Soul Blazer
Ecco the Dolphin

Soul Blazer is another one of those classic soundtracks that really got me into videogame music in the first place. Here's a great arranged version of Lisa's Song (also referred to as Koibito no Inaiyoru or A Night Without Lovers) that does not appear in the game but was featured on the original 1992 soundtrack. Maybe it will sway some of you who can't quite decide. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUXL3xUoAAM

Soul Blazer

Golden Axe

Tales Of Phantasia

Ecco the Dolphin

Soul Blazer

Ecco the Dolphin

Soul Blazer

Ecco the Dolphin

Soul Blazer and Ecco the Dolphin.

Tales Of Phantasia


Golden Axe

Thank to everyone for voting! And thanks to Shad for the extra link. Soul Blazer (5-3) and Ecco the Dolphin (6-2) will be moving on. Next up�


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Round 2, Fight 5

Secret of Mana (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiA7VtYk3n0)
by Hiroki Kikuta () (1993)
Description: This is an old favorite and a classic of the SNES from the same guy who brought us Soukaigi and Koudelka (as controversial as that soundtrack is). Besides the usual RPG fare, this soundtrack also has some nice jazz pieces, as well as a few bizarre tribal (?) songs using clips of voice samples. Because of this soundtrack�s popularity, we know a fair bit about the behind-the-scenes stuff, including the fact that Kikuta made his own MIDI samples so that he would know exactly how the pieces would sound on the SPC700 instead of having to deal with audio hardware differences between the original MIDI sampler and the Super Nintendo, and that Kikuta spent nearly 24 hours a day in his office working on the soundtrack.

vs.

Star Ocean (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0dEIbD9OJ8)
by Motoi Sakuraba () (1996)
Description: The old man is back with his first work for the newly created splinter group, Tri-Ace, formed by employees of Telenet Japan after the poisonous Tales of Phantasia development. Here we have more of Sakuraba�s moody work with melodic percussion, as heard earlier on Tales of Phantasia, plus some wonderful faux-symphonic work. This soundtrack is notable for its technical complexity, too. The game required all 48 megabits of data on the Super Famicom cartridge, necessitating the creation of the �Flexible Voice Driver� that could, essentially, stream samples in real time, rather than storing them as edificial songs. This soundtrack is also the first, to my knowledge, to be done in surround sound.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble

Round 1, Fight 5

Golden Axe III (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=DDE6226DCE06A866)
by Naofumi Hataya () and Tatsuyuki Maeda (1993)
Description: NiGHTS into Dreams, Burning Rangers, Space Channel 5, Sonic CD, Golden Axe II, and collaborative credits on a whole host of other famous soundtracks�Naofumi Hataya is big time, although he doesn�t have the kind of name recognition you�d expect with a list like that. Here he gives us everything the first Golden Axe soundtrack does, with lots of chest-beating anthems. But he also adds some delicacy to the Golden Axe oeuvre with tracks like the �Map Theme.� This game was bigger and more refined than the previous Golden Axe games, and that�s true of the soundtrack, too.

vs.

Revenge of Shinobi (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYM-b8EQyaA)
by Yuzo Koshiro () (1989)
Description: Koshiro, on the other hand, is one of the biggies, having worked on the Ys series, Streets of Rage, ActRaiser, Beyond Oasis, Shenmue, Shinobi, Etrian Odyssey, and a lot more. His work specific to this game is a slightly noirish mixture of jazz and rock. Fun fact: his sister Ayano has designed characters for many of the games he�s worked on, including the Streets of Rage series, Ys, and ActRaiser.


My votes are for Secret of Mana and Golden Axe III.

Really hard choice on SNES but I think I can vote for Secret of Mana after a lot of consideration

Golden Axe III was the obvious choice. Revenge of Shinobi didn't really wow me.

Secret of Mana

Golden Axe III

Secret of Mana

Golden Axe III

Secret of Mana

Golden Axe III

Secret of Mana

Golden Axe III

Thanks to everyone for voting! Not too much disagreement on this one. Secret of Mana (6-1) and Golden Axe III (7-0) walk away virtually uncontested. Next up�


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Round 2, Fight 6

F-Zero (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk57KiTlMlc)
by Naoto Ishida, Yukio Kaneoka, and Yumiko Kanki (1990)
Description: Here�s one that goes back to the SNES�s beginnings. F-Zero actually even pre-dates the console launch as one of the games in the Nintendo Super System (how many people remember that?), an arcade cabinet that previewed a few SNES games to hype the SNES�s release. The soundtrack is predominantly rock and contains the very first attempts to create a rock guitar sound like the Genesis could. Be sure to check out �Big Blue� (3:55), since it's the one that most often pops up on people�s favorite vgm song lists.

vs.

Star Fox (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg2Uxm491lA)
by Hajime Hirasawa (http://www.rankopedia.com/CandidatePix/19678.gif) (1993)
Description: While F-Zero was created to show off Mode-7 scrolling, Star Fox was created to show off the Super FX chip, which I remember being hyped to death in Nintendo Power. The game�s graphics certainly are dated at this point, but the music has remained a favorite of the system. You�ll hear rock, jazz, and �orchestral� works with plenty timpanis banging away�plus, if you go after the game�s Easter eggs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XzfcIOquWk), you may even hear �When the Saints Go Marching In,� too.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble

Round 1, Fight 6

Jewel Master (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=B7D95C8BF87ABC4E)
by Motoaki Takenouchi () (1991)
Description: This is Takenouchi�s first soundtrack after studying under Koichi Sugiyama at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music (where he was also classmates with Hayato Matsuo). It shows off some of his jazz tendencies with swung notes and little delays, his unusual choices of patches (such as in "King Turtle" or "The Gate of Delirium"), and his gift for creating atmosphere (ala �Time to Kill�). There are others who probably have something to say about this one, so I�ll shut up. ;)

vs.

Master of Monsters (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm6lGk6unhk)
by Hayato Matsuo (), Hitoshi Sakimoto (), and Koichi Sugiyama () (1991)
Description: The pedigree on this soundtrack is ridiculous. The least famous composer here is Matsuo, and he did the original Ogre Battle and Person of Lordly Caliber, Front Mission 3, and Final Fantasy XII besides orchestrating the Shenmue series and NiGHTS into Dreams. You can definitely hear Sugiyama�s influence throughout the soundtrack, as the music is very Dragon Quest-ish�i.e., classical and stately in personality, with fairly minimal architecture underneath the melody. There is an occasional break from that, though�Sakimoto�s influence?�such as the song that starts at 4:55, which doubles its instruments and uses reverb to gain a more full-blooded texture.


My votes are for Star Fox and Jewel Master.

Star Fox

Master Of Monsters - Arthur I think that Matsuo Composed & Sakimoto was in charge of Arrangements.

http://vgmdb.net/album/510 <- Sugiyama isn't named on this site. :S

Jewel Master sounds cool & but I like the peacefulness of the other game.

Star Fox

Jewel Master Interesting combination of composers on the other one though. Sakimoto and Sugiyama that's a first for me. JM still wins though.




There are others who probably have something to say about this one, so I�ll shut up. ;)

Oh, now who could you possibly mean by that? ;)

Star Fox

Jewel Master

Arthur I think that Matsuo Composed & Sakimoto was in charge of Arrangements.

http://vgmdb.net/album/510 <- Sugiyama isn't named on this site.

I gotta run, but I will look into this. Project 2612 (http://project2612.org/details.php?id=150) has all three listed as "Composer."

And this (http://www.youtube.com/user/paperheader#p/u/0/Z8D66XrfYdU) is the first video I could find with the game's end credits, and the video cuts off right after Sugiyama's name is listed under "Sound Producer," so he's definitely involved, although not necessarily as a composer.

If anyone has additional info, let me know. :) Thanks for keeping an eye out for potential mistakes like that, because they're bound to happen.

Star Fox

Master of Monsters

I love how the Unicorn evolves into a Tricorn in Master of Monsters.

The ending credits have them as "Sound Producer" Koichi Sugiyama and "Sound" Matsuo and Sakimoto.

SEMO (http://www.squareenixmusic.com/reviews/chris/masterofmonsters.shtml) says Matsuo was the solo composer, with Sakimoto on programming and arrangements and Sugiyama as the director.

Jakob's got the same info.

So topopoz, you're right. For our purposes, Matsuo is the main guy. Thanks for the heads up!

Well, son of a bitch! I hate you, arthurgolden. (Not really, ;) )

I had no idea Master of Monsters was in the rumble this round when I posted it on the A-Z thread. I really hate that I have to choose between these two so early in the rumble!!!!!
RAGE... ... ... ... . . . . . . . . . ok, I think I'm done.

It's interesting to note that both Takenouchi and Matsuo studied under Sugiyama and to see how different and how similar their music is it times. Also, we have both composers' first game soundtrack in this rumble!!

I already made some incoherent comments on both of these recently on the A-Z thread, so I'll just link to my posts.

http://forums.ffshrine.org/showpost.php?p=1496589&postcount=219 (master of monsters)

http://forums.ffshrine.org/showpost.php?p=1489034&postcount=207 (jewel master)

My votes are for Star Fox

and...

Master of Monsters

just let me reiterate, with the utmost respect:

ARTHURGOLDEN, I HATE YOUR FREAKING GUTS








:D :D :D :D :D :D

Now I will go listen to Jewel Master :( :(

Double post to cut up the madness:

Thanks for all your hard work on this wonderful rumble, Arthurgolden.

TOUGH TOUGH TOUGH choice on the first one, but I give it to F-Zero and Jewel Master.

Starfox and Jewel Master

Jewel Master is two ahead of Master of Monsters...

I'm not happy to see it go, but if it loses, I can't think of many better things to beat it.

I just spent the last six hours with hammering coming from one wall, a drill going into the other, and a bank appraiser walking through the house while I packed box after box of my wife’s shoes. :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\

I hate moving.

Anyway, Star Fox (7-1) and Jewel Master (5-3) are our winners, and as a bonus I got to inflict enormous pain on jakob, which is always fun. ;) Next up…


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Round 2, Fight 7

Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH1qAQcugAY)
by Yasunori Shiono (1995)
Description: This is an old, great puzzle-solving RPG that used to be one of my favorites. The “II” in the title is misleading because this is actually a prequel to the first Lufia, which starts with the final scene of this game. The soundtrack is often touted for its battle themes, but its overworld theme (:55) is also interesting, as are the songs at 4:38 and 8:12. Surprisingly, Shiono has done little else, save Energy Breaker and the other Lufia titles.

vs.

