Pokémon has some great music. That said, I feel like its tracks don’t really get the kind of respect that some other classic video game franchises like Final Fantasy, The Legend of Zelda, or Sonic the Hedgehog receive. Which is a real shame. Junichi Masuda and others have put together some great compositions over the years. Consequently, I can still recall the battle themes from Pokémon Blue and Red with perfect clarity. Even with the limitations of early handheld hardware they were able to create some very memorable tunes. This has continued to this day with the newest entries in the Pokémon franchise having awesome soundtracks.
So I was overjoyed to hear about the new album recently released by GameChops, Poké & Chill. It’s a low-fidelity, hip hop inspired take on the classic Pokémon sound. And it’s from the same people behind the insanely successful Zelda & Chill album. Poké & Chill features 16 tracks. Covering Pokémon Red & Blue, Gold & Silver, Sun & Moon, X & Y, Black & White, and Ruby & Sapphire. In short, there is something for Pokémon fans of most generations here.
If you’d like to support the creators. And you should! You can purchase the album on Amazon Music or the Google Play Store. It’s around $10. Meanwhile, lovers of the vinyl format will also be pleased to know you can currently pre-order the 12″ white disc vinyl. It’ll cost you $25. And it has a projected shipping date of December. You can even pick it up on cassette for $15. (Yes people apparently still have a use for cassette tapes.) In addition, it’s also available as a CD also $15. So no matter what format you prefer, every Pokémon fan has an option. Now then. If you will excuse me. I am going to go listen to this lofi version of Lavender Town on repeat and do some soul searching.