Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KDjcSaMgfI&hd=1
Star Ocean music is usually pretty bad, and I have no idea why, but I've ceased questioning it at this point. It's merely a fact of existence; final velocity equals initial velocity minus gravity times time, dogs chase their own tails, and Star Ocean music is uninspired dreck. This, however, is the rare exception, being neither uninspired nor dreck!
We Form in Crystals is one of those songs that always feels sort of off-balance to me, and I don't have any good way of qualifying that, except that it's usually a good thing in my opinion, because it means the song isn't predictable. Part of it, I think, is just the way the song varies in volume and pitch, but part of it is also how the song changes as it goes on. For example, at about a minute in, this song uses some weird vocals/wind noises?, and then I believe it drops them completely for the rest of the song, and it does a lot of stuff like that -- little changes or additions to keep things interesting. Very intriguing song, and possibly the only Star Ocean track I know of that I can say that about.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpDZpAUpdrg&hd=1
xp staked a claim on this one, but he has since hatredquit the topic, so it falls on me to post it instead, and I am more than happy to oblige because this piece is quite good! New Castle Legions is, I think, vaguely reminiscent of VVVVVV's music, both in some of the specific samples used and just in general style, though New Castle Legions certainly also has some original flavor all its own; most of this comes in the latter half of the song. In the last minute or so, this song starts... coming apart would be the best way for me to describe it, though any description I use can be read as a negative (falling apart? destroying itself? unraveling?) even if I don't mean it that way. Rather, that its general structure just starts to slip away, a little bit at first but snowballing as it goes. This is generally hit or miss, and even here I think you could make the case that it goes either way; I like it, but I prefer the first part of the piece, personally.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPHDA5vl9qg&hd=1
The winner of azuarc's lightning quick VGMC6 snubs tournament or whatever it was called (in which people - well, one guy, mostly - bitched about everything going too fast even though matches took like 6 minutes and that is slower than lightning). Did it deserve to win? Not really. Did it deserve to do pretty damn well? Absolutely. Damn good song.
Unless I am way off base here, Xeus features a piano fairly heavily, and yet I wouldn't really call it a piano piece. I think the generally higher speed of the song compared to a lot of piano pieces and the fact that there's just generally more going on all the time helps with that. The electronic elements and especially the background beat absolutely make the piece as good as it is, and manage to stand out even during portions where everything is going at once. Music like this I usually wouldn't call beautiful; interesting, sure, and a bunch of other overused compliments as well, but usually not beautiful. Xeus is one of the few that can pull it off. Gorgeous song.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq6BFHfJeNE&hd=1
We're not unreasonable, / I mean no one's gonna eat your eyes...
Oh, that wacky Jonathan Coulton. Probably one of the better lyricist/comedians who has written songs for Valve games. And of course, given that I am me and thus evaluate lyrics as ~THE MOST IMPORTANT THING~ in just about any song that has them, I'm going to make a big deal about how wickedly clever this song is. My basic platform here is going to be that any schmuck can write a humor-driven song about zombies. Okay? That's not so farfetched. This song blends that with office humor, and it's like, wow, that doesn't sound like the best idea, but then it works. So it channels Dilbert/Office Space/etc, works the whole zombie thing into that, and as a result we get lyrics like: "I'm not surprised to see you haven't thought it through enough / You never had the head for all that bigger picture stuff / But Tom, that's what I do / And I plan on eating you - slowly!" In fairness, the lyrics follow the same kind of structure throughout, which is an office humor setup and then the punchline being zombies, but I find it difficult to care when it's consistently funny despite that.
Non-lyrics stuff: I don't like those sections with the angry crowd/back-up singers, however you want to call it. Rest of the song is good.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF--oI9R8zw&hd=1
My general reaction to this song, which seems to be about the norm for most people who hear it, was, in order:
1) There's a Pokemon typing game?
2) It has music?
3) This is music in a Pokemon typing game?
