Secret of Mana OST - Star of Darkness ~ Grand Palace Theme

[EScrimson]

It´s like walking up a long stairway to the final boss...

[itzoverninethousand]

one of my favorite tracks of all time.

[realdeadman321]

Is someone else thinking of...... APOCALYPSIS??

This is like "Beware... the final fighting is about to begin..."

[pandore70]

FUCKING AWESOME ! LISTENNING TO THIS IN MY ACTUALLY LIFE IS INSPIRING ME

[digitalshower]

Still have my original copy of SoM from '93 - 32 years old now and this game still makes me relive my younger days. iOS version is great.

[donut33333]

this track has no equal

[PatzeKazama]

i LOVE this song because of its thrilling epicness which I see somehow unfit for a song when flying, the part until 0:24 just has so much power that you can imagine someone unleashing a warcry after focusing

[Monrealese]

A piano student of mine is learning this song. It always makes my day when he brings sheetmusic of SoM :D

[MayaCrystalwing430]

I would fly around the map for no reason just to hear this music... but i really like the first few seconds of this theme... i miss the simplicity of the music in older games...

[dublinky]

IMO, the playing of Prophecy and Star of Darkness should be switched. The music is great, but to have Star of Darkness playing AFTER completing the Pure Land, when dusk has settled and the Mana Fortress (a dark star) is in the sky, seems more appropriate. Especially, after it decimated the Mana Tree.

[geogenetic]

wow i got goosebumps as soon as this started playing

[hehfilms]

You know, I don't think this is really the best song in the soundtrack like everyone says. Honestly, Fear of The Heavens is probably superior, and even it isn't really as good as The Oracle.

[a50745]

The only issue I have with this track is that is really needs to be re-recorded and digitally remastered with the synths we have available today. Do NOT get me wrong...I love this track the way it is artistically, but a competent audio engineer using ProTools to record a live orchestra and/or Logic with the right synths can make the emotions in this song come across much more powerfully.

[a50745]

Open rainymood. com in one window, hit play, adjust the youtube volume accordingly. :)

[jeanclaudevandamme]

@a50745 Awesome. Thank you.

[thantisman]

I used to leave the game running all night to this music, and I had some awesome dreams. only time I couldn't wait to go to bed!



[TheGaminWolf]

Phunk :D

[IsilionNELE]

amazing <3

i wish i could experience this game for the first time again

[xwerefoxx]

@IsilionNELE If you have the Wii you can buy it and download it to your virtual console on the system

[Re1Mu2R3]

This song makes me piss my pants!!!

[PhilosopherGaming]

story was a bit boring and the characters were hardly the most interesting bunch but the music (and gameplay) have to be some of the best on the snes

[kevgan]

Hiroki Kikuta...you legend.

[MrKingsme]

hmmm this one makes me think of a battle in which the whole world is involved and as people lay there lives down the thing on their minds is when will we have peace when will the blood shed end and if it ends will there be a time a time that we will have to rise again to face darkness all over again

[vincent010485]

Best game ever , I actually borowed it from a foolish friend who never saw me or the game ever again, that's our secret guys :) we should all signup on a wish card to squaresoft, can you imagine a secret of mana on PS3 ? a remake of ff7 and secret of mana would make me by a PS3 just for em

[Resuteru]

IMO not the best SoM (That goes to its sequel, however by far BEST music in the 16-Bit Era

[Edition811]

I hope that anyone even a remake of the game but only makes the revised graphics and music and story can be the same.

[MrStrav81]

One of the best on the soundtrack. I wish they continued this as a flight theme even after the Mana Fortress rises.

[SlowDaddie]

if I were a dictator of a small country, this would be the national anthem.



[lolbolletje]

If i get kids, im gonna force them to play this game >:D

[SirFair1]

@lolbolletje Same goes here.

[pineapplepeanuts]

@lolbolletje Got it covered - my little niece loves this game. I recommend it :-)

[Kalenos]

To this day I still remember what i was doing when I first heard htis music in-game. Sitting next to my buddy Santosh with the multi-tap adapter hooked into his SNES chewing away on popcorn while we played a non-stop 39 hour play through of this game. ..fuck we were tired when we finished off the mana beast.

[mhaid2000]

@Kalenos Thats soo awesome. I might try doing that with my cousin and brother one day. :)

[EinherjarLeo]

Things are getting darker from now on and tends to get only worse... I hope you're ready because the game won't have mercy at you anymore.

[KainPyrotic]

Screw purple or orange or whatevercolornameditems you get in modern MMOs.

