Lurker > rwlh

Metal Beat (Part 2)
Order of the New World
summer lights

Metal Beat is so goddamn cool.

Connections
Puzzle #889

I haven't seen any of these movies but these writeups are a hoot.

This topic also got me to start reading Eight Billion Genies.

140 / 3276
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn - Oliver's Fall (Power-Hungry Fool)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6O6RAEi2vE
Yoshito Hirano, Saki Haruyama, Naoko Mitome, Atsushi Yoshida, Kanako Teramae
Mihark

What instrument is that? The one in the main melody. Not a harpsichord? I genuinely dont know. Whatever it is, it brings a lot of personality to this song. This feels very classical in nature (broad term, I know), with its emphasis on the unique instrumentation. Id actually be interested in hearing a chiptune version of this; I bet its awesome with the NES soundchip.

Anyway, the song is good. I dont know who Oliver is but he has a good theme that suggests hes perhaps a tragic figure.

-

139 / 3177
Super Mario Sunshine - Sky and Sea
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YWLBZCxL8s
Shinobu Tanaka
changmas

Ahh, those marimbas~ This game really went all out with its island-style soundtrack. I really feel like Im on vacation with this one, watching the waves lap the shore and drinking some sort of fruity drink with a slice of lime on it. A commenter on YouTube puts it thusly:

can't explain it well but this perfectly encapsulates both the "eternal summer" vibe of media in the early 2000s and strange, nostalgic yet unsettling feeling of early 3d models and environments

I think theyre onto something. Eternal summer is a good description for Sky and Sea. I dont remember this song from when I played the game, and given many of the comments on the video, maybe thats for the best

up

Chrono Cross -Scars of Time-
Moonlight Concert
TIGAR (ALL PHASE MIX)

Excited to see this unfold! Thank you for running it.

Update: I placed the following items on hold at my library:

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone
The Raven Tower
A Silent Voice (vol. 1)

I'm not sure when they'll come in or when I'll go pick them up, but they'll presumably be there at some point!

dowolf posted...

damn, i was really hoping Somniomancer would do way better >_>

If it's any consolation I think it'll do well in VGMC, if you choose to nominate it.

-

142 / 3330
Look Outside - The Gaze
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BUFcaiEiNA
Eric Shumaker
@RevolverAxolot

The Gaze is very synthwavey but less focused on a fast-paced melody. Instead, the song is slower and blends an ominous arrangement with a chipper, happy melody. Its a pretty effective end result, making for a song thats equal parts fun and unnerving. The notes are ever so slightly off in that spooky old horror film sort of way; I could see this fitting into an 80s horror flick. Theres even some brief 6/4 time mixed with the common time. Its a really cool song with a lot of personality!

-

141 / 3328
Final Fantasy VII - Birth of a God
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7-0p76jirI
Nobuo Uematsu
MacArrowny

Jenova Absolute and One-Winged Angel are not only highly ranked in my sheets, theyre outright 10s. Yet Birth of a God, the unloved middle child of Sephiroth boss themes, has yet to be ranked. How does it compare?

Wellits good! Its not as intense as the other two, for sure. Much like Jenova Absolute has its bells and One-Winged Angel has its classic FF7 sound samples, Birth of a God has as its star player the bass. Listen to that thing go ham. Be awed at Uematsus mastery of Playstation audio. The song isnt anywhere near as memorable as the other two to me, but I also appreciate the motif of Sephiroths theme worming its way in right before the loop. Its okay, Birth of a God I still appreciate you.

Cavedweller2000 posted...

Looks like we got 3 people left who haven't had a song drop yet!

Four if you count the person who only nominated one song!

pyresword posted...

Not sure what you've seen on A Silent Voice, but I've read a few synopses that give off the wrong impression by over-emphasizing the bullying aspect or the "person with disability" aspect.

I think this was exact the vibe I got, haha. Good to know that isn't the case. It also seemed kind of slow-paced, though I only went off the descriptions and the covers, so what do I know lol

Maniac64 posted...

