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| 9 | %% Due to the nature of this trope, finding a proper image will be very tricky. |
| 10 | %% DO NOT add a pic to this page without discussion in Image Pickin'. |
| 11 | %% IP thread for reference: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1527153921052996400 |
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| 14 | ->''"The music [in the game] is right out of the movie! I don't know '''which''' movie, because this level sounds like I'm being attacked by Music/DannyElfman and Creator/TimBurton."'' |
| 15 | -->-- '''Noah ''"[[WebVideo/TheSpoonyExperiment The Spoony One]]"'' Antwiler''', on ''VideoGame/DemolitionMan'' for the [[Platform/ThreeDOInteractiveMultiplayer 3DO]] |
| 16 | |
| 17 | Nothing quite beats an orchestra for a battle, especially an [[HighAltitudeBattle aerial one]]. It may involve OminousLatinChanting or AutobotsRockOut, or both. Due to the feeling of epicness such music gives off, it is often reserved for the FinalBattle[=/=]FinalBoss; you are far less likely to hear it used for the WarmupBoss. |
| 18 | |
| 19 | Compare MusicToInvadePolandTo, {{Fanfare}}, and ClassicalMusicIsCool. Contrast with ClassicalMusicIsBoring. If the music is ''too'' loud, better hope you have SteelEarDrums. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | See XylophoneGag for when someone makes an ''actual'' bomb out of a musical instrument. Has no relation to ExplosiveInstrumentation. |
| 22 | |
| 23 | ---- |
| 24 | !!Examples: |
| 25 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 26 | |
| 27 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 28 | * ''Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya'' had its space battle episode (the ShoutOut to ''Anime/UchuuSenkanYamato'') employ this trope with Shostakovich's ''Leningrad Symphony''. Fittingly, the "training" course that they went through was set to the almost-comical, waddling march at the end of the first movement. |
| 29 | * ''Literature/HighSchoolDXD'''s soundtrack is surprisingly full of this. Highlights include Vali Lucifer's leitmotif [[https://youtu.be/y72E0MOConk "Saikyou no Sonzai"]] as well as some of Issei's heroic themes such as [[https://youtu.be/PM0jE4M5i1g "Ishi"]], [[https://youtu.be/mVgzFdgkUjk "D No Ishi"]], and [[https://youtu.be/l6gOa9SivDY "Shouri"]]. |
| 30 | * In turn, the ''Jupiter'' part was used in ''Manga/HunterXHunter'' when Bonolenov uses his "Jupiter" attack--as Bonolenov is a DanceBattler, there is perhaps no better song to use. |
| 31 | * Invoked in ''Anime/KillLaKill'', wherein Nonon decides that the upcoming battle between Ryuko and Tsumugu is a ''perfect'' opportunity for band practice. Later, in her one-on-one fight with Ryuko, she takes this trope [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZmATEDylBA as literally as it possibly can be]], right down to nuking the battlefield with weaponized music. |
| 32 | * ''Literature/LegendOfTheGalacticHeroes'' lives and breathes this trope. Of course, it helps that the entire soundtrack is made up of classical orchestral works. |
| 33 | ** The first movie has an entire battle set to Ravel's ''Bolero.'' |
| 34 | * ''Anime/{{Macross}}'' initially averted this trope, but later installments went ''really'' wide with it. Examples include [[http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/zPoXtsY6jm4/ Horobi no Uta]] from ''Anime/MacrossZero'''s final battle and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Exg-zf2nouQ several]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRBlX-7qvzU other]] [[http://music.myeverything.info/song/ZWZC7UUZ/Battle-Frontier-Yoko-Kanno.html tracks]] from ''Anime/MacrossFrontier''. |
| 35 | * This musical style is in full effect during Nanoha's final battle with Fate in the first ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'' movie. Better yet, the first half of the heroine's revised {{Leitmotif}} is strongly reminiscent of Music/GustavHolst's ''Mars, the Bringer of War''. Specifically, the part which Music/JohnWilliams also borrowed for the very first space battle in ''[[Film/ANewHope Star Wars: A New Hope]]''... |
| 36 | * ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0pfo7obtuc REALLY]] likes orchestral music during major battles. Sometimes with OminousLatinChanting and/or a OneWomanWail, sometimes without them. |
| 37 | * ''Anime/AfterWarGundamX'' does it in the ColdOpen of its ''very first episode'', as background to the Class 3a ApocalypseHow that sets up the rest of the series. OneWomanWail and OminousLatinChanting included. |
| 38 | * ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn'' has the eponymous Unicorn's leitmotif. |
| 39 | * ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' loves this trope, so much so that it has fell victim to MemeticMutation: "[stuff happens] [[YouTubePoop while Hideaki Anno plays]] [[SoundtrackDissonance unfitting music]]". Two examples are Shinji vs. [[spoiler:Kaworu]] (''Ode to Joy'') and Asuka vs. [[spoiler:MP Evas]] (Bach - ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkY1_TpucLA II Air]]''). |
| 40 | ** There's also [[spoiler:Asuka getting {{Mind Rape}}d by Arael]] [[SoundtrackDissonance while Hideaki Anno plays Handel's]] ''[[SoundtrackDissonance Hallelujah]]'' in episode 22. Also, the end of said scene in the Director's Cut has [[spoiler:Rei nailing Arael with the [[EleventhHourSuperpower Lance of Longinus]]]] with the end of Handel's ''Worthy is the Lamb'' in the background. |
| 41 | ** And it's still not done yet: while the original series was no slouch in that department either, ''Rebuild 3.0'''s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECRs1-tFcKs use of Ode to Joy]] is [[PrecisionFStrike FUCKING]] [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome EPIC]]. |
