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A Pirate’s Life for Me

Listen up buccaneers, because I'm recommending the best pirate game of all time: Sid’s Meiers Pirates! ! I'm not talking about the 1987 original by MicroProse for the C64, but the 2004 remake by Firaxis Games. "What, this old thing? It's got such a comic look and doesn't even have an age rating, what am I supposed to do with this children's game?" To this I would like to say: "Sea of Thieves also has a comic look, children's games are fun and now stop questioning my statements, otherwise you'll get a good keelhauling."

As I said, Pirates! has everything that makes a pirate's heart beat faster: Battles at sea and on land, swashbuckling and cutlass duels, a working trading system, four factions to work our way up in, treasure hunts, prison breaks, numerous upgrades and special crew members to collect, famous pirate captains to hunt down, different time periods to choose from and on top of that a revenge story in which we search for our lost family members. Pirates! is so jam-packed that any crier at the fish market would go hoarse listing the features and, despite the repetitive building block principle, it never gets boring.

It is virtually impossible to complete everything in one run, because not only are many events dependent on chance, but we also have to keep an eye on the morale of our crew on our adventures and share the loot we have collected after too long a privateer voyage so that we are not abandoned on a desert island. While all this is happening, the ravages of time are relentlessly gnawing away at our character, so that although we have achieved a lot after a long period of play, we can only enjoy the fruits of our labor as a frail old man. So the game is awesome, but what could make it even more awesome? 'An awesome soundtrack perhaps?' 'An awesome soundtrack perhaps, good job my lad! You just jumped off the hobgoblin's blade.

The soundtrack was created by composer Michael Curran and sound designer Mark Cromer and sends players and listeners alike into the ultimate pirate fantasy. As the game dates back to the pre-OST phase of the gaming industry, we are not dealing with an 'official' soundtrack here, but I would still dare to differentiate it from the additional gamerip, which with its almost 100 tracks really does cover everything that comes out of the speakers in Sid Meier’s Pirates!

The songs rely on a healthy mixture of seriousness and yo ho ho swaying atmosphere, as does the split between original compositions and adaptations. In total, the score consists of 59 tracks, which, if you take a closer look, can be boiled down to just under 40. This is because some of the tracks are variations of five pieces that we hear when we go ashore in the cities of the factions - British, Spanish, Dutch, French and pirates.

For example, the motif of the British originates from the 17th century marching song The British Grenadiers which was adapted accordingly for the buccaneer flair. In other words, we hear the classic melody as a mixture of European and typical Caribbean instruments such as guiros and maracas. In addition, there are also variations for the different locations in the city: the grenadiers sound aristocratic on the harpsichord at the governor's, are being played on the guitar at the merchant's and as a cheerful flute piece at the dock. With five locations, we get four additional tracks per faction, which adds up to 20 additional tracks - easy. The Gamerip adds even more variations, e.g. minor variants when the city is demolished. Add a few in-game sound effects and you have over 150 tracks.

However, despite its high number of tracks, the OST actually only lasts a good hour in total. This is because many of the tracks are very short, many even less than a minute long, and are designed to be played as a loop .This could explain why so many of them have burned themselves into my cerebellum and are still buzzing around in there today. The soundtrack is cheerful in keeping with the age rating of the game, the catchy melodies invite you to whistle along and convey a mood of both departure and adventure.

There is also an education in classical music in the dance songs, because as befits an aspiring young man in the Renaissance, you have to shake a leg at the ball and listen to the sounds of Bach, Händel and other baroque composers. So if you fancy some acoustic corsair fare, you should definitely give it a listen. For the full experience, however, I would recommend simply playing the game. It's available cheaply from GOG and is still fun today.

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Nostalgia warning

The rating of the individual tracks is purely subjective and clearly colored by my own experience with the game. You can find out more in the article About Nostalgia.

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Sid Meier's Pirates!

