[VGMC] Day 17! feat. Aves, Mammalia, Crystalline, Daemon, Machineae, and Fluid

Board 8

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Board 8 » [VGMC] Day 17! feat. Aves, Mammalia, Crystalline, Daemon, Machineae, and Fluid
banshiryuu
05/26/2024
11:00 PM
#1
Welcome to Video Game Music Contest 18, an annual celebration of the best of the best video game music according to the voters!

Important Links:
Bracket: https://www.bracketmaker.com/tlist.cfm?tid=478494
Contest info sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HBxgL9woiCMFKNOPuN_qdxmzjStJXSpC3Ocalfsavdk
Contest discussion thread: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/80763291
Main bracket playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLT3m7iohpL0y-5OyCrkgprWtXARkEJzh_
Compatibility sheet: ?!?!?!
Last years spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SAJKYJmYhccLvbf_H-5uSA7-eMwXfW8k1q74Qho1bLU
VGMC total stats sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1K1XdLWiUKB2kX99qYBgnRbLU_sCz4dvZSByKKJHCT6o
Discord: https://discord.gg/7FVXqWj

Rules:
- Listen to both songs in a given match, at least through the loop time provided (to make sure you don't skip before you've heard the whole thing!)
- Please consider the loop point listed when judging the song; if a video loops one minute 5 times, don't treat it as if it's a repetitive 5 minute song
- If it's a match between your favorite song ever and a song you despise, still LISTEN TO BOTH! Votes can and will be disqualified if there is suspicion songs are not being listened to, and you may be discounted for the rest of the contest for repeat offenses.
- No alt accounts, no rallying or begging, etc., etc.... You only get one vote! Swapping votes is alright, just make clear that you've already made a vote and are swapping.
- Make clear what your voting options are! Please keep votes separate from any comments, and use the titles given in the topic post.
- Voting in all matches is not mandatory, feel free to skip matches you do not wish to vote in.
- Vote based on the links provided, and not other sources of audio. Links are specifically chosen for best quality and the like.
- Don't discuss vote tallies in this thread, or in other threads, as they may influence votes. Likewise, please refrain from looking at the running tally before voting.

Voting Period:
- Today's matches will last 24 hours from the time of posting, or 24 hours from 11pm Eastern, whichever is the later time.
- Please note this may mean that two topics will be active at the same time!
- If you anticipate being unable to vote in a given day, please send an absentee vote to @banshiryuu, or post your absentee vote in the discussion thread!

.

Match 1

Pilotwings 64 - Birdman
Composer: Dan Hess
Loop Point: 3:26
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DROiSgvFsRY

LaTale - Chimera Lab
Composer: Hyun Taek Yun (iNID)
Loop Point: 2:18
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFfnj0-NSlI

.

Match 2

Star Ocean: The Second Story - We form in crystals
Composer: Motoi Sakuraba
Loop Point: 5:49
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA0Pk5DKKSY

Taiko no Tatsujin: Kimidori Ver. - Necrofantasia ~ Arr.Demetori
Composer: ZUN arr. Demetori
Loop Point: 5:34
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qLqbGHa0S4

.

Match 3

RoboCop 3 (NES) - Title Screen
Composer: Jeroen Tel
Loop Point: 4:05
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq-9-GcVM_o

Fire Emblem: Three Houses - The Apex of the World (Rain)
Composer: Takeru Kanazaki
Loop Point: 4:28
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0KjljX4Lqg

.

