Super VG Christmas Party / Super VG Christmas Party / Super VG Christmas Party

"First of all, I want to give my deepest and most heartfelt thanks to each and every person who made this album possible. Without the 100+ performers, arrangers, lyricists, engineers, and artists who contributed their incredible talent and efforts, Super VG Christmas Party would have remained nothing but a crazy festive idea in my head. I’ve always loved winter and the holiday season, and getting to combine them with my passion for video game music by collaborating with so many wonderful people has been an absolute privilege. This is one of the friendliest and most dedicated communities I’ve ever been a part of, and I hope that our gift of winter and yuletide video game covers helps make your holiday season a memorable one. If you like what you hear, please visit the contributors’ websites and support them, and don’t forget to check out the original soundtracks of all the fantastic composers whose work these songs are based on. Thanks for listening, and Merry Christmas everyone!"
— Ian Luckey, Producer

DISC 1: SNOWY MORNING
DISC 2: ICY NIGHT

A Patient Corgi Production
www.patientcorgi.com

Mastering by Mike Ault
www.aultsound.com

Artwork by Maiko Z
www.cargocollective.com/ming2d

- TRACK INFORMATION -

1.01. The World Is Square - "Snow Dancing in the Schoolyard" (Final Fantasy Tactics Advance)

  Performed by The World Is Square:
    Joshua Edginton – Lead Guitar
    Nick Doane – Glockenspiel
    Dave Reardon – Percussion
    Lauren Michelle Christerson – Rhythm Guitar
    Joe Corbett – Bass, Accordion, Melodica, Piano
  Arrangement by The World Is Square
  Mixing by Joe Corbett
  Based on "Snow Dancing in the Schoolyard" from Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. Composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto

  "Seasons Greetings from The Squares! We were honored to be included in this compilation filled with so many talented groups. We had a lot of fun working on this track and hope that it puts you in the holiday spirit! Happy Holidays from The World is Square!"
— Joshua Edginton

1.02. CarboHydroM - "Flight of Santa Man" (Mega Man)

  Performed by CarboHydroM (Christophe Blondel) – Guitars, Bass
  Arrangement and Mixing by CarboHydroM (Christophe Blondel)
  Based on "Ice Man" from Mega Man. Composed by Manami Matsumae

  "I’m happy I could finally write a decent version of Ice Man’s theme, after a pitiful attempt ten years earlier. It’s all thanks to this awesome Christmas remix compilation project idea and the inspiration it suddenly gave me. While working on this track, a lot of my inspiration came from a stupid mental image I had of a fatter, bearded Ice Man, dressed in red and white and pulled by mecha-reindeers through the sky. Hence the title!"
— CarboHydroM (Christophe Blondel)

1.03. On Being Human - "Freezeezy Peak" (Banjo-Kazooie)

  Performed by On Being Human:
    Greg Johnson – Guitar
    Greg Lesondak – Guitar
    Travis Baker – Guitar
    Beau Trembly – Bass
    Gustin Flaig – Drums
  Arrangement and Mixing by Greg Johnson
  Based on "Freezeezy Peak" from Banjo-Kazooie. Composed by Grant Kirkhope

  "Banjo-Kazooie was a huge game for me growing up, it was in my opinion one of the best platformers on the system accompanied by a fantastic score by Grant Kirkhope. When it came to the time to choose our favorite snow level the very first thing that came to mind was "Freezeezy Peak". While remixing the track we tried to keep the same feel of the winter wonderland while adding the hard rock/electronic elements that On Being Human is known for. We are glad to be a part of this compilation and hopefully everyone enjoys all the music by this group of fantastic VGM remixers!"
— Greg Johnson

1.04. CoLD SToRAGE - "Ski or Die" (Ski or Die)

  Arrangement and Mixing by CoLD SToRAGE (Tim Wright)
  Based on "Title" from Ski or Die. Composed by Rob Hubbard

  "Always great fun to be involved in community style projects, especially as I get to cover a track by someone who I admire. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone!"
— CoLD SToRAGE (Tim Wright)

1.05. ROCKtendo - "Vanilla Lake" (Super Mario Kart)

  Performed by ROCKtendo (Bill Rahko) – Piano, Vocals
  Arrangement and Mixing by ROCKtendo (Bill Rahko)
  Lyrics by ROCKtendo (Bill Rahko) and Ken Huffman
  Based on "Vanilla Lake" from Super Mario Kart. Composed by Soyo Oka

