This is going to sound cheesy (hah), but the fact that the title screen of the game is a genuine bop feels nothing short of great. Sometimes, when playing a game for the first time, I get this strong feeling that whatever it is that I'm playing, it's going to be special. I had that feeling when I got to the title screen here and pressed a key, lighting up the screen for the first time. I have a lot of memories just... hitting Peppino on the screen, for the hell of it. I'd press as fast as I could to try and get him to float offscreen, it was great. The upbeat tune gets me excited to play such a wonderful game.

That "special feeling" that I talked about in Pizza Deluxe kicked in full time when the kicks and beats got more intense. The song starts out calm, but has a moment of intensity that makes things more upbeat to contrast with the rest of the calm. I remember fumbling with Peppino's moves at first, trying to get a feel for how the game plays. I felt ridiculous for not getting a hang of the game right away...

I'm sure I'm not the only one who does this, but sometimes I sing along to this song with the corrupted lyrics. You know, "pizza, pasta, put it on my cock!" That one.

The introductory sequence is really atmospheric. It almost feels a little magical, then as the song REALLY starts, that weird funky base drops in. That whimsical feeling's still there, but now it's underneath this feeling of... "wow, this game is weird." It's heightened even more when you hear the monkey sounds. It's such a stupid addition to the track, but it's a GOOD stupid. There's a part of the song where there's a scream sampled, and when I was first playing, that played at the same time I got hurt, so I thought it was coming from Peppino. I guess it still could...???

It would genuinely be criminal if I didn't talk about this song. There's a reason Pizza Tower is praised so highly for it's soundtrack. It starts out somewhat ominiously (especially with the "hello there"s), then when the song takes off after asking "are you ready!?" it goes OFF. The way the clock is used a little as a supporting beat to the song, too, is really fun!! Really hammers in the fact that you're on a time limit. Hell, even bells are used to emphasize the point of being under a time limit. Then, when you're low on time, the music of course speeds up, amplifying the player's panic. There would be times where I'd glance at the timer and IMMEDIATELY the panic section of the song would start, causing me to panic, and therefore fumble. It's so fun! Upon time running out though, instead of just NO music, there's a metronome reminding you that you're on borrowed time now. It's genuinely so good. I still vastly prefer this to The Noise's escape theme, not because it's "better" but more because it just fits how I play better.

Something that starts with Pizzascape and carries on into Ancient Cheese, where this song plays, is there being two songs per level: the first half of the level, and the second half before the escape sequence. I'm going to nickname these "Side A" and "Side B" for the sake of talking about it easier.

I love Theatrical Shenanigans (Mr. Sauceman) a lot for its usage of the saxophone and how it feels oddly calming and explorative, but the reason I'm talking about Put On A Show here instead is mostly because of the instrumentation. Compared to Side A's saxophone sections, instead of using the same instrument, it sounds more like kazoos. I LOVE that. Listening it normally is really fun and groovy. At some point, I was forwarded two WIP audio clips of the song. I still giggle at the file names.

The song starts off simple, but eventually builds up a feeling of confidence and it goes full force. When I heard this song for the first time, I had accidentally entered a Lap 2 portal, but the music gave me the confidence to try and complete it. I failed, but ever since I've wanted to build up the skill to tackle completing a Lap 2. Suffice to say, I've been able to do that. The magic of this song still hasn't worn off on me, as I still lock in when this plays.

It's really interesting when it comes to this song's development. Originally, this was going to be something for The Vigilante, but was handed to Peppino. I think it's so, so much more fitting. While Peppino goes into things scared and afraid at first, I feel like once he gets his footing, he's capable of riding the adrenaline high and enjoying the thrill of his skills being pushed closer to their limits. In that sense, this song really portrays Peppino's character pretty well!! I love it!

I love this song a lot, for a mixture of both the wrong and right reasons. Of course, I'll go into the right reasons first.

This song definitely leans harder into the rock aesthetic, but it's VERY fun. It mixes some chiptune in there at some points, too, which is really fun! The track feels casual at first, but the further you progress in the fight, it ramps up and feels more intense.

... And the additional part, which is NOT this song's fault at all, is anytime I hear this, I think of this really shitty Spanish lyric cover of the song acting like Pepperman's ringtone and it makes me laugh. It's become an inside joke within my friend group and it's really funny.