THIS is the real epic. THIS is the calm before the storm of SAVING THE FUCKING WORLD as it crumbles around you by another badass tapping in to forbidden power that he stole, playing whole kingdoms for fools.

He only made one mistake. He pissed HER off. And she's a bitch.

[ganoninthepit]

Sounds like music from FFX.

[ty2]

@ganoninthepit Hmmmmm . . . . which came first?! I think what you mean is that the music in FFX sounds like this.

[ganoninthepit]

@ty2 I guess. I wasn't making any comparison, just saying it sounds really similar.

[KennyWest84]

EPICNESS AT ITS BEST!! This game saved my childhood!

[XF0N]

bells make everything sound epic!

[FuckDaMedia]

yes!! i love this so much!!! makes u feel like preparing for battle, honestly.

[dexterme]

no bs or anything but when i was in Iraq i would have my squad huddle and gather motivation from this. we all knew it would be a tough night, but the gamer in me remembers playing this and facing tough shit. made a soldier born a gamer.

[Skyrift]

I've always liked this song, largely because of its simplicity. In fact, if you listen to the Secret of Mana OST closely you'll realize that many of the tracks are fairly simple. It's the way they are implemented and how they took full advantage of the Super NES' sound chip that made them so great.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I miss the days of being blown away by incredible musical scores from cartridge games. That sunken continent rising the first time I played gave me chills!

[ryeo998]

@Skyrift

I agree, I bought this game from EB when it came out for 69$ and it was pure gold at the time.  There were no Chrono Triggers or Final Fantasy VI's yet =]

[FuckDaMedia]

@Skyrift u so right, these 16 bit music is has so much feeling ad emotion its fuckin amazing man

[CielBlanche]

@Skyrift How are they simple? Explain it to me.

[09crabtreefalls]

@Skyrift i think back then when technology wasn't so advanced with video games that games couldn't just rely on looking good with todays graphics and they made up for that with fucken awesome stories and music while today they just put shit on a disc and ask you 60 dollars for it whether or not the writers were even any good. don't you think???

[a50745]

I'd like to hear a full symphonic orchestra rendition of this, preferably James Horner or a similar group. Same song, same notes, nothing changed, played the same way, but the instruments replaced with strings, horns, drums, etc in a way digital audio couldn't replicate. Just an idea. I've always loved this track

[DrYabon]

The only song in the world you can go on listening forever and ever.

17 years and I still can get bored of it.

I can't even recount how many hundred of hours I've spent listening this song, probably more than anything else (aside from sleeping).

[mfCHI]

1 person got pwned by a rabite.

[SSF2Zelda]

I remember going on Flammie, running away from the overpowered enemies and stuff, and then hearing this and thinking "no, I have to go back."

Still aren't past the palace.

[robloxfan459]

dude, i would set the game in air mode and just listen to this song for a few minutes. it sucks the song was changed after the palace...thank god i waited so long to free that useless mandrake.

[mopbrothers]

Breath taking music!

[dreamyblueangeleyes]

in the first :22 seconds of this song,i love how the expression of the music keeps getting stronger and stronger!!,one of the most powerful tracks in the entire game!,after the sunken continent rises,flammie saves you,and this emotional epic music is born!,makes you feel the world is in terrible danger because the seals on the world's mana seeds has been broken!,and the grand palace is crawling with dangerous monsters that now stand in your way!!.this was my favorite part of the game!!.

[elbarto94]

My most favourite son of SoM. So fuckin' epic !

[tossunknown]

EPIC

[Amnesiac085]

I remember being like 8 or 9 and playing through this game. When this song came on and the Grand Palace came out of the sea, I thought it was one of the best moments in gaming (at that point in time).

[Seymour13]

@Amnesiac085

It still is.

All things pass, but EPIC is forever :P.

[alexjpowers]

Hahahaha, i was doing my essay while listening to this and it made the essay seem so damn epic

[lordreis]

I was so sad that the flying music changed after I beat the Grand Palace that I though "Wait! I wanna go back just to hear that music again!" It's damn epic!

[gwgux]

@lordreis I thought the exact same thing myself! This is one of the best songs from a game ever and it never seems to get old either!

[Guardian016]

This is not one of my most favourite songs in this game.

This is one of my most favourite songs in my whole life.

[purplecowadoom]

@Guardian016 Don't get me wrong, it's a great song, but if this is your pick for "greatest song ever," than I strongly recommend you play more games. This coming from someone who has never played this game and thus has no bias for or against it, but has played a great number of other games with better tracks than this one.