  "When Ian approached me about contributing to this album, I saw it as an opportunity to go big. I’d never done a "holiday classic" style song before, and I dug into some Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby tracks for inspiration. It was a blast making this song, and being part of this project and the awesome diversity and craziness that is the VGM scene. Very special thanks to Stewart Hidalgo and Pablo Hernandez for their help engineering! Hope you enjoy!"
— ROCKtendo (Bill Rahko)

1.06. Chris Porter - "Village of Melting Snow" (Soma Bringer)

  Arrangement and Mixing by Chris Porter
  Based on "Village of Snow" from Soma Bringer. Composed by Yasunori Mitsuda

  "From the moment Ian contacted me about the idea for this project back in June I knew that I wanted to arrange this track. Soma Bringer has been a favorite soundtrack of mine since it first came out and "Village of Snow" one of my favorite RPG town themes. I feel Soma Bringer has been underrepresented in the remix community in favor of Mitsuda’s more well known works, so I’m thrilled at the opportunity to include it on this compilation. I hope everyone that hears this track will seek out the original soundtrack and give it a listen. I also want to thank Ian for all the hard work he’s done putting this project together. It’s an honor to be a part of it."
— Chris Porter

1.07. Super Guitar Bros. - "White Crossing" (Earthbound)

  Performed by Super Guitar Bros.
    Sam Griffin – Classical Guitar
    Steven Poissant – Acoustic Guitar
  Arrangement by Super Guitar Bros.
  Mixing by Sam Griffin
  Based on "Winters White" and "Snowman" from Earthbound. Composed by Keiichi Suzuki and Hirokazu Tanaka

  And so it went, the Bros were sitting on S. Claus's lap one snowy evening in December.
  Steven's wide eyes looked up into Santa's welcoming smile. "I want to slap my guitar even harder but my hand keeps cracking the wood! Make my palm as soft as snow!"
  "Hold on, Santa!" Sam began as he sheathed his smartphone. "If Steve gets soft hands, I get glittered guitar nails so I can look as good as I sound!"
  "Boys boys!" Santa retorted with an amused grin. "That's all well and good...but what's in it for me? What do I get this year?!"
  The bros smiled slyly at each other. "How about a Christmas album full of video game music..." said Steve. "Yeah, full of tunes from all our friends." added Sam.
  "Boys..." Santa replied in joyous disbelief. "Are you sure?"
  "We're sure, Santa." Steve replied.
  Santa peered out into the vast snowy plain, and as a single glistening tear of joy trickled down his cheek, he softly muttered to himself: "F yeah."

1.08. Matheus Manente - "Esto Gaza" (Final Fantasy IX)

  Performed by Matheus Manente (8-String Guitar)
  Arrangement and Mixing by Matheus Manente
  Based on "Esto Gaza", "Ice Cavern", and "The Place I’ll Return to Someday" from Final Fantasy IX. Composed by Nobuo Uematsu

  "To be a part of the biggest winter and yuletide VG christmas compilation EVER, it’s just a great honor for me. Not to mention the chance to play side by side with some of the greatest VGM artists in the world. Congratulations, everybody! That was the first time I recorded a song using only one instrument to create all the sounds. "Esto Gaza" was arranged and recorded using an 8-string guitar and nothing else. Also, very little processing was made, which kept the recorded sound as natural as possible. I hope you enjoy my jazzy-winter track as much as I did!"
— Matheus Manente

1.09. Yes, Mayhem - "Northwall" (ActRaiser)

  Performed by Yes, Mayhem
    James Moats – Percussion
    Stemage (Grant Henry) – Guitar
    Chunkstyle (Dan Taylor) – Bass, Guitar
    Kevin Lawrence – Drums
  Arrangement and Mixing by Chunkstyle (Dan Taylor)
  Based on "Northwall" from ActRaiser. Composed by Yuzo Koshiro

  "Actraiser was the first game I ever played on the SNES-my friend down the hall in college got one (yeah, I was a sophomore in college in ‘91), and I played it every chance I got which wasn’t often because HE was usually playing it. When I was asked to contribute to the album, I saw that Northwall was available and jumped on it immediately. This is actually the 2nd Actraiser song I’ve done with Grant-we did a medley of a couple of songs for Dwelling of Duels way back in the day. It was super fun to revisit this fantastic soundtrack, even if I deviated heavily from the feel of the original in my arrangement. So, thanks to Ian for inviting me to this compilation and giving me a chance to rock out another section of a game I love so much. I’m glad I was able to convince Grant, Kevin, and James to pile on with me too. Those guys are the best guys."
— Chunkstyle (Dan Taylor)

