The very original NES prelude way back in 1987 from Final Fantasy I behaves differently from the ones to follow, as we’ll se Nobuo himself demonstrating. I hear a swirling kaleidoscope in the inverted arpeggios, so I cover them with the guitar. Let’s peek into the colored glass and some untapped game music potential.

To the Land of No Return: A postlude that opens with a minor romanesca and reflects on the opening track.

Goodbye Faraway Peaceful Town: instead of a shepherd in Arcadia, I associate romanesca with town themes.

Revelations in Ancient Tombs: what happens when you apply “chroma”, Gesualdo-style, on a romanesca?

Autumn Moon Dance: This dance-like motive unfolds in a “minor-variant romanesca”.

Chilly Nights, Quiet Winds: a meandering motive searchs out and seeks, perhaps for a warmer breeze.

Arpeggiating a single motive results in a deceptively simple prelude. Let’s delve into this audio dungeon - timestamps as a map, motif as a compass.