I'm probably not the first person to say this, but Pokémon Sword and Shield actually has itemized sound control, but it's hidden behind finding a random NPC who gives you an item that allows you to do so.
@@LycanMOON some weird guy in Motostoke gives you a pair of “Hi-tech earbuds” which is a key item, but is not usable as an item. It adds option in the sound settings.
My favorite part about the sound is how the pokemons cries are varied and arent always the same and they happen in battle when they do their “warcry animation” it makes them feel animal like, like a dog growling when warding off another dog. Or an intimidation display, it just makes them feel more alive audibly i hope they keep them doing that in scarlet and violet
There's something small in Giratina's theme, specifically when entering their second phase, the "heart beat" percussion stops and mimics a flatline on a heart monitor. Only for the beats to suddenly return back from the dead and pick up a rapid pace to signal the phase change. It signals the surprise of something dead coming back to life, like a battle you thought was over only for it to have another phase.
One of my favourite things in Legends Arceus are how the Poke balls look, act and sound compared to "modern" balls mass-produced by Silph Co. We've all seen how they have a bamboo design, and they're hand crafted from apricorns (which was established in Gold/Silver with Kurt being the one person who still hand makes poke balls from apricorns), but the modern day balls are very robotic, with lights on the button to confirm a successful capture alongside more electronic noises, etc. The balls in Arceus have a metal latch to manually keep them shut, and have a small firework that pops out to confirm capture, the sort of firework people could make by hand. The game is full of some really thoughtful world building and I loved every second of it. Thanks for the video Scruffy.
This is a bit of a spoiler but there's also a certain type of Pokeball you get around the end of the story that's interesting. When you use it to catch a Pokemon, unlike the other "old" Pokeballs in Legends Arceus, it instead mirrors the behavior of a "modern" Pokeball. It does 3 shakes, then emits a pulse of light to confirm a catch.
Fireworks are such a great way to get that audio/visual feedback players are used to while still being diagetic. Then they reused the built-in launcher by turning it on its head for rockets in the trade animation.
I think Scruffy started from general game explaining before music. His style matches the quality of the games, so his video has a very connected presentation. I honestly didn't notice until your comment.
9:18 That entire melody was used for the Gamefreak logo as well and I was surprised to hear it used beyond the title screen. Using it for summoning Arceus makes it feel like Gamefreak is the actual "god" of pokemon, and Arceus is their avatar.
That “unused” track from Red/Green was used in a later Pokémon game. In fact, it was used in Diamond and Pearl. It’s the Clefairy bonus round from the slots, very fitting fir the Clefairy Moon Festival
I'm surprised you didn't mention the sound effect for shiny pokemon. It's such a distinct and exciting sound that's deliberately designed to alert you to the shiny pokemon's presence, even from a distance. It plays as soon as the pokemon is loaded on the screen (even if it's behind something or on a cliff, out of the player's vision), and makes it really difficult to miss a shiny appearance if you play with sound on. Maybe it's just me, but I love what they did with that.
it's not exactly when it is loaded on screen. I have recognized a shiny before the jingle plays and sparkles show(it was a psyduck and i love its shiny so i recognized it immediately). But the fact that it is so distinctive and it plays even if you can't see the pokemon is very appreciated. there are sounds in the game at a similar register and tone but as far as i could tell, none of them progress upwards and if they did move up it was a very earthy tone instead of the twinkly jingle.
The best part is that there are two different jingles for when you send a shiny you own out and when a shiny spawns so that you don’t mistake one for the other in the off chance you send one out the moment one spawns or you mistake your own for a wild one
hearing that shiny jingle is so exciting, and it really helps you not miss one if you stop right when you hear it and then save. Shiny hunting in general is very fun in this game, with shiny alphas being a thing
@@willirwin4528 yeah, reminds me of when i found my shiny gyarados. it was the one flying around obsidian fieldlands and i wasn't close enough to trigger the sound and without any feather balls so i was like "oh. a red gyarados. cool" completely forgetting it wasnt a scripted encounter like in the Johto games. then the shiny sound played and i remembered what game i was playing and the panic *immediately* set in 😭
I liken it to how after running laps in Gym classes, you run a slower and much more paced out lap to wind down and help relax your body after extraneous exercise. I often find myself falling asleep to Hisuian Jublife's theme when playing PL:A at night, just because of how relaxing it is.
The music was a big part of what made this game so special to me Diamond and Pearl were the first mainline Pokémon games I’ve ever played through and beaten, with that said when I was heading to The Heartwood I thought the music was so peaceful and beautiful reminding me of Eterna Forest in many ways but the moment it ACTUALLY transitioned to the Eterna Forest medley that we all know it hit me hard with emotions
Love the little jingle the game makes every time you capture a pokemon. The sound design of this game really carries a lot of the weight of what makes the game so good, you don't get caught up waiting to see if something works because the sound effect immediately tells you if you were successful or failed, and you can just keep moving on your way.
