Lurker > MC_XD

#236: Hearts of Iron IV - Axis Theme
Nominator: Handsomeboy2012 (9/10)
Link:

What do I call this music genre? I normally say "cinematic orchestral", but I think I can be more specific than that. It's that distinctive "world war music" sound with all the brass. Anyway, it's a genre that I find boring on a whole, even if this is one of the better ones I can remember. Just not to my taste. There's bits in this song which still stick out to me as particularly nice though. The second half is better than the first half, but 1:47-2:07 is especially good. A really solid payoff that the song had been building towards.
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I'll try to get to this sometime today. I have an assignment for university due tonight which takes priority, though, so it might not happen.
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#238: Dungeon Fighter Online - Fly High
Nominator: Azuarc (8/10)
Link:

This song is close to being really great, actually. The backing rocks and every part of the song has things I particularly like about it. What holds really back is that I don't like the singer. Actually, there's a lot of words in the song which just sound really awkward to me... like it doesn't flow at all when sung. This is really surprising to me because I've listened to K-Pop and K-Rock before and never really ran into a time where I was like "wow, this language sounds really awkward to sing", which is why I think it's just something about this song in particular that isn't well written. But yeah, if the singing were different, this would be way higher up the rankings, because I really want to like it.

#237: Tetris [CD-i] - Level 6
Nominator: Raetsel_Lapin (5/10)
Link:

This sounds like the kind of music I'd expect in an old TV show or government PSA or something. It sounds so... pleasant and inoffensive, almost to the point of parody. So in that way, I can't really hate on anything in particular, except maybe the poor sound quality. It's pretty chill and nice to listen to. Nothing excites me, but it's an okay song, especially as backing for a puzzle game.
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#239: Beatmania IIDX 16 EMPRESS - Secrets
Nominator: Deogenerate (6/10)
Link:

This was one of the hardest songs on the list for me to place. It skirts a hell of a lot of lines between bad/annoying and good/catchy. There is so much about it which I would analyze to be something poorly executed or something I personally don't like, and yet when I just sit back and listen to the song, I find myself finding the entire package to be surprisingly listenable and groovy. There's too much to point out, so I'll just mention a couple of things:

The female singer sounds pretty bad when I focus on it, but it also fades into the song easily, which actually works to its strength. When a singer is used as just another instrument rather than being given the spotlight focus in a song, it tends to go over better with me (unless the singing is awesome). The synth at 0:37? It either makes me cringe or adds cool flair to that lyrical section, depending on my mood. I can definitely see why I should dislike it though, since it feels like it doesn't belong. The song tempo's and beat are great - classic bemani dance music. Yet, I would definitely say it's trying too hard sometimes too with what's on top of that.

I think I like this song, but part of me feels bad about saying that. It's complicated.
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#241: Myth II: Soulblighter - The Stair of Grief
Nominator: Azuarc (9/10)
Link:

This reminds me a lot of the previous song. It's too subdued and slow to go anywhere, but I actually really dig the subtle intensity and dark atmosphere it creates. Pulsing strings are just so good at that. It's steady, but it sounds good. I'd happy listen to this any time. I just wish there was more to it, because currently it's really simple and has no crescendo or moment which makes me go "yeah this is awesome!".

#240: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Slayer - Dungeon IV
Nominator: Raetsel_Lapin (6/10)
Link:

This is the last entry into this mini atmospheresque block. This sounds like an awesome introduction to a song. Piano is one of my favourite instruments, and the two used in combination with the guitar nail the feeling of opening a door and walking into some ancient ruin or abandoned building - that sense of wonder and intrigue, but also with trepidation regarding the dangers that may lay ahead. But... that's the thing, it sounds like an awesome introduction to a song, but is poor as an entire song. It's short and never goes anywhere. What a damn shame.
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#243: Final Fantasy VIII - Fisherman's Horizon
Nominator: Forceful_Dragon (1/1)
Link:

A calming, pleasant song. Yeah, I definitely find it too simple and boring, but I do think it deserves a little more credit than that. I think it only comes a little shy of grabbing me. The part at 0:28-0:40 in particular, and it's repeats with different instruments, stands out to me as a particularly good part of the song. I don't have too much trouble remembering how that part went when the song stops, so that's indicative of something. It's decent, if ultimately unremarkable.

#242: Jet Force Gemini - Water Ruin
Nominator: Shonen_Bat (7/9)
Link:

I enjoy this song. In fact, it's definitely I song I would say I like. It's dark and dramatic, but not overbearing. 1:30 onwards is when the song gets real good - i'm a fan of those strings, particularly when the second set arrives at 1:57. But at the same time, there's some things which really let it down. It's very quiet and a bit muffled, which takes the guts out of what could have been an intense piece. It's also a bit too slow to build up and lacking in a real big payoff. With some bigger production values, this could become great.
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#244: Deemo - RE:UNION ~Duo Blade Against~
Nominator: Doppler (8/10)
Link:

Originally I had tons to say about this song, but I couldn't communicate my thoughts in a way that I wanted. I still can't. I don't want to stall the project though, so...

