Board 8 > Kenri and CG7 (yes, again) rank 100 pieces of VGmusic [the actual rankings]

(+) Yeah! (+)

From: Kenri | #048
So, the good news for you is that Katawa Shoujo is one of my favorite games

man what

was it your first VN or something

--
thelefty for analysis crew 2008 imo -tranny
I have a third degree burn in flame-o-nomics -Sir Chris

yes, it was. <_<

unless you count like Phoenix Wright or something but to me that's more of an adventure game.

--
"The courtroom is the garden of holy judgment. Those with lechery in their hearts should leave this sanctuary at once!" ~Franziska von Karma

Kenri posted...
84. Blazing Angels - Main Theme
Nominated by: Ace_Killjoy


Is it just me or do a lot of Western-made games these days get orchestrated main themes in a style very much similar to this? It definitely seems that way and I really just sort of group them all together in my mind. I don't dislike the style, per se, it's just a lot of them sound very same-y and generic. To its credit, Blazing Angels goes in a much more somber direction than a lot of them, which differentiates it slightly, though I'm still not a huge fan of it.

76. Gradius III - Sandstorm
Nominated by: Ace_Killjoy


Sandstorm's... neat. That's the best word I can use for it, I think. It really only has one trick and what you hear is what you get, but that one trick is okay with me. It's one of those tracks I enjoy listening to while it's playing and then never think about again.

I like you. You're a positive person. :D

Blazing Angel's Theme being of a common style doesn't really surprise me. I don't play many of those types of games, so I don't hear them too often.

I'm kind of surprised that Sandsorm was ranked that low, but that's really just a personal preference. Actually, I dug around and found that song specifically for this contest. I wanted to submit a Gradius song and found a cool one I hadn't heard before.
I need a PSP so I can play more Gradius. >_>

--
Proud member of the Global Defence Force.
http://img.imgcake.com/AlecTrevylan006/AceKilljoyShieldpngyp.png

good to see none of mine out in the bottom 30 for either. Heck, even getting out of the bottom 20 was a new record :O

Oh, cool. My AIM's "TheKenri" but I have a closed list, I think. I guess I'll unclose it. >_>

Tonight's not a good time to IM me though because I'm about to leave. Should be online tomorrow though.

--
"The courtroom is the garden of holy judgment. Those with lechery in their hearts should leave this sanctuary at once!" ~Franziska von Karma

In regards to Poet And The Muse, the reason the lyrics don't make any sense is that you really do have to play the game to understand them. They're actually literal plot points, specifically what happened to one of the characters and his lover 40 years before the game takes place (the verses), and also give clues to Alan on how to rescue his wife from the game's villain (the chorus).

To anyone who hasn't played Alan Wake, I can understand if you find it weird. If you have played it, it's quite awesome.

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A runabout! I'll steal it! NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW!

Hmmm, the nominations of mine killed off by CG7 are the ones Kenri still has to rank and vice-versa.

Excluding B.T. Dutch of course, but that wasn't exactly a serious nomination.

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http://i39.tinypic.com/2d7sp7b.jpg http://i51.tinypic.com/21llhd4.gif
http://i53.tinypic.com/2h7m3p5.png http://i29.tinypic.com/2s0zr0y.jpg

Tag.

--
Work smart. Not hard

Some of my nominations may have crashed and burned so far...but the remaining ones will soar to the top!

--
Geologists will date anything.

74. Katawa Shoujo – Parity
User: Phase
Link:

First Impressions: Nowhere near the best piano track that could have been picked.

Thoughts: I have heard a few Katawa Shoujo tracks, courtesy of Kenri (who is still trying to get me to play it, and I will… eventually), and they were all better than this. I like most piano pieces. This one is a bit too, um, light-hearted? Like, it gives me a feeling that I generally would not look for a piano track to give me. Those clopping noises are not a credit either, but they have the decency to remain short.

This, I can understand. This was intentionally picked as a strange piano piece, so it's not going to be everyone's pot of paint. (in fact, that's pretty much the reason I like it, actually)

What I cannot understand is how BBCSEX OP is better than this in some way. It's... just... what. The song is bad. In fact, it's so bad compared to the opening animation it spawned a small meme: Everything Goes With BBCSEX Opening. (except Sokyuu no Hikari) Which, while not entirely true, it is surprising what it does go with:

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assert(!hotterThan(foo, "Hot Nymphomaniacal Lesbian Mind-Controlling Dominatrix Fairy Doctors with glasses"))

I forgot to mention that I've also heard Baldr Force - Face of Fact before in my opening list. Whoops. Consider it added.

Next fifteen!

70. Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City – Disturbances ~Their Own Justice
User: FL81
Link:

First Impressions: Nope, not feeling much here.

Thoughts: This seems like the sort of music that I might find catchy when playing the game. Outside of it, it barely has an impact on me. I think my main problem is it never really changes. Like, differences are done through the track, but the instruments and melody sound so similar throughout that it gets sort of boring. This is despite its fast pace too.

Rating: 5/10

69. Sonic CD – Sonic Boom
User: KirinATW
Link:

First Impressions: SONIC VOCALLLLLLLLLLLLSSSSSSSSSSSS.

Thoughts: Okay, let me be fair. This is not as bad as a lot of Sonic vocal songs. That is more because those usually suck rather than this being particularly good though. The chorus is sort of catchy, but the rest is nothing impressive, and the lyrics are too silly for my liking. I know that is probably hypocritical since I like certain other songs for their lyrics and they might be just as cheesy, but there you go.

Rating: 5/10

68. Donkey Kong Country 2 – Lockjaw’s Saga
User: todbot1
Link:

First Impressions: Donkey Kong Overrated 2 – Mediocre Music Saga.

Thoughts: I never got the love for the Donkey Kong Country soundtracks overall. I like Stickerbrush Symphony, or Stickerbush Symphony if you want to call it that, and the rest hovers around average or worse. I sort of like the fast, soft effect, but everything else seems to be trying to put me to sleep. I do not appreciate that.

Ratings: 5/10

67. Burnout 3: Takedown – Shine
User: Orochimaru_Fan
Link:

First Impressions: How does something from a game called Burnout manage to be so laid back?

Thoughts: I had a hard time deciding how to rank this one. The length is a problem, as I got tired of hearing it around halfway through. It also has some effects I am not that fond of. What gives it some saving grace is the light techno effect that appears early on, and the faster pace it gets a bit later. If it got to that faster section, well, faster, I would be far more positive to this. The minute and a half build up or so simply takes too long.

Rating: 5.5/10

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66. Wild Arms – Adlehyde Castle
User: SuperAngelo128
Link:

First Impressions: Is there an unwritten rule that all castle music needs to be cool?

Thoughts: In terms of castle music, this sort of falls low, namely because castle music is often really awesome. It still manages to be better than decent though. I attribute that to the wind instrument that keeps showing up. It would land at, or below, the average mark without that instrument.

Rating: 5.5/10

--
You laugh at my Celtic Guardian, until I use my Scapegoat, and then United We Stand, Mage Power, and 3 Axe Of Despairs, with Gaia Power out.
11900/7800

65. Zelda: Skyward Sword – Island in the Sky
User: KirinATW
Link:

First Impressions: That wind instrument is like the only thing of significance.

