Lurker > azuarc

VitalVI posted...
Rankings
...
Gorgeous 2012 - The Surrenders (what is this I don't even)
Final Fantasy Adventure Music ~ 2 : Fighting Arena
Crazy Bus Title Screen

Suck it, Nee. And yeah, not gonna try to compete with Crazy Bus. There's just no point.

>Pick up BOTTLE next to where Mar was standing.
>Inspect DEVICE to the right of the bar.

I'm impressed with the unusual choices. Snooker?

Rad Link 5 posted...
10 pound breasts
Those... are a lot more than ten pounds.

I remember reading breast weight can very roughly be estimated at 1.6 lbs times the cup size (A=1, B=2, C=3, etc.). I am not a breast scientist, so I have no idea if that's true, but if we assume it's true, Samus looks like she's got Ds, maybe DDs. So she'd have right around seven pounds of breast.

This is much better than talking about which Metroid games are canon.


Never heard that before, but that's interesting. Is that for the two breasts combined, then? My friend's wife, who has very large boobs (understandably since she's a bit heavy,) said her's probably weigh about 5 lbs each. I couldn't even guess what cup size you would call her. F, probably.

I can somewhat believe the weight, given the height. But I don't believe the height. The only thing I can say that remotely defends 6'3 is that humans have been getting taller over time and she is often in zero- or low-gravity settings. So 6'3? Eh, maybe, even if it's exceedingly rare to find women over 6'0, let alone 3 inches over. That's like finding a dude that's 6'8.

But I only somewhat believe the height because pictures I've seen of her zero suit don't really look that muscular. I mean, clearly the suit does most of the work in movement, because it weighs 200 lbs on its own. So it's not like she needs to be buff to use it. I'm sure there are 6'3 women who do weigh 198, but Samus' physique doesn't appear to be nearly THAT muscular.

lol, nice

Alright, folks, that's it. You can pack up and go home.

Oh, but don't. I'm not completely done with this thread. Even after the daily three comments, I intend on posting a few other things. Call them special bonus features if you like.


If you'd like to hear the top 50 start to finish, here's a playlist that has them all in order:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL16D5E2A2340E0781&feature=edit_ok


And, for the uploader wars...

E - 451.1, 76 songs, 5.93 avg
S - 439.2, 71 songs, 6.18 avg
P - 428.4, 71 songs, 6.03 avh
X - 417.8, 71 songs, 5.88 avg
H - 405.2, 69 songs, 5.87 avg
K - 395.3, 68 songs, 5.82 avg (includes Kaleb)
N - 387.1, 73 songs, 5.30 avg

Ed may have more points, but he also has noticably more songs. I'd have to declare Angelo the winner. Of course, the top download was KP's, and that should probably count for something also.

...and finally...


1. Medal of Honor: European Assault - Dogs of War
Uploader: KamikazePotato (184)

Rating: 10
Comment: Dogs of War is simply sublime. If you read my entry on The Extreme, you'll note I picked it as the runner-up for VGMC5. This was my winner, and like Face of Fact, it was immediate love. If Best of Times sounds like it could be from a movie, I would have assumed Dogs of War *was* from a movie, and wouldn't have questioned for a moment if you told me it was from Saving Private Ryan. Clearly that was the John-Williams-esque mood that Lennertz was trying to capture, and he nails it.
The trumpets, oh, how they enter. Sadly triumphant, with a perfect blend of brightness and sorrow. The strings section understates the mournful side, complemented by french horn. The envelope of sound widens and narrows as the strings and brass trade off. The song repeats its singular melody constantly, yet even by 1:40 when we are hearing it for the fourth time in the same minute, it still sounds just as beautiful; each presentation with contrasting timbre and tone color, it may be the same statement, but it means something different each time. When soprano singers enter at 2:10, rather than a surprise, it fits perfectly to heighten the climax of the song before it tapers off to nothing.
So what makes this song better than the others? I think the simplest way I can explain it is simply to say that I cry when I listen to it. Granted I might also cry when I hear the worst songs on the list as well. But I have no trouble admitting tears. At my sister's funeral, I said that tears are caused not by intense sorrow or intense joy or anything else other than simply intensity itself. There are many many songs uploaded to VGMusicOfTheDay that are rhythmically intense or have loud driving parts or any other number of ways you might try to account for them being "intense" in the conventional sense. But there is a profundity to all the nuances of Dogs of War, the rise and fall of the dynamic, the stretching of the tempo, the resonance, inflection, and subtleties that contibute to its sheer beauty and majesty, that make it a more intense experience for musician and listener alike. And for this, it is the clear choice for the #1 position on my VGMotD 500 Countdown.