[THESuperstuntman]

@purplecowadoom no

[purplecowadoom]

@THESuperstuntman No? That's the best you can do? Really? Not trying to lock you into an argument, but if you like something than back it up a little better than that.

I was being completely serious and reasonable here: I can honestly make a list of over 100 songs that are better than this one. Now I could pick from a large surplus of games that everybody ought to know about by now as an example, but I don't even have to do that much. Type this in: Super Adventure Island II - Hiya-Hiya Island

[purplecowadoom]

@purplecowadoom Point proven.

[THESuperstuntman]

@purplecowadoom Haha, I didn't think you'd respond. In any other case, I would agree with you when you tell the highest-rated comment that whatever the vid is about isn't the "best ever" or whatever, but this game happens to have my favorite video game soundtrack ever. Everyone is entitled to their opinion though, of course.

I do have to agree that song you mentioned is pretty sweet.

[Charmolution]

@purplecowadoom

opinions, lol

And he didn't say it was his absolute favourite, just one of his favourites. And I agree, this is probably in my top 50 video game songs. And I listen to a lot of video game songs.

[hotsum0ta]

@Guardian016 word.

[dem8ger]

best game i played it with 8 now im only 14 but noo game is better than thhat

[doominator96]

there should be an extended version of this

[a50745]

I would love to see a full symphony orchestra make a version of this, or a remake in Ableton using the updated synths and drums we have today. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the original, just would be curious at hearing this track really go off the way it should. :)

[shinjason]

i still remember when i first herd this song it gave me a sense of...oh shit something is about to happen this music is just to badass.

[KitKalas]

I imagine a charismatic evil character who appears, walking slowly. XD

(Sorry for my bad english ._.)

[RaDeuX]

I'm really tempted to re-purchase this game on WiiWare...

[kamikazimaniac]

I've listened to this song on repeat for hours before. Probably the best video game song of all time.

[mandlecreed02]

This still gives me goose bumps.

[digitalshower]

@mandlecreed02 I'm now 30 and this still sends chills down my spine...

[HipHop4Life210]

I Just Beat It . I Grew Up Playing It But I Didnt Play It In The Last 8 Years It Felt So Great Playing It Again . I Took My Time Wuth It And Really Enjoyed I Was Level 99 Coming Out Of The Pure Lands But I Never Did Any Level Grinding . But I Did Do Weapon & Magic Grinding . As Soon As I Got A New Orb, Seed Or Magic I Would Drop Everything In The Game And Level Up There Skill . My Favourite Spot For This Was The Sunken & Would Do About 3 Laps At Time

[ccjuju]

@HipHop4Life210 FOR FUCK'S SAKE where did you learn to type like that

[niklasvp]

fuck you who disliked this vid!

[PsychoKrazyTime]

@niklasvp That was me

[whatnamesnottakenyet]

Epic song. There drum beat really makes it IMO

[MrDragyy]

the good old times...

just epic...

[morrisandlola]

this feels like an epic war song.

[JesuitsRule]

Perhaps this only happens on my cartridge of the game, but has anyone else noticed that when this music FIRST plays (right after the sunken continent has risen as you're flying above it on Flammie), the tonal quality or whatever of the song is slightly different? I don't know how to describe it -- perhaps something has a higher pitch, or some element is missing; at the very beginning it's almost like the notes are being "plucked" on strings, rather than ringing.

[yukiepants]

@JesuitsRule The reason it sounds different is really cool: It has no echo effect at that point. if you have the chiptune, you can play either the echoed or non-echoed Star of Darkness. it's a neat difference.

[JesuitsRule]

@yukiepants -- Thanks for explaining that; that's interesting! I wonder if they did that deliberately, or if it's perhaps some sort of sound glitch?

[laughingfurry]

@JesuitsRule

Could be deliberate. Cartridge sounds run in channels. If they had all echo effects on a seperate channel from the actual song, then they could simply turn the echo channel off. I remember a few games where I played around with the channels by screwing around with the sound effects while pausing or fading a track.  Since some games had certain sound effects on the same channel as certain song parts, messing with those sound effects resulted in messing with that channel.

[jacek187]

good old times

[Kryptosio]

most epic song...thats when the game gets really hard bye one step..i really love it,even if i havent played it for years.

just epic

[elopez4024]

uber epic

[shadowphantom2]

My ears thank you Mr. Conley

[GorgonBull35]

This level was amazing because of its music and difficulty. My sister and I still play this game and can't stop listening to this music.

[therealkraas]

This was always my favorite song from this game.