This song is okay. I find it tries too hard to be a rhythm boss song, so it's just loud and fast to the point that it's obnoxious rather than epic or intense. I have this problem with LOTS of modern Bemani in particular (though this isn't Bemani, it's Rayark). It doesn't stand out to me at all among other songs like that, but it's still decent.
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#246: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 - Marble Garden Zone, Act 1
Nominator: SubName (7/10)
Link:

This is honestly one of my least favourite songs from the original Sonic trilogy. But it's still a Sonic song, so even its worst is at least decent. The song tries to have this really hip groove, and while it does succeed, some of the choices of sound don't sit well with me. It's a bit abrasive to listen to. 0:43 onwards is my favourite part, since they chill on some of those abrasive elements and focus entirely on the groove and a decent melody part for a bit. Too bad it's the shortest part.

#245: Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai! A4 - The 108 Stars of Destiny
Nominator: Dowolf (8/10)
Link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/i3kYOpT14Fc?start=2924&end=3118

I often confuse this with the other song from the same game that dropped a few ranks earlier. They're pretty comparable though. This song is just as much of a mixed bag, with certain things I really like and certain things I really like. The good part is definitely 49:36-50:03, which is (not so) coincidentally the rock section. The parts I don't like is most of the other stuff, which is trying way too hard to sound epic or intense and just sounds chaotic or disorganized instead. I like the song's overall tone, and the best part is good enough that it elevates it above the other one, but there is still a very clear gap in my mind between these two songs and the other three from the same game series that I'll talk about later.
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#248: Rabi-Ribi - Rabi Rabi Park
Nominator: Prody Parrot (10/10)
Link:

This song is totally okay and unremarkable to me. Something about it is just clumsy enough to be undeniably "this is an amateur indie composer", though with a sound style that also reminds me an awful lot of Scribblenauts and Drawn to Life. There's nothing really stand-out bad or great about it though. It's a song which is there and I song which I get some mild enjoyment out of listening to. The best part is probably the build ups to the chorus with the brass+string stabs and the marching drum (0:10-0:36), since the melody section after it is a little boring. The quieter part is pretty cool, though.

#247: kami - Fishing Assistance
Nominator: Snake5555555555 (3/10)
Link:

I dislike this song for casual listening since it feels like it jumps around a bit and throws me off, but I think that's exactly what I find kinda cute and interesting about it at the same time. It's a weird song, but in a cool way. I like the sound of it. That's about all I have to say about it in particular, so I'll use the space to say that I'm a bit of a sucker for these oriental sound sets (chinese cymbals in Seymour aside). It's a very appealing sound aesthetic to me, and often in games which feature different environments, the eastern one will stand out to me as one of the better ones. I'm not sure what exactly about it works for me, but clearly something does.
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#250: Continent of the Ninth Seal - Cold Mountain
Nominator: JONALEON1 (9/10)
Link:

Ooh, this one is good, especially the start of it. You could say it's a shame that the bass layer barely changes throughout the entire song, but honestly I think it sounds great. Sounds like it's building up to something epic. I also like that contrast between the guitar+drums and the airy pads with the slight choral touch. The first 52 seconds sets a great foundation for a song that catches my attention. But then the lead guitar comes in and makes the song a lot worse. The best way I can put it is that it sounds to me like the lead guitar doesn't belong there, like it's some guy who showed up and just decided to jam out over the top of the backing band. Something about the sound of it makes it feel "fake", like the audio version of a photoshopped image. Also some of the parts it plays are just kinda bad anyway, in my opinion. So sadly, this song ends up being pretty mixed, but definitely with high points.

#249: The World Ends With You - Transformation ~Transformed~
Nominator: Nameless2000 (9/10)
Link:

A running theme here is people nominating remixes and remakes with vastly superior originals. In this case, you can listen to it here:

The original song is great, this remix of it is... okay, I guess. It really like their attempt to add drum 'n' bass elements actually, since I love that stuff, but for some reason they made the overall sound quality of the song trash. The drums and bass in the verses and bridges are tinny and quiet, while the chorus they're too loud and really muffled. Why is the mastering so terrible? On the OST version no less. Also I don't like how they removed some of the musical elements from the chorus, making it sound more atonal. The singing doesn't sounds as good without a backing that matches tightly with it. Despite its flaws, I still enjoy it actually, but it does also just make me want to go listen to the original instead.
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#252: Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai! A5 - War of the Genji
Nominator: Dowolf (9/10)
Link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/i3kYOpT14Fc?start=3650&end=3840

I love fast, rockin' guitar songs, especially as heard in parts such as 1:01:05-1:01:16, 1:01:21-1:01:31 and 1:01:55-1:02:05 (my favourite). Those parts are great; exactly what I'd be looking for in an energetic video game rock theme. Pretty much every part with strings, on the other hand, I dislike. What they're playing is often strange and off tune to me, not helped that they like repeating a short phrase multiple times, just to make it that bit more annoying. Definitely mixed opinions here, since it has elements I love and elements I hate.