Thoughts: To be fair, this does not sound like generic town music. It sounds like generic peaceful music instead. This does nothing to separate itself from as a track worth remembering. I don’t mind listening to it, since it sounds pleasant enough, but there’s no way I would go looking for it.

Rating: 5.5/10

64. Seinarukana – The Bravery
User: Phase
Link:
Link I Used:

First Impressions: Not bad, but it seems awfully short.

Thoughts: By the time I got around to listening to this, the original link had been taken down, hence why I used a different one. I think the problem with the length is actually probably not a big issue when hearing it in game. It sort of makes me think of panic music, and panic music rarely lasts long. Even so, it does not leave enough time for me to really get attached to it.

Rating: 5.5/10

63. Magical Drop III – KI.MA.GU.RE. [Whimsy]
User: NioraptH
Link:

First Impressions: GAH VOICE CLIPS GO AWAYYY.

Thoughts: Other than the incredibly rude and awful voice clips at the beginning and end, this is all right. I am going to give this the benefit of the doubt and assume the clips are part of the game rather than the track itself. This felt like it was going somewhere, but ended before it could reach that point. In other words, way too short. What it manages to do is fairly pleasant, and really nothing else.

Rating: 5.5/10

62. Castle Crashers – Stage Cleared/The Race Around The World
User: SSBDarren64
Link:

First Impressions: This is the weirdest stage cleared theme ever.

Thoughts: I dislike the first section with the high pitched notes. They sort of hurt my ears. The rest, however, is pretty good. It also has some bells, so hurray for that. This is not as good as some of the Castle Crasher tracks I have heard, but it is good enough for me to enjoy hearing, other than the beginning.

Rating: 5.5/10

61. Nanostray – Sekai Outpost
User: Ace_Killkoy
Link:

First Impressions: If nothing else, it is pretty catchy.

Thoughts: Most of my fondness for this comes from the opening. That part is fun to hear, even if the rest of it settled around the mediocre range for me. The beat stands out more to me than the techno effects. I do have to give props for the background music. It compliments the louder parts pretty well.

Rating: 5.5/10

--
You laugh at my Celtic Guardian, until I use my Scapegoat, and then United We Stand, Mage Power, and 3 Axe Of Despairs, with Gaia Power out.
11900/7800

60. Star Ocean 4 – Sacrificial Lamb
User: electricpiper
Link:

First Impressions: Not much to go off here, really.

Thoughts: Notice how many of the soundtracks landing here are about a minute and a half long? There are a lot of good tracks of short length, but I much prefer longer ones. Of course, making it too long leads to other problems, so it is a fine balance. This one definitely feels like there should be more to it. The instruments are good, and the ominous chanting is nice, but there is almost no room to have that expanded on.

Rating: 5.5/10

59. BlazBlue Continuum Shift Extend – Soukyu no Hikari (Short Version)
User: Phase
Link:

First Impressions: I usually like vocal songs more than this.

Thoughts: Japanese tracks like this? They often get a high score from me. Not this one. The vocalist is not as good as most, to the point I think the background music is actually better. That’s not something I say often. In addition, it is short. I know, I know, it warned me by being called the short version, and it probably goes with the game opening. That still makes it seem an unsatisfying length.

Rating: 5.5/10

58. Skies of Arcadia – Bombardment 2
User: Mega Mana
Link:

First Impressions: Bombardment 1 is better.

Thoughts: I like hearing Skies of Arcadia’s soundtrack in game. It compliments the atmosphere well. Outside of it? There really is not much in the way of it being special. This track falls in that category. If it stayed more like its introduction, I would like it more. Instead it gets sort of mellow, to the point that I lose some interest in it despite it not being a long track.

Rating: 5.5/10

57. Muv-Luv Alternative – Seimei no Honou
User: Phase
Link:

First Impressions: Great build up, but not much else to comment on.

Thoughts: My guess is that this plays during a dramatic, and perhaps saddening, story scene. It is probably great for atmosphere in a situation like that. I really did not care much about it on its own though. It sounds nice, it just does nothing to stick out in my mind. For any reason. So there’s the issue for me.

Rating: 5.5/10

56. Digital: A Love Story – Paper Dolls
User: SSBDarren64
Link:

First Impressions: Is this thing schizophrenic?

Thoughts: What the heck? We start with a train or something, and then calm music, and then it becomes something energetic and stays that way until near the very end, where it abruptly becomes calm again. I am not fond of the first and last part, but that middle section is pretty cool. It takes up most of the piece, so ignoring the rest of it is fairly simple.

Rating: 5.5/10

--
You laugh at my Celtic Guardian, until I use my Scapegoat, and then United We Stand, Mage Power, and 3 Axe Of Despairs, with Gaia Power out.
11900/7800

70. Warblade - In-Game Music
Nominated by: JONALEON


So this is pretty interesting. I like a lot of what it does; especially like that section from 1:50 to 2:02. At the same time it doesn't overly impress me; at best it has a few sections where I stop and go "okay, that was neat". Don't have very many criticisms here, but I think part of that is because it doesn't take very many risks.


69. Mr Driller Soundtracks - Georian *Solar Eclipse Mix*
Nominated by: NioraptH


Another hard one for me to rank. I like what it does, but at the same time I really want it to be better. At around 2 minutes it's not unreasonably short but it still feels like it barely got started by the time it's over. I do like that woodwind instrument though.


68. Great Gatsby, The - Martini Rag
Nominated by: Kamekguy


That is some ****ing awesome artwork in the video there. Just sayin'. It doesn't affect the ranking at all but people need to know. ****ing awesome. Incidentally, I think that boss is about as far as I got in the game before trying to play on a keyboard got the better of me...

Oh right, I'm supposed to talk about music here... Martini Rag is a very smooth sounding chiptune, which is I guess appropriate to its name. That said, it's waaaay too short (I think a single loop is only like 30 seconds long?) and even disregarding that, all I really think about it is "oh, this is neat. ...next." No staying power, is I guess what I'm getting at.


67. Bomberman 64: The Second Attack - Warship Noah
Nominated by: Epyon


Warship Noah is legitimately pretty cool (in addition to having a cool name). It starts out sort of "whatever" but I like how it builds in intensity. That said I do feel like it's extremely repetitive. ...And that's all I have to say about this.


66. Xenoblade - Unfinished Battle
Nominated by: Orochimaru_Fan


It's called Unfinished Battle because everyone keeps running away from battle to make this song stop playing lolololo [/joke that i think i've used like four times now in reference to this song]

So Unfinished Battle. I'm not a big fan of it and I have no idea why because it's the type of music I generally like. I think part of it is that after you've heard 20 seconds of it, you've pretty much heard the entire thing... or at least I feel that way, I'm sure someone could offer a very thorough analysis of why I'm completely wrong about that. Anyway, my point is that it's... not even repetitive, just stagnant. However those 20 seconds of it are pretty cool so it ends up placing decently anyway.

