VIII's is played in a beautiful, haunting minor-key rendition. It's normally either the first music you hear in a Final Fantasy game or the last.
It's even more awesome when you realize it was a Throw It In! the song took Uematsu all of ten minutes to put together.
Cue Manly Tears from the soldiers who have played any FF game.) This version takes the awesomeness Up to Eleven as it was orchestrated by the Japanese Self Defense Force! (What's more, they were in a collaboration show with the US military.Also the awesome version in the opening of Final Fantasy XII.Maybe it is because of its militaristic orchestral grandeur? Interestingly enough, the VIII arrangement is the de facto version played during a lot of Final Fantasy concerts and you can hear the snippets of its tune in subsequent versions of the theme.Especially the way it was used as the Theme Music Power-Up for the Combined Energy Attack in Final Fantasy IV, and its reprise in the endings to Final Fantasy VI, VII, VIII, and XV. The Final Fantasy Main Theme, also referred to as the Prologue.