Regardless of sound design, being able to walk away without waiting for results is a big part of what makes that work. It really improves the pace of an otherwise repetitive experience.
Pokemon Arceus was the first pokemon game i actually played myself, instead of watchig others play. I'd read the manga, but that was it. It's one of my favorite games i've ever played. My fav musical part of the game was how Jubilife's theme changed over time when making progress.
There is a really cool and small sound detail in legends arceus. Wen it's raining in game and you walk over to your tent you can hear the rain falling on it. I just love the small details they put in to the game.
Glad you talked about Legends Arceus. Hearing musical callbacks in Legends Arceus felt like a special reward to people who played previous games, while also making it so if people revisited those games those ties are made stronger.
One of my favorite parts of P:LA was the Hisuian Avalugg fight, the scale of this 40 foot tall monster makes you feel in actual danger. Also the rushes of wind makes you feel more in danger on the tiny ledge you are put on!
This was my first Pokemon game ever, and I gotta say, one of the things that stood out the most was the music. Still get chills when I hear that transition when you send out a Pokemon to fight a stunned noble boss. You get those Pokemon vibes from the original TV show that I loved so much as a kid, so freaking cool man.
i dont know why but every time im in the heartwood and the eterna forest bit starts i get very emotional its not the only soundtrack to do so in the game but it happens the most with it
I absolutely love the music of this game, the motifs and the new interpretation of the songs are the unspoken MVPs of the game, imagine you're just chilling and suddenly you hear part of the Eternia Forest theme, I went to the pond nearby and just sat to actually listen to the music. Taking things slowly is a must to truly experience this game imo, I hope that we get a new installment for another region with this much care put into it
Now imagine this (I’m not trying to be negative by the way). Just imagine if BotW had done this to some extent, that game would’ve been so much better. Legends arceus really felt so much better actually having music in it, and makes me think BotW would’ve worked better with it. Im not even nostalgic for the songs in legends because I’ve never played gen 4. The music is that good.
@@MarcusTalks1 Agreed, the composers really went out of their way to make memorable tunes that don't necessarily rely on nostalgia to be seen as good or memorable, as for BOTW, we have BOTW2 coming out soon so we can expect the sound design to have improved, or at least taken to a new, improved direction, crank up that nostalgia to 4 and make players stop to listen the motifs when they hear them, make them remember the experiences that are attached to the tunes, make the player know where they are by small hints in the track, let them imagine why the scenery changed it did, make them want to learn about the past of a desert with ruins, make them want to speak to everyone to satisfy and feed the curiosity of the player until they can piece everything together. Hopefully BOTW2 developers make good use of what they have to work with and hopefully they will make a game that they can be forever proud to have worked on
@@Extractor1907 well that does sound exciting to think about. I’m afraid it won’t happen. I believe it’s been stated on record that the devs didn’t want to “put music in for no reason because it’s nostalgic” but honestly that kinda how nostalgia works. The only nostalgic songs in BotW are both the day and night variants of horse riding, and it could be argued that death mountain has the Zelda 1 final dungeon them, but that barely registers unless you have a good ear and remember that song. And any songs they could put in to reference BotW in the sequel, would probably be a one off riff of a character theme. I’d really love to be wrong though, I don’t hate BotW, it just isn’t my favorite game in the series (it barely edges out Zelda 1 on my list of the games I’ve played). The gameplay and soundtrack were just too big of a change for me.
@@MarcusTalks1 I know that BOTW isn't too big on using motifs, that's the reason I wanted it to be cranked to 4, though I suppose they know what they are aiming for so it's no surprise that they may elect to focus on making new and original tracks for the game
Almost hope not. Would be very great, but I also kinda don't want any of the modern day Pokémon games to usurp Gen 5's sound design. Not my precious!! 🤣
It's the little touches that make both video games and your videos- I love the Griseous Orb symbolizing late-game spoilers! I think the dynamic music in Arceus is a little jarring at times- opening the menu during a battle cuts out a lot of the instruments, but it feels too sudden for me- but other moments, like starting a battle with a Noble and defeating the postgame boss, have their songs transition smoothly and adds depth.
the amount of work and effort that goes into every moment of these videos does not go unnoticed. the audio, the visuals, the information, the *animation.* You never cease to amaze me with these, both in the depth of information you provide, and the depth of creativity and polish you bring to the video itself x Absolutely incredible.
