Altered Soundspace
As massive as the universe of video game music is, at times it can seem like it’s largely been discovered. Sure, we know this isn’t the case, but it certainly does feel like it. Official or unofficial, seemingly every video game track is uploaded to a place like youtube and celebrated by those either making new discoveries or reigniting memories of games past. Thankfully, there’s still far more to find than has been discovered, and even more tracks patiently sitting in obscurity waiting to be found.
If you’re a fan of chiptunes or video game music (VGM from here on out), the last name Follin rings a bell. Tim Follin gave us the soundtracks to games like the remarkably frustrating yet terrific sounding Silver Surfer on NES, his oldest brother, Mike, is responsible for the zero to breakneck title music in Solstice. Less often mentioned, however, is middle brother Geoff Follin, whose output seems to be discussed the least, can be just as immersive as the works of his brothers.
So let’s give Geoff some time in the spotlight by looking at one of the most under appreciated soundtracks for the Game Boy: the soundtrack to Altered Space.
Altered Space: A 3D Alien Adventure is an isometric adventure game along the lines of Knightlore or Solstice. Yes, it’s one of those1 games where navigating and jumping can take a lot of getting used to and deaths can come quickly even once you think you’ve got the hang of the physics of it all. As Humphrey, you’re an astronaut trying to escape an alien ship with little in the way of offensive capabilities. Floors sprawl in maze-like patterns, providing plenty of dead ends and death traps to hinder your progress. You’ve got a limited amount of air, and your supply diminishes at a frustrating speed. Honestly, the game can be kind of frustrating in general, especially if you’re unfamiliar with its particular type of design.
It’s also surprisingly atmospheric.
The game starts off silent. You’ll find yourself wandering the first few rooms with only the sounds of jumping and most likely, losing a life. But the first time you find yourself taking a few moments to decide how to approach a room you’ll notice a hint of music slowly entering the scene. Building quietly from faint, staccato sixteenth notes, the track steadily adds more voices to the score until you find yourself immersed in a baroque, pocket sized piece that does a surprisingly good job of making you feel like you’re lost among the cosmos.
In a move that’s alternately satisfying and frustrating, the music starts on a delay of about ten seconds as you enter each room. At times this results in the music getting cut off just as you find yourself really enjoying it, but as you learn the ins and outs of the game, it becomes surprisingly satisfying as music that kicks in only when you don’t already know how to navigate a room.
Adding to all of this is some absolutely terrific use of stereo separation. Early Game Boy composers were seemingly in love with the ability to showcase their work in stereo, and Geoff Follin takes full advantage via tracks throughout the game that have fun playing with the left and right sound channels.
The soundtrack itself isn’t long. There’s really only a little over fifteen minutes of music throughout the whole game. You’ll hear most of it via the title screen and the aforementioned moments of contemplation, but there are a few late game tracks that mix things up, as well as some really terrific pause screen music. Effectively, it’s a VGM EP that puts everything it wants to out in the world and doesn’t stay a second longer than it needs to.
While other games I played when I was young had music that passively burrowed its way into my heart over time, Altered Space was one of the first times I remember really listening to a game’s soundtrack and taking notice of the arrangement and voices in the tracks themselves. It sunk into my brain in 1993, and it remains there to this day. The sense of exploration, the hints of melancholy, and the excitement of the unknown are feelings that would normally only show up in a much more robust game, but the music of Altered Space elevates the whole experience above its flaws.
We have Geoff Follin to thank for all of this. While the work of his brothers may be more well known, his own compositions manage to be every bit as evocative as the family name would suggest. When I looked up the Altered Space soundtrack most recently, I learned that Geoff Follin passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2024. He died tragically young, but left the world with a legacy of music that’s timelessly enjoyable and just waiting to be discovered. I’ll never get to thank him, but I will think of the man who arranged the sounds I’m listening to every time I listen to the short, baroque piece of music that gave me pause over thirty years ago.
1 By which I mean isometric action. Seemingly loved by Europeans and loathed by Americans. I'm pretty neutral on the genre, although I did think Lumo was a good time.