Composer: Rainbowdragoneyes
The Messenger Soundtrack is a collection of music tracks that play in The Messenger. The soundtrack was solely composed by chiptune artist Rainbowdragoneyes. The collection is officially released as three separate original soundtracks, "Disc I: The Past," "Disc II: The Future," and "Picnic Panic." "Disc I: The Past" and "Disc II: The Future" encompass the music of the main game, while "Picnic Panic" encompasses the music of the Picnic Panic DLC.
The soundtrack of The Messenger contains both 8-bit era and 16-bit era chiptune music, in order to reflect the time-traveling gameplay mechanic. As the player travels through time rifts in order to explore the world, they transition between two distinct eras of time that are separated by 500 years; the "past" is 8-bit, while the "future" is 16-bit. The music tracks, along with the video game's graphics, transition seamlessly between the 8-bit era and 16-bit era.
"Disc I: The Past" consists of 8-bit music created with the FamiTracker tracker program, arranged using the VRC6 audio expansion.[1] This chip, which has three additional sound channels, is notably used in games such as Shovel Knight and the Japanese version of Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse.[2][1] "Disc II: The Future" consists of Sega Genesis-style 16-bit music created with DefleMask.[1] "Picnic Panic" contains both 8-bit and 16-bit music. Unlike the "Disc I: The Past" and "Disc II: The Future" soundtracks, which only loop each track once, the "Picnic Panic" soundtrack loops most of its tracks twice.
External Links[]
| Platform | Disc I | Disc II | Picnic Panic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Music | Disc I | Disc II | Picnic Panic |
| Apple Music | Disc I | Disc II | Picnic Panic |
| Bandcamp | Disc I | Disc II | Picnic Panic |
| Deezer | Disc I | Disc II | Picnic Panic |
| Pandora | Disc I | Disc II | Picnic Panic |
| SoundCloud | Disc I | Disc II | Picnic Panic |
| Spotify | Disc I | Disc II | Picnic Panic |
| Steam | Disc I, Disc II, and Picnic Panic | ||
| TIDAL | Disc I | Disc II | Picnic Panic |
| YouTube | Disc I | Disc II | Picnic Panic |
Bandcamp Music Players[]
The Messenger (Original Soundtrack) Disc I: The Past[]
The Messenger (Original Soundtrack) Disc II: The Future[]
The Messenger: Picnic Panic (Original Soundtrack)[]
List of Songs[]
The Messenger (Original Soundtrack) Disc I: The Past[]
| Track # | Name | Length | Where it plays |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Messenger is Needed (Introduction) | 01:10 | Intro cutscene |
| 2 | Ninja's Respite (Ninja Village) | 01:15 | Ninja Village (8-bit) |
| 3 | Hills of Destiny (Autumn Hills) | 01:25 | Autumn Hills (8-bit) |
| 4 | Detritus Risen (Autumn Hills Boss) | 00:46 | Leaf Monster boss theme |
| 5 | Forgotten (Forlorn Temple) | 02:24 | Forlorn Temple (8-bit) |
| 6 | Into the Depths (Catacombs) | 01:59 | Catacombs (8-bit) |
| 7 | Ruxxtin the Great | 00:47 | Ruxxtin boss theme |
| 8 | Bamboo Boogaloo (Bamboo Creek) | 02:00 | Bamboo Creek (8-bit) |
| 9 | Harness the Winds (Howling Grotto) | 01:50 | Howling Grotto (8-bit) |
| 10 | Quillshroom's Horrors (Quillshroom Marsh) | 02:12 | Quillshroom Marsh (8-bit) |
| 11 | Turmoil & Treachery | 00:43 | Emerald Golem boss theme Queen of Quills boss theme |
| 12 | Impossible Ascent (Searing Crags) | 02:11 | Searing Crags (8-bit) |
| 13 | Colos & Suses | 01:42 | Colos & Suses boss theme |
| 14 | The Frozen Light (Glacial Peak) | 02:01 | Glacial Peak (8-bit) |
| 15 | The Time Gauntlet (Tower of Time) | 01:43 | Tower of Time |
| 16 | The Arcane Golem | 01:36 | Arcane Golem boss theme |
| 17 | Leap of Faith | 00:48 | Cutscene that occurs in the Tower of Time after defeating the Arcane Golem |
| 18 | The Arcane Shoppe | 02:02 | The Shop (8-bit) |
| 19 | A Home Amongst the Clouds (Cloud Ruins) | 01:59 | Cloud Ruins (8-bit) |
| 20 | Find a Way (Dark Cave) | 01:32 | Colos & Suses boss prelude Dark Cave (8-bit) |
| 21 | The Poisoned River (Riviére Turquoise) | 01:55 | Rivière Turquoise (8-bit) |
