I’ve never done the math, but I can confidently say the amount of time I spent as a kid standing in line at an arcade to play the classic fighting game Street Fighter II totals somewhere in the dozens of hours.
As a result of all that waiting around to dragon punch people, the game’s soundtrack is permanently hard-wired into my brain. I’ll occasionally find myself unconsciously humming the various Street Fighter II character themes, and while the specific title may be different, I’m sure gamers everywhere have certain pieces of background music stuck in their heads, too.
What separates YouTube user Smooth McGrove from the rest of us though, aside from a glorious beard, is his ability to near-perfectly replicate every single note of the arrangement from iconic video game tunes, using nothing but his own voice.
Here’s Mr. McGroove’s rendition of Street Fighter II’s Ken stage.
Along with the Guile theme from the same game.
His specialty is covers of soundtracks for games for the Super NES, one of the last major consoles running off of cartridges and thus employing synthesized sounds to replicate instruments rather than just recording the real thing on a CD. McGroove’s repertoire spans the life of the system, and features themes from launch title F-Zero as well as fan favorite RPGs Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger, both of which came towards the end of the Super NES’ life cycle.
Of course, he’s also not afraid to take on more modern or compositions, such as this piece from the series of Touhou Project shooters.
McGroove’s newest video, the Ken theme above, was posted to YouTube just two days ago, and already gamers are inundating him with requests for his next project. They may have to wait a while, as depending on the song, McGroove does as many as 12 performances to produce the sounds he layers together for the final version, as shown in these pieces from Final Fantasy VII and Castelvania.
Thankfully, each song is catchy enough that we doubt anyone will walk way after one listening, and if that still isn’t enough to tide you over while waiting for McGroove’s next tune, all of the videos are worth multiple viewings to try to spot when his adorable black cat shows up.
Sources: Hachimakiko, Game Spark

Thomas the Tank Engine locomotive coming to Japan in 2014!
Horror meets baseball – Sadako delights fans with guest appearance at Tokyo Dome Stadium
Yes, Zima’s robot band will play metal and electronica, as long as you compose it for them
Musician performs beautiful projection-mapped piano themes of Laputa, Frozen, Final Fantasy
No Kisses For You! Cute Shiba Inu Refuses Owner’s Persistent Advances【Video】
Studio Ghibli adds new anime tumblers to its cool streetwear brand in Japan
This Japanese vending machine doesn’t sell drinks, but you can buy drinks through it
Nine amazing off-the-beaten-path cherry blossom spots in Japan for yaezakura and shidarezakura
Tokyo government organizes food truck event to clear out delinquent/homeless teen gathering area
Peko-chan Milky Time Cafe opens in Chiba and we go to check out all of the pastries and merch
Cherry blossoms begin blooming in Japan with record-early starts for sakura season
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Mister Donut unveils new sakura doughnuts for cherry blossom season 2026
Stunning central Japan wisteria festival is like a purple fantasy straight out of a Ghibli movie
Off-the-beaten-tourist-track observatory tower in Tokyo has great views of the city…for free!
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Studio Ghibli adds new Mother’s Day gift sets to its anime collection in Japan
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
The next time you’re feeling stressed out, you could relax on a Pokémon Psyduck chair from Japan
Komachi Shokudo: Japanese mum’s-style cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Tokyo
When will the cherry blossoms reach full bloom in Japan this year?[Forecast]
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Japan’s cherry blossom season predicted to start earlier than we’d thought, especially in Tokyo
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Ever get lonely and talk to your anime posters? Now they can talk back! 【Video】
Smooth McGroove continues to show us how he makes music with his mouth!
Love Nissin’s Chicken Ramen? The Yokohama Grand Intercontinental Hotel has a room just for you!
How Would You Like to Draw a Picture of Gundam – Using Excel?
Calbee partners with Baki the Grappler creator, Unleashes tyrannosaurus steak-flavored potato chips
How a foreigner’s Halloween prank in Japan started a debate about the imperial system
Giant rubber duck arrives in Osaka!
SECOM Unveils World’s First Flying Crime-prevention Robot
Inevitable massive headache adds to challenge of Street Fighter II Virtual Boy port
Powered by Honda: the world’s fastest lawnmower
Percussionists recreate classic 8-bit video game music with enormous xylophones 【Videos】
Gunma Prefecture’s adorable mascot dances into our hearts and travel plans 【Video】
Epic Street Fighter comeback actually isn’t a comeback, but is something even more amazing【Vid】
Do we have time for three hours of classic NES start screens? Yes we do