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Background 1	Michael Curran	4
02	Background 2	Michael Curran	4
03	Background 3	Michael Curran	4
04	Background 4	Michael Curran	3
05	Background 5	Michael Curran	3
06	Background 6	Michael Curran	5
07	Background 7	Michael Curran	4
08	Background 8	Michael Curran	4
09	Battle 1	Michael Curran	5
10	Battle 2	Michael Curran	5
11	Battle Intro 1	Michael Curran	5
12	Battle Intro 2	Michael Curran	5
13	Battle Intro 3	Michael Curran	5
14	Battle Intro 4	Michael Curran	5
15	Battle Intro 5	Michael Curran	4
16	Battle Intro 6	Michael Curran	4
17	Battle Intro 7	Michael Curran	5
18	Battle Intro 8	Michael Curran	5
19	Battle Intro 9	Michael Curran	5
20	Boutnyhunter	Michael Curran	4
22	Dance 01	Michael Curran	4
23	Dance 02 (Ouverture Nr.3 BWV 1068 / 3rd movement (Gavotte))	Johann Sebastian Bach	4
24	Dance 03 (Flute Sonata, Op.1 Nr.5 HWV 363b - 4th movement (Bourree))	Georg Friedrich Händel	3
25	Dance 04 (Water Musick HWV 348-350 - Menuet)	Georg Friedrich Händel	3
26	Dance 05 (Ouverture Nr.1 BWV 1066 / 5th movement (Menuet))	Johann Sebastian Bach	4
27	Dance 06 (Brandenburgisches Konzert Nr. 4 G-Dur)	Johann Sebastian Bach	5
28	Dance 07 (Flute Sonata in G Major, Op.1, Nr.5 HWV 363b - 5th Movement (Menuetto))	Georg Friedrich Händel	4
29	Dance 08 (Sonata for Flute, BWV 1033, fourth movement)	Johann Sebastian Bach	4
30	Dance 09 (La Rossignol & Drewries Accordes)	Unknown	5
31	Dance 10 (Sonata in A Major, K. 322)	Domenico Scarlatti	4
32	Dance 11 (Gavotte in G major)	Georg Friedrich Händel	3
33	Dance 12 (Suite No.2 in B minor, BWV 1067: Menuett mvt. 6/7)	Johann Sebastian Bach	4
48	Result 1	Michael Curran	4
49	Result 2	Michael Curran	4
34	Town Dock (British)	Michael Curran	4
35	Town Dock (Dutch)	Michael Curran	4
36	Town Dock (French)	Michael Curran	4
38	Town Dock (Pirates)	Michael Curran	4
37	Town Dock (Spanish)	Michael Curran	5
21	Town Govenor (Pirates)	Michael Curran	5
39	Town Governor (British)	Michael Curran	4
40	Town Governor (Dutch)	Michael Curran	4
41	Town Governor (French)	Michael Curran	4
42	Town Governor (Spanish)	Michael Curran	4
55	Town Main (British)	Michael Curran	5
56	Town Main (Dutch)	Michael Curran	4
57	Town Main (French)	Michael Curran	4
59	Town Main (Pirates)	Michael Curran	5
58	Town Main (Spanish)	Michael Curran	5
43	Town Merchant (British)	Michael Curran	4
44	Town Merchant (Dutch)	Michael Curran	4
45	Town Merchant (French)	Michael Curran	4
46	Town Merchant (Pirates)	Michael Curran	3
47	Town Merchant (Spanish)	Michael Curran	4
50	Town Tavern (British)	Michael Curran	4
51	Town Tavern (Dutch)	Michael Curran	4
52	Town Tavern (French)	Michael Curran	4
54	Town Tavern (Pirates)	Michael Curran	5
53	Town Tavern (Spanish)	Michael Curran	4

Sid Meier's Pirates! [Gamerip]

