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azuarc 10/05/22 6:07:40 PM #151: |
Remaining: Chrono Cross | Chrono Cross -Scars of Time- Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War | ZERO Ar tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica | EXEC_SPHILIA/. Boku no Te no Naka no Rakuen | Papiliones beatmania IIDX 22 PENDUAL | Despair of Elferia (Long ver.) Idola Phantasy Star Saga | Endeavour . Order prediction for remainder: 6. EXEC_SPHILIA 5. Despair of ELFERIA 4. Papiliones 3. Endeavour 2. Zero 1. Scars of Time I would put SPHILIA higher if I hadn't gathered already that it has some haters. --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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tazzyboyishere 10/05/22 6:09:16 PM #152: |
Maaaan, really only care about 2 of them that are left --- http://i.imgur.com/l7xxLh1.jpg PSN/Steam - RoboQuote ; NNID - TazzyMan ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Janus5k 10/05/22 6:11:06 PM #153: |
While EXSPHERE isn't my favorite champion, it's probably the one that I am most glad actually won a contest --- A hero cannot be defeated simply by making him die. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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FL81 10/05/22 6:12:28 PM #154: |
azuarc posted... So you've just recently come around to liking EXSPHERE then?So back when EXSPHERE first got into VGMC, I actually voted MK8 Big Blue over it, and Big Blue ended up winning by one vote. Anyway, I absolutely love this song, and for a while after it pretty much send me down a YouTube rabbit hole just trying to find any other song that sounded even remotely similar to this (unfortunately conlang pseudocode symphonic darkwave is a rather niche music genre that does not have much under its stylistic umbrella). Noriko Mitose is amazing, Morrigan is amazing, everyone involved with the creation of this musical piece is amazing faux-religious apocalyptic lyrics are always cool, especially when it's juxtapositioning two different vocal layers with contrasting lyrical themes --- Thanks to Proofpyros for the sig images https://i.imgur.com/Nv4Pi1v.jpg https://i.imgur.com/N43HJYv.jpg ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Mobilezoid 10/05/22 6:12:45 PM #155: |
EXSPHERE worked when I was playing Ar nosurge because it fit the tone of the battle and whatnot. Listening to it on its own just didn't work for me. I'm glad at least that quite a few people joined me in ranking it last. --- **R.O.B.A.Z.O.I.D** (On mobile) ... Copied to Clipboard!
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TheArkOfTurus 10/05/22 6:13:06 PM #156: |
First place votes: 8 (tied for most first place votes) Last place votes: 11 (tied for most last place votes) Nice. --- Our eyes were removed For our own safety ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Thorn 10/05/22 6:17:37 PM #157: |
EXSPHERE probably the best champion. SPHILIA the only one in its league, IMO. There's just so much to it and it's great. I definitely prefer the first half/two-thirds of the song over the end but it's still exceptional. --- May you find your book in this place. Formerly known as xp1337. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Hbthebattle 10/05/22 6:19:15 PM #158: |
Truly the vgmc champion of all time --- :) ... Copied to Clipboard!
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TheArkOfTurus 10/05/22 6:19:18 PM #159: |
Also, was EXSPHERE the only double champion? I think I remember that happening, but I can't find the Tournament of Champions brackets. --- Our eyes were removed For our own safety ... Copied to Clipboard!
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FL81 10/05/22 6:24:14 PM #160: |
azuarc posted... Order prediction for remainder:this is going to be way off, but why not 6. Despair of Elferia 5. EXEC_SPHILIA/. 4. Papiliones 3. Endeavour 2. Scars of Time 1. ZERO --- Thanks to Proofpyros for the sig images https://i.imgur.com/Nv4Pi1v.jpg https://i.imgur.com/N43HJYv.jpg ... Copied to Clipboard!
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th3l3fty 10/05/22 6:27:34 PM #161: |
TheArkOfTurus posted... Also, was EXSPHERE the only double champion? I think I remember that happening, but I can't find the Tournament of Champions brackets. ToC3 is in the VGMC14 bracket list https://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=473292&tclass=Tournament%20of%20Champions%203 --- thelefty for analysis crew 2008 imo -transience I have a third degree burn in flame-o-nomics -Sir Chris ... Copied to Clipboard!