Watch 'The Owl House'

Yes. I keep forgetting this a thing that I will probably love.

Leonhart4 posted...

If you could actually read the Manga of A Silent Voice, that'd be cool. It has a lot of emotional moments and deals a lot with forgiving yourself, forgiving others, and how we can work to change ourselves.

I wasn't sold on a two hour movie, but seven volumes of manga is actually an easier sell, believe it or not. I think my library has all of them - I'll put volume 1 on hold at some point.

Connections
Puzzle #887

One more down!

60th Place: dowolf
Average rating: 6.5
Average ranking: 4872
Your lucky song: Total Distortion - Setup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-bMlInIHsw

Thank you for nominating!

144 / 3342
ESPKetsuda - Ravine (Stage 2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB-bSH67RHI
trap15
NFUN

I cant tell if this song is in pain or if its actually having a great time and were all too normal to understand it. Id like to think its the former.

A lot of weird music is weird because its unpredictable. It keeps you guessing the whole time. This song, you know exactly what youre getting into from the first three seconds. It mostly does not change. And thats okay! I like what its doing. Its off-key and distorted. It feels like a fucked up fun house with evil clownsbut the clowns arent all that evil, they just want to have a good time. You know what I mean? This song isnt rude. It does its own thing. This is ESPKetsudas world; we just live in it.

-

143 / 3337
Arknights - Somniomancer (Null Set)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDoLSxojJw8
-MSR, Crywolf
@dowolf

Creepy children sing the first half of this creepy song; a creepy robot woman takes over for part of the second half. This song is wild. Ive consistently said across your noms that I keep waiting for a drop that never comes, and while thats not necessarily a bad thing and I like slow builds (or no builds at all), I was not disappointed by the massive droppage (apparently thats a word?) by the end. Pretty strong showing, all things considered. Theres glitch elements too, plus a feeling of falling or losing my grip on reality. You certainly came prepared! I think it would be even higher with more present vocals? The song has them in the background, and while theyre effective, Id probably be more connected to the emotions with singing that was more in my face. Or maybe I wouldnt? I dont know anything lol

Somniomancer ranked three places than Speed of Light, also from Arknights. Pretty funny contrast!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C5sfOOvWwA

Let's sum up some PROGRESS.

Already Started
Frieren
Death Note (started before this topic)

Up Next
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone
Aria the Animation
The Raven Tower
Eight Billion Genies (saw this mentioned in another topic, sounded cool)
"La Vida Robot"

Willing to Experience the Beginning of (at Least)
The Wheel of Time
Over the Garden Wall
Parks and Recreation
Detroiters
Odd Taxi

Maybe, But Not Too High a Priority
Shogun (TV show)
Legends & Lattes
Mr. Robot

Noped Out of But Might Give Another Shot
Haruhi Suzumiya
Scrubs

Willing to Be Persuaded
A Silent Voice
Haikyu
The Slap
Fate/Zero
Scrubs

Not For Me
Hannibal
Steven Universe
Hunter x Hunter
Pachinko

This seems about right?

Leonhart4 posted...

If you want a classic LP, Pokecapn's Sonic 2006 LP is hard to beat.

I've watched at least two separate LPs of Sonic 06. I don't think I need a third, lol

Leonhart4 posted...

I'll throw in Scrubs as a recommendation as well, especially since they're relaunching the series next year, so if you like it, new content is on the horizon!

I watched a few episodes of Scrubs back in the day, but the show never really did anything for me. I always assumed I was missing part of the appeal somehow. Or maybe they were just not the greatest episodes?

pyresword posted...

The anime that came to mind for me are A Silent Voice and Odd Taxi. Former is a drama movie. The latter is a 12 episode crime mystery/thriller. I'm not 100% sure how to describe it.

I've seen the manga for A Silent Voice at my library before, but I never really paid it much mind. It doesn't seem too interesting to me but maybe it could surprise me? I read a vague premise for Odd Taxi and it got me to watch this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOiQhtMPe7Y

Which feels like my kind of quirky, so that's a probable yes!