| 42 | * In ''Manga/OnePiece'', when Luffy finally gets to multi-punch the ever-living crap out of Crocodile, part of Antonin Dvorak's ''New World Symphony'' (specifically, the first part of the fourth movement, "Allegro con fuoco") plays. It fits the scene surprisingly well. |
| 43 | * ''Literature/ShakuganNoShana'' pumps out a booming orchestral score often mixed with OminousLatinChanting to give it an unbelievable powerful presence. This got especially true in the third season. Being hammered out by the same guy who did the ''VideoGame/ShadowOfTheColossus'' soundtrack, this is to be expected. |
| 44 | * The music is as important a character as any other in ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato''. The various series and movies do not hold back on the score during battles. |
| 45 | * The ''Anime/StrikeWitches'' OVA has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOQlG8YRxEQ the Prelude to Act III of Lohengrin]] play during the training battle. The song is also used as background music in some promotional videos. In the show itself, there's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05jY4stcbN0 Battle of the Witches (Witch no Tatakai)]] from the first season and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4ZpUZogOQg&feature=related Attack! (Shutsugeki)]] from the second. |
| 46 | * ''Anime/TheVisionOfEscaflowne'' loves this trope to itty-bitty little pieces, usually combining it with OminousLatinChanting. |
| 47 | [[/folder]] |
| 48 | |
| 49 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 50 | * Parodied in the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' of Creator/AAPessimal, when it is revealed that a long-ago [[UsefulNotes/{{France}} Quirmian]] general, when he got round to launching an invasion of [[UsefulNotes/{{Russia}} Far Überwald]] shortly after ten past six one evening, took an orchestral composer with him to chronicle the glorious invasion in music. Public performances of this piece were generally very lively indeed, until the percussion sections realised it was perhaps best ''not'' to load the siege weapons and to only charge the Barking Dogs with blank rounds. One conductor lamented the slaughter and destruction done to lots of expensive and hard-to-replace musical instruments during one early performance, when the technical problems of the production were still being ironed out. The ''Just After Ten past Six Overture'' is still played on the Disc - but very carefully. |
| 51 | * ''Fanfic/ContactAtKobol'' has an has an Invoked version, in which the Tau'ri set a propaganda video of their bombings to the 1812 overture and send it to the Colonial brass. [[spoiler: Except that the last bombing is a live missile feed [[OhCrap of the Colonial government's secret bunker]]]]. |
| 52 | [[/folder]] |
| 53 | |
| 54 | [[folder:Films -- Animated]] |
| 55 | * In the canyon chase sequence of ''WesternAnimation/{{Rango}}'', Ride of the Valkyries is played. On banjos. Note that the banjos are in-universe: they're being played by an army of hillbilly shrews as they chase the heroes on the backs of bats. |
| 56 | * ''WesternAnimation/WallaceAndGromit: WesternAnimation/ACloseShave'' does this with the porridge shooting run, as an homage to films like ''The Dam Busters''. |
| 57 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheWarToEndAllWarsTheMovie'': In several of the film's battle scenes, gunfire and artillery shots are timed to the drumbeats of the song in question. |
| 58 | [[/folder]] |
| 59 | |
| 60 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 61 | * ''Film/SixThreeThreeSquadron'', possibly the TropeMaker. Scored by Ron Goodwin. |
| 62 | * ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' uses this a lot, particularly in the ambush of the Marines as they enter the hive and Ripley's escape with Newt from the exploding atmosphere processor. |
| 63 | * ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' has a quite literal example, where "Music/RideOfTheValkyries" is blasted over the speakers of the choppers as Kilgore's forces attack a village controlled by Viet Cong. |
| 64 | * Literally in ''Film/ASongIsBorn'', as a rousing rendition of "Flying Home" manages to cause a drum to fall on one of the villains, knocking him out (after "The Anvil Chorus" failed to work). |
| 65 | * ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' provides the best example in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse. [[spoiler: Though the orchestral Avengers theme had been used in the previous three Avengers movies during climactic moments, when past Thanos's forces invade Earth for the Iron Gauntlet, the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_mhWxOjxp4 ultimate version of the theme]] plays as heroes arrive through portals to aid Captain America in fighting against them.]] |
| 66 | * ''The Battle of Britain'' has William Walton's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43zVRey2XEs Battle in the Air]] |
| 67 | ** Although Ron Goodwin's main theme and his "Luftwaffe March" from that movie fit the trope much better. |
| 68 | * Music/JerryGoldsmith's epic score for the war film,''Film/TheBlueMax'', highlighted with the cue, ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLQA1-S4gGk TheAttack]]''. |
| 69 | ** Goldsmith probably outdid himself with another epic one for the medieval film ''Film/FirstKnight'': ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0osYcipTKo Never Surrender]]''. |
| 70 | * ''Film/TheChroniclesOfNarnia: Film/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe'' used this, though that was part of the movie's proper score. |
| 71 | * ''Film/TheDamBusters'', with music by Eric Coates. |
| 72 | * Used during the EarthShatteringKaboom at the climax of ''Film/{{Damnatus}}''. |
| 73 | %%* ''Film/DrStrangelove'' |
