The Advantage

Anyone who grew up in the '80s remembers the original Nintendo video-game system. Equally memorable was some of the unusual and inventive music written by programmers for the different levels in each game. With all things retro coming back into vogue in bizarre ways, it should come as no surprise...

By Tom Murphy

August 10, 2006

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Anyone who grew up in the '80s remembers the original Nintendo video-game system. Equally memorable was some of the unusual and inventive music written by programmers for the different levels in each game. With all things retro coming back into vogue in bizarre ways, it should come as no surprise that a group of talented geeks would form a cover band focusing on NES game music. The Advantage must have sat in front of the TV for hours on end in order to duplicate those songs with such surprising fidelity -- especially by using mostly standard rock instrumentation rather than some eight-bit synthesizer. The result sounds deceptively like some long-lost Yes song -- that is, until those memories of playing Bubble Bobble, Castlevania and Contra come rushing back. The Advantage puts its game face on this Thursday in the company of Unwed Sailors and Stab! Heart! Kiss! Kill! Embrace your inner child.

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Tom Murphy is a writer, visual artist and musician from Aurora, Colorado. He was a prolific music writer for Westword and a documenter of the Denver music scene.

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