1.10. The Amazing Brando - "Another Winter" (Seiken Densetsu 3)

  Performed by The Amazing Brando – Guitars, Bass, Drums, Keyboards
  Arrangement and Mixing by The Amazing Brando
  Based on "Another Winter" from Seiken Densetsu 3. Composed by Hiroki Kikuta

  "This song reminds me of trees and icicles and melting snow. I also associate the music with the scenery from the game, which is gorgeous. It’s one of my all-time favorite winter-themed areas in any video game, both musically and graphically. Thanks for listening, and thanks to Ian for putting this all together. I’m proud to be part of such an awesome project!"
— The Amazing Brando

1.11. The Koopas - "Winter Wonderdrive" (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Crash Team Racing)

  Performed by The Koopas
    Frankie Van Hooser – Guitar
    Johnny Gutierrez – Guitar
    Diego Marquez – Drums
    Jim Highland – Bass
    Dave Hampton – Keyboards
  Arrangement by The Koopas
  Mixing by Kevin Thayer
  Based on "Sherbert Land" from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, composed by Shinobu Tanaka and Kenta Nagata; and "Polar Pass" from Crash Team Racing, composed by Josh Mancell

  "This all started for us with a random opening slot at a Radioactive Chicken Heads show in Atascadero, CA. Ian found out about us through them, and was nice enough to invite us to be a part of this compilation. From there, we had about a month and a half to decide what song(s) to do, arrange, learn, and practice, and then a day to record and a week to mix before finally submitting by the deadline. We went into it not really knowing exactly what to do or how it would turn out, but things fell into place right when they needed to and somehow we got it done! We absolutely could not have done it without the help of Kevin Thayer and Patrick Hayes, who were graciously willing to provide recording/mixing services and recording space (respectively), and deal with the tight schedule we had to work with. Thank you both so very much! And of course, thank you once again to Ian Luckey; this was a new and exciting experience for The Koopas and we appreciate the opportunity you gave us! And to the all other bands, we’re stoked to be on this project with you! See you in World 8-8!"
— Jim Highland

1.12. Nestunes - "Slippery When Frozen" (Ice Hockey)

  Performed by Nestunes
    Johan Havås – Keyboards
    Roger Christensson – Bass
    Lennart Forsberg – Drums
    Emil Johansson – Guitar
  Arrangement by Nestunes
  Mixing by Bo Savik and Lennart Forsberg
  Based on "Title Theme", "Select Team", "In Game Theme", and "Zamboni" from Ice Hockey. Composed by Soyo Oka

  "We are extremely happy to be able to contribute with a track on this great idea and certainly great compilation of music. We have had problems reaching out to video game enthusiasts outside of our country so this was is great chance for us to find new friends. We are looking forward to hearing the other awesome artists and we would like to thank Ian Luckey for having us onboard. Don't forget to always support your local Nintendo tribute band, and this one that happens to operate from Sweden. ;) Thanx!"
— Lennart Forsberg

1.13. Tanuki Suit Riot - "Freeze Frenzy" (Super Mario Galaxy 2)

  Performed by Tanuki Suit Riot
    Matt Van Gelder – Saxophone, Clarinet
    Kyle Polich – Trumpet, Trombone, Guitar, Bass, Percussion
  Arrangement and Mixing by Kyle Polich
  Based on "White Snow" from Super Mario Galaxy 2. Composed by Mahito Yokota

  "It’s exciting to be working among so many other fantastic VG cover groups. We picked our song in particular because aside from being a great tune, we thought it could be arranged well to the instrumentation of TSR, and admittedly, because it had a very nostalgic vibe reminiscent of my early NES days. And then, in true Tanuki Suit Riot fashion, we had to do a little mash up. Although this is technically a Christmas project, we decided to break from convention and mix a traditional Jewish holiday song that everyone will know into our mix. We are thrilled to be able to offer a contribution and humbled by our high scoring collaborators."
— Kyle Polich

1.14. The Second Story - "They Call Me Snow Bigman" (Snowboard Kids)

  Performed by The Second Story
    Kaylei Bristol – Flute
    Kenny Reichelderfer – Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Accordion
  Arrangement by Kenny Reichelderfer, Justin Olejnik, and Kaylei Bristol
  Mixing by Kenny Reichelderfer
  Based on "Big Snowman" from Snowboard Kids. Composed by Isao Kasai and Tomohiko Satou

  "We’re glad to be a part of this excellent album, and hope everyone enjoys our song. Snowboard Kids is one of my favorite N64 games and even though I haven’t played it in many years, I still remember having a ton of fun with it when I was younger."
— Kaylei Bristol