#251: Custom Robo - Lost World
Nominator: FL81 (8/10)
Link:

This has a lot of things I like: dark electronic tone, piano, high tempo. There's nothing that stands out as bad about it either, aside from some audio pops / noise which appear to be in the original song, since it's in every YT upload of it. It's decent stuff, but it's lacking that real punch that makes me want to say it's anything more than neat. Needs some more variation and something that brings it to the next level, since at the moment it's definitely something designed to fade into the background.
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#253: La-Mulana (2011) - Interstice of the Dimension
Nominator: NBIceman (10/10)
Link:

The original Interstice of the Dimension () is my #1 favourite La-Mulana song. I hadn't heard the remake version of it though, so I was expected to give it a listen. To my dismay... they ruined it. It's still the same IotD, so parts of this song rock automatically - and that's why this isn't lower - but they tried really hard to wreck it. It sounds like someone took a MIDI of the original and shoved it into FL Studio and told most of the voices to default to orchestra hits and guitars, then just decided to leave it like that. The bass sounds horrible to me, the whole thing blends together too much and you can barely hear the changes in key. It has intensity, but is completely lacking in any finesse. Ugh, it makes me mad.

The base song is still so good though that I feel like this is accurately placed. So, yeah, I'm particularly mad, but it's still the best song so far.
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UF8 posted...

fun fact, Initial D: Another Stage actually isn't a racing game. It's an elaborate visual novel QTE kind of game.

That's surprising. Especially on GBA. I do think the song would work fine in a racing game too, though.
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#254: Katamari Damacy - Lonely Rolling Star
Nominator: Pyromide (8/9)
Link:

Katamari songs often have a good beat, rhythm or groove. This one is no exception - it's straight forward, but it's still satisfyingly dancey. Unfortunately, the song on top of that is REALLY bare. I don't like the singer much either, or the way they're singing. It's just so raw. Luckily, the chorus is decent, and I like the instrumental intros and transitions well enough, so it averages out to be a song that I think is... okay. There's plenty of other Katamari songs I prefer though, honestly.
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#255: LSD: Dream Emulator - TV River
Nominator: Collen (3/3)
Link:

I should probably find this song more annoying than I do, but I actually find it to be decent. The melodic component repeating over and over and over does get pretty tiresome, but I enjoy the IDMy-ness of the song's drums and effects. It sounds 'chaotic' but in a way that is controlled, deliberate and (imo) decently pleasant to the ear. There's just enough variation for it to not get too boring, though I do still think it could use a bit more. There isn't anything in particular about it that makes me go "oh, that part is really great", which is the main reason I don't think I can put this much higher. Still, not bad.
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#256: Super R-Type - Solo Sortie
Nominator: Rwlh (9/10)
Link:

The first six seconds sound pretty bad, but after that we get into a decent song. It never impresses me, but all of the sections are okay to good, so I'd actually call this one of the most solid songs on the list so far. My favourite section would be 0:49-1:17. The transition at 1:17 sounds particularly nice, but I kinda wish it actually built into something more epic. Something I find really surprising for a song from this era though is the solo, starting at 1:54. I can't think of any other SNES songs which just go nuts like that. It helps the song stand out a little to me in the list. A cool discovery.
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#257: Initial D: Another Stage - BGM 02
Nominator: UF8 (10/10)
Link:

So, I know this is a GBA song, but even by that system's standards, the sound quality / production of this song sounds really terrible to me. It holds the song back, because the content of the song itself is pretty good and could certainly bring it higher than this. The melody could use a couple more sections, since it really just swaps back and forth between two, but I like both of those sections quite a bit. Solid beat and pace, as to be expected from a racing game. I'm digging it - someone really needs to remaster it or something so it doesn't sound like it was recorded on a potato.
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#258: Final Fantasy X - Seymour Battle
Nominator: Horsehead2425 (9/10)
Link:

I don't get this one. One of the most highly regarded FFX songs with multiple millions of views on multiple videos. Even the comment description and the comments are calling it the best battle theme ever. I really don't hear what's so great about this and never have. Is there some world-wide agreement to pretend this mediocre song is better than it is? Okay, so let's break it down...

0:00-0:21 is an okay song introduction, good even, but it leads to a pretty jarring change of style when the next section starts
0:22-0:43 the CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG (edit: it's apparently called a china cymbal or a chinese gong) wears thin almost instantly and totally overpowers the backing; the 'melody' is annoying and repetitive
0:44-0:57 is also okay, but the melody is a bit chaotic, and we know I'm not the biggest on that
0:57-1:15 the quieter parts are boring and the CLANG CLANG parts suck
1:15-1:44 considerably better than the previous sections, probably my favourite part over all - but even this is a little flat, because...
1:44-2:09 ...while this is a good follow-up, the whole last minute has the bass and drums steady with barely any variation, which makes it kinda boring
2:10-2:23 is there, I guess. It might be a little long for a transition
2:24-3:04 this part is pretty cool and feels like it's building up to something epic, but it just turns out to be more CLANG CLANG, great...
Then it loops.