--
"The courtroom is the garden of holy judgment. Those with lechery in their hearts should leave this sanctuary at once!" ~Franziska von Karma

65. Dawn of War 2 - For The Craftworld
Nominated by: Ace_Killjoy


I used to really like them, but over the years I've become sort of disillusioned with songs that go with the whole "intense Latin or something-that-sounds-like-Latin chanting" angle, just because it's done so much. That said, this is still quite cool, in part because the chanting isn't the focal point of it, it's just there to provide some extra flavor. It's definitely intense though, and really dark, which I like. At the very end it starts to overstay its welcome a little bit, but whatever, it's not a big deal.


64. Sonic CD - Sonic Boom
Nominated by: KirinATW


Haha, Sonic Boom. What a "great" song. I'm willing to admit that I legitimately enjoy a lot of Sonic music with vocals -- like, I enjoy it unironically. There's also a lot of crap. This is somewhere in the middle. I definitely prefer the part with actual vocals; the rest of the song is sort of a write-off for me and I honestly didn't even remember the song HAD parts without vocals until listening to it and being like, "oh, huh". The lyrics themselves are cheesy, but whatever, they're sort of catchy at least. It's not about Sonic at all though. "There is no circumstance that you can't handle / When you use your mind"? uh-huh. because that's how sonic solves his problems. with critical thinking.


63. Tyrian - Rock Garden
Nominated by: azuarc


I like a lot of music from Tyrian, actually - Asteroid Dance 1 is probably my favorite of what I've heard. This one is... just sort of there. I do like it, but it's not as good as a lot of the game's music. Part of that is this weird fake electric guitar(?) section near the middle of the song that's ridiculous and difficult to take seriously because it sounds so bad. Everything else is fine, if unextraordinary.


62. Blazer Drive - Galuda 003i
Nominated by: Ed Bellis


This reminds me of bad pop music... but in a good way... if that makes sense. I think most of that is the distorted vocals, which I'm not sure how much I like but they're also the most interesting part of this so I consider that a wash! It's definitely catchy, at the very least.


61. Persona 3 - Mass Destruction (Reincarnation Version)
Nominated by: swordz9


Is there a version of Mass Destruction with just the rap sections? Because I used to be like "whatever" about everything else in the song (BABY BABY) but now I think I'm leaning towards it being openly detrimental.

Even then though the rap sections aren't fantastic. I like them, but... I dunno. The lyrics are kinda dumb, for one thing; it's not rapping about searching for pieces of the Master Emerald but I think I'd almost prefer that for humor value, compared to this generic "I'm a freelancer / Do for Benjamins, but I'm not a gangster" bull****.

--
"The courtroom is the garden of holy judgment. Those with lechery in their hearts should leave this sanctuary at once!" ~Franziska von Karma

60. Nanostray - Sekai Outpost
Nominated by: Ace_Killjoy


Pretty cool song. I feel like a lot of the more interesting stuff happens in the background though; I wish it was a bit louder, because the main beat almost drowns it out. That's not a big issue though. The actual sound quality also seems kinda low but that's just DS music being DS music, so I can't hold that against it.


59. Sword of Mana - Courage and Pride from the Heart
Nominated by: agesboy


Another one where the actual sound quality seems... really low, but whatever. I don't feel like this is a particularly unique or monumental track, but I enjoyed it a surprising amount. I've already mentioned not particularly liking battle themes, and in particular I generally don't like JRPG battle themes, but this one... works. I especially like the percussion-heavy section near the end.


58. Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2 - Divine Entity
Nominated by: azuarc


Another example of "I'm not crazy about battle themes". In this case though I feel like it has a lot of elements that don't really work together so well. The piano that comes in for a few seconds, like twice throughout the piece. I like it, but not so much in conjunction with everything that comes before it and after it. But I'm being too negative. Overall I think this is a very competent battle theme.


57. Skies of Arcadia - Bombardment 2
Nominated by: Mega Mana


I'm a big fan of Skies of Arcadia and its soundtrack. This isn't the piece I'd really go to for good music from the game (think my favorite is still the Main Theme, which is a bit of an unpopular opinion, I think). I definitely like this, though. It's a battle theme, but not as chaotic as a lot of them tend to be, probably because ship battles in SoA were a lot more strategy-oriented... or at least seemed that way due to the system used. In general I just like the style Skies uses for its music. Not sure if it's actually orchestrated or just fakes it, but in either case it's great to listen to both in and out of the game.


56. Rusty - Queen in the Dark Night
Nominated by: FL81


So this is a Castlevania ripoff game? Queen in the Dark Knight definitely sounds Castlevania-y. It sounds Stage 1-y too so I guess it's fairly appropriate. I feel like this is the kind of song I'd hear in game and think it's pretty good but never really go out of my way to look up again, especially if there were better tracks from the same game.

--
"The courtroom is the garden of holy judgment. Those with lechery in their hearts should leave this sanctuary at once!" ~Franziska von Karma

MY BEAUTIFUL NOMINATIONS...Aaaarrggghhh!!!

--
Geologists will date anything.

I have a feeling I'm being set up for a string of my noms somewhere in the 40's.

--
I sold my sig for gas money.
SuperNiceDog just kicked my ass.

Kenri posted...
63. Tyrian - Rock Garden
I like a lot of music from Tyrian, actually - Asteroid Dance 1 is probably my favorite of what I've heard. This one is... just sort of there. I do like it, but it's not as good as a lot of the game's music. Part of that is this weird fake electric guitar(?) section near the middle of the song that's ridiculous and difficult to take seriously because it sounds so bad. Everything else is fine, if unextraordinary.

Rock Garden seemed to go over well during Best OST. So did Camanis. My original songs I had leading Tyrian's line-up got pulled based on the comments I got. I understand why someone wouldn't like Rock Garden, but it seems to have more likeability overall than most of the soundtrack. My favorite is Gryphons of the West, but I dunno if I'd get much agreement there.

That said, Space Journey 2 > Asteroid Dance 1.

Kenri posted...
65. Dawn of War 2 - For The Craftworld
Nominated by: Ace_Killjoy


I used to really like them, but over the years I've become sort of disillusioned with songs that go with the whole "intense Latin or something-that-sounds-like-Latin chanting" angle, just because it's done so much. That said, this is still quite cool, in part because the chanting isn't the focal point of it, it's just there to provide some extra flavor. It's definitely intense though, and really dark, which I like. At the very end it starts to overstay its welcome a little bit, but whatever, it's not a big deal.


Interesting. To me, the chanting is the focus (lyrics tend to get my attention, when present). I'm glad you think it's dark, because... well... it's fitting. I'll just say that.

Kenri posted...
60. Nanostray - Sekai Outpost
Nominated by: Ace_Killjoy


Pretty cool song. I feel like a lot of the more interesting stuff happens in the background though; I wish it was a bit louder, because the main beat almost drowns it out. That's not a big issue though. The actual sound quality also seems kinda low but that's just DS music being DS music, so I can't hold that against it.


Celtic Guardian 7 posted...
61. Nanostray – Sekai Outpost
User: Ace_Killkoy
Link:

First Impressions: If nothing else, it is pretty catchy.