Easy vote form:
Birdman / Chimera Lab
We form in crystals / Necrofantasia ~ Arr.Demetori
Title Screen / The Apex of the World (Rain)
NFUN
05/26/2024
11:00 PM
#2
Chimera
Crystals
Robots
List the ominous stern whisper from the delphic cave within:
They enslave their children's children who make compromise with sin
th3l3fty
05/26/2024
11:02 PM
#3
LaTale - Chimera Lab
Taiko no Tatsujin: Kimidori Ver. - Necrofantasia ~ Arr.Demetori
RoboCop 3 (NES) - Title Screen
thelefty for analysis crew 2008 imo -transience
I have a third degree burn in flame-o-nomics -Sir Chris
DireKrow
05/26/2024
11:15 PM
#4
Birdman
We form in crystals
The Apex of the World (Rain)
Hbthebattle
05/26/2024
11:16 PM
#5
Birdman
Necrofantasia ~ Arr.Demetori
The Apex of the World (Rain)
:)
azuarc
05/26/2024
11:19 PM
#6
Birdman
We form in crystals
Title Screen
Only the exceptions can be exceptional.
Eggert
05/26/2024
11:22 PM
#7
Birdman
We form in crystals
The Apex of the World (Rain)
DanKirby
05/26/2024
11:33 PM
#8
Chimera Lab
We form in crystals
Title Screen
(>'.')>
"The problem with the future is that it keeps turning into the present." -Hobbes
TeamRocketElite
05/26/2024
11:33 PM
#9
LaTale - Chimera Lab
Taiko no Tatsujin: Kimidori Ver. - Necrofantasia ~ Arr.Demetori
Fire Emblem: Three Houses - The Apex of the World (Rain)
My bracket looked like random picks compared to his.
Congrats to azuarc for winning the GotD 2020 Guru Contest!
HBJDubs
05/26/2024
11:42 PM
#10
Chimera Lab
Necrofantasia ~ Arr.Demetori
Title Screen
Save in the name of true love
DEM1995
05/26/2024
11:53 PM
#11
Pass
Star Ocean: The Second Story - We Form in Crystals
RoboCop 3 (NES) - Title Screen
Devil Forest is just being mischievous, I guess.
KCF0107
05/27/2024
12:12 AM
#12
Lab
Crystals
Screen
KCF can't actually be a real person but he is - greengravy
kamakazikila
05/27/2024
12:25 AM
#13
Birdman
Necrofantasia ~ Arr.Demetori
The Apex of the World (Rain)
Puff Stuff
UF8
05/27/2024
01:03 AM
#14
Chimera Lab
We form in crystals
Title Screen

fairly rude first and third matches tbh
Janus5k
05/27/2024
01:31 AM
#15
Chimera Lab
Necrofantasia ~ Arr.Demetori
The Apex of the World (Rain)

god I fucking love Demetori
A hero cannot be defeated simply by making him die.
DeadTaffer
05/27/2024
01:36 AM
#16
Birdman
We form in crystals
Title Screen
HidekuniHorita
05/27/2024
01:52 AM
#17
Chimera Lab
We form in crystals
The Apex of the World (Rain)
Omniscience lies beyond the void, beyond decay!
I am one with the Akashic Records!
PIayer_0
05/27/2024
02:35 AM
#18
Birdman
We form in crystals
The Apex of the World (Rain)

I supported all three of these! Oh no!

We form in crystals finally got enough support to make a bracket! I don't think I'll ever find a song quite like it - the sounds and mixing have a specific otherworldly feel that eludes any genre besides "PS1-era VGM." A YouTube comment made a fun comparison to Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells; for me it calls back to Tangerine Dream's Love On a Real Train and all the psychedelia-new age music in the years between. My brain parses the opening sounds as recognizable instruments, yet on closer listen I can only identify them as not-quite-a steel guitar and not-quite-a soft electric guitar? Later there's a violin that magically morphs into a woodwind as it likes. And why do the rhythmic groupings decide to swap places at 5:14?? Assuming Google's right that this soundtrack is synthesized using samples, that is some amazing sound programming to give instruments a sense of "live-ness" using the PS1's built-in audio effects...while also sounding like they're not from the real world. 1998, what a mysterious time!
-Abraham Lincoln
FL81
05/27/2024
03:02 AM
#19
Birdman
Necrofantasia ~ Arr.Demetori
Title Screen
https://i.imgur.com/TGkNCva.gif https://i.imgur.com/8mWCvA4.gif
-Chaos-Zero-
05/27/2024
04:26 AM
#20
Birdman
Necrofantasia ~ Arr.Demetori
Title Screen
The Pizza Formerly Known as CalzoneB
Paratroopa1
05/27/2024
06:08 AM
#21
Chimera Lab
We form in crystals
Title Screen

I know I've heard Birdman somewhere before aside from the game but I can't remember where. It's bothering me. Anyway, it's mildly amusing elevator music that serves its purpose. 6/10

I don't have a lot to say about Chimera Lab but it's like, kinda fun. This means it wound up in R4 of my bracket for some reason because this 8 pack was desolate. 6.5/10

We form in crystals is so odd. There are so many drum hits, especially cymbal crashes, that sound like they're completely off any sort of rhythmic structure and it doesn't even feel intentional. I like the melancholy vibe though. Very weird song. 6.5/10

Necrofantasia is, to put it shortly, embarrassing. Points for competency at something I merely think is bad taste I guess. 3/10

I don't like Robocop title theme as much as I'd like to. The NES arpeggio is not, in my opinion, a very flattering sound and you shouldn't use it quite so flagrantly as anything but texture, but for some reason some western composers, especially british I think, seemed to favor them. The result is loud, but uninteresting. This song is way too repetitive and has a really boring hook and doesn't go anywhere for a long time. I don't hate it but I found it terribly disappointing. 4.5/10