| 74 | * Several examples from ''Film/StarshipTroopers'', most notably ''Klendathu Drop'', from the scene where the [[SpaceNavy Fleet]] and the [[SpaceMarines Mobile Infantry]] launch their first assault on Klendathu. |
| 75 | * ''Franchise/StarTrek'' examples: |
| 76 | ** ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture'' gives us the Klingon theme in its opening scene ("Klingon Battle") contributed by Music/JerryGoldsmith. V'Ger's theme, played on an instrument called the Blaster Beam, also features in the same scene. |
| 77 | ** ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan'' has both the new ''Trek'' theme by Music/JamesHorner, along with Khan's, both of which come to a head in "Surprise Attack" and "Battle in the Mutara Nebula''. |
| 78 | ** ''Film/StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock'' reprises the theme from the last movie and features the new, percussion-heavy Klingon theme by James Horner, which would return for a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome in the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "The Defector". |
| 79 | ** [[AvertedTrope Averted]] in ''Film/StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome'' which features no aerial or space battles, and no shots fired in anger. Besides, the music by Leonard Rosenmann was decidedly LighterAndSofter. |
| 80 | ** ''Film/StarTrekVTheFinalFrontier'', for all its faults, has the return of Jerry Goldsmith and his Klingon theme, with the screech of a real Bird-of-Prey mixed in, mainly heard in the track "With Out Help". |
| 81 | ** ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry'' brings Cliff Eidelman, who contributes yet another Klingon theme, which provides the score for "The Battle For Peace", where the crew of the ''Enterprise'' frantically try to stop a conspiracy from destroying the last hope for universal peace. |
| 82 | ** ''Film/StarTrekFirstContact'' has "Red Alert", where the Federation fleet takes on a Borg Cube headed straight for Earth. Jerry Goldsmith reprises his Klingon theme as Worf's {{Leitmotif}}. |
| 83 | ** ''Generations'' calls extra attention to the score as the scenes repeatedly shift between barely audible soft music as Picard tries to sneak into Soran's work area on the surface, and the blaring battle music as the Enterprise battles the Klingons in space, and the resulting crash landing due to damage. |
| 84 | %%* ''[[Film/ANewHope Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope]]'', based on the previous. |
| 85 | * Used in ''Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie''. With tons of OminousLatinChanting. More than justified, since it has an hour of nuclear explosion footage. |
| 86 | * Happens [[PaintingTheMedium quite literally]] in ''Film/VForVendetta'', where the titular V plays Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" over London's public address system when he blows up the Old Bailey and the Houses of Parliament. |
| 87 | * ''Film/TheWorldsEnd'' has a unique variation during the brawl at The Beehive, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fhhbua6ELxo when the epic orchestral fight music gradually kicks in, in sync with Silver Bullet's "20 Seconds to Comply"]]. |
| 88 | [[/folder]] |
| 89 | |
| 90 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 91 | * This shows up a few times in ''Literature/HonorHarrington'': |
| 92 | ** In ''Honor of the Queen'', Honor has Hammerwell's 7th symphony played shipwide during the first battle of Yeltsin. |
| 93 | ** One of the Havenite commanders uses "Ride of the Valkyries" as their general quarters signal. |
| 94 | * In ''Literature/SmallFavor'', Hendricks and Gard (who happens to be an honest-to-god Valkyrie) perform a BigDamnHeroes with an attack helicopter to "The Ride of The Valkyries", with Hendricks riding shotgun... with a {{M|oreDakka}}ini {{G|atlingGood}}un. |
| 95 | [[/folder]] |
| 96 | |
| 97 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 98 | * ''Series/BabylonFive'' used this in every space battle, to cover the (unique for SF shows at the time) [[ShownTheirWork absence of sound in space]]. The opening and closing themes also count. |
| 99 | * ''Series/{{Farscape}}'': The destruction of Scorpius' command carrier featured orchestral music and Ominous Latin Chanting. |
| 100 | * The PilotMovie of ''Series/{{JAG}}'' has this in its final aerial battle scene. |
| 101 | * Spoofed on ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' in a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG184YzkDX8 sketch]] that shows an orchestra in a field playing the "Blue Danube Waltz." [[RuleOfFunny For no particular reason]], in each successive musical phrase another musician [[StuffBlowingUp blows up]]. A long sketch on a recorded comedy album, ''Monty Python's Matching Tie and Hanky'', builds on the TV sketch and escalates it into all-out insurrection causing a major air force to be sent in to bomb the orchestra into submission. |
| 102 | * ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}'' recently had some fun with this trope in their Top 25 Special showing off their various explosions to the ''1812 Overture''. |
| 103 | * ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'': |
| 104 | ** Whenever there was any kind of fight sequence, whether it was between people or spaceships, it would be accompanied by the most over-the-top, bombastic music imaginable. In fact, they often did this even when there was no fighting happening, like say when [[MundaneMadeAwesome an ambassador boards the ship]]. This was a critical element of the series' NarmCharm and really complemented the [[LargeHam acting style]]. It was sadly missing from most of the later series - compare the scoring to the very same fight scene in "The Trouble With Tribbles" and ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine DS9]]'''s "Trials and Tribble-ations" for a perfect example of this. |
