30 Days of Video Game Music: Day 10 -- RPG Battle Music

Check out the Day 1 post for the full challenge list.

“Mass Destruction” - Shoji Meguro

Game: Persona 3 (2006, PS2)
Vocals: Lotus Juice, Yumi Kawamura
Original: YouTube
FES version: YouTube
Movie version: YouTube
Reincarnation version: YouTube
Atlus Kitajoh remix: YouTube
Tetsuya Kobayashi remix (P3 Dancing): YouTube
Live: Velvetroom in Wel City Tokyo (YouTube)
Live: Persona Music Live Band (YouTube)
Live: Persona Super Live 2015 (YouTube)
Cover: Tsuko G. (YouTube, iTunes, Google Play)

By a considerable margin, this was my easiest pick so far. It’s the only day I picked instantly upon reading the prompt. My only regret is that I won’t be able to use P3 for any other days now. This song has an absolutely ludicrous number of official verisons, and I may have even missed one or two. Meanwhile, since it has vocals, it has comparatively few covers. Props to Tsuko G. for putting in the effort!

There is so much to love about this battle theme. It’s completely absurd, and its lyrics are largely word salad (forgivable given that they were written in a second language), but the “OOOH YEAH” and “da da da da” of the chorus (hook? refrain?) are as catchy as anything I’ve ever heard. Their propensity to drop in right as a battle is reaching its climax doesn’t hurt either. I know I held off a couple All Out Attacks for a few seconds just to ensure that it would.

The battle system of Persona 3 is primitive when compared to its successors, but its battle music remains peerless.