Seiken Densetsu 3 ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_p89HP8vWo)
by Hiroki Kikuta () (1995)
Description: At sixty tracks, this is a big soundtrack for the console and one with just about every mood covered. There’s a lot of rock drumming and melodic percussion, which isn’t necessarily conveyed by garudoh’s selection. Nevertheless, you’re going to hear some great tunes in the link with all of Kikuta’s signature moves. There was a time when I considered this one of the three greatest soundtracks on the Super Nintendo.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble

Round 1, Fight 7

Altered Beast (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=7AF61D06709B9D9A)
by Toshio Kai (1988)
Description: Ever heard of Toshio Kai? Maybe not. But you’ve heard at least one piece of music by him before today: the Pac-Man theme song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_YGRZLfKxU). As you might have guessed, then, he goes back to the early days of arcade gaming, although his name is weirdly absent from any other game credits besides Altered Beast (as far as I could find). Did he really take an eight-year hiatus between the two? If he did, he certainly made a splash with his only two contributions to vgm, as did the game. Besides being fondly remembered as a primitive—but classic—beat-em-up, Altered Beast has been referenced in Golden Axe (with the cockatrice character) and in the Ludacris song “Word of Mouf.” “Rise from Your Grave” is probably the most famous song off this one.

vs.

Streets of Rage 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-64UQoUURA)
by Yuzo Koshiro () and Motohiro Kawashima () (1992)
Description: Google “Best Sega Genesis soundtracks” and you’re bound to find Streets of Rage 2 on just about every list. This is, arguably, Koshiro’s classic, but don’t go in expecting anything like ActRaiser. The house, trance, and techno music on here, supplemented with some funk bass, shows a completely different side of him. It also shows how well he understood the differences between the SPC700 and YM2612 and what each could do best.


My votes are for Seiken Densetsu 3 and Streets of Rage 2.

Back to packing. :-\

Seiken Densetsu 3

Streets of Rage 2

I'm so digging this. Epic Genesis music right there. I've heard it before, but damn it's so awesome.

Oooooooh. For me that's a really close one on the first round, but I'll go with Seiken Densetsu 3. I would really love to hear some remixes from this, I shall go hunting for some :)


Streets of Rage 2

Secret of Mana 2....er, I mean Seiken Densetsu 3

Streets of Rage 2

Sorry about the double post. I have been having trouble with my wireless internet connection lately. It likes to cut out while I am trying to post something. Just delete/ignore this post. I would delete it myself, but I'm not sure if I am even able to, much less how to do it.

I only have internet access via my cell phone at the moment so I've sat the last few rounds out (the SNES soundtrack I'd have voted for won in each case), but I'll at least log in long enough to support Lufia II.

Edit: Where the SNES pick was tough, the Genesis one is easy. Altered Beast bears a quality of song writing that could hold up in any era, while Streets of Rage just sounds generic.

Gotta go with Altered Beast. I never liked the game that much, but the sound and music were awesome.

For SNES, I'll go with Seiken Densetsu 3

Today is moving day for me, so I’m going to post this before the chaos starts. I should be able to write descriptions, link to pictures of the composers, and add my votes later today or tomorrow.

Back to the topic, Seiken Densetsu 3 (6-1) and Streets of Rage 2 (5-2) are the newest ones to move on. Next up…


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Round 2, Fight 8

Street Fighter II (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK1C0uj27xU)
by Yoshihiro Sakaguchi (), Yoko Shimomura (), Isao Abe (), and Tetsuya Nishimura () (1992)
Description: This is the most famous soundtrack from Alph Lyla (), Capcom’s in-house “band,” which also composed Breath of Fire and Final Fight among others. Not only is this music a good comparison point (http://www.atariage.com/forums/blog/260/entry-5008-genesis-vs-snes-street-fighter-ii-sceturbo/) for the strengths of the SNES’s audio over the Genesis, it’s also epochal, music that helped define an era of head-to-head fighters regardless of the platform. Thanks to the resurrection of the series, a whole new generation of gamers has now been introduced to these classic themes.

vs.

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2KYrEI5JZY)
by Koji Kondo () (1991)
Description: In the middle of most great stories something completely unexpected happens. With A Link to the Past, it’s Link’s banishment to the Dark World, which later became a plot point in many of the later Zelda games. What also became major components of the subsequent games are songs from this soundtrack, including “Zelda’s Lullaby,” “Ganondorf's Theme,” “Hyrule Castle,” “Kakariko Village,” and “Fairy Fountain.” Beyond even that, it has quite a few exclusive songs that represent some of Kondo’s best work.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble

Round 1, Fight 8

Earthworm Jim 2 (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=25B561B8588E6078)
by Tommy Tallarico () (1995)
Description: We could talk all day about Tommy Tallarico and the competing forces of his inarguable importance to video game music versus his almost intolerable self-aggrandizement while trying to prove that point. For better or worse, his reputation precedes his work. But it’s also not that hard to have a sense of humor about how over-the-top he is, and a sense of humor is not something he lacks either. Just listen to the title screen music for this game and you’ll hear what I mean. Later we get some grimly serious bagpipes, and slowly sweeping phased synths, and Tallarico’s blenderized “Tarantella Napoletana”/“Funiculi Funicula” medley, and a polka, and…Well, I won’t ruin it. ;) It's an impressive and diverse collection of music.

vs.

Kid Chameleon (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=5D12E379CA8B3A80)
by Nu Romantic Productions (1992)
Description: Nu Romantic Productions is the nebulous group (seemingly made up of at least Mark Steven Miller and Jason Scher) credited to this game, X-Men 2: Clone Wars, Krusty’s Super Fun House, Chakan: The Forever Man, and (regrettably) the Genesis’s iteration of Action 52, which is better than the NES version but still awful. Kid Chameleon, on the other hand, is still well-loved (http://kidchameleon.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page) for its gameplay and the oh-so-90s storyline: kid gets sucked into video game. The music is a combination of funk, rock, and hip-hop.

OK hardest battle so far in SNES, but I think I can vote confidently for Street Fighter 2 without feeling too guilty about Link to the past :(

Earthworm Jim 2

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Kid Chameleon


Don't strain yourself with the move Arthur :p Moving day always sucks.

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Kid Chameleon

Don't strain yourself with the move Arthur :p Moving day always sucks.

Too late. :( I finally caved yesterday and took some Aleve. But my lower back is pretty sore. I've got a few nights left sleeping on an air mattress, too. :(

Anyway, everything is updated above. I'm going with...

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Earthworm Jim 2

I'm going to let this run one more day.

Hey guys,

Sorry for the delay. I'm going to be off the Shrine more than I'm on for at least the rest of the week because I'm doing two simultaneous moves: most of my stuff is going to my house for August while the rest of my stuff is going to a rented house I'll live in until August. On top of that, I just started teaching for the summer semester. But I'll update when I can. :)

We'll call this most recent one with A Link to the Past (4-1) and Earthworm Jim 2 (3-2) winning. Next up...


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Round 2, Fight 9

Terranigma (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPZixFYg7Xc)
by Miyoko Kobayashi and Masanori Hikichi (1995)

vs.

Live A Live (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_qfPaZZycs)
by Yoko Shimomura () (1994)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble

Round 1, Fight 9

Out Run (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=84E3E18758C2599A)
by Hiroshi Kawaguchi () (1991)

vs.

Ys III: Wanderers from Ys (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=B206F2DB8C977E0B)
by Mieko Ishikawa and J.D.K. Sound Team (1991)


My votes are for Live A Live and Ys III. I'll beef this up with descriptions if I can. In the meantime, how are you guys doing??

Terranigma - Though Live A Live sounds great, it feels like Ennio Morricone meets Front Mission? xD.

Out Run - YEAH! CARIBBEAN MUSIC! =D

I'm Currently fine, the most important part of the paperwork is now over. =D

Live A Live

Ys III: Wanderers from Ys

Live A Live

Ys III: Wanderers from Ys

I'm doing fine, too. I spent today at a memorial service for my grandma, but other than that, everything has been great. By the way, if you haven't heard it, inFAMOUS's soundtrack is great. I've been listening to it every day since I beat the game about a week ago. I know it has nothing to do with SNES or Genesis, but I highly recommend giving it a shot.

Terranigma

Ys III: Wanderers from Ys

I guess I'm fine too;) Though having to write a 100 pages long grand project for the end of uni is not that nice>_< Especially when you have to do a student practice at the same time... No time for gaming now:( Anyway, good luck for everyone here.

Live A Live

Ys III: Wanderers from Ys

Live A Live
Ys III: Wanderers From Ys

Not sure why that double-posted, but I don't see a delete option. Cheers for filler text.

Glad to hear that everybody�s basically doing okay, although I�m sorry we�ve had a couple deaths recently.

@Szczepan: Is that an essay you�re writing? Or an orchestra piece? Or something else?

@wolfmaster913: Thanks for the recommendation! I�ll check it out. For recent music, I�d also highly recommend everyone check out Neo (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=49043EBE4B5A8792)Tokyo (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=719C0B057738E597). It�s amazing!

Well, our winners this time are Live A Live (5-2) and Ys III (6-1). Next up�


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Round 2, Fight 10

Super Castlevania IV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjuSIUKdnjA)
by Souji Taro and Masanori Adachi (1991)

vs.

Chrono Trigger (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QkdQN0T90Q)
by Yasunori Mitsuda, Nobuo Uematsu, and Noriko Matsueda (1995)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble

Round 1, Fight 10

Michael Jackson�s Moonwalker (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDEiVZGzJJ8)
by Hiroshi Kubota (1990)

vs.

High Seas Havoc (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=AA387DF7708F8AB9)
by Emi Shimizu (1993)


My votes are for Chrono Trigger and ???.

OMG............................................... .................................................. .....................................

Super Castlevania IV - It was good to see you around....

Chrono Trigger is easily my favorite soundtrack on any system. I'll edit in my vote for the other in a bit.

Edit: High Seas Havoc

Chrono Trigger

Michael Jackson's Moonwalker

Sorry to hear about the deaths Arthur :( Seems like a lot is going on for you. Just take it easy :)

Chrono Trigger

High Seas Havoc

Chrono Trigger

High Seas Havoc

I thought I was going to go with Moonwalker for sure. I used to play that game just because of the music back when I only had a Genesis and an SNES. But, High Seas Havoc is just awesome. Not only does it have variety, but most of them are catchy.

Also, thanks for the link to NeoTokyo, arthurgolden. It is definitely one that I like. I'm gonna have to add it to my list of music to hunt down.

-nvm-

Super Castlevania IV and Michael Jackson's Moonwalker.