4) this has no reason to be good
And yet, good it is. In fact, it's probably the best Pokemon battle music in the entire series' 16ish year history. I helped get it into the VGMC6, where it proceeded to lose in R1 because, of course, what else would happen to something I nominated. While the whole song is good, the best part is unquestionably 0:16 through 0:37; you could probably include the first 15 seconds in that too as buildup for it, either way. That part is more INTENSE and ACTION-PACKED and POWERFUL than just about any other battle theme I've ever heard, which is why it's perfect for a Pokemon typing game. It also gets away from both how Pokemon music generally sounds, but also and especially how Pokemon battle music generally sounds, which is probably a good thing. If you compare this to, for example, the Cynthia Battle theme, you can see that they both have the same goals and actually parallel each other in a lot of ways in terms of how buildup is used and where the most intense parts of the song fall. But while Cynthia Battle sounds derivative and safe (and as a result, carries no impact whatsoever), Pokemon Typing Boss Battle goes for a completely different sound and really hits you in the face with it. This is not a safe track, for Pokemon or otherwise.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t8akS3hEQo&hd=1
...It's been a bit since I posted a piano piece, hasn't it? Not counting Xeus. Gentle Jena is really just yet another lovely piano piece that doesn't do anything truly unique to blow me away, but it does do something that I think is really cool. And I'll try to explain that, though it might not make sense to anyone except me. Gentle Jena starts out lighthearted and easygoing, carefree, peaceful, all those good things. Then it hits a certain point, specifically 49 seconds, and suddenly it becomes melancholy and dark. And I have absolutely no idea how it does that, at least to the extent that I cannot explain it with my limited knowledge of music. It's able to shift between two radically different emotional pulls with greater ease than probably any other song I've ever heard, and that's what makes it so cool, even if otherwise it's just... yet another piano piece.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcM38YKdk44&hd=1
A song I wrote off as mediocre a while back, for whatever reason. It's actually really good, if not as unique as Rave On. And speaking of not being original, it's insanely similar to Iwatodai Station. Like wtf and why didn't I notice that before just now? OH WELL TOTALLY POSTING IT ANYWAY
As you might expect from... that comparison with Iwatodai Station, I like same elements here that I liked there, which is to say that I love the percussion mixed with the lighter piano and chimes and whatever. Especially like the part of the percussion that sounds like clapping, which works really well when the piano disappears at about 1:52. The last minute or so of the piece, immediately after that section, is really good too, and personally I find it super uplifting. Not sure if that was intentional or not. On the other hand, there's really no reason for the first minute or so of the piece to exist at all, and it would be much stronger without it.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXkUMAIVhH8&hd=1
I've been going to music games a lot lately, huh. Not intentional, though I guess in some sense it was overdue for a topic like this. EternuS is pretty cool! It's yet another song that proves that electronic music and pianos go together like bread and butter. Except I don't put butter on my bread. ...But I guess that isn't relevant right now. Also cool? The non-piano sections, which manage to have a really nice beat and hit just about the perfect intensity all the time to keep me interested without being... tired? I guess that's the word I'm looking for. The distorted voices are something I could see going either way, but they're not overused here, and are distorted enough that I can't be like "grrr speaking normally in a song no good", especially when there aren't any other vocals to compare them to. Overall I think the voices actually add a lot to the piece, though the more you pay attention to them, the worst they sound; in the background - and I'd argue this piece should be used as background music - I like them.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGZMjjb01Mg&hd=1
Another song from ClaDun. Possibly better than Slicing the Wind, definitely better than Knight of a Foreign Country. At the same time I feel like Water that Connects Life is safer than either of those, but as Slicing the Wind's least safe portion was also its weakest, I have determined that I am okay with that! Water that Connects Life uses... I believe that is an acoustic guitar, could be a piano though, in a way that almost simulates raindrops, and complements it with outstanding violin work. The latter is the reason I, and I would imagine most anyone else, like the piece. It works especially well for high-energy sections like the one at 2:18, which is only a few seconds long but really catches your attention when it starts. Good show.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8PH4ejZD90&hd=1
The best song I've heard from Portal 2. ...Haven't heard all that many though, honestly. Also without a doubt the best opera piece I've heard from a video game (Spyro opera got nothing on this). I'm honestly not sure why mixing operatic vocals with more electronic instrumentation works so well. The song starts with a flurry of electric squeals and whirrs, which set the tone for the entire piece... except they don't. It's completely different from that, though like I said, still keeping a lot of electronic influences. Most notably, and this could just be my imagination, but it seems like the whole piece skips or glitches slightly at certain points, giving it a dated feel, like a song from a long time ago being played on modern equipment. It's a really neat effect, and add in that the main vocalist has an absolutely beautiful voice, and the fact that I just like opera singing in general, and you get a piece I quite enjoy! Can see it being hit-or-miss for others, though.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxcTW6DlNqA&hd=1
Adventure Island isn't a series high on my list when it comes to music, but this installment in particular has a damn good soundtrack from what I've heard. Essential Vitamins is especially neat, having a really nice bassline for an SNES game. As we've seen in the past, that's a big draw for me, though honestly I like all three of the song's main elements. One sample works almost as a brass instrument, the other has a chime or a bowed string instrument or something, and it work nicely with each other, because the latter is much "brighter" than the former. So the former complements the percussion, while the latter contrasts with it. Sort of an atmospheric song, but I like it!