I love the bass guitar used at the start of the song so much. I find myself humming this song a lot, and it's deserved. It's a fast paced fun track and it's just... so catchy!! I already really liked Oregano Desert as a level, but the music just puts it very high for me. I don't know what the one section is called where the song slows down for a moment to have an instrument solo, because god forbid I know what its called, but I love that part the second most. The bongos and instrumentation in general really help give it a western feel while staying upbeat, which is pretty unique! Most western songs tend to be slow and tigh-tension. This one's just here to have fun and I like that.

The windchimes echoing with faint gunshots in the background really help set up an atmospheric track. As the organ gives it a more traditional intro, when the bass guitar kicks in, it really just sells the track to me. This track is genuinely one of my favorites of all time from this game. It's very atmospheric compared to the rest of the tracks, which are upbeat and silly. It's a really fun contrast and helps make the level stand out in comparison. There's even a segment at the end of the track with rain. I think what also helps this track a lot, too, is it's not really going for a tense or scary feeling, but a relaxed one. It's kind of funny when you think about the fact you die in this level in order to become a ghost.

This is such a fun and tense track! It's not SUPER super tense, but tense enough that it's fitting for a one on one showdown. It's tonally a bit more serious and not as silly, but there's a segment where it gets a bit more serious, much like the themes for Metaknight in the Kirby series. It helps that the fight itself is partially based off of Metaknight, specifically the part where Vigi throws a gun at Peppino to even the playing field. The way the track is composed actually feels like a Kirby track, too! There's a slight western undertone, but it's not overtaking. When I was Ranking Vigi, this song ended up becoming my next earworm, but I wasn't unhappy about that.

The floor tracks are all great, but I think this one's my favorite. It starts off serious, like all of them do, but when it kicks in, it's a lot more upbeat and silly with it. It helps sell the more crazier, colorful look of the floor. The first two floors had very uniform theming, while this one was a bit more sparatic. The instrumentation manages to mix two the aspects of the third floor's levels into it: tropical and alien. There's a section where it still feels a little more eerie, contrasting between the fun bounciness of the earlier parts, foreshadowing the creepier elements to the tower. It's great!!

Also, I think it's really silly that the floor themes are named after weekdays. Cute naming gimmick. Even outside of the music, this is my favorite floor, too. Common floor 3 win.

You know the tropical song was going to land on here. There's no contest. I love tropics. Even better, it's got some rock elements to it, which I absolutely treasure. I LOVE the guitar rifts going on in this song. I love Crust Cove as a level already, but the track elevates it, enhancing the fun of running around on a pink beach before barreling (hah) into a ship. Even when the environment changes, the track still manages to fit and doesn't need a remix or anything. It fully captures the feeling of the level perfectly. If only this song automatically played when I went to any beach... I suppose having it play in my head will have to suffice.

No, this isn't here just for the Lario meme, I promise I really like this song. It was a toss-up between this or "gustavo". The most I'd have to say about the latter is that the cowbells and the title being all lowercase reminds me of UNDERTALE's track, "sans." which I don't think is enough commentary.

Forest songs (NOT grasslands) tend to be boring for me in most games. Not that they're bad, but they're usually slow-paced and lacking in instrumentation for me. This changes that. It's upbeat and goofy! It has monkey sounds in the background at a few points which, upon first listening, made me laugh a little. The specific samples remind me of a Spongebob scene where after a failed attempt to drag Spongebob out of the house, Patrick comes in a gorilla suit, and then another Patrick comes in, unzipping itself to reveal it's a REAL gorilla. It's so great.

I have so much to say about this song. It's a perfect culmination of the rivalry between Peppino and The Noise, and the instrumentation does nothing but support this. The Stardust Speedway sirens calling back to the pseudo rivalry between Sonic and his metal counterpart, highlighting how the characters here, despite being so visually different are nearly matched in skill. Sure, one's more physically strong, but the other is able to rely on tactics and weapons just as good. They're matched in that way! On top of encapsulating that rivalry, it also does a wonderful job highlighting Noise's crazier and intense personality. While he's definitely here to annoy Peppino more than anything, he's not gonna toss up a good fight either!