LiquidOshawott posted...

Oh Haikyu is a high quality volleyball shonen do recommend

also HxH but it is never going to finish alas

Sports shonen doesn't sound that appealing to me. I might be more keen on it if I didn't already get some suggestions that sound better suited to my tastes. Hunter x Hunter is one of those shows that seems like too big a commitment, especially given that it's never even going to finish

NFUN posted...

Try Ancillary Justice or Raven Tower. I think you'd like Ann Leckie. Or Liveship Traders

Ancillary Justice is a maybe, but I added The Raven Tower to my TBR. I'll give any book at least a few pages, whereas it's tougher for me to be sold on other things. But Raven Tower sounds cool!

kateee posted...

Pachinko or One Hundred Years of Solitude for books if you haven't read them. They're both sweeping multi-generational spanning stories of a family/adjacents.

Anime i guess Fate/Zero or Gurren Lagann. though they are on different sides of the epic scale.

I tried Pachinko but it moved a bit too slowly for me. Big fan of One Hundred Years of Solitude though!

I find TYPE-MOON media inherently confusing, though admittedly I haven't tried much of it firsthand. I watched Gurren Lagann when it came out; it was neat.

Hardcore_Adult posted...

The Slap. Read the book. Then Watch the Series (Aussie first, then U.S.) So many fucked up people.

I don't think this one is for me, maybe? I did just say I'm more open to giving books a try though...

PIayer_0 posted...

There's so many great pieces but you could start with La Vida Robot for a fairly short, feel-good underdog story. Another one of their features was a source for the movie Argo!

Bookmarking this!

Bossman_Coolguy posted...

Become a real hotdogger like me and play Baldr Sky ! On PC

Can I be a veggie burger instead and watch an LP?

Ooh, lots of comments/recs.

MacArrowny posted...

Try Aria the Animation. Just about the happiest anime out there.

Aria seems great. I'll probably watch an episode in the next few days.

LiquidOshawott posted...

Some other feel good comedies similar to good place that I like quite a bit:

Ted Lasso, Parks and Rec, Brooklyn 99, Abbot Elementary, My Name is Earl

if you watched and like/dont like those let me know I have others

I've heard good things about the first two but virtually nothing about the others. Parks and Rec is by the same team as The Good Place, right?

notdave posted...

watch Detroiters. It's hilarious, and you'll know if it's for you or not from just the first episode.

Never heard of this! I'll give it a try. There aren't a lot of episodes. I like shows with low commitment levels

-

Will reply to more later!

Another elimination!

61st Place: loweffortmemes
Average rating: 5.9
Average ranking: 5069
Your lucky song: Heartland - Para Bellum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjKjaGMc3mM

Thank you for nominating!

146 / 3366
Rose Guns Days - Brand New Way, Broadway
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvSQiRB87_g
arr. Gekijo Tenor
@loweffortmemes

LEM and I overlap a lot when it comes to moody and wistful j-rock. Other j-rock isnt as much of an overlap. This song falls somewhere between overlap and not overlap: its got a style that I generally like but it falls short of being a keeper. It still does enough that I like to get past the 7.5/10 threshold though! I like the rich alto of the singer, she reminds me a bit of a Japanese Shirley Manson from Garbage. I like how the guitars clear way for her on the verses; I like how the audio mixing is clean despite the messy style; I like the call and response the guitars engage in (headphone users eating well here). Its solid. Its not a song Id return to over and over again, but like I said, it still clears the 7.5s. Nice work!