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NBIceman 10/05/22 6:30:44 PM #162: |
I've got my 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, and 12 still in, so clearly I had a very dull and normal ranking here. --- Chilly McFreeze https://i.imgur.com/UYamul2.gif ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Waveshine_2001 10/05/22 6:34:50 PM #163: |
Waveshine_2001 posted... Also, I just wanted to say that I KNEW it. I knew vgmc 13 wasn't getting exactly 8th even though I wanted it to. I predicted 6th to 7th place because I did see more first place rankings for it than last place, which would most likely put it higher than 8th.FINALLY my 16th place is out of the way. I also did end up predicting within the right range (6th to 7th). --- Fox Only, Final Destination. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Waveshine_2001 10/05/22 6:37:07 PM #164: |
Waveshine_2001 posted... FINALLY my 16th place is out of the way. I also did end up predicting within the right range (6th to 7th).However, I was wrong about there being more first than last place votes. My 13th through 15th are still not revealed yet, so this isn't going great for me, but at least I can take some comfort in knowing that I at the very least do NOT DISLIKE my 13th through 15th. The only champion I truly dislike is finally out of the way. --- Fox Only, Final Destination. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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DoctorJimmy133 10/05/22 7:26:10 PM #166: |
rwlh posted... 1/16: deo, DoctorJimmy, DragonImps, FL81, golden009, Place, R-Man, TheArkOfTurusThat distribution is incredible. An inverted bell curve. But yeah, EXSPHERE is probably my favorite song in recorded history and I'm glad it's placed well here. I've only listened to it like 20 times because I don't want to get tired of it, but every single time it blows me the hell away harder than the last. I'm bummed I started voting in VGMC one tournament too late to witness its triumph, but at least I helped it in the ToC the following year. --- azuarc is quite good at predicting GameFAQs bracket battles. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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DireKrow 10/05/22 7:54:11 PM #167: |
We discovered that all of the compatibilitiesI'd posted up to this point have had some errors. The source of the error has been discovered and squashed, but I'd like to sincerely apologize, especially to Pablo Smith, Place, Plasman, PIayer_0, whose stats were all scrambled up! Outliers after #7: https://pastebin.com/ZKmxQaDd Compatibilities after #7: https://pastebin.com/z2jQUnPx https://pastebin.com/Dhji7MA1 https://pastebin.com/L1sE4Cbh ... Copied to Clipboard!
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PIayer_0 10/05/22 9:11:21 PM #168: |
I'd remarked that Emil's 10.24 seemed close to Hope's 10.76, but that's just been par for the course so far - the only block that could really claim to be close is MGS2-Forest-resrep-Reset (9.49 to 9.12 across four songs). --- -Abraham Lincoln ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Chaeix 10/05/22 11:24:25 PM #169: |
my god i'm not even in the top 5 anymore --- we're all buds~jc~ <DeathChicken> you are my hero for being the first person to cite National Geographic in Mercs ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Waveshine_2001 10/06/22 12:39:47 AM #170: |
DireKrow posted... We discovered that all of the compatibilities I'd posted up to this point have had some errors. The source of the error has been discovered and squashed, but I'd like to sincerely apologize, especially to Pablo Smith, Place, Plasman, PIayer_0, whose stats were all scrambled up!tfw you're basically tied for first in the ONE list you never want to be first in ;-; (outliers) I actually was trying to be positive and tell myself at least there were probably a small handful of people who I was doing better than on having nominations being really off the actual ranking, but nope. --- Fox Only, Final Destination. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Waveshine_2001 10/06/22 12:54:46 AM #171: |
PIayer_0 posted... I'd remarked that Emil's 10.24 seemed close to Hope's 10.76, but that's just been par for the course so far - the only block that could really claim to be close is MGS2-Forest-resrep-Reset (9.49 to 9.12 across four songs).Forest being low was a little surprising considering how recent it was. --- Fox Only, Final Destination. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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rwlh 10/06/22 3:06:58 PM #172: |
6. Boku no Te no Naka no Rakuen | Papiliones https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M56BpH3lCDU VGMC8 winner Total ranking score: 401 Average ranking: 7.86 Standard deviation: 3.84 First place votes: 1 Last place votes: 1 1/16: Disillusion 2/16: Plasman, pyresword 3/16: DireKrow, golden009, JONA, lefty, Pablo Smith 4/16: Max Galactica, Mihark, NFUN 5/16: deo, FL81, Place, skulltrumpet, Team Rocket Elite 6/16: dowolf, MargaretAnnMid, SSBM_Guy, tgs2, xx521xx 7/16: Janus, lem, sergio 8/16: Eddv, hb, NBIceman, R-Man, Robazoid, rwlh 9/16: Collen, KCF, Raetsel, tazzy, vaati000 10/16: azuarc, Chaeix, DoctorJimmy 11/16: ZaziGuado 12/16: andy, Haste, p0, Snake5 13/16: DragonImps, Korji, Mega Mana, Waveshine 14/16: Mac Arrowny, Prince46 15/16: Ulti 16/16: TheArkOfTurus Waveshine (13/16): The singing actually is nice for once, and so is the instrumentation. The melody isnt that good though, especially starting at the two minute mark. The melody just doesnt do it for me, and Im not sure why. Overall, nice piece leading up to the two minute mark, and some nice string solos throughout, but most of the song after the two minute mark is somewhat annoying to me (except for the very last note. Nice ending). Pre-two minute mark is around an 8 rating while the rest of the song (except the ending) is around a 4.5. Since the song is around 4 minutes long, two minutes is around half the song. This means I like the first half and dislike the second