Lurker > rwlh

73.
Pokmon Super Mystery Dungeon - A Warning to All Pokmon!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e36tby9VGPE
@Zigzagoon
Keisuke Ito, Yasuhiro Kawagoe, Noriko Murakami

Remember when I said I overinflate beginnings? I really like how this song begins, less so when it comes in with the strings, slightly less less so with the choir. There is a nice aura of mystery that still permeates the song and makes it feel almost like youre not supposed to be listening to it, so thats cool.

72.
Pokmon Quest - Hushed Highlands
https://youtu.be/wqbjUghbfAo
@Baconus_Yum
Teruo Taniguchi, Takahiro Eguchi, Fumihisa Tanaka, Shinji Hosoe

Those that know my taste can probably vouch for how much I love chiptunes. This is an example of a modern pseudochiptune thats designed to sound retro. These songs in particular I have a harder time with they all sort of sound the same to me. But Im more inclined to like chip, so it gets some bias points there.

71.
Pokmon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald - Heavy Rainfall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4Vq0Fmz46s
@FL81
Go Ichinose

My note for this was foreboding but goofy but short but fun. Theres something short and sweet about this sub-minute track. It doesnt overstay its welcome. But it also uses the RSE samples well, creating an atmosphere of tension (thats still goofy as hell because its the RSE samples).

76.
Pokken Tournament - Magikarp Festival
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxKOL8axGKI
@NFUN
Hiroki Hashimoto, Hiroyuki Kawada, Rio Hamamoto, Taku Inoue, Torine, Yoshinori Hirai, Takafumi Sato, Mitsuhiro Kitadani, Yu Sugimoto

Nice Eastern-inspired grungy trance. Maybe a little too grungy for me, the way things are kind of distorted and twisted. This is certainly a unique nomination, and its one I do enjoy listening to, so hey, props for that!

75.
Pokmon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky - Vast Ice Mountain Peak
https://youtu.be/nvGvLsrtTvo
@Haste_2
Keisuke Ito

This is the last 6! Its another song with multiple things in it that fall just shy of being a keeper for me. Its got those Mystery Dungeon bells and that distinct blend of wistful and hopeful that I always associate with Mystery Dungeon.

6.5/10
74.
Pokmon Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon - Ultra Necrozma Battle Music
https://youtu.be/NFTemk99fLU
Haste_2
Minako Adachi, Go Ichinose, Junichi Masuda, Tomoaki Oga

I didnt love the intro to this but I got on board around 0:45, when it started sounding like Castlevania boss music. Evil song, lots of organ and death vibes. 6.5s are when I start looking at do I put this on my phone and/or listen to it outside of this one topic, so congrats to this song for being the first one to fit that bill!

I made sure to only ping you once!

79.
Pokmon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky - Brine Cave
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5FWWhAlIRw
@Zyxyz0
Arata Iiyoshi, Hideki Sakamoto, Keisuke Ito, Ryoma Nakamura, Ken-ichi Saito

I feel kind of bad ranking these Mystery Dungeon songs kind of low. As Dire has pointed out, they seem to work very well in context, with (maybe) motifs that keep popping in. As standalone tracks theyre okay but lack that spark for me. This one I do like, despite being a happy song. Honestly if I had to redo this ranking, it would probably be a bit higher, at least 6.5. Sorry Zyx!

78.
Pokmon Masters - Battle! Lear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pBKm2U-l9Q
@Hbthebattle
Haruki Yamada, Shota Kageyama

On first listen this appears to be a standard battle theme, but theres something extra about it. I think the overall presentation feels sharper than the average battle theme, like the instruments pop out more and the composition is smooth. Theres also a strong sense of hopelessness and fear. Still only a 6 though, because I yet again dont really connect strongly to it. Im sure youre all tired of hearing me say that.

