Board 8 > [VGMC] Day 32! Mission3/Laby4, Sydney/nATALIE, Fatherland/SkyPanic!

(+) Yeah! (+)

Welcome to Video Game Music Contest 17, an annual celebration of the best of the best video game music according to the voters!

Important Links:
Bracket: https://www.bracketmaker.com/tlist.cfm?tid=477304
Contest info sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SAJKYJmYhccLvbf_H-5uSA7-eMwXfW8k1q74Qho1bLU
Contest discussion thread: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/80433657
Main bracket playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLT3m7iohpL0wlcxj-kHQRU1yHo-kpMxGe
Last years spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_IU5iCFTM_4WEx8ZWKwznMz5v2tarCKh1Ag0mxIgAes
VGMC total stats sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1K1XdLWiUKB2kX99qYBgnRbLU_sCz4dvZSByKKJHCT6o
Discord: https://discord.gg/WDvMS4a

Rules:
- Listen to both songs in a given match, at least through the loop time provided (to make sure you don't skip before you've heard the whole thing!)
- Please consider the loop point listed when judging the song; if a video loops one minute 5 times, don't treat it as if it's a repetitive 5 minute song
- If it's a match between your favorite song ever and a song you despise, still LISTEN TO BOTH! Votes can and will be disqualified if there is suspicion songs are not being listened to, and you may be discounted for the rest of the contest for repeat offenses.
- No alt accounts, no rallying or begging, etc., etc.... You only get one vote! Swapping votes is alright, just make clear that you've already made a vote and are swapping.
- Make clear what your voting options are! Please keep votes separate from any comments, and use the titles given in the topic post.
- Voting in all matches is not mandatory, feel free to skip matches you do not wish to vote in.
- Vote based on the links provided, and not other sources of audio. Links are specifically chosen for best quality and the like.
- Don't discuss vote tallies in this thread, or in other threads, as they may influence votes. Likewise, please refrain from looking at the running tally before voting.

Voting Period:
- Today's matches will last 24 hours from the time of posting, or 24 hours from 10pm Eastern, whichever is the later time.
- Please note this may mean that two topics will be active at the same time!
- If you anticipate being unable to vote in a given day, please send an absentee vote to @banshiryuu, or post your absentee vote in the discussion thread!

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Match 1

Master Spy - Mission 3 (HK)
Composer: Andr Allen Anjos
Loop Point: 6:50
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7iCAvrUH74

Etrian Odyssey IV - Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library<

Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library
nATALIE

Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library
Tour Sydney Sprint
Panic In The Sky!

Master Spy - Mission 3 (HK)
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Tour Sydney Sprint
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge - Panic In The Sky!

both decent
both good
both eh

Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library
Tour Sydney Sprint
Fatherland

Match 1 and Match 3 are too damn stacked, help!! Who decided to make this bracket so solid, argh. Also, Sydney ended being a surprise banger. Pretty awesome day.

Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library
nATALIE
Panic in the Sky!

Mission 3
nATALIE
Fatherland

It's probably sacrilegious for the hatsune miku/vgm crowd to hear me compare any song to FNF/FNF mods, but man does this song's vibes feel like something straight out of the Vs. Ace mod after the intro. That mod rules btw and so does this song.

1. ???
2. Xenogears - One Who Bares Fangs at God
3. League of Legends - K'Sante - The Pride of Nazumah
4. Control - My Dark Disquiet
5. League of Legends - Nilah, The Joy Unbound
6. ???
7. Magical Chase - Waltz of Meditation Part2
8. Mortal Kombat (Sega CD) - Techno Syndrome
9. Alto's Odyssey - A Moment of Tranquility
10. Spark the Electric Jester 3 - Utopia Shelter ~ In the Depths
11. ???
12. REFLEC BEAT groovin'!! - DADADADADADADADADADA (Long Version)
13. Deus Ex - The Synapse - Ambient
14. ???
15. Sonic R - Back In Time
16. Hatsune Miku -Project DIVA- Arcade version B - nATALIE
17. Legaia 2: Duel Saga - Lost Forest
18. 7th Dragon 2020-II - Shutoko - Spiral Maze
19. Chrono Trigger - Yearnings of the Wind
20. ???
21. Dragon Poker - Kanashimi no Mephisto feat.Mahoushoujo Ran & Mahoushoujo Akane
22. ???
23. ???
24. Cladun: This is an RPG - Knight of a Foreign Country
25. Pokemon Scarlet/Violet - Battle! (Zero Lab)
26. ???
27. Fire Emblem: Three Houses - The Apex of the World (Rain)
28. osu! - escape (through the looking - glass, and what alice found there)
29. Galactic Pinball - MOONMAN'S Fandango
30. ???

Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library
nATALIE
Panic In The Sky!

Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library
nATALIE
Panic In The Sky!

rough draw for both on the first match, though i will say though that even though i'm voting for it, I don't think lab 4 was a good selection by EO4 standards, even as the one of the only people here who likes EO stratum themes a lot more than battle themes. obviously city of radiant ruin is one matter but i'd also take lab 1 and 2 over it in a heartbeat... and while i don't think lab 6 would've been a remotely smart pick, i do also like it more too (also a couple of the overworld themes too)
sydney is really good though. this is probably where lemm falls so i'll just say there are no plans to bring any lemm songs back after this year, especially this one where i was blatantly bending the rules further than i probably should've been allowed even compared to last year to nom it lol. i am very glad it managed to get in though, and i hope it's gotten people to appreciate the vocaloid scene a little bit more, since there are some incredibly cool artists who happen to be a part of it outside of the mainstream side. i guess cevio, voicevox and ai voice is where it's really at now tho
can i just vote for the other songs i didn't vote from the first 2 matches here instead lol

Mission
Sprint
Panic

Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library
Tour Sydney Sprint
Panic in the Sky!

Mission 3 (HK)
nATALIE
Panic In The Sky!

Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library
nATALIE
Fatherland

Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan - Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Booster Course Pass - Tour Sydney Sprint
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge - Panic in the Sky!

Panic in the Sky! >> Tour Sydney Sprint > Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library > nATALIE > Mission 3 (HK) >> Fatherland

Mission 3 is decent, but man it overstayed its welcome hard. Echoing Library fits into a weird middle ground between laid back and intense that doesn't quite sit right with me in general, but man this is like the best it can be. Between the guitar, violin, and sax, that was really cool. Sydney Sprint is great, hard not for it to be (even if I really wish they'd extend the average Mario Kart song by like 50% why are they so short). Expected a lot worse from nATALIE given Hatsune Miku was mentioned, but the vocals were subdued enough to the point where it worked well enough. Took way too long to get good, but at least it changed more than Mission 3. I had no idea what to expect from War Thunder, but whatever I was thinking of it wasn't this. I just wish it'd commit to something, because this just tries to do too many things and none of them particularly work. Update: never mind, it only gets good around 5:30. Why does it take so long to get to the good stuff I do not get this song. On the contrary, Panic in the Sky! is the best song today bar none. It features GaMetal on both guitars and vocals, how could it not be? Always loved this one, even if the GaMetal remix (yes seriously it exists) is far and away the best version of the song. Fuck this solo is good.

The aforementioned GaMetal remix: https://youtu.be/n-Veve2Mv0M

Etrian Odyssey IV - Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library
Hatsune Miku -Project DIVA- Arcade version B - nATALIE
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge - Panic In The Sky!

Mission 3 (HK)
Tour Sydney Sprint
Panic In The Sky!

I hate long songs! Unless they're against Etrian Odyssey! Wait...

Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library
Tour Sydney Sprint
Fatherland

Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library
Tour Sydney Sprint
Panic In The Sky!

Mission 3 (HK)
Tour Sydney Sprint
Panic In The Sky!

Mission 3 (HK)
Tour Sydney Sprint
Fatherland

Labyrinth IV - worldenddominator
nATALIE
Panic In The Sky!