half. (8+ 4.5)/2 = 6.25, rounds up to 6.3. Therefore, my rating is 6.3 (somewhat like) andy (12/16): This is a fine arrangement from start to finish but feels less than the sum of its parts. I've nothing to say against it, it's alright! Just not spectacular, this is tough competition. Haste (12/16): New Ranking: 8.2 (12th place) Rank the Retirees: 8.8 (58th place) I'll never remember such a long Japanese name like that for a game (I just call it Boku >_>) but at least I can remember the track title! Starts off a bit uninteresting. The chords outlined by the harp create some nice major 7ths, though. When it shifts to the Celetic dance beat (nice violin duet), NOW were talking! Thank you, singer, for telling me how to pronounce Papiliones! The singing is probably my favorite thing about this piece! Drums are really loud! But thats okay because its folk dance! The chanting lye-lye-lye-lye-lye is fun too! Nice Violin fiddling accompaniment. I like the choice of bass, guitar chords, and lyrical violin that give this a deep, full sound. Highlight of the singer's line is doing a triadic outline down to 9th/minor 7th (0:43 - 0:45). Likewise a similar thing at 1:03-1:05! 1:47 = nice raised 6th scale degree! At about 1:50 that extra beat really makes the difference as far as transitioning into the very fun climax! I often wonder about Nuedori could it have won a contest if it was in VGMC 8?! We will never know. But Im guessing Papiliones wouldnt have been a bracket winner in VGMC 16. azuarc (10/16): I don't think anyone knows what this game is, or has heard of it in any other context, but Papiliones starts off with such a hauntingly pretty opening before transitioning into a festive dance vibe. Given how I felt about the first few champions I witnessed first-hand, Papiliones was the first year I was slightly disappointed, but certainly not because it was a bad track. It just wasn't at all what I expected. If the entire track could be as good as the first minute, Papiliones would climb much higher. tazzy (9/16): This mustve been that awkward phase where only seven people voted in the contest and they were all people who thought Japanese vocal songs were the best thing ever made. Sorry, thats probably mean. Just delete that part if its too rude. Papiliones is good, but it could be in anime opening from the past 20 years and Id be like, Oh okay. I just dont get the appeal past it being pretty good. But yeah, its pretty good. hb (8/16): This song reminds me of a certain other champion a lot, but instead of what that champion shifts to after its first part, this song is vocal the whole way, being a Celtic jam. For that reason, its quite enjoyable to me, though I imagine others will have more to say on why they like it than I can. rwlh (8/16): 9/10 #629 tags: jaunty, celtic Who doesnt love Itou Kanako? Papiliones (from probably the most obscure retiree in VGMC history) is a great showcase of her voice, but its also a jaunty little jaunt full of big Celtic energy. Janus (7/16): Kanako Itou <3 lem (7/16): I really like Papiliones for similar reasons as why I like Scars of Time so much. Papiliones has some great instrumentation in the violin and guitar with the added benefit of Kanako Itou's vocals. dowolf (6/16): Definitely one of Itou Kanako's best. The introduction and "main" phase are perfectly balanced, neither one being too long or too short, which is something I think a lot of tracks with this sort of transition struggle with. Both halves shine on their own, the first half being a beautiful mysterious exploration of ancient ruins, followed by a cheerful Celtic dance where presumably people are dressed as butterflies or something I dunno who "plays videogames" anymore. Pablo Smith (3/16): Aggressive violin-ing and decent vocals. A good recipe for success, but this is still something that doesn't stick well with me. I feel the song overstays its welcome a tad bit as well. This isn't something I see myself listening to frequently, and I don't see myself remembering this song, but I'll always remember the name. Thought I was going to say I was going to remember this in my dreams or something? Nah, although that does remind me about butterfly dreams, whatever that's supposed to mean. Its one of those terms you hear in passing but never bother to look up. pyresword (2/16): Man it is such a shame that a song this good is relegated to a basically unheard-of visual novel. Kanako Itou knocks it out of the park as usual. I also really like whatever instrument that is at the beginning of the song. Gives the song a very cool ethereal quality. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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TheArkOfTurus 10/06/22 3:47:25 PM #174: |
I feel a bit bad about ranking Papiliones last, since it's still about an 8/10 for me. Is it a controversial opinion to think every song that has won a contest is good? --- Our eyes were removed For our own safety ... Copied to Clipboard!
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MacArrowny 10/06/22 4:30:30 PM #175: |
rwlh posted... (I just call it Boku >_>)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T6go6EOuG4 --- All the stars in the sky are waiting for you. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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dowolf 10/06/22 4:52:35 PM #177: |
MacArrowny posted... rwlh posted... more usefully, the "standard" short form for it is bokuraku. --- Nonsense. "Testing" is for when you're still guessing--and now, I have no need to guess. -- Agatha, Girl Genius ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Haste_2 10/06/22 7:06:15 PM #178: |
"Oops" for recycling my entire EXSPHERE write-up... I should have picked my favorite parts of it and cut out the rest. =p Also, "oops" for referring to specific sections in the condensed version of Papiliones rather than the proper version. EXSPHERE is Earthbound of vgm, isn't it? --- "Ah, a party! We haven't had one of those. It could be fun! So... what is a party?" "You drink punch and eat CAKE! ...I think." ... Copied to Clipboard!