| 22 | The Bat Matriarch | 01:37 | Butterfly Matriarch boss theme (8-bit) |
| 23 | Beneath the Tides (Sunken Shrine) | 02:10 | Sunken Shrine (8-bit) |
| 24 | Fire & Earth (Elemental Skylands) | 02:04 | Elemental Skylands (8-bit) |
| 25 | The Demon Army (Underworld) | 01:32 | Underworld (8-bit) |
| 26 | The Corrupted Past | 01:56 | Corrupted Future (8-bit) |
| 27 | To Break the Curse (Music Box) | 02:02 | Music Box (8-bit) |
| 28 | Phantom of Yore (Final Boss) | 01:54 | Phantom boss theme (8-bit) |
| 29 | Convocation of the Curse | 08:28 | Music Box cutscene |
The Messenger (Original Soundtrack) Disc II: The Future[]
| Track # | Name | Length | Where it plays |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ninja's Reprieve (Ninja Village) | 01:15 | Ninja Village (16-bit) |
| 2 | Hills of Intent (Autumn Hills) | 01:25 | Autumn Hills (16-bit) |
| 3 | Remembered and Forgotten (Forlorn Temple) | 02:24 | Forlorn Temple (16-bit) |
| 4 | Return to the Depths (Catacombs) | 01:59 | Catacombs (16-bit) |
| 5 | Bamboo Boogaloo II (Bamboo Creek) | 02:00 | Bamboo Creek (16-bit) |
| 6 | Harnessing the Wind (Howling Grotto) | 01:50 | Howling Grotto (16-bit) |
| 7 | The Queendom of Quills (Quillshroom Marsh) | 02:12 | Quillshroom Marsh (16-bit) |
| 8 | To the Top (Searing Crags) | 02:11 | Searing Crags (16-bit) |
| 9 | The Frozen Dark (Glacial Peak) | 02:01 | Glacial Peak (16-bit) |
| 10 | The Tower of Time | 01:43 | Tower of Time HQ |
| 11 | The Shopkeeper | 02:02 | The Shop (16-bit) |
| 12 | Civilization in the Sky (Cloud Ruins) | 01:59 | Cloud Ruins (16-bit) |
| 13 | Evil Manfred | 01:20 | Manfred boss theme |
| 14 | Know the Way (Dark Cave) | 01:32 | Dark Cave (16-bit) |
| 15 | The Blue River (Riviére Turquoise) | 01:55 | Rivière Turquoise (16-bit) |
| 16 | Sacred Grove | 00:41 | Butterfly Matriarch cutscenes |
| 17 | The Butterfly Matriarch | 01:37 | Butterfly Matriarch boss theme |
| 18 | Beneath the Surface (Sunken Shrine) | 02:10 | Sunken Shrine (16-bit) |
| 19 | A Hero's Gift | 01:28 | Guardian Gods cutscene |
| 20 | Water & Wind (Elemental Skylands) | 02:04 | Elemental Skylands (16-bit) |
| 21 | The Clockwork Concierge | 01:37 | Clockwork Concierge boss theme |
| 22 | The Demon's Lair (Underworld) | 01:32 | Underworld (16-bit) |
| 23 | Barma'thazël | 00:31 | Barma'thazël prelude |
| 24 | The Demon King | 01:05 | Barma'thazël boss theme Demon King boss theme |
| 25 | Manfred, the Sky Serpent | 01:51 | Cutscene that occurs with Manfred after defeating Barma'thazël |
| 26 | The Corrupted Future | 01:56 | Corrupted Future (16-bit) |
| 27 | Abomination Beyond Words | 01:29 | Abomination chase sequence (16-bit) |
| 28 | A Melody to Break the Curse (Music Box) | 02:02 | Music Box (16-bit) |
| 29 | Phantom's Legacy (Final Boss) | 01:54 | Phantom boss theme (16-bit) |
| 30 | Staff Roll (End Credits) | 04:04 | Credits |
The Messenger: Picnic Panic (Original Soundtrack)[]
| Track # | Name | Length | Where it plays |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Picnic Panic Theme | 00:54 | Picnic Panic credits |
| 2 | Overgunned (Intro) | 01:03 | Picnic Panic intro cutscene |
| 3 | Impact Zone (Surf) | 02:33 | Open Sea |
| 4 | Sea Beast (Surf Boss) | 01:28 | Octo boss theme |
| 5 | The Tiki Shoppe | 02:13 | The Shop (Picnic Panic, 8-bit) |
| 6 | Shoreline Showdown (Beach) | 02:27 | Voodkin Shore (8-bit) |
| 7 | Barma'thazël (Past) | 00:37 | Cutscene that occurs with Barma'thazël on Voodkin Shore after defeating Octo |
| 8 | Basalt Assault (Volcano) | 03:08 | Fire Mountain (8-bit) |
| 9 | Deadly Dash (Volcano Chase) | 01:30 | Dark Messenger battle (8-bit) |
| 10 | The Tiki Shopkeeper | 02:13 | The Shop (Picnic Panic, 16-bit) |
| 11 | Tropical Tussle (Beach) | 02:27 | Voodkin Shore (16-bit) |
| 12 | The Ritual (Beach Boss) | 01:20 | Voodoo Totem boss theme |
| 13 | Eruption Hazard (Volcano) | 03:08 | Fire Mountain (16-bit) |
| 14 | He Looks Familiar... | 00:30 | Cutscene that occurs with Monk at the peak of Fire Mountain |
| 15 | Landslide (Volcano Chase) | 01:29 | Dark Messenger battle (16-bit) |
