David Wise is a True Genius!!!
24Let's go back and explore legendary videogame composer David Wise and his role in the Donkey Kong Country series, which includes the iconic track Aquatic Ambiance, in this nostalgic retrospective discussion video!
In a recent video I made called "Donkey Kong Deserves Respect" I credited composer Grant Kirkhope for writing the music for the SNES Donkey Kong Country games. That was a mistake on my part. Kirkhope did work on many Donkey Kong games, like Donkey Kong 64 on the Nintendo 64 and Donkey Kong Land 2 on Nintendo Gameboy, but not the DKC trilogy on SNES. He also worked on other non DK games like Goldeneye 007 and Banjo-Kazooie Banjo-Tooie and Perfect Dark. But it was David Wise who composed DK trilogy, including Aquatic Ambiance song which is the underwater theme for the water themed levels in the DKC Super Nintendo video games. So in a way this is my apology video to David Wise, this is my rectifying that sin from my recent video.
David Wise worked for RAREWARE composing music for videogames. He did many games for the NES and the SNES and other devices and for arcades in the 80s and 90s before he touched the RARE Donkey Kong Series, and these included games like California Games and Battletoads. In 1994 he composed the music for Donkey Kong Country on Super Nintendo, and thats where he came up with Aquatic Ambiance. He also did the music for its two sequels Donkey Kong Country 2 Diddy's Kong Quest and Donkey Kong Country 3 Dixie Kong's Double Trouble. He collaborated with other composers like Robert Beanland and Eveline Fischer (who also did the voice work for Joanna Dark the protagonist of the Nintendo 64 cult classic RARE game Perfect Dark).
Aquatic Ambiance is hands down his most iconic music track, and it is one of the iconic tracks in all of gaming. This song is beloved by millions of people of many ages and generations. It is a hauntingly beautiful song. Aquatic Ambiance is both sad but also hopeful. It has a bittersweet vibe since it has so much joy but also so much melancholy. It evokes many feelings in those who listen to this song, both within the game and outside of it. and he wrote themes for many other characters and locations within the DK series. Lets not forget the memorable themes for character like his father Cranky Kong and mother Wrinkly Kong, best friend Diddy Kong, and Dixie Kong and Kiddy Kong, love interest Candy Kong, mechanic and pilot Funky Kong as well as the villainous Kremlins and their leader King K.Rool. And he worked on other titles beyond the SNES games like Donkey Kong Country Returns on Nintendo Wii Nintendo 3DS and more recently on Nintendo Switch, and its sequel Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze on Wii U and Nintendo Switch. And he composed the music for Diddy Kong Racing on Nintendo 64. And he has done other Nintendo IP and franchises like Starfox. The list goes on. But his most iconic work will always be his work on the DKC games from the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Long live David Wise's music, especially Aquatic Ambiance! The man is a genius! and love live the 80s 90s and 2000s. those were great decades for gaming and for pop culture and nerd culture in general. nineties forever!!! AQUATIC AMBIANCE FOREVER!
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