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rwlh 10/06/22 7:13:01 PM #179: |
5. beatmania IIDX 22 PENDUAL | Despair of Elferia (Long ver.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNmTgi43zuo VGMC10 winner Total ranking score: 390 Average ranking: 7.65 Standard deviation: 4.08 First place votes: 2 Last place votes: 3 1/16: JONA, rwlh 2/16: deo, KCF, lem, p0 3/16: NFUN 4/16: Haste, Janus, Mac Arrowny, Plasman, sergio, skulltrumpet, tgs2 5/16: DireKrow, golden009, Korji, Mihark, R-Man, ZaziGuado 6/16: Disillusion, Place, Snake5 7/16: Mega Mana, Prince46, Ulti 8/16: DoctorJimmy, DragonImps, vaati000 9/16: dowolf, Eddv, Pablo Smith, Robazoid, SSBM_Guy 10/16: andy 11/16: azuarc, Max Galactica, tazzy, Team Rocket Elite, Waveshine 12/16: Collen, FL81, lefty, NBIceman, TheArkOfTurus, xx521xx 13/16: Chaeix, MargaretAnnMid 14/16: 15/16: 16/16: hb, pyresword, Raetsel hb (16/16): This song has a lot of traits associated with the type of rhythm game songs Im not super fond of, having more wubbing than I normally find enjoyable in the background of the song near constantly. While the melody of the song is nice, the speedcore background really drags it down. pyresword (16/16): I'm sorry but I do not like rhythm game songs that use bass drum like this. (Or other songs that do, but it is frequently in rhythm games.) There are a lot of other definitely cool things going on, but it's just hard to enjoy any of them. Maybe even if just the volume balancing was different it would be enough, but alas. azuarc (11/16): I can't not think of those finals. God, what a shitstorm. I could not have imagined the crucible I was going to be cast into during the first year I hosted...which, to be fair, was not ELFERIA's fault, but I don't think I'll ever hear this song without thinking of Megalovania. And to anyone still bitter about the way I handled things, please remember I voted for Megalovania. I'm not sure where that would have placed on the list -- higher, obviously -- but ELFERIA is certainly a good song in its own right, and while my favorite Nekomata track is still Dark Legacy, ELFERIA is so high tempo that you can't ever not be engaged with it. tazzy (11/16): This isnt Megalovania. Bitching aside, this is solid. Nekomata Master has way better songs which perform like shit for some reason, but I like this okay. Just wish I was ranking Megalovania instead. Waveshine (11/16): Usually songs with a strong beat lack a good melody, but not so in this case. I think the beat is incredibly catchy, and the melody is actually decent for once. This certainly isnt my style of music, but I can definitely hear the appeal. Far from the best that Ive heard, but still a great piece. This is the first song on this list so far that I actually am glad retired (though I'm not sure how to feel about it being literally the champion). This level in the list is where where the champions actually start getting pretty good in my opinion. Rating: 8.0 (like a lot) andy (10/16): This is pretty damn cool and catchy, I've found this playing in my head a lot. The second half of the track isn't as fun, after the initial rush it settles into itself and is content just dancing around where it's already been. dowolf (9/16): On days when I can ride the bass drum, this is one of my favorite champions. But most days, I kind of wish it would go away. I much prefer the lower-energy introduction, where the instrumentation is allowed to take a front seat over the need to GO FAST. Pablo Smith (9/16): A long time ago I described this song as discount Atelier. Not sure what I was thinking then. I guess my sensitivity to rhythm game music has decreased over time. Anyway, I can vibe out to this track a bit even though I think its too long. The energy is nice, and you gotta love that very faint ticking sound in the background. I'm a sucker for clock ticking in music. The violin jig that the entire song is about is fun, but its not enough to keep me hooked. Although it gets very spicy towards the end, especially around the last quarter. Come to think of it, maybe I was just as tired back then when I was rating this song as I am now. Haste (4/16): New Ranking: 8.8 (4th place) Rank the Retirees: 8.7 (70th place) Pretty epic Beatmania track, isnt it? IIt starts off a lot kinda like Dark Legacy, yay, but its more folky/Celtic/danceable! The beginning sets up some of the main ideas in this track with two (soft) ideas going on at the same time the piano clusters (yum, one is a 7th chords 2nd/3rd dissonance, another has 1st/2nd/5th/octave) along with the low string triplets. We got some nice two-on-three hemiola going on there, too its not like I always think its great, but its definitely done very tastefully here! Seriously, I love Nekomata Master! It crescendos into chimes and brass and a weird scream?....whatever! But I really like the first grand chord at 0:30 :) :) :) Super energized! My [second] favorite part has to be when the xylophone takes over at 1:13...what an odd complement, but it works great. The rhythm pulse there avoids the strong beats a lot, which is how I like it ;) 1:42 treats us with a more folky feel again, and I that flute fall is perfect!! The endings (both of them) are powerful, esp. with that 4th scale degree in those grand chords. Janus (4/16): Nekomata frequently tries to thread the needle between "cool World Music" and "kill all rhythm gamers" and somehow it just works really well. lem (2/16): Despite being my number 2 in the rankings, I actually don't have a lot to say about Despair of Elferia. It just carries itself with an incredibly strong melody and harmonic backing. rwlh (1/16): 10/10 #19 for the short version, probably around there for the long too tags: intense, omnipresent There was a period where this was my favorite song. Nekomata Master just kills it with this one. Despair of ELFERIA shows his darker side, his powerful range. This song leaves me gasping for air like, no joke, I find myself panting by the halfway point. Its just so intense. I love absolutely everything about this, from how thin some of the instruments sound (certainly compared to the short version) to the omnipresent thumping beat to how it skids to a close, like its not ready to end yet. Im not ready for it to be over yet either. *presses replay button* ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Chaeix 10/06/22 7:20:38 PM #180: |
good top 4 except endeavour --- we're all buds~jc~ <DeathChicken> you are my hero for being the first person to cite National Geographic in Mercs ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Isquen 10/06/22 7:31:29 PM #181: |
Good top 4 including Endeavor. --- [Rock and Stone] ... Copied to Clipboard!