| 16 | Doppelgänger | 00:30 | Cutscene that occurs with the Dark Messenger at the peak of Fire Mountain, and with Barma'thething in the Voodoo Heart |
| 17 | Title Bout (Volcano Boss) | 02:32 | Barma'thething boss theme |
| 18 | Wingding (Outro) | 02:53 | Ending picnic at Voodkin Shore |
Unreleased Tracks[]
| Internal Name | Music | Where it plays |
|---|---|---|
| CatacombsCUTSCENE_8 | Ruxxtin's intro song. | |
| HowlingGrottoBOSSINTRO_8 | Emerald Golem's intro song. | |
| QuillshroomBOSSINTRO8 | Queen of Quills's intro song. | |
| ManfredCHASE_16 | Evil Manfred's chase sequence song. | |
| CorruptedFuture8CHASE | The 8-bit version of "Abomination Beyond Words," used in the Abomination chase sequence. | |
| OrganMusic | The song that plays as you approach Phantom's room. | |
| PHANTOMORGAN816 | The organ music that overlays with the final boss music during Phantom's Mask attack. | |
| EndPhantom | The song that plays when the Mask returns during the ending. | |
| TOTEM4_Faster1 | "The Ritual (Beach Boss)" sped up, for Voodoo Totem's phase 2 music. | |
| TOTEM4_Faster2 | "The Ritual (Beach Boss)" sped up again, for Voodoo Totem's phase 3 music. | |
| Description | Music | Where it plays |
| Basalt Assault (Volcano) with Congas | "Basalt Assault (Volcano)" with congas that overlay while inside the volcano portion of Fire Mountain. | |
| Eruption Hazard (Volcano) with Congas | "Eruption Hazard (Volcano)" with congas that overlay while inside the volcano portion of Fire Mountain. |
Trivia[]
- There is a "HEY!" sound effect used in several of the music tracks: Bamboo Creek 16-bit, Howling Grotto 8-bit/16-bit, Elemental Skylands 8-bit/16-bit, and Manfred the Sky Serpent 16-bit. This is a sound sample that Rainbowdragoneyes created by having the entire dev team yell "HEY" into the phone at once.[3]
- Rainbowdragoneyes is the one who says "Picnic Panic" during the song, "Picnic Panic Theme."[4]
- "Staff Roll (End Credits)" employs leitmotifs from several different area songs in the game.[5]
- 0:00-0:32: –––
- 00:33-0:51: Autumn Hills
- 00:52-1:01: Bamboo Creek
- 01:02-1:11: –––
- 01:12-1:31: Glacial Peak
- 01:32-1:55: –––
- 01:56-2:18: Searing Crags
- 02:19-2:39: Quillshroom Marsh
- 02:40-2:51: ––––
- 02:52-4:04: Shop
- There is a musical reference to "Master Ov Time" in the Cloud Ruins music track.[6]
- Rainbowdragoneyes made a "Flowers of Antimony (remix)" music track, which was introduced to the video game, Just Shapes & Beats, with the "Just Shovels & Knights" update. The remix contains a musical reference to the Glacial Peak music track, which occurs around the same time a winged creature resembling Quarble shows up.[7]
Gallery[]
Artwork for Disc I: The Past.
Artwork for Disc II: The Future.
Larger version of the Disc I and Disc II soundtrack artwork.
Artwork for the Picnic Panic OST.
The front of the official vinyl cover.
The back of the official vinyl cover.
The official vinyl song list artwork.
See Also[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/08/feature_how_the_messenger_aims_to_fuse_ninja_gaiden_metroid_and_castlevania_on_switch
- ↑ https://www.yachtclubgames.com/blog/breaking-the-nes/
- ↑ File:Citation HEY! 1.jpg
File:Citation HEY! 2.png - ↑ File:Citation Picnic Panic Trailer.png
- ↑ File:Citation Staff Roll (End Credits) Leitmotif.png
- ↑ https://twitter.com/rnbwdragoneyes/status/1060332162111553536
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb4Dcy_eNUA&t=85
_Leitmotif.png){kind=link}
| The Messenger | |
|---|---|
| Game | The Messenger • Picnic Panic • Version History • New Game + |
| Gameplay | Characters • Bosses • Enemies • Locations • Items • Achievements |
| Lore | The Shopkeeper's Stories • The Shopkeeper's Cabinet Rants • Cinematic Cutscenes • Runes • Developer Interviews • Thierry's Lore Tidbits • Barma'thazël's Revenge • The Messenger 2: Curse of Quills |
| ARG | The Archivist • The Fleshmancer • The Kids • Keenathan • Wentworth • The Archives • Clockwork Castle |
| Media | The Messenger Soundtrack |