Chrono Trigger & Moonwalker

Thanks for all the well wishes! I really mean that. :) It's been an interesting couple of weeks. But I'm hopefully going to have a little more free time starting this weekend. So let's get back on track here.

I'm going to vote for High Seas Havoc for the Genesis rumble, which gives it the 4-3 edge. The other winner is, not surprisingly, Chrono Trigger, which won 6-2. Next up...


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Round 2, Fight 11

Final Fantasy IV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8gOOTAWKY8)
by Nobuo Uematsu (1991)

vs.

Ninja Gaiden Trilogy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSo2IzFlxPs)
by More Yamasan, B. Hasake, Miyazaki, Shitamachi Kajiya, Mayu, Miya, K. Nakabai, and L. Shigeno (1995)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble

Round 1, Fight 11

Shinobi III ( http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=EBFC76C19EA8AD97)
by Hirofumi Murasaki, Morihiko Akiyama, and Masayuki Nagao (1993)

vs.

Streets of Rage (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-m8mnn_Ni5s)
by Yuzo Koshiro (1991)


My votes are for Final Fantasy IV and Shinobi III.

WB Arthur :) Sounds like you need a bit of rest :p

Final Fantasy IV

Streets of Rage

Final Fantasy IV

Streets of Rage

Final Fantasy IV Ninja Gaiden Trilogy sounds a bit weird, compared to it's NES counterparts.

Streets of Rage

Final Fantasy IV

I remember not liking the Streets of Rage II soundtrack a few battles ago, but whatever about it annoyed me isn't present here. Streets of Rage gets my vote.

Final Fantasy IV - My god I love this OST, it's in my Top 3 Uematsu's Work's.

Streets Of Rage

Final Fantasy IV

Shinobi III

Shinobi is obviously not going to win, but I think it deserves at least one vote.

No contest for Final Fantasy IV (7-0), with Streets of Rage winning only slightly less authoritatively (5-2). Next up�


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Round 2, Fight 12

Tactics Ogre (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGWRQ5Hd9WE&feature=PlayList&p=C4756B3B6D7AE731&index=0)
by Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata (1995)

vs.

Axelay (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDSj9S8aMUY)
by Taro Kudou (1992)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble

Round 1, Fight 12

Zero Wing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwAidPlp9bk)
by Tatsuya Uemura, Toshiaki Tomizawa, and Masahiro Yuge (1991)

vs.

Mortal Kombat (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4PyskgK2XU)
by Dan Forden and Matt Furniss (1992)


My votes are for Tactics Ogre and Mortal Kombat.

Tactics Ogre

Zero Wing

Tactics Ogre

Zero Wing

Zero Wing...For great justice! (I couldn't resist.) The music reminds me of Golden Axe a bit.

Zero Wing...For great justice!

All your base are belong to us



THAT's AWESOME XD

Tactics Ogre

Zero Wing

Tactics Ogre, Zero Wing

Tactics Ogre

Zero Wing

Tactics Ogre
Mortal Kombat

Tactics Ogre

Mortal Combat


Is that an essay you�re writing?

Yes, almost a small book:) Though I'm having lazy days now and doing some short holiday :D

@Szczepan: Good luck! That's what I was doing this past spring.

Well, this time around it�s Tactics Ogre (8-0) and Zero Wing (5-3) moving on. Clearly, the other soundtracks had no chance to survive make their time. :) I think we should all use one Zero Wing sentence in casual conversation today. And you have to say it with a straight face.


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Round 2, Fight 13

Super Turrican (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwaTdxHU4l8)
by Chris H�lsbeck (1993)

vs.

Mega Man X (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADK_l9uz_C0)
by Setsuo Yamamoto, Makoto Tomozawa, Yuki Iwai, Yuko Takehara, and Toshihiko Horiyama (1993)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble

Round 1, Fight 13

Splatterhouse 2 (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=7AA49DA32E4EE825)
by Milky Eiko (1992)

vs.

Phantasy Star IV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsa90yssfBs)
by Izuho Takeuchi and Yoshimi Nakagaki (1993)


My votes are for Mega Man X (although I love Super Turrican's soundtrack) and Phantasy Star IV.

Super Turrican

Phantasy Star IV

Suprisingly, Super Turrican

Phantasy Star IV

I knew doing a Genesis rumble would be a good idea. :D

Super Turrican

Splatterhouse 2 effing awesome.

:) I think we should all use one Zero Wing sentence in casual conversation today. And you have to say it with a straight face.

What you say?



Super Turrican

Phantasy Star IV


Move Zig ~<3

Mega Man X
Phantasy Star IV

Thanks to everyone who voted! I�m pretty surprised Super Turrican (4-2) took the win, although not disappointed. Our other winner is Phantasy Star IV (5-1). Next up�


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Round 2, Fight 14

Final Fantasy VI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOFlauTcX_s)
by Nobuo Uematsu (1994)

vs.

Dragon Quest VI ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iay7-k5MerA)
by Koichi Sugiyama (1995)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble

Round 1, Fight 14

Thunder Force II (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlpR7saiewg)
by Tomomi Ootani (1989)

vs.

Pulseman (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk9LZTkHSJ0)
by Junichi Masuda (1994)


My votes are for Final Fantasy VI and Pulseman.

FF VI. Dragon Quest would've had a chance against just about anything, but FFVI can't be beat.

Pulseman

Final Fantasy VI
Pulseman - possibly the best Genesis soundtrack so far.

Final Fantasy VI

Thunder Force II

Am I the only one who actually liked Splatterhouse 2 last round?

P.S: Make sure to stop by the A-Z of VGM thread, since no one has posted anything there in a while.

Final Fantasy VI

Thunder Force II

Am I the only one who actually liked Splatterhouse 2 last round?
Granted my internet access is limited to a cell phone at the moment (a number of youtube videos are inexplicably unaccessible on the default droid player), I only remember seeing three or four tracks that were over a few seconds. Phantasy Star IV got my vote by default because the Splatterhouse selection was too limited.

FF VI. Dragon Quest would've had a chance against just about anything, but FFVI can't be beat.

Pulseman

My sentiments exactly.

Also, I wouldn't say that pulseman is the best so far, but it's pretty good.

Man, I really missed the rumble. To think I've heard little to no new VGM in a few months, least I can rectify that now :)


My votes are for Final Fantasy VI and Pulseman.

Not much to say that hasn't been. Props for Masuda as well, never heard of this one.


On an older note, a very belated congrats to Arthur on the anniversary of the thread, and sorry I missed it. Cheers for the unbelievable effort you put in, and I'll try and not disappear this time :P

Welcome back, ravenous19! And thanks for the kind words, although you all make the rumble great. Not me.

It sounds like just about everyone's had a jam-packed month or two. I'm currently 400 miles from where I was two days ago, on yet another moving excursion. :-\ One of these days, I'll be done.

@Smarty: I'm actually a big fan of Splatterhouse's soundtracks (2 and 3 are both worth checking out). The atmosphere is great, the clarity of the sounds is impressive, and it's consistently good. I ended up voting for Phantasy Star IV, though, because I think it's more diverse (while including pieces with the same mood as the Splatterhouse tracks) and because over time I've more regularly listened to PS than Splatterhouse. But I think Splatterhouse is great, too.

Also, I'll be back at the A-Z thread soon. :) I owe a couple threads an update.

As for our current winners, Final Fantasy VI (7-0) and Pulseman (5-2) are moving on. And next up we've got...


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Round 2, Fight 15

Final Fantasy V (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5AmdepdXXQ)
by Nobuo Uematsu (1992)

vs.

Donkey Kong Country (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z29Mh80JiQ)
by David Wise, Eveline Fischer, and Robin Beanland (1994)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble

Round 1, Fight 15

Sonic 3D Blast (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOENkxmO2XU)
by Howard Drossin, Jun Senoue, Tetsuyuki Maeda, Yukifumi Makino, Seirou Okamoto, and Masaru Setsumaru (1996)

vs.

Gunstar Heroes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8_h_MnMk0k)
by Kazuo Hanzawa (1993)


Gunstar Heroes is such a great game, but my votes are for Donkey Kong Country and Sonic 3D Blast.

Donkey Kong Country
Gunstar Heroes

Donkey Kong Country

Sonic 3D Blast.

Final Fantasy V

Sonic 3D Blast

Donkey Kong Country and Gunstar Heroes

Donkey Kong Country

Gunstar Heroes

Donkey Kong Country, Gunstar Heroes.

And welcome back to Link006! Donkey Kong Country (6-1) and Gunstar Heroes (4-3) are our newest winners. Next up, the last fight of the round for the SNES soundtracks�


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Round 2, Fight 16

Breath of Fire (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB4CmTMOkFw)
by Yasuaki Fujita, Mari Yamaguchi, Minae Fuji, and Yoko Shimomura (1993)

vs.

Demon�s Crest (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO2G6S5aQ1k)
by Yuki Iwai (1994)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble

Round 1, Fight 16

Castle of Illusion (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRCJv4vbUKE)
by Kamiya Studio (1990)

vs.

Landstalker (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MvZ8b1fOAI)
by Motoaki Takenouchi (1992)


My votes are for Demon�s Crest and Landstalker.

Breath of Fire

Landstalker

Figured I'd be voting Demon's Crest for sure, but Breath of Fire was a nice surprise. Guess it shouldn't really have been though, considering it was done by Yoko Shimomura and three Mega Man composers.

Demon's Crest

Landstalker

Demon's Crest

Landstalker

I missed the battle with Demon's Crest in the first round, so this is my first time hearing it. I have to wonder what was going through Yuki Iwai's head when he submitted some of these tracks to the director. It's a fairly unconventional, risky approach given the system's sound limitations, but he really pulls it off. I'm impressed.

But I choose Breath of Fire.
I've never played it. I only heard these songs once before, in round 1. Yet I remember them all like they've been stuck in my head for years. That's the sign of excellent song writing.

Castle of Illusion

Demon's Crest, Landstalker.

I have been kind of busy lately, but I am currently working on the Wrath of the Lich King Soundtrack so I'm sure the people who have been PMing me asking when it is going to be done will be happy to know the process has started. : )

Breath of Fire got some nice shout-outs, but it�s Demon�s Crest (6-2) and Landstalker (5-3) moving on this time. And that means we are moving into Round 3 of the SNES rumble and facing a lot of tough decisions. To start things off, we�ve got�


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Round 3, Fight 1

Final Fantasy VI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOFlauTcX_s)
by Nobuo Uematsu () (1994)

vs.

Seiken Densetsu 3 ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_p89HP8vWo)
by Hiroki Kikuta () (1995)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble

Round 1, Fight 17

Eternal Champions (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duPki1g4Djo)
by Joe Delia () (1993)

vs.

