Last Wave

Last Wave

Composer Hiroshi Kawaguchi Released 1986-09-20 Title Origin Official Loops No

Last Wave (ラストウェーブ Rasuto Webu) is the high score music for the racing game OutRun. It is a mellow jazz tune composed by Hiroshi Kawaguchi initially for the arcade release, but has since been rearranged for the majority of the game's ports. The title comes from the game's official soundtrack.

There have been several renditions of this song through the various album soundtracks including a vocal version.

Games

OutRun (ARC)

OutRun (ARC)

Arranger Hiroshi Kawaguchi Released 1986-09-20 Length 1:32.89 Format VGM

The original rendition of Last Wave is played during the high score screen in the arcade game. Throughout the song crashing waves can be heard in the background, but these are not part of the music data. To achieve this effect, the music of the song plays on the YM2151 audio chip, while the wave crashes play on the Sega PCM. Because of the music and waves are separate, two versions of the song have been recorded, one true to the game with the waves, the other without.

The song's internal number is A5.

OutRun (SM3)

OutRun (SM3)

Arranger Yuji Naka Released 1987-06-30

OutRun (SMS)

OutRun (SMS)

Arranger Tokuhiko Uwabo Released 1987-06-30

OutRun (ZXS)

OutRun (ZXS)

Arranger Unknown Released 1987-??-?? Format AY

Last Wave exists in the Spectrum version of the game only as the wave crashing sound effect played as white noise. The song's music isn't present.

OutRun (AMI)

OutRun (AMI)

Arranger Jason Brooke Released 1988-??-?? Format UNK

OutRun (AST)

OutRun (AST)

Arranger David Whittaker Released 1988-??-?? Format SNDH

OutRun (MSX2)

OutRun (MSX2)

Arranger Unknown Released 1988-??-?? Length 1:56 Format KSS

Like the arcade game, Last Wave plays at the high score screen. Unlike the arcade game, Last Wave also plays at the title screen. The roar of the waves is built into the song as white noise. The song is rendered on the YM2149.

OutRun (DOS)

OutRun (DOS)

Arranger Kris Hatlelid, Mike Sokyrka Released 1989-??-?? Format UNK

The DOS port plays Last Wave through the PC Speaker.

OutRun (TG16)

OutRun (TG16)

Arranger Shigeharu Isoda Released 1990-12-21 Format HES

OutRun (GEN)

OutRun (GEN)

Arranger Shinichiro Sato Released 1991-08-09 Length 1:32.48 Format VGM

Last Wave on the Genesis is essentially the same song, but it has been rearranged to play on the YM2612. The change drops the melody in pitch and gives it a warmer sound. Also, in the Genesis version, the wave crashes are not PCM sound effects, but are synthesized on the music chip.

OutRun (GG)

OutRun (GG)

Arranger Yoko Wada Released 1991-08-09 Format UNK

OutRun (SAT)

OutRun (SAT)

Arranger Hiroshi Kawaguchi Released 1996-09-20 Format UNK

Albums

Different versions of Last Wave can be heard on the following albums:

Released	Album	Version	Track
1986-12-12	Sega Game Music Vol.1	Arranged	4
1990-10-31	S.S.T. Band Live! -G.S.M. SEGA-	Live	7
1990-11-21	S.S.T. Band: Live	Live	5
1991-02-21	OutRun (Soundtrack)	Arcade	7
2001-10-24	Segacon: The Best of Sega Game Music, Vol.1	?	2:04
2004-01-21	OutRun2 Sound Tracks	Arranged Arcade	13 18
2005-01-07	OutRun2 Sound Tracks -Side B-	Euro Remix 1996 Arranged Version Vocal Version	4 13 14
2007-02-07	OutRun Sound Tracks -Complement-	1993 Arranged Version Live	8 12
2007-02-08	OutRun 20th: Anniversary Box	Arcade 1993 Arranged OutRun2 Mark III FM Towns Master System 1 Master System 2 Turbo Grafx-16 Game Gear Genesis 1993 Arranged Sega Saturn Dreamcast Game Boy Advance Arranged Euro Remix Vocal Version Wave Master Version	1:4 2:35 3:15 4:4 4:8 5:5 5:10 5:14 5:18 6:5 7:41 8:4 8:8 8:15 9:4 9:13 11:16 11:17

Lyrics

Track 14 on the OutRun2 Sound Track Side B album is the vocal version of the song which contains vocals by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi.

Lyrics still required...

Links

• youtube.com/watch?v=cN1LHAMVN1E - Played live by Sega Sound Team.
• youtube.com/watch?v=lziBz-7meAU - Played on synthesizer by Alsyderia de Scylaax.
• youtube.com/watch?v=21DTPk8Rcvg - Played on piano with Splash Wave by art88tum.
• youtube.com/watch?v=9t4i_1X-e4g - Played on electric guitar by yuta1785.
• youtube.com/watch?v=Y7Xh-8D-vhc - Played on piano by yukimatsuri.
• youtube.com/watch?v=QIxxr2yTRXM - House remix by DJ Chopp -A-Lot.