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTtNwOsPuwg&hd=1
Make sure your body knows, come on and take a dose, I know you're getting close...
Another song from the ranking topic. It took #15 for me but was not spared CG7's ire. Not even close. In fact it was her #96, and everything she disliked about it, I liked! What are the odds. (Apparently pretty high, though I still consider it somewhat shameful that they're not higher.)
I've gone back and forth on whether I like the first 10 seconds or not; right now I'm back to not really liking them, but at least I don't think they're detrimental. I do enjoy the entire rest of the song, though. I'd probably call the part from 0:35 to 0:47 the best style of vocals used, which is an important thing to note because the song utilizes a lot of different styles and shifts between them a lot. That's probably what makes it so interesting for me, though I feel an odd amount of affection for the lyrics as well.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Advanced
Diablo 3 - Queen Araneae
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXt6bdGiayI
By far the best spider boss music i heard, even if it is very generic and dark. Love how they can make it sound loud.
World of Warcraft - Stormwind City
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZeQQa2TxeI
A City of loyal soldiers, this song keeps the prideful feeling of humans i got when playing Final Fantasy tactics.
World of Warcraft - Moon Temple
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAME_nxccpM
This soundtrack is very rare, since you have to go to the temple of the Moon just to hear it in DArnassus, which noone visits, sadly. but just listening to it when talking to people makes me feel relaxed, almost like the Resident Evil safe room theme.
and for a final note, the Black Temple. If there was any way to introduce you to the final boss's lair, this by far beats any game down.
World of Warcraft - The Black Temple (Entrance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIfAcp-lRpg
mixing in with these nice soundtracks, i been playing alot of fighting games too. some notable examples are:
MvC2 - The clocktower
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB19ma6BSRc
Keeping it Jazzy!
Street Fighter 4 - Chun Li's theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyVmoeR1F6M
Chun Li's theme is a personal favourite, but between this and MvC1's, both are just amazing and i love SF4's fast paced feeling.
Demon's Crest - Memorial of the Fallen Ones
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g3FCZbokQE
Piano music? In a Capcom game? By far the best version of it i find. I really wish they remade this game.
Also, i can't remember if aonyone quoted these two before, but let me double check: These are from FF4, which had a very memorable soundtrack for it's early days. You guys be the judge of that :D
FF4 - The Four Fiends
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGrTvlE_DO0
FF4 - Boss theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xMDoh4174Y&feature=relmfu
Since this actually was the first Boss theme i ever experienced, my opinion is biased since it automatically was awesome in my book. fast paced, good rhythm to make it sound important, and most of all, made you feel like you had to make fast decisions in the fight to win, which FF4 commonly did to you in boss fights.
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"But friends, i ask you. What is a GameCobra? From where does it come? Who are it's people?" - A Random Day on World of Warcraft
Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4JjpIUYPg4&hd=1
Street Fighter IV's soundtrack is more... surprisingly decent... than I would have expected. I still think I like Sakura's Theme the best of what I've heard, but Overpass Stage is also really cool. It's very reminiscent of Song for Battle which I posted just a few days ago, but... I dunno, I guess I'm just in the mood for this kind of song right now. As a warning, this cuts out abruptly at the end; the Super Street Fighter IV version doesn't, but is just generally a worse song, so I didn't go with that.