1.15. Lotus SM - "Snow Yell Oh-Ho" (Skullmonkeys)

  Performed by Lotus SM
    Arthur Braga – Melodica, Kazoos, Keyboards
    Matheus Manente – Bass
  Arrangement by Alexandre Lucena and Arthur Braga
  Mixing by Alexandre Lucena
  Based on "Snow Yell "Oh!"" from Skullmonkeys. Composed by Terry Scott Taylor

  "The Super VG Christmas Party gave us the opportunity of being a child again. Not only by rearranging video game music that was part of our childhood, but Christmas itself also brought this magic. So we’ve put this feeling from the beginning with the instruments choice, till the final mix. It’s really great to be part of this project!"
— Alexandre Lucena

1.16. Codename Trigger Thumb - "Tekken Christmas" (Tekken Tag Tournament 2)

  Performed by Codename Trigger Thumb
    Evan Trest – Drums
    Nana Ay – Vocals, Synth
    Gamer Joe Tkacz – Vocals, Bass
    Angela Tkacz – Piano
  Arrangement by Gamer Joe Tkacz
  Lyrics by Nana Ay
  Mixing by Kenny Reichelderfer
  Based on "Sadistic Xmas (Arctic Dream)" from Tekken Tag Tournament 2. Composed by Keiichi Okabe

  "Codename was honored to be a part of this joyous compilation amongst all the other incredible talents. Happy holidays and enjoy our fun take on this great Tekken track!"
— Gamer Joe Tkacz

1.17. Jameson Sutton - "Getting Fiesty on the Snow Train" (NiGHTS Into Dreams...)

  Arrangement and Mixing by Jameson Sutton
  Based on "Take the Snow Train" from NiGHTS Into Dreams... Composed by Naofumi Hataya

  "I suppose you could say that NiGHTS has always been one of the most festive games for me, and the music of NiGHTS is kind of falling into obscurity despite its insanity. It was one of the first games to feature music that would be dynamically arranged in game, depending on the mood of the A-Life creatures in each world. It was always crazy to replay the same levels and suddenly out of nowhere a new section you've never heard before magically appeared in the music."
— Jameson Sutton

1.18. Michael Zucker - "Bury My Heart in Snow" (Final Fantasy VII)

  Performed by Michael Zucker – Bass, Guitars
  Arrangement and Mixing by Michael Zucker
  Based on "Buried in Snow" from Final Fantasy VII. Composed by Nobuo Uematsu

  "Have a Merry Sludgy Christmas!"
— Michael Zucker

1.19. The OneUps - "Ice Cave Enchantment" (Donkey Kong Country)

  Performed by The OneUps
    William Reyes – Rhythm Guitar
    Tim Yarbrough – Lead Guitar
    Matthew Bridges – Bass
    Jared Dunn – Drums, Sleigh Bells
  Arrangement by The OneUps
  Mixing by Viking Guitar (Erik Peabody)
  Based on "Ice Cave Chant" from Donkey Kong Country. Composed by Eveline Fischer

  "We were excited when asked to be a part of the Christmas compilation. Coming up with song ideas was the hardest part. Once we decided on the track, the writing and recording process didn't take very long at all. We want to wish happy holidays and safe travels to everyone!"
— Jared Dunn

1.20. Triforce Quartet - "Main Theme" (Blades of Steel)

  Performed by Triforce Quartet
    Chris Ferrara – 1st Violin
    Jacob Roege – 2nd Violin
    Stanley Beckwith – Viola
    Chad Schwartz – Cello
  Arrangement by Chad Schwartz
  Mixing by Sho Omagari
  Based on "Main Theme" and "Game End" from Blades of Steel. Composed by Shinya Sakamoto, Kazuki Muraoka, Atsushi Fujio, and Kiyohiro Sada

  "We are excited to be able to contribute to this amazing album and want to thank Ian Luckey for taking the time to put this together. This is an arrangement from a classic hockey game that was on Nintendo called Blades of Steel. Two of our members are huge hockey fans and have great memories from playing this when we were younger. The game mechanics were very simple but it worked perfectly for the time. Also, who could forget getting to play the Gradius mini game during the 2nd intermission! If you like what you hear, check out our newly released album "The Legend Of" for more original arrangements of video game music for string quartet!"
— Chad Schwartz

