
Every gamer knows that good video game music can make or break a game. This is especially the case in RPGs where players spend a lot of time walking across the world; those light-hearted melodies accompany you as you perform the often tedious task of moving from town to town. Background music is also immensely important to platformers like Super Mario and Sonic. That music better be catchy because you are going to be hearing it again and again when you keep missing that third jump off the floating platform!
RocketNews24 has brought you the video game a-cappella styles of Smooth McGroove before. Well it’s been almost a year since then, what has he and his super chill cat been up to?! Among other things, turns out he’s been traveling through Kanto and the world of Pokémon!
One of Smooth McGroove‘s most recent videos is a trip down memory lane for Pokémon fans. We are talking first generation Pokémon here, red/blue/yellow folks! When you listen to this video, you’ll surely be taken back to your original adventures with your special starter Pokémon: Squirtle, Bulbasaur, or Charmander. This music will take you back to the important back and forth of which amazing Pokémon to choose.
Continuing our stroll through the original Gameboy Color game, we have Smooth McGroove’s rendition of the Lavender Town theme. For those that can’t remember, that was the weird ghost town where our hero meets the scary, or cool, ghost Pokémon.
Rounding out our tour of first generation Pokémon games is the Team Rocket Hideout music. This theme perfectly encapsulates the franticness that is the crazy arrow room! We definitely remember hearing this theme a lot as one wrong step sent you twirling back to the beginning of the maze.
Anyone who has watched any of these videos knows that Smooth McGroove also has a flair for comedy. A perfect example of this is his black cat making numerous appearances. So it’s no surprise that he also has a rendition of a parody of the Pokémon theme song from just over a year ago.
Smooth McGroove’s work hasn’t been all Pokémon recently; he’s had a bunch of fantastic arrangements of other classic themes from Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy and Zelda.
If you’d like to continue to see Smooth McGroove produce more a-cappella magic, you can support him in many ways. You can become his patron on pateron.com, you can buy his albums on loudr.fm and iTunes. You can check out his Facebook page and as always, you can watch his videos on YouTube!
Gotta listen to ‘em all!
Source: YouTube via Kotaku Japan
Images: YouTube, YouTube

Better than barbershop: Amazing a cappella renditions from Street Fighter and other classic Japanese games
Psyduck shows off his best side – grooving, sliding and dancing to Hatsune Miku【Video】
Percussionists recreate classic 8-bit video game music with enormous xylophones 【Videos】
I Won’t Let You Down: new music video from OK Go wows us with Honda drones and unicycles
Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” played on Japanese instruments? Yes, please!【Video】
Tokyo fish market breaks New Year auction record as single fish sells for over 5 million yen【Vid】
Japanese beef bowl chain Sukiya’s 2026 Smile Box lucky bag basically pays for itself
We revisited Sweets Paradise after a decade to see if Japan’s dessert buffet still delivers
Should you dip your cake in sake? One Japanese brewer says no, but actually yes【 Taste test】
100 years of Japanese women’s hair and makeup trends in less than a minute and a half【Video】
How to find a lost cat: Unique method from Japan proves to be surprisingly effective
Japanese group to hold fashion show of colostomy bags and other stoma equipment in Paris
Genius-level otaku figures out a way to take a bath with his favorite anime girls every day【Pics】
We found possibly the quietest Japanese-style hotel in Tokyo’s bustling Shinjuku district
Rakuten randomly offers 58 New Year’s osechi feasts in Japan, but did we get a star or a dud?
Starbucks Japan ready to get Year of the Horse started with adorable drinkware and plushies【Pics】
Hayao Miyazaki says Happy New Year to Studio Ghibli fans with new art for Year of the Horse
Cup Noodle tries an authentic Jiro-style ramen, but something’s not quite right
The best Starbucks Japan Frappuccinos we want to drink again in 2026
That time Seiji called JASRAC to ask why he didn’t get paid royalties for his song being on TV
Japan’s oldest largetooth sawfish in captivity back on display in Mie Prefecture
Pizza Hut Japan’s hot lucky bags are perfect for a New Year’s pizza party
7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branches
Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in Tokyo
Starbucks teams up with 166-year-old Kyoto doll maker for Year of the Horse decorations【Photos】
Tokyo considering law requiring more trash cans following litter increase in heavily touristed area
Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the month
Tokyo event lets you travel back in time, for free, to celebrate 100 years since Showa era start
Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirements
Sanrio theme park in Japan announces plans to expand into a Sanrio resort
Stamina-destroying “Paralysis Noodles” are Tokyo’s newest over-the-top ramen innovation
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
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
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
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
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Updated cherry blossom forecast shows extra-long sakura season for Japan this year
Pikachu Happy Meal toys arrive at McDonald’s, provide electrifying fun for the whole family
Pint-sized string quartet Joyous String does an awesome Smooth Criminal
Pokémon GO can wait while we play with these new Happy Meal toys from McDonald’s Japan
Pokémon Happy Meals from McDonlad’s Japan are the happiest meals of all【Videos】
Asian Juicy: New burgers from McDonald’s Japan pay tribute to a ’90s J-pop music video by Puffy
McDonald’s remixes Ado and Asmi hits along with the sound of their deep-fryer
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl game music is now free to enjoy or download for a limited time
Musician Ian McCulloch flees Japan amid US-North Korea tensions, show cancelled without warning
A cappella group Pentatonix shows off their make-up with new Perfume medley
Japanese bar pianist plays beautiful version of Pokémon background music without anyone noticing
DJ Miso Soup & MC Rice lands endorsement deal rapping about dish soap
Talk about slowpokes…New Pokemon, Yadon’s official debut song finally released in English
Virtuoso drums the entire game of Street Fighter II, shows us its music was actually pretty good
Kids react to Pen Pineapple Apple Pen music video 【Video】
We answer the age old question: How many McDonald’s fries can one person stuff into their mouth in one sitting?
Leave a Reply