77.
Pokmon Ranger: Guardian Signs - Riding on Legendary Beast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_906lWNGbM
Hbthebattle
Kenichi Koyano, SIGERO, Keisuke Oku

As I said above, this soundtracks instruments are kind of tinny and off-sounding, but this song and Faldera Volcano are both pretty cool! This song in particular is super catchy and brings this nice forward momentum all throughout.

We have now officially reached the point where I am actively enjoying listening to the songs. Hooray!

82.
Pokmon HeartGold/SoulSilver - Ice Cave
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rPcKPTiqx8
@NFUN
Junichi Masuda arr. Hitomi Sato

I will have more thoughts on this song when we get to the original GSC version, but this is very catchy, with added bells and whistles that make for good presentation. (These are the exact reasons I like the original more!) Not much to say about this its fine, I guess? Nice melody.

81.
Pokmon Colosseum - Semifinal Battle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RFW3dRzg_c
@Prody_Parrot
Tsukasa Tawada

I certainly prefer this over Cipher Peon Battle, but I still dont love it. The strongest aspect of the song for me is that out of control slap bass that puts in real work the entire time. Thats the backbone of the song. (Note that this is not the first time Ill prefer to a slap bass as the backbone of the song in this topic!)

80.
Pokmon Ranger: Guardian Signs - Faldera Volcano
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJ_bEELND7o
@NBIceman
Kenichi Koyano, SIGERO, Keisuke Oku

My note on this is catchier than it has any right to be. The low-quality instruments make me think the song is going to be similarly low-quality, but its got such a catchy melody that I cant help but get swept alone. I like the interplay of piano and drums.

Of those who nominated four tracks, only GavsEvans123 has all of their songs remaining.

85.
Pokmon Sword/Shield - Battle! (Eternatus) ~ Phase 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aB6FLg6Vqs
@Toxtricity
Go Ichinose, Minako Adachi, Keita Okamoto

Prime example of a song that does lots of interesting things but that I dont really have a strong emotional connection. Its also a prime example of a song Im surprised I dont like more, as I tend to go for these insanity inducing type songs. Still neat though. This actually reminds me of something straight out of the Mother series.

84.
Pokmon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum - Mt. Coronet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhmygATFpLI
@DireKrow
Go Ichinose

This song has a very strong opening, and I weigh openings very high. Probably too high. The rest of it doesnt quite hook me, though I do like all the unique DPP instruments at play, like that ethereal piano before the loop and that weird harp type thing at the beginning of the loop. A nice unique song.

83.
Pokmon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity - Infinite Dungeon 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05th2er6_VE
@Plasman
Keisuke Ito, Yasuhiro Kawagoe

Another atmospheric Mystery Dungeon song, with those trademark bells and tribal-esque percussion. Theres a lot to like here its got a nice triumphant surge to it. But again, couldnt connect emotionally.

Sorry the delay, but I will assuredly get back to this either today or tomorrow!

88.
Learn With Pokmon: Typing Adventure - Caps Lock Museum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-EFY8gLP5E
@Flamander
Azusa Chiba, Masaharu Iwata, Kimihiro Abe

This song feels like something from the 00s trying to sound like a song from the 90s. Kind of neat but I wish it maybe did a little more, tried out new things. I like the main instruments, theyre very vacuum-packed.

87.
Pokmon HeartGold/SoulSilver - Route 47
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRQ2leqbnPY
@SuperbVEVO
Hitomi Sato

Strong opening but it doesnt really develop much beyond those initial notes. But I like the emotive aspects its triumphant but also sort of sad, like youre watching the world spin under you and trying to step back onto it.

86.
Pokmon Rumble Blast - Ice Mountain
https://youtu.be/Qg_N_2Jvqoo
@cakophon
Miki Obata

Lots of fun icy sounds that pop out at you here. I also like the...crickets(?) in the background. Its not super memorable to me but Im glad I listened to it. Thats the tier were on right now: is my life enriched in some way from listening to this song?

Two more eliminations! Sorry to Glacier and cakophon, but thank you for nominating!

