My first exposure to "Video Games Live" co-creator Tommy Tallarico was on the old gaming review show "The Electric Playground," and even at a young age I found his demeanor to be grating on the nerves. However, his contribution to gaming music is undeniable and along with Jack Wall, the Video Games Live franchise is a rousing positive, despite some over-the-top theatrics that more than a bit corny at times. The concert captured here is puzzlingly titled "Video Games Live: Level 2" but is in fact, the first concert released on DVD (Level 1 was a compilation CD).

Over the course around 100-minutes, "Video Games Live" serves a dual purpose. On one hand, gamers will have a lot of fun seeing live renditions of some of the format's best music. On the other hand, and what I'd argue to be the more important point, it sells gaming music to non-gamers as being just a valid aural art form as any other modern composition. Intermixing interviews with Tallarico and other industry figures between live performances (the show supposedly aired first on public television and I wonder if these segments were a result of that), "Video Games Live" begins with a classical ode to the early days of gaming music, where as Tallarico puts it, "was nothing more than bleeps and bloops." The "bleeps and bloops" are updated though with more modern instrumentation, before the first major set piece of game music is unleashed.

The "Halo" series is a titan of the gaming world and the music is no different; here is where non-gamers will be forced to take notice of the beautifully orchestrated, ethereal themes that eventually opens up with Tallarico shredding on the guitar while a choir of black cloaked singers continue to provide ambience. Mixed with the live performance is footage of the different Halo games, providing viewers with an example of how the graphics and game play evolved, while the sound was almost always top-notch. As great as the music is, some things do detract from the proceedings including Tallarico spazzing on the guitar detracting from the music and a very corny costumed Spartan running around on stage waving a flag. It pushes the concert, early on in the direction of "two steps forward, one step back" selling the beauty and artistry of the music, but then crapping on what it accomplishes with eye rolling cheese.

Fortunately, there is no shenanigans involved with the theme from "Civilization IV" a truly peaceful and thrilling choral heavy piece of African-themed beauty. Honestly, the "Halo" music and "Civilization" performances are enough to win over the biggest cynics with the latter truly inspiring good feelings and feeling like it would be right at home in a Hollywood film. Tallarico and Wall aren't content to just feature the heavily produced, big-budget soundtracks like these and "God of War" and "Myst" to name a few; older, more "primitive" but still culturally significant scores are given there chance to shine.

"Megaman," "Super Mario Brothers," and other 8-bit classics might have their roots in the more "bleep and bloop" style of music, but here they are translated quite well to the full orchestra treatment, along with Tallarico assisting for the more electronic sound on guitar. While these older scores never quite have the emotional impact of the more recent scores, they do show that despite what people may think, even these early games had a lot of thought and work put into their music. Ultimately, I felt these segments worked best as fun moments of nostalgia, mostly due to my own experiences as a lifelong gamer and likely appreciated them more than a non-gamer. However, what I think everyone can agree on, is "Video Games Live" comes to a grinding halt a few times, when it tries to give a verbal history lesson and also shamelessly integrate a music game into the fray.

Ralph Baer's appearance and interview is interesting, but wholly out of place, feeling more like an afterthought. Baer is hyped as the founder of videogames and while I won't argue he had a major influence, developing the Magnavox Odyssey in the 60s, the concept of a video game has its origins in the 1950s. However, more annoying is the appearance of a modern music based game, specifically Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. Tallarico has a young kid come onstage to play Sweet Emotion on Expert, with the ultimate effect being the lamest moment of the entire program. It's even more shameless when you know that Tallarico is the cousin of Aerosmith front man, Steven Tyler, making the inclusion feel less about game music history and more of a cheap, unnecessary plug for a band whose most inspired music is around three decades old (sorry Aerosmith fans).

"Video Games Live: Level 2" is a success in the long run, with the positives far outweighing the few negatives. The focus is heavily on gaming music and as stated before, the program should please gamers and non-gamers alike. Well known series' of years past like "Myst" get equally treatment alongside titans like "Mass Effect" and "Starcraft II" while underrated games such as "Advent Rising" finally get at least some form of proper praise. If you're a gamer this is a fun trip through gaming music history and you may realize some scores that were buried underneath frantic action. If you're a non gamer, you'll walk away with a new found respect for one aspect of an industry that is often smothered underneath maligned stereotypes. Best of all, if you liked what you saw and heard, keep in mind, the concert is a touring event and you might have a chance to catch it in your area; I'm personally looking forward to it hitting my city next year.

THE DVD

The Video

The 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer is more than acceptable for a live concert event. The live performances look the best, sporting the most detail and solid color levels even taking into account the ambient effects in the theater. Game footage can look over compressed, especially older games, but that's par for the course, given the source material.

The Audio

On the sound front, the Dolby Digital 5.1 English audio track is rich experience that could be a little more immersive. Compared to other concert discs, it doesn't stack up as well as expected. Interview segments are all top notch and the music itself does a have an overall rich warmth to it.

The Extras

The extras department is loaded with interviews from Tommy Tallarico, Ralph Baer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Russell Brower, Gerard Marino, Christopher Tin, Martin Leung, and Jason Hayes. The names you likely don't recognize are all video game composers. Fortunately, all the interviews are insightful in their unique individual ways. A short collection of behind-the-scenes featurettes include a look at Tommy's Guitars, the Joystick Podium from the show, a brief Behind the Scenes Tour, and a Composers Party for Tommy in Japan. A collection of game trailers are included for some of the modern games featured, and last but not least, Wall and Tallarico sit down to offer a feature length commentary for the main program.

Final Thoughts

While "Video Games Live: Level 2" in hindsight could have been a bit more tightly edited, it is an enjoyable ride. The music as stated many times above is very engaging and the dedication to the craft shows, especially when you get the musical piece that would fit in the repertoire of any orchestra. Cornball diversions aside, the program succeeds in bringing awareness to the musical side of gaming. My only real disappointment is this concert disc skimps more than it should on the audio side of the disc. Recommended.