Board 8 > [BOST] Day 50: Quarters!! REFLEC v Caravan, KI '13 v Spark, LaTale v SMonkeyB2

(+) Yeah! (+)

Greetings, and welcome to the Best OST Contest 5! In this contest, you and fellow video game soundtrack lovers will come together to once and for all answer the question "What is the best video game soundtrack? (For now.)"

Links:
Contest Bracket and Info - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sD964sXfa3trbXrr14mFKeEIA14cGM2RtHmW9TqGBmw
Discussion Thread - https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/77915805

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VOTING RULES

- Each match will be between the songs representing each game, not the game as a whole. Please remember to listen and vote with this in mind! Any votes referring to a game name rather than a song name will not be counted. You have been warned!
- Listen to both songs!! If one is your literal favorite song in the world and the other is something you hate with a passion, listen to them both!!
- No alts, no rallying, no begging for something to get more votes, etc., etc., you know the drill.
- If you change your mind and would like to swap your vote, you may do so. As soon as it is 24 hours since the match topic was started, you may not change your vote and new votes will not be counted.
- If you would like to vote in advance for matches you know you will miss, please let me know in the discussion topic.

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Main Bracket: Winners Quarterfinals

REFLEC BEAT colette - Lilieze to enryuu Laevateinn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-gCackdMks" data-time="

Caravan Stories - Bunwaii Desert

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g18fx7FHYjc" data-time="

Main Bracket: Losers Round 4

Killer Instinct (2013) - I'm Back (to Rise)
https://tinyurl.com/nj9943r (note: not youtube link because filters lmao thanks gamefaqs)

Spark the Electric Jester - Megaraph Fortress

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbi4lpLIa6w" data-time="

Snubs Bracket: Round 2

LaTale - Coal Mine (Dotnuri ver.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcy35P3jDW4" data-time="

Super Monkey Ball 2 - Amusement Park

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVeUy3zc2vo" data-time="

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Vote Form:
Lilieze to enryuu Laevateinn / Bunwaii Desert
I'm Back (to Rise) / Megaraph Fortress
Coal Mine (Dotnuri ver.) / Amusement Park

Bunwaii Desert
I'm Back (to RISE)
Coal Mine
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Caravan Stories - Bunwaii Desert
Spark the Electric Jester - Megaraph Fortress
LaTale - Coal Mine (Dotnuri ver.)
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Bunwaii Desert
I'm Back (to Rise)
Amusement Park

REFLEC BEAT colette - Lilieze to enryuu Laevateinn - LOVE the energy of this piece, as well as the rhythmic things at 0:05 and 1:13. But the instrumentation sure is nice in Bunwaii.

Killer Instinct (2013) - I'm Back (to Rise) - I think this is the first time I've ever voted for rap....but man, does it really have to be 9 minutes long? Still, it's more enjoyable than most anything from Spark.

Super Monkey Ball 2 - Amusement Park - Coal Mine is nice composition-wise, but is WAY too liberal with those hip-hop squeaks... I can't stand them. What a shame.

First match is by far the best today! Too bad both can't move on. Regardless, it makes me happy that one of these two gets to be in the final four in the winner's bracket!
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Whoa... you guys should try playing both Lilieze and Bunwaii at the same time!
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Bunwaii Desert
I'm Back (to Rise)
Amusement Park
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Lilieze to enryuu Laevateinn
Megaraph Fortress
Amusement Park

Why do I know Laevateinn so well? Hmm. Very familiar song. And very good. Bunwaii's solid too.

I'm Back is okay, just super repetitive. I don't like the chorus as much as the verse either. Megaraph is awesome. Probably the best Spark song so far.

Both snubs songs are mediocre. Can see why they were snubbed.
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Lilieze to enryuu Laevateinn
Megaraph Fortress
Amusement Park

Extremely good and close first match and it doesn't feel right voting against either oh well i am anyway sorry Bunwaii

Shockingly weak second match. About the only positive thing I can say about I'm Back (to Rise) is that the chorus' lyrics reminds me of a certain ace combat song. I was hoping that megaraph would make up for it but it didn't really

I'm really close to fully digging coal mine but it's just not quite there. Amusement Park is just a lot of things i lowkey like a lot with good sounds so of course I like it. Fun songs, straightforward match.