91.
Pokmon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity - vs Kyurem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X253bSi-gag
@hombad46
Keisuke Ito, Yasuhiro Kawagoe

Wow this intro is BRUTAL. This is another song where I appreciate what it does but its not really my thing, a bit too bombastic/loud for my tastes. Also, the Duel of the Fates resemblance is totally intentional, right? If not, Nintendo might have a lawsuit on their hands...

90.
Pokmon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire - Battle! Primal Kyogre/Groudon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5RI869350g
@Zyxyz0
Junichi Masuda arr. Minako Adachi, Hideaki Kuroda

I really like the intro to this but then it sort of keeps doing the same thing. Like with an intro as cool as that, I expect all manner of nonsense to unfold. I do like the slow, stately pace of the melody and how it contrasts with the frenetic pace of the backing.

89.
Pokmon Super Mystery Dungeon - Abyssal Badlands
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NANkZcb2klQ
@pyresword
Keisuke Ito, Yasuhiro Kawagoe, Noriko Murakami

This starts out with serious Donkey Kong Country vibes, then when the piano (or whatever that instrument is a xylophone?) kicks in it becomes Donkey Kong 64. This is another song where I like a lot of the elements separately the haunting xylopiano, the sprightly pace halfway through but it doesnt come together as a whole for me. If these individual components were placed in a different song or combined in a different way, I might like this more (or less! Who can say).

There was a whole debate on YouTube about how Cyrus could have raised a Pokemon that requires happiness when he's a sociopath. It was like a 150+ comment thread. Pokemon lore is INTENSE

94.
Pokmon Say Tap? - Pokmon Ierukana? BW
https://youtu.be/J7_qB7p8cFM
@Place
Hirokazu Tanaka

Omg this song is cute. Even cuter when I read the lyrics posted in the comments. Its also incredibly catchy with glitchy background noise! Its this low because I dont love the rapping, and that takes up probably the majority of the song. But yeah, this sort of sparkly bubblegum pop often hits its mark with me.

Also the Pokemon in the video image fit perfectly with the happy song. They are very cute.

93.
Pokmon Sun/Moon - Mt. Lanakila
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-cTUW3fIMM
@Hbthebattle
Minako Adachi

ATTENTION POKEMON

THIS IS YOUR DESTINY

THE UNIVERSE IS IN YOUR HANDS (or claws) (or flippers)

Very DESTINY kind of ambient song. I like this but not enough to put it higher its somewhat plain. But I like the overall DESTINY feel.

6/10
92.
Pokmon Sword/Shield - Battle! (Zacian / Zamazenta)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdovMMgDGec
@DireKrow
Go Ichinose, Minako Adachi, Keita Okamoto

First of the 6s! Really weird song here. Lots of moving parts, most prominently the fact that there seems to be a Pokemon singing (crying maybe) along with the song. Then it turns into a shopping network promo. My favorite part is around 1:10, when both parts meet and become some harmonic. There is also lots of discordant strings and other assorted weirdness. I normally love weird songs but for whatever reason this one doesnt make the leap beyond early 6. But I definitely respect all the cool things it does.

97.
Pokmon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum - Battle! Team Galactic Boss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE5dBmWml34
@FL81
Junichi Masuda

This song sounds like an inferior version of Dialga/Palkias theme (which eagle-eyed listeners will note hasnt shown up yet). I say this, despite the songs not really sharing much similarity in terms of instruments. They nevertheless convey the same sense of hopeless oh no final boss is approaching use all your resources. Also that slap bass is getting some WORK.

96.
Learn With Pokmon: Typing Adventure - Bright Sunshine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otXZAw0X-8Y
@UF8
Azusa Chiba, Masaharu Iwata, Kimihiro Abe

Some Shantae vibes going on here. I dont normally love Shantae music, so hey, theres that. Certainly a unique song in terms of instruments, but I dont really connect with it all that strongly.