| 105 | ** No Original Series score exemplifies this trope quite like the scores for "Amok Time" (by Gerald Fried) and "The Doomsday Machine" (by Sol Kaplan). Cues from both scores would go on to be reused throughout later episodes, with the cue "Ancient Battle" from the former being commonly known as ''the'' Star Trek Fight Music. The music from both episodes was even included together on one soundtrack album. |
| 106 | ** Ron Jones was probably the best among the composers for the sequel series at using this in his scores (see "The Best of Both Worlds, Part 2" in particular the track "Intervention", for a perfect example). Too bad he left ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration TNG]]'' during the fourth season. The main reason was that Rick Berman ''hated'' this trope, and wanted the music to be strictly part of the background of the show, like wallpaper. |
| 107 | [[/folder]] |
| 108 | |
| 109 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 110 | * ''[[Music/PyotrIlyichTchaikovsky The 1812 Overture]]'' itself! To quote ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes: |
| 111 | -->"Gee, and I thought classical music was '''boring!'''" |
| 112 | ** Two words: Cannons firing. That's not a glib comment; that's actually ''part of the musical instruction''. Yes, the piece, when properly performed, actually uses ''cannons'' as part of the orchestra. Ya know, since the 1812 Overture was originally written to mark [[UsefulNotes/TheNapoleonicWars Russia valiantly defending Moscow against Napoleon's seemingly unstoppable horde]]. Which makes it even ''more'' [[AwesomeMusic/{{Classical}} awesome]]! |
| 113 | * Music/RichardWagner's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOQlG8YRxEQ Prelude to Act III of ''Lohengrin'']], has become something of a StandardSnippet for air raids. Likewise, ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V92OBNsQgxU Ride of the Valkyries]]'' for a bombastic assault. It was used in ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' for a very good reason. |
| 114 | * Music/GustavHolst wrote the "Mars, Bringer of War" segment of ''The Planets'' suite before World War I had started, but it depicts the brutality and scale of its mechanized warfare brilliantly. John Williams certainly had it in mind - see the ship chase at the opening of ''[[Film/ANewHope Star Wars Episode IV]]''. |
| 115 | * Music/LudwigVanBeethoven was probably the first one to use the trope. His ''Eroica'' Symphony opens with two full orchestral chords, to underline this point (Timpani included). His overture "Wellington's Victory" plays it even more literally, with the score calling for muskets and artillery sound effects to represent the battle. |
| 116 | * Richard Strauss's "Ein Heldenleben" ("A Hero's Life") has an impressive battle sequence, beginning with a hostile fanfare and leading to {{leitmotif}}s dueling amid assorted orchestral fireworks. |
| 117 | * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOtGC9AIxoI Symphony No. 1 (In Memoriam Dresden, 1945)]] is a piece written to represent the firebombing of the German city of Dresden by the Allies in 1945. The first three movements are fairly slow and ominous, but the fourth, aptly entitled "Firestorm", pulls out all the stops. Trombones are made to imitate the sound of bomber engines, an air-raid sired blares, drums placed all around the stage are slammed to mimic the impact of the bombs, band members scream in German - it gets intense. |
| 118 | [[/folder]] |
| 119 | |
| 120 | [[folder:Recorded Comedy]] |
| 121 | * ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' develops a sight-gag TV sketch into a longer piece on a recorded comedy album, ''Monty Python's Matching Tie and Hanky''. This builds on the theme of a TV sketch and escalates it into all-out insurrection causing a major air force to be sent in to bomb the orchestra into submission. The sketch is based on a typical somewhat stuffy and highbrow [[Creator/{{BBC}} Radio Three]] presentation of an orchestral concert. It involves a prima donna violinist who persists in doing to his instrument - and other people's instruments - what [[Music/TheWho Peter Townsend]] did to guitars. Then the violence starts to cascade as the Radio Three announcer (Creator/MichaelPalin) dutifully commentates. |
| 122 | [[/folder]] |
| 123 | |
| 124 | [[folder:Theatre]] |
| 125 | * Creator/CirqueDuSoleil: |
| 126 | ** ''Theatre/{{Ka}}'' has its iconic [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24wdmZoR-ko Battlefield]] number. |
| 127 | ** ''Theatre/{{Volta}}'' has the aptly titled [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ0hPfnykSk "Battle of the Man"]], played during the climactic aerial straps duel in the Hall of Equals. |
| 128 | [[/folder]] |
| 129 | |
| 130 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 131 | * ''VideoGame/AceCombat'' uses this trope repeatedly: |
| 132 | ** ''VideoGame/AceCombat3Electrosphere'' uses OminousLatinChanting whenever you fight an XR-900 Geopelia or an X-49 Night Raven. Yes, these planes are just ''[[GameBreaker that superpowered]]''. |
| 133 | ** ''VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies'' uses ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnus_Dei Agnus Dei]]'' (preceded by a brief verse of ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Requiem_(Mozart)#Structure Rex Tremendae]]'') for its final mission. The result? [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0zW7H8CIxU Pure]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ6ABV_Q9qU awesome]]. |