2. Baldr Force - Face of Fact
Uploader: superangelo128 (376)

Rating: 10
Comment: HELLO! Where did THIS come from? After a little research, I see that this song has actually been in two previous VGMC contests, but I had certainly never heard it. This song (along with the other 10s) did something that VERY few songs can ever do -- made me like it with the first listen. Barely a minute into the song, I very nearly promoted this to #1 straight away, but after listening to it about 30 times, it lost its capacity to make me **** in my pants. Still, I knew it was going to be in the top four.
It pushes all the right buttons. Simple opening, seguing into a very cool, driving trance-like sound that can support a melody over top of it. The singer's pretty good, and I don't care that I have no idea what the lyrics are. I never do. The quieter spoken vocals at 2:00 are impossible to make out on my speakers, but I just tune them out as part of the song's backing. I love the way this song develops throughout, the interlude at 3:20 is exactly what it needs to be, and the return to the A section plays out exactly the way I was hoping it would. So in spite of being enamored with the song in the first minute, it actually didn't disappoint me with the five (!) minutes that followed, which is pretty darn special.
Best part: Either 4:47 or 0:44

3. Digital: A Love Story - Paper Dolls
Uploader: superangelo128 (082)

Rating: 10
Comment: If you had asked me before I started this project what I considered my best find from VGMusicOfTheDay, I would have told you this was my treasure. I knew it was one of the select few in the running for top honors, but I was surprised recently by another song.
I dunno what the train noises at the beginning are for, since they aren't actually part of the song. I love the samples used in this song, beginning with the echoey tone that opens the (actual) song to a sweet, if hollow melody. When the backing at :48 enters, you finally see why I've picked this song so high. (And someone accused me early on in the list of not liking "electronic" songs.) The melody, the backing and the drums all work together magnificently for a full minute before the main tune drops out. But then we hit 2:08, where the "siren" is just a positively perfect use of the preceding development, and easily the climax of the song before it gradually winds its way back down. Oh yeah, and some weird after-noises that I compare to the train at the beginning.
Best part: 1:58-2:28

I didn't rate any songs 1.5, and similiarly there will be no 9.5 either. There are four songs to receive a ten. One song I know very intimiately, one I learned about from VGMC, one that I found on the channel long ago, and one that I found on the channel in the last couple weeks.


4. Civilization IV - Baba Yetu
Uploader: Ed Bellis (001)

Rating: 10
Comment: For people who I had spoken to privately about the list, I made no commitment to anything spoiler-ish other than that I said Baba Yetu was the odds-on favorite to go top. It's song #1 in the actual order. It's the intro to a game I love dearly. It's won a grammy. I don't hold the Chrono Crosses and Uminekos and other B8 darlings in nearly as high of esteem as seems typical in these parts. To anyone who knew the games I played, the songs I knew about prior to B8, or really just any songs that interest me, they'd probably consider this a shoo-in.
It's quite understandable. Even ignoring the cinematic that plays with it, the song is amazing. It's a total triumph of "world music," using an African choral style for the majority of the song, but with instrumentation that supports the singers and plays during the two interludes, transitioning the mood of each vocal passage. Just the opening seconds are probably enough to forewarn you that you've got something really special on your hands. Compared to the two following entries, Baba Yetu seems almost understated, but it isn't holding anything back. No, it's completely expected that this would be the favorite if I'm doing the countdown. But it took 2nd in VGMC1 to Scars of Time. It was narrowly defeated by DED in the ToC. It appeared recently in CG7's ranking topic at #3 behind a pair of Ar Tonelico songs. Angelo gave it a mere 19th on his list of all 900 VGMC entries. And just when it seemed like there was a B8 topic where it should have one in the bag, it comes up shy again. I've honestly just kind of been getting bored with it after however many times I've listened to it. I originally had it second, and only yesterday demoted it to fourth. (Which forced me to rewrite some of these commentaries, grr.) Doing so did have the interesting side effect of putting the very first two downloads back-to-back in the top 5. Still, at least there were three songs in the 498 days that followed that showed this wasn't all in vain.
Best part: Take your pick. I'm picking the beginning, actually.

7. Halo 2 - Halo Theme (Mjolnir Mix)
Uploader: Ed Bellis (204)

Rating: 9
Comment: Mjolnir is certainly one of the most seminal pieces of the previous decade, and definitely so for the original Xbox. It was even featured as a download in Guitar Hero III well before Harmonix was using Still Alive as an April Fool's Day download. And is anyone really surprised? The song starts with a monkly chant over atmospheric noises before some traditional rock stuff enters in fairly epic fashion. The melodic line twists and wends as the song progresses, but always moves forward until it finally comes full circle back to the monks. I'm only surprised O'Donnell and Salvatori's earlier work from before Bungie's Halo days hasn't gotten more notice. Myth, anyone?
Best part: The whole song is 6/8, but you really only notice at 2:42.