-

145 / 3361
beatmania IIDX 28 BISTROVER - Burning Flame
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx5mRzvmKbA
AJURIKA feat. SAK.
banshiryuu

This is the sort of high-octane EDM I think people stereotypically associate with rhythm music, for better or worse. Theres even a woman singing things like CAN YOU FEEEEL MY LOVE. Its about what Id expect. But I like it! This style of music is often hit or miss for me, but this ones a hit. Its fun and catchy and goofy. Sometimes we need songs like that!

oh now you're all voting lol

148 / 3465
Phantasy Star Online 2 - Lizard Sanctuary Probe ~ Amduskia (Scenery)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_KPacGb_b8
Hideaki Kobayashi
NFUN

This song fluctuates between soft and pretty, and deadly and atonal. But it exists comfortably in this dichotomy. The parts are fluid and dont feel separate. Instead the song is seamless, shifting around between moods. The experience is enjoyable as a result. Like a lot of PSO music, I especially enjoy the soundscape; Kobayashi is good at making a song soundI dont really know how to describe it, but if you listen to a lot of PSO music (and some non-PSO music) hes composed, its got that unmistakable quality.

-

147 / 3442
Emil Chronicle Online - The Last Haven
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-J_t5v13_s
ACE
SupraDarky

A fairly straightforward, slow-tempo melody tends to be a recipe for me to dislike a song, but I found myself smiling at and getting into this one. Its charming. It feels like a band playing an intimate set on a sparse soundstage. Around 2:50 it transitions into some xylophone with the guitar playing accompaniment. It feels nostalgic, that very specific type of nostalgia that hits me hard. The rest of the song is unexpectedly mallet percussion. For as simple as The Last Haven is, its full of little surprises, little touches of humanity. I really liked this one!

Um I guess Mario wins? Kind of anticlimactic.

For video games, I'm happy to watch a Let's Play if it preserves the experience of the story or even the gameplay. I watched an entire LP of Ghost Trick for my friend ranking that I really enjoyed; it was one of the highlights of the ranking for me. I also watched part of a Donkey Kong Bananza LP (two, actually) but I thought the gameplay was kind of boring to just sit and watch, so I didn't finish either LP.

I played (actually played, not just watched) the original Ace Attorney trilogy and Umineko, and enjoyed both.

Connections
Puzzle #886






Misery. Nothing I tried was remotely correct (except yellow).

150 / 3479
Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon - Buzz's Dungeon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mNaPrq-uUU
Stewart Copeland, Ryan Beveridge
@Mojojojo2000

Order up!

You had the right impulse to give me this because of the prominent bells, but if anything theyre almost too prominent? Like every other second theres a bell sample, and I dont love the sample enough to not get sick of hearing it all the time. When the bells stop at 2:20 is when I got more invested in the song, because it felt like a changeup. Beyond the bells the song is generally good. I like the other factory noises a lot (another good impulse you had) and the overall vibe is very imposing.

On a second listen I dont even mind the bells all that much, really I guess I got used to them and even grew to like them a little (vgm Stockholm Syndrome maybe?). Maybe its that I noticed the other elements more, like the prominent drums and whirring and futuristic effects.

-

149 / 3475
Amazing Bomberman - Bomb, Bomb! Blow 'em All
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_DN-TTkbas
YMCK
JONA

Catchy number by the composer(s?) who made one of my favorite Katamari songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saGPcU22xxk

This song is much in the same style, retraux with soft, catchy vocals. The whole thing is very polished, with some nice chip solos throughout. Its got a strange fadeout that cuts out not sure if thats the upload or not. (edit: I found a Topic upload that fixes this!) Its overall a cute song: some smooth bitpop. Though that song title raises a few eyebrows

Thorn posted...

Mr. Robot is A+ tier TV.

This seems cool. I don't know why but live-action TV is almost always a hurdle for me, particularly with dramas. Maybe I'll try giving this one a go.

MacArrowny posted...

Hannibal is the finest TV show I've seen.

This, however, is almost certainly too dark for me. I watched The Silence of the Lambs and even Hannibal (movie), and they didn't bother me somehow, but I don't know if I could stomach (pun intended maybe?) a whole show like that.

ZeldaTPLink posted...

If you like feel good stories maybe try Steven Universe.