Thoughts: Most of my fondness for this comes from the opening. That part is fun to hear, even if the rest of it settled around the mediocre range for me. The beat stands out more to me than the techno effects. I do have to give props for the background music. It compliments the louder parts pretty well.

Rating: 5.5/10


Oh-HO! I thought this song would get a lower rating, but it averaged at 60.5!
I really wish Manfred would make that Nanostray soundtrack. This series has some good music.

But anyway, I agree that the opening is pretty much the best part.

--
Proud member of the Global Defence Force.
http://img.imgcake.com/AlecTrevylan006/AceKilljoyShieldpngyp.png

Down to 6/10. The Race Around The World is completely down now. There goes my NG Audio Portal representative. ._.

Anyway, I actually think of it as the 2nd best song in Castle Crashers, below WinterBliss.

--
NIO BUNNY:http://img.imgcake.com/nio/45darpnggu.png

59. Sword of Mana - Courage and Pride from the Heart
Nominated by: agesboy


Another one where the actual sound quality seems... really low, but whatever.

Well, sound quality probably seems low because this is exactly how it sounds on the GBA. In my opinion, Sword of Mana pulls off a very different sound than other GBA games and does it well, but I grew up with Secret of Mana music, so eh!

--
"Duel audio? You mean like rap battles?" - termina_rzident
KrahenProphet and Kana are on opposite ends of the Awesome Spectrum.

MY BEAUTIFUL NOMINATIONS...Aaaarrggghhh!!!

This can't be happening!


I have a feeling I'm being set up for a string of my noms somewhere in the 40's.

Always a possibility!

Unless you're out already.

Like Epyon.


Sad Nio is sad....

I-I'm sorry?


Rock Garden seemed to go over well during Best OST. So did Camanis. My original songs I had leading Tyrian's line-up got pulled based on the comments I got. I understand why someone wouldn't like Rock Garden, but it seems to have more likeability overall than most of the soundtrack. My favorite is Gryphons of the West, but I dunno if I'd get much agreement there.

That said, Space Journey 2 > Asteroid Dance 1.

I like Rock Garden! I just don't like like it. We left behind songs I dislike some time ago though. Like back in the 70s.

Space Journey 2's pretty cool but Asteroid Dance 1 is better. *crosses arms*


Well, sound quality probably seems low because this is exactly how it sounds on the GBA. In my opinion, Sword of Mana pulls off a very different sound than other GBA games and does it well, but I grew up with Secret of Mana music, so eh!

Oh wow, I had no idea it was a GBA game. That... explains a lot. I like to think I'm usually pretty decent about picking out what system a song's from, but I was thinking early PS1 or some such for this.

--
"The courtroom is the garden of holy judgment. Those with lechery in their hearts should leave this sanctuary at once!" ~Franziska von Karma

Kenri posted...
Oh wow, I had no idea it was a GBA game. That... explains a lot. I like to think I'm usually pretty decent about picking out what system a song's from, but I was thinking early PS1 or some such for this.

Original Courage and Pride from the Heart, from Final Fantasy Adventure:


I'm a bit of a purist.


I do find it funny that the Seiken Densetsu song finds itself right next to one of my noms, though.

Ha, I actually think I like that version a bit more. It's close, though, they're pretty different.

About tonight's rankings, I have no idea where CG7 is, so I'm gonna give her another hour or so and then just post my rankings and let her play catch up whenever she's next online. <_<

--
"The courtroom is the garden of holy judgment. Those with lechery in their hearts should leave this sanctuary at once!" ~Franziska von Karma

I was off seeing a play called Rhinoceros. It was about rhinoceroses. Shocking, huh? (Seriously I liked it and would recommend it.)

Next fifteen!

55. Frogger’s Adventures: The Rescue – Forgotten Island Level 2
User: MycroProcessor
Link:

First Impressions: Jungle music aw yeah.

Thoughts: This seems like good level music! I like the pipes especially. I think it would be enjoyable to hear in the game but not something I would seek to hear on my own that much. But hey, if I was doing something jungle related, maybe I would go get this one. This certainly beats down the original Frogger’s music from what I remember of it.

Rating: 5.5/10

54. Tales of Eternia – Mid Boss 2
User: agesboy
Link:

First Impressions: I would like to thank whoever thought those obnoxious effects were a good idea.

Thoughts: So you hear that really, really, really awful effect that keeps coming in? If that was gone I would like this. Maybe not as much as some Tales themes, but more than I do now. That one effect is just so bad though. Like, my entire write up is about how BAD that effect is. Just, why, why would anyone do that.

Rating: 5.5/10

53. Final Fantasy X – Rikku’s Theme
User: swordz9
Link:

First Impressions: This is Rikku’s theme? Seriously?

Thoughts: How does this fit Rikku’s character in any way? Getting on to the piece itself, it manages to be a little better than average. This is another case where it feels oddly long, even though it really is not that bad length wise. I think the main problem for me is that I like a lot of Final Fantasy X’s tracks. Most of them are very good. This one comes nowhere near those good ones.

Rating: 5.5/10

52. Super Robot Wars OGs – Ialdabaoth Apotheosized
User: agesboy
Link:

First Impressions: Not particularly special, but good enough.

Thoughts: The main melody manages to remain pretty strong. There are some electric guitarish parts that make me sort of flinch though. I usually like electric guitars, but these ones were harsh and not beneficial. Not the best Super Robot Wars track I have heard. Though, not the worst either, as its score probably indicates.

Rating: 5.5/10

51. Demon’s Crest – Beyond the Colosseum
User: Ed Bellis
Link:

First Impressions: This is good for atmosphere, but not so much on its own.

Thoughts: Organs are cool and need to be used in more tracks. Castlevania is a testament for how good they can be. This track uses it well too. Even so, the rest of it doesn’t really stand out. Some sections I like more than others, and those others stick to the average mark. Definitely appropriate for the game, just not something I would listen to much outside of it.

Rating: 5.5/10

--
You laugh at my Celtic Guardian, until I use my Scapegoat, and then United We Stand, Mage Power, and 3 Axe Of Despairs, with Gaia Power out.
11900/7800

50. Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology – Widdershin
User: Orochimaru_Fan
Link:

First Impressions: Not an incredibly strong Tales piece, but it manages to do okay.

Thoughts: When it comes to Tales battle themes, I like a lot from Symphonia, Abyss, and Vesperia. This? Not as much. It has some neat effects on the occasion, but does little to stand out to me. Nor do I have a desire in particular to listen to it again, unlike most Tales battle themes, where I will stick them on loop and keep listening. So yeah, nothing bad about it, except that its series has set a high standard for me.

Rating: 5.5/10

49. Battle Gear 4 – Slippin’ Away
User: tazzyboyishere
Link:

First Impressions: This is kind of cool. Certainly more so than I thought by seeing the title.

Thoughts: I like the beat here. I also like the instruments used. The louder portions stood out to me more, with the quiet ones being sort of unremarkable. Still, having a handful of good parts and some forgettable ones is enough for me to enjoy hearing it. I have no idea what Battle Gear 4 is, but it has some pretty nice music if the rest is like this.