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Firaxis Logo	Michael Curran	2
02	Logos	Michael Curran	1
03	Pirates Opening 1	Michael Curran	1
04	Pirates Opening 2	Michael Curran	1
05	Boss Duel Music Bad 1	Michael Curran	3
06	Boss Duel Music Bad 2	Michael Curran	2
07	Boss Duel Music Good 1	Michael Curran	3
08	Boss Duel Music Good 2	Michael Curran	3
09	Boss Duel Music Neutral 1	Michael Curran	2
10	Boss Duel Music Neutral 2	Michael Curran	3
11	Dance Normal 01 [Dance 08 (Sonata for Flute, BWV 1033, fourth movement)]*	Johann Sebastian Bach	4
12	Dance Normal 02 [Dance 06 (Brandenburgisches Konzert Nr. 4 G-Dur)]*	Johann Sebastian Bach	5
13	Dance Normal 03 [Dance 07 (Flute Sonata in G Major, Op.1, Nr.5 HWV 363b - 5th Movement (Menuetto)]*	Georg Friedrich Händel	4
14	Dance Normal 04 [Dance 12 (Suite No.2 in B minor, BWV 1067: Menuett mvt. 6/7)]*	Johann Sebastian Bach	4
15	Dance Normal 05 (Dance 05 [Dance 05 (Ouverture Nr.1 BWV 1066 / 5th movement (Menuet)]*	Johann Sebastian Bach	4
16	Dance Normal 06 [Dance 04 (Water Musick HWV 348-350 - Menuet)]*	Georg Friedrich Händel	3
17	Dance Normal 07 [Dance 01]*	Michael Curran	4
18	Dance Normal 08 [Dance 09 (La Rossignol & Drewries Accordes)]*	Unknown	5
19	Dance Normal 09 [Dance 11 (Gavotte in G major)]*	Georg Friedrich Händel	3
20	Dance Normal 10 [Dance 03 (Flute Sonata, Op.1 Nr.5 HWV 363b - 4th movement (Bourree)]**	Georg Friedrich Händel	3
21	Dance Normal 11 [Dance 02 (Ouverture Nr.3 BWV 1068 / 3rd movement (Gavotte)]*	Johann Sebastian Bach	4
22	Dance Normal 12 [Dance 10 (Sonata in A Major, K. 322)]*	Domenico Scarlatti	4
23	Duel Music Bad 1	Michael Curran	3
24	Duel Music Bad 2	Michael Curran	2
25	Duel Music Bad 3	Michael Curran	2
26	Duel Music Bad 4	Michael Curran	2
27	Duel Music Good 1	Michael Curran	3
28	Duel Music Good 2	Michael Curran	3
29	Duel Music Good 3	Michael Curran	3
30	Duel Music Good 4	Michael Curran	3
31	Duel Music Intro 1	Michael Curran	3
32	Duel Music Intro 2	Michael Curran	3
33	Duel Music Intro 3	Michael Curran	3
34	Duel Music Intro 4	Michael Curran	4
35	Duel Music Lose 1	Michael Curran	3
36	Duel Music Lose 2	Michael Curran	3
37	Duel Music Lose 3	Michael Curran	2
38	Duel Music Lose 4	Michael Curran	3
39	Duel Music Neutral 1	Michael Curran	3
40	Duel Music Neutral 2	Michael Curran	2
41	Duel Music Neutral 3	Michael Curran	3
42	Duel Music Neutral 4	Michael Curran	3
43	Duel Music Win 1	Michael Curran	3
44	Duel Music Win 2	Michael Curran	4
45	Duel Music Win 3	Michael Curran	3
46	Duel Music Win 4	Michael Curran	4
47	Duel Music Win 5	Michael Curran	4
48	Duel Music Win 6	Michael Curran	3
49	Galleons [Battle 2]*	Michael Curran	5
50	Leave Port 1 [Background 8]*	Michael Curran	4
51	Leave Port 2 [Background 1]*	Michael Curran	4
52	Leave Port 3 [Background 2]*	Michael Curran	4
53	Leave Port 4 [Background 3]*	Michael Curran	4
54	Leave Port 5 [Background 4]*	Michael Curran	3
55	Leave Port 6 [Background 5]*	Michael Curran	3
56	Leave Port 7 [Background 6]*	Michael Curran	5
57	Leave Port 8 [Background 7]*	Michael Curran	4
58	Marooned 1	Michael Curran	3
59	Marooned 2	Michael Curran	3
60	Music Battle Bed [Battle 1]*	Michael Curran	5
61	Music Intro	Michael Curran	4
62	Music Pre Battle Bed [Battle Intro]*	Michael Curran	5
63	Music Start Battle Sting	Michael Curran	1
64	Pirate Hunter Music [Boutnyhunter]*	Michael Curran	4
65	Plunder 1 [Result 1]*	Michael Curran	4
66	Plunder 2	Michael Curran	4
67	Plunder 3 [Result 2]*	Michael Curran	4
68	Ship-Battle Hunter Intro 1 [Battle Intro 7]*	Michael Curran	5
69	Ship-Battle Hunter Intro 2 [Battle Intro 8]*	Michael Curran	5
70	Ship-Battle Intro 1 [Battle Intro 9]*	Michael Curran	5
71	Ship-Battle Intro 2 [Battle Intro 2]*	Michael Curran	5
72	Ship-Battle Intro 3 [Battle Intro 3]*	Michael Curran	5
73	Ship-Battle Intro 4 [Battle Intro 4]*	Michael Curran	5