| 134 | ** ''VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar'' also creates a uniquely fresh trope from this; the OminousLatinChanting from the game's Razgriz theme "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1Qkzj5bStU The Unsung War]]" are in fact a Vulgate Latin translation of the Razgriz prophecy, quoted earlier in the game. |
| 135 | ** ''VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar'' (the final mission music of the game of the same name) combines that with Spanish flamenco. Seriously. One of the few sightings of OminousLatinChanting's elusive cousin, Ominous Spanish Castanets. |
| 136 | ** ''VideoGame/AceCombat6FiresOfLiberation'' departs from this to a degree, through the use of a Rather Depressing Boy's Choir. It also plays it straight at the same time, however, with the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HGQS5XSoJ4 Liberation of Gracemaria]]. |
| 137 | ** ''VideoGame/AceCombatAssaultHorizon'' gives us [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2nRsXeTTho Release]]. |
| 138 | * In ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath'', the battle between Asura and Augus is accompanied by the final movement of Music/AntoninDvorak's "From the New World". |
| 139 | * The UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo VideoGame/{{Battlefield}} games, first with [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vg0Tmydj29M 1942]], and then [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hOB4q01VCVg 1943]]. |
| 140 | * ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' 's later levels go all out on orchestral music and choir, to match the [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu scale of what's going on]]. |
| 141 | * ''VideoGame/BeyondGoodAndEvil'' has a powerful soundtrack that is [[http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2011/03/08/download-the-beyond-good-amp-evil-soundtrack-for-free.aspx completely downloadable on the web]]. The very first fight that Jade has involves a big stick, several aliens and a choir of [[OminousLatinChanting pissed-off angels singing background]] for her. The final fight took it to the next level. |
| 142 | * ''VideoGame/{{BioShock|1}}''. When you place the third (out of four) picture in the art collab, the already unstable Sander Cohen freaks out and, in a fit of instability, orders his henchmen to kill you. Cue the SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome as you beat the living crap out of splicers who seem to come out of HammerSpace. You'll be symphonizing a bloody massacre while Waltz of the Flowers blares throughout the studio for minutes, though odds are that you'll be done by 2:44. |
| 143 | * ''VideoGame/BrambleTheMountainKing'' uses this to great effect in its FinalBoss fight against the titular monarch, playing the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5cJk43Qytk titular music]]. It utilizes VariableMix as well, with the music's tempo, complexity and bombast picking up as the battle progresses and the fight grows more frantic. |
| 144 | * ''VideoGame/BungoToAlchemist'''s OST consists entirely of orchestral, classical-like music and this extends to battle themes, which are as energetic and pounding as they're elegant and classy, and can get pretty intense in the case of the boss theme. ''To'' and ''chi'' shelf themes subvert this by starting to incorporate the ''koto'', a decidedly non-orchestral instrument. |
| 145 | * No matter how bad the ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianTwilight'' was, and how the soundtrack is completely different from previous installments, anyone had to admit this: When you playing as GDI, and some action starts, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcOUyZw69yg THIS]] is freaking epic. Too bad it's just about only epic thing from game officially entitled "epic conclusion of the saga". |
| 146 | * ''VideoGame/CompanyOfHeroes'' does this on a regular basis, one minute the music can barely be heard as your troops move around the village or pass a few bushes and blaring you with Trumpets and a wide assortment of instruments the next as your tanks get blown to pieces by rockets or shells raining down from heaven as if the sky was crashing down.. In short, as the action heats up the orchestra start doing their thing, and it is [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome Awesome]]. |
| 147 | * Every ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' game ever. Fighting fallen champions and ancient gods will warrant some OminousLatinChanting and intense orchestralised murder. |
| 148 | * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp6KEjqATxA&feature=related This]] is the music during the [[EarthShatteringKaboom Exterminatus]] scene in ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar II''. |
| 149 | * ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' has the themes "One They Fear" and "Watch The Skies", which play every time a dragon shows up. The former in particular is an insanely epic reworking of the main ''Elder Scrolls'' theme featuring [[OminousLatinChanting Ominous Dovahzuul Chanting]] and bombastic brass. |
| 150 | * The soundtrack of ''VideoGame/ElementalGearbolt'' is all orchestral, all the time and the gameplay is all aerial battles, all the time. |
| 151 | * Several of the battle themes from ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'', especially [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JL3oDPS35E Battle 5]], aka "Behemoth", which plays, as its name suggests, when you’re battling one of the five Super Mutant Behemoths. |
| 152 | * ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'' goes ahead and just gives you a classical music radio station so you can make just about any situation in the game run on this trope. |