Mission 3 (HK)
Tour Sydney Sprint
Fatherland

Etrian Odyssey IV - Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library
Hatsune Miku -Project DIVA- Arcade version B - nATALIE
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge - Panic In The Sky!

pretty easy choices

Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library
nATALIE
Fatherland

Mission 3 (HK)
nATALIE
Fatherland

Etrian Odyssey IV - Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library
Hatsune Miku -Project DIVA- Arcade version B - nATALIE

Mission 3 (HK)
Tour Sydney Sprint
Panic In The Sky!

Mission 3 (HK)
nATALIE
Panic In The Sky!

i was talking to kcf the other day about how jazzed i was to see mission 3 show up. love how bubbly it sounds, but with almost melancholy and wistful guitars (?) mingled in. i love it when a song entrances me and drowns me in it's vibes.

i am also one of the people who prefer the stratum music over the boss fight themes. i absolutely adore the combination of chill "backing" instruments and that wailing, moody guitar and sax. i think this does a good job in making you think of a place that may have been sacred once but is now overrun by foul beasts ... i still have a preference this match but it's nice to hear more eo music that's "for me".

mario kart 8 music fail to be groovy challenge (impossible). very fun, but i wish there was more to it.

natalie FUCKS. such a dreamy piece of music, a technological soundscape, and imo tasteful application of hatsune miku herself. there's that playful flourish too that feels almost fairytale-like .... i guess miku does feel kind of like a princess to me with her soft vocals. if i had to criticise, id say that the climax feels a wee bit too much for me, but that's just nitpicking at this point ... sydney sprint is good, but this feels like a wonderful journey.

wait isn't this the game with all the leaked government documents? lmao i guess the budget goes to the music. i love how this piece starts off muted and then just slams you. feels very much like how i imagine good ol plane shoot em up would play out. I like the oppression, the feeling that time is running out before turning to something more triumphant? before going back to something dangerous? jesus this fight is really putting you through the ringer. it doesn't always work for me, but it is one of those songs where i can just feel the context and imagine the scene and i respect that.

i am trying to sing along to panic in the sky but i keep coughing sad day. this is such a cheesefest. easily brings me back to my childhood. the usage of the classic tmnt motif was cute too :) what a cute song!

today was a very "vibes" day. good vibes all around even if a few songs didn't hit so well.

Mission 3 (HK)
Tour Sydney Sprint
Panic In The Sky!

Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library
nATALIE
Panic In The Sky!

Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library
nATALIE
Fatherland

Mission 3 is nice, but it doesn't deserve to be 7 minutes long. Echoing Library is pretty nice but also repetitive too. This match is very close.

I dunno if Sydney Sprint is any better than the average MK8 song. It's definitely no Big Blue or Mute City... natalie's a nice use of Miku, doesn't feel too unnatural. PITS is fun enough, I suppose.

Fatherland's got a really great buildup and payoff. Really has that Ace Combat feel.

Fatherland > nATALIE > Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library > Mission 3 (HK) > Panic In The Sky! > Tour Sydney Sprint

Mission 3 (HK)
Tour Sydney Sprint
Fatherland

Mission <3

Mission 3 (HK)
Tour Sydney Sprint
Panic In The Sky!

Echo
nat'lie
dadville

i'm sorry i am not in a good brain today and i don't think i can write anything not mean about any of the songs.

Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library
nATALIE
Panic In The Sky!

Mission 3 (HK)
Tour Sydney Sprint
Panic In The Sky!

Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library
nATALIE
Panic In The Sky!

Mission 3 (HK): This was a standout to me during noms. The bassline, guitar, and synths are all really pleasing to listen to. It's long, but it's one of those where the sound design makes up for it, so I don't get tired of it. Great song.

Echoing Library: This one's pretty cool too. Love the sax in the last minute of the loop. If I had a nitpick for this one, it's that it goes back and forth between two chords for the first 90 or so seconds of the loop, and the soundscape isn't quite good enough to make up for it. Still a very good song.

