Board 8 > [VGMC] Day 89! feat. The Seer, the Maker, the Slayer, and the Safekeeper

(+) Yeah! (+)

Welcome to Video Game Music Contest 18, 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=478494
Contest info sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HBxgL9woiCMFKNOPuN_qdxmzjStJXSpC3Ocalfsavdk
Contest discussion thread: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/80763291
Main bracket playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLT3m7iohpL0y-5OyCrkgprWtXARkEJzh_
Compatibility sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1casDvSi-Tmrcco8_4k6cX5X7MLuJTUZvXIjqYTrD8V8
Last years spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SAJKYJmYhccLvbf_H-5uSA7-eMwXfW8k1q74Qho1bLU
VGMC total stats sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1K1XdLWiUKB2kX99qYBgnRbLU_sCz4dvZSByKKJHCT6o
Discord: https://discord.gg/7FVXqWj

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 11pm 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

Noctuary - Chromesthesia
Composer: Tatsuya Fukumuro (Nhato)
Loop Point: 3:30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW6XZyKI2vA

[-Aka-] - Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
Composer: Kazuya Takase
Loop Point: 6:13
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH7ZgT1jNcM

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Match 2

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC - The Merciless Savior
Composer: Wataru Ishibashi arr. Yukihiro Jindo
Loop Point: 6:28
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1GhOzlGXQk

Missing-X-Link ~Ten no Yurikago, Togi no Hana~ - The Blue Sanctuary
Composer: Taishi
Loop Point: 11:31
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=why71Dt_uyw

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Easy vote form:
Chromesthesia / Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
The Merciless Savior / The Blue Sanctuary

[-Aka-] - Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
Missing-X-Link ~Ten no Yurikago, Togi no Hana~ - The Blue Sanctuary

Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
The Merciless Savior

Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
The Merciless Savior

Chromesthesia
The Blue Sanctuary

Honorary rhythm game music takes the day, other two are good though

Chromesthesia
The Merciless Savior

Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
The Merciless Savior

Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
The Blue Sanctuary

[-Aka-] - Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
Missing-X-Link ~Ten no Yurikago, Togi no Hana~ - The Blue Sanctuary

Chromesthesia
The Merciless Savior

Chromesthesia
The Merciless Savior

Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
The Blue Sanctuary

Sand
Merciless

Chromesthesia
The Merciless Savior

Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
The Merciless Savior

Chromesthesia
The Blue Sanctuary

Chromesthesia
nope

Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
The Blue Sanctuary

Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
The Merciless Savior

Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
The Merciless Savior

Chromesthesia
The Blue Sanctuary

Castle of Sand
Blue Sanctuary

Chromesthesia
The Merciless Savior

My bias says Merciless for today. Match 1 is pretty close... yeah, I'm choosing Chrome. All of these songs are excellent, though, so I'm fine with whoever wins.

Chromesthesia
The Blue Sanctuary

Pretty clear votes for me.

Chromesthesia
The Blue Sanctuary

how the fuck
Saviour

Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
The Blue Sanctuary

Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
The Merciless Savior

When will Chromesthesia stop winning?! =p I've voted against it every time except in round 1... not that I dislike it at all!

Chromesthesia
The Merciless Savior

[-Aka-] - Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC - The Merciless Savior

Chromesthesia
The Blue Sanctuary

Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
The Merciless Savior

Chromesthesia
The Blue Sanctuary

Chromesthesia
The Blue Sanctuary

Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
The Blue Sanctuary

Chromesthesia
The Blue Sanctuary

blue sanc needs to either go down here or literally win the contest tbqh

From TunnelScene:

Chromesthesia (Noctuary)
The Merciless Savior (Trails in the Sky SC)

Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
The Blue Sanctuary

Weirdly, I dont remember how I discovered the [-Aka-] soundtrack. I do know it was pre-VGMC17, so I guess it was from the [-Aka-] songs that were in the contest before then? Anyway, The Castle of Sand was and still is my favorite song on the soundtrack, its more conventionally poppy and upbeat than most of the others, and makes just as good use of the stirring instruments and sweet vocals.

GET ENUF of course. envidias really good too. Ooh, and Caves of Mul. 3 strong options there.

Retiree genres behind-the-scenes trivia corner
SPIRALING REFRACTION: Inspired by the thumbnail, which appears to depict the same girl looking at herself from both outside and inside the globe. I envision this song to be the experience of looking into an endlessly recursive spiral of colors. Now that I think of it, RECURSIVE REFRACTION (alliteration, oh yes) would have been a good name too.
FRAGILE BEAUTY: Because sandcastles dont last long. I came up with this name before realizing that the lyrics actually do contain the word fragile. Normally I try to avoid repeating words that are already in the song.
FATE OF THE FACELESS (by hb): Plays off another Trails song called Fate of the Fairies.
HYPERREALITY ACTUALIZATION: A long name for a long song. According to its blurb, this game is about love between a human and a robot. That, along with dowolfs translation of the lyrics, gives me the idea that the titular Blue Sanctuary represents finding respite and refuge online. This name is meant to take that idea to the extreme while also showing the irony of it: existing in a place that isnt real makes you realize something true about yourself.

The Sand Castle
The Blue Sanctuary

Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
The Blue Sanctuary

Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
The Merciless Savior

[-Aka-] - Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC - The Merciless Savior

Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
The Blue Sanctuary

I still think it would've been funny if the R4 matchup was between Merciless Savior and The Phantom World instead.

Wataru Ishibashi

Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
The Blue Sanctuary

Chromesthesia
The Merciless Savior

Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
The Blue Sanctuary

Liked Blue Sanctuary a lot more on this listen apparently.

Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
The Merciless Savior

Chromesthesia
The Blue Sanctuary