Podcast Episode 9: Character Themes of Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI continues shine as one of the best RPGs of the SNES era, as well as one of the best games on the system at all. While there are many aspects of the game that remain memorable to this day, the soundtrack stands out as a shining example of both leitmotif and Uematsu’s ability to navigate the limitations of hardware. In this episode, Simon Elchlepp and Gregory Fisher discuss some of their favorite character themes from the score, delving into both how those themes help develop the characters as well as how the character growth is represented in the evolution of those themes over the course of the game.
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Episode 9: Character Themes of Final Fantasy VI
Speakers:
Simon Elchlepp
Gregory Fisher
Editor:
Tiago Rodrigues
Producer:
Emily McMillan
Opening track:
“Sonic’s Dilemma”, Renzo G. Heredia, 2016
Posted on October 12, 2017 by Emily McMillan. Last modified on January 28, 2018.
Emily McMillan A native and lifelong Texan, I currently work in software education while contributing news, reviews, and interviews to VGMO on the side. I love the feeling that comes with the discovery of a brand new soundtrack, and always look forward to the next rekindling of that excitement.
Outside of VGMO, I enjoy playing piano, listening to classical music and film scores, and trying to go unnoticed in any stealth RPG I can find.
*SPOILER ALERT*
Per the discussion about Locke’s ending, the scene does unfold differently if Locke isn’t present. Unlike most of the scenes, which more or less disappear without the playable character being there, Locke still gets an ending scene of sorts. As you say, you can find it on YouTube! I won’t spoil it here, but it’s worth taking a look at.
This is an awesome episode in the podcast series. FFVI is one of my all-time favorite games, and definitely has some of Final Fantasy’s best character themes.
Cool, thanks for this! I need to have a look at this on YouTube. Really fun to think of FFVI as a game with different endings – maybe not quite Chrono Trigger-style, but more so than one might remember. I wonder about the scenes that disappear when the characters are not in your party – does their theme still play? I would imagine so, considering the complexities Uematsu-san and the sound team would have faced otherwise. If their theme plays, what’s shown on screen – just the respective character’s name and symbol/item?
*SPOILER ALERT*
Per the discussion about Locke’s ending, the scene does unfold differently if Locke isn’t present. Unlike most of the scenes, which more or less disappear without the playable character being there, Locke still gets an ending scene of sorts. As you say, you can find it on YouTube! I won’t spoil it here, but it’s worth taking a look at.
This is an awesome episode in the podcast series. FFVI is one of my all-time favorite games, and definitely has some of Final Fantasy’s best character themes.
Hi Stephen,
Cool, thanks for this! I need to have a look at this on YouTube. Really fun to think of FFVI as a game with different endings – maybe not quite Chrono Trigger-style, but more so than one might remember. I wonder about the scenes that disappear when the characters are not in your party – does their theme still play? I would imagine so, considering the complexities Uematsu-san and the sound team would have faced otherwise. If their theme plays, what’s shown on screen – just the respective character’s name and symbol/item?
Glad you enjoyed the episode!