1.21. Mutherpluckin’ B - "Alpine Peak (After Ski Party)" (Donkey Kong Barrel Blast)

  Performed by Mutherpluckin’ B (Henrik Lidbjörk) – Guitar, Bass, Triangle
    Martina Lindvall – Cello
    Anna Bergström – Violin
    Johan Trolin – Violin
    Christofer Bäcklin – Trumpet, Tenor Saxophone, Irish Tin Whistle
    Fredrika Lundberg – Clarinet
  Arrangement and Mixing by Mutherpluckin' B (Henrik Lidbjörk)
  Based on "Alpine Peak" from Donkey Kong Barrel Blast. Composed by Takashi Kouga

  "A "1978 after ski party in the alps" was the general concept for this overloaded winter groove version of the Alpine Peaks song from Donkey Kong Barrel Blast. The usual funk and guitar sounds are joined by more orchestral parts with assistance from a group of dear friends. I’m very happy to be part of Super VG Christmas Party with this lil’ bit of snowy Swedish disco."
— Mutherpluckin’ B (Henrik Lidbjörk)

2.01. Jayson Napolitano - "Gale of Searing Winds" (Dragon Fantasy Book II)

  Arrangement by Jayson Napolitano
  Mixing by Dale North
  Based on "Ballad of Frigid Winds" from Dragon Fantasy Book II. Composed by Dale North

  "I love Christmas music. I love game music even more. So when Ian asked me to be a part of this project, I was excited and a bit nervous. I never claim to be more than a hobbyist musician, and completing a piece or arrangement is always a challenge for me. I had my music picks down to three choices, and I figured if I was going to dedicate the time and effort to this, I may as well pay respect to a friend and super talented musician, Dale North, and his amazing (and little known!) soundtrack for Dragon Fantasy Book II. The original track is a lovely piano ballad with the sound of wind weaved throughout, so I thought I’d take it in a little more electronic direction. Because this music is likely new to listeners out there, I threw in a cameo by a popular game music tune. Did you catch it? Anyway, I hope you enjoy the arrangement enough to seek out the source material. Thanks for listening!"
— Jayson Napolitano

2.02. MegaDriver - "Ice Cap Zone" (Sonic the Hedgehog 3)

  Performed by MegaDriver
    Nino MegaDriver – Lead Guitars
    Bruno Galle – Guitars
    Arthur Kassardijan – Bass
    Jeff Pound – Drums
  Arrangement and Mixing by Nino MegaDriver
  Based on "Ice Cap Zone Act 1" from Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Composed by Brad Buxer, Bobby Brooks, Darryl Ross, Doug Grigsby III, Geoff Grace & Michael Jackson

  "We feel very honored to be involved with this project and we’re really proud to represent Brazil in this compilation. I personally have been playing video game music since 1999 and this is my very first opportunity to participate in a project with so many great artists! It’s really cool to see how much the scene have grown over the past years and how the artists are united for a single objective: to pay tribute to the games we love! Unlike King Diamond, my favorite heavy metal artist, would say: There's some great presents for this Christmas!"
— Nino MegaDriver

2.03. ThePlasmas - "Cold Hearted Reploid" (Mega Man X, Mega Man X3, Mega Man X2)

  Performed by ThePlasmas
    (M+) (Mauricio Plasma) – Guitars, Synths
    Danilo Tapia – Guitars
    Max Ovejini – Bass
  Arrangement and Mixing by (M+) (Mauricio Plasma)
  Based on "Chill Penguin" from Mega Man X, composed by Yuki Iwai; "Blizzard Buffalo" from Mega Man X3, composed by Kinuyo Yamashita; and "Crystal Snail" from Mega Man X2, composed by Yuki Iwai

  "We want to say thanks to Ian, to all the bands involved here, and of course everyone who are listening this project! It was an amazing experience, and we have lot of fun remixing our favorites snow-based songs! Hope you like the medley!"
— (M+) (Mauricio Plasma)

2.04 Playing with Power - "Tonight, I Dine on Turtle Gazpacho" (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game)

  Performed by Playing with Power
    Mark Lago – Bass
    Chris Bardolph – Guitar
    Ryan Limbeck – Guitar
    John Van Duinen – Drums
  Arrangement by Playing with Power
  Mixing by Steve Holsinger
  Based on "Winter's Here" from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game. Composed by Kozo Nakamura and Yasuhiko Manno

  "It’s been a huge honor to be a part of this project. The other performers on this compilation are some of our favorite musicians in the world and to be included in a recording with them is a thrill."
— Mark Lago

2.05. (M+), Lauren the Flute, and PokéMatt - "El Lienzo Perdido" (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night)