Despite my huge bias for tropics, I have a huge soft spot for winter tracks, too. A lot of them often end up atmospheric, like Shiver Star from Kirby 64. This track takes the concept and flips it a little on its head. While it is chill and cool (hah), it still manages to be a nice, fun groove. I think that one guitar ends up feeling a bit out of place with the song, but I still really like it! If anything, I've grown fond of the guitar. I flat up associate it with Pizza Tower when it comes to its soundtrack.

I don't know if this is an intentional reference, but the title makes me think of UNDERTALE's "Can You Really Call This A Hotel, I Didn't Receive A Mint On My Pillow Or Anything" and it makes me laugh. I love absurdly long music titles.

It is actually kind of criminal how short of time this song plays for. It's so spunky and fun, and it's only briefly used after getting the Satan's Choice / Pepper Pizza power-up. The bongos are unexpected but a nice addition!! The instrumentation reminds me of Crust Cove for some reason... This song is such a huge contrast to the previous one, and it's great. Normally I don't associate temperatures with songs, but this and DPYOBIYDTSWP I associate with hot and cold respectively. It's such a fun dichotomy.

Did you know gaming?: This song doesn't loop. I have no clue why that's the case. When this song is finished playing, it just goes right back to DPYOBIYDTSWP. It's kind of criminal how they got away with making a song for one entire power-up.

I love how quiet and eerie this song starts out. As it progresses, it feels odd in a way you can't put your finger on. The guitars slowly kick in, being incredibly low and distorted, and then the song kicks off. The tempo is constantly shifting, never staying the same, and it's SO fitting for the boss fight. The distorted motif for Pizza Time is also a really fun touch! AAUUGHH!!! So much musical detail!! It's not completely eerie with some of the instrument choice, in fact it's a little goofy, but I think that just adds to the fight and character it's representing. As the second phase starts, the tempo speeds up even more and the music begins acting a little more frantic. It's so close to feeling like panic, but as an inhumane version of it. The WarioWare DIY voice instruments, too, add SO much to how weird the guy you're fighting is. There's so much damn detail in this thing. I love it. As the song itself closes out, it's got a failing light buzzing in the background, and it's just... ough. What a fine pizza this song is.

Genuinely one of my favorite songs from the game hands down. It's intense and strong from the start, gritty and not sparing any details. Hell, the whistles before a new segment in the song starts is SUCH a wonderful touch. It really helps you feel like you're in the middle of a warzone, especially with the muffled explosions in the background. I find myself coming back to the WAR level partially because of this track. It's tense, pushy and reminds me to keep my head in the game. The violin isn't something I would normally associate with a battlefield or war, but it fits so well here. The marching at the end of the song, too... it's so good.

My other favorite part of this track, too, is the fact that when you go for Lap 2, this song doesn't stop playing. It keeps going, unstopping. It's similar to how the battlefield won't stop for anything, and you're at its mercy. It's genuinely so good. If Death I Deservioli played instead, I don't think it would have helped made the level as memorable as it is.

Yet another favorite of mine. Carrying off from the confidence of Unexpectancy, it continues here with the goal of getting evreyone and yourself out of the tower safely. Even as the place crumbles, it doesn't stop trying to take you down with it, but if the fight at the top was anything to go by, you're more than capable of handling it. In fact, this is a cake walk. Five minutes to get out? Not a problem! That's about a minute per floor. Knowing what Peppino is capable of, there's no way he can't do this. I remember when I first got to this level, I was worried about the time, but I knew it was possible. I managed to make it at the last second, and once I did, it felt SO rewarding.

Once again, the motif choice is beautiful. On top of sneaking Pizza Time in there, there's moments of Pizza Mayhem slipped in. The way Pizza Time is incorperated though feels a LOT less like a panicked mess, and this time feels more triumphant. Peppino may have entered the tower a horrified, scared mess for his pizzeria, but he's coming out of it knowing what he's capable of. He's definitely still got some anxiety in there, but hey! He did much more than what he anticipated he'd do!

Mr. Sauceman composed the instrumentals, while Kyoobot sung the lyrics.

The way this song opens up reminds me so strongly of Sonic CD's introductory song. It makes me imagine an animated sequence, similar to it, about the journey through the tower. It's dramatic, flashy, and a fantastic listen.