Rating: 6/10

48. Super Smash Bros. Brawl – Winning Road (Roy’s Hope)
User: SuperAngelo128
Link:

First Impressions: Hey a remix of one of the only Fire Emblem 6 tracks I cared about.

Thoughts: This may seem like some standard triumphant fare music. And okay, really, that is what it is. But darn do I like those horns. And that mystical-sounding chiming effect. I admit it, I really have no reason to like this so much other than the instruments being highly appealing to me. But like it I do.

Rating: 6/10

47. Digital: A Love Story – Space Beacon
User: Kamekguy
Link:

First Impressions: After a shaky start, this gets rather catchy.

Thoughts: What an awful introduction. I was sure this would be getting a really low ranking with that introduction. Thankfully, at about the minute mark, it gets far better. And by that I mean it jumps like four points from that section alone. If only the beginning didn’t suck. As it is, I think Digital: A Love Story’s soundtrack is overall not for me. Nor are Kamekguy’s tracks as appealing as others to me. However, he chose some interesting ones, and I appreciate his diversity for that. Even if he was second to go out, a few of the tracks he submitted will be remembered by me.

Rating: 6/10

46. Gradius III – Sandstorm
User: Ace_Killjoy
Link:

First Impressions: I think I like this!

Thoughts: This feels like a track I should throw the “generic” label on. Even so, I wound up enjoying it. Maybe because the melody is good. Maybe because the effects are good. Maybe it is just good. Yeah, let’s chalk it up to being good. Not amazing, but good.

Rating: 6/10

--
You laugh at my Celtic Guardian, until I use my Scapegoat, and then United We Stand, Mage Power, and 3 Axe Of Despairs, with Gaia Power out.
11900/7800

45. Tyrian – Rock Garden
User: azuarc
Link:

First Impressions: Rocking out in a laid back way. …No really that is my definition here.

Thoughts: Who thought a rock garden would have calm rock music? Because that is the best way I can describe this. It has a fun feel to it, and I wound up enjoying it far more than I expected to. It is also catchy and I have the beat stuck in my head. Better get to the next track so I can stop thinking of it.

Rating: 6/10

44. Iji – Tor
User: KirinATW
Link:

First Impressions: I have no idea who Tor is, but he has a pretty nice theme.

Thoughts: Anyone feel like jamming? This is a good track for it. None of the separate parts especially stand out to me, but as a whole, it turns out pretty nice. The slower part later on sort of feels odd, I guess. The beat remains fairly up there though, so it is not a huge deal.

Rating: 6/10

43. Touhou Project: Imperishable Night – Gensokyo Millenium ~ History of the Moon
User: SuperAngelo128
Link:

First Impressions: I still like Touhouz.

Thoughts: Not the best Touhou track in my mind. Imperishable Night is a great soundtrack, but I prefer other tracks from it to this one. The horns sort of split me. On one hand, I like how they sound. On the other, they seem a bit too loud for comfort. I dunno. It still does well, I mean, Touhou is Touhou.

Rating: 6/10

42. Super Mario Galaxy 2 – Bowser’s Galaxy Generator
User: todbot1
Link:

First Impressions: Does this seem far too cheerful to anyone else?

Thoughts: I would not guess we were going to fight a giant, spiked shelled, fire-breathing turtle/dragon/lizard thing of doom to this music. It sounds too upbeat and happy for that. To its credit, it does better than a lot of music with that feeling would do to me. The horns in particular are pretty good.

Ratings: 6/10

41. The King of Fighters XIII - Diabolosis
User: NioraptH
Link:

First Impressions: This has the longest introduction ever.

Thoughts: I seriously felt like the introduction to this track lasted over a minute. Even after that, the whole thing, to me, appeared as a long build up for something that never came. I was sort of on the edge, waiting for it to break through, and it did not. That was sort of disappointing, though I did enjoy the effects used. Particularly the electronic-heavy sections, those were especially nice. I could see it growing on me if I listened to it more.

Rating: 6/10

--
You laugh at my Celtic Guardian, until I use my Scapegoat, and then United We Stand, Mage Power, and 3 Axe Of Despairs, with Gaia Power out.
11900/7800

Celtic Guardian 7 posted...
46. Gradius III – Sandstorm
User: Ace_Killjoy
Link:

First Impressions: I think I like this!

Thoughts: This feels like a track I should throw the “generic” label on. Even so, I wound up enjoying it. Maybe because the melody is good. Maybe because the effects are good. Maybe it is just good. Yeah, let’s chalk it up to being good. Not amazing, but good.

Rating: 6/10

I can live with that.

Also, hahahaha! Once again, a nom of mine makes it into your top 50!

--
Proud member of the Global Defence Force.
http://img.imgcake.com/AlecTrevylan006/AceKilljoyShieldpngyp.png

obligatory reminder that all of these writeups were written some time ago and i have not changed them at all based on what CG7 has posted thus far

55. Grandia Xtreme - Combat 1
Nominated by: NioraptH


Is it just me or does this track have a little Latin flair to it? Definitely not what I was expecting from a game called Grandia XTREME. Needs more guitar solos and explosions and bad punk rock to be XTREME. seriously though that is a dumb name and i'm glad the music is way better than the name would suggest. I don't really like the section from 1:42 to 1:54 but it's short enough to not be an issue. Possibly the best thing I can say about it, though, is that it's rather unique for a battle theme, which is always nice to hear.


54. Touhou 8: Imperishable Night - Gensokyo Millenium ~ History of the Moon
Nominated by: SuperAngelo


The funny thing about Touhou music in this topic is going to be the difference in rankings between CG7 (who loves Touhou music) and me (who generally doesn't like Touhou music). That said, it's not going to be as funny as it could have been because nobody nominated anything truly terrible. In fact I actually like both History of the Moon and True Administrator. My general criticism of Touhou music is that it's really cluttered and directionless and same-y, but History of the Moon generally avoids... two of those things. It's definitely same-y though; I'm not sure I could name a single characteristic of this that sets it apart from any other piece of Touhou music aside from just being of a higher quality than most.


53. Wild Arms - Adlehyde Castle
Nominated by: SuperAngelo


Oh man. The first few seconds of this sound SO MUCH like a track from... I want to say Fire Emblem 4? It does kind of go downhill from there in my opinion but I still like it. I'm usually not a big fan of Wild Arms' music, but this ranks among the best from it that I've heard. Just wish more of it was like those first few seconds. >_>


52. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective - Jowd ~A Captive of Fate
Nominated by: KirinATW


This is neat. It definitely reminds me of Ace Attorney music which I guess makes sense. I think it would work better as BGM though; listening to it by itself, it gets kind of repetitive, though it's good enough to start with that it being repetitive doesn't bother me too much.


51. Seinarukana - The Bravery
Nominated by: Phase


Original link is dead, but I got to it before it went down, so yay.

Sort of reminds me of Skies of Arcadia's music. I like pretty much everything this does; it develops just enough as it goes to stay interesting without becoming something entirely different. I wish it was longer though. It's trying to be dramatic but at 1:27 it just doesn't have quite enough time to pull that off.

