Music is one of the unsung heroes in gaming's ability to fully immerse a player into a fictional world. The soundtrack from specific stages in a video game can stick with you forever, and odds are it'll still rate lower than other elements of the game's design. Aside from helping to establish the tone of a stage, video game music is also exceptional at showcasing a character's personality within the arrangement of their theme. There are too many examples of this concept to list, but my favorite pairings of soundtrack and character usually come from the world of fighting games. At best, the narrative in fighting games is loose, and frequently a character's score fills in the blanks of their admittedly shoddy characterization. Street Fighter 2's soundtrack is exemplary in this regard.
In the video linked above, the YouTube band known as the Consouls gives Ken's iconic theme a beautiful, jazzy facelift. If you're trying to find your zen when chaining combos with Ken in practice mode, this track will assuredly soothe the savage beast in your heart.