The lyrics, as cheesy as they are (HAH!!) do have thought put into them! Presumably they're written from Peppino's perspective, expressing self-doubt about going through the tower and destroying it, but needing to stick to it and... as the lyrics put it, "trust his punch." The second set go through the fights in the tower and how anger-inducing it is, specifically with the bosses. "Cheese and pepper, let's make some Noise! Serving fresh pizza is my choice!" is a cute callback to each of them. With the last set of lyrics, they're the most memorable for me. Presumably this takes place after the final fight as it refers to it as, emphasizing the small timeframe needed to escape the entire tower. This time as it echoes similar lyrics to the beginning of the song, it's talking to the viewer, saying "you gotta trust my might." I imagine this would be the part after he gains most of his confidence in himself, but that question lingers in the back of his head: "Will I be the man to save them all, or will I be the man to screw us all?" It's a very memorable lyric to me.

Thing song went through a lot of development. Noise was planned to be playable for a long time, but his moveset flip-flopped a lot. The first iteration of this song was composed around the time Noise was less of a maniac who was a television star and more of this weird feral creature. However, I think the final product is amazing.

The introduction of the song is a lot more chaotic than Pizza Time, being bombarded with "hello there"'s and the likes. The guitar very quickly sets in and the song goes off running. It's the perfect song to boost Noise's ego. It's fun, bouncing off of the walls and caring more about looking and acting cool. Safe to say, it does just that. The final section of it, where it hits the final minute, is so good. The bells becoming the leading instrument with vocal samples in the background, slowly fading out is so fun. It's this slight panic that's in the background, reminding you that you're cutting it close, before the ego takes a back seat. Suddenly, you realize the time, and the tempo quickens. The song still tries to keep up, almost like it's sweating, until you hear the "hello there!" from the beginning. It's an in your face reminder that your time's up, with the remaining instruments being the beat and the bell. Then, it slows to a stop, accepting its fate.

Instead of re-doing the old version of the track, like Distasteful Anchovi, this goes for an entirely new song, and I think it's so, so much better. The only part I find myself mildly missing is the absurdly loud beat and drums, feeling it vibrate against my ears, but that's purely preferential.

Much like Death I Deservioli, it's another ego trip, full of confidence. It starts off with a SIREN, like it's warning, "watch out for The Noise!" With how Noise is, I would wanna stay clear of that maniac's path. There's this sort of cocky "catch me if you can!" attitude the music brings with it. The melody reminds me a bit of a circus, almost like Noise is treating a second lap around the level like a game. After all, he's done loads of stunts before, what's another couple? It's like going another round on the merry-go-round! The vocal samples used for this song really drive in how Lap 2 is almost like a preformance. The drums and cymbals work overtime in this track, making for a really chaotic feeling. It makes up for the lack of absurdly loud bass-boosted beats.

On the OST upload by JC on YouTube, there's a singular, quiet note at the end and I have no idea if it's intentional. Whether it is or not, I think it's really funny.

This song is really cool and kicks a lot of ass, but I think that's fitting for a song that's basically another ego trip. The lyrics even reflect this, hyping up Noise to be this cool hero who's so badass and will knock over anyone in his way. It's really funny though, because the final escape sequence shows that Noise... is not a hero. Sure, he saves his girlfriend, a Noisey, and a bucket of all things, but intentionally knocks everyone else out of the way. Every other boss and character are denied mercy from Noise: Fake Peppino, Snotty, Mort, The Vigilante, Pepperman... hell, even Gerome! My man Gerome, who did no wrong!! I will say though, despite incorporating a lot of Noise motifs, I think it's really cool that Pizza Mayhem manages to slip in again for this song. Really helps add to the "finale" feeling, which is more than deserved for this amazing game. I think this one comment left on Mr. Sauceman's upload of the track summarizes my thoughts very neatly:

He wasn't the hero we wanted, or the one we needed, or one at all really

thatoneguyiii1003

There was some tweets and jokes from Mr. Sauceman saying that the voice that sings the lyrics is Noise's canonical voice, which is really funny. I like to think he just put his voice through a shit ton of filters to make it sound cool.