Everybody loves this show but I really don't think it's for me. I watched the first like five or six episodes years ago and wasn't into it, and I've seen clips (I did a lot of research for my friend ranking, which Connie was nominated for) and I had such a hard time getting into it. On paper it seems like such a "me" show too, so I don't know what gives.

I just watched the first episode of Frieren armed with nothing but the premise. Pretty sad episode! But very cool. I'll try to keep watching for at least another few.

SaveEstelle posted...

How do you feel about epic fantasy? The Wheel of Time is mostly superb, especially once the unique lore comes into sharper focus in the second book. Its long as hell, but hey. Give it a couple of volumes; see if you like it.

Epic fantasy is kind of a tough sell for me, but that might only be because I've never properly experienced it. The Wheel of Time has always seemed especially daunting with its 14 volumes. Maybe I'll get to it eventually?

SaveEstelle posted...

Shogun is a great book - with two terrific miniseries, one far older than the other. Tossing this out semi-randomly. Good story!

This sounds interesting. I'm always a little skeptical of older books like this that sound like they might exoticize other cultures in a problematic way - do you think that's the case here?

Leonhart4 posted...

Not sure if you like mysteries, but "The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle" and "Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone" are both excellent

I read and (mostly) enjoyed Evelyn Hardcastle. The second book sounds cool, even though the description I found doesn't really say what it's about. Adding to TBR!

Leonhart4 posted...

For anime, I'll always recommend Haruhi (light novels are good too). Frieren is a good recent anime I liked.

I watched maybe two episodes of Haruhi and found it pretty insufferable! I don't know anything about Frieren, on the other hand, sounds cool. I might start watching that!

Snake5555555555 posted...

No music in the poll :(

Based on your specifics, I will throw out Over the Garden Wall which consists of gentle horror, comfy whimsy, & autumnal atmosphere. Nothing too tense, it's funny, sweet, and eerie.

Over the Garden Wall has always sounded cool but I've never taken the plunge. I'm not all that into Adventure Time so I think I wrote this one off, but I'm willing to be persuaded.

Bitto posted...

Avatar: The Last Airbender is my immediate recommendation. Eastern-inspired fantasy with strong worldbuilding, characters, and story. It's also fairly short at 60 30-minute episodes.

Love TLA! Although I never had any interest in watching Korra.

BlackMageJawa posted...

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
A cozy fantasy about a half-orc barbarian who retires from adventuring to open a coffee shop.

Believe it or not, this is already on my TBR!

Welcome to the upper half of the ranking!

-

152 / 3492
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers - Neath Dark Waters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW7b8Mo_SFU
Masayoshi Soken
azuarc

A clock keeps the time in this sad, piano-heavy track. Honestly the clock, as much as I love them in music, feels incidental to the telling of this song; Neath Dark Waters is centered around the lonely piano and its relatively sparse accompaniment. According to the highly accurate nexus of YouTube comments, Soken wanted this final area theme to be grander in sound, but main writer Natsuko Ishikawa suggested a more somber experience. Soken was the one to suggest the clock, which, I mean, it probably sounds very different without the clock, sure. I really like the brief flash near the loop where the ticking cuts out for a split second; it emphasizes the musical moment in time very effectively.

-

151 / 3488
Knight Arms: The Hyblid Framer - Critical Tune
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS1j1XdftkM
Toshiya Yamanaka
bea

Whoa! This is some very intense FM synth rock. If you dont like FM synth, you will probably find this insufferable. Fortunately, I happen to like FM synth a lot, and I enjoy the immersive sound of Critical Tune. From the very beginning it grabs me and doesnt let it go until the fadeout. I think maybe its a song that doesnt really hold up on subsequent listens the excitement sort of wore off a bit. But its a powerful sound, one I could see myself coming back to again, though probably not right away.

I'm looking for a good story. Can you help with that?

Media consumption has always been hard for me. A lot of the time I spend time looking up stories and never actually experience them firsthand. There's a lot out there I don't know.