[Flip50505050]

Best song ever made. Best game ever made ;)

[GenoCheese]

I like this song. The beat is rather militaristic.

[RubyKowalewicz]

I'm in love again. *plays the game'

Even after 13 years...it's still so awesome!

[Dadalama]

I kinda thing this is better for the mana fortress than leave time for love. Mind I like the song, this one just feels that much more epic. Kind of like the world is ending.

[GreaderXX]

Just went trough that part of the game again. The atmosphere is amazing together with this music.

First you hear that all off your hard work is about to be for nothing, since they are about to revive the Mana Fortress. Then you fight your way trough the underground part.

When you finaly made it to the surface, you see that you still have some things to get done till you're trough. And this music sort of says then "it may be hard, but you made it to this point, so you can do it",

[EinherjarLeo]

I hated that silver slime thing that spammed the hell of more silver bugs that I couldn't hit with normal attacks and kept setting my characters on fire, not mention when it spammed that ridiculously overpowered, for the part of the game, Silver Hedgehog thing that would kill everyone in a single fucking hit.

[shadowphantom2]

Every time I listen to this song I imagine a Lighting Bolt striking at the sound of the bell at 0:26.

[Voliko1]

This has got to be the most epic moment in any game I have ever played. Everyone is outside of the palace, trying to fathom what has happened. It was perfect

[ArcticEdgeForever]

Man, the first time this song played was like the most epic gaming moment ever. I wish SE could recreate that feeling because dang, it was so stunning.

[GorgonBull35]

This was epic, especially for a long palace such as the Tree Palace

[Druuna89X]

its too bad all the "sequels" if you will couldnt match up to the awesome that is this game.

[reillo9]

@Druuna89X well, this game is snes made in the 90's, which id like to call "the golden era or rpgs"

[Standeck23]

I just made a Cover Version of that Song! Stay Tuned.

[Carrotha]

This music is like something epic is going to happen, like this is the calm before the storm. One of my favourites.

[DiscusvissenRocken]

it rlly does embody that, totally agree here. funny since it isn't far from the truth, as the Empire, or better said Thanatos actually gains the Mana Fortress and hell breaks loose

[ZeldaGamingMan]

Best RPG of all time. Best vg soundtrack of all time.

[TheZimmi1]

one of the best games ever. The music is so powerful. awesome

[mandlecreed02]

This tune. Just. Wow. Even after all these years of playing, still gives me goose bumps.

[Ryosaku14]

OOOOH man! I love this song! This is like when adventure starts to take its place and you go through the huge palace. When you see it for the first time if you were playing it when it was released you are like "Wow this song is awesome! And hey these monsters look decent." Anyway thats what I think.

[Rachanol]

One of the best games ever. Fuck Dragon Age , Fuck Gothic, Fuck Oblivion and so on.... These games have no heart.

[nastynate3163]

Amen.

[m3v0t]

@Rachanol morrowind best, and wait for skyrim

[Melyne]

Gameplay, soundtracks, unforgettable game!!!

I remember the sleepless nights my bro and I had playing that game!

im 25 today and i could probably play that game eyes close xD

man they should make a remake!

[Gray99]

Me too! During my junior high summer break, I ate spent 10:30am to 4:00pm eating Asian food, while playing this!

Of course I had to take a piss break and a rest now and then!

[DiscusvissenRocken]

definately agree they should make a remake :D

[Melyne]

@DiscusvissenRocken

until then i'll keep playing the original xD

[DiscusvissenRocken]

same here :D and even is there is a remake, i wont toss the original aside :)

[Melyne]

@DiscusvissenRocken

true heh! how can you beat something already so great and perfect ;)

[Xeogred]

When the island lifts up out of the water... seriously probably one of the most breathtaking moments I've ever seen in the grand SNES days.

[hyastu]

i'll never forget this box art!!!

[KairuToGo]

This...has...got...to...be...t­he...most...epic...song...EVER XD

Again, the level sucked, but the music was the most uber thing ever :)

MP3 download plz :3

[tollpatsch1986]

there is no level that sucks in secret of mana :)

[KairuToGo]

Well... it was a more annoying level than most of the other ones.

This one in particular was the longest level in the game.

[ImmortalAcorn]

@tollpatsch1986 The part at the very end where it was like... "This is the end of the game, so now you gotta play something else!" That sucked.

[Re1Mu2R3]

@tollpatsch1986 Didn't suck but weird when you got a subway full of Zombies. That's something out an R.L. Stein book...

The Hexas scared the shit out of me though...