  Performed by (M+) (Mauricio Plasma) – Guitars
    Lauren the Flute (Lauren Liebowitz) – Flute, Vocals
    PokéMatt (Matt Baros) – Keyboards
  Arrangement and Mixing by (M+) (Mauricio Plasma)
  Based on "Lost Painting" from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Composed by Michiru Yamane

  "It was a very funny experience recording a Castlevania cover with two persons that were unknown to me. The result is amazing, it’s like we were working together from a long time ago. Nice people, Matt and Lauren are awesome musicians and very nice people!"
— (M+) (Mauricio Plasma)

2.06. The Amazing Brando - "A Bell Is Tolling" (Secret of Mana)

  Performed by The Amazing Brando – Guitars, Bass, Drums, Keyboards, Melodica
  Arrangement and Mixing by The Amazing Brando
  Based on "A Bell Is Tolling" from Secret of Mana. Composed by Hiroki Kikuta

  "I chose this track because the music expresses varying degrees of how it feels to be cold. The first movement is bitter cold: that stinging in your ears when you forget your hat and your gloves and the wind is like a million tiny needles chapping your face. Frostbite. The second movement is when the wind dies down and the sun peeks out to give you a feeling of hope. Birds and squirrels are rustling about, preparing for the long winter. The third movement, when the drums kick in, remind me of the long trek itself. To me, it represents the human aspect. The rhythm of the journey. It’s when I can see my own breath on the air and feel the snow squeaking underneath my feet. I can feel my body heat trapping under my clothing. It’s almost like a snowball fight kind of feeling. I faded the piano into a bell sound throughout the track to represent the evil staining the land, transforming something as innocent as Santa Claus into a Frost Gigas."
— The Amazing Brando

2.07. Arc Impulse - "A Wish, Crystal Forest" (Secret of Mana)

  Performed by Arc Impulse
    Jer Roque – Keyboard
    Andrew Estrada – Keytar
    Zach Wolfenbarger – Guitar
    Chris Macnider – Violin
    Mike Rutledge – Bass
    Bobby Shields – Drums
  Arrangement by Arc Impulse
  Mixing by Jer Roque
  Based on "Fear of the Heavens" and "A Wish" from Secret of Mana. Composed by Hiroki Kikuta

  "We, without a doubt, greatly enjoyed arranging, performing and listening to this piece. We are very appreciative to take part in this collaboration. The atmospheric tunes and nostalgic melodies from Secret of Mana were a perfect fit for a festive arrangement of A Wish, Crystal Forest."
— Chris Macnider

2.08. Triforce Quartet - "Mines of Narshe" (Final Fantasy VI)

  Performed by Triforce Quartet
    Chris Ferrara – 1st Violin
    Jacob Roege – 2nd Violin
    Stanley Beckwith – Viola
    Chad Schwartz – Cello, Cello Percussion
  Arrangement by Chad Schwartz
  Mixing by Sho Omagari
  Based on "Mines of Narshe" from Final Fantasy VI. Composed by Nobuo Uematsu

  "For our second contribution, we decided to do "Mines of Narshe" from Final Fantasy VI because it’s from one of our favorite soundtracks of all time. Since it’s one of the first themes heard in the game, it really sets the tone quickly for the dark and industrial feel of the town and the rest of the game. It also has some cool jazz motifs in the cello line. If you like what you hear, check out our newly released album "The Legend Of" for more original arrangements of video game music for string quartet!"
— Chad Schwartz

2.09. Dr. Manhattan - "Cold Howl" (Okami)

  Performed by Dr. Manhattan (Hugo Silva) – Guitar, Pads, Virtual Hang Drum
  Arrangement and Mixing by Dr. Manhattan (Hugo Silva)
  Based on "True Strength" from Ōkami. Composed by Hiroshi Yamaguchi

  "I love Okami’s soundtrack, it’s beautiful and charming. For me, True Strength is a dramatic and lonesome tune, I wanted to have a "modern" take on it, with electric guitar and icy sounds, so that’s when the hang drum and hang drum based pads came in. As for the title, I just kept picturing a wolf howling alone in a vast, open ice covered field, as the melody seems to do the same in the tune. I’ve always wanted to do something from Okami's soundtrack, and being invited to this project gave me a nice shot at it. It’s awesome to be in this project, full of talented artists, covering awesome video game soundtracks, creating something different for people to enjoy. It’s great to be a part of this!"
— Dr. Manhattan (Hugo Silva)