--
"The courtroom is the garden of holy judgment. Those with lechery in their hearts should leave this sanctuary at once!" ~Franziska von Karma

50. Sonic 3D Blast (Genesis) - Volcano Valley Act 1
Nominated by: tazzyboyishere


Probably what I'd consider the single best track from any Sonic game comes from Sonic 3D Blast, though the Saturn version - that would be Rusty Ruins Zone Act 2. This is... not as good as that, but still quite enjoyable. I like how it's so low in pitch, especially compared to a lot of chiptunes which can be irritatingly high pitched. The beginning is sort of weird but after it gets a chance to get going it's really quite good.


49. Touhou: Ten Desires - Shoutoku Legend ~ True Administrator
Nominated by: todbot


To quote what I said about this a little while ago when xp1337 showed it to me, "I hate hate hate hate hate hate HATE those drum-heavy sections (2:10 through 2:26, for example) which are so slow and not melodic at all and oh my god why do those exist at all." But I still like the piece overall! This is definitely "good Touhou" as far as I'm concerned and if all Touhou music was like this, I'd probably have a much higher opinion of the series' music.


48. Ys Origin - Genesis Beyond the Beginning
Nominated by: Ed Bellis


This is actually a really cool song. It fakes me out a couple times, making me think it's going to go in one direction and then changing that up. That might annoy me in another song, but here the end result is way more interesting than any individual component, so it works out in the best way. Not a fan of that electric guitar-heavy section near the end though; it just seems kind of out of place. Everything until that and after that is awesome though.


47. Iji - Tor
Nominated by: KirinATW


The first time I listened to this, I was ready to hit it with my usual "kind of obnoxious, also noisy and cluttered and directionless" complaint, and even now I really can't say that it isn't those things, but... I sort of found myself enjoying it as it went on. And I have no idea why because it's really not the kind of music I usually like. I guess it just sort of won me over because it does have quite a few things going for it. It has a lot of intensity and is very unique, and I really dig that slower section near the middle of the piece. So the positives manage to outweigh the negatives here.


46. Elder Scrolls IV, The: Oblivion - Wings of Kynareth
Nominated by: Mega Mana


My experience with Elder Scrolls music is mostly limited to being forced by a "friend" to endure 290474246 Explore variants from Morrowind, so SUFFICE TO SAY I was extremely pleased when this was actually good! I have a big weakness for bowed string instruments so that definitely helps this piece out. That said, I'm not a big fan of that section from 1:10 to 1:37; it's weird and doesn't really fit with the rest of the piece in my opinion, in addition to just being less good.

--
"The courtroom is the garden of holy judgment. Those with lechery in their hearts should leave this sanctuary at once!" ~Franziska von Karma

45. Donkey Kong Country 2 - Lockjaw's Saga
Nominated by: todbot


Not one of my absolute favorites from DKC, but I do think it's better than a lot of ones people tend to hype up (*coughminingmelancholycough*). I actually like like the sound of water sloshing around that Lockjaw's Saga uses; if it used it too much it might get annoying, but I think a few uses now and then really build atmosphere (also, I just like the sound of water). Speaking of atmosphere, this is definitely an atmosphere piece, but I think it works really well in that regard, so that's fine with me.


44. Fate/hollow ataraxia - Excalibur
Nominated by: Phase


Original link is dead, but I got to it before it went down, so yay.

Cool song. I really like the beginning; it's very dramatic and distinctive. It then segues into a section that goes on a bit long in my opinion, and then at about 1 minute in changes completely in a way that I really like. So, that section in the middle is the only real flaw here, and even then it's not bad at all, I just prefer everything else.


43. Digital: A Love Story - Space Beacon
Nominated by: Kamekguy


I'm not particularly familiar with Digital's soundtrack, but I think I listened to most of it... once? This isn't the best track from it by any means but I have a fairly positive opinion of the soundtrack of a whole. I actually think I like the very beginning of this (the first 45 or so seconds) the most, though none of it is bad by any means.


42. Frogger's Adventures: The Rescue - Forgotten Island Level 2
Nominated by: MycroProcessor


I really like the little bird/insect? chirps used in this; that kind of thing can sometimes be distracting but here they're subtle enough that they just add to the piece. Also like the instruments used, though I can't name... any of them with any degree of certainty. LOOK AT HOW GOOD I AM AT TALKING ABOUT MUSIC GUYS. This definitely sounds like jungle music, and I mean that in the best way possible.


41. Burnout 3: Takedown - Shine
Nominated by: Orochimaru_Fan


My kind of music, or at least sometimes it is. Really smooth and I love how it builds as it goes on. Also like how it keeps introducing new elements and subtly changing itself up to keep from getting repetitive. It doesn't have one stand out section, but that's mostly because the whole thing is so consistently good.

--
"The courtroom is the garden of holy judgment. Those with lechery in their hearts should leave this sanctuary at once!" ~Franziska von Karma

Honestly I'm just very happy to be interesting. My tastes are frightfully standard - skewed toward piano, enjoy that ironic type of SA2 stuff, loved DKC2, Umineko, and Okami - so I feel it's best to create a broader spread. Sorry I couldn't find something quite so enticing for you, CG7. I will attempt to do better whenever you inevitably do this again.

--
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lvb2chGY8D1qm7gfoo1_500.jpg
SuperNiceDog? More like SuperChillGuy. Who is better than me at brackets by a mile.

At least neither of you have mentioned Unicorn yet and CG7 still has the chance for having super awesome taste in Rebirth the Edge! Wonder if I should have nominated Mars instead >__>

--
"Duel audio? You mean like rap battles?" - termina_rzident
KrahenProphet and Kana are on opposite ends of the Awesome Spectrum.

Looks like one of my songs has yet to show up on either list... eeeeexcellent.

--
R.I.P Whitney Houston
We WIll Always Love You.

Next fifteen!

40. Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3 – Unicorn
User: agesboy
Link:

First Impressions: It’s a Gundam!

Thoughts: Whoo, vocals! Whoo, percussion! And… well that is about all I can comment on. Those two are done well, but the track is less than two minutes and fails to have any other impact on me. It also has a giant robot instead of a unicorn. That was pretty disappointing. I liked hearing it though.

Rating: 6/10

39. Touhou: Ten Desires – Shoutoku Legend ~ True Administrator
User: todbot1
Link:

First Impressions: I like Touhous! They’re comfy and easy to listen to!

Thoughts: I am not all too familiar with the soundtrack for Ten Desires, but what I have heard has been pretty good. I think I need to hear it more so I can grow more attached. This is one of the only tracks I have heard before, and it is pretty good. I especially like the section after one minute. The rest is not as good as that, but it still remains good.

Rating: 6/10

38. Darius Gaiden – VISIONNERZ
User: MycroProcessor
Link:

First Impressions: Awesome background music is awesome.

Thoughts: This track, right here, is pretty neat. It does a few weird things but I wound up liking those weird things for the most part. The vocals in particular, to the shock of nobody, but the introduction is also remarkably good. I like the underlying music that carries the entire track too. This is another hit or miss, but for me, it hits.

Rating: 6/10

37. Neotokyo - Haka
User: tazzyboyishere
Link:

First Impressions: A Neotokyo track with unique effects, I never would have thought that could happen.

