Awesome Music / Virtual-ON

Yet another SEGA classic with a fine selection of music, composed by Kentaro Koyama, with Yuko Iseki joining for FORCE and Takenobu Mitsuyoshi for MARZ.

Operation Moon Gate

• In the Blue Sky. Temjin's theme, easily the most iconic theme in the entire series, and for good reason. It's become symbolic of the series itself whenever it's referenced in other works, and has been remixed the most out of any other song in the series. To wit, there's the Saturn version, the '01 version used in FORCE and MARZ, the 1996 arrange version., the 2007 [H.] arrange version from legendary SEGA composer Hiroshi "Hiro" Kawaguchi, the Sega Sound Unit [H.] 1st Album arrange version, the Super Robot Wars Alpha 3 version, the Super Robot Wars K Version, and finally the HD version from SRW UX, now with Miku Hatsune vocals.
• She's Lost Control ~S.L.C.~, Viper II's theme. A very fierce, fast-paced piece befitting the fastest mech in the game. Here's the Saturn version and the '01 version used for Viper's descendant MYZR in FORCE.
• Everything Merges With the Night, Dorkas' theme, and the Saturn version. A very calm piece that sets the mood for a battle at night amidst a city-scape. The stage itself proved so popular it was brought back for Oratorio Tangram. The Oratorio Tangram version eventually became associated with the 10/80 Special, as it was assigned to the stage in Oratorio Tangram Version 5.66. It eventually got a new rearrangement on the soundtrack for the PS2 re-release, the SOUND! SHOCK Arrange version
• Higher Ground, Belgdor's theme, and its Saturn Version. A calm, uplifting piece befitting a battle among nature. This theme is somewhat of a Recurring Riff, as Belgdor's successors usually use this theme as a reference.
• Ruins, Bal-Bas-Bow's theme, and the Saturn version.. This one has a bit of a Latin and exotic influence to it, owing to the Bal series' unique builds, designed for adaptability to multiple environments. It was brought back in FORCE as From the Ruins, used for Bal D Cista.
• Alice in the Wonderland, Jaguarandi's theme, and its Saturn version. A dark, imposing song that heralds the coming of something that should not be. And that something is a gigantic Raiden with Bal-Bas-Bow's tank body ready to punish you for winning dishonorably via Time Out.
• Earth Light. Apharmd's theme, and its Saturn version.. Fast and hot-blooded are the two terms that best describe the mech, and its theme is no exception. It was brought back for Oratorio Tangram when the Space Dock stage was re-added, and in Version 5.66 it became the theme of Apharmd C, which bears the most resemblance to the original model.
• The Wind is Blowing, Fei-Yen's theme, and its Saturn Version. The other iconic theme of the series for the token female mech, also having been remixed a number of times. The 1996 Arrange Version., the '01 version used in FORCE, and the Super Robot Wars Alpha 3 version. It even managed to get a vocal version called Love14, which was later used for SRW UX.
• Fade to Black, Raiden's theme, and the Saturn version. Evil and ominous to the very core, befitting a stage known as Death Trap, a descending mining platform to the last boss. The stage and theme were brought back for Oratorio Tangram, now with an even more rocking feel to it. The song was also given a rock remix for the Counterpoint009A drama album.
• Crystal Doom, Z-Gradt's theme, its Saturn version, and the '03 version used in MARZ. Pulse-pounding drum beats set the stage for the final battle. It was also brought back as the theme of Bradtos, Among Fields of Crystal, in Oratorio Tangram.
• From the Moon to Me, an unused song for Fei-Yen, and one that might sound remarkably familiar to anime fans. It was remixed as the first half of the Theme of FEI-YEN in the CyberNet Rhapsody drama album, and eventually became the theme of the secret boss added in the SEGA Ages PS2 port, the Original Fei-Yen.

Oratorio Tangram

Unlike the previous game, certain characters now have themes when fought on specific stages, and some are reserved solely for those stages. Also, due to the 5.66 version being on NAOMI hardware, the sound quality was noticeably improved, changing the soundtrack drastically.

