r/gradius

Makaras Music - Mothership Approaching / re-imagined Music for 1980s Arcade shoot 'em up Bosses

https://youtu.be/m4qkBm5xQ2E

This is my re-imagining of what the Music playing when encountering Bosses in 1980s Arcade shoot-em ups might have sounded like had the games been made made in the current Era

Suggest listening to it while watching the videos of the below Originals / and muting their own sound -

R-Type - 1987 - Stage 3 - Giant Warship - https://youtu.be/s5PDf3R6zd4

R-Type II - 1989 - Stage 3 - Two Giant Warships - https://youtu.be/IqEPlxjY0iw

Thunder Cross - 1988 - Final Boss - https://youtu.be/FZa1r1pHOis

Forgotten Worlds - 1988 - All Bosses from the Dust Dragon - https://youtu.be/85VvfmTcKz8?t=71

++++++++

Behringer LM Drum machine -

Factory preset - "80s"

Tempo increased to 140 BPM

"Sidestick" and "Cowbell" and "Claps" all muted

"Tamb" volume slider reduced to 25%

Manual triggering used - "Mid Toms"

++++++++

Yamaha PSR EW425 Arranger in Normal mode

Tempo - 140 BPM

VSTs -

Roland D-50 / Presets -

"Sweet Vibes"
"Clear Bell Pad"

Synth1 / Presets -

"Bass Arp [5]"
"Betrayer Stereo"
"[ARP] Falling Chimes"
"Caged"

Makaras Music - Vertical Blast / re-imagined music for "Terra Cresta" and all Vertical shoot 'em ups

https://youtu.be/GZcpHTYgRdo

This is my re-imagined soundtrack for "Terra Cresta" - but can be used for any Vertical shoot 'em up

Suggest listening to this while watching the 1985 game that inspired it - and has one of the best most thumping soundtracks ever - https://youtu.be/VduSQI23tbI?t=22

++++++++

Behringer LM Drum machine

Tempo - 135 BPM

My own user-created preset "Vertical Blast" used

Bank - "LM9" (Linn 9000)

Sequenced Drums - "Bass" / "Snare" / "Hi Hat" / "Tom" / "Conga" / "Clap"

Volume sliders for "Hi Hat" / "Conga" / "Clap" all lowered to around 75%

++++++++

Yamaha PSR EW425 Arranger in Normal mode

Tempo - 270 BPM

VSTs -

"FB-7999"

Preset - "Strings-1"

"Synth1"

Presets - "Wide Bass" / "Voice Stab" / "Classic Bass Arp"

Makaras Music - Boss Type / re-imagined music for end-of-level Boss encounters in "R-Type"

https://youtu.be/KxhxRD7uvso

This is my re-imagined soundtrack for when you encounter the Bosses at the end of each stage in "R-Type"

Suggest listening to this while watching the parts that inspired it - https://youtu.be/R2cPeliXKpI

++++++++

M-Audio Oxygen Pro Mini midi controller in "Chord" mode

Chord voicing - "1,3,5,7"

Chord type - "Minor"

Octave = Minus-1

++++++++

Behringer LM Drum machine

Tempo - 140 BPM

My own user-created preset "Beat Dem Boyz" used -

https://youtu.be/OhmfYEmZUVc

- but with volume sliders for "Sidestick" / "Tamb" / "Cowbell" / "Claps" all lowered to 50%

My original version used Bank "LM2" (LinnDrum) / but for this track I changed it to Bank "LM1" (Linn LM-1) / then switched it to Bank "LM9" (Linn 9000) part-way through

++++++++

Yamaha PSR EW425 Arranger in Normal mode

Tempo - 140 BPM

VST - "Synth1"

Presets -

"8-bit"
"Fifth arpeggio (toggle LFO2)"
"Quite big" - reduced volume
"Quite big" - normal volume
"Betrayer Stereo" - reduced volume
"Betrayer Stereo" - normal volume

Makaras Music - Shoot the Core / re-imagined Music for Gradius II verbal commands to destroy Bosses

https://youtu.be/OMI1ZMCzd_g

This is my re-imagined soundtrack for when "Gradius II" (known as "Vulcan Venture" in the West) commands you to "Shoot it in the Head!" / "Shoot it in the Eye!" / "Destroy the Core!" / etc

Suggest listening to this while watching the "All Bosses" video - https://youtu.be/0-QjUmykbYs

++++++++

Yamaha PSR EW425 Arranger in Normal mode

Launchpad Pro Mk3 in "Chord" mode

Tempo - 125 BPM

VSTs -

Roland D-50 / Presets -

"Sweet Vibes"
"Clear Bell Pad"

Synth1 / Presets -

"Dramatic (play chords)"
"ARP:3Note Riff RH"
"Old skool bass"
"Betrayer Stereo"
"Caged"
"[ARP] Falling Chimes"

Makaras Music - Challenger 2026 / Re-imagining and Tribute to "Challenger 1985" music from Gradius

https://youtu.be/cE0ucavUT4M

The original "Gradius" arcade game (known as "Nemesis" in the West) included what I consider one of the best pieces of music ever - "Challenger 1985" from the first level

This is my re-imagining of what the Gradius soundtrack might have sounded like had it been created now

- hence named as "Challenger 2026"

Challenger 1985 original - https://youtu.be/pW_A4vcB7ys

Gradius Level 1 gameplay - https://youtu.be/_xUPrh0T5gU?t=28

++++++++

Behringer LM Drum machine -

Factory preset - "Take me on"

Tempo decreased to 140 BPM

"Hi Hat" volume slider reduced to 66%

Manual triggerings used - "Hi Conga" and "Sidestick"

++++++++

Yamaha PSR EW425 Arranger in Normal mode

Launchpad Pro Mk3 in "Chord" mode

Tempo - 140 BPM

VSTs -

Roland D-50 / Preset -

"Clear Bell Pad"

Synth1 / Presets -

"Subtetly Bon arp-lk"
"[ARP] Falling Chimes"
"Bass Arp [5]"
"dramaPad_02"