Lilieze to enryuu Laevateinn
Megaraph Fortress
Amusement Park

and for the record, the choice between Bunwaii Desert and Lilieze to enryuu Laevateinn was extremely hard.
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Lilieze to enryuu Laevateinn
Megaraph Fortress
Amusement Park

match 1 the most evil in the contest yet (not as good overall as rude vs imprisoned, but more evil in terms of how high i would rate both songs and how close they are)

other two matches are both pretty whatever, either kinda alright (the ones i didnt vote for) or just good (the ones i did) songs but nothing i'm crazy about

Bunwaii Desert
Megaraph Fortress
Amusement Park

Lilieze to enryuu Laevateinn
Megaraph Fortress
Coal Mine (Dotnuri ver.)

First match is good, the sorts of stuff winners brackets ought to be, both great stuff but Lillie's enroute to Levitate Inn is more my thing

I don't particularly care for SMB2 Amusement Park (as much as some other SMB2 songs), but I sort of struggle to pinpoint exactly why. I guess maybe it's just too happy / "cutesy" (I can really like cute stuff but not so much cutesy stuff there is a difference!). The calmer respite part of the song at :44's real nice though. I'm not exactly all that into coal mine dot nu river too much either, so this is still a fairly close one for me
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Bunwaii Desert
Megaraph Fortress
Coal Mine (Dotnuri ver.)

Haste_2 posted...

I think this is the first time I've ever voted for rap....but man, does it really have to be 9 minutes long?

Due to the way tracks on Killer Instinct works, yes. It's basically an all phase mix, which is far more evident when you listen to any of the other tracks.

Bunwaii Desert?
I'm Back (to Rise)
Amusement Park

Evil matches today. I really liked both songs in the first two. And then I had to listen to Amusement Park. lol, psyche! Wrong Amusement Park!

I'll be disappointed but not mad if my final nomination drops to Spark here. Spark was one of my surprise finds during nominations.
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Bunwaii Desert
I'm Back (to Rise)
Amusement Park
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Bunwaii Desert
I'm Back (to Rise)
Amusement Park
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REFLEC BEAT colette - Lilieze to enryuu Laevateinn: 6. Has this sort of murky production I'm not a fan of. One of those songs that I feel like I "should" like but I have a hard time getting into. It's interesting enough to merit getting a 6.
vs.
Caravan Stories - Bunwaii Desert: 8. This is great! The mixed meter bits are so good. This is easily my favorite Caravan Stories song I've heard from this contest.

and

Killer Instinct (2013) - I'm Back (to Rise): 2. This would be fine but those lyrics are...not great at parts. Also the instrumental backing isn't terribly exciting. Also it doesn't need to be this long. So basically it would be fine if it were a totally different song. >_> They even made the reprisal of the "feel the power baby" theme unexciting, and that's an accomplishment.
vs.
Spark the Electric Jester - Megaraph Fortress: 7. big DESTINY give me give me give i will eat this song and get hot vitamins. I don't love the main synth but the melody is very strong.

and

LaTale - Coal Mine (Dotnuri ver.): 7.5. Yes I love this set. I remember liking every song in it and this is no exception, a funky chip dance step with a killer beat and heavy record scratching.
vs.
Super Monkey Ball 2 - Amusement Park: 5.5. Too overly happy for me. I do like the heavy dnb elements and how they seem to contrast with the happy melody; it makes for an interesting listening experience.

Votes:
Bunwaii Desert
Megaraph Fortress
Coal Mine (Dotnuri ver.)

Bunwaii Desert
I'm Back (to Rise)
Amusement Park

Back to Rise is crazy good and one of my favourite discoveries of the contest; it easily held my attention for the full 9 minutes he sounds like R. Kelly
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Lilieze to enryuu Laevateinn
Megaraph Fortress
Amusement Park

I've had to listen to this first match several times. Very close match, both of these are cool! Bunwaii Desert has more time to build into something complete and has cool PMD-esque instrumentation, but I feel Laevateinn has higher highs. I could really go either way on this match, but today I'll give it to Laevateinn because I love that sort of aesthetic.