| 153 | * The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fmZHGlDn7I Hoover Dam]] theme in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas''. Double points when the Boomers commence their bombing run on whichever faction you're fighting against. |
| 154 | * Every ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' game ever. |
| 155 | ** ''[[Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren Advent Children]]'''s version of [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII One-Winged Angel]] has this, OminousLatinChanting, ''and'' AutobotsRockOut! |
| 156 | ** [[spoiler:[[GodIsEvil Bhunivelze]]]]'s theme in ''VideoGame/LightningReturnsFinalFantasyXIII'' is an orchestral [[EpicRocking air raid]]. |
| 157 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake'' reimagines the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnGnJWKyBak original game's boss theme]], which was an example of AutobotsRockOut, as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRgP7CWLIY8 an orchestral piece]] that is utterly bombastic in comparison. |
| 158 | * ''Franchise/FireEmblem'': |
| 159 | ** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'' has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dpo4PEiRH2E "God Shattering Star"]], one of the series' most bombastic final boss themes with thunderous orchestration and operatic vocals for the Golden Deer route's final fight [[spoiler:against Nemesis]]. |
| 160 | * ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' is more well-known for its [[AutobotsRockOut heavy metal]] than orchestral music, yet ''Guilty Gear Xrd'''s rendition of Ky's classic theme "Holy Orders" ([[BGMOverride which only plays when Ky's ponytail is undone]]) proves that not only does the series do orchestral music well, but that pairing it up with heavy metal makes it even better. |
| 161 | * In ''VideoGame/GutsNBlackpowder'', [[Music/PyotrIlyichTchaikovsky 1812 Overture]] plays during Catacombes de Paris' finale, as an absolutely massive horde of undead approaches an evacuation site. The supporting cannon fire and Notre-Dame's bell ringing are even in beat to the music. |
| 162 | * ''Franchise/{{Halo}}''. The original trilogy has some particularly notable examples, such as "Brothers In Arms/Follow Our Brothers", "On/Behold A Pale Horse", "Drumrun" (during the escape from ''VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved''[='s=] "The Maw"), "Earth City" (its rollicking and [[UncommonTime irregular]] rhythm fits with the movements of the Scarab Walker in ''VideoGame/{{Halo 2}}''), "Delta Halo Suite: Leonidas" (heard in ''Halo 2'' during the gondola rides on "Regret", and again in ''VideoGame/{{Halo 3}}'' during the air battle on "The Covenant"), "Blow Me Away"(during the climactic battle on ''2''[='s=] "Gravemind" mission), "This Is Our Land", "This is the Hour" and "Finish The Fight" (the music in the original ''Halo 3'' advertisement). |
| 163 | ** The [[ThemeTune Halo Theme]], naturally. It becomes even more bombastic in ''Halo 3'' as "Greatest Journey" (the final escape theme) when Martin O'Donnell swapped out the first game's synthesizers with a live orchestra. |
| 164 | * ''VideoGame/{{Homeworld}}'': The [[spoiler:Burning of [[DoomedHometown Kharak]]]] is set to a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6ilqJW3fV8 choral version of Adagio for Strings, with the lyrics to Agnus Dei]]. A double-whammy. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXRJBK8oJSA Click here]] for the version used in the game. |
| 165 | ** If you can play through that part of the game without crying you ''aren't human.'' |
| 166 | ** Then it comes back during the truly epic battle of the final mission. [[spoiler:Rebel reinforcements arrive to take the pressure off your fleet and start driving a hole through the Emperor's defenses, sacrificing themselves while]] giving you the chance to strike back ForGreatJustice. ''Hell yes.'' |
| 167 | * ''Kessen'' and its sequel ''VideoGame/KessenII''. ''[[http://youtu.be/aVBc-f7dbJw Kessen]]'' [[http://youtu.be/noIrsm62gF8 in particular]] was one of the first games ever to have a full orchestral soundtrack, performed by the Moscow International Symphonic Orchestra, so it was almost nothing ''but'' OrchestralBombing. ''Kessen III'', the last of the series, also has some bombing but uses GenreBusting for most battle themes. |
| 168 | * ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'', in just about every flight sequence and several land sequences as well. Boss fights lean more towards AutobotsRockOut, though. |
| 169 | * ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'': |
| 170 | ** ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar'' is the first non-spinoff ''Kirby'' game released on hardware capable of handling this trope, and the composers leapt at the chance with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3BTZDQEPn4 Marx's battle theme]]. |
| 171 | ** ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'' has the theme of the [[spoiler: final boss fake-out, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRkYZEWvtcg Landia]], doubling as SadBattleMusic.]] The [[spoiler:actual final boss, Magolor (Soul), uses this for his second phase's theme, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0dzzE9MJFI CROWNED.]]]] The former also serves as the first phase of [[spoiler: Galacta Knight, before switching to [[AutobotsRockOut a remastered version of his own theme]].]] |
| 172 | ** ''VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot'' plays with this with [[spoiler:''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr_RDK7WoVc VS. Star Dream]],'' used for the first phase of the final boss in question.]] It only seems to be partially orchestral, [[spoiler:as Star Dream is struggling to emulate previous final bosses]]. |