But in listening to the whole thing, what sticks out is how to me, it feels like it doesn't fit together as one song. The mood and style changes section to section randomly. On a whole it's okay - definitely saved by a couple of particularly good sections - but I can also say that I think it is greatly overrated. In fact, even since long before this ranking, I've used it as a go-to example of that.
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#259: Dai-2-Ji Super Robot Taisen Z Saisei-hen - Hagane no Resistance
Nominator: Deogenerate (7/10)
Link:

This one is considerably better than the song I'd most directly compare it to among those nominated: Unlosing Ranger's Theme (#297). The backing is better. The singing is better, though not perfect (1:02-1:06, 1:18-1:21, 2:20-2:24, 2:36-2:39 are some phrases which sound bad to me). It's catchier and less cheesy. Just an all around improvement. I particularly like the parts with the female singer, and the main chorus of the song. That said, it's still a song in the same style of Unlosing Ranger, and that "kind" of music just doesn't appeal to me all that much, like I said back then. I actually think this one has grown on me more as I've listened to it though.

That wraps up the vocal power hour for now.
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#260: NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams - Dreams Dreams (Sweet Snow Ver)
Nominator: Pyromide (9/9)
Link:

This song is pretty good, it's just not to my taste. Slow, "cute" songs with subdued backing tracks and a strong emphasis on vocals are usually boring to me. I could picture something like this in a 90s animated movie, maybe as the credits song, which probably goes to show that it's good... but I don't really like any of those, either. The singer is okay. The backing is also okay. I think 0:26-0:52 and similar is my favorite part. Maybe it'd be a good option if I needed to chill out after a stressful day.
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dowolf posted...

...You're not a fan of Mitose Noriko?

Huh.

I'd need to hear more to be able to say either way on that one. All I can say is that I don't like how the singing goes with the instrumentation here.
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#261: Koumajou Densetsu II: Stranger's Requiem - Rose-Killing Carmilla
Nominator: FL81 (9/10)
Link:

The main thing that holds this back for me is the singer. I am so incredibly fickle when it comes to singers, and they can kinda arbitrarily make me like a song way more or less. I'd say in this case, it's less. I think it's because she doesn't harmonise well with the backing track most of the time, almost as if the instruments and singing are at odds with each other. Or maybe she's just not that great of a singer - I'm not really the best judge of that. I'm also not keen on them going ham on the triangle (?) at 1:24-1:27 and 1:30-1:34, or the tone deaf bells in the following (and other) sections of the song. The mastering of the song leaves something to be desired too. At least it has that whole dramatic and gothic style going on again, like I mentioned in the last song, which reminds me of Castlevania. I mean, it should, since I think this is a Touhou-Castlevania fangame. The song is also kinda catchy, in a way? Even though I don't like it that much, I can still remember roughly how it goes, among the most of all the songs that were new to me in this project. That's worth something.

Expect to see a couple more vocal songs dropping soon.
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#262: Disney's Aladdin [Gen] - Arab Rock
Nominator: FL81 (10/10)
Link:

The typical Genesis soundfonts in general are ones that I used to dislike, but they've grown on me a lot more over the last year. I don't think this one is the best example though, because the sound bothers me a little here. I'm not sure what it is, but some of the instruments just sound ever so slightly offbeat and it bugs me. The content of the song is alright though. I like the rockin' bass and the overall energy. The part at 0:40 where the bass relents and the melody kinda improvs is pretty cool too. A decent song that needs some TLC and modern production values.
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#263: Hoshi wo Miru Hito - Title
Nominator: Dowolf (10/10)
Link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/zYCts4_bJ64?start=0&end=80

Not bad, but also not exciting. It's almost as good as a song like this could be, I think. That dramatic, gothic tone is what draws me to classic Castlevania music, which this has, but it lacks the modern groove and tempo that makes those so exciting to listen to. It's also super short, a single loop being a little over 30 seconds. My favourite part is probably 0:20-0:36, the second half of the loop.
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#265: RuneScape - Magic Dance
Nominator: Handsomeboy2012 (10/10)
Link:

That's some vintage MIDI right there. I'm not keen on that particular sound set, so it harms my enjoyment of the song. Aside from that, it's mostly unremarkable to me. It's pretty simple and just fades into the background. You might have noticed that I'm saying it a lot lately, and that's just because that's the section of songs we're currently in. They're perfectly listenable, but there tends to be nothing that grabs me. I will say that this song gets better as it goes, with 2:24-3:16 in particular being my favourite part. The fact the whole thing shifts to a different key compared to the start of the song really helps that part stand out.

#264: RuneScape - Lullaby
Nominator: Horsehead2425 (10/10)
Link:

Yep, the two RuneScape songs are going out in a row. It really is the case that I like them almost the same, just with a slight preference to this one. The same criticisms about the MIDI soundfont and its simplicity apply here. The reason I prefer this one is mostly because it's a tad more lively overall and 1:49-2:42 is pretty sweet, the best part among both of the songs for sure. The music box chimes / bells were a really nice touch there, adding to the mystique. Just wish the whole thing had some more flair.
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#267: RayStorm - ORIGIN
Nominator: Deogenerate (8/10)
Link:

So from a purely emotional standpoint, I'd say I like this song. I don't love it, but it sounds appealing in some way to me. But when I stop and really think about the song, I really don't see why. It's very samey, it's plain, there's some dissonance between the parts as a result of the echo... logically, I feel like it should be quite far down the list. I guess you could say I'm not a fan of the composition, but I enjoy the atmosphere that the song creates. I'm pretty happy it's short, but at the same time, if the song was longer and had more distinct parts, they might be on to something really good.