I didn't actually know that the Azure Flute was never released! As a kid I didn't have a way to get the event pokemon and just used an action replay to unlock them haha
I'm loving this new animated Scruffy! Walking around the environments of the game they're talking about... Having your avatar really be there, makes it feel really grounded: like at 4:11 when they put their hands on their ears to hear the sound while demonstrating the concept of 2D sound is such a lovely detail. It reminds me of a comic called Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, in that the narrator talks from the medium that is demonstrated. I'm a big sucker for that kind of stuff!
I'm literally playing that game right now and I was so happy to see this notification I've never been a lot into pokemon but Legends Arceus is definitely my favorite one
I love how perfecetly you use every dimension of video as a medium. Visually there's the beautiful hand-painted sketch backdrops, seamlessly incorporated with 2D and 3D animations. And the sound! each video's soundscape is so well-crafted to the topic at hand, its beautiful and unlike any other youtuber I've seen. These videos are so inspirational, I love them.
Legends has some amazing sound design. From the first few hours of playing, I noticed the different footstep sounds immediately. It's one of those things I always listen for in games because it helps add just that extra bit of immersion, and also because there's no voice acting in the game, which makes it easier to listen to those specific sounds uninterrupted. I also really loved the Jubilife Village music. I noticed at first it sounded a bit bland and same-y, but after completing the quest to get more residents, I noticed it had some more substance to it. I recognized the tune and was filled with so much joy. Later in the game when it completed, I just sat there and listened to it for a few minutes. That's something I don't really do in games. Also, my adventures in shiny hunting made me appreciate the music in some areas more, since I had to listen out for the sparkles. The Heartwood music in particular is absolutely whimsical to me, probably one of my top favorite tracks in the entire game.
When I saw your video about Legends Arceus I got thrilled, thank you for analyzing it, as someone who played it a lot, the thing that amazed me were the little easter eggs and discoveries you make in themes and jingles while playing. Your videos make me pay more attention to music and sound design in games like never before, thanks!
asa PLA enjoyer I love love LOVE this video. all the little bits you pointed out are some of my favourite parts of the game's atmosphere! one of the few things I wish they'd improved on with the sound though is that the overworld music doesn't really blend that nicely. one moment I'll be jamming to the Cobalt Coastlands music, but then the moment a machop sees me the music is GONE and I am FORCED to listen to that DAMN "ooooh you're being chased!" music until I beat it up or hop onto a noble to get away. it's just not yummy. (also, I'd recommend pronouncing "arceus" with the hard c. it can kinda sound like "arse" otherwise, and I being from the UK was giggling the whole way through hehe)
That's a major gripe I have with a lot of open-world games, actually. Breath of the Wild, Genshin Impact, PLA, even all the way back in Skyrim and Morrowind. They have this beautiful overworld music, only to constantly interrupt it with combat music that completely disrupts the experience and puts the BGM on cooldown again. It's tragic. And unfortunately for that second bit, Arse-eus is the official pronunciation.
I adore these types of videos you make. Not only does it make me appreciate a game more, but even in real life; taking a moment to just stop and listen the sounds. You're video's quality are insanely high and I'm baffled that they are free to watch. Fantastic video!
2:41 Pokemon Sun/Moon were actually the first main series games (at least) to add pokemon cries to the ambiance of a location. One that I can name off the top of my head, just from how memorable it was to me, was from Wela Volcano Park and being able to hear Fletchling's cry.
I became deeply familiar with Eevee's cry shaking in the grass while searching for them. I was so disappointed when Let's Go opted for the voice acted name-as-cry option and glad to see it return in PAL.
when I first hear the Bb maj in the jubilife and recognized that it was actually building up into the jubilife song from the original games, I had goosebumps. Such a cool reveal
how are you making the animated segments with your drawings? the grass moving and displacing while you are walking through it with your sketched character looks amazing !
It seems like for that scene he's using a mix of 2D and 3D. I think he made a 3D environment, with the grass probably being several textured planes he can animate bending under him and swaying in the breeze, and then he put his persona in afterwards using 2D animation.
@@elemangell2981 I am not a patreon but watching a detailed behind the scene would be awesome. The technique is so well done its a pleasure watching his videos
Just, the music changes when you're being chased by a Pokémon or when an Alpha is near. Like, it really just establish the fear and dnager of these Pokémon, and why NPCs in the modern day insist we must have a Pokémon on us. We're to used to automatic battles. These things wanna kill us. And those Alphas. The music is like, "You are in danger. Run while you can, kiddo." Well designed. Brought the game to life, definitely.
I loved how PLA had so many references to DP in its music. My favorite references were Volo’s battle theme (loved the homage to Cynthia & frankly made me had cold sweat flashbacks) and Jubilife Village’s theme (I literally screamed in happiness when I heard the Jubilife City theme shuffle in). PLA is probably my favorite Pokémon game, and I really hope that Gamefreak continues this “Legends” series in the future.