95.
Pokmon Colosseum - Cipher Peon Battle
https://youtu.be/0U5f_XivxDk
@banshiryuu
Tsukasa Tawada

That horrible muffled bass made me assume this was an N64 game at first. Nope! I like the Mega Man X8 guitar and the general flow of the song at times it feels like Im in a spy thriller but nothing else really stands out to me.

100.
Pokmon Battle Revolution - Minor Boss Battle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9Vq-kKDNCM
@Plasman
Tsukasa Tawada

Nothing much to really say about this one. I like how it begins much more than the rest of it, which feels sort of like a breaking news special edition newscast. Strong start though!

99.
Pokmon Channel - Shopping Channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrGgGaU0_5I
@Flamander
Miki Obata

This is jazzy music to gamble to. Its cute and fun but doesnt really stick with me after it ends (or even while its playing for that matter). I like the orchestral hits; they seem like they would correspond with kicks in a chorus line. The songs got some personality at least.

98.
Pokmon Sword/Shield - Galar Mines
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEhfGJTmFko
@cakophon
Go Ichinose, Minako Adachi, Keita Okamoto

Theres a lot going on in this song. Its deceptively straightforward opening leads to sections where there are approximately six billion instruments playing at once. Sometimes I like that, but here it vexes me and makes me uncomfortable. It sounds like someone pouring hot salsa in my eardrums. Its certainly unique, so props for that.

5.5/10
103.
Pokmon Sun/Moon - Ultra Beast Battle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4qdUsfuhh0
@GameBopAdv
Go Ichinose

Honestly I wasnt really feeling most of this, so this would normally be below average but! There are around five seconds near the 1-minute mark that are totally different from the rest of the song and come incredibly out of nowhere. That experience alone, that freshness every time I listen, bumps this one up to a 5.5.

102.
Pokmon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky - Monster House!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxMwAL9wp_A
@Flamander
Arata Iiyoshi, Atsuhiro Ishizuna arr. Arata Iiyoshi, Hideki Sakamoto, Keisuke Ito, Ryoma Nakamura, Ken-ichi Saito

There are large stretches of this song that bore me, but there are a handful of bits that sound like Castlevania. Very exciting parts of Castlevania. As with Ultra Beast Battle above, thats enough to propel it into above average territory.

101.
Pokmon Sun/Moon - Team Skull Battle
https://youtube.com/watch?v=1hx8H54VgTk
@DragonImps
Minako Adachi

This is an example of a song that I keep thinking is going to get really weird, but it never does. It stays pretty normal (comparatively speaking) except for those breathy vocals. I do like the overall package but I dont really like any individual component.

104.
Pokmon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky - Barren Valley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0adGUTA4W0
@Plasman
Keisuke Ito

I went back and forth on this one. I think, depending on my mood, this could be higher or lower. Its got a kind of lovely pastoral quality to it, but I also find it fairly bland at the same time.

From here on out, everything is technically above average. That's awesome to have so many above average songs on this ranking! Congrats to the following people whove gotten four out of four songs to be above average!

DragonImps
GameBopAdv
GavsEvans123 (not a bad showing considering you had like three out of five songs near the bottom of my last list)
Hbthebattle
hombad46
Mycro
NBIceman
NFUN
Prody Parrot
Zyxyz

107.
Pokmon Trading Card Game - Credits
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZxjAjBZOXA
@Arti
Ichiro Shimakura

A pretty average chiptune. Like I said earlier, I dont adore the TCG samples, so the song needs to be really stellar for me to actually like it. This one is your standard wistful ending theme, so it lands in 5 territory.

Also, we have our first elimination! Already! Poor Arti. (Technically there were people who only nominated one song whove been eliminated, but Arti nommed the full four.) I wont be specifically calling out every elimination, so if youre curious to see how youre doing, check the spreadsheet in the opening post.