You all seem like pretty savvy media consumers. What would you recommend? I enjoy lots of things, though overly tense stories make me a bit uncomfortable, as does a lot of gore. But I'd like to think I'm open to a lot. Just not video games - I don't really play them anymore and when I try, it's always a hassle.

If you want more specifics:

• I loved The Good Place, was kind of meh on Schitt's Creek
• I'm trying to read through Homestuck (my second attempt) and it's mostly fine though occasionally annoying
• I'm three episodes into Death Note and it's pretty great so far
• My favorite book in recent memory is Anthony Doerr's Cloud Cuckoo Land
• Big fan of Gravity Falls

If you post something and I like it enough to check it out, or if enough people rally behind something, I may post thoughts in the topic. No promises though! I tend to be very quiet about what I consume because I don't want anyone accidentally spoiling anything.

Kalimari Desert
Toad's Turnpike
Wario Stadium
Yoshi Valley

One from each cup.

According to the current Smash Ultimate tier list, Mario is ranked #22 and DK at #53. Food for thought...

154 / 3560
Devil Engine - Immortal Abstract (Boss Final)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBFIbrbn9oY
Qwesta
@RevolverAxolot

WARNING FINAL BOSS WARNING FINAL BOSS WARNING

This is a song that knows exactly what it is and delivers based on that promise. The sound is dense and intense (rhyming~), rarely letting up in its 5:31 runtime. Its heavy on dnb elements, with distorted, chopped up vocal samples throughout. This is not a song for everyone by any means. It took me a few listens to really find its groove. In the wrong mood this is probably likea 3? Maybe? But at its maximum power, its this. I think it also loops a bunch, so if you see the runtime and immediately get fatigued, keep that in mind. Pretty cool song, all things considered.

-

153 / 3517
Granblue Fantasy - Dragon's Circle -Water and Earth-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfPIGEKAzlY
Tsutomu Narita
maple_violet

High energy song full of guitars. These arent always my thing, but they certainly can be, and this one comes close to thingitude. Lots of rock influence, with some synth that sounds maybe a little like fusion. I like the melody. I especially like the drumming and the little breakdown at 2:00. As we now move past the halfway point, I really like everything; these are some real keepers, and this song is certainly included in that category. Nice pick!

Connections
Puzzle #885

mamma mia

I remember listening to this for my album ranking. It placed higher than Taylor Swift's Folklore lol

huh

helpful(?) bump

156 / 3570
Chaos;Child - BREAK FORTH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx4pMbHxJZ0
Takeshi Abo
pyresword

Lots of cool of tech/glitchy sounds in this one. Theres this squelchy sound under the melody that adds a lot for me. The melody actually feels straight out of an Ace Attorney game, though the arrangement is more futuristic. I like how mysterious and a little evil the song sounds too, like something big and dangerous is coming or youre running from it.

-

155 / 3561
Dr. Kobushi's Labyrinthine Laboratory - A Lab in Ruin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz1T3WCi_gs
Fearofdark
Paratroopa1

This feels like spooky chiptune. Spooky spooky beep beep. I love this particular soundchip, and this song makes great use of it with long, echoing notes that evoke a sense of mystery and isolation. The bass is also terrific, and there are little chippy chimes that twinkle up periodically that sound a little like Wario Land (the first one) on the Game Boy. This is really cool!

up

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/1/152af10c.jpg

Arguments for Mario:

• it's-a him, Mario
• he has an incredibly versatile toolkit through powerups: fire, ice, hammers, plus a menagerie of animals: bees, frogs, elephants, raccoons, cats
• we've seen this fight before, both in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series and in the Mario movie, and Mario always wins

Arguments for DK:

• Bananza forms give DK arguably more offensive output than anything Mario can dish out
• Mario probably holds back in this fight, but DK is more ruthless and is known to hold grudges
• if DK shoots Mario, it's gonna hurt

Last topic, DK went splat from Hornet's attacks; consensus was, as another diminutive character put it, size mattered not.