#266: Battlemorph - Track 1
Nominator: Raetsel_Lapin (7/10)
Link:

This song is similar to the previous one, but I like it a little more AND I think the composition is better. It's still too samey, simple and subdued for its own good, but it has actual highlights. I dig the dark, techy atmosphere. I dig the sound of that synth that gets introduced at 0:22 and the choir-esque voice at 2:26 especially. The the way the song changes at 2:19 in general really sticks out to me as something I like in the context of the song as a whole. If the composer was more adventerous with it, this could have been the makings of a banger.
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#268: Epic Battle Fantasy 4 - Fallen Blood
Nominator: Shonen_Bat (8/9)
Link:

I think this is meant to be some kind of epic battle theme, but call me crazy... does anyone else find most of this song really bland and boring? Everything from 0:00 to 4:40 in particular just doesn't connect me with me at all. It's clearly missing something. In fact, I would go as far as to say that it seems to me like the composer hasn't really found their feet yet when it comes to making music, in a similar away to #302. It's much more tolerable than that one was, though. The second half of the song is actually a big improvement in my opinion, especially for the first minute or so. The full, orchestralish string section with the multiple layers and the punctuating of the melody with the marching drum gives this part so much more flavor and impact. It should definitely be more like that overall.
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#269: Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil - The Sorrow Revives
Nominator: MycroProcessor (7/10)
Link:

How do I put this? This song was straight up assassinated. Specifically by the song it's based off of, Going to Lunatea, from the same game:

What do I mean by that? Well, GtL was a song I was already familiar with before the project, knew really well, and importantly really liked. The Sorrow Revives seems to quite intentionally take the same melody, but then literally cuts it up, removing sections from it to intentionally trip your up ear on a melody that you thought you knew. Honestly, it drives me up the wall, because the entire time I keep expecting it to be Going to Lunatea, but then it goes in a weird direction, which makes me sad. It's a shame because I really try to view the songs on their own merits, but it's kinda just a fact that I think I'd like this more if I didn't know about GtL first. It's not all bad though: the new part starting at 0:55 is pretty tight, and I like how the overall song sounds more intense and serious compared to the more whimsical original.
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#270: Animal Crossing: New Leaf - 11AM
Nominator: Coolnez (10/10)
Link:

Like the last song, it's not that bad, but there isn't really anything about it that grabs me. It sounds a bit clumsy with how the piano and the occasional percussion sounds are consistently a little offbeat. Also that one pop sound at 0:10/0:29/0:37 sounds really out of place and exactly like an AIM alert sound. I can't unhear it. It reminds me of how ZUN accidentally left in an AIM sound in one of his songs ( @ 2:07) too. But aside from that, it's serviceable. It's cute and suits the tone of the game, but I usually forget how it goes once it finishes.
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#271: Downwell - Razor Girl (Aquifer)
Nominator: SubName (8/10)
Link:

For those listening along, there is some clipping / noise, but that's this particular upload's fault, so I'm not going to hold it again it. It sounds fine in the upload of the OST here: Unfortunately, there's no other individual song uploads of the Downwell OST that I could find.

Mysterious, relaxing... not bad, but just doesn't appeal to my personal tastes. Doesn't have anything exciting or epic, the melody is too subtle and lacks the emotional impact that I'd be looking for from a slower song. It's also pretty samey. It does a nice job of setting a quiet, somber and slightly off-kilter mood. It reminds me that I kinda like the sound of the SNES/PS1-era choir sample they use in the background.
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#272: Iji - Tor
Nominator: Shonen_Bat (9/9)
Link:

My main, big complaint is that the sound quality is... atrocious. I suspect I know why that is: Iji is a really old GameMaker game, and back then, .mp3 files bloated the final size pretty badly. It was probably exported at a very low bitrate to keep the size down. That doesn't suddenly make it better to listen to though. Were it not for the sound quality, then this would be much higher. It's actually pretty solid. Love tense or epic rock songs, and this is certainly both of those, with periods of focus or struggle (0:18-1:14) and periods of triumph or badassery (1:14-1:52). I'm also a fan of how the song changes at 2:25 to become more subdued, like a low growl. The grand finale at the end of the song might have been the best part, but the sound quality chews it to pieces.
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#273: DJ Hero 2 - I Remember (Remix)
Nominator: Doppler (9/10)
Link:

Torn on this one. I like House as a genre, I listened to and enjoyed the original version of this song quite a bit. But the remix makes changes to it largely for the worse. The constant interjections and effects at the end of every phrase overstay their welcome pretty quickly for me and feel like they're going out of their way to ruin an otherwise good song. This "DJ" is way overeager. I have a similar problem with raw output from Sound Voltex songs, because I feel like in almost every case the added effects just make the song sound bad rather than enhancing the experience. Still, I like the underlying song here a lot, and so it really makes me want to rank this higher, but I just find this so frustrating to listen to sometimes.