106.
Pokmon Ranger - Fiore Temple Peak: Gordor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVNXuDpnsmk
@cakophon
Takuto Kitsuta, Kinta Sato

Evil circus music! I love evil circus music. That DS organ is on point. This song reminds me of a less intense version of Ultimate Koopa from Super Mario 64. All that being said, this drags on a bit too much for me. A more compact version with maybe a stronger melody would probably place higher.

105.
Pokdex 3D Pro - Pokdex Theme 3
https://youtu.be/1PMCw3uhsfk
@cakophon
Takuto Kitsuta, Ayumu Ito, Wataru Ishiyama

This is actually a super interesting song to listen to (and I would imagine doing recreational substances while listening would be quite the experience), but its just not super my thing. It reminds me of what Ive heard of Sigur Ros, these big sweeping mellow chords that fill me more with anxious ambivalence than anything else. One of the more interesting songs so far for sure, but unfortunately its not really my taste.

110.
Pokmon GO - Encounter! Mew
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZYn7Ueg3Ok
@Arti
Junichi Masuda

My note for this one just says this is Pokemon music all right. Feels like very stereotypical battle music, like some of the others before it. I kind of like the way it starts, with the repeated staccato notes, but the rest of it doesnt stick with me.

109.
Pokmon Black 2/White 2 - Virbank City Gym (Roxie's Theme) [Japan DOGARS edition]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLQsy1cCKZ4
@Grimlyn
Junichi Masuda arr. Go Ichinose

G
O
G
F
R
S

GOGFRS

Another catchy song that, like Page 5, is a bit too catchy for its own good. I remember what it sounds like, but its kind of irritating. Also if it werent for the word DOGARS in the link I would have no idea what they were spelling (as is indicated in the writeup).

5/10
108.
Hey You, Pikachu! - Ochre Wood Day
https://youtu.be/YLZMFS0fTEg
@Place
Miki Obata

Full on average territory here! Note for this one says this certainly is a song. It feels kind of like mid-90s Sega Saturn, which I guess is on brand for Place. Not much to say about this one!

113.
Pokmon Black 2/White 2 - Pokmon World Tournament (PWT)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUazbZ1tqW0
@UF8
Go Ichinose

Eh, I kind of like this one. Very stately and imposing and DESTINY. Not sure why its only a 4 to be honest! If I were to rerank, it would probably get at least a 5.5. Its a bit forgettable though.

4.5/10
112.
Pokmon Black/White - Route 2 (Summer)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKWH11jD7hw
@xx521xx
Hitomi Sato

Not quite happy town music, but still a bit too happy happy for me. Happy route music? Is that a thing? This feels like marching off on a picnic, which, while it may be a delicious endeavor, doesnt always make for music I like.

111.
Pokmon Black/White - Unova Route 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej8dzdktcbs
@XIII_rocks
Junichi Masuda

So is Black/White the natural evolution of the RSE trumpets? There are definitely songs from this game (these games? Are Black and White considered two separate games?) I like more than this. The trumpets really get in the way: the mixing feels slightly, ever so uncomfortably off.

Sorry!

...I was really tempted to ping you again but I didn't want to be mean :P

@banshiryuu @TheCodeisBosco @Zigzagoon

Just realized I forgot to ping. (Yes I know Ermine saw it, but I want to be consistent!)

116.
Pokmon Black 2/White 2 - Battle! (Colress)
https://youtu.be/S1DWNsV2rYA
deo
Hitomi Sato

Another song Im surprised I dont like more. There are actually a number of noms that have this crystally type sound, which Im generally not a huge fan of? I do like the overall energy and how it feels like Im on a conveyor belt getting my barcode scanned beep boop but yeah, the presentation isnt my favorite in the world.

115.
Pokmon Sun/Moon - Iki Town (Night)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6zrDxwjYEE
TheCodeisBosco
Minako Adachi

Pokemon Unplugged~ This is a very emotive acoustic guitar-centered piece thats also a bit cheesy. This isnt inherently a bad thing, but in general it makes me feel less connected to the song. It almost feels like its taking the easy route with pushing my emotional buttons.

