A soundtrack 27 years within the making: people, I offer you Infinity!
Okay, that’s not fairly the entire story. In fact, this soundtrack was practically full by 2001. In 2002, after the sport was canceled, the group self-published a digital assortment. Then, in 2016, Materia Collective labored with the group to publish an up to date model of the OST to match the most recent ROM launch of Infinity, which was coming collectively however nonetheless not formally revealed as a standalone title. Now, in 2026, we’ve got the OST in its full type, together with the newly written bonus monitor from Yuzo Koshiro, because of the sport and soundtrack publication from Incube8 Video games.
Historical past lesson apart, the massive query is that if a Sport Boy Shade soundtrack could make a splash in 2026. Possibly not for everybody. Nevertheless, I’ll fortunately acknowledge my bias towards chiptunes, particularly from the NES and Sport Boy. The laborious limitation of three music channels and one noise/impact channel forces composers to put in writing economically, making extra out of much less. For this challenge, lead composer Eric E. Hache, alongside audio engineer Mathew Valente, has made one thing worthy to hitch the ranks of classics like Ultimate Fantasy Legend II or the Famicom Hearth Emblem titles.
By way of sheer musicality, there aren’t loads of twists or turns. Most songs are in widespread time signatures (4/4, 3/4). Chord progressions and different harmonic decisions are usually easy and pure, aside from some battle themes (“A Lethal Foe”) or songs the place a modal scale is suitable (“Kassim Oasis”). However I can not stress sufficient how completely Hache and Valente maximized the {hardware}’s strengths with catchy melodies, syncopated patterns, and voicing that stretched these chiptunes to their restrict.
On this regard, the Infinity OST is each bit as robust as a few of the greatest NES and Sport Boy RPG soundtracks. I’d argue it’s notably stronger than many soundtracks from this period of 8-bit {hardware}, together with Revelations: The Demon Slayer (aka Final Bible) from Atlus and SNK’s Crystalis. From the imposing and memorable title monitor “Infinity,” to the intriguing Ace Lawyer-esque “Mysteries Afoot,” to the zany “Madman Parade,” Infinity comes out the gate swinging. If this had been a frontloaded affair, I’d need to go on to lament a decline in high quality from right here, which I’ve usually encountered with older soundtracks.
Within the OST’s center portion, we get loads of nice city and dungeon themes. “Cave Theme” is a deceptively easy piece of music with some implausible bassline work, conserving the vibes eerie with out sacrificing an pleasant tonal expertise. In “The Nice Forest,” we get a terrific mixture of syncopation between melody and bass, in addition to a implausible elevate within the music with the ability of modulation. “Frozen in Time” is one among my favourite dungeon themes, with Valente demonstrating professional use of the restricted instruments accessible to create a formidable 8-bit soundscape. I’m speaking oscillation, reverb, even panning — one thing the NES couldn’t do however Sport Boy may, since NES audio was monoaural however Sport Boy was stereo from day one! I like the synergy between Hache’s composing and Valente’s mixing on many tracks, however it’s most evident with “Frozen in Time.”
The ultimate portion of the soundtrack can also be filled with nice music. However I’m going to zoom in on a single monitor, probably the most lately composed of the bunch. That’s proper, with the ability of Kickstarter crowdfunding, the builders had been capable of rope in veteran composer Yuzo Koshiro for one monitor! This can be a particular battle theme, “One other Challenger Enters.” And the way becoming for it to be Koshiro, who within the final twenty years turned well-known for creating music on two ranges: prime quality synths and older sound sources (together with 8-bit chiptunes). Koshiro’s work on the Etrian Odyssey sequence is known, and he doesn’t maintain again with this fast-paced, rock-infused battle anthem. Whereas I like the in-game model, there’s extra to say about Koshiro’s contribution on the Organized Soundtrack overview. On this type, I believe it’s on-par with Hache’s “The Ultimate Battle.”
This can be a comparatively brief sport. On the simplest issue setting, I used to be capable of clear it in underneath ten hours. On increased issue, and in in search of out all elective content material, it took about fifteen hours. For RPGs of many years passed by, a shorter sport means a shorter soundtrack. This soundtrack clocks in at simply over an hour, placing it in the identical vary as Ultimate Fantasy III on NES. Some tracks win me over extra simply than others, however there isn’t a single miss on your complete Infinity OST. And, whereas I undoubtedly recognize the music extra since I’ve the sport’s context in thoughts, I believe chiptune followers of all stripes can discover one thing to like, so make sure you test it out!