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pyresword 10/06/22 7:36:32 PM #182: |
rwlh posted... 14/16: This part of the ranking is amusing to me for some reason. I guess the people that don't like it really don't like it? --- I didn't do guru this year but azuarc can be in my sig anyways. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Janus5k 10/06/22 7:37:53 PM #183: |
Chaeix posted... mid top 4 except endeavour --- A hero cannot be defeated simply by making him die. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Chaeix 10/06/22 8:17:23 PM #184: |
also this is as good a time as any to remind folks that the umineko soundtrack is on spotify --- we're all buds~jc~ <DeathChicken> you are my hero for being the first person to cite National Geographic in Mercs ... Copied to Clipboard!
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DireKrow 10/06/22 8:54:33 PM #185: |
Outliers after #5: https://pastebin.com/Znuync7Z Compatibilities after #5: https://pastebin.com/yaN1ahM8 https://pastebin.com/ipQ6q3hs https://pastebin.com/BKJbsjKv ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Haste_2 10/06/22 10:45:20 PM #186: |
I don't know vaati, but I hope he/she starts voting in vgm contests here! (and that R-Man comes back!) Chaeix posted... umineko soundtrack is on spotify That's good! I had issues finding the whole Umineko soundtrack on Youtube, but maybe I didn't search hard enough... --- "Ah, a party! We haven't had one of those. It could be fun! So... what is a party?" "You drink punch and eat CAKE! ...I think." ... Copied to Clipboard!
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NFUN 10/06/22 11:44:27 PM #187: |
https://youtu.be/bod3i4Ch8-8 --- Kneel... or you will be knelt ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Haste_2 10/07/22 12:53:29 AM #188: |
...maybe I should explore this album R-Man was involved in before exploring Umineko. >_> --- "Ah, a party! We haven't had one of those. It could be fun! So... what is a party?" "You drink punch and eat CAKE! ...I think." ... Copied to Clipboard!
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rwlh 10/07/22 12:22:02 PM #189: |
4. Ar tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica | EXEC_SPHILIA/. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shu99QPnfcA VGMC7 winner Total ranking score: 385 Average ranking: 7.55 Standard deviation: 4.77 First place votes: 6 Last place votes: 2 1/16: dowolf, lefty, Mega Mana, Robazoid, SSBM_Guy, vaati000 2/16: FL81, Haste, NBIceman, Prince46, skulltrumpet, xx521xx 3/16: Place 4/16: azuarc, DoctorJimmy 5/16: Collen, lem, TheArkOfTurus 6/16: deo, DireKrow, JONA, NFUN 7/16: Chaeix, Korji, Mac Arrowny, p0, Plasman, R-Man, Snake5, Team Rocket Elite 8/16: Raetsel 9/16: Mihark, sergio 10/16: DragonImps, tgs2 11/16: golden009, KCF 12/16: Eddv, hb, Max Galactica, pyresword, Ulti 13/16: Janus, Pablo Smith 14/16: 15/16: andy, Disillusion, MargaretAnnMid, Waveshine, ZaziGuado 16/16: rwlh, tazzy rwlh (16/16): 7/10 #2536 tags: bouncy, guitars I really like the the hymmnos aspects of SPHILIA. Mitoses voice sort of floats around and dances through the song. This would be much higher if the mixing were a bit better; Im really not a fan of how muddy everything sounds. But I do still like it! tazzy (16/16): I do not like this song. andy (15/16): The call and response parts are pretty cool, and I'm intrigued by the overall insanity of the lyrics, but the song's not really doing it for me. Waveshine (15/16): This song is significantly better than the last place one, but its still a very disappointing winner to me. The singing sounds like a more annoying version of Vocaloid singing, but at least the instrumentation is okay (the guitar solo before the 3 minute mark and again before the 5 minute mark is sick though!). The melody and guitar solos are probably the best parts about the song, and I have to wonder just how much more Id like it if it were purely instrumental (I would probably like it a lot more). Rating: 5/10 (neutral) Janus (13/16): A song I've just never been able to get a good read on. It's sort of epic, sort of emotional, sort of progressive, and yet doesn't resonate strongly with me in any of those regards. It's nice, but feels like something I should enjoy more. Pablo Smith (13/16): This is not what comes to mind when it comes to Ar music. That honor goes to THAT song that we'll talk about later. I guess what is said earlier isn't entirely true though. This does have the usual Ar vocals and sing chanting that I usually see as some of the staples of the songs people enjoy from the series. I have to admit, this track does have some of the better chanting I can remember. I like how well it flows, the chanting really makes me feel like I'm about to witness something big, even if the song never goes big time. Sorry, but the guitar that comes in every now and then doesn't count as something big. Overall though, I can't really complain here about this track. What it does, it does good, but it isn't something that's for me. I read somewhere you can't read text in your dreams, I wonder if that still applies to something like "EXEC_SPHILIA/.". hb (12/16): Sorry kama, this one isnt my favorite. I still like it a lot though, I like AT vocal songs a lot more than I did a year ago, for example. It just doesnt quite engage me as much as the songs above it. pyresword (12/16): This has never been my favorite hymnos song, but it is still hymnos after all. Best parts are the part at 1:40 and the climax. lem (5/16): There's no shortage of amazing EXA_PICO songs, but Sphilia is a great champion! I always love the instrumentation and melodies, and even though they can vary a lot from song to song, this holds true with how I feel about Sphilia as well. The vocal harmonizing is something I should point out, though, as one really great thing about this song because that's something that I tend to really enjoy in songs, and many top-tier video game songs in my eyes are ones that have this. I don't know how I would've voted in this match. The Executioner is another really great song and a strong opponent also worthy of being a champion to me. azuarc (4/16): Sphilia was a track I had taken a liking to before it retired. There were already two AT2 retirees which mostly bounced off me, but I would say "hey, you know what's a good song from those games? Sphilia." After losing to the champion in year 5, for once, the x-stats were actually a good indicator of future success. There's something incredibly epic about everything in Sphilia, right down to the two pauses where it pulls back, only to hit us with a guitar solo or the ending. I have no idea what those ladies are singing, and I don't really care. This song is fantastic. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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rwlh 10/07/22 12:23:07 PM #190: |