I've been considering making a Video on the Jubilife Village Progression for a while now, though due to my lack of knowledge on Music Theory, wasn't able to. Super glad you covered it tho! It's a detail that made me cry when I first heard it.
I think some of my favorite musical references in this game are the opening to origin Dialga/palkia’s theme being the music from the cutscene where Cyrus summons Dialga/palkia, as well as the very end of Volo’s theme being the jingle that plays at the end of the idle start screen movie for Pokémon platinum, indicating that Giratina is coming.
I really apreciate you describing how detailed the sound design of the game is, it was really cool to notice how they used several past themes and variations to create such a natural and cozy environment, but studying it like you did enhances the experience even more
That was actually the first thing I noticed correlating to the clear effort and quality of this game. I was going around the obsidian fieldlands listening to the beautiful catching throwing walking and ambient sound effects
Seeing Scruffy making a Pokémon video was a very nice surprise in my recommended! It was an amazing game and this was an amazing video! Pokémon always has a special place in my heart, and seeing my childhood come back in my adult years in such a new way for the series is such a warm welcome to me!
You didnt even mention the shiny jingle. I like how shinies are not only visible in this game, but audible as well. Since the camera is dynamic and the areas are large, you cant see everything at once, so its nice to have an audio cue to tell you if theres a shiny around. The fact that they give you a sidequest involving catching a guaranteed shiny early on is nice too, since its the game's way of teaching you about this mechanic, instead of just assuming the player will know what the sound means. Its similar to how the red gyarados in gold and silver was used to teach the player about shinies (although I find PLA's Ponyta more useful, since its earlier in the game, and doesnt run the risk of the player KOing it since youre required to catch it). Main line pokemon games have a habit of having hidden mechanics that they never tell the player about. Breeding mechanics and egg groups are never explained, shinies and pokerus are flat out not explained, evolution methods are rarely explained (especially item based ones), the descriptions for moves, items, and abilities are often left overly vague, and we havent gotten an in-game typechart until PLA. I dont see the point in being overly cryptic with these things in a game series made for children. PLA also has some problems in being overly cryptic (Manaphy quest), but for the most part its mechanics are well explained, or easily learned through experimentation.
This is one of the best videos I’ve seen recently! Amazing job! I love Legends Arceus soooo much and seeing people talk about the attention to detail this game has in its design makes me so happy 😁
It's great to see how the Pokémon series advance in it's own way through these challenges. Although some things like the sporadic pokémon cries in the wild is something that was introduced since Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald, or the sound of footsteps changing depending on the terrain was already used for HearthGold/SoulSilver (these games specifically have an amazing sound design), those games where merely 2D.
Scruffy, I just want to say your animation skills have improved so much, and your content is so entertaining. Even at the start, your art was still quite good.
Just want to point it out there's also a 3rd category of Jubilife Village's theme that plays in YOUR house specifically. And each time the theme gets...updated, so to speak, each of the 3 categories (outside, inside, your house) all get updated. So there's 9 total versions of the Jubilife Village theme in the OST. Cool stuff!
i think the best way to summarize legends arceus in the pokémon franchise is as “a step backward in history, but a leap forward in experience.” i’ve been a pokémon fan for virtually my entire life. i grew up playing leaf green and heart gold. and i think it’s safe to say that never since the excitement of my pokémon following me in HG or the wonders of a new 3D world in X, have i had as much fun with a pokémon game as i’ve had with legends arceus. i love this game. the crafting system and real motivations to fill out the pokédex gave me real reasons to keep coming back even after “beating” the game. i love resource gathering in games, i always have. in everything from elder scrolls to genshin to fallout to now pokemon. it’s something so simple that just feels soothing to me, like taking a walk down the rural road at the bottom of my driveway and just picking wildflowers that sprout up in the brush along the ditches off the pavement.
while playing i didnt notice these details really exactly as what they are and what they referenced always but i certainly felt a strange tone of familiarity, which this video shows perfectly why and i absolutely love how it was explained, thanks for this great vid.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed these little details that made the Pokemon world feel like a real, breathing world full of wild animals. You know much more than I would though!
ahh, what a nice video, and such comforting visuals, as is so often the case. I always love your approach to explaining sound design and I loved this game's sound design a whole lot but I didn't expect to get so close to tearing up during this video still?
They really outdid themselves with the referental theme's, especially Volo's - the amount of streamers and players I've seen absolutely *freak out* when that piano starts playing is *insane*
Great video! I never really understand all the in-depth music jargon, but the presentation is always so nice in your video's. Especially in this one with the 3D parts!
Thank you so so so much for talking about the progression of Jubilife Village ost!!! Now I don’t have to stumble over my words and can just show people this haha