74	Ship-Battle Intro 5 [Battle Intro 5]*	Michael Curran	4
75	Ship-Battle Intro 6 [Battle Intro 6]*	Michael Curran	4
76	Sneak Church Ambience	Michael Curran	1
77	Sneak Gov Mansion Ambience	Michael Curran	1
78	Sneak Level 1	Michael Curran	2
79	Sneak Level 2	Michael Curran	2
80	Sneak Level 3	Michael Curran	2
81	Ship-Duel Intro Music 1	Michael Curran	4
82	Ship-Duel Intro Music 2	Michael Curran	3
83	Ship-Duel Intro Music 3	Michael Curran	3
84	Town Gov Mansion 01 (Spanish)*	Michael Curran	4
85	Town Gov Mansion 02 (British)*	Michael Curran	4
86	Town Gov Mansion 03 (French)*	Michael Curran	4
87	Town Gov Mansion 04 (Dutch)*	Michael Curran	4
88	Town Gov Mansion 05 (Pirates)*	Michael Curran	5
89	Town Gov Mansion 06 (Spanish)	Michael Curran	3
90	Town Gov Mansion 07 (British)	Michael Curran	3
91	Town Gov Mansion 08 (French)	Michael Curran	3
92	Town Gov Mansion 09 (Dutch)	Michael Curran	3
93	Town Gov Mansion 10 (Spanish)	Michael Curran	2
94	Town Gov Mansion 11 (British)	Michael Curran	2
95	Town Gov Mansion 12 (French)	Michael Curran	2
96	Town Gov Mansion 13 (Dutch)	Michael Curran	2
97	Town Main 01 (Spanish)*	Michael Curran	5
98	Town Main 02 (British)*	Michael Curran	5
99	Town Main 03 (French)*	Michael Curran	4
100	Town Main 04 (Dutch)*	Michael Curran	4
101	Town Main 05 (Pirates)*	Michael Curran	5
102	Town Main 06 (Natives)	Michael Curran	3
103	Town Main 07 (Missionary)	Michael Curran	4
104	Town Main 08 (Spanish)	Michael Curran	3
105	Town Main 09 (British)	Michael Curran	3
106	Town Main 10 (French)	Michael Curran	3
107	Town Main 11 (Dutch)	Michael Curran	3
108	Town Main 12 (Spanish)	Michael Curran	2
109	Town Main 13 (British)	Michael Curran	2
110	Town Main 14 (French)	Michael Curran	2
111	Town Main 15 (Dutch)	Michael Curran	2
112	Town Merchant 01 (Spanish)*	Michael Curran	4
113	Town Merchant 02 (British)*	Michael Curran	4
114	Town Merchant 03 (French)*	Michael Curran	4
115	Town Merchant 04 (Dutch)*	Michael Curran	4
116	Town Merchant 05 (Pirates)*	Michael Curran	3
117	Town Merchant 06 (Spanish)	Michael Curran	3
118	Town Merchant 07 (British)	Michael Curran	3
119	Town Merchant 08 (French)	Michael Curran	3
120	Town Merchant 09 (Dutch)	Michael Curran	3
121	Town Merchant 10 (Spanish)	Michael Curran	2
122	Town Merchant 11 (British)	Michael Curran	2
123	Town Merchant 12 (French)	Michael Curran	2
124	Town Merchant 13 (Dutch)	Michael Curran	2
125	Town Shipwright 01 (Spanish)*	Michael Curran	5
126	Town Shipwright 02 (British)*	Michael Curran	4
127	Town Shipwright 03 (French)*	Michael Curran	4
128	Town Shipwright 04 (Dutch)*	Michael Curran	4
129	Town Shipwright 05 (Pirates)*	Michael Curran	4
130	Town Shipwright 06 (Spanish)	Michael Curran	3
131	Town Shipwright 07 (British)	Michael Curran	3
132	Town Shipwright 08 (French)	Michael Curran	3
133	Town Shipwright 09 (Dutch)	Michael Curran	3
134	Town Shipwright 10 (Spanish)	Michael Curran	2
135	Town Shipwright 11 (British)	Michael Curran	2
136	Town Shipwright 12 (French)	Michael Curran	2
137	Town Shipwright 13 (Dutch)	Michael Curran	2
138	Town Tavern 01 (Spanish)*	Michael Curran	4
139	Town Tavern 02 (British)*	Michael Curran	4
140	Town Tavern 03 (French)*	Michael Curran	4
141	Town Tavern 04 (Dutch)*	Michael Curran	4
142	Town Tavern 05 (Pirates)*	Michael Curran	5
143	Town Tavern 06 (Spanish)	Michael Curran	3
144	Town Tavern 07 (British)	Michael Curran	3
145	Town Tavern 08 (French)	Michael Curran	3
146	Town Tavern 09 (Dutch)	Michael Curran	3
147	Town Tavern 10 (Spanish)	Michael Curran	2
148	Town Tavern 11 (British)	Michael Curran	2
149	Town Tavern 12 (French)	Michael Curran	2
150	Town Tavern 13 (Dutch)	Michael Curran	2
151	Tuning 1	Michael Curran	1
152	Tuning 2	Michael Curran	1
153	Tuning 3	Michael Curran	1
154	Waterloo	Michael Curran	2

*Track contained in the Original Soundtrack