Mega Man: The Wily Wars (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O00F-MSICOA)
by Unknown (http://segaretro.org/Mega_Man:_The_Wily_Wars) (1994)


My votes are for Final Fantasy VI and Eternal Champions.

Final Fantasy VI

Eternal Champions

I don't see how anything other than Final Fantasy VI could possibly win the rumble. Say whatever you want, but there's a good reason it's considered one of the best game soundtracks every made. The only one that stands a chance, imo, is Chrono Trigger.

Seiken Densetsu 3

EDIT: Eternal Champions

I'm another one of those guys who will vote IV music over VI

Final Fantasy VI - First time I had ever specifically listened to video game music for the purpose of listening to the music. I held a microphone up to the TV. Sounded terrible, but I just about wore out the tape.

I'm temporarily abstaining from the second vote while I listen to the entrants. Hopefully I'll be able to get a vote in sometime tomorrow morning?

Edit: I have to go with Eternal Champions, even though I'm pretty lukewarm to it. Wily Wars doesn't have a lot in the way of original compositions, and most of the remakes aren't as interesting or crisp as the originals.

Final Fantasy VI

Eternal Champions



I don't see how anything other than Final Fantasy VI could possibly win the rumble. Say whatever you want, but there's a good reason it's considered one of the best game soundtracks every made. The only one that stands a chance, imo, is Chrono Trigger.

I don't think FFVI will have it that easy honestly. I can't say for sure without some serious listening, but I'd say that I'd probably pick both FFIV and Link to the Past over FFVI personally. Plus it still has to beat out Chrono Trigger and Super Mario World, plus a few which could surprise like Donkey Kong Country.

But with all that said, I agree it'll probably be in the final, if not win.

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only person who would vote for Final Fantasy IV over Final Fantasy VI. Technology improved a long way between the two, and while I think FFVI is the best combination of great melodies and sound quality the SNES has to offer, I hold the former aspect in much higher regard. I'd also vote for Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana over it.

But as for this round,
Final Fantasy VI
Mega Man: The Wily Wars, a tough call.

Final Fantasy VI

Eternal Champions

Final Fantasy VI & Megaman Wily Wars...

I only like 3 songs from Eternal Champions :/ (Jetta, Blade, and Title), but that game was really difficult. X-perts (the sorta 2nd game) got boring :/

I'm intrigued by the FFIV vs. FFVI talk. Last time they faced off, in the Uematsu rumble, FFVI won 7-2. It sounds like it might not be so dominant anymore. Hopefully, we'll get to see a rematch. As for now, there are two clear winners: Final Fantasy VI (7-1) and Eternal Champions (6-2). Next up�


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Round 3, Fight 2

Tactics Ogre (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=C4756B3B6D7AE731)
by Hitoshi Sakimoto () and Masaharu Iwata () (1995)

vs.

Secret of Mana (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiA7VtYk3n0)
by Hiroki Kikuta () (1993)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble

Round 1, Fight 18

Quackshot (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cJ4YToJ8MM)
by Kamiya Studio (1991)

vs.

Valis III (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=F2AD6B179DD1F2B6)
by Hisao Inoue, Jun Hasebe, Shingo Murakami, Takaharu Umezu, Michiko Naruke, and Minoru Yuasa (1991)


I had a tough time with both of these, but my votes are for Secret of Mana and Quackshot.

Definitely hard choices on both rumbles but I have to go for the same stuff as arthur.

Secret of Mana and Quackshot. Even though I'm quite fond of both Tactics Ogre and Valis III.

Secret of Mana :D
Quackshot

I'm going to let this run another day since we're still low on votes.

I'm intrigued by the FFIV vs. FFVI talk. Last time they faced off, in the Uematsu rumble, FFVI won 7-2. It sounds like it might not be so dominant anymore.

Ah damn, didn't remember that. Maybe FFVI will be unstoppable, but here's hoping not ;)

Back to my regularly scheduled post:

Tactics Ogre

Will edit in my other vote in tomorrow.

EDIT: Quackshot

Secret of Mana

Valis III

Secret of Mana

Quackshot - I LOVED Quackshot.

Easy wins for Secret of Mana (5-1) and Quackshot (5-1). Next up we�ve got�


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Round 3, Fight 3

Demon�s Crest (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO2G6S5aQ1k)
by Yuki Iwai (1994)

vs.

Chrono Trigger (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QkdQN0T90Q)
by Yasunori Mitsuda (), Nobuo Uematsu (), and Noriko Matsueda () (1995)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble

Round 1, Fight 19

Mortal Kombat II (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=4ADA393AAF7766E2)
by Dan Forden () and Matt Furniss () (1993)

vs.

Vectorman (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2cHzxf_1V8)
by Jon Holland () (1995)


My votes are for Chrono Trigger and Mortal Kombat II.

Chrono Trigger

These are both really great soundtracks. I'm going to have to side with Vectorman.

Chrono Trigger

Mortal Kombat II

Both were quite easy choices surprisingly; although I do like Demon's Crest. Vectorman was alright but really didn't strike me as anything amazing.

Chrono Trigger & Vectorman

Chrono Trigger & Vectorman

Chrono Trigger

Mortal Kombat II

Unrelated promo: ChazA4 (http://forums.ffshrine.org/member.php?u=106241) is hosting another Video Game Jeopardy this Saturday, July 31 at 3 p.m. (Eastern US time). We've done this about four times, and it's always a lot of fun. We play in an AIM chatroom. Standard rules--Chaz gives the clues and the first to answer (in the form a question) gets the points and chooses the next category. We usually have a couple people sitting in as an audience, too. If you're interested in playing and trying to topple me from the throne of video game trivia (:)) PM Chaz, and he'll send you the link to the AIM chatroom.

Unrelated comment: Also, all of these videos (http://www.metafilter.com/94102/Need-more-minerals) of StarCraft 2 have made me extremely nostalgic for the first one, which I only experienced through the demo back when it first came out. I sorta feel like, after 12 years, it's probably time for me to buy it. Plus, it's available on Blizzard's website as a digital download with the Brood Wars expansion for only $15. Anyone around here still play?

I finally retired Brood War for good some time in 2006, but I've possibly sank more time into it than all other games combined. I won't be playing it any more though. I picked up Starcraft 2 at the midnight release, even managed to nab "Shad" as my username. :)

I'm not sure if I can use AIM chatrooms since I'm running it through Trillian (a program that combines AIM, MSN, ICQ, etc accounts). But just a suggestion, why not hold it on irc? The official FFShrine channel on CleverNet is always active.

I keep editing my Genesis selection, and I'm beginning to realize that whichever I've listened to most recently becomes my favorite of the two. I'll stick to my initial pick of Vectorman, but if there was ever a clause for a mercy advance I'd support it here. >_>

Chrono Trigger

Vectorman

Heh, it's really been a while. I don't have internet at my house right now, so it might be a while before I can post again. I'm only able to do this one because I am using the college's computer lab while signing up for classes.

I still play Brood War whenever I feel like it. The campaign is brilliantly written and kept me coming back even all these long years, despite it being a bit linear and too easy. And I still enjoy it, both single-player and multi-player. I can't help but be biased, though. Starcraft is the 2nd game I ever played (the 1st was the original Prince of Persia) and it deserves every single bit of love I throw at it. I'm not saying it's perfect, I'm saying I don't care about its flaws. To me it's the King of RTS and always will be and an excellent game overall. The TERRIBLE news for me is that I was out of town when SC2 launched and I still won't be able to pick it up until tomorrow :( It's a miracle that I was able to find internet where I am right now. Hopefully I can still get the user name I want. Anyway back on topic:

I might be the first to say that Chrono Trigger isn't that good. I like it a lot and it's probably going to win anyway, but I think Demon's Crest deserves at least one vote before leaving the rumble.

And Vectorman.

I so... want to do the Jeopardy trivia, but Otakon (Baltimore Anime Convention, probably the 2nd largest in the US after Anime Expo) is this weekend -.-

Man, I would like to at least watch that. Hopefully I've done my math wrong (always sucked with time zones) but I'm pretty sure thats like 5 AM in Aus, which means it'll be highly unlikely for me to manage that one. I struggle to get up for lectures at noon somedays :D

Welcome back wolfmaster913!

@Shad: I�ll recommend that to ChazA4. Thanks for the suggestion!

I�d be interested in anyone�s review of StarCraft 2, too. I�m debating skipping the first one and diving right into the second.

@Eshvoide: I�m sure we�ll do another one fairly soon, and we�d love to have you then.

@ravenous19: Haha. Yeah, if you�re on the east side of Australia, you�re 14 hours ahead, which would be 5 a.m. Bummer.


As for the rumble, Chrono Trigger (7-1) has continued to steamroll its way through the rumble, while Vectorman (5-3) had to do a little more fighting. Next up�


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Round 3, Fight 4

Super Mario World (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LLOEvhsgOg)
by Koji Kondo () (1990)

vs.

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2KYrEI5JZY)
by Koji Kondo () (1991)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble


Round 1, Fight 20

Thunder Force IV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Lkgkf0lS3k)
by Tomomi Ootani, Toshiharu Yamanishi, and Takeshi Yoshida (1992)

vs.

Dynamite Headdy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_ls6rSfKwE)
by Kazuo Hanzawa, Jun Irie, and Hideki Matsutake (1994)


The SNES choice took me forever to decide on. But I�m going with The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past because (on top of being awesome song for song, like SMW) it introduced a number of recurring themes, including �Zelda�s Lullaby,� �Ganondorf�s Theme,� �Hyrule Castle,� �Kakariko Village,� and �Fairy Cave.� For the Genesis, I�m going with Dynamite Headdy.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

I'll vote later on Genesis rumble. Too late at night and I'm too tired from travelling all day. And I'm gonna travel some more tomorrow... :(

Super Mario World
Dynamite Headdy

Zelda: Link to the Past & Thunderforce IV

(yay, survived one day of Otakon so far... two more days to go)

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - All hail Kondo

Will edit in my Genesis vote sometime in the next day.

Edit: Dynamite Headdy

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Thunder Force IV

Thanks to everyone who voted! This time it�s A Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (5-1) and Dynamite Headdy (3-2) moving on. Next up�


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Round 3, Fight 5

Secret of Evermore (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YMEu9aO8QA)
by Jeremy Soule () (1995)

vs.

ActRaiser (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcLD6MF7QLg)
by Yuzo Koshiro () (1990)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble

Round 1, Fight 21

Beyond Oasis (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=F898F463BBBBC997)
by Yuzo Koshiro () (1994)

vs.