Compared to Song for Battle, Overpass Stage has weaker instrumentation, I think, but the vocals are better and amazingly catchy despite being totally indecipherable (by me at least). One thing I really like about it are those swells, for example at 0:50, where the vocals disappear for a moment then return slightly faster and louder; I love that effect in just about any song, and Overpass Stage does it a lot, which is great. Another thing of note: this song seems to be completely different from like every other song on the OST. I'm not sure what the deal with that is, but it's sort of disappointing; wish there were more like this.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTWi_wJXGPI&hd=1
Another song I nominated for VGMC6, but which did not make it in. It's a shame, but what can you do. Zero Gravity is pretty neat, though. It's a very chilled out song, which is sort of odd because apparently it's a final boss theme. I'd probably have it pegged as like... cutscene or event music, or something. Anyway, what I like about it is the juxtaposition between the somewhat gritty-sounding percussion and very sharp/clean-sounding chime effects (not really chimes but I don't know what to call them; I think on my parents' keyboard that effect would be called like "Heaven 2" or something for whatever reason). The vocals later on are a nice touch as well, though kind of unnecessary.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUqINZdFgB0&hd=1
As far as Uprising chapters go, Ch18 is nuts, and not in the "oh my god what is going on what the **** am i doing" hectic action sense of previous chapters, but in the "this is actually happening" sense (the good version of that). So, it of course gets an incredibly somber, melancholy violin piece to go along with it. It's an absolutely beautiful piece both in and out of context, with the only big flaw being that it's kind of repetitive. However, in context, this is mitigated and it transitions seamlessly (enough that I thought they were one piece) into...
Kid Icarus: Uprising - Dog's Theme (Ch. 18)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY1IRYWrDgY&hd=1
I think in most senses this is the "better" piece, but I can't bring myself to like it more than Little Girl's Theme. It's a lot more lively and has a lot more going on in terms of instrument variety, most noticeably those drums, but... ehhh... it just doesn't carry the same amount of weight. I do think it's a really cool song, though, and like I said previously, in-game the two feel like one piece, which is really the best of both worlds.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoIK0CHCqdY&hd=1
I think I meant to post this like... a year ago, and didn't for whatever reason. I can't for the life of me remember why. It's a nice song; nothing extraordinary, but it's one of those songs that's great to listen to just because of how relaxing and peaceful it is. I definitely think it has kind of a tropical feel to it, too, maybe because of the drums in the background? Not sure. Unlike a lot of songs that I like because they're peaceful, Voyager is interesting because it definitely changes about halfway through and becomes a bit more fast-paced. That actually really works and helps keep a piece that would otherwise just be pleasant to listen to more engaging.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Liberal Arts Major
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTWi_wJXGPI&hd=1
Another song I nominated for VGMC6, but which did not make it in. It's a shame, but what can you do. Zero Gravity is pretty neat, though. It's a very chilled out song, which is sort of odd because apparently it's a final boss theme. I'd probably have it pegged as like... cutscene or event music, or something. Anyway, what I like about it is the juxtaposition between the somewhat gritty-sounding percussion and very sharp/clean-sounding chime effects (not really chimes but I don't know what to call them; I think on my parents' keyboard that effect would be called like "Heaven 2" or something for whatever reason). The vocals later on are a nice touch as well, though kind of unnecessary.
Oh man. Einhander was FUCKING AWESOME.
BRUTALLY HARD at times, but fucking AWESOME.