Today is a special day for these silly little topics: it's the 50th one in the series! Wowzers! DK's been slinging it against all kinds of opponents, from fistfighters to mages, gunners to psychics. Bananza gave DK a potent upgrade, allowing him to hang with even tougher foes. His record post-Bananza is 4-5-1.

I've been saving Mario for a special day. These two have a lot of history together. How would a fight go without any sort of restrictions on what they're capable of? I wasn't sure what to "give" Mario in the way of powerups, but I figured I'd do what I always do and let you, the highly respectable voters, decide.

Let's-a go!

Thank you for the info on Super Mario Bros. CD. What a (Mario) world!

-

And we come to our second elimination! They only nominated two songs, and sadly both are now eliminated...

62nd Place: Place
Average rating: 7.0
Average ranking: 4134
Your lucky song: Bastion - Mine, Windbag, Mine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xW5fEDKrNg

Thank you for nominating!

158 / 3582
popn music 8 - Beyond the Bounds (Mitsuto Suzuki 020203 Mix feat.Sana)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwJWFg4NmNw
Maki Kirioka arr. Mitsuto Suzuki feat. Sana
Place

Im a big fan of the original version of Beyond the Bounds, so nominating this almost feels like cheating! This is an official arrangement from the soundtrack album that also plays in Popn Music 8 CS. Apparently this was in last VGMC, which I have absolutely no memory of? So its functionally a new song to me.

Comparing it to the original, there are some obvious and immediate differences. The original is more intense, with vocals that soar around, cascading with the unique instrumentation. The arrangement is more subdued; its vocals are reflections of the song, floating above it. The arrangement has a pulsing EDM beat and flows organically from one moment to the next. Its a very different experience. The whole thing is emblematic of the early-to-mid-00s aesthetic (it even sounds like the PS2 bootup sound in the beginning).

It's a cool gem. I strongly prefer the original but this is still a nice listen.

-

157 / 3577
Final Fantasy IX - The Evil Mist's Rebirth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo9Voiujg3s
Nobuo Uematsu
MacArrowny

This is funny: earlier today I did a writeup for Legend of Legaias Quiet Destruction (#248) that I called reminiscent of PS1 Final Fantasy. Lo and behold, we have this song, which isnt really all that similar but it does the open with two repeating notes thing that Quiet Destruction does. Fortunately for me, I like The Evil Mists Rebirth more. It builds nicely. Every new element feels like it adds to the song. I especially like (predictably) the timpani around 1:00. For being comparatively short, its got plenty of musical ideas.

Raka_Putra posted...

Finally tried my hands at making one:

https://connections.swellgarfo.com/game/-OdgZPVjHCPkoN2KRZoT

Fun puzzle. I'm pretty amazed I got purples that early.

Connections
Puzzle #884





purple

I've gotten everything right lately, but I've been making a lot of sloppy errors in the process.

maybe i should have delayed this match for a few years

If DK swats Hornet, it's gonna hurt

Okay but hear me out

What if DK had like

A really big flyswatter

160 / 3588
The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile - The Sunken March
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HgGbBRWoVE
James Silva
@Snake5555555555

Pretty straightforward rock song with a solid melody and grungy, muffled production. Songs like this can be hit or miss for me but this one nails the punkish aesthetic quite well. Even though it keeps a consistent bassline and drums, it varies things up too, with sparser sections and different arrangements. It feels like it could play in a factory stage, so you got the right vibe for me! A pleasant surprise for sure; a nice song to headbang to.

-

159 / 3585
The Akaneia Build - Gamecube Realm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_DRzTYwtU8
Alice Petre
MoonRunes

Ah yes, the Gamecube Realm, the purplest of all realms. In the Gamecube Realm, we have an arrangement of various Nintendo music: the Gamecube startup, the Famicom Disk System startup, Melees menu, and others that I cant place. Its an interesting arrangement because it sounds like it could be right out of Super Smash Bros. Melee, at least in terms of the soundchip; the flavor is a bit different from what Melees base soundtrack provides. But its still fun! I like all the different layers that flow over top of each other, particularly in the section before the loop.