How do the Minibosses translate a trebly game tune into an aural assault? First, they listen to the four basic tracks of a Nintendo Sound File, or NSF, and identify who will be playing which part. Burke, Baraldi and Johnson adhere closely, even religiously, to the original. But drum tracks for video game tunes can be notoriously monotonous, so embellishment by Wood is practically required.

"We could bang out a song a week if we didn't have so much other stuff to do," Baraldi says, referring mostly to their day jobs. Burke works at a bank; Wood would only say he's in purchasing; and Johnson manages the kitchen at a Scottsdale cafe.

While the band sticks close to the melodies and structures of the original NES game music, its members' playing style and intensity betray their influences. For Baraldi, it's Led Zeppelin, early Metallica, Queen and "good Rush." For Johnson, it's '80s rock. Wood loves classic rock and the Beatles.

Burke prefers to list what they played in the rented black van they drove from last night's show in Boston: Hall & Oates, Lionel Richie, Peter Cetera of Chicago, and Curtis Mayfield. The direct musical influence may be a bit tenuous, he says, but "it influences our mood, so that affects the way we play. It's excellent drinking music."

At Northsix, the band is in a good mood, because the crowd seems to be connecting with the melodies and the games that long ago seeped into their psyches. "Visualization is key during a Minibosses concert," says Bobby Schweitzer, a student at the University of Virginia and a co-founder of Virtual Fools, an informal think tank on video game culture. "It's that mental imaging of memories of playing games that really adds to the experience. I can just imagine myself playing the waterfall stage of 'Contra' or walking through Ridley's Lair in 'Metroid.'"

Kevin Flanagan, the other Virtual Fool co-founder, agrees. "The Minibosses unlock some past experience that then becomes livable in the moment," he says.

Baltimore video game music remixer Craig Jakubowski, 26, who calls himself Shawn Phase, believes the effect of the band's performance is "something much more deep-rooted than nostalgia. It's a much more visceral, true feeling that takes one by surprise." (Schweitzer, Flanagan and Jakubowski were not present at this show, but all have seen the band perform.)

Even people who played games as a kid but haven't heard of the band find themselves mysteriously attracted to their music. Eric Arikian, 28, came to the Northsix show primarily to see the headliner act, Eagles of Death Metal. He had planned to take a walk during the Minibosses' segment. But then something drew him in. "Every song was familiar, even though I didn't know exactly what they were," he said. He stayed for the entire set.

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