<->
"What the fuck is Alice doing in Wonderland anyway? Who the fuck told her she could leave the god damn kitchen in the first place?" -Random guy on Xbox Live
http://www.backloggery.com/kodan882
Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsAsJUTsYxs&hd=1
One of the very few times I've heard a song once and gone, "yeah, this is getting posted." One of the very few times that will ever happen, I assure you. But To the Moon's Main Theme is absolutely killer and deserves it. Without even playing the game, the song hits really hard, emotionally -- and I guess to be fair, it uses a lot of instruments and techniques that are effectively shorthand for "btw this should be emotional for you", which is sort of a cheat, but it's a cheat that works really well here. One thing it does that's unique and that I like is that effect that sounds like a clock ticking; it gives the piece a powerful sense of the passage of time, of entire seasons whirring by in an instant... At least, that's what I get out of it.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xklleXyya7I&hd=1
Another neat song from an Armored Core game, and the only one I've posted without vocals of some kind, I think. Scientist is one of those songs that I feel like has a lot of different elements that often compete with each other, but manages to make it work... most of the time. You wouldn't know that from the beginning though, because it starts off quite simple and gradually layers on the different effects and instruments. It think it probably hits its peak about halfway through; the last minute or so is kind of loud and kills the piano that was there earlier. On the bright side, that last minute is a lot darker, which is sort of cool, but I still prefer the section immediately before it.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Advanced
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7w_Z7hR3F8&feature=relmfu
Did anyone every post this? I know the original was, but when I heard the DS version? Did my jaws ever drop. Best design of a remade toon i ever heard. The DS was actionized, but it's remade tunes were oh so well done.
It also helps it's just the original tune with guitars and twice as long.
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"But friends, i ask you. What is a GameCobra? From where does it come? Who are it's people?" - A Random Day on World of Warcraft
Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65c5y7Khm_w&hd=1
Probably my favorite dungeon theme from a game I beat today. The Earth Temple is the game's second real dungeon, but by that point the kid gloves are definitely off, and this music really drives home the idea of being out in the wild, yourself against the elements. Part of that effect is created by the use of acoustic guitars, which... I'll admit can be sort of a shortcut if you just go in a wild west direction, but thankfully this avoids that. Acoustic guitars are also on my list of the most criminally underused instruments in video game music, so it's nice for that reason too.
Also note how this theme uses a lot of similar effects to the Forest Temple music from Ocarina of Time, but unlike Forest Temple, isn't the most boring thing imaginable.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rom0-LKuUJU&hd=1
From my second ranking topic comes this song, which surprised me for two reasons. One, it's Touhou that isn't like every other Touhou song, and two, it's actually really damn good. (Both of these might be explained by Hisoutensoku being a spinoff with music not composed by ZUN.) Our Hisou Tensoku is quickly worked its way up my rankings (and in the end probably should have been even higher but whatever) and right now is at the point where it might be my second favorite Touhou track (after Fires of Hokkai, which is great). Our Hisou Tensoku is an action-packed song, but (unlike a lot of Touhou music) it never feels busy; it also makes heavy use of brass instruments, but (unlike a lot of Touhou music) the sample quality isn't horrendous. It's also insanely catchy and fun to listen to, which is really about the highest praise I can give a song like this.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxhyuLpNm6I&hd=1
I've never been a huge fan of Sonic CD's music, and yes I know it has two different soundtracks, one for Japan and one for the States, and yes, what I mean is that I've never been a huge fan of either. I was introduced to this one song recently, however, and it just blew me away, and I think I honestly consider it one of my all-time favorite Sonic tracks.
Appropriately, Tidal Tempest Present does a lot of things that bring to mind water or the ocean, but at the same time, it goes in a completely different direction that has a lot of jazz influences. And it... works. The result is something that has a distinctly aquatic feeling, without being as mellow as, say, Dire Dire Docks or Aquatic Ambience. It's also not as repetitive as a lot of Sonic music from this same era, rarely doing the same thing for more than a few seconds at a time, which allows it to really evolve into something super impressive over its run time.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2FGNMULSY4&hd=1
Also from the ranking topic is Heading Back to Town, AKA Machi ni Mukatte. In my rankings, it took 2nd place (and was the highest ranked non-xp track) because it combines a lot of disjoint elements into something that is wholly unique and also just plain cool. Perhaps the most obvious element is the oddly sinister crowd chatter, which I think is pretty much the best thing and I wouldn't like this nearly as much without that. It also contrasts really well with the second best thing which is some of the best violin work I can think of in any piece of video game music. The song isn't perfect - it can get a little busy at times and the electric guitar sort of clashes with everything else - but it's still one of the most original and coolest pieces of video game music I've ever heard.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Editor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Psdl5xRmrZ0&hd=1
From Ed Bellis' ranking topic, the single song that stood out the most to me (make of this what you will). This song is crazy: crazy good, but also just regular crazy. It sort of reminds me of Hideki Naganuma's style, which may or may not tell you everything you need to know about it.
