Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon, the game that didn't make it to America...for a reason. Most people will let you know that the game was downright horrible. However, most people never finish the game and neglect to appreciate what could be some of the most creative musical work to come from Squaresoft.

Ever since purchasing the SaGa Frontier 2 OST, I have become a big Hamauzu fan. However, he really hasn't done much with Squaresoft yet. It's just SF2, this, and a couple tracks from other Square CDs. This soundtrack, while not the same style as SF2, retains the composer's feel and the composer's synth usage. Not only that, but there are some GREAT orchestrated tracks going on here.

The opening and ending tracks are orchestrated, as well as both tracks on the bonus 8cm. The songs on the 8cm disc are AWESOME! I love these songs! The best part is that Chocobo's theme and a Christmas feel really go well together. These two little tracks make this CD a worthwhile purchase on its own, but then there's a whole OST that comes with it! At least, that's the way I like to see it.

Some of the OST tracks are bland, but most of them are very upbeat and fun-lovin' light-hearted goodness from Hamauzu. Let's just put it this way: If you like the way SaGa Frontier 2's music sounds, you're gonna like this at least as much, if not more! This soundtrack is (in my opinion) MUCH better than the Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon 2 OST, and thus worth a purchase for at least $30.

And then the bad news: This soundtrack is very hard to find anywhere. I now give you my standard answer: wait for it on eBay. I encourage you to listen to these samples and take these words to heart...This is some GREAT GREAT music!

Reviewed by: Patrick Gann