6. Shatter - The Neon Mines
Uploader: TheKnightOfNee (167)

Rating: 9
Comment: I know it's easily to criticize the songs from Shatter's OST as "too long." They do develop slowly, but that's the point of pretty much anything techno. Play a riff; play it four times or eight or sixteen, then modulate it. Shatter follows that formula, tried and true -- the composer even goes by the name Module -- but what makes Shatter's songs different is that they have a slower tempo with a funk beat driven by a bass guitar. And just when you think you've finally had enough of the pattern presented in The Neon Mines, we hit 2:22 and this amazing arpeggiated interlude enters. It stays with us for nearly a minute before going back to the A section, but there's new wrinkles that justify another 2 1/2 minutes of awesome technofunk.
Best part: The aforementioned 2:22.


5. Final Fantasy VIII - The Extreme
Uploader: KamikazePotato (002)

Rating: 9
Comment: The highest of your VGMC winners (with DotsBAW standing in for Scars,) but obviously my favorite. I had initially picked it as my semifinalist in VGMC5, but didn't think B8 would ever have such conventional tastes. All the other songs in the bracket I liked dropped out early, but The Extreme hung in there, and who can blame you for picking it? It starts off with a tremendous build-up of both eerie ambient sounds and then ominously tranquil piano solo until the pay-off at 1:40 with, what else, but the traditional Final Fantasy battle riff. Oematsu always finds new ways to jump in after that, but he outdoes himself this time. Sleigh bells for percussion seems odd, but a remarkably good choice. As that gives way to normal drums, the main melody modulates as it changes hands, but stays relatively constant through it's different incarnations until the contrast in the eerie section at 3:30 truly puts this song in its place. One last climax completes the loop.
Best part: The beginning of the "battle" portion at 1:40.

Insert dramatic comment here about how we've come so far and now only 10 songs remain and blah blah blah.


10. Tekken 6 - Yodeling in Meadow Hill
Uploader: Ed Bellis (128)

Rating: 9
Comment: So first we had Now You're a Hero, then Sloprano, and then Pepsiman, all going high. Your first reaction is to say "what, another joke song, az?" And to an extent, yes. But no, not really. I mean, nobody probably knew that yodeling went so well with dance-rock, but that doesn't stop the song from being awesome. It's true this was probably my biggest WTF moment on the list that wasn't "WTF, this is so bad!" No, basically it was just the opposite, and it took me quite a few listens to convince myself that it wasn't just a novelty song, as I gradually "rescued" it from one ranking tier after another. I imagine you're either on-board with me or going to laugh at me, but I stand behind my choice either way. And it has nothing to do with my Swiss heritage. (That WOULD explain why I'm so wishy-washy about stuff all the time though...although that could be because I'm a Libra instead. I haven't really decided.)
Best part: The beginning, as you go "oh god, what am I...wait, this is actually good. Why is this..." and then just let down your defenses and go with it.

9. World of Goo - Best of Times
Uploader: Kleenex (434)

Rating: 9
Comment: There aren't many songs that I would say sound like they could be from a movie -- at least not a highly-stylized drama. This one very easily could. The slow piano, the somber chorus, the solemn strings all reek of sorrow, while the tribal drums push the song forward to keep it from stagnating. The whole thing is beautiful. I don't know what the song is actually used for in World of Goo, but it has the feel of a sad ending and does it amazingly well. I've said this at previous junctures as well, but I've just been impressed with World of Goo all-around. I'm ashamed I never seriously listened to the nomination from Best OST that went unsupported. I won't make that mistake again.
Best part: 2:11, right before the grand pause.

8. Chrono Cross - Dreams of the Shore Near (or Bordering) Another World
Uploader: Kleenex (182)

Rating: 9
Comment: I don't think anyone's surprised to hear DotSBAW near the top. The song is nothing more than a simple slow melody with some backing noises, but what a melody! Mess with that melody in terms of instrument choice, tempo, or backing, and it just isn't quite the same, as Time of the Dreamwatch helps confirm, even if that song is still really damn good. 'Dreams' won the ToC, and although it won't be taking top honors today, it certainly deserves a place near the top. Oh, right. I should say something controversial to stir up opinions. OK then, Scars of Time sucks. 'Dreams' is way better. (Slight exaggeration, but Scars is overrated.)
Best part: It's really just one continuous strain. I could say best instrument part, and pick that "hohh hohh hohh hohh" sound in the background that gives the song an exotic quality.

That will be the only non-VGM music post. At least by my doing, anyway.

I agree with The Sims, and probably THPS. I will gladly consider any shovelware Koei throws at me with Dynasty Warriors stamped across it (although I do NOT pick up every product, I just get the urge to play DW intermittently.) Sonic's on the rebound. I dunno if AC is true or not since I've never played.