As you might expect, it samples (and is vaguely a remix of?) the iconic Spider-Man theme song, but it then combines it with - and I'm blatantly stealing Ed's description of this because I cannot describe it better - weird growlly reggae. It's a song that I can't even critique on any level, because where would I start? This song exists, and in existing it exists in its own perfect state, where every part of it makes sense when taken within the context it has set for itself. But - and this is important - I'm not just posting this because it's weird. This is legitimately a good song with a lot of clever ideas that I really like in a way that is completely without irony.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Advanced
Back then when i played this game, i believe this was on the menu select screen, but the way i saw the theme: It was a tease, and a good one. I just didn't think it was necessary to put in the techno-voice though, but the beat? The beat was very nice. i enjoyed the refreshing tune it gave in a action game like that at the time.
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"But friends, i ask you. What is a GameCobra? From where does it come? Who are it's people?" - A Random Day on World of Warcraft
"Failure is beneath Doom!" - Dr. Doom, MvC3
Editor
As for today's song... Going to an old standby:
Super Mario Galaxy 2 - Bowser's Galaxy Generator
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsyjY9lDVk8&hd=1
Even though Floater Land actually reappeared in Galaxy 2, I feel like this is the most Floater Landish piece from the game, in that:
A) It's probably the game's best original track.
And B) the theme of the song is... difficult to put into words, but basically the idea of overcoming anything that's in your way, no matter what that is.
It even follows a vaguely similar progression to Floater Land, at least in the sense that it starts with a very memorable opening that serves as build-up and isn't completely representative of the "main" song. I actually think that opening is my favorite part of the song, but - like most Galaxy music - I like basically everything it does. Something else I really like is how Bowser's Galaxy Generator builds up, and builds up, becoming more and more dramatic, before suddenly returning to a more whimsical style at 1:25, diffusing all of that tension in the best way possible.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vttph9W11-M&hd=1
(You might want to open that in another tab, some of the related videos have spoilers and I couldn't really avoid that.)
Finally, Hikari.
This is the opening theme to Fragile Dreams and it fits the game perfectly, beyond just being a great song in its own right. Honestly, I was sold on Fragile Dreams based on one trailer, and that was really because of three things: 1) the story seemed super interesting (and it is), 2) the game's art design looked great (and it is), and 3) I thought this song was amazing (and I still do).
Hikari is kind of a slow build, which some people might not like, but which I think works really well in this particular instance. It took me a while to figure out what exactly I liked so much about this song, but I think I finally have it nailed down. It's kind of hard to put into words. The song is emotional, but the degree to which it is emotional varies. It starts out rather subdued, but at 0:46 it hits the first jump up. It stays at that level for a while before you can see it starting to build again, and then at 1:35 it just explodes. God I love that part of the song. I also really like the lyrics, though really only in the context of the game -- otherwise they're just kind of... baffling in a lot of places.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."
Editor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gmeGnmyn34&hd=1
I've seen this called both Wilderness and Go to the Wilderness; as usual, I'm using the title that gives the most information.
Wilderness is a pretty cool song, and definitely my favorite from 3D Dot Game Heroes, though I haven't investigated its soundtrack extensively or anything. I originally heard this one during a bonus episode of an LP so yeah, for once not just stealing from SupraDarky. <_<;
I'm not sure why, but Wilderness kind of reminds me of Arboreal from Aquaria. I guess I'd describe them both as very "full" sounding songs, where "full" is basically just cluttered or busy except in a way that I like (i am a hypocrite i am a hypocrite i am a hypocrite). I absolutely love that weird woodwind instrument this song uses, and in fact I really like all its samples; they all sound kind of tinny or off in some other way, but I think it actually improves the song a lot. There are even some light chiptune elements which are pretty neat.
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"You're childish. What are you getting? Are you getting strawberry? Ha! That's such a childish flavor, only children eat strawberry."