Devilish (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrxRUDAoUVI)
by Hitoshi Sakimoto () (1992)


My votes are for Secret of Evermore and Devilish.

I didn't have access to the internet so I didn't vote on Genesis last round. Sorry :(

Secret of Evermore

Devilish

I'll give ActRaiser credit for making really good use of the SNES soundchip even though it was quite early in its lifespan. But I like Secret of Evermore better for some reason.

I had a tough time with this one, but I'll give it to ActRaiser.

As per usual, the Genesis vote will be edited in later ;)


Edit: Devilish

Actraiser & Devilish

ActRaiser

Devilish

I like both in the first set, but ActRaiser has that sound that I would love to sit and listen to for hours on end :)

The other set however, no contest I think :( Beyond Oasis just sounded like a muddled mess to me :( Really diggin' Devilish though.

Secret Of Evermore this was kinda easy to vote for me.

Hello everybody *hugs everybody with unnatural arms*
I've been dissapeared from this thread because I didn't had the time to listen to the music offered so I missed much votes in the middle. I've returned to the paperwork activity, restarted my physical activity (YEAH!, it feels good to be in shape again), so I didn't had much time in my hands.
Also I'm looking for a job so Cross-fingers people I may get one pretty soon!

Genesis vote will be up later. (I think)

See ya! =D

^ Good luck in your endeavors *e-hugs you back* ^__^ I hope you can get a good paying job that you'll enjoy!

ActRaiser and Devilish

Posting this as a placeholder for the moment since this set is probably about over. I'll have my choices up within an hour.

Secret of Evermore

Devilish

That first song in devilish really reminds me of a song in Anastasia ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhrC9df53oo )

Hello everybody *hugs everybody with unnatural arms* I've been dissapeared from this thread because I didn't had the time to listen to the music offered so I missed much votes in the middle. I've returned to the paperwork activity, restarted my physical activity (YEAH!, it feels good to be in shape again), so I didn't had much time in my hands.
Also I'm looking for a job so Cross-fingers people I may get one pretty soon!

Hooray! Welcome back! Good luck with the job hunt.


Posting this as a placeholder for the moment since this set is probably about over. I'll have my choices up within an hour.

You have the grave responsibility of tie-breaking ActRaiser vs. Secret of Evermore. :) It's 4-4 right now. On the other hand, Devilish can't lose the Genesis rumble at this point.

Sorry about the delay again, I've ben having connectivity issues. Though I enjoyed Actraiser more as a game, I'll beak the tie in favor of
Secret of Evermore
Devilish

Thanks for the tie-break, Shad! That means Secret of Evermore (5-4) and Devilish (8-0) are moving on, and we are closing in on the final eight. Next up�


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Round 3, Fight 6

Star Fox (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg2Uxm491lA)
by Hajime Hirasawa (1993)

vs.

Donkey Kong Country (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z29Mh80JiQ)
by David Wise, Eveline Fischer, and Robin Beanland (1994)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble

Round 1, Fight 22

Herzog Zwei (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2TUDR3RcVA)
by Naosuke Arai and Tomomi Ootani (1989)

vs.

The Ooze (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAVwFk8tD4I)
by Howard Drossin (1995)


My votes are for Donkey Kong Country and The Ooze.

Starfox/Zwei

Star Fox
I'll edit in my Genesis pick later.


The Ooze

DKC and The Ooze.

As far as StarCraft goes; I would not skip the original. Playing the original will give you a great background as far as the story of StarCraft and get you up to speed on the gameplay as well. Plus you'll get to hear the great tunes! The music in StarCraft II is great, but I think the original has the superior music/voice acting overall.

I don't know if you can even still get the SCII Collector's Edition, but it comes with James Raynor's dogtag as a USB Flash drive that comes with StarCraft and Brood War on it. If not, there is always battle.net and the Blizzard store.

Donkey Kong Country

Herzog Zwei

Donkey Kong Country - Too difficult. I'm still debating over this one but probably won't change my vote.

The Ooze

@Link006: Thanks for the info!

We�re getting close to the end of the round now, with Donkey Kong Country (4-2) and The Ooze (4-2) moving on. Next up, we�ve got�


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Round 3, Fight 7

Super Turrican (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwaTdxHU4l8)
by Chris H�lsbeck (1993)

vs.

Soul Blazer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP5emCsGjSI)
by Yukihide Takekawa (1992)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble

Round 1, Fight 23

Golden Axe II (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=30775271A2DB217B)
by Naofumi Hataya (1991)

vs.

Ristar (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT-_5lgJYx4)
by Tomoko Sasaki (1995)


My votes are for Super Turrican and Ristar.

Soul Blazer, no contest. I'll edit in my Genesis pick later.

Ristar

Soul Blazer by a hair

Genesis vote will be in later

Edit: Ristar

Super Turrican

Golden Axe II

I'm going to let this run for another day.

Super Turrican & Ristar

Pretty easy calls on both.

Ok, I have to ask.
What does everyone like about the Super Turrican soundtrack?
I remember thinking in round 1 that it was one of the bottom five soundtracks out of all 64 and only got through as a fluke. The former half of this opinion has yet to change.

Uptempo, nice percussion, the 25 seconds that starts at 2:00 is about my favorite part of it I think. Reminds me a little bit of a slightly slower "heavier" Mega Man.

I vote for Super Turrican and Golden Axe II.

Reminds me a little bit of a slightly slower "heavier" Mega Man.

I think that's the source of a lot of my love for it, too. I just gave it another listen. It's likely not going to make it out of the next round, but it's plenty solid.

People have to remember that the votes always need to be taken in context; that is... what track was it going against? I thought Soul Blazer's track was pretty bad, so it wouldn't have taken a soundtrack of much quality of all to get my vote. Not saying that was the case this time; I think Super Turrican is pretty catchy.

Super Turrican

Ristar

Phew! I made it in before the round ended this time ^__^

Super Turrican

Golden Axe II

Soul Blazer

Golden Axe II

I'm back:) Glad to see you people again! Separating myself from the world and civilisation to write my paper wasn't the best idea:P I didn't write much and just feel old and exhausted. Hermit's lifestyle is overrated. I'm returning to the normal way of doing this.

btw Tactics Ogre got kicked out with just one vote for it:(

People have to remember that the votes always need to be taken in context; that is... what track was it going against? I thought Soul Blazer's track was pretty bad
I suppose that experiencing a soundtrack via a game and via youtube are completely different. Soul Blazer's is way up there for me, easily in my top ten for the SNES. But it was also one of my favorite games on the system, and the music was an integral part of it. It might be the game's most defining feature.

I suppose that experiencing a soundtrack via a game and via youtube are completely different.

100% Fact. Context is EVERYTHING.

Golden Axe II

I will say though--I hadn't heard Ristar before and I liked it a good bit.

Sorry I disappeared everybody! I've had a very, very busy couple of weeks. That said, right now I'm on a hotel's WiFi and am about to run off again. So just a quick update. Golden Axe II and Ristar are tied at 5-5. Let's give this one more day to see if we can get a tie-breaker. Otherwise, I'll flip a coin. Hope everyone is happy and healthy. More info soon.

Round 3, Fight 7

Super Turrican (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwaTdxHU4l8)
by Chris H�lsbeck (1993)
The first thing I thought when listening to this was 'Hey this sounds like the Dune soundtrack!' This to me is the clear winner for its chill-out ambient synths, appealing breakbeats and DAT PIANO. Super Turrican raises the bar for SNES soundtracks so much that it doesn't feel at all like a 16bit chiptune but more like a Vangelis score for an 80s teen film. Plus, it's Chris H�lsbeck!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble

Round 1, Fight 23

Ristar (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT-_5lgJYx4)
by Tomoko Sasaki (1995)
This was a very hard choice for me - both have their strengths and weaknesses and both sound VERY Sega Genesis. However, Ristar edges it out for me due its more melodic tracks and sophisticated production. It's was straight down the wire for me though because Golden Axe II does have some beauties like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC5Wet2CcyE).

Thanks thejoblowshow! I will update in the next 24 hours when I'm back on a computer with the next fight's info. Sorry again for the delay.

I will be ecstatic when I get off this stupid schedule. I keep darting from one place to another--each city at least an hour from the other. :-( I owe each of you a burger or something. Thanks for your patience.

Super Turrican (7-3) and Ristar (6-5) are the winners this time around. Let's get started again...


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Round 3, Fight 8

Final Fantasy IV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8gOOTAWKY8)
by Nobuo Uematsu (1991)

vs.

Live A Live (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_qfPaZZycs)
by Yoko Shimomura (1994)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble

Round 1, Fight 24

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl4vA4Wd07Q)
by Masato Nakamura (1992)

vs.

Alien Soldier (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=E6D18B95C5BD56CF)
by Kazuo Hanzawa (1995)


My votes are for Final Fantasy IV and Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Final Fantasy IV

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

My votes are the same ^__^ Hope you doin' well Arthur. Just take your time with the Rumbles, we're patient people here :)

Final Fantasy IV

Sonic the Hedgehog 2



Two of my favorites!

Final Fantasy IV

Abstained on Genesis

EDIT: Yeah right, Abstained my ass... Alien Soldier!` !"!"!"!" this is awesome

Final Fantasy IV. My Genesis pick will be edited in later.

Edit: Alien Soldier. What a badass soundtrack, really chaotic and intense.

Edit 2: I think this is my second favorite Genesis soundtrack so far after Vectorman.

Sonic and Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy IV I feel sad voting against a Shimomura soundtrack, but no matter how I look at it FFIV is better.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 I liked Alien Soldier, but Sonic still wins for me.

Hang in there Arthrur, it'll all be over before you know it. Just be patient.


Ok, I have to ask.
What does everyone like about the Super Turrican soundtrack?
I remember thinking in round 1 that it was one of the bottom five soundtracks out of all 64 and only got through as a fluke. The former half of this opinion has yet to change.

I enjoyed Super Turrican a lot and think it's one of the most underappreciated soundtracks on the SNES, right up there with Demon's Crest. It was upbeat, it had variety and I'm a big sucker for pianos of any kind. Soul Blazer on the other hand, didn't really do anything to impress me. I don't like saying this, but it sounded a lot like an Uematsu wannabe, it is an RPG after all. I don't know, maybe the soundtrack has some really unique and impressive tracks and garudoh just didn't include them in the video. Because I haven't listened to the entire thing, I just watched the video.

Final Fantasy IV

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Final Fantasy IV

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

These forums are incredibly... white....

Sarah says they'll bring the black layout soon. I'll be waiting for that.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.......