114.
Pokmon Gold/Silver/Crystal - Rival Battle Theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjGgfZ8JkyA
Zigzagoon
Junichi Masuda

Slight spoiler: I was impressed by some of the GSC songs in this. This, however, wasnt one of them. It feels pretty firmly in that Pokemon battle theme archetype I mentioned before. I do like the bit before the loop though, that sort of desperate-sounding section.

4/10
119.
Pokmon HeartGold/SoulSilver - Lugia Battle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOg2wd18ifI
@UF8
Go Ichinose

Now were getting into songs I dont actively dislike all that much, but rather songs that are just sort of there in varying degrees. This song feels like another standard battle theme, even though it does have elements I like, like how scattered and all over the place things feel (in a good way). But the overall package falls short for me.

118.
Pokmon Black/White - Relic Castle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj2N_SxWocQ
@GammaDelta
Shota Kageyama

This whole song sounds weirdly off-key. Thats kind of neat, but its also really disorienting too. Listening to this song is like walking sideways inside the Tunnel of Love while swans caw at you (happy Valentines Day!).

117.
Pokmon Sun/Moon - Battle (Gladion)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3R_4d1s6CA
@DireKrow @MC_XD I was going to ping the second account but are you going by DireKrow on the board now?
Go Ichinose

This song is the epitome of a 4 for me: it doesnt really do anything super bad, more like a bunch of uninteresting things, but nothing really grabs me. I will say I dont love the instruments used here, but apart from that everything is basically fine.

i can't stop listening to page 5

send help

122.
Pokmon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire - Battle! Rival
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPbl6o9mGEs
@paulg235
Junichi Masuda arr. Minako Adachi

Before this topic, when I thought of Pokemon music, this was the stereotype in my head: mostly interchangeable battle themes that all seemed to have the same sort of driving energy behind them. Im glad to see every song wasnt like that, but this one certainly is. There isnt really a lot I find memorable here. I almost feel like the original RSE trumpet version (which I havent heard) might be higher solely because those samples tend to make for a more memorable experience, good or bad.

121.
Pokmon Go - Go Team Rocket Map/Rocket Radar
https://youtu.be/Jwgk3mVWXIo
@Baconus_Yum
Junichi Masuda

This song screams mobile or Flash game to me. Maybe its the lower-quality recording that feels like someone put a speaker next to their phone. This has a nice beat but apart from that its pretty unexceptional to me.

120.
Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation: Hiragana Katakana Kakechatta! - Page 5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-Y0OdNgAts
@Fluttershy_Pony
unknown

I was really really torn on this. Its so catchy, way catchier than probably most of the other nominations. But its also...kind of annoying? Like I remember what it sounds like, but Im also not necessarily happy about that, lol. Its very bubblegummy poppy, which isnt inherently a bad thing, but its not something Ill keep coming back to again.

125.
Pokmon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky - Treasure Town
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NGcVkm0Y3U
@xx521xx (won't let me ping you for some reason so I hope you're following the topic!)
Arata Iiyoshi, Hideki Sakamoto, Keisuke Ito, Ryoma Nakamura, Ken-ichi Saito

Lets all gather round the Celtic campfire! This song is a bit too slow-paced for me I think Id like it more with a more lively tempo. Its a bit too soothing for me to really get invested in it.

3/10
124.
Pokmon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald - Battle! Frontier Brain
https://youtu.be/U730ft9yESk
@SuperbVEVO
Go Ichinose

More RSE!!!!! This song just doesnt really interest me. Even when it changes up around 1:15, it still doesnt grab me at all. Again, I dont really mind the RSE trumpets, thats not why this song is so low. I think it would be low even with better samples.

Also let me just say that a character named Pyramid King Brandon is pretty great.