Tour Sydney Sprint: Nice sax and vibe, but the loop is way too short. Still a pretty enjoyable song for me.

nATALIE: Pretty cool piano and synths. The vocals are fine, but nothing special. The last two minutes or so are extra good. Neat song.

Fatherland: Idk, something about this feels super amateurish to me. I think it's the weird mix along with the somewhat nonsensical composition. It's got some cool parts here and there, but it's just a weird amalgamation of literally everything imaginable in 6 minutes in a non-cohesive manner. Strange song.

Panic in the Sky!: Fun song with a good guitar solo near the end, but the rest doesn't stick with me very much. Very short too.

Matches 1 and 2 were very good. Match 3 was meh.

Votes:
Mission 3 (HK)
nATALIE
Panic in the Sky!

Mission 3 (HK)
Tour Sydney Sprint
Fatherland

Echoing Library is a retiree prediction blah blah whatever. The best part is 1:35-2:17 after the overwhelming guitar riff clears up, all the subtle melodies get to be heard and the sax is the icing on the cake. Unfortunate that the loop is right after that.

I like almost all of what Natalie is doing except for that synth noise at 1:47. It is so grating to me for some reason and it spoils the parts that have it in the background. That aside the song has a nice ethereal feeling helped by the understated vocals.

Best part of Panic in the Sky! is 0:50-1:10, the slightly slower pace and call-and-response with the vocals really appeal to me. Similar complaint to Echoing Library where the best part is too short.

Voted Ordinary Days. Its just really hypnotic and catchy.

Mission 3 (HK)
Tour Sydney Sprint
Fatherland

Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library
nATALIE
Fatherland

Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library
nATALIE
Fatherland

Echoing Library
Tour Sydney Sprint
Fatherland

Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library
nATALIE
Panic In The Sky!

Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library
Tour Sydney Sprint
Panic In The Sky!

Don't feel like saying much today, figuring something out mentally for my own sake.

That said, good picks for Match 1 and 2 today, Koshiro and Mario Kart never fail to make me happy I have ears. The Turtles song is great as well!

Mission 3 (HK)
Tour Sydney Sprint
Panic In The Sky!

From TunnelScene:

Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library (Etrian Odyssey IV)
nATALIE (Hatsune Miku -Project DIVA- Arcade)
Fatherland (War Thunder)

I'm pretty sure I didn't find this one to click with me before even tho I tend to jive with kcf picks. it's hitting the spot a lot better today. the fast plucked arps feel really cool when merged with a synthwavey style. oddly makes me think of pso2 superior probe underworks scenery at bits. 3:47 has lots of the cool over-the-barline stuff I tend to love, pseudo-polyrhythmic/polymetric even

definitely one of the tracks where koshiro wears the 70s prog influence on his sleeve the most. it's not "as proggy" as much of his stuff, but the organ and 7 and stuff definitely make me feel like I'm listening to Camel (prog band) or something.

still cant believe they got actual musicians from DIMENSION to play on this game. also I still don't know where this cars&racing = jazz fusion thing came from that japan seems to have but I am not complaining!

there is some specific song this intro feels exactly the same as melodically but I cant figure out what. I thought it was Kimihiro Abe but I clicked on all the songs I thought it was and none of them were it. maybe it's some fire emblem or pmd thing but I can't figure out what if so. honestly i thought it was something that was in vgmc so maybe someone else might know what I am thinking of. oh my god the distorted drums around 5min feel so cool. I love this virgil donati tier tempo perception testing stuff

LOUD ace combat 4

quiet Double Dragon Neon

Etrian Odyssey IV - Labyrinth IV - Echoing Library
Hatsune Miku -Project DIVA- Arcade version B - nATALIE
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge - Panic In The Sky!

Mission 3 (HK)
nATALIE
Fatherland

I was almost certain that I'd be voting for Panic in the Sky today, because I enjoyed it during supports, but Fatherland did some really cool things. I will be happy to see either of these songs advance. (And, now that I've looked ahead in the bracket, sad when they lose)