Apex of the World is just... ugh. It's so over the top. I'm tired of this kind of music. 4/10

andylt
05/27/2024
07:08 AM
#22
Birdman
We form in crystals
Title Screen

solid day!
Collen
05/27/2024
07:37 AM
#23
Birdman
We form in crystals
Title Screen

What a rude match 1
Sunshine. Lunchbox. Playground. Raincoat. Hot Dog. Oatmeal. Railroad. Ice Cream. Bathtub. Pancake. Eardrum.
TheArkOfTurus
05/27/2024
08:24 AM
#24
Birdman
Necrofantasia ~ Arr.Demetori
The Apex of the World (Rain)
Our eyes were removed
For our own safety
tgs2
05/27/2024
09:34 AM
#25
Birdman
Necrofantasia
Apex of the World
Fluttershy_Pony
05/27/2024
09:53 AM
#26
Birdman
We form in crystals
Title Screen

A very strong day for me. I really like all three songs I'm voting for and the opposition ain't half bad.
Currently in the mood to have a signature, though unsure of what.
W1ndzs
05/27/2024
10:07 AM
#27
Chimera Lab
Necrofantasia ~ Arr.Demetori
The Apex of the World (Rain)
rwlh
05/27/2024
10:46 AM
#28
Chimera Lab
We form in crystals
The Apex of the World (Rain)

PSA: Please stop nominating The Apex of the World. Thank you.
-hotdogturtle--
05/27/2024
10:56 AM
#29
Chimera Lab
Necrofantasia ~ Arr.Demetori
Title Screen
Hey man, LlamaGuy did encrypt the passwords.
With what? ROT-13? -CJayC
Mihark
05/27/2024
11:21 AM
#30
Chimera Lab
Necrofantasia ~ Arr.Demetori
The Apex of the World (Rain)
Tked
05/27/2024
11:27 AM
#31
Lab
Crystals
Screen
MacArrowny
05/27/2024
11:30 AM
#32
Birdman
Necrofantasia ~ Arr.Demetori
The Apex of the World (Rain)

Maximum chill. Goes on for over 7 minutes, and it's so smooth I never feel the length. Lab is definitely more my style, but doesn't click as hard today.

Crystals is another chill song, but it's no Birdman. I LOVE the first 32 seconds of this Necrofantasia arrangement. It's still pretty good when it's more similar to the original song, but somehow it's at its best when it's being original.

Robocop isn't the best of these NES title screen songs we've gotten, but it's not bad. We've had Apex in too many times imo, but it's still a pretty good track.
All the stars in the sky are waiting for you.
Haste_2
05/27/2024
11:45 AM
#33
Chimera Lab
We form in crystals
The Apex of the World (Rain)
"Ah, a party! We haven't had one of those. It could be fun! So... what is a party?"
"You drink punch and eat CAKE! ...I think."
AcireExists
05/27/2024
11:52 AM
#34
Chimera Lab
Necrofantasia ~ Remix
The Apex of the World (Rain)

The Apex of the World (Rain) > Necrofantasia ~ Remix > Chimera Lab > Birdman > Title Theme > We form in crystals

Birdman - 8
quite a nice song I like

Chimera Lab - 8.5
oh okay this goes IN, probably my favorite discovery so far

We form in crystals - 6.5
this Sakuraba song may not sound like the average Sakuraba song but I sure do care just as much (not). does this really not loop? because I swear I'd heard everything this song does multiple times by the end.

Necrofantasia ~ Remix - 8.5
fuck yeah. can't count this as a discovery bc I apparently heard this 10 months ago, but hey at least I was able to rediscover it here this RIPS (one of those images very much should not be on YouTube tho LMAO)

Title Theme - 7.25
oh hey this was in GaMetal NES Medley #5 (aka the one I never listen to bc nothing in it's ever grabbed me). anyways it's decent (had me tapping my foot a bit at least) but it *really* did not need to be this long, repeats itself too much to be properly engaging imo

The Apex of the World (Rain) - 8.75
hello probably favorite Fire Emblem song. used to not really think about this one much, but then I listened to it a lot more (forgot why tho) and it's seriously grown on me. orchestral songs need a really good melody to work for me and this delivers in spades. I don't even have context bias here, never played the game (though I have played a bit of FEW3H, really need to get back to that whenever I have free time and motivation again), it's just a really damn good song
Erica, she/her. Subscribe to GaMetal.
xx521xx
05/27/2024
12:05 PM
#35
Birdman
Necrofantasia ~ Arr.Demetori
Title Screen
Optimism is the first step to disappointment.
xx521xx
pyresword
05/27/2024
12:17 PM
#36
Birdman
We form in crystals
The Apex of the World (Rain)
I didn't do guru this year but azuarc can be in my sig anyways.
JONA
05/27/2024
02:17 PM
#37
Chimera Lab
We form in crystals
Title Screen
Congrats to azuarc who beat me by 1 point!
skulltrumpets
05/27/2024
03:20 PM
#38
Birdman
We form in crystals
Title Screen

Birdman is one of the most beautiful things I will ever hear in my life. Chimera Lab is pretty great, but not on that level of great.