3.5/10
123.
Pokmon Card GB2 - GR Fort Leader Battle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IlEZyiegBM
@Arti
Ichiro Shimakura

The Pokemon Card soundtracks are exactly the sort of thing Id expect myself to like: obscure, unique-sounding chiptunes. But I have a hard time getting into a lot of the songs. The melody here feels kind of plodding and the chip samples give it this unpleasant, grungy-ass quality. Not really a fan.

128.
Pokmon Card Game: How To Play DS - Card Battle 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQDT_wKaBUg
@Flamander
unknown

Another song here spoiled by weird instruments, in this case that warbly porbly main sample. I find it really obnoxious. If this songs melody werent stronger, this would probably be bottom three; as it is, its very catchy!

127.
Pokmon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald - Abandoned Ship
https://youtu.be/rd1Xm1s3Tu4
@banshiryuu
Morikazu Aoki

More RSE! I honestly didnt notice how many RSE and RSE-related songs are at the bottom of the list. Too funny. This feels like happy town music if happy town music were also weird exploration but also carnival music, and that sounds way more awesome than it actually is.

126.
Pokmon Gold/Silver/Crystal - Credits
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU263Ud3LM4
@Underleveled
Go Ichinose

I tend to like chiptunes more, on average, than non-chiptune VGM. But I also feel like Im harder on chiptunes as a result. Also, if you havent noticed, I can be somewhat picky when it comes to instruments/samples. What Im saying is this is a bit too plain (and a bit too shrill) for me to really like it. I do genuinely like the ending (the ending of Credits lmao); thats pretty cool.

131.
Pokmon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum - Hearthome City (Day)
https://youtu.be/t03CRBZS7p8
@Haste_2
Hitomi Sato

More happy town music, but this also feels like GAMBLING and CHRISTMAS, which is a nifty combination. I still dont like it but its a notch above the prior happy town themes (note that I dont actually know if plays in a happy town or not).

2.5/10
130.
Pokmon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky - Memories Returned
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS4kljcJ-fw
@PIayer_0
Arata Iiyoshi, Hideki Sakamoto, Keisuke Ito, Ryoma Nakamura, Ken-ichi Saito

I can take or leave emotive songs like this. I either seem to really like them or they miss the mark with me. This one just feels very plain. A song like this I need a strong connection to, and nothing about this really grabs me. Though I do appreciate that it does a bunch of different things.

129.
Pokmon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald - Route 120
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzec20s-FlU
@Dragon66116
Morikazu Aoki

..wow maybe I dont like RSE lol

I dont remember having specific objection to the infamous RSE trumpets, but this song is very discordant in kind of an unpleasant way. I like the triumphant nature but the samples really hold it back.

Underleveled posted...

TC hates RSE confirmed

Hohoho, we'll see!

2/10
134.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - The Battle at the Summit!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uOOrMCtpOg
@NowItsAngeTime
Go Ichinose, Junichi Masuda arr. Shota Kageyama

smaaaaaash

I like the beginning with the classic theme, but then it loses me when it gets loud and mashes together a bunch of instruments. This one isnt quite as bad as the other Smash arrangements so far, but it has a key change I really dislike, so that knocks a few points off.

133.
Pokmon Gold/Silver/Crystal - Route 26/27
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1KBQTGSDFA
@FL81
Go Ichinose

I was actually pleasantly surprised by some of the chiptunes nominated, since my experience with Pokemon chip was somewhat underwhelming. This song, however, feels very bland to me, with not much to set it apart.

132.
Pokmon X/Y - Coumarine City
https://youtu.be/iXpURAKAmNY
@GammaDelta
Hitomi Sato

I really wanted to like this. Its got mood for days. Very evocative. But that main sax-type sample is just...not living up to its end of the bargain for me. Kind of a shame this one has potential, but I cant get behind the main instruments.

137.
Pokmon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald - Ever Grande City
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPWuD97ZkM0
@loweffortmemes
Go Ichinose

More happy town music. This one at least has a fun kind of sprightly beat to it, so it places a rung higher.

