryu" theme from Ninja Gaiden.