Thoughts: Neotokyo’s soundtrack is a bit strange for me. I respect it, because it does a lot of interesting things and stands out significantly. However, I do not particularly care to listen to most of them. They rank above average most of the time, but I do not have the love for it that a lot of people do. Haka is another example of an intriguing track that simply fails to make itself incredibly liked by me. I would rank it above some Neotokyo tracks for its vocals, but lower than others because of those somewhat annoying horns that come in occasionally.

Rating: 6/10

36. Mr. Driller – Georian *Solar Eclipse Mix*
User: NioraptH
Link:

First Impressions: What is with Mr. Driller having such a cool soundtrack?

Thoughts: The Dragon’s Feed is the People is better. Now that I have made that important distinction, this is a neat track too! It has effects that I like and is generally good. I sort of wish it was a bit longer, but I can live with this length too. Good stuff, especially with that wind instrument.

Rating: 6/10

--
You laugh at my Celtic Guardian, until I use my Scapegoat, and then United We Stand, Mage Power, and 3 Axe Of Despairs, with Gaia Power out.
11900/7800

35. Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies – Megalith -Agnus Dei-
User: todbot1
Link:

First Impressions: Seven minutes of these types of vocals? Uuuuugh.

Thoughts: As you can probably guess, my first impression did not carry through. The vocals actually managed to be pretty good. The instruments did not have a large impact on me, but the brass is nice in a few sections. I feel that this went on a little too long for my liking. I would rather have it be too long instead of too short, to be fair. And it still manages to be appealing. While todbot1 is the third to have all his pieces posted, I found them diverse and a fun selection to see. I appreciate his participation as well.

Rating: 6/10

34. Big Bot Audio Drop – Amity
User: JONALEON1
Link: http://albums.sgxmusic.com/track/amity-game-edit

First Impressions: Quite mellow, it seems like good background music.

Thoughts: We should shun this track for not being a Youtube link. …Okay, really, I like those strings. I know it’s been said before, but hey, I like strings like that! Some of the effects that come in are also pretty nifty. It keeps a calm atmosphere while failing to bore, and I always appreciate tracks that can do that for me.

Rating: 6/10

33. Ever17 (Xbox360) – Karma
User: SuperAngelo128
Link:

First Impressions: Did I mention I like lovely piano pieces?

Thoughts: I have to agree that I like the PC version more than this one. Namely, the chimes and other added instruments seem to add too many layers to it. I preferred it as a piano-central piece. Mind you, this still focuses on the piano. But the rest of the added stuff, eh. Still, it’s not like they absolutely butchered the original or something. I still like it.

Rating: 6/10

32. Metal Gear Solid 4 – Main Theme
User: electricpiper
Link:

First Impressions: A surprisingly long main theme, but a good one.

Thoughts: When I think of video game themes, I tend to think of the two minute or so track that plays with the introduction. That is why I made the remark that a four minute one is a bit longer than I am used to. I really like the faster parts, but it gets slow later and that sort of takes away the enjoyment for me. Not completely, just not enough to let it get any farther than this.

Rating: 6.5/10

31. Umineko Chiru Ep 8 – lixaxil
User: SuperAngelo128
Link:

First Impressions: Rocking out to this beat is easier than trying to tell what letter it starts with.

Thoughts: If it is an Umineko track, chances are I will like it. I do like this one. It sort of feels unimpressive after the several other great Umineko tracks I have heard, but I am not counting that against the piece itself. It has an awesome beat and some fun effects to hear. If only I was sure I was spelling it right.

Rating: 6.5/10

--
You laugh at my Celtic Guardian, until I use my Scapegoat, and then United We Stand, Mage Power, and 3 Axe Of Despairs, with Gaia Power out.
11900/7800

And it looks like I'm a master of jinxing myself. Ah well, that's not bad at all.

--
R.I.P Whitney Houston
We WIll Always Love You.

It also has a giant robot instead of a unicorn. That was pretty disappointing.

If it's any consolation, this is what it looks like in non-badass mode!



--
"Duel audio? You mean like rap battles?" - termina_rzident
KrahenProphet and Kana are on opposite ends of the Awesome Spectrum.

30. Myst IV: Revelation – Main Theme
User: MycroProcessor
Link:

First Impressions: Mystic sounding vocals! Let’s just slap a higher rating on this and call it a day.

Thoughts: This has good vocals. This also has good instruments. In fact, let’s just say it is a good song. I have had barely any experience with Myst music, but if more of it is like this, I might want to change that. I could see this going into a movie soundtrack, which is probably fitting given what Myst is like from what I’ve heard.

Rating: 6.5/10

29. God of War 3 – Pandora’s Song
User: electricpiper
Link:

First Impressions: Why must I always fall for ominous vocals?

Thoughts: When I saw God of War, I did not expect a track like this. It feels fitting, I just thought it would be something more high energy. It has those really neat vocals, but not much to support them. If the background instrumentals had more interesting characteristics, that might have improved it. Then again, it also could have drowned out the vocals, so that is a hard call to make.

Rating: 6.5/10

28. Mischief Makers – Trouble Maker
User: Mega Mana
Link:

First Impressions: Through fire, a good song is served!

Thoughts: Were you surprised another vocal song got this far? If so, you don’t know me very well. The chorus is the main reason it got this far. The rest is sung well, but that chorus, dang is it catchy. These are the types of tracks I fall heads over heels for. Even if the lyrics are absolute nonsense (which they may or may not be, I didn’t look up a translation) they sound good.

Rating: 6.5/10

27. Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2 – Divine Entity
User: azuarc
Link:

First Impressions: I see where the digital part of the title came from.

Thoughts: I only have one major complaint about this track, so let’s get it out of the way first. There is a high pitched beeping noise that comes up occasionally. This noise sucks and needs to be put through a grinder. The rest? Good stuff. I really like the piano section, if that was isolated it would probably get a pretty high score. The rest sort of brings it down though.

Rating: 6.5/10

26. Final Fantasy XIII – Fighting Fate
User: electricpiper
Link:

First Impressions: Another Final Fantasy XIII track I like, but I have heard better.

Thoughts: Just call this the “all vocals except for one” update. Because that is what it is. For those who missed the memo, Final Fantasy XIII is one of my favorite Final Fantasy soundtracks so far, and I have not even played it yet or heard the entire thing. This sounds like a dramatic battle theme. It has a few sections of vocals that are a little too noisy for my liking, but the rest outweighs it.

Rating: 6.5/10

--
You laugh at my Celtic Guardian, until I use my Scapegoat, and then United We Stand, Mage Power, and 3 Axe Of Despairs, with Gaia Power out.
11900/7800

I think CG7 and I agree less in this set, thankfully.

40. Metal Gear Solid 4 - Main Theme
Nominated by: electricpiper


Another one that I heard for the first time only a week or two before starting this crazy project. >_>; My opinion of it then, and also my opinion of it now, is that the first half of the piece is way better than the second half. The first half has this really great sense of movement and intensity; the second half isn't bad, it's just sort of bland in comparison.


39. Gungriffon: The Eurasian Conflict - Theme of Gungriffon
Nominated by: MycroProcessor


First of all, if this was a competition for best video, this would win. thank you mycro.