136.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Battle! (Steven)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOt62NK6nw4
@NowItsAngeTime
Junichi Masuda arr. Soshi Abe

Another pet peeve of mine is music is loud guitars. This arrangement is so busy, with so much going on, that I feel like Im being swallowed up by guitars. Not my idea of a good time.

135.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Victory Road (Pokmon Ruby / Pokmon Sapphire)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMNrEyzFqQo
@Arti
Go Ichinose arr. Motoi Sakuraba

Another guitar-centric Smash arrangement. This might have placed in the bottom if it werent for that nifty proggy UFO-type section near the loop. Thats fun. The rest is not my thing.

pyresword posted...

Let it be known that I also nominated Pokemon Trading Card Game - Normal Duel.

I guess we didn't catch that it was nominated by 2 people :/

Yeah, I didn't catch the dupe until the first listenthrough.

Oh hey, glad you're here!

1/10
138.
Pokmon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire - Littleroot Town
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52zzTF5sFTI
@pyresword
Go Ichinose arr. Shota Kageyama

I said above that I have very broad taste, but one of the consistencies is I normally dislike what I would call happy town music. Pastoral themes about lazy small town life make my skin crawl. This is the only song to earn the prestigious 1/10 rating, but if you nominated a song like this, maybe you ought to keep the topic handy for the next few posts. >_>

I thought it might be fun to do brief writeups on three songs I already knew that didnt make the cut, just to see where theyd fall. This might give you some predictors of my taste. (Or it might confuse you. I have very broad taste.) So here are three songs nobody (except me) cared enough about to talk about!

Pokmon Platinum - Distortion World
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FOQK2M9jAo
Rating: 9/10

A nice combination of creepy ambience and bombastic fanfare. Very stately. I honestly thought this one would get nommed.

Pokmon Super Mystery Dungeon - Tree of Life: Roots
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo5IRUjNaEA
Rating: 8/10

Really lovely piece, but also very foreboding. Its got that nice Celtic/Gust Sound Team feel that this board seems to love so much. I love how it shifts and moves around, like its not content to sit back and do one thing.

Pokemon Pinball - Blue Field: "Catch Em Mode"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSlYg060N0c
Rating: 7.5/10

Super catchy, very fun chiptune from a game nobody even nominated anything from! I mean, we got two songs from a Pico game (!), but nobody has any love for this GBC soundtrack. For shame.

Okay, now onward to the actual rankings!

Hello hello! Several months ago I took nominations for Pokemon game music to rate and rank. Im pretty knowledgeable about VGM, but Pokemon as a series had largely eluded me. My goal was to get a good sense of the best the series has to offer. 138 songs later, I feel like Ive achieved my goal! Im very pleased with the selections.

I rate VGM on a 0 to 10 scale in increments of 0.5. Heres the breakdown of songs:
10: 3 songs
9.5: 3
9: 10
8.5: 5
8: 6
7.5: 16
7: 16
6.5: 15
6: 18
5.5: 11
5: 5
4.5: 4
4: 7
3.5: 4
3: 1
2.5: 6
2: 4
1.5: 3
1: 1
And nothing below 1.

That gives us an average of 6.19. Pretty good! That might seem low, but if were treating 5 as average, the overall crop is above average. Also, I really really liked the songs at the top, so yay :)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1V_3X_4XLapMh8KL1EeknlbAHUQUZoRsMAtYWiYLM-j0/edit#gid=0
Heres a spreadsheet that has:

• a sheet with every nom, with link, nominator, and composer(s) (thank Mycro for that!)
• a blank sheet where Ill post the songs as they fall
• a separate sheet with columns for nominators; songs will also be posted here as they fall, but there will be stats for average placement and rating per nominator

I think thats it. I just want to say again how pleased I am at the quality of the nominations. Not just quality diversity too. I honestly didnt know what to expect but I was seriously worried Id have to crap on everything. But this was good stuff! Thanks everyone. :)

Onward we go, to Pokemontown!

...but first, a small detour.