Apogee Fanfare

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Apogee Fanfare
Composer Bobby Prince
Released 1993-01-??
Title Origin Official
Loops No

The Apogee Fanfare is a fanfare that is played at the opening Apogee logo for most of the games Apogee published from 1993 to 1996. It was not the first introductory music ever used by Apogee, but it was the first that was reused to identify the brand.

Title

The song's composer, Bobby Prince, has confirmed that the song's title is "Apogee Fanfare" and that fits with the first game to use the song which used an internal name of "apogfnf." At least one game which feature a customized remix of the song used an alternate title, Duke Nukem II calls the song "Fanfare For Duke II."

Composition

The song was composed by Bobby Prince who created the traditional fanfare sound. Prince wrote the song using Sequencer Plus Gold, so the first incarnation was most likely in the program's SNG format. For games using IMF, Prince would export the songs to MIDI and then use a program to convert the songs into IMF so they could play on sound card with an OPL2 chip. This process downgraded the quality and distorted the instruments. As technology improved, the song was rearranged for newer audio technology and different formats.

Bobby Prince and other composers often rearranged the tune to give it a feeling specific to the game they were working on. For example, Prince uses a more heavy metal sound for Duke Nukem II (DOS), while Steven Baker uses calypso steel drums for Mystic Towers (DOS).

Games

Major Stryker (DOS)

Platform - DOS.png
Major Stryker (DOS)
Output - OPL2.svg
Major Stryker - DOS - Apogee.png
Arranger Bobby Prince
Released 1993-01-??
Length 0.10.04
Format IMF

This is the first published game to feature the Apogee Fanfare.

The song is in IMF format and is played on the OPL2 chip. The internal file name is "apogfnf1".

Bio Menace (DOS)

Platform - DOS.png
Bio Menace (DOS)
Output - OPL2.svg
Bio Menace - DOS - Apogee.png
Arranger Bobby Prince
Released 1993-08-03
Length 0:10.37
Format IMF

The song remains in IMF format and played on the OPL2 chip. The internal file name is "apogfanf".

Halloween Harry (DOS)

Platform - DOS.png
Halloween Harry (DOS)
Output - PCM.svg
Halloween Harry - DOS - Apogee.png
Arranger Neil Voss
Released 1993-10-10
Length 0:09.40
Format 4MD
Neil Voss rearranged the song into the mod-like format 4MD. It is the first time the song appears in a non-IMF format, but not the last.

The internal file name is "apogee".

Duke Nukem II (DOS)

Platform - DOS.png
Duke Nukem II (DOS)
Output - OPL2.svg
Duke Nukem 2 - DOS - Apogee.png
Arranger Bobby Prince
Released 1993-12-03
Length 0:07.47
Format IMF

The Apogee Fanfare was given a more metallic sound for Duke Nukem II (DOS) and was retitled by Bobby Prince to Fanfare For Duke II. Prince explained this unique rearrangement:

I got the idea to personalize the Fanfare to use in Duke II. Somehow the part of He's Back! that I finally used came to mind. It worked out really good.

The song is in IMF format and played on the OPL2 chip. The internal file name is "fanfarea".

Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold (DOS)

Platform - DOS.png
Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold (DOS)
Output - OPL2.svg
Blake Stone - DOS - Apogee.png
Arranger Bobby Prince
Released 1993-12-05
Length 0:09.32
Format IMF

The Apogee Fanfare has a slightly slower tempo in Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold (DOS) which accounts for the 2-second increase in length.

The song is still in IMF format and played on the OPL2 chip. The internal file name is "apogfnfm".

Raptor: Call of the Shadows (DOS) - Shareware version

Platform - DOS.png
Raptor: Call of the Shadows (DOS)
Output - GF1.svg
Output - GF1.svg
Output - MIDI.svg
Output - OPL2.svg
Raptor - DOS - Apogee.png
Arranger Matt Murphy
Released 1994-04-01
Length 0:08
Format MUS

In the shareware version of Raptor: Call of the Shadows (DOS), Fanfare for Duke II was chosen as an arrangement. In the full version, the normal Apogee Fanfare plays instead. This was rearranged by Matt Murphy.

The game uses MUS, a format which can output to a number of devices, including UltraSound and General MIDI. The internal file name is "apogee".

Raptor: Call of the Shadows (DOS) - Full registered version

Platform - DOS.png
Raptor: Call of the Shadows (DOS)
Output - GF1.svg
Output - GF1.svg
Output - MIDI.svg
Output - OPL2.svg
Raptor - DOS - Apogee.png
Arranger Matt Murphy
Released 1994-04-01
Length 0:06.70
Format MUS

In Raptor: Call of the Shadows (DOS), the Apogee Fanfare which appears in the registered version only has a much faster tempo and higher pitch. This may have been a byproduct of a conversion process (the game uses MUS format rather than IMF), or may have simply been an artistic choice by the game's musician, Matt Murphy.