• Soldier Blue, Temjin's theme when fought on the Floating Carrier stage. A worthy successor to the already-awesome In the Blue Sky. Here's the 5.66 Version, and the '01 Version from FORCE.
• Burning Inside, Apharmd S's theme. Just as hot-blooded as ever, but now with a more down-to-business feel to it, befitting the Striker variant's focus on long range weaponry instead of being a master of CQC. Here's the 5.66 Version.
• Ocean Whispers. This plays specifically for whenever Bal-Bados is fought in the Undersea Plant stage, as it transforms into a special variant for that stage known as Bal-Keros.
• Monstrous Beat, Dordray's theme, and the 5.66 version. Powerful drums and echoing synths perfectly emulate the feeling of being locked in battle inside a cave with a giant.
• Above and Beyond, Grys-Vok's theme, and the 5.66 Version. Cues from Belgdor's theme are omnipresent in the themes of his successors, starting here.
• Coral Flanger, Fei-Yen Kn's theme when fought on the Undersea Plant stage.
• 13 Seconds Warning, Specineff's theme, and the 5.66 Version.
• Teenage Fortune, Stein-Vok's theme. Originally the theme for the Dreamcast-added stage Autobahn, the stage was eventually assigned to Stein-Vok. This is the only real exception to Higher Ground being referenced in the themes of its successors, as Stein-Vok uses beam weapons instead of explosives, marking it as the oddball of the family. The main reason this track is so different is that, per the Dreamcast version's sound test, this was originally meant to be an alternative stage for Fei-Yen, as it's structurally based on her theme from Operation Moongate. Eventually, however, it evolved into something else entirely.
• Sunshine Generator, Bal-Bados's theme. A significantly more uplifting track than most of its other themes.
• Triplet Repeat, Angelan's theme. A graceful waltz befitting an Elegant Gothic Lolita mecha.
• Free Radical, Ajim's theme. This song spells woe and punishment for anyone who dared to win consistently by Time Out, as Ajim descends from the sky, interrupting the opponent's theme and killing them a la Akuma.
• High on Hope, Temjin's theme when fought on the Public Port stage, the 5.66 version, and High on Hope '01, the version used in FORCE. A nice alternative theme to Soldier Blue.
• Zodiac Empathy, Cypher's theme, and the 5.66 Version. Perfectly captures the feeling of an intense battle in space.
• Movin' Melodies, the theme of Fei-Yen when fought on the Blank Frank stage. A more Latin-styled version of her theme from Operation Moongate.
• Sweet Tragedy of Dreams, the theme of Bal-Baros, the variant of Bal-Bados which appears on stages set in space, and the 5.66 Version. An up-to-date reinterpretation of "Ruins", befitting the Bal series' evolution from its original, odd vacuum cleaner-esque design.
• Bloody Sorrow, Apharmd B's theme, and the 5.66 Version. Still fast-paced, but with a more melancholy tone to it, as if something has been lost ever since Apharmd's design was split apart into several versions.
• Into the Crimson, Raiden's theme, and one of the most popular in the entire soundtrack of Oratorio Tangram, even eclipsing Raiden's original theme. It's one of the very few themes in the series to get remixed for MARZ. Here's the 5.66 Version and the '03 Version used in MARZ.
• Encoded Final, Tangram's theme. A slow, powerful orchestral piece with a sense of imminent danger heralds the final boss of the game. Better destroy it within the time limit, or reality ceases to exist.

FORCE

Since every mech has several different variants, many of them have multiple themes.

