Game info: Wikipedia
Listening: emulated audio, YouTube
Credits
Music Compose: Saori Kobayashi
Info
Sylvan Tale is an okay Zeldalike for the Game Gear that I just replayed for the first time in like 10-15 years, decent but not super remarkable aside from it being a rare example of this kind of game on the system. The soundtrack hits pretty standard “fantasy action adventure game” notes with bold overworld themes, darker and tenser dungeon themes, and proggy boss themes.
The music is by Saori Kobayashi, who’s a huge favorite of mine; if you know her name, it’s probably because she did most of the (excellent) soundtracks to Panzer Dragoon Saga and Panzer Dragoon Orta. Since this is a PSG chiptune soundtrack, it doesn’t demonstrate the sound design and full complexity of her later work that I love, but it has some spicy moments and you can definitely find some of her compositional tendencies in it.
Recommended tracks:
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“Boss Theme 1” is your classic frantic boss theme with some nice flourishes during the mixed meter section
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“Overworld (Flora)” starts off determined but brings in an edge of almost Dixieland accompaniment to it with the banjo-like channel, bass line, and the chords they outline in the second half
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“Underwater” probably isn’t but really feels to me like it’s intentionally invoking Link’s Awakening dungeon themes at the start with a similar rising motif
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“Path of Serpents” basically sounds like a Panzer Dragoon track but chiptune, try to imagine this with world percussion and a Deep Forest-y synth lead playing the main melody and you’re there
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“Tower” gives me NES Dragon Quest vibes in both its composition and arrangement
(all track titles are unofficial)
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