Because the game uses MUS format, the song can be played on a number of different audio chips. The internal file name is "apogee".

Hocus Pocus (DOS)

Platform - DOS.png
Hocus Pocus (DOS)
Output - GF1.svg
Output - GF1.svg
Output - MIDI.svg
Output - OPL2.svg
Hocus Pocus - DOS - Apogee.png
Arranger Rob Wallace
Released 1994-06-01
Length 0:09.94
Format MIDI
Rob Wallace's take on the Apogee Fanfare gives the song a more traditional orchestration for Hocus Pocus (DOS).

This is the song's first appearance in MIDI format, though the beta version of the game was in IMF. The internal file name is yet unknown.

Mystic Towers (DOS)

Platform - DOS.png
Mystic Towers (DOS)
Output - PCM.svg
Mystic Towers - DOS - Apogee.png
Arranger Steven Baker
Released 1994-06-15
Length 0:05.70
Format MOD
Steven Baker gives the Apogee Fanfare a calypso treatment for Mystic Towers (DOS).

This is the first time the music is in true MOD format. The internal file name is yet unknown.

Wacky Wheels (DOS)

Platform - DOS.png
Wacky Wheels (DOS)
Output - MIDI.svg
Mystic Towers - DOS - Apogee.png
Arranger Mark Klem
Released 1994-10-14
Length 0:09.94
Format MIDI, KLM
Mark Klem rearranged the Apogee Fanfare for Wacky Wheels (DOS).

This game contains two formats, MIDI for most devices and Mark Klem's custom KLM for OPL2 devices. The internal file names are yet unknown.

Blake Stone: Planet Strike (DOS)

Platform - DOS.png
Blake Stone: Planet Strike (DOS)
Output - OPL2.svg
Blake Stone 2 - DOS - Apogee.png
Arranger Bobby Prince
Released 1994-10-28
Length 0:09.32
Format IMF
Bobby Prince used the exact same Apogee Fanfare in Blake Stone: Planet Strike (DOS) as he did in Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold (DOS).

Like the first game, the song is in IMF format and played on the OPL2 chip. This was the last game to use the Apogee Fanfare in IMF.

The internal file name is "apogfnfm".

Boppin' (DOS)

Platform - DOS.png
Boppin' (DOS)
Output - OPL3.svg
Boppin - DOS - Apogee.png
Arranger Andrew Lepisto
Released 1994-11-15
Length 0:09.94
Format MIDI
Andrew Lepisto rearranged the Apogee Fanfare for MIDI.

The internal filename is "APOGEE.MID".

Rise of the Triad: Dark War (DOS)

Platform - DOS.png
Rise of the Triad: Dark War (DOS)
Output - MIDI.svg
Rise of the Triad - DOS - Apogee.png
Arranger Bobby Prince
Released 1994-12-21
Length 0:11.66
Format MIDI
Bobby Prince finally got to arrange his Apogee Fanfare in MIDI format for Rise of the Triad: Dark War (DOS).

The internal file name is "FANFARE2".

Realms of Chaos (DOS)

Platform - DOS.png
Realms of Chaos (DOS)
Output - GF1.svg
Output - GF1.svg
Output - MIDI.svg
Output - OPL2.svg
Realms of Chaos - DOS - Apogee.png
Arranger Bobby Prince
Released 1995-11-??
Length 0:11.66
Format MIDI

Apogee Fanfare is still being used even with the updated Apogee logo in Realms of Chaos (DOS).

The music is once again arranged for MIDI format, although the beta version of the game still uses IMF.

Xenophage: Alien BloodSport (DOS)

Platform - DOS.png
Xenophage: Alien BloodSport (DOS)
Xenophage - DOS - Apogee.png
Arranger Bobby Prince
Released 1996-04-26
Length 0:11.66
Format MIDI

Yet another game has the Apogee Fanfare by Bobby Prince.

The format is once again MIDI, the internal file name is yet unknown.

Stargunner (DOS)

Platform - DOS.png
Stargunner (DOS)
Stargunner - DOS - Apogee.png
Arranger Lee Jackson
Released 1996-11-19
Length 0:11
Format CD

The Apogee Fanfare received a heavy makeover by Lee Jackson for Stargunner (DOS). The music was rendered with Roland SC-88 using MIDI and recorded as CD track. Also game includes this track as "fanfare.wav" in the resources, but with poor quality.

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