The original, for comparison:
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#275: LED Storm [ZX] - Intro Theme
Nominator: Raetsel_Lapin (8/10)
Link:

I find it hard to give my thoughts on this one. There isn't much in this one in particular that puts me off, it just doesn't grab me all that much either. Sometimes I kinda like it and sometimes I find it boring, depending on my mood. Main criticism is that it's a bit samey, since the backing, bass and drums don't change all too much throughout the song.

#274: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege - Main Theme
Nominator: Snake5555555555 (4/10)
Link:

Borderline "too atmospheric", but I think it has just enough musical elements that it's escaped that group. It helps that I like the second half of it. The sound of that guitar and the transient vocals over that crunchy bass synth is great. Something like this would be a great mood-setter in-game, but since it's a main theme, I'm a little sad that it might have been relegated to the main menu only. The main reason this isn't higher is because I don't get much out of the first half, and the song on the whole is very one-note. It sounds good, but it doesn't really evolve at all beyond the first half vs. second half thing.
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#276: Solstice - Title Theme
Nominator: Psycosulu (10/10)
Link:

Lots to unpack here. 0:00-0:08 is weird and feels completely out of place compared to the rest of the song. It's also cruel that they made it quiet, just to suddenly blast you in the very next section. Not a fan of that. 0:09-0:25 makes an impression, but I wouldn't say I particularly like it. Where the song actually hits its stride is starting from 0:25, up until 1:11. This section is my favourite part of the song and genuinely pretty good. It's got a nice beat, plenty of variation and nothing that I find annoying, which puts it clearly above the other songs so far. It's an enticing, exciting and catchy main theme... but then 1:11 happens and the song completely changes into something I find a lot less interesting. I wouldn't call 1:39 onwards bad exactly but it's definitely something that's just less appealing to me. If the song was just the third section, it'd be way higher on the list, but as a whole, it's a bit of a let down.
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The time has come...

#278: Silent Hill 3 - End Of Small Sanctuary
Nominator: Snerck (7/9)
Link:

I enjoy the vibe this song gives off and would have good things to say about any small section. The guitar sounds nice. Unfortunately, if you listen to the first 10 seconds, you've basically heard the entire song, because its most loud and prominent section doesn't change through the entire thing. That ends up making it really boring and repetitive. I suppose now is as good a time as any to say that for the most part, I haven't really been impressed by anything from Silent Hill. There's still at least one song left though, so it remains to be seen how that goes.

#277: The Sims 2 - Create A Sim ~ Sim Time
Nominator: Zyxyz0 (1/1)
Link:

The only song nominated by Zyxyz, and a beloved song in the Siivagunner guessing game community. I don't exactly hate it, but it's definitely impossible for me to take it seriously. I don't particularly like the weird sounds and extremely repetitive instrumentation used in the first minute and a half. That means the infamous "Bob"s are the best bit, in my opinion. The reprise of the intro section is more musical and has less annoying sounds, so that's cool. This certainly isn't a song I'd ever go out of my way to listen to, but I wouldn't turn it off if it came on, I guess. Maybe it's just Stockholm syndrome though, because I remember hating it the first time I listened to it. Worrying...
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#279: Radiant Silvergun - Penta
Nominator: Rwlh (10/10)
Link:

This song reminds me of Reality earlier at #287. Many of the same criticisms I had for this song apply here as well. For example, when your sound font includes a bunch of pretty similar instruments, they tend to blend together in ways I don't like. Least favourite part is 0:46-1:03 and similar - and that section repeats a lot, which means it ends up being a pretty significant part of the song. Still, I feel like this takes what Reality was trying to do and pulls it off in a way I enjoy more, which is why this is higher. There is more actual variation in the song, for one, but I also like that it's creating intensity specifically through the drums, background and choice of notes and rhythm, rather than by just being really harsh and loud. It's not too bad, really.
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#280: Groove Coaster 3EX: Dream Party - Got Recover Run
Nominator: MycroProcessor (8/10)
Link:

There is some very strange choices of sound effects in this song. Why a gun-shot at 0:27 and 1:03? And especially why a baby 1:34? Much of the, uh, "melody" is a bit too "lol random" for my tastes during 0:00-0:41 and 1:28-1:48. It doesn't quite annoy or bother me, which is why this song isn't lower, but it doesn't really leave an impression on me either. The parts of the song I like more are during 0:41-1:28, especially the chorus at 1:03. In fact, 1:03-1:28 alone really makes me want to rank this song higher, but I think the rest of the song lets it down.
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#281: Dance Dance Revolution A - RISING FIRE HAWK
Nominator: Deogenerate (9/10)
Link:

I used to like Hardstyle and Gabber a lot. These days, it's MUCH harder to win me over with songs like this. As you can tell from the ranking, this one doesn't succeed. The kick and the hoover blend together too much and the notes aren't distinct enough from each other, so most of the song is too much like a monotonic wall of noise without any real intrigue. It's boring. The second half is a lot better than the first half at least and I still find songs like this to have a certain charm, so I'd be okay listening to it again in future.
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#282: Gitaroo Man - Bee'Jam Blues
Nominator: Snerck (8/9)
Link:

I don't exactly hate this song, but I do find something about it annoying to listen to. Like it's trying too hard - or that the song itself thinks it's the greatest thing ever when it's not. I could do without some of the vocal additions too, especially that opening. My favourite part is 1:22-1:41, and each other time it appears - a satisfying section to listen to, especially with the build up. Individually, there is actually some really sweet instruments in this song. The groove is immense. But it all comes together to be just a bit too overbearing.
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#283: Nuclear Throne - Palace Theme
Nominator: SubName (9/10)
Link:

SubName left me a note saying to listen to make sure to listen to the whole song. I did, multiple times, and the conclusion I've come to is that while the song's climax is pretty decent, the remaining 75% of the song is so barren that I overall just don't like the song all that much. In fact, the plucked strings in the quiet part actually get a bit annoying by the time I've finished listening to the video. Sounds out of tune. I do like the climax, and enough that it boosts the song's rank to this point... but it's just such a small portion of the song, I can't judge it based solely on that.
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#284: Final Fantasy V - Dear Friends
Nominator: Pyresword (10/10)
Link:

I find this song really boring and I think the sound font is so dated that it's distracting. The way the song rigidly plods along with no real flair makes it rather dry to listen to. It's overly safe and not remotely memorable. That said, it's the tune it's playing is fine enough. A fairly relaxing song that you could imagine playing in a quiet down or at the end of a long day. I like the second half of the song more than the first half, as the additional backing voices gives the song much needed depth. Not enough to score better than this, though.
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#285: Dariusburst: Another Chronicle - Suite Photoconductivity ~ Fifth Tune: Tyrant
Nominator: Deogenerate (10/10)
Link:

If you get anything out of this project, it'll probably be that my tastes are fickle, and this is the first big example. The heavily distorted guitar during the opening minute? I actually like the sound of it, despite what you might have expected. It doesn't really make for much of a song on its own, but it's still an experience. In the next section, I like the voice, but don't like the weird plucked string going on in the background. It feels like this part goes on way too long. The stabs at 2:15-2:43 are pretty hard on the ears, making it the weakest part of the song for me. Really though, was it necessary to make that intro section almost 3 minutes long? Not a lot happens, and on some listens, I found it to be really boring, particularly since the sounds themselves are mildly atonal.

Then the song really starts. What I really like is the contrast between the operatic vocals and the intense, electronic instrumentation. I'm a sucker for that kind of dichotomy in music, where something that's frantic, dark or heavy is paired with something whimsical, light or subdued in some way. Another example of this that comes to mind is O'er The Flood by Goreshit () which takes a steady and thoughtful piano piece and sets it to an intense drill 'n' bass drumline. Good stuff. This part of Tyrant also creates a real energy that I enjoy - it's music that I think can encourage you to overcome a difficult trial.

It has two big problems though. One, the bass is so intense that it overpowers the song and even starts clipping at the top of its range (I think), which is just frustrating. Songs that are poorly mastered are a real pet peeve of mine. Two, once it reaches this part, it... doesn't really change a whole lot. It's really samey and doesn't have any melody or intrigue, which the song would need for me to call it something I genuinely like. It's just a bit disappointing. Pretty mixed opinions overall.
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#286: Tearaway - Between the Pages ~ Page Two
Nominator: JunerRich (9/10)
Link:

This reminds me a lot of another Tearaway song I've heard: Because they have similarities, I can't help but compare them in my head.

Compared to that one, I just don't like the nominated song nearly as much. The song feels much more disorganized, to describe it in a word. The pieces don't fit together as cleanly, which is a pretty big deal because they've used a lot of the instruments that are potentially annoying. They're pretty annoying here. I disagree with some of the "effects" they've used too, particularly in the first 45 seconds or so where the heavy filter they applied to the bass makes it sound like the YouTube upload is bugged, which isn't really a good look. The backing once the song gets going is just so chaotic, too. Still, I can't bring myself to hate it. Even though I don't think it comes together all too well, it still feels like it's greater than the sum of its parts. Plus it has a great pace and energy to it, which is always a way to win me over. It grew on me a bit more on repeated listens over the course of the project and may continue to do so.
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handsomeboy2012 posted...

MC_XD posted...

the last ranking thread

Didn't know you had another VGM ranking, any way I could check it out?

I'm not proud of some of the write-ups and it's not entirely representative of my current taste, but here you go: https://www.dropbox.com/s/j5cuir2wezknzlf/MCXDRankingProject1_Posts.docx?dl=0

As for the current project...