I'm gone for a couple days and THIS happens??? 0_0

Man, trying to sift through 21 pages of new posts in eyeball-searing white isn't fun. Until black is back I'll skip the yellow text.

As for the last fight, Final Fantasy IV (10-0) and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-2) both steamrolled their competition, bringing us to the Quarterfinals for the SNES. I'll get that started and add in fun facts and pictures and bells and whistles when I'm back home...


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Quarterfinals, Fight 1

Final Fantasy VI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOFlauTcX_s)
by Nobuo Uematsu () (1994)
Description: What can I say that hasn�t already been said? This soundtrack is a masterpiece. The unusually high number of character themes and clever deployment of leitmotifs throughout the soundtrack are just the first admirable facets of this work. There is a level of attention to detail throughout the soundtrack that is remarkable given the mishmash variety of occupations, backgrounds, cultures, and events in the game, and if the soundtrack suffers any from its broad scope, it at least makes a compelling attempt to resolve those tensions in the staggering finale, in which most of the game�s themes are interwoven seamlessly into one piece.

vs.

Secret of Evermore (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YMEu9aO8QA)
by Jeremy Soule () (1995)
Description: The story behind Secret of Evermore�s soundtrack is one of my favorites of the video game industry. Jeremy Soule was a teenager from Keokuk, Iowa�a weird kid who began writing music around the age of five and annoyed his teachers by turning in musical notation instead of his math homework. By the sixth grade, he was taking private lessons from Western Illinois University faculty members, eventually earning the equivalent of a Master�s degree before he graduated high school. He wasn't as devoted to classical music as he was video games, though, a culture he believed would earn legitimacy from better music composition. So he did something that took massive balls�he made a cassette tape of his music and sent it to Square and LucasArts with a letter explaining that this is what he thought video game music should aspire to. Despite being the unlikeliest of scenarios, Square listened to the tape and made Soule an employee within two weeks of mailing the letter, immediately assigning him to score Evermore, their Q4 follow-up to Front Mission, Chrono Trigger, and Seiken Densetsu 3. It was an insanely high-profile project for a teenager who�d never worked on a video game before, and he nailed it, which is perhaps a useful reminder in the power of boldness (http://chrisyeh.blogspot.com/2006/06/quote-of-day-boldness-has-genius.html), especially in artistic endeavors. There�s much to be said about the historical importance of this soundtrack and the new elements it brought to video game music, but we�re here to judge the quality of the compositions primarily, so I�ll try to keep this from getting ridiculously long. Soule himself describes the music as mostly �ambient and low-key�; I�d add that it has a prominent Blade Runner feel, mixed with occasional medieval instrumentation and Latin percussion. It�s a weird combo, but it works to create a very drowsy, mysterious, and violent atmosphere for the game, with enough touches of B-movie sci-fi tropes to match the main character, too.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble

Round 1, Fight 25

Shining Force II (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ieuy5z2r43E)
by Motoaki Takenouchi (1993)

vs.

Comix Zone (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmfkMETAsL8)
by Howard Drossin (1995)


I'm currently staying in a haunted hotel, and listening to Secret of Evermore feels really (!) appropriate, echoing off all this old wood. But I gotta go with Final Fantasy VI. You're weighing one of the most diverse SNES soundtracks, with some of its greatest tracks, against a collection of music that's of a piece and brilliant. Tough choice. My other vote goes to Shining Force II.

And for those who are interested, I feel like I owe an explanation for where I've been all this time. In the last 10 days I've traveled 1,900 miles. I finished teaching the summer semester, turned in my students' grades, quit my job, moved home, learned the same day a friend died, on that same day also interviewed at four different universities, got a job teaching writing classes, started the fall semester, visited my brother and oldest sister for the first time since Christmas, and flew to Colorado for a wedding. I'm so tired I wouldn't even know if a ghost was haunting my room right now. The good news is that most of what's been going on has been good stuff, and it's so sweet that some people have been worried. No reason to. I'm just in the middle of a packed schedule that I guarantee you I wouldn't have tried if I'd had any choice. Much rather be home right now, writing about video game music and talking to you guys. Hope everyone is well and having a good end to the summer. I'll be back en force (hopefully) on Monday.

As good as the Shining Force II soundtrack was, Comix Zone is too awesome a homage to 90s rock to pass up.

Edit: Oh god I'm listening to Frogstomp now.

As for the SNES match, I will probably vote for Final Fantasy VI, but I voted for Secret of Evermore against my own expectations last round, so I want to give both soundtracks a complete listen through before I finalize my decision.

Edit: Yeah, Evermore is fabulous but it has nothing on Final Fantasy VI.

Wow Arthur doesn't sound like you're doing too good. I don't exactly envy your situation, but I think all the running around and traveling beats sitting in front of a laptop all damn day :(

But anyway, on to SNES. I gave both of these tracks a good listen and I have to (predictably) go for Final Fantasy VI. It is my favorite to win the whole thing honestly.

As for Genesis I'll be editing my vote later.

Edit: imo, Shining Force didn't feel particularly genesisy. It lacked the appeal of titles such as Streets of Rage, Splatterhouse and Golden Axe. I have to give it to Comix Zone.

Final Fantasy VI

Shining Force II

Comix Zone was nice, but nothing in the Genesis library beats Shining Force II--at least for me.

edit: oh my, oh my. Garudo left out my favorite track, which is Ending (Finale), and it's here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbRG2WBwMrc&p=D33FEA1DB992825C&index=24

*sigh*, this soundtrack is golden

Dang Arthur, you have been busy haven't ya? :p But the way I see it........ at least you have a job lol.


Final Fantasy VI

Shining Force II

Secret of Evermore and Comix Zone.

And welcome back Arthur!

I'm sure you've all seen at least one of the countless Mario Paint song renditions out there, but this one seems particularly relevant to us: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbO1YtoUqM8

More like evolution of Nintendo music... Whatever it was pretty good.

FFVI & Comix Zone

Bit belated, but I hope everything's getting better for you soon Arthur ;)


Final Fantasy VI
Bet nobody saw that one coming

Shining Force II
Comix Zone just seemed kind of dull to me.

Hi everybody! I'm actually using my computer again (!). Haven't been in the same city as it in weeks.

First off, thanks to everybody for the well wishes and to jakob and Shad for the extra links. :) Have you all seen the chipophone (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1pchpDD5EU&feature=youtu.be&a)? That video was going around the internet a week or two ago.

Second, we've got a tie between Shining Force II and Comix Zone and need one more vote. Any takers?

Third, are most people using the "Timewarp" skin with the older, darker look? If so, I'll keep using the yellow text for the name of the rumble.

Fourth, is anybody else annoyed that hyperlinks no longer have a line underneath them? Or am I OCD?

Fifth, I think all future rumble songs should be played as dog and cat sounds. We might need to get drunk to vote every time, but it'll be worth it.

Final Fantasy VI

Shining Force II

Final Fantasy VI & Shining Force II

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo most of my favorite Genesis soundtracks so far didn't pass the first round. :\

Arthur, I'm using timewarp. As for the links not being underlined, I didn't even notice, but I do hate that when you post a link to youtube or another thread on the forums it auto-formats it with the title and you have to go back in and edit it if you want it to show the regular link.

Also, I did a youtube search on animal sounds from video games and got nothing!

Interestingly, the links are underlined on the new brighter than the sun theme.

I am using the timewarp; I think it just looks better.

Timewarp for me. The other one was too bright...

Timewarp for me. The other one was too bright...

^ This also. And I hadn't even noticed the disappearance of the underline until you pointed it out Arthur.

Sonic the Hedgehog � Green Hill Zone

Final Fantasy VII � Aerith�s Theme

Thanks to Jessie and aces4839 for the tie-break! And thanks to everyone for the info. I’ll keep using lighter font colors then.

As for our results, there was little competition for Final Fantasy VI (9-1). And the winner for the Genesis Rumble, as you probably guessed, is Shining Force II (6-4). Next up…


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Quarterfinals, Fight 2

Donkey Kong Country (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z29Mh80JiQ)
by David Wise (), Eveline Fischer (), and Robin Beanland () (1994)
Description: Donkey Kong Country received well-deserved praise for its stunning pre-rendered 3D graphics, but it was equally hard to ignore the game’s electronic, ambient, and Caribbean-peppered soundtrack. Like the visuals, the music expanded player perceptions of what a Donkey Kong game could be, and, in particular, “Aquatic Ambience” lent emotional complexity to the series that hadn’t been there before. The opening arpeggio that fades in and out, the faux-guitar distortion and piano that follow it, the harp that sweeps upward and gives way to an almost country twang, and then the way that twang recedes into the distance as a little coda finishes off the melody—all cumulatively give the impression of mystery and allure that befits something so mysterious and alluring as the ocean. Other notable tracks include "Simian Segue," "Life in the Mines," "Jungle Groove," "Gang-Plank Galleon," and "Fear Factory."

vs.

Final Fantasy IV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8gOOTAWKY8)
by Nobuo Uematsu () (1991)
Description: Everyone knows that Final Fantasy II (for the NES) was not released in North America, which is why Final Fantasy IV was called Final Fantasy II here. What you may not know, though, is that Final Fantasy II on the NES was supposed to be released in North America and was in the process of being translated for several years before the arrival of the Super Nintendo and the Japanese release of Final Fantasy IV led Square to give up on the project, believing they had taken too long and no one would care anymore. But wait! The naming process was even more convoluted than that. Final Fantasy IV (the SNES game that was called Final Fantasy II in the US) was actually not even supposed to be on the Super Nintendo. It was for the NES. Final Fantasy V was supposed to be a simultaneous release on the SNES alongside an NES game called Final Fantasy IV (screenshot (http://www.lostlevels.org/200311/200311-square.shtml)). Square ran out of money, though, so they scrapped Final Fantasy IV for the NES and re-named the SNES game, originally called Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy IV (Ahhhhhhh!). So, in summary, Final Fantasy II (in the US) is Final Fantasy V. Now let's just re-name the others accordingly: Final Fantasy VI is now VII, VII is VIII, VIII is IX, etc. Or we could chloroform ourselves. 0_0. Anyway, we wouldn't even be talking about this unless Final Fantasy IV was as good and as popular as it was, with the music being no small part of that success. "Theme of Love," at the top of the heap, is actually taught in music classes to Japanese schoolchildren. Along with that, you've got "Main Theme," "Into the Darkness," "Fight 2," "Rydia," "Cry of Sorrow," "Golbez Clad in Dark," "Mystic Mysidia," "Troian Beauty," "Dancing Calcobrena," "Illusionary World," and "The Lunarians" all making their own contributions to the breadth and depth of the soundtrack, tied together in the end with "Epilogue," Uematsu's warm-up for a similar piece on Final Fantasy VI's soundtrack.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble

Round 1, Fight 26

Gley Lancer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cscApMyRdJ8)
by Masanori Hikichi, Noriyuki Iwadare, Yoshiaki Kubotera, and Isao Mizoguchi (1992)

vs.

