Phantasmagoria

[Piano Squall]

Anyone every played Phantasmagoria?  It's an old PC game, and Nobuo Uematsu wrote the music.  If anyone's interested, I have the soundtrack to share.

[CCC]

Oh yea, I haven't gotten around to listening to that yet from the time I gave you it.  Is it any good?

[Piano Squall]

It's not just good, it's Nobuo

[CCC]

-_-

Did I even have to ask...

[Mephista]

Sorry to disappoint people, but the game and the album are not connected at all apart from the name .

Nobuo wrote Phantasmagoria as a pleasure album, where he could just express himself away from FF and other games. Hence why track 10 is a rendition of the Final Fantasy Theme. You wouldn't really expect that on a game like Phantasmagoria....

There is also the fact that his album was released in 1994 by Nobuo and the game was released in 1995 by Sierra

[Piano Squall]

What what?? Is this really true?!  Where can you find the original soundtrack that Nobuo wrote?

[Mephista]

Well, I can give you the track-list.

1. Rainy Day, Children
2. Angel Hands
3. Lots Of Little
4. Revival Of A Tender Experience
5. Dogs On The Beach
6. Phantasmagoria
7. Deep Ocean Blue
8. People Of Maya
9. Mirrors
10. Final Fantasy
11. (Hidden Track)

[CCC]

Whoops, sorry for the confusion Mike.  The Phantasmagoria you have is Nobuo's own pleasure work.  The game is completely unrelated, and I didn't react to the fact that you thought they were.  Rest assured you have the good stuff.  

Edit: There's a hidden track? What is it and how can I get my hands on it? O_O

[Mephista]

It is only a random guy talking about stuff in a random language, its hardly worth it being on the CD...

Well, I guess if you can understand what is being said then it may have some use.

[CCC]

Oh, if it's not music then forget it.

Thanks for the info tho.

[ThePhantomOtaku]

So Uematsu-sama wrote the music for that?! Or is this some sort of confusion?

... My memories of this game aren't fond ... The game gave me nightmares. I was only 9 when I watched my brother play through it ...

The memory that pops into my head first is a scene very close to the ending but my brother had forgotten to get a certain item, I don't know what it was, but the demon that was posessing the main character's husband kept ripping her face in half because she didn't have this one item.

[AlTheiuMaster]

It was made on his time..

[Onionman]

Wow, I just discovered this thread. I do remember Phantasmagoria, my Grandpa actually gave me that game. I had no idea that Nobuo Uematsu wrote that music. I'll have to give it a second look at!

And I think I kind of agree with you PhantomOtaku, that game gave me the creeps too, that's why I had to put it down It had a very interesting style though.

EDIT: Oh ok, the album wasn't related to the game. Yea I didn't think so...

[tebian]

I too read this thread also few months to late. Totally enjoyed the CD by Nobuo Uematsu and now I have to see this game after reading the notes below. I thought in case anyone goes back to read this thread I would post the explanation of the two things with same name. Even with the voice on the CD from Nobuo it is a must for any fan oh his btw.

"Soundtrack Central on the CD" http://www.soundtrackcentral.com/pics-large/phantasmagorianobuouematsu.jpg

Phantasmagoria, though released by Squaresoft, has only two things in common with game music: (1) its composer, Nobuo Uematsu and (2) a single track, aptly titled "Final Fantasy". That being said, Phantasmagoria is, quite easily, my favorite disc of its kind. I read to it. I drive to it. I do homework to it. Occasionally, I just sit down and relax to it. I hesitate to describe Phantasmagoria as "easy listening" (since that title is usually reserved for the likes of Barry Manilow and that unemotional crap that plays while you're on hold), but really, that's what it is. It's easy to listen to. Expressive, emotional, thoughtful.

Several of the songs have Japanese lyrics and are, in all but one, spoken rather than sung. The instrumental tracks are performed, or in several cases programmed, beautifully. The melodies are right on. While most of the songs conjure up calm images of drifting snow, dusty sunlight, or cresting waves; a few of the tracks are more playful. "Dogs On The Beach" is one such track. The Prologue theme rears its majestic head once again in the tenth track, "Final Fantasy", and is the only video game-related music you'll hear on this disc. It's arranged in a kind of folk style, with a male vocalist who is generally inoffensive but nowhere near as talented as the angelic Risa Ohki. In the veritable infinity of Prologue arrangements that are available on various discs, I'd say this version ranks in the lower half. The final track is not listed in the contents - and what it contains won't mean much to you or I. It's a reading, in Indian, from a book of prophecies titled "The Leaf Of Augustia". The book is believed to tell the past, present, and future of the lives of those who listen. The reader is apparently speaking directly to, or about, Nobuo Uematsu since he mentions his first name several times. I can't recommend this disc enough - it's a joy to listen to. And as Nobuo Uematsu's first published non-game music endeavor, it's a creative triumph.

"Sierra Planet on the Game" http://www.sierraplanet.com/phantas1/gamebox.jpg

Released in 1995 and inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King, Roberta Williams blended the elements of modern fiction with the best of nineteenth century literature to create Phantasmagoria. This haunting tale of a terrifying world of isolation, illusion, and insanity gave birth to the exciting new genre of interactive horror as never seen before, for it was most frighteningly believable adventure game ever created. A mega seven CD game, it was Roberta's largest project by far. It was also her first game that incorporated real life actors. In fact, the feature-film actors were captured on the most film footage ever included in any game up to that time. Phantasmagoria is mainly aimed as an adult game due to the graphic nature of the violence and the several explicit adult scenes. However, the game does have a censored mode that blocks such graphic and/or explicit scenes for the younger audience.