Press "Start" To Lift
by Flex Luthor
In our last blog, we made a few suggestions of songs to add to your workout playlist to breathe some new life into your lifting soundtrack. Of course, as great as that list is, it is by no means complete as it does not include any videogame, TV, or movie tunage. Today's blog will focus on some of the great music to come out of gaming.
Quality videogames make great use of music to set the tone for either a particular level/map, a whole game, or maybe even an entire series of games. As action is a big part of videogames, it is not surprising that the industry has produced some outstanding music to help you crank out those extra reps. Picking these tracks was like Sophie's choice... if Sophie had a few dozen children. So here are, in no particular order, five suggestions for your ear holes at the gym.
OK, so I'm cheating a little, as this track was not technically part of the game. However, it was made to promote the game, so I say it's all good. For anyone who's ever heard it, no explanation is required. As soon as it hits, you just want to jump up and kick some ass. This track and the gym are a match made in heaven. The first words are "test your might", for heaven's sake!
2- The Metal Gear Solid 2 Theme
The original MGS rocked my world back in '98. It had amazing gameplay, awesome characters, and took gaming to whole new cinematic level. So when Konami produced the sequel on PS2, they made sure that the music reflected the scope of Snake's latest outing. The game itself kind of fell short in some areas (naked Raiden running around, anyone?), but the theme track was absolute perfection.
Man, that Kratos is one badass Spartan! In my case, hearing the music from God of War puts me in the mood for a specific kind of workout. You see, this is not music I play to do 25 rep sets. You need power to take on hydrae and colossi. If you're looking to beat your personal record for how heavy you can bench, God of War's got you covered. I couldn't really pick a specific track to recommend here, so I will once again cheat and link you guys to the God of War montage by Video Games Live. Enjoy and be careful lest you break the gym!
I could make a whole list made up of Capcom music only. Actually, a good list could be made with Street Fighter tracks alone. However, from the very first notes, Ken's theme has that extra little kick in the pants to get the blood pumping. Many versions of Ken's theme exist, spread across a couple of decades. So hunt down the remix that best suits you. I've chosen this particular version simply because the guy's rendition is awesome!
5- "The one, the only: Castlevania!"
The coolest franchise involving a man with a whip this side of Indiana Jones, Castlevania's music is instantly recognized by anyone who's played the game the way it was meant to be played: off a cartridge and involving the letters "NES". Gravity doesn't stand a chance!
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