Earthworm Jim (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=E4D22047D2F5794E)
by Mark Miller (1994)


Question for discussion: Is the SNES fight the most difficult decision in the rumble's history?

My votes are for Final Fantasy IV and Earthworm Jim.

Final Fantasy IV

Gley Lancer

Final Fantasy IV & Earthworm Jim

Final Fantasy IV
Gley Lancer

Final Fantasy IV

Grey Lancer This was seriously awesome.

Also it was pretty easy for me to choose. I've never been too fond of DKC. Also is it just me or does this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx7mI1rdykw&p=28A6F84189D36D57&index=4) sound a lot like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62ZSQUyU00s)? The drums sound very similar.

Haha. Interesting find! The percussion is definitely similar. It might take a better ear than mine to spot any other similarities, though.

I'm going to let this run another day or two since I suspect most people don't expect me to be back on a two-day schedule. We'll work back towards that. :) I've got yet another big travel schedule this weekend, so I'm hanging onto the thin hope that I can be online tomorrow after 10 hours of driving. Hope everyone is well. Next week, normal life resumes for me. So we'll have new rounds every other day (the way it should be). :)

Final Fantasy IV

Earthworm Jim

Final Fantasy IV
Gley Lancer

I was never into Earthworm Jim, but that is a pretty fun soundtrack.

DKC, Grey Lancer.

Geez, one vote for DKC? What a travesty.

DKC & Earthworm Jim

Final Fantasy IV Grey Lancer

First of all, welcome to Galaroval!

As Link006 pointed out, not a lot of love for DKC. I’m a little surprised. Final Fantasy IV crushed it (9-2), and Gley Lancer only got a little more competition (7-4). We’ll see them both again in the near future. Next up, ho ho ho…


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Quarterfinals, Fight 3

Chrono Trigger (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QkdQN0T90Q)
by Yasunori Mitsuda (), Nobuo Uematsu (), and Noriko Matsueda () (1995)
Description: For a game that’s considered one of the best of all time, this certainly went through a lot of revision. In fact, the finished product germinated from scrapped ideas for the very early versions of Final Fantasy VII. The game was originally set in New York in 1999 with your character on a mission to blow up the city of Midgar while being followed by a hot-blooded detective named Joe. A sorceress named Edea was also somehow involved. Of course, those ideas got shelved or saved for other games (except for the year 1999). Other influences included the movie Alien and none other than the competitor below—Secret of Mana. What’s remarkable is that this game endured so many changes, incorporated the aesthetics of wildly different artists and programmers, and yet achieved such a unity and playability that it has influenced more games than those that influenced it. Likewise, the music (scored primarily by a vgm rookie) has justified the perception of video game music as a legitimate art form as much as any other soundtrack. Not only has every vgm fan probably heard this soundtrack, every vgm fan also probably has their own favorites off it. With every year, the mythos grows, as do the stories surrounding the soundtrack’s creation. If Mitsuda dreamed some of the songs before writing them, if he really lost half the soundtrack to a hard drive crash and had to recreate them all, if the stress of the job gave him stomach ulcers, if the entire staff cried while watching the final scene of the game together—it all hardly seems to matter. These stories only deepen the relentless currency and emotional depth of the game’s sixty-four tracks.

vs.

Secret of Mana (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiA7VtYk3n0)
by Hiroki Kikuta () (1993)
Description: This is an old favorite and a classic of the SNES from the same guy who brought us Soukaigi and Koudelka (as controversial as that soundtrack is). Besides the usual RPG fare, this soundtrack also has some nice jazz pieces, as well as a few interesting tribal songs using clips of voice samples. Because of this soundtrack’s popularity, we know a fair bit about the behind-the-scenes stuff that will sound familiar to fans of Chrono Trigger, including the fact that Kikuta made his own MIDI samples so that he would know exactly how the pieces would sound on the SPC700 instead of having to deal with audio hardware differences between the original MIDI sampler and the Super Nintendo, and that Kikuta spent nearly 24 hours a day in his office working on the soundtrack.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble

Round 1, Fight 27

Elemental Master (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLSo2HXObDg)
by Toshiharu Yamanishi (1990)

vs.

Strider (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HpC9w8rpAg)
by Junko Tamiya (1990)


My votes are for Chrono Trigger and Elemental Master.

Chrono Trigger & Elemental Master

Secret of Mana Significantly more difficult choice than the previous round, if you ask me.

Genesis vote will be edited later. Edit: Elemental Master. Strider was nice too, though.


Chrono Trigger & Elemental Master

havent played either of those genesis games before, though so the vote there was a random pick.

You do realise we're voting for the soundtracks of the games, not the games themselves?

SoM is nice, but it's Chrono Trigger melodies that I hum for years when taking a shower:D

Elemental Master

Chrono Trigger Nobou Uematsu is one of my most favourite composers.

Elemental Master

By the way, thanks for the welcome :)

Secret of Mana Significantly more difficult choice than the previous round, if you ask me.

Genesis vote will be edited later. Edit: Elemental Master. Strider was nice too, though.

You do realize we're voting for the soundtracks of the games, not the games themselves?

still was a random pick in any case. havent heard the music from those two. and yes, i do realize its the soundtracks for games, not the games themselves.

still was a random pick in any case. havent heard the music from those two. and yes, i do realize its the soundtracks for games, not the games themselves.

Uuuuh, then do you realise that you can actually listen to the soundtracks before voting...? All you need to do is click on the names of the games in Arthur's post and you'll hear the stuff. And once you do that you can decide which you like.

That's kinda why we're doing this rumble in the first place.

listened to both soundtracks, crappy dial-up and all, my vote doesnt change. sry for the trouble.

Awh, Secret of Mana is my second favorite videogame soundtrack for any system. I even pulled all of my ring tones from the OST!
But Chrono Trigger is my first.

Elemental Master


Chrono Trigger Nobou Uematsu is one of my most favourite composers.

A lot of people equate Chrono Trigger to Uematsu, maybe because he's the more famous name, but I'd like to set the record straight a bit:

The official Chrono Trigger soundtrack has 64 tracks. Aside from a seven second sample that somehow made the OST cut, Uematsu only wrote eight of them.
His contributions to the soundtrack are very memorable, and the fact that they blend so well with Mitsuda's work is a testament to Uematsu's genius. It also goes to show that the composers were not working independently from the game but were well aware of the scenes they were writing for; almost all of Uematsu's contributions are from 65000000BC and 2300AD.
But it still stands that Mitsuda wrote 54 out of the 64 tracks on the OST. I have never read that his songs were collaborations; as the story goes, after Mitsuda developed stomach ulcers Uematsu was called in to finish up the project.

Here are links to Uematsu's eight contributions. With amazing tracks like Underground Sewer, Tyran Castle, and Sealed Door, he certainly played a significant role, but a relatively small one:
Silent Light (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y3DqlYFqw0) ~600 AD
People Without a Hope (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdW5K6Dg6Sc) ~2300AD
Bike Chase (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWlKN1Aw6HY) ~2300AD
Underground Sewer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2bQKmnltR4) ~2300AD
Primitive Mountain (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnumgbGko1E) ~65000000BC
Burn! Bobonga! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI-EjZFCsWI) ~65000000BC
Tyran Castle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gVkEUmwstA) ~65000000BC
Sealed Door (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xEz71ZIEmM) ~2300AD

The tenth non-Mitsuda track is the normal boss battle music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phVwKSjz0cc), Noriko Matsueda's contribution. (Uematsu arranged the track, Matsueda wrote it, from what I've read.) I always felt that this was one of the few songs that didn't really fit the overall feel of the soundtrack.
Mitsuda, interestingly, did write another boss battle theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xM3fzCQ18-I) which didn't make the cut but appears as a bonus track on the OST. (I personally like Matsueda's more.)

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh, as for Secret of Mana, I want to post up one song that I think really sets out to define the uniqueness of Hiroki Kikuta's masterpiece--his odd approach to percussion:
Hiroki Kikuta - Steel and Snare (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-2L2VNmuQg)

The same peculiarity persists in the background for most of the album. (Consider what's going on behind the melody on my favorite track, for example. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEilQOiuE_g))

Mitsuda is not good at writing battle songs or songs that need intensive & agressive feel to the situation IMO.

Still I vote Chrono Trigger Seiken Densetsu 3 was way better than Secret of Mana IMO.

Abstained on Genesis.

Chrono Trigger

Elemental Master

Secret of Mana

Strider

I'm glad I got my internet back when I did. It would have been a shame if I hadn't been able to support SoM in what looks to be it's last round.

On a totally unrelated note:

Recently a member of The Escapist (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/) posted 2 songs over the course of 2 days, both in tribute to certain videogame characters. The first one is called Gordon Freeman Saved my Life! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMUyjvXpMV0feature=player_embedded#!) in tribute to Gordon Freeman from the Half-Life games and the second is The Ballad of Clay Carmine (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO3AQzsASOA&feature=channel) in tribute to Clay Carmine from Gears of War. Be sure to subscribe to this guy, because both songs are ridiculously awesome and he's a talented fellow. He says he has more songs on the way, so I'll be on the lookout for those as well :D

@Shad: Great post! I�ve read that Uematsu�s pieces were based off Mitsuda�s notes for the remaining tracks, too, although I can�t confirm that with any hard evidence. Even if that�s true, it still doesn�t take away from Uematsu�s impressive ability to match his pieces with the tone and style of Mitsuda�s. If we�re talking about who�s the top dog on the Chrono Trigger soundtrack, it might also be worth noting that in the Uematsu rumble, Chrono Trigger didn�t make it past the first round. So in the context of his other accomplishments, it�s a relatively minor footnote. The mix and match style of Front Mission: Gun Hazard, with substantial contributions in equal number from both composers, is perhaps more interesting. Great point on Kikuta�s use of percussion, too. If Seiken Densetsu 3 had made it a little further, I would have loved to talk about the percussion on that soundtrack with you all. Ah, well�

@Smarty: Thanks for the links! I just saw them as I was about to post, so I�m listening to them right now.


I'm glad I got my internet back when I did. It would have been a shame if I hadn't been able to support SoM in what looks to be it's last round.

Unfortunately, it looks like that�s the case. Chrono Trigger won big (7-2), as did Elemental Master (7-1). I�m starting to get really excited about the semifinals.

