Review cover Portal Soundtrack Vinyl (Merch)
Official GBAtemp Review

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Valve’s Portal soundtrack teleports itself for the first time in vinyl format!

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In celebration of the game’s 10th anniversary, Mondo, in collaboration with Valve, has released the soundtrack of the original Portal video game on vinyl for the first time ever. This LP is available in two tones: the gray and white version and the 1000-copies limited translucent blue and orange version. They are both 180-gram pressed 33 RPM single LPs sold at $30.

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The disc is itself housed in a deluxe, debossed, 'Magic Wallet' style jacket designed by Alan Hynes who has worked on several other Mondo products. By operating as a  magic wallet-style  sleeve that opens from both sides, the overall design of the jacket perfectly emanates the Portal feel; that of a puzzle game pitting the player against interesting challenges. It is definitely the most innovative vinyl cover I’ve seen, not that it is earth-shattering but it’s the little things, you guys :) See it in action for yourself below:

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As is customary with Mondo pressings, you can expect the quality of this one to be top-notch. The varied music genres of the game are perfectly reproduced and even includes the iconic “Still Alive” credit song!

The $30 price point for this vinyl might seem a bit steep for a single LP as we’ve seen 2xLPs from Mondo like Silent Hill  and Super Castlevania IV  at the same price.

Nevertheless it is definitely a recommendation for video game soundtrack vinyl collectors out there as it is the best (and only) Portal soundtrack on vinyl out there!

Verdict

What We Liked ...
  • Innovative, deluxe jacket
  • Faithfully reproduced soundtrack
What We Didn't Like ...
  • $30 for a single LP
8
out of 10

Overall

Yet another quality soundtrack vinyl from Mondo that does justice to a cult video game!
I love that vinyls are coming back for hobbyists. Nine Inch Nails is actually re-releasing the Quake 1 OST on vinyl and everything, for example. Times like these make me wish I were a vinyl collector and not a cassette collector.
Never too late to start. Like you said, everything is on vinyl now. There are only maybe twenty albums or so I like start to finish, and I've almost got them all on vinyl after I just started collecting a few months ago. Amazon gives you all the MP3s whenever you buy a vinyl, so that's awesome.
 
I don't want a vinyl collection though, I want a cassette collection. The albums I want that are on vinyl are also on cassette besides maybe 2 or 3. Thank goodness for Indonesia's bootlegs!
 
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I don't want a vinyl collection though, I want a cassette collection. The albums I want that are on vinyl are also on cassette besides maybe 2 or 3. Thank goodness for Indonesia's bootlegs!
I didn't think cassettes were very collectible. They kind of suck as a format and you don't even get cool large-scale coverart. But I guess you probably have a lot of nostalgia for them?
 
I just really like cassettes. That's literally my only reason. I'm only 20 and never legitimately owned one but after getting really big into Nine Inch Nails and 80s music in general I had what I assume is an epiphany and went "yo, I gots to get some cassettes."

Still don't have a single cassette. This angers me.
 
I just really like cassettes. That's literally my only reason. I'm only 20 and never legitimately owned one but after getting really big into Nine Inch Nails and 80s music in general I had what I assume is an epiphany and went "yo, I gots to get some cassettes."

Still don't have a single cassette. This angers me.
Nine Inch Nails / Trent thinks you should listen to Vinyl ;P I recently bought a limited edition NIN vinyl (the fragile: deviations 1).

Fun fact for anyone who don't know, the dinosaur wheel boss in Super Mario World is named Reznor after the NIN frontman Trent Reznor.
 
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  • Xdqwerty @ Xdqwerty:
    also gonna install twilight menu in my r4 flashcard
  • Psionic Roshambo @ Psionic Roshambo:
    One thing that just occurred to me.... The sound on the 2600 sucked less back then the harsh sound we hear now is from infinitely better speakers we have now, back when the 2600 was new speakers produced a almost muffled sound, like CRTs made old graphics look slightly better.
  • Psionic Roshambo @ Psionic Roshambo:
    I wonder if I could recommend that to some emulation devs that perhaps the sound could use some smoothing out to simulate those old TVs
  • Psionic Roshambo @ Psionic Roshambo:
    I think a few of the early systems could benefit from that, at least up to the 8 bit generation, by the 16 bit generation I think TVs had gotten a lot better in almost every way
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    i dont have an sd card adapter but I have an usb sd card adapter
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    Old people games
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    its not the one that comes with the r4
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    doesnt work (my flashcard is from r4isdhc.com)
  • Xdqwerty @ Xdqwerty:
    might install ysmenu first
  • Psionic Roshambo @ Psionic Roshambo:
    Try Wood firmware
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    For your R4
  • Psionic Roshambo @ Psionic Roshambo:
    It's old but it's the best firmware out for DS stuff
  • Xdqwerty @ Xdqwerty:
    it says it only works for the original R4, R4i Gold (r4ids.cn), R4iDSN (r4idsn.com) and Acekard R.P.G.
  • Xdqwerty @ Xdqwerty:
    nvm it does support mine
  • Xdqwerty @ Xdqwerty:
    but why choose it over ysmenu @Psionic Roshambo?
  • Xdqwerty @ Xdqwerty:
    bc im stupid?
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    yea ik im stupid
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    good night
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    Just give it a try, but honestly if you have a 3DS you can play DS games without a card just off the internal SD card
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    Slightly slower loading but a bit more convenient
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    guys, my fuckin headphones have an out of place speaker
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    Did you try wearing them?
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