#287: Ikaruga - Reality
Nominator: Doppler (10/10)
Link:

This song is similar in some ways to #287 and yet also the opposite. Namely, instead of the song sounding subdued to the point of nothing standing out, in this one, it feels like all of the parts are constantly shouting at you or in a fight to the death for dominance. It's a very tiring song to listen to. A big part of that I think is the sound font itself, rather than the design of the song, because I actually have this issue with a lot of Ikaruga songs. It's just such a harsh, hit-you-over-the-head set of instruments. Different notes sound too similar to each other in the voices they're using. It also doesn't help that they used basically the same sample for multiple parts, rather than trying to give each section of the song its own unique voice. For example, at 0:45 onwards, you can hear a main "melody" section and at least one "bass" part, but they were both done using the same synth, so it ends up blending together and fighting with itself way too much, in my opinion. I like the energy of the song, but... yeah, too chaotic.
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#288: Star Ocean: Till the End of Time - Preemptive Strike
Nominator: MycroProcessor (9/10)
Link:

It's difficult to put into words exactly what I think of this song. It's too chaotic for my tastes, that much is clear, but it's subdued enough not to be obnoxious, unlike #303. So, in that way, it's a big improvement. On the other hand, it's all a bit... monotone. Feels like the song barely changes, even with that new section from 1:24-1:46, so it gets stale pretty fast, which IS exactly like #303. Another issue with the song is that nothing stands out from anything else, so some parts of it sound a bit muddy to me and just blend together into one sound. That's especially disappointing after 1:46, since in the final section of the song, the electric guitar section is playing a perfectly good melody which you can barely hear over all the other stuff that's going on. That final section is still my favorite part though - everything comes together, and that guitar part drives home that it's the song's big climax. If it were less chaotic, had a little more variation and was mastered better, this could go a lot higher.
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#289: Lethe: Episode One - Pipes
Nominator: Snake5555555555 (5/10)
Link:

This is the last of the songs I'd describe as "too atmospheric". I think this happened in the last ranking thread I did too, where I put songs like this in a group above the songs I really disliked but below the actual-songs I could tolerate. My logic being that they're way easier to listen to for me than the songs I hate, but at the same time, I don't hold them in the same regard as the more typical style of music in the list and wouldn't want to put them on my mp3 player or anything like that. In terms of how much I enjoy listening to it, this one in particular could go higher than this, so don't take this one's placement as a sign of me disliking it. Yeah, it's too plain and simple, even compared to #295 and #293, but there's one thing in particular I love about this, and that's the... uh... sitar? Spanish guitar? Chimes? However, you want to describe it. Especially in the last 25 seconds of the song, those last couple of flourishes are just so satisfying to listen to. Not bad at all.
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#290: The Neverhood - Rock n' Roll Dixie
Nominator: Raetsel_Lapin (9/10)
Link:

This one was hard to place, and I think I maaaay have put it a bit too low, but... what on earth is that noise starting at 0:32? The song was okay up to that point, but it kinda wrecks that entire section of the song. Really, even in the earlier part, the little vocal clips just don't work for me. I agree that the song needed something else to spruce it up but choosing to do it that way wasn't smart if you wanted me to like the song. I'm a fan of the groovy rhythm and guitar in this song at least so it's certainly not all bad. Not as keen on the sax (?) parts, though. If I were in a different mood, this song might manage to be somewhat higher than this.
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#291: Life is Strange - The Storm
Nominator: Snake5555555555 (6/10)
Link:

This one is actually even more atmospheric than the previous of Snake's nominations, but... I dunno, I kinda like it? I rated them against each other and this one certainly went above the other two for me. It reminds me a lot of Portal chamber themes, some of which are also pretty cool. Maybe I'm just a bit biased though, because I'm familiar with the context in which this song is used. It's interesting to me that a song like this represents a raging storm so well. I actually remembered and recognized it from when I played the game too, which is quite the accomplishment for a song like this. Still too lacking in substance for my tastes to go any higher.
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#292: Sonic CD - Palmtree Panic, Bad Future (JP/EU)
Nominator: SubName (10/10)
Link:

This might be a controversial one, but I'm not a fan of this song overall. The drumline and bass never change, pretty much all of the voice and sound effects are annoying or hard on the ears (especially the voices at 0:15 and 0:43-0:56, and the sax-esque thing at 0:29-0:35). The song is clearly trying to be abrasive, and congratulations, it succeeded! This was actually 2nd last in the list at one point, but I moved it up because there's actually one part of this song I like, and that's 0:56-1:23. Yeah, that part is a bit plain, but honestly, I wish the rest of the song was more like it. It's a cool section that's not too far from something out of a techno track, and I'm pretty big into a lot of genres of EDM.

There is another Sonic CD song in the project, so better luck next time.
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#293: Rise of the Tomb Raider - Soviet Facility
Nominator: Snake5555555555 (7/10)
Link:

Compared to #295, this has some more musical elements, which is always appreciated. Not enough to stop me from saying it's "still too atmospheric", though. I like the first and last third of the song more than the middle third. In the first part of the song especially, the cello (?) and swelling strings are nice to listen to and make me wish perhaps the song took it more in that direction, rather than becoming less melodic and more tense-cinematic-action-atmosphere later on. Still, overall I'm pretty dang indifferent - it doesn't speak to me in a way that makes me want to put this higher up.
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