But before that, here�s the final battle of the quarterfinals. After this, we�ll switch over solely to SNES soundtracks until that rumble is finished, as usual.


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Quarterfinals, Fight 4

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2KYrEI5JZY)
by Koji Kondo () (1991)
Description: This is an important game in the Zelda series. Some of the gameplay contributions include multi-level dungeons, the hookshot, the Master Sword, the spin attack, and parallel worlds�all of which have become important features in the other games. But more to the point for us, this game established several hallmark songs for the series. �Zelda�s Lullaby,� �Ganondorf's Theme,� �Hyrule Castle,� �Kakariko Village,� and �Fairy Fountain� all started here. Add to that list the exclusive tracks, such as �Forest,� �Dark World,� and �Church,� and you�ve got one of the best soundtracks of all time.

vs.

Super Turrican (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwaTdxHU4l8)
by Chris H�lsbeck () (1993)
Description: There are a lot of little surprises in this soundtrack, considering it�s meant to be played in the background of a run and gun game. The tempo is unusually slow for that genre, as is the thematic development in most songs, and the accompaniment more often contributes atmosphere than the acrobatic harmonies of, say, Contra�s music. The unusualness of the music may be more understandable, though, if you know who composed the soundtrack. Chris H�lsbeck has long been an underappreciated, but unique voice on the video game music scene�especially in the early days. His soundtracks for The Great Giana Sisters and Turrican 1 & 2 on the Commodore 64 are still classics, and his music replay routine for the Amiga (called �TFMX�) opened the door for pitch bends, sound macros, and individual tempos for each track of music on a game for the system. Still, it seems appropriate that, here again, he�s a dark horse.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Genesis Soundtracks Rumble


Round 1, Fight 28

Sword of Vermillion (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubbG74MUFW0)
by Hiroshi Kawaguchi (1989)

vs.

Ecco: The Tides of Time (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=3FE1C568076AF5B5)
by Andr�s Magyari, Attila Dobos, David Javelosa, and Andy Armer (1994)


My votes are for Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Sword of Vermillion.

Super Turrican this soundtrack is amazing, it has really surprised me.

This must be the sixth time I've listened to that Super Turrican clip and I still think it's awful. :\
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is maybe a little overrated--it certainly wouldn't appear in my top four--but I do like it quite a lot. Too bad we didn't get to see it square off against Secret of Mana. I think that would have been an interesting, close competition.
Ecco: The Tides of Time

I'm kinda torn on this one. It's been ~30 minutes that I've been wondering which to vote for. Obviously Link to the Past is great. It's consistently great. Predictably so. I mean, it's Zelda, you know it's gonna be good. But, for me, it never really goes beyond that. Super Turrican has certain tracks that I found subpar, but the rest of the soundtrack is so unique and an absolute joy to listen to.

I'm going for the undedog here. Super Turrican

As for Genesis, it was pretty easy Ecco: The Tides of Time

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Ecco 2: The Tides of Time

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Ecco 2: The Tides of Time

I think the Zelda soundtrack is pretty overrated, and I do like the Super Turrican soundtrack... Yeah, we'll go with that.

I don't really like either of the Genesis soundtracks, though Sword of Vermillion annoys me less, so I'll go with that.

[Edit to remove strange double post.]

Super Turrican put up a good fight, but the Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past was too much in the end (5-3). Ecco: The Tides of Time took the other win (4-3). And with that, it�s time for the SNES semifinals!


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Semifinals, Fight 1

Chrono Trigger (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QkdQN0T90Q)
by Yasunori Mitsuda (), Nobuo Uematsu (), and Noriko Matsueda () (1995)
Previously beat: Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Super Castlevania IV, Demon's Crest, Secret of Mana
Description: For a game that�s considered one of the best of all time, this certainly went through a lot of revision. In fact, the finished product germinated from scrapped ideas for the very early versions of Final Fantasy VII. The game was originally set in New York in 1999 with your character on a mission to blow up the city of Midgar while being followed by a hot-blooded detective named Joe. A sorceress named Edea was also somehow involved. Of course, those ideas got shelved or saved for other games (except for the year 1999). Other influences included the movie Alien and the Secret of Mana. What�s remarkable is that this game endured so many changes, incorporated the aesthetics of wildly different artists and programmers, and yet achieved such a unity and playability that it has influenced more games than those that influenced it. Likewise, the music (scored primarily by a vgm rookie) has justified the perception of video game music as a legitimate art form as much as any other soundtrack. Not only has every vgm fan probably heard this soundtrack, every vgm fan also probably has their own favorites off it. With every year, the mythos grows, as do the stories surrounding the soundtrack�s creation. If Mitsuda dreamed some of the songs before writing them, if he really lost half the soundtrack to a hard drive crash and had to recreate them all, if the stress of the job gave him stomach ulcers, if the entire staff cried while watching the final scene of the game together�it all hardly seems to matter. These stories only deepen the relentless currency and emotional depth of the game�s sixty-four tracks.

vs.

Final Fantasy IV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8gOOTAWKY8)
by Nobuo Uematsu () (1991)
Previously beat: Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen, Ninja Gaiden Trilogy, Live A Live, Donkey Kong Country
Description: Everyone knows that Final Fantasy II (for the NES) was not released in North America, which is why Final Fantasy IV was called Final Fantasy II here. What you may not know, though, is that Final Fantasy II on the NES was supposed to be released in North America and was in the process of being translated for several years before the arrival of the Super Nintendo and the Japanese release of Final Fantasy IV led Square to give up on the project, believing they had taken too long and no one would care anymore. But wait! The naming process was even more convoluted than that. Final Fantasy IV (the SNES game that was called Final Fantasy II in the US) was actually not even supposed to be on the Super Nintendo. It was for the NES. Final Fantasy V was supposed to be a simultaneous release on the SNES alongside an NES game called Final Fantasy IV (screenshot (http://www.lostlevels.org/200311/200311-square.shtml)). Square ran out of money, though, so they scrapped Final Fantasy IV for the NES and re-named the SNES game, originally called Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy IV (Ahhhhhhh!). So, in summary, Final Fantasy II (in the US) is Final Fantasy V. Anyway, we wouldn't even be talking about this unless Final Fantasy IV was as good and as popular as it was, with the music being no small part of that success. "Theme of Love," at the top of the heap, is actually taught in music classes to Japanese schoolchildren. Along with that, you've got "Main Theme," "Into the Darkness," "Fight 2," "Rydia," "Cry of Sorrow," "Golbez Clad in Dark," "Mystic Mysidia," "Troian Beauty," "Dancing Calcobrena," "Illusionary World," and "The Lunarians" all making their own contributions to the breadth and depth of the soundtrack, tied together in the end with "Epilogue," Uematsu's warm-up for a similar piece on Final Fantasy VI's soundtrack.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The SNES Soundtracks Rumble

Semifinals, Fight 2

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2KYrEI5JZY)
by Koji Kondo () (1991)
Previously beat: Illusion of Gaia, Street Fighter II, Super Mario World, Super Turrican
Description: This is an important game in the Zelda series. Some of the gameplay contributions include multi-level dungeons, the hookshot, the Master Sword, the spin attack, and parallel worlds�all of which have become important features in the other games. But more to the point for us, this game established several hallmark songs for the series. �Zelda�s Lullaby,� �Ganondorf's Theme,� �Hyrule Castle,� �Kakariko Village,� and �Fairy Fountain� all started here. Add to that list the exclusive tracks, such as �Forest,� �Dark World,� and �Church,� and you�ve got one of the best soundtracks of all time.

vs.

Final Fantasy VI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOFlauTcX_s)
by Nobuo Uematsu () (1994)
Previously beat: Blackthorne, Dragon Quest VI, Seiken Densetsu 3, Secret of Evermore
Description: What can I say that hasn�t already been said? This soundtrack is a masterpiece. The unusually high number of character themes and clever deployment of leitmotifs throughout the soundtrack are just the first admirable facets of this work. There is a level of attention to detail throughout the soundtrack that is remarkable given the mishmash variety of occupations, backgrounds, cultures, and events in the game, and if the soundtrack suffers any from its broad scope, it at least makes a compelling attempt to resolve those tensions in the staggering finale, in which most of the game�s themes are interwoven seamlessly into one piece.


My votes are for Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI. :D

Final Fantasy IV - Chrono Trigger is amazing I'll give you that, But I don't feel that it's polished enough in comparison to other Mitsuda's Work.

Final Fantasy VI

EDIT: Besides IV is "probably" my fauvorite Uematsu OST.

It's a shame my second and third choices both had to face Chrono Trigger before the final round, but at least Final Fantasy VI will prove a worthy opponent.

Chrono Trigger

Final Fantasy VI

Final Fantasy IV

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Chrono Trigger

Final Fantasy VI

Chrono Trigger & FF6

It's the matchup everyone knew was coming. Still interested to see what's going to happen.

Final Fantasy IV & Final Fantasy VI

Quick side-note while I prep the final fight: Trent Reznor (primarily of Nine Inch Nails (http://www.nin.com/), but also the composer behind Quake (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv5Jvr2Fp48)) has just released a free sampler EP (http://www.nullco.com/TSN/) for his soundtrack for The Social Network (the Facebook movie that's out right now). I've only listened to the first track so far, but there are two chiptune-like sounds in there--the second one an arpeggio in the style of Tim Follin. I'm a huge fan of Reznor's music, so I hope the thin connection to the VGM rumble will be ignored. :) Based on what I've heard so far, it's worth checking out.

Reznor is a weird composer, there's no one like him in the music industry that makes that kind of industrial sound. The only one that gets near him is Rob Zombie.

I agree. I'll add that one reason I think he's interesting is that, underneath the heavy industrial sound with all the buzzing and sawing and screaming, he often adds oomph with really cheesy or old synth sounds. He's an absolute master at taking really bad patches and mixing them into his music in such a way where they work. "Terrible Lie" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXnN-wg1SXg) and just about every song on The Downward Spiral (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7_1o-fuRAQ&p=6532064A9D569D5A&index=1) are good examples of that.

For anyone who's never heard Nine Inch Nails before, I should warn you that his lyrics are pretty awful sometimes. You have to kinda ignore them. The first time I showed my wife "Closer" I kept saying, "Yeah, but listen to the bass line!" She's a classical composer, so this was definitely not her thing. But now she thinks The Downward Spiral is the only perfect album.

Anyway, video games. Music. Finals. Coming up.

Nine Inch Nails certainly had interestin stuff. still one of the best bands out there imo.

Did you listened Johnny Cash making a cover of "Hurt"? It sounds amazing!