Once upon a time, I didn’t use Twitter that much. Some two years or so ago, I made the dedicated effort to start using it, seeing as I abandoned it after creating it upon realizing that talking to celebrities is harder than originally expected. A couple months into my Twitter renaissance, I suddenly got a follow from an account titled “Game & Sound,” which I originally took for some Nintendo fan account. Checking out their profile, I found out that it’s actually a user who uploads (primarily) rock-themed covers of (primarily) Nintendo titles. The prospect was intriguing, but covers of Nintendo music are hardly revolutionary. His Youtube channel was fairly barren, with only six or so videos to his name, but a cover of Super Mario 64‘s “Dire Dire Docks” caught my eye.
I clicked, listened, and strangely found myself subscribed.
The moral of the story here is that if your work is good, then you will receive attention. Following thousands of people on Twitter (I am one of 5,755 people he follows) also helps. I’m a prime example.
My oxygen-bereaving humor aside, Game & Sound is a channel that has been going relatively steady for the last two years, uploading covers of songs ranging from Sonic the Hedgehog to Chrono Trigger to Castlevania, along with a large number of Nintendo classics. While not every cover is a modern masterpiece, there are a good number of his tracks that could challenge the original tune in terms of quality. My particular favorites include the aforementioned “Dire Dire Docks,” Super Mario Galaxy‘s “To the Gateway,” Sonic 3‘s “Angel Island Zone,” among others. Game & Sounds’s means of instrumentation include his signature guitar, drums, and a number of electronic doo-dads and beep-bops, bringing a 16-bit flair to an otherwise rockin’ atmosphere.
When I first subscribed to Game & Sound, I don’t think he even cracked 500 subscribers. Fast forward and now he’s sitting at a comfortable 5,166, with a lot more to come as long as he keeps up his craft. I believe he deserves far more attention than what he’s received, as his covers have an oozing tingling to them that one can’t help but find professional. Not only that, but his covers aren’t the simple “Take track. Cover 100% the same.” Game & Sound adds his own touch to the track that not only gives him his own identity, but doesn’t take away from the essence of the music he’s covering. In rare cases, it even enhances the track’s original energy. I believe he’s most effective when covering soft, emotionally-resonant tracks. There’s something about the tuning of his guitar that really adds a somber tone to those whimsical, otherworldly tracks.
Take note, however, that if you’re going to go above and beyond when analyzing his music, there’s one thing that’s become something of familiar territory for Game & Sound. The cover begins slowly, building up momentum, then hits its peak as the chorus arrives. After relaying a few times, a near-silent middle phase—where he typically experiments with other instruments in the tune of the track’s outer layers—will unfold, up until the point where it returns to the energized chorus as the video fades to black. Perhaps one could credit this to his own identity, but this is something I find a little too repetitive to be enjoyed in more than a few videos. Game & Sound has done this in more than a few videos.
Nitpicking and praise combined, Game & Sound deserves numerous amounts of credit for the work that he puts into his covers. His videos typically come out once every week or so, spanning anywhere from two to five minutes. With the way they sound, the quirky video overlays, and the (for the most part) consistency at which he puts them out, one has to wonder where he finds all the time. I’m not one to complain of this, however, as his music has been replayed in my Youtube history ever since I first subscribed to his channel. His video listing has a number of classic tracks covered with an execution that rivals the original. If you fancy yourself a Nintendo music connoisseur, Game & Sound is well worth checking out. Even if not, his music will at least tickle the fancy of any fan of music outside of the mainstream spectrum.
For all those interested, I will provide a link to his channel. Please consider subscribing if you like what you hear! I’m sure he’ll appreciate the support. And thank you, as always, for reading.
The Visualist's Veranda 
I follow Game and Sound and really like his stuff, but also agree with your nit picks. Loved his recent Mario Kart 64 ending theme cover, though, and if anything else I like hearing 16 bit music modernized with the technology we have now (especally when it’s a more industrial, mechanical sounding track because those are made for sinths).
Liked that track, too.