• Tidal Blue. Temjin 707's theme. This song takes heavy cues from the original Temjin theme, "In the Blue Sky", though it sounds as if it's missing the same spark as the original, which is evident in the backstory as the 707 models are essentially relics of a bygone age, still doing their damnedest to survive on a frontier where most other previous-generation Virtuaroids have been rendered worthless.
• Harmless Sigh, a theme for Temjin 747. A still-heroic, but significantly darker and melancholic theme for the new breed of Temjins produced for the martian frontier.
• Conquista Ciela, a theme for the MYZR, and a re-interpretation of Cypher's theme Zodiac Empathy. Takenobu Mitsuyoshi's first contribution to the franchise, and it shows. This song also got a vocal version with Mitsuyoshi's singing.
• Quiet Resolve, Specineff's theme. An intense, fast-paced hard rock theme for the harbinger of death.
• Kirisute Go-Men!, Kagekiyo's theme. Although it initially sounds heroic, it descends into hauntingly chaotic madness representing the soul within the mech's suffering, letting the listener know that something is definitely wrong and twisted about this thing.
• Air Time, VOX's theme. This remix of "Higher Ground" goes back to the roots, while also adding some new touches from "Above and Beyond".
• The Road to the Victory, a theme for Guarayakha. An upbeat, carefree theme that just screams "magical girl".
• Fantastic Light, a theme for Guarayakha. Unlike the previous theme, this one has a bit of an otherworldly tone to it, as though something isn't quite right about this mech. Sure enough, it was designed to contain Jaguarandi, but it ends up used as a vessel for it to materialize into the real world.
• Happy Storm, a theme for Fei-Yen. Borrows a bit from "Coral Flanger" while also sounding like The Wind is Blowing.
• No Cold Heart, a theme for Angelan. Much like "Triplet Repeat", this track is a calming, beautiful waltz.
• Baby's On Fire, a theme for Angelan. This time, Angelan is the one who gets the "Coral Flanger" treatment instead of Fei-Yen, with an upbeat salsa tune.
• Destructive Happiness, Jaguarandi's theme. Borrows many cues from "Alice in the Wonderloand", such as the eerie reverb effects in the background and the slow, powerful drum beats. This time, Jaguarandi means business since it can now cause real damage.
• Fit So Tight, Apharmd J's theme. A fierce, heroic mixture of "Earth Light" and "Burning Inside".
• Tiger! Tiger!, Apharmd T's theme. Instead of the "Earth Light" cues, this one borrows more from "Bloody Sorrow".
• 515 Hours, a theme for Apharmd. Fans of SEGA rail shooters will recognize this one. It's a remix of the United Nations H.Q. stage theme from Gunblade NY, a project for which Kentaro Koyama was also the composer. The official Sega Sound Unit [H.] remix turns the Epic Rocking up to eleven.
• Primitive Jam, a theme for the MYZR. Yet another Latin-style theme.
• Confidential Sister, a theme for the MYZR. Takes cues from "Movin' Melodies", one of the themes of the Cypher.
• Put Your Future Out of Frame, the theme of the Shadow VRs. A faster-paced techno remix of Jaguarandi's theme. This plays if you encounter the secret Mirror Match. As MARZ's soundtrack will show, there are also elements of DYMN's theme in this one.
• Child War, a theme for Bal d Meora. Uses a slow, Latin style beat commonly found in the Bal-series themes.
• Grand Fabrication, a theme for Bal v Tigla. This theme for the Bal series has a distinct Chinese flair to it, marking the Tigla as the odd one out of the series.
• Diamond Float, a theme for Bal D Cista. A Latin reinterpretation of "Sweet Tragedy of Dreams".
• Chaotic Dancer, a theme for Bal v Tigla. By far the most insane theme yet for a member of the Bal series, referencing Middle Eastern music instead of the series' usual motifs.
• Black Minaloushe, a theme for Raiden. Better known as what happens when you mix "Fade to Black" with "Into the Crimson", with the elements of "Fade to Black" being more prominent. Undeniably evil and hot-blooded, but with a more melancholic tone and a sense of finality.
• Tears for Bloody Solid, a theme for Raiden. Better known as what happens when you mix "Fade to Black" with "Into the Crimson", with the elements of "Into the Crimson" being more prominent. Slow, but intense and very foreboding.
• Cry For Your Lost Rainbow, a theme for Raiden. Yet another remix of a Gunblade NY song, this time of the final stage of the game, Midtown Night.
• Crystal Ovary, Ajim & Guerlain's theme. Just as pulse-pounding as Tangram's theme, but with a more mysterious, menacing tone to it. You've come this far, now it's time to defeat the only thing left standing in your way.

MARZ

• Light of the Moon. This haunting theme plays the first time you meet a shadow VR, immediately giving the air that something isn't quite right on the moon.
• Three Splendid Roses, the theme of the Rose Sisters, consisting of Sylvie Fang, Deborah Bite, and Jennifer Poison, all piloting custom MYZRs.
• Harmless Sigh, the White Knight's battle theme. Aside from being based on Temjin's "In the Blue Sky", it has a feeling of desperation and anguish, which is fitting given the White Knight has no real desire to destroy you. This plays not only when you fight him, but also when you fight the shadow version of yourself in the Moon arc.
• Burning Muscles ~ Ichiban☆Boshi, the theme of Sgt. Issy Hatter, pilot of Apharmd the Hatter. As Hot-Blooded as the character it correlates to.
• Fierce Fight, an upbeat and energetic theme that plays during some of the final missions.
• Grief of TANGRAM, a sad cinematic piece which plays during the final battle against Tangram, who is being controlled and fighting you against her will.

Index

Legendary video game composer Yuzo Koshiro scores this game, and from synth beats that hearken back to Streets of Rage and Wangan Midnight to hard rock that evokes Video Game/Ys and Project × Zone, it shoes.

• Rising Blue, Temjin and Touma Kamijou's theme. Takes many cues from Soldier Blue while adding in an upbeat guitar that just screams "Imagine Breaker".

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