[Melamamoduro]

@tollpatsch1986 * ... yotch part is so anoying*

[P2J6O8]

@KairuToGo

You can buy the soundtrack on CD on amazon.

[mangamusicfan]

@KairuToGo uhm dude nothing in secret of mana sucks:P

maby this part where to much bosses but it's a good part

[Mannetasi]

@KairuToGo agreed this music is my favorite from secret of mana ever!!

PS: try this site if you want to find the soundtrack bluelagunadotnet

[Tomosies]

@KairuToGo Yeah if you didn't realize you were close to the end of the game at this point... this music made it pretty damn clear.

[mangamusicfan]

@KairuToGo it did not suck it's only verry much story related.

[Devast8ion]

This one hell of an epic song.

[Primer9]

hell yea it matches the area too

[masamuneMTS]

This song reminds me of Chrono Cross for some reason

[Soultrigger]

At first I was confused because you listed Premonition as the 2nd Flight Theme when this one is actually the 2nd Flight Theme. But then I realized it was due to the fact that it was mainly the Grand Palace Theme. Confusing!

Thanks for uploading.

[OmegaDude22]

First time I heard this I got half and half scared. This ong imo really conveys the 'bad stuff about top happen' theme.

[Blade1550isback]

this game in my opinion is way better than chrono trigger =D

alot of people tend to say that chrono trigger had the most epic music, which i think is untrue the music in CH sounds recycled from final fantasy.

secret of mana however sound nothing like FF! its completely original :D

[HomnisNoctrnia]

Why do you think SoM has about 4 sequels and CT is left with 1?

[majicodemejico]

nooooooooo. I love this music so much, really I do, but don't discredit the merit of chrono trigger's music. It sounds nothing like what nobuo uematsu had been doing until then.

I personally try to refrain from comparing this ost with chrono trigger's, mostly because they are very different composers, hiroki kikuta and yasunori mitsuda. I will continue in next post...

[majicodemejico]

Hiroki Kikuta is a master in his own right, particularly when it comes to incorporating several melodies into a single song. Take a look at the stuff that starts at 0:48, with some strings providing harmony and what sounds like piano arpeggios (i'm probably wrong here) and then ends with the bell chimes, that's sort of what I mean he can do extremely well. However...

[majicodemejico]

You must acknowledge there is some brilliance in mitsuda's work, for example in "memories of green" of chrono trigger. It features some similar arpeggiated piano notes(again i might be wrong here) but incorporates a cool melody which is very appropiate for the "time" concepts in the game. Anyway, I'm trying too hard to sound professional here. I just ask you to listen to "To Far Away Times", which is probably the highest point in the game's music. In particular, the stuff around 2:40 or so.

[majicodemejico]

ok i'm done hijacking the comment board. In short, all I'm saying is that you shouldn't just disregard chrono trigger's music, even if you have preference over this, which is perfectly fine since this is such an amazing OST. The way I see it, why take a preference when both composers and both OSTs are so great?

[Blade1550isback]

epic as hell ^o^

[Guardian016]

This song makes me strong. Not just physically, but it gives me a feeling that I'm standing on a wilderness just determinedly...

[longebane]

that's odd as this is supposed to be a hopeless feeling song

[PsychoticLuke]

I agree with Guardian016 - it kind of strengthens me as well. Boosts my spirit.

[Bullfrog91945]

Oddly enough, Guardian016 and longebane are both right. It's a song of defeat; however, it conveys a note of hope and perseverance

[Marratoschka]

either way u didnt play this game or u were just mistaken. As a Matter of Fact this awesome Track is Dryads Palace Theme after the Seal was broken from the Emporor and the Mana Fortress has arisen from the Sea.

[Bullfrog91945]

And your point is...?

[Marratoschka]

My Point is just the way I responded to you earlier. ThiS Track belongs in Dryads Palace.

[Bullfrog91945]

I think we know that by now. After all, no other Palace is nown as the Grand palace escept for Dryad's Palace. The point WE were arguing about is not the location, but how the song is supposed to be felt. If you read the comments again, you will clearly see that.

[Marratoschka]

ok xD I gotta hand it to you . you just remained calm and didn't insult me. I Apologize; I didn't read it clearly ...

[daeus82]

Ultimate!

[finaljakk]

Yet another to favourite xD

[TheSteppinRazor]

Oooh, gives me chills of nostelga and awe. Haven't heard this in years and years.

[PsyKKo]

you're so right, bro.

[yashilyo]

i love start 0:23

[zebrakeber1902]

Yeah.I love this song :-)