2.10. Mega Beardo - "Tusks of Ice in the Rising Fire" (Mega Man X4)

  Performed by Mega Beardo (Ryan Postlethwait) – Guitars, Bass
  Arrangement and Mixing by Mega Beardo (Ryan Postlethwait)
  Based on "Frost Walrus 1" and "Frost Walrus 2" from Mega Man X4. Composed by Toshihiko Horiyama

  "Frost Walrus is my fondest memory of the entire Mega Man X series. In high school, my best friend and I would play through X4 and always get a kick out of hearing Frost Walrus get announced upon selection. "Frost! WALLRuus!" I was originally going to arrange this track for my "Black Ice" EP, but it never quite fit the style. Once I was asked to be a part of this great project, I knew I had to bring this track along. Arranging it brought back a lot of great memories."
— Mega Beardo (Ryan Postlethwait)

2.11. Super Caucasian Bros. - "Kill Chill" (Mega Man 10)

  Performed by Super Caucasian Bros.
    Chris Holland – Guitars, Bass
    Girlz Melon (William Milne) – Guitars
  Arrangement and Mixing by Chris Holland
  Based on "Absolute Chill" from Mega Man 10. Composed by Shusaku Uchiyama

  "Initially, this track was a bit of a challenge. The rhythm guitar part during the "verse" went through several revisions, but once I finally came up with something that worked, the rest of the track pretty much fell into place. It seems that Mega Man tunes always translate well to metal. The back-to-back guitar solos that we like to do are always the easiest part!"
— Chris Holland

2.12. Pokérus - "Frozen Pokéballs" (Pokémon Gold and Silver)

  Performed by Pokérus (Patricio Thielemann) – Guitars, Bass
  Arrangement and Mixing by Pokérus (Patricio Thielemann)
  Based on "Ice Path" from Pokémon Gold and Silver. Composed by Junichi Masuda

  "As soon as I was invited to this project, the Hype was so damn high! I'm a Chilean musician who’s just beginning in this VGMusic stuff, and to be working side by side with so many experienced and renowned artists is a huge honor for me. To contribute with one of my favorite tracks from Pokémon is always great. I can assure you that everybody will end with hypothermia with just listening the whole disc!"
— Pokérus (Patricio Thielemann)

2.13. Malcos - "Ice Kick" (Killer Instinct)

  Arrangement and Mixing by Malcos (Stephen Malcolm-Howell)
  Based on "Glacius" from Killer Instinct. Composed by Graeme Norgate

  "I really liked the original Glacius theme and wanted to give it a slightly more uptempo feel that might work in the actual game."
— Malcos (Stephen Malcolm-Howell)

2.14. Jeff Ball - "Snow on Fallen Leaves" (Final Fantasy X)

  Performed by Zack Parrish – Native American Flute
  Arrangement and Mixing by Jeff Ball
  Based on "Phantoms" from Final Fantasy X. Composed by Junya Nakano

  "With this track, I wanted to keep the spirit of the original, and primarily use instrumentation to take the listener to a place that reminds people of the winter holidays, and those muffled warm quiet nights where the snow is coming down outside. To achieve that, I called on my friend Zack Parrish to add to the mix with his fantastic Native American flute skills, and set up the track to build and resolve to a piano solo, which includes a recorded sound of falling snow. Overall it’s awesome to share this track alongside so many other talented music producers, many of which I can call friends. Being able to share and collaborate, which is a beautiful aspect of Christmas, is the best part of albums like this."
— Jeff Ball

2.15. Ailsean and Nikolai - "Winter in Iwatodai" (Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3)

  Performed by Ailsean – Acoustic Guitars, Electric Guitars, Percussion
    Nikolai – Violins, Percussion
  Arrangement and Mixing by Ailsean
  Based on "Memories of the City" from Shin Mega Tensei: Persona 3. Composed by Shoji Meguro

  ""Memories of the City" is so chilly and cold. It embodies the sadness of the winter and the determination to hold on until spring. Perfect for crunching the snow under your feet. Or looking at the snow through frosty windows. I hope my version makes for much happy crunching of snow."
— Ailsean

2.16. The Returners - "Holiday Hare" (Jazz Jackrabbit 2, Jazz Jackrabbit 2: Holiday Hare '98)

  Performed by The Returners
    Andrew "Danger" Dangerfield – Bass
    K.C. "Wedge" Hawes-Domingue – Keyboards
    Lauren the Flute (Lauren Liebowitz) – Flute
    John Pike – Drums
    Mike "Lobos" Villalobos – Guitar
  Arrangement by K.C. "Wedge" Hawes-Domingue
  Mixing by John Pike
  Based on "Hell Freezes Over" from Jazz Jackrabbit 2 and "White Hare" from Jazz Jackrabbit 2: Holiday Hare. Composed by Alexander Brandon

