Zero Gunner and Zero Gunner 2 back to back, and Masaki Izutani composed these like action movie scores squeezed through arcade hardware. The original Zero Gunner tracks have this militaristic intensity, with "THE OMEN OF THE DESTRUCTION" living up to its dramatic name across globe-spanning stages.
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City names in the track titles (Chicago, Tokyo, Kyoto, Hong Kong, Los Angeles) give each stage its own flavor. "SCARLET OCEAN" and "HIDDEN HONOR" are standouts, driving and relentless. The helicopter lock-on gameplay had this wild rotational feel, and the music matches that constant tension.
Kaori Kumakura joins Izutani for Zero Gunner 2's contributions. If you want arcade shmup music that sounds like it means business, this delivers.