I've always been of the belief that if a song is going to be downright abysmal, it should at least have the common decency to be short. This was a real chore to listen to all the way through. There've been a couple other KI tracks in this contest I've enjoyed (like the one with the throat singing), but this is my second least favorite track in the contest, being beaten out only by Get Jinxed. MF isn't the most hype track from its setlist, but it's still very solid and StEJ is one of my favorite overall OST discoveries from this contest, and I am proud to have supported this.

The LaTale soundtrack has a bit of everything, doesn't it? Everything from jazzy GameBoy chiptune to Atelier music. A good match, but I gotta go with Amusement Park. Mycro puts it best:
MycroProcessor posted...

DEEPLY impactful piece of music for me, not even close to my favorite from this game and i'm still giving it a 9.

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Lilieze to enryuu Laevateinn
Megaraph Fortress
Coal Mine (Dotnuri ver.)
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Bunwaii Desert easy
Megaraph Fortress
Coal Mine

i wish i listened to the KI13 soundtrack before BOST started so I would've known to say how terrible this setlist is
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Haters gonna hate.
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Lilieze to enryuu Laevateinn
Megaraph Fortress
Coal Mine (Dotnuri ver.)
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Bunwaii Desert
Megaraph Fortress
Coal Mine (Dotnuri ver.)

Both in the first match are really quite good, though I feel maybe a bit weaker than some of the other songs the games have put out so far. The Desert mostly edged Reflec beat today from the part where the flute picked up, I think there specifically is where I really felt the PMD (and that is basically always a good feel for me)

CAN'T MATCH MY SPARK
Megaraph Fortress is probably my 3rd favourite from the Spark OST (Next to Lunar Bass and...the Alt, actually), it just feels so strong and the melody is consitently amazing to it. I will say I probably like I'm Back (To Rise) more than anyone else not voting for it (and possibly a few voting for it, too), while usually I'm not that into rap there's so much going on with the backing here that's really enjoyable and the bridge as well as some of the other parts it adds later on really add to it. I can see where it can sorta get a bit repetitive at times but I'd probably give it around an 8.5!

The snubs, well...bracket-wise they aren't close to where the main bracket's at right now, in a few ways including that they're still on their bottom 3 lol. While both are fine, I feel more and more each time that I like Amusement Park from SMB2 way less than any of its other stage themes. I hope it moves on, the rest of its soundtrack and the setlist I still like a lot.

Super Monkey Ball 2 - Amusement Park

Busy working on a project so I didn't have a lot of time to listen to all of everything today but I did get to listen to the snubs2 bracket and just wanted to take a quick break to rep SMB2!! I'm sure all the other songs are great!! I was just too busy to listen to everything... There's always tomorrow!~

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Caravan Stories - Bunwaii Desert
[N/A]
Super Monkey Ball 2 - Amusement Park

Man, I don't like abstaining from matches but that one's a case where I don't think either song appeals to me enough to squeeze the vote. In the case of Spark I find that funny, because I do have a soft spot for the Before/After the Sequel games and the sound team is largely the same. Maybe the mish-mash of distinctly SEGA sounds feels less authentic in the context of an 'original' IP. SMB2 favorite game all time place.txt

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Bunwaii Desert
ranking spoiler Megaraph Fortress
abstain

hot first and third matches
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Caravan Stories - Bunwaii Desert
Killer Instinct (2013) - I'm Back (to Rise)
LaTale - Coal Mine (Dotnuri ver.)

MATCH 1

Super tough match here because these are both really good songs. I just really love the instrumentation in both songs. Lilieze is really energetic with a really cool way of utilizing strings and the harpsichord. I can't exactly describe how but it manages to do all this in a way that I really enjoy. Bunwaii Desert is also really good. Gotta be my favorite song in the Caravan Stories setlist. Bunwaii Desert also has a really strong energy to it with a very adventurous sound that I enjoy. I think I slightly favor Bunwaii Desert here but man is this a strong match lol.

MATCH 2