  "It’s a huge, huge honor to be part of a collaboration with so many fantastic musicians! :D Here in Texas, we don’t get a lot of snow, but we still love the winter season. So grab a mug of hot chocolate and enjoy the music!"
— Lauren the Flute (Lauren Liebowitz)

2.17. DemonStray - "Winter Harvest" (Harvest Moon 64)

  Performed by DemonStray (Cory Harbak) – Guitars, Keyboards
  Arrangement and Mixing by DemonStray (Cory Harbak)
  Based on "Winter" from Harvest Moon 64. Composed by Tsuyoshi Tanaka

  "It really is an honour to have been invited onto a Christmas compilation album with so many names in the VGM scene, and much more an honour to have been given the chance to arrange a track from my undisputed favourite video game of all time. As much as I hope many of you like my song, I’m really looking forward to hearing everyone’s contributions. Now, on behalf of the video game music community...Happy Holidays!"
— DemonStray (Cory Harbak)

2.18. Armcannon - "East Side Story II: Kninja Hill Rider" (Ninja Gaiden)

  Performed by Armcannon
    Mike Willard – Guitar
    Chris Dlugosz – Keyboards
    Danimal Cannon (Dan Behrens) – Guitar
    Larry Steele – Drums
    Ian Machniak – Bass
  Arrangement and Mixing by Mike Willard
  Based on "Nowhere to Run" from Ninja Gaiden. Composed by Keiji Yamagishi

  "We had a great time doing this track. It was always an interesting song, and fit the aesthetic of that entire game soundtrack perfect. Our arrangement got pretty whacky at times but we tried to keep it true to form and add a little zazz to keep you on your toes while listening. Hopefully we did!"
— Mike Willard

2.19. Psycho Crusher - "Dragonborn's Shout" (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim)

  Performed by Psycho Crusher (Cristián "Kris" Escobar) – Guitars, Bass
  Arrangement and Mixing by Psycho Crusher (Cristián "Kris" Escobar)
  Based on "Dragonborn" from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Composed by Jeremy Soule

  "Skyrim is one of my favorite RPGs, and when I first heard the title theme, it reminded of an old melodic death metal band that I used to listen to way back in 1998, and I thought I could make an arrangement similar in style to that band, but with some of my own, more progressive sounds as well. It was hard to evoke the feeling of a grand symphonic orchestra and a 40 men chorus with just regular instruments, but I went ahead anyway and did a heavy arrangement with a very powerful drum track to make up for the power that was lost in translation. In the end, I’m really happy how it turned out, it’s not easy to make a great sounding rock-format arrangement of an epic orchestral song."
— Psycho Crusher (Cristián "Kris" Escobar)

2.20. Random Encounter - "All Over the World" (ActRaiser)

  Performed by Random Encounter
    Careless – Accordion
    Rook – Bass
    Moose – Drums
    Kit – Guitar
    Konami – Guitar
  Arrangement by Random Encounter
  Mixing by Brandon Strader
  Based on "All Over the World" from ActRaiser. Composed by Yuzo Koshiro

  "All Over the World is a pretty intense track that we’ve wanted to cover for a long time now but have never been able to. It was really nice to be involved with the project because it pushed us when we wanted to procrastinate. Since we were on tour during the last few days of working on the song, I had to record the last accordion parts from our green room in Paris, France in the final minutes before our show started. The Star Wars throwback is partly just for fun, partly because I’m obsessed with the game Tie Fighter."
— Careless

2.21. Ian Luckey - "Singing Mountain" (Chrono Trigger)

  Performed by Ian Luckey – Accordion, Irish Bouzouki, Keyboards, Vocals, Bass, Drums
  Arrangement and Lyrics by Ian Luckey
  Mixing by Mike Ault
  Based on "Singing Mountain" from Chrono Trigger. Composed by Yasunori Mitsuda

  "I’d like to dedicate this song to my wonderful wife Colleen, who inspired me to write these lyrics and cover one of my favorite Yasunori Mitsuda compositions. Although Singing Mountain was sadly not included in the original release of the game, to me it’s so wintry and ethereal; it always felt like the perfect theme for Death Peak. Such a beautiful and morose, yet hopeful piece of music...I never would have guessed I’d someday turn it into a love song, but hey life's funny like that. I hope you enjoy it."
— Ian Luckey