I completely understand why people don't like Motoi Sakuraba, sincerely. You make sense. You're valid. But I grew up on a lot of the games he worked on, so he's like my nostalgia ride or die? I'm brainwashed? Idk. I do know that I think I would like this one even if I didn't play Star Ocean games as a kid. Especially the latter half. Wow. Also ... This is more daring than I remember of his work??? My favourite guitar-heavy songs usually allow the guitar to breathe. This cover of Necrofantasia does not do that. It isn't bad necessarily, because it is Necrofantasia. But it could be way more my thing.

I prefer the C64 version of the Robocop song but its still lit. Side note, I love how Jeoren Tel is just chilling in the comments. Unlike The Best is Yet to Come (which is one of my favourite vgm... tho I do think it shouldn't be nominated again for a long time), Apex of the World is slowly and surely becoming more disliked because of repeat VGMC exposure. Like it isn't awful, but its just kind of ... there? I actually went back and listened to Title again, and yeah, C64 better, but I think Tel still pushed the NES well. This was close, despite my Apex gripes.
sergiocornaga
05/27/2024
04:01 PM
#39
Chimera Lab
We form in crystals
Title Screen

The Apex of the World (Rain) always seems to have more cool little electronic flourishes than I remember.
banshiryuu
05/27/2024
04:38 PM
#40
Chimera Lab
We form in crystals
The Apex of the World (Rain)

match 2 so much harder than i thought it'd be and i knew it'd be hard as fuck ughghghgh

From TunnelScene:
Chimera Lab (LaTale)
We form in crystals (Star Ocean 2)
Apex of the World (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

if u combine a bird and a man u get

a chimera

Steve reich but spooky suits sakuraba almost better than anything else i can think of and its a shame there's not too much like that else by him i can think of in this vein. it also feels very g-darius adjacent which is another interesting long time fav thing I'm happy to see converged into this.

touhou music is for fast people

the modulating chiparp chord is pretty cool

i always have to be appreciating Very intently to this to get anything out of it, but when i do i am rewarded
OrangeCrush980
05/27/2024
05:02 PM
#41
Chimera Lab
Necrofantasia ~ Arr.Demetori
The Apex of the World (Rain)

"Foolishness, Dante. Foolishness... Might controls everything. And without strength, you cannot protect anything. Let alone yourself."
- Vergil, DMC3
slykirby
05/27/2024
05:15 PM
#42
Birdman
Necrofantasia ~ Arr.Demetori
The Apex of the World (Rain)
https://i.imgur.com/c3jEuPS.jpg
SlinkyNeko
05/27/2024
05:26 PM
#43
Birdman
We form in crystals
The Apex of the World (Rain)
DanShux
05/27/2024
05:28 PM
#44
Abstain
Abstain
The Apex of the World (Rain)

----

Honestly, I couldn't wait for every VGM to end today (until the last one, sorta).
Gall
05/27/2024
06:17 PM
#45
Chimera Lab
Necrofantasia ~ Arr.Demetori
The Apex of the World (Rain)

Birdmans subdued tone feels nicely intimate and cozy. The piano at 1:21 sounds like its right next to you, and at 2:27 it sounds like the Birdman is whistling his worries away.

I just realized I voted for literally all 8 of these. Even still, Enclosure South America Jungle stands out as my favorite.
Tune in to over a decade of VGM history with the VGMC playlists! (Work in progress, currently VGMC1-12)
https://pastebin.com/JUNkGWQ4
bebr117
05/27/2024
08:08 PM
#46
Chimera
Crystals
Abstain
gau gau
failgirlema
05/27/2024
08:23 PM
#47
Chimera Lab
We form in crystals
The Apex of the World (Rain)
Be formless, shapeless... like water.
LkProd
05/27/2024
08:29 PM
#48
Birdman
We form in crystals
Title Screen
barreldragon88
05/27/2024
08:35 PM
#49
LaTale - Chimera Lab
Star Ocean: The Second Story - We form in crystals
Fire Emblem: Three Houses - The Apex of the World (Rain)
Long live Saint Seiya!!
Isquen
05/27/2024
08:58 PM
#50
Birdman
We form in crystals
The Apex of the World (Rain)
[Rock and Stone] <o/
Board 8 » [VGMC] Day 17! feat. Aves, Mammalia, Crystalline, Daemon, Machineae, and Fluid
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