Haste (2/16): New Ranking: 9.6 (2nd place) Rank the Retirees: 9.6 (15th place) Interesting how this took three tries to get its championship. I thought this would have been an instant contest winner! I love this kind of a capella singing at the start because of the electric quality.The beeps are really cool... that along with the cut-off staccato makes it all sound like one big computer... It's all just a big warm-up for the main material... Gets even neater when the intensity jumps beeps are even better now, hehe. When it transforms into the main feature, it gives me the CHILLS so DARK. Furthermore, this track makes AMAZING use of mixed meters...not that they're super fancy, but they really make it that much more of a banger! And its not just the style thats great the harmonies, man! i-i7-IV(6/4) is one of my VERY FAVORITE mini-progressions, particularly when the music highlights the i-vii-#vi notes in that order! (similar to FF7s You Can Hear the Cry of the Planet, though not exact. https://youtu.be/V4WTtN0iQ60?t=67). Cluster chords in the chorus really make a difference, too! Add the 6/8+5/8 meter on top of that and its just.amazing. Too much awesomeness piled on at once! As far as the vocals, they certainly can sound relaxed and static (like at the start) but also put a ton of energy behind the voices, too, when the metal begins. At 1:10, I love how they utilize legato-to-staccato articulate to bounce around, repeat that same idea two more times, then join the bass on the last two measures... The bass with its legato, but punctuated stuff through there aw, yeah! The singers calm down a bit at 1:38, back to 6/8+5/8 (good acoustic guitar textures) Finally, the CLIMAX of the vocals at 2:05 I can't get enough of how they draw attention to the meter as they unify with the bass again! :) :) :) Everything drops out at 2:32 so crescendoing computer beeps (6/8+5/8) there is a nice artsy way to give a little bit of a reprieve. (And, um those strings being pulled I know I've heard something like this before, but I can't put my finger on it! >_< But I like it!!) The ending does something similar, too, adding satisfaction to the ending. As for the guitar solos, parts are cool but later on it feels like the soloist has run out of ideas... dowolf (1/16): Very few songs make me cry every time. This is one of them. Listening to the lyrics, listening to the singer reach out to the responder, how she works to understand her and tell her that she loves her no matter what she has done or what comes to pass, and then the singer breaking down herself over how much strength she sees in the other woman, just -- damn. Musically there's a ton going on that I love too -- the 5/4 rhythm, the heartbeat in the background, the guitar serving as the perfect capstone -- but this is a song that grabs me and won't let go until I am a bubbling, sobbing mess. So yeah. I think Zyxyz nommed this the year it won. I still don't care it's mine I'm not letting go (we can share tho). Best vaati000 (1/16): The mixed texture of the vocal call-and-response to/from a frightened, cognizant, powerful child is beautifully and uniquely awestriking to me, and the song is so intensely full without forcing it via an upbeat tempo like so many video games feel the need to - it flows at just the right pace to pull you towards, yet have you wait on, each beat. I've never played this series, I doubt I ever will, but I feel like I have because the soundtrack - and especially this song - is so vibrant. Utterly sublime. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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FL81 10/07/22 3:05:41 PM #191: |
rwlh posted... 6. Boku no Te no Naka no Rakuen | PapilionesBy far, the most obscure song on this list. Also, the song whose placement I've shuffled around more than any other (I originally had this one placed below rwlh posted... 5. beatmania IIDX 22 PENDUAL | Despair of Elferia (Long ver.)Pretty high-energy Nekomata Master song here. I can say I am happy to see that long versions of rhythm game songs are allowed now, since 2 minutes really isn't long enough, especially if a song is going for the championship. This one isn't my favorite Atelier Nekomata (Byakuya Gentou > the rest, by a long shot), but it's exciting enough to keep me interested. rwlh posted... 4. Ar tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica | EXEC_SPHILIA/.This was another tough placement, having to decide between this and EXSPHERE for first place (wow how exciting both top picks were the same series). Anyway, absolute 10/10 song here and one of the top picks that solidifies Daisuke Achiwa as one of my favorite composers ever (Noriko Mitose as the vocals never misses either). I definitely miss when this was the kind of music that regularly got nominated for contests. Actually the first time I heard EXEC_SPHILIA/. I wasn't particularly impressed, but after a few years it was all like "wow this is good". --- Thanks to Proofpyros for the sig images https://i.imgur.com/Nv4Pi1v.jpg https://i.imgur.com/N43HJYv.jpg ... Copied to Clipboard!
