Featured Essay: Video Game Vinyl

by Wing See Li

I started collecting vinyl in 2016 when I pre-ordered the Ratchet & Clank (2016) video game soundtrack vinyl from the iam8bit website and I’ve been collecting vinyl since 2016. This means I’ve been collecting vinyl for 9 years so far. My vinyl collection consists of vinyl from my favourite video games, video game composers, singers and bands. My collection kept increasing until it reached the point where I had to purchase a Vinyl Tonic Red PU Leather LP Case box to contain all my vinyl in a nice, neat, clean and orderly fashion. The Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart vinyl comes in countless, various variants.   

What I miss is the senses (smell, touch, hold etc) which are the things digital music can never bring. I might be one of the few people who love the brand-new smell of vinyl, not just the new print smell from magazines. I’d say I miss the taste of vinyl but who in the right mind would lick or taste a vinyl? Although, I have watched previous videos of people licking their Nintendo Switch cartridges on YouTube in the past. I never owned a Nintendo Switch so I wouldn’t know what a Nintendo Switch cartridge would taste like. There’s just something satisfying about smelling, touching, holding, feeling etc a vinyl but it’s at the tip of my tongue. Plus, it’s gratifying to touch, hold and feel a vinyl in my hands.

When I’m not too busy collecting vinyl, I’m currently a radio presenter for North Manchester FM 106.6. I’ve previously been a radio presenter for Gaydio, R360 Radio and Roch Valley Radio. Coincidentally, the most recent video game I enjoyed thoroughly playing from start to finish is Killer Frequency.

Due to being a former Nintendo fan, I’ve completely fallen out of the loop when it comes to vinyl soundtracks in relation to video games such as Super Mario Odyssey and Splatoon 2. This means I’ve missed out on Nintendo vinyl. The most recent Nintendo CD I bought and owned is the Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack. It’s exclusive to the members of Club Nintendo of Japan, Europe, and Oceania. The soundtrack was released for Club Nintendo in Europe on 20th July 2015 for 3,000 stars. The music tracks are performed by the Mario Kart Band. 

Unfortunately, not every video game soundtrack is released on CD and/or vinyl. Video game soundtracks eventually seemed to commonly be released on CDs throughout the years. I would’ve loved to blast out the Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards soundtrack from the vinyl/record player. 

When the news suddenly cropped up and revealed James Bourne of Busted to be the singer of the main theme song of Sonic Racing Crossworlds, I was ecstatic and over the moon despite not being a Busted fan, let alone a James Bourne fan. I then gave the theme song a listen countless times and I’d say Sega has made the right choice to have James Bourne to pen and sing the theme song. It just oozes of the 2000’s, the same vibe I get from listening to Busted and McFly at the time. I may not be a Busted and a James Bourne fan, I can’t deny that I grew up with 2000’s rock bands such as Busted and McFly. My critique of Sonic Racing Crossworlds is Sega should’ve brought Busted back just to sing the whole theme song instead of only requesting James Bourne to sing it. Better yet, Sega should’ve requested Busted and McFly to reunite to sing the aforesaid theme song. James Bourne has gone through one heck of an arc from being a part of Busted to writing a song (“Forever Is Over”) for The Saturdays to now frickin’ world-famous Sonic the Hedgehog. You can’t get any more 2000’s than Busted and McFly. On the other hand, while I’m elated that the theme song is sung by a Busted member, Sega dropped the ball, seeing as the company isn’t going to release the soundtrack on vinyl. But instead, it will come out as a 2 Disc Soundtrack as a part of the Collector’s Edition exclusive to Limited Run Games. 

Speaking of disappointments, in my opinion, it’s a strange decision for Girls Aloud to not release The Girls Aloud Show Live as a deluxe edition box set instead of on a vinyl. The Whole Damn Show Megamix is the current vinyl I own in general. It’s also the most recent Girls Aloud vinyl I own. 

As I scoured over the internet, I realised there are Super Mario Odyssey, Rare Treats: Donkey Kong 64 Revisited, Splatoon 2, Astro Bot: Rescue Mission and Astro’s Playroom vinyl which I sadly missed out on. Vinyls of Splatoon 3 and Astro Bot have yet to be released and now, no one knows if there are any vinyl coming out. Right now, it may be possible the Donkey Kong Bananza soundtrack may be released on vinyl or on CD in the future, seeing as since Super Mario Odyssey, Pauline (who is the first damsel in distress in the long-running Super Mario series and Mario’s ex-girlfriend) is depicted as a singer and New Donk City’s mayor. Coincidentally, I wrote the one-sided Mario x Pauline song fanfictions inspired by The Saturdays and named after their songs, “Forever Is Over” and “Missing You”, starring Pauline years ago. I also wrote a follow up to the one-sided Mario x Pauline song fanfiction, “Forever Is Over”, called “Fight For This Love” (which is inspired by and named after Cheryl Tweedy’s song). It’s surreal that I inadvertently predicted Pauline to be portrayed as a singer in the Super Mario series in the future.

HMV and the Fopp store are a few of the music retail shops I go to to browse or shop for CDs and vinyl sometimes. Although there are HMV stores all over the UK, I was surprised to see a few HMV stores in Hong Kong back in summer 2011. In one of the HMV stores in Hong Kong, this is where I purchased Little Mix’s debut DNA album which is the DNA: The Deluxe Edition – HMV Limited edition. It contains a bonus disc. This goes to show I’d go to great lengths to search for an elusive album or a vinyl. At home in the UK, there are times when I travel to the Curry’s store to look for or buy music electronic devices. Normally, I just shop on the internet because it’s usually the only way to purchase video game soundtracks that aren’t available anywhere else. 

I honestly don’t have a record player yet but once I finally saved up enough money to purchase one, I’ll eventually play each of the records I collected throughout the years since 2016. I’m still searching for the right record player to purchase and to play them. At the time of writing, the most recent vinyl I have my eye on is the That’s Showbiz Baby! Signed Standard Vinyl. I haven’t bought it yet. Even if I purchased a record player at long last, I’ll still collect vinyl. My advice to people that are starting to collect vinyl, it’s not too late to do so and there is no limit to stop. Any one at any age can get into the vinyl collecting hobby at any time.  

Wing See Li’s (Fiona Li) hobbies include playing video games, listening to music and songs, using a computer/laptop, surfing the internet, writing, going to the cinema, cosplay, attending music festivals, cosplay and video game conventions and cosplay events, shopping or window shopping at music stores and so forth. When I’m not occupied with collecting vinyl, I’m a freelance journalist and I’m the radio presenter of North Manchester FM 106.6. Throughout the years, I’ve previously been radio presenting for Gaydio, R360 Radio and Roch Valley Radio. I can be found on Twitter/X as xMorning_Gloryx or DreamsPixelated, Facebook, Instagram as xpastel_pixelsx, YouTube as Fiona Li/Mariofanstar etc."