ReMix: Ninja Gaiden 'Death of a Legend'

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Ninja Gaiden . . . orchestral? Sure, it had a slower, pensive theme, so why not? Though Tecmo's classic ninja platformer may conjure up sonic images of rushing, upbeat NES chiptunes to most, Russell's focused on the more intimate side of NG with this arranged, reticent piece. Though I *really* am not sure about the transition at 1'31" (somebody set up us the keychange!), all the other pieces of the puzzle are here and, in typical trptcox fashion, evocative and lush. There's a beutiful solo towards the end, over lyrical harp runs, and the whole enchilada ends with a bassoon solo takin' it out - quite effective. But some of the transitions, in particular two of the three keychanges, do feel a little forced and/or rushed, which isn't usual in Russell's work. It's a testament to his abilities that the piece is still so enjoyable and a strong ReMix, and I still recommend it without hesitation. It's less fluid and a little less coherent than some of Mr. Cox's other thematic interpretations, but still a great orchestral piece in and of itself. It also brings something new to the Ninja Gaiden ReMixes we've seen thus far, exploring the unexpected (at least for me) more sedate side of the game's OST. I didn't really recall this melody from the game, but looking back it's pretty strong and definitely deserved some attention. RC's given it that attention with a good ReMix that, while a little shy of his own high benchmark, is a worthwhile download nonetheless.

― djpretzel