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rwlh 10/07/22 7:22:06 PM #192: |
3. Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War | ZERO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlSLCnbXMIE VGMC6 winner Total ranking score: 369 Average ranking: 7.24 Standard deviation: 4.47 First place votes: 3 Last place votes: 0 (tied for fewest last place votes) 1/16: andy, Max Galactica, skulltrumpet 2/16: DireKrow, hb, R-Man 3/16: Chaeix, deo, Disillusion, DoctorJimmy, Eddv, MargaretAnnMid, NBIceman, Robazoid, rwlh, tgs2, TheArkOfTurus, Waveshine 4/16: SSBM_Guy, tazzy 5/16: Mega Mana, Pablo Smith 6/16: FL81, Korji, Mac Arrowny 7/16: azuarc, golden009 8/16: JONA, NFUN, sergio, Snake5 9/16: Place 10/16: KCF, Mihark, Prince46, vaati000 11/16: dowolf, DragonImps, p0, Plasman, xx521xx 12/16: Janus, ZaziGuado 13/16: pyresword 14/16: Collen, Haste, lem, Ulti 15/16: lefty, Raetsel, Team Rocket Elite 16/16: Haste (14/16): New Ranking: 7.9 (14th place) Rank the Retirees: 7.7 (140th place) Honestly, this is one of my least favorite Ace Combat tracks to be in a contest. Not that this one is bad, but Ace Combat music tends to be really awesome! The start is WONDERFUL. I love those low moving harmonies with the strings, and the way it leads into a small piece of the theme at the end of the phrase. (From 0:00-0:07 then it repeats a similar idea) Also the soft electronic percussion adds a nice touch of intensity as if to tell us this music is headed toward Epic Central. Then comes the guitar that everyone loves, playing some sweet UNEXPECTED chords and adding percussive spice to the mix. The standard AC brass takes over what the strings were doing, yay! (I love the use of brass in Ace Combat) Finally, the full theme comes at about the thirty second mark. Rhythmic and succinct! Next comes a surprisingly lovely soprano solo. The way it soars is a nice contrast to the previous stuff. The Spanish guitar works really nicely in the accompanying role here. Once the guitar takes the main stage, though, I'm not as big of a fan. It uses the most stereotypical chords and patterns imaginable for the style, and it goes on for WAY too long. Afterwards we get some WOOoperatic choirsthey sound okay, I guess. Essentially, the first half is great. The second half, not so much. lem (14/16): ZERO is a pretty cool song that gets better as it goes on. The flamenco guitar melody is pretty nice throughout, but the peak enjoyment of this song for me is at 3:13. That brief moment of a sort of countermelody is really cool, and I wish that was more prominent throughout the song. While I know this topic is about the champions, I want to give a shoutout to the runner-up of VGMC6, Dorchadas. While I like ZERO, I really wish Dorchadas had won because that song probably would've taken the number 1 spot in my rankings if it had won the championship match that year. pyresword (13/16): I feel like I used to enjoy Ace Combat music more, or maybe it's just that I liked certain songs and not others. The guitar has some moments that are really cool but also some where it just feels a bit too meandering. All-in-all I'd say this song is pretty solid, but unfortunately in a ranking of champions that's probably going to place it towards the bottom. Janus (12/16): Very cool instruments in here. Not really sure how a song this BIG and EPIC actually just turns into spanish guitars but it kinda works. dowolf (11/16): The Mexican instrumentation is not something that appeals to me, but I can still absolutely appreciate the melody and how it comes together. azuarc (7/16): Zero was the original VGMC redemption arc. A song that came back from an early defeat to a retiree, several years later, and ran the table. I used to joke that Board 8 had a soft spot for Spanish guitars because there are several other early retirees that include them, but Zero is the ultimate Latin flair track. Ace Combat has always been a series that could be counted on for at least one or two long, slow-build tracks that absolutely blow everyone away each game (shoutout to Gracemeria) and it's very deserving of breaking through here. Pablo Smith (5/16): Was this one of the Ace Combat songs people really liked? I honestly don't remember. That guitar is extraordinarily spicy, but spice alone doesn't make a dish great. Unfortunately I can't say I'm a huge fan of the later orchestral half of the song, and that brings down my ranking/rating by a lot. Its too in my face and doesn't mesh well with the guitar, although the guitar works very well with the singing around the early middle of the track. Honestly its probably just the male vocals that are at fault, but its still too jarring for me. Keep strumming on guitar guy, and be sure to give the guitar a break every now and then to get some rest. tazzy (4/16): I always thought the Spanish-sounding guitars and use of casanetas was weird for Ace Combat of all things, but Im going to guess this just takes place in Spain and it makes more sense when I do that. That or my knowledge