New Recording: Dire Dire Docks from Super Mario 64 + a bunch of arrangements you may have missed.

Well howdy folks! Can you believe we're in 2025 already? Feels like 2024 flew by (and couldn't fly fast enough!) We're starting the new year off right with a brand-new recording from our awesome musical partner JC. Valladares Here, he's playing the updated version of the classic tune from Super Mario 64.

Ahhh...water levels in video games. You love to hate'em. As stressful and/or frustrating as they tend to be (Water Temple from Zelda anyone?) they almost always have some of the best music to go along with them, and this gem from Super Mario 64 is no different.
Give the arrangement a try: Dire Dire Docks (Super Mario 64) - The Bear's Den

In addition to that, even though you might not have seen posts for them, I hope you've been checking the website often, because there have been quite a few new ones uploaded that you may have missed if you rely on Patreon to let you know when new arrangements are added to the site, so I figured I'd mention them here in order from oldest to newest:

1. To All Of You (Life Is Strange) - The Bear's Den - This is that cool track that plays in the opening segment of the game that features that intricate guitar line and singing. I don' know if it is the "theme" for the first game, but I know I associate the two. I really enjoyed the first game (even if I thought Max, the mc, was insufferable at times) and that ending scene hit like a ton of bricks. I haven't played any of the other games aside from the first, I wonder if the music choices for those are just as good? That first game was like an indie music goldmine.

2. Calm Before the Storm (Final Fantasy X) - The Bear's Den - If you've ever played Final Fantasy X (And if you haven't you should!) you'll probably be familiar with this one. Dreamy, mysterious, calming, this piece is all of those things and much more. It's filled to the brim with interesting melodies and ideas. Final Fantasy X is a game that holds a special place in my heart and one I have a lot of wonderful memories associated with, so I wanted to do this track justice. You'll have to play it and see if I was successful!

3. Ashitaka and San (Princess Mononoke) - The Bear's Den - Oh, Hisaishi-san, why is all your music so heartbreakingly beautiful? Although this one isn't from a game, when I came across it, I just knew I could make it work (or die trying!) Once in a while I will write an arrangement that I am particularly proud of, and this is one of those. The piece itself is a bit dense; there is a lot of music jammed in a runtime of just under 4 minutes. If you are intimately familiar with the original, you may at once both recognize the piece as well as find some musical surprises sprinkled throughout! When I get creative with an arrangement, sometimes that may mean new musical sections added but other times it may mean I keep the original ideas but expand some of the harmonic language. I hope you find yourself noticing little surprises along the way when you play and listen to this one.

4. Gerudo Valley (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time) - The Bear's Den - I don't think this track needs much of an introduction. If you're a fan of the Legend of Zelda series, chances are you've heard this one. However, it was one of those pieces that took a while to start. Given the original with its constant guitar accompaniment, how does one approach a piece so clearly written to be played by multiple people? So, there was a lot of give and take with this arrangement; to simplify it into something that can be performed as a solo without putting too much on the plate of the performer. How did it turn out? Honestly, I'm not too sure. As confident as I was on the previous arrangement above, I feel the inverse about this one, but hey, it's there if you want to try it out!

5. Kakariko Village (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time) - The Bear's Den - Another classic from the Legend of Zelda series. I had actually arranged a version of this years and years ago but I was never satisfied with it. I was very new to arranging in those days, and I simply didn't know how to keep the iconic 8th note pattern in there along with the melody. As such, that arrangement was extremely simplified and basic. On the heels of finishing Gerudo Valley I had the idea to give this one a shot, knowing what I know now, and I think it was moderately successful. It's a very safe arrangement; it doesn't diverge from the original piece much at all, but I was finally able to figure out how to keep the gentle rocking motion of the original intact.

6. Main Theme (Final Fantasy VII) - The Bear's Den - Yes, I took a stab at the musically enormous main theme from Final Fantasy VII. Final Fantasy VII was another one of those games that had a profound impact on me growing up. It was not only my first foray into the Final Fantasy series, but also my first JRPG in general. I remember being completely hooked on it from the opening train ride, so much so that I pretended to be sick the next day so I could spend all day playing it! And play it I did. Rather than arrange bits and pieces like I've seen others do, this is the main theme in its entirety. It's a piece that really takes you on a journey, with its different sections and ideas. I tried to stick pretty close to the original with this arrangement...it's just too iconic a piece and why mess with Uematsu-san's perfection? I particularly enjoyed writing and playing measures 30-58 and hope you have some fun with it. Tell a story with your playing with this one!

7. From the Beginning Until Now (Winter Sonata) - The Bear's Den - Last, but not least, is the newest arrangement I just uploaded this morning. I actually found this on an old hard drive yesterday. This one isn't from a video game, it's a song by the artist Ryu and is, apparently, from a K-drama? Don't ask me, this was originally arranged so many years ago that I've forgotten the origin of why I arranged it. I have a feeling someone asked me to at some point, as I've never seen any of those Korean shows before. The nice thing about this particular arrangement is that it's on the easier side, but still very pretty. I spent last night giving it a once over, as with most of my very old arrangements, it was pretty basic, so I spruced it up just a little bit in order to upload it today. Enjoy!

Wow, you made it all the way down here, huh? I guess I was feeling a bit chatty today, but I think it's always kind of fun to give you guys some insight into these arrangements and my thoughts and feelings behind them. So, I'll give your eyes a break and end the post here.

Here's to a brand-new year, let's make it a great one!