Anyway... This is a really strange piece in that a lot of the instruments used don't seem like they would work together, at least to me they don't, but then they... work together. The whole thing just works and I don't really understand it. I especially like that section from 1:17 to 1:37; it contrasts with the rest of the piece but in a way that improves both rather than being jarring.


38. Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology - Widdershin
Nominated by: Orochimaru_Fan


I've mentioned not really liking battle music, but this one gets a pass just for being quite good, even if it's not hugely original. It's intense and uses some interesting instruments; I also really like what it does at 0:22 through 0:29, and a couple other times throughout the piece. ...Actually I'm starting to even go back on saying this isn't hugely original. It really is fairly unique; I think there are even some jazz influences, which is pretty cool.


37. Mario Strikers Charged - Luigi's Theme
Nominated by: Kamekguy


...I have no idea how this theme fits Luigi, unless Strikers in general had this sort of Latin influence in all its music. Except perhaps as a theme for Luigi, it really works, though. Normally the clapping would bug me, but here it adds an extra dimension to the piece; it basically functions as the percussion. I also really like that brass instrument... that whole category of instruments seems to not be used very often in video game music, which is a shame.


36. Baldr Force - Face of Fact
Nominated by: azuarc


I figure I'll need to talk about this eventually and now is as good as time as any: I used to be into JPop, at least to the extent that I was into anime music and most of that was JPop. You might think this would lead to me judging JPop leniently, but... not... really. Especially compared to CG7, as she can attest. <_<

Luckily I don't need to get too mean because Face of Fact is actually quite good! In particular, it has enough interesting stuff going on that even if I were to come down hard on the actual vocals (which for me are sorta unextraordinary), the rest of it saves the song. The distorted voices are a neat effect and really the instrumental portions are quite good. Not my favorite of the genre, but I like it quite a lot.

--
"The courtroom is the garden of holy judgment. Those with lechery in their hearts should leave this sanctuary at once!" ~Franziska von Karma

35. Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 - Summer Air
Nominated by: Mega Mana


Not the superior piece of VG music with "summer" and "air" in the title. (Air - Summer Lights, for the record.) I do like Summer Air, though, and in fact it has been on my radar for a while. It's appropriately chilled out for a song named Summer Air, though it does have a few less chilled out moments, most notably that section at 1:36 which... I dunno if I like or not, but it's interesting at least.


34. Last Ranker - This Journey without End
Nominated by: Orochimaru_Fan


There are really only like three or four composers of VG music that I actually know well enough to hear a piece and go "yeah, this is by _____". Shimomura is one of them!

...I only bring that up because this isn't one of my favorite Shimomura pieces. That's not supposed to sound negative because I do think it's quite good; there are just a lot of better ones and I don't even think this one is particularly unique or anything.


33. Legend of Zelda, The: Skyward Sword - Island in the Sky
Nominated by: KirinATW


Some laidback music. I think it reminds me of Lazy Afternoons from KH, but probably only in the sense that both are rather laidback. This is the kind of music I absolutely want to have playing while I'm... I dunno, lying on the beach or something; it's the perfect relaxation music.


32. Do-Don-Pachi Dai-Fu-kkatsu BLACK LABEL - Xanadu (Stage 2-B)
Nominated by: SSBDarren64


Man, this has moments that make me want to put it 10 spots higher, and then moments that make me want to drop it 10 spots. 0:20 through 0:50 is a good example of the latter, 0:54 through 1:20 is an example of the former. Overall it's a very cool song, though, even when it's doing something I don't personally care for.


31. Iridion 3D - Planet Iridion Prime
Nominated by: Ace_Killjoy


I'm a big fan of Iridion music, but more Iridion II than Iridion 3D. (See the Sun Burn and Two Years Gone would both have done really well in this ranking, FYI.) I definitely like Planet Iridion Prime, though. I really like the part from 1:07 to 1:22; that absolutely makes the piece for me, though the rest of it is quite good too.

--
"The courtroom is the garden of holy judgment. Those with lechery in their hearts should leave this sanctuary at once!" ~Franziska von Karma

30. Treasure Quest - Prophecy
Nominated by: azuarc


Oh man. This song is a disaster, and yet I love it. I'm especially fond of the chorus, but I feel an odd amount of affection for the entire thing. I don't even like the singer's voice or the lyrics - the bits and pieces I can actually pick out - very much, but I just... like the song. GOD WHATEVER IT'S MY RANKING I'LL DO IT HOW I WANT


29. Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies - Megalith -Agnus Dei-
Nominated by: todbot


So this is a really cool song with the disadvantage of being too long. 6 minutes is about my limit unless a song is really damn good, so this is just a bit too long and slightly not good enough to justify the length... But I definitely do like it. Megalith -Agnus Dei- is at once heroic and imposing, and it absolutely captures the sense of scale that I think they were going for. Part of that is because of the length, but I dunno, I just think it starts to drag around the middle.


28. Yoshi's Story - Love Is In the Air
Nominated by: Kamekguy


I've only played Yoshi's Story once, for a few minutes, years ago, but based on Yoshi's Island my hopes for this were effectively rock bottom. Thankfully it is surprisingly competent. While it doesn't blow me away, it's a cute song and the strings are really appealing to me personally. I can sort of picture this playing on a peaceful, laidback day out in the countryside or something.


27. Final Fantasy X - Rikku's Theme
Nominated by: swordz9


It's weird, my opinion of FFX character themes before this project was basically "Auron and Yuna have the only ones worth talking about, and Yuna is questionable". Now I'd definitely put Rikku's theme in that same category though. It's actually really good, and I think only part of that is FFX just generally have good music. Rikku's Theme is a very relaxing theme which I'm not entirely sure fits her, but whatever. My favorite part might actually be that... harmonica? that comes in at 1:13.


26. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2 - Ending Theme
Nominated by: FL81


So the link provided was dead by the time I got around to this writeup. Luckily I had already listened to everything once so I was able to find a replacement, though I think the sound quality is... much worse... which is a shame.

Anyway. I feel like I have talk up the saxophone here because I know CG7 is going to throw a fit about it. It's awesome and absolutely the best part of this. The first 3 minutes of this song are fantastic, but then it goes in kind of a weird direction for a while and it doesn't really mesh with the rest of the song up until that point. So that hurts it, but it's still really cool.

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"The courtroom is the garden of holy judgment. Those with lechery in their hearts should leave this sanctuary at once!" ~Franziska von Karma

XD biggest difference in rankings so far is DBZ:B2 ending theme

DAT SAX

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"Duel audio? You mean like rap battles?" - termina_rzident
KrahenProphet and Kana are on opposite ends of the Awesome Spectrum.

Saxophones are amazing.

Incidentally, my worst song for CG7 is my best song for Kenri.

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http://i39.tinypic.com/2d7sp7b.jpg http://i51.tinypic.com/21llhd4.gif
http://i53.tinypic.com/2h7m3p5.png http://i29.tinypic.com/2s0zr0y.jpg

And then there was one. Didn't think that would be my last remaining song...

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R.I.P Whitney Houston
We WIll Always Love You.