| 173 | ** ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' has [[spoiler: Void Termina's theme, "The Star-Conquering Traveler," which is an orchestral remix of the RecurringRiff [[SadBattleMusic ''Song of Supplication.'']]]] |
| 174 | ** ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand'' is a [[SubvertedTrope subversion]]. [[spoiler:Fecto Elfilis's theme, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Paw4n5xmqxQ Two Planets Approach the Roche Limit]]", starts out with OminousPipeOrgan, choir, and soaring strings... but after a minute or so, it turns into an elaborate [[CreepyJazzMusic jazz fusion]] piece that combines all the orchestral elements with pianos, intricate percussion, slap bass, and even ''[[AutobotsRockOut electric guitars]]'' as Kirby gets closer to defeating the boss.]] |
| 175 | * The soundtrack to ''VideoGame/LegacyOfTheVoid'' makes liberal use of this trope. Standout examples include: |
| 176 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUzxdczZKjY The Golden Armada]] |
| 177 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymPfyoGcAfc Attack on Korhal]] |
| 178 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqI2EOxoW3c Blades of Justice]] |
| 179 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Qe1o4RZ9lk Holding up the Sky]] |
| 180 | * ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'': Much of the soundtrack is quiet and understated to fit the theme of you wandering a huge, mostly empty world all on your own. Whenever you're in combat (particularly with a boss monster), trying to shut down a [[HumongousMecha Divine Beast]], or ''especially'' storming [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Hyrule Castle]], things get much more rousing. |
| 181 | * ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' has this trope in spades, fittingly enough coming from the same music team behind the ''Galaxy'' games. While the overworld themes are surprisingly low-key (with the exception of the Sky theme), the boss themes in particular are particularly bombastic. The overall theme, ''Ballad of the Goddess'', starts with a solo HarpOfFemininity (appropriately enough), and after about 45 seconds launches into epicness. |
| 182 | * In the final mission of ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', the score goes all out. First, there's the epic uplifting music during the space battle, then the score goes all out for the finale to bring the already awesome mission to a breathtaking close. |
| 183 | * In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'', the final boss fight takes place in a field of white flowers and has a 10-minute time limit. If you have not defeated your opponent by that point, you both get killed in an airstrike. The fight starts with no music at all, but after 5 minutes an instrumental version of the games main theme, which you have heard several times at that point, starts playing and you know that if you haven't won by the final note, you'll be dead. |
| 184 | * In ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld'', Bazelgeuse's theme is a bombastic piece evocative of old warplane and bombing propaganda videos. Considering [[StuffBlowingUp its main method of attack being carpet bombing its preys with exploding scales]], this fits all too well. |
| 185 | * ''Videogame/MountAndBlade'': In the ''Napoleonic Wars'' mod, you get artillery to fire at the enemy. You also get troops that carry nothing but musical instruments to play for morale. The rest of the equation is up to you. |
| 186 | * ''VideoGame/OriAndTheWillOfTheWisps'' prominently uses this during its escape sequences and boss battles, notably [[https://youtu.be/AVChO2jMQM4 Mora the Spider]], [[https://youtu.be/g6Vhj3XH1PA Corrupted Kwolok]], the SandWorm [[https://youtu.be/9eR6JC_ng5E chase]], and the FinalBoss [[https://youtu.be/ClCW2A1355A Shriek]]. |
| 187 | * ''VideoGame/Pikmin3'' uses orchestral music for particularly large-scale boss battles, a pretty sharp contrast from the lower-key, atmospheric themes heard in the rest of the game (and series). |
| 188 | * Subverted by ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'', which has the lighter portions of the ''1812 Overture'' playing during the Napoleonic board game level. |
| 189 | * ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureACrackInTime'' allows the player to invoke this at will once they come across the game's [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity +1]] {{BFG}}, the RYNO V, as the gun in question plays the finale of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture for as long as it's fired. |
| 190 | * ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'' has a full orchestra for [[spoiler: Excella as Uroboros Aheri's boss fight, Jill's boss fight, and Wesker's boss fights]]. |
| 191 | * In ''VideoGame/SenranKagura'', the Gessen girls' themes are arrangements of classical music: |
| 192 | ** Yumi: Requiem Mass in D minor, by Mozart and Piano Sonata No. 8 (Sonata Pathétique) by Beethoven for ''Shinovi Versus'', and Requiem Mass in D minor (the Lacrimosa portion) and Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals (Aquarium) for ''Estival Versus''. |
| 193 | ** Murakumo: Scythian Suite Op. 20 (Dance of the Pagan Monster), by Sergei Prokofiev. |
| 194 | ** Tozakura: Piano Sonata No. 14 (Moonlight Sonata), by Beethoven. |
| 195 | ** Shiki: The Four Seasons, by Vivaldi. [[MeaningfulName Interestingly, "Shiki" literally means "Four Seasons".]] |
| 196 | ** Minori: The Nutcracker Suite Op. 71a, by Tchaikovsky (Specifically, "Russian Dance") for ''Shinovi Versus'', and Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals for ''Estival Versus''. |
| 197 | * ''VideoGame/SeriousSam: The Second Encounter'' has you traversing the game to various music score ranging from atmospheric ethnics to rock remixes of Jingle Bells. However, the final level is a massive showdown set to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQMCAdMadMY&feature=related this]]. |