of cultures is bad and this isnt Spanish-influenced at all. Im not Googling this. This song is awesome though. Ace Combats composer, who I dont know the name of, has a number of songs which embody this absurd sense of scale which can only be defined as epic, which, yes, I am unironically using in 2022. What a frustrating word to have lose all value and meaning because video game critics kept calling shit like Heavy Rain epic. rwlh (3/16): 9.5/10 #104 tags: varied, intense One thing I look for vgm (music in general, but specifically vgm) is songs that can be described as experiences - songs that really take me for a ride from start to finish. Zero is such a song. Its a wild ride, full of disparate parts that magically come together: choir, Spanish guitar, orchestra. The flamenco elements are my favorite aspect of the song, paradoxically the least intense in execution but the most intense in presentation. Waveshine (3/16): ERROR 404 brain malfunction due to the being in awe of pure epicness (get it? Because this pieces loop point is 4:04? Okay fine, I know Im terrible at making jokes. Never mind). This is easily my favorite discovery from this ranking the champions challenge. I love nearly every aspect of the instrumentation from the strings to the acoustic guitar. All the singingboth the soloist singer and the choir is also fantastic. I dont think Ive ever given a piece a higher rating on a first listen than this piece, which is quite the accomplishment. Rating: 9.5 (love it) hb (2/16): The only word I have to effectively sum up Zero is epic. The mix of Spanish-style guitars and rhythms with the Ace Combat composition style results in a song that is incredibly pleasing to my ears. Just an incredible experience every time I listen to it. andy (1/16): ZERO has it all. A solid structure, great tense atmosphere, a uniquely identifiable sound, a melancholic epic choir, and most of all a KICKASS GUITAR that pushes it over the edge. Every song should have an acoustic guitar solo. Really though there's no fat here, everywhere you look there's something special going on and the song has so much to offer! I never tire of it, this is a true classic. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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andylt 10/07/22 7:26:32 PM #193: |
Well, there goes the best song. Congrats, Scars! --- Very slowly becoming a Final Fantasy aficionado. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Chaeix 10/07/22 7:36:01 PM #194: |
now I wish dreams of the shore was included in this since it won the winners bracket after *insert VGMC here* where it beat scars --- we're all buds~jc~ <DeathChicken> you are my hero for being the first person to cite National Geographic in Mercs ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Mobilezoid 10/07/22 7:36:15 PM #195: |
That's my favorite Ace Combat Zero song, but The Unsung War from AC5 was my favorite from the franchise, and one of my all-time favorite video game songs. I've never really participated in VGMC, but I'm guessing The Unsung War has been in it in some capacity. Sadly, I guess it never won! --- **R.O.B.A.Z.O.I.D** (On mobile) ... Copied to Clipboard!
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th3l3fty 10/07/22 7:38:40 PM #196: |
Unsung War lost its only match in VGMC2 against J-E-N-O-V-A --- thelefty for analysis crew 2008 imo -transience I have a third degree burn in flame-o-nomics -Sir Chris ... Copied to Clipboard!
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DireKrow 10/07/22 7:44:16 PM #197: |
Outliers after #3: https://pastebin.com/Gt5JnJAW Compatibilities after #3: https://pastebin.com/2cYWX8ni (differences) https://pastebin.com/V02EfGDk (squared differences) https://pastebin.com/BRT2s5tA (ranking of all pairs) ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Chaeix 10/07/22 7:45:03 PM #198: |
I need endeavour to bring me back up in the outlier rankings omg --- we're all buds~jc~ <DeathChicken> you are my hero for being the first person to cite National Geographic in Mercs ... Copied to Clipboard!
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PIayer_0 10/07/22 8:11:24 PM #199: |
So many 3s that the only place it could land was #3 The first half of Zero is amazing but as a whole song I prefer Liberation of Gracemeria --- -Abraham Lincoln ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Waveshine_2001 10/07/22 9:39:43 PM #200: |
Chaeix posted... I need endeavour to bring me back up in the outlier rankings omgEndeavour will just further my position in first place tbh because I also ranked it way off the normal ranking. --- Fox Only, Final Destination. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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SuperNiceDog 10/07/22 11:24:00 PM #201: |
rwlh posted... 16. Umineko: When They Cry - Question Arcs | hope AW man I liked Hope A lot... --- Azuarc is the 2020 Guru GOTD 2 Contest Champion! ... Copied to Clipboard!
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