| 198 | * In ''VideoGame/ShadowOfTheColossus'', all of the music is orchestrated. It also only starts playing when you encounter the Colossi. |
| 199 | * In the helicopter {{rail shooter}} level of ''VideoGame/SoldierOfFortune II'', the pilot decides to play "Music/RideOfTheValkyries" as a {{shout out}} to ''Film/ApocalypseNow'', but the stereo is destroyed by gunfire. |
| 200 | * Later games in the ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' series have embraced this trope for their final boss battles, using orchestral versions of the games' main themes. These include ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006''’s arrangement of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRe3h1iQ1Os His World]], ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed''’s arrangement of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdDwqJiYO6c Endless Possibility]], and ''VideoGame/SonicColors''’ arrangement of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBna1sm6XhY Reach for the Stars]], all of which also [[AutobotsRockOut add electric guitars for good measure]]. While it's been noticeably absent for most ''Sonic'' final bosses post-Colors, this trope came back with a vengeance in the ''The Final Horizon'' update for ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers'', [[spoiler:with THE END's first phase blasting an intense orchestral rendition of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHPfd-tkAS4 I'm Here]].]] |
| 201 | * ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'' busts out the live orchestra for the final battle against [[spoiler:DJ Octavio and a BrainwashedAndCrazy Callie.]] |
| 202 | * ''VideoGame/SpongebobSquarepantsBattleForBikiniBottom'''s FinalBoss music is this. |
| 203 | * Every single ''Franchise/StarFox'' game. [[VideoGame/StarFox1 The original game]] and ''VideoGame/StarFox2'' distinguish between stages on planets (except for [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Venom]]) and stages in outer space with techno for the former and orchestra for the latter, but later games drop these contrasting styles. |
| 204 | * ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy's'' soundtrack is 90% orchestrated (same for the sequel), and has this all over the place in varying degrees, but the best examples would have to be [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTFgZK5XSts every]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv4oRt79AP0 single]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9cmUFBQK2E Bowser]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Glzkh5jl31k battle theme.]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UYXABAC06s Melty Monster Galaxy]] from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'' is downright ''magnificent'' in all its orchestrated glory. |
| 205 | * Given the huge number of remixes and styles incorporated in the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series, pure statistics alone dictate that a ludicrously epic orchestral piece will be playing in the background at some point. ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLJuT8zPmvA Final Destination]], which is both this and OminousLatinChanting. |
| 206 | * The action themes in the later ''VideoGame/SyphonFilter'' games. |
| 207 | * The ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'' is full of them. |
| 208 | * ''VideoGame/TinkerQuarry'''s battle music is an epic orchestral theme simply titled "Attacked". |
| 209 | * In ''VideoGame/TransformersDevastation'', the FinalBoss battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron is an arrangement of the game's main battle theme -- itself, an example of AutobotsRockOut -- with an orchestral backing. |
| 210 | * An orchestral version of [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic Beyond The Bounds]] plays during an epic air siege in ''VideoGame/ZoneOfTheEnders: The Second Runner''. |
| 211 | [[/folder]] |
| 212 | |
| 213 | [[folder:Web Comics]] |
| 214 | * ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}'' has a ''[[LiteralMetaphor literal]]'' Orchestral Bombing. [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1200/fv01190.htm Orbital Bombardment in D Minor]]. |
| 215 | [[/folder]] |
| 216 | |
| 217 | [[folder:Web Video]] |
| 218 | * [[invoked]] ''WebVideo/JoueurDuGrenier'' tends to use the finale of the 1812 Overture to accompany scenes of StuffBlowingUp, such as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IKz4hAMPOE#t=692 blowing up a bar]] in ''VideoGame/TerminatorII'' (commenting on how time-travel movies usually make an effort to minimize violence in the past) [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLeCJW3t0Io&t=1128s or the]] DifficultySpike in ''{{VideoGame/Rambo}}''. |
| 219 | [[/folder]] |
| 220 | |
| 221 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 222 | * The intro theme music for ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' does this perfectly, with the booms and flourishes matching up perfectly with the action on-screen. |
| 223 | * ''WesternAnimation/Castlevania2017'' does this with the second season's siege on Dracula's castle. For bonus points, the theme used is an orchestral arrangement of "Bloody Tears" from the [[Franchise/{{Castlevania}} games]]. |
| 224 | [[/folder]] |
| 225 | |
| 226 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 227 | * During the first BLACK BUCK mission during the UsefulNotes/FalklandsWar, one of the crew of the Vulcan wondered where the orchestra was. They did play the theme from ''Film/ChariotsOfFire'' on the way home. |
| 228 | [[/folder]] |
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