To be fair, oversaturation isn't really what killed Guitar Hero. It didn't help, but the truth was that series' time in the sun was marked from the beginning. They got out of it what they could.

I bet you'd like vocal pieces more if they were all in mixed meter. ;)

I..know...the pie-ces fit cause I...watched...them tum-ble-dowun.
|: 12-123-12-12-123 :|

I won't post for spoilers' sake since I know a few people want to be surprised, but you can find the top ten listed (in alphabetical order) at the bottom of the spreadsheet where I've been posting the rankings. Just in case anyone wanted to look ahead to tomorrow and try to guess at what's coming.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AoS8GGHS9FDGdDlwQWZMbmhvcXpJa3JVaWgzZVBfbEE


NO SPOILERS PEOPLE: Consider this your fair warning that somebody will probably give their thoughts on the top ten.

Celtic7Guardian. She did a rank 100 not long ago, and she's often in B8VGM. (Well, as often as anyone else.) Apparently she had no influence on you, but she still had influence on me, then. So I hate you, Celtic. Except that I don't. Just trying to rate EXEC_Z.

12. Jets'n'Guns - Shop Music
Uploader: Ed Bellis (029)

Rating: 8.5
Comment: Nothing amazes me about this song more than just the raw sound it has. (The tone color, the fullness, etc.) You might argue that it never really does anything, and that wouldn't be completely false; it doesn't really have a melody of any kind for most of the song. For once, I'm going to say that it doesn't need to. The ensemble sound is amazing enough for it to not matter.
Best part: Extra instrumentation added at :47.

11. Mega Man 2 - Dr. Wily Stage 1/2
Uploader: Kaleb.G (366)

Rating: 9
Comment: One of the two most classic, most revered NES pieces (for strictly music's sake. Obviously the Mario and Zelda themes are better known.) If you asked me to pick between Wily and The Moon, I'd have to think hard about it, but I don't have to make that decision today. I simply have to tell you that it's better than roughly 490 other songs. Sadly, it's the one 9 that doesn't make the top 10, but that's nothing to feel bad about. Those other songs are young whippersnappers with CD quality sound that hide behind their samples and their arrangement with more than three parts. Phaw! The Capcom composers don't need any of that newfangled garbage to create a masterpiece!
Best part: I have to pick just one? Is there a part that isn't good?

16. Elemental Master - Blood-Stained Lake
Uploader: Kleenex (028)

Rating: 8.5
Comment: Low volume alert. Simply incredible, and completely unexpected. (Well, other than that I had heard it back when VGMotD started.) Might very well be my favorite Genesis piece, and while I realize that besides Sonic there isn't a great deal of competition there, it's still saying something. The only thing I'll say to the contrary on Blood-Stained Lake is that I honestly thought it would be from something even older than Genesis judging from the graphics and the sound. I would have guessed one of the old computer systems like Amiga/C64. Not that it's a bad thing to sound like a C64 song.
Best part: I could be creative, but I honestly just like the beginning.

15. Umineko 4 - dreamenddischarger
Uploader: KamikazePotato (121)

Rating: 8.5
Comment: Insert "14 spots too low" comments here. I already went on my rant during WED, so no need to repeat that. This song's good. I make no arguments about that. It's not #1. I say that not because I have anything in particular I dislike about the song -- if I have to get into a discussion over this song vs Scars I'll take ded 11 times out of 10. However, I do think there are songs that are better. I wasn't sure how to rate it, so I basically let this one sit on the list while I picked off other songs until it just seemed time to cut ties. This one and the song right after it, for very different reasons.
Best part: 2:40, easily.

14. Ar Tonelico III: Knell of Ar Ciel - EXEC_Z/.
Uploader: Pikachu025 (500)

Rating: 8.5
Comment: I still hate you, Celtic.
I should just let that be my comment and leave everyone else confused, but I heard this for the first time during Celtic's rank 100 topic; it was her #1. I suspect it wouldn't have been uploaded on day 500 if not for that. I'm not nearly as big a fan of Ar tonelico as she, but I can't deny that it's a really good, if slightly strange song. You wouldn't believe how long it took me to try to rate it, though. I listened to the song at least 10 times trying to make a preliminary ranking, and then another 10 times trying to make a more definitive ranking. I was incredibly frustrated. Finally I just said "screw it, I'll lowball it, and just keep pulling things off the list in front of it until I don't think I can justify that any more." It bubbled up from like #60 to here. Is it really #14 in my opinion? I don't know! I don't know what I think still! I wish this song would just go away so I don't have to decide what I think! *Tucks head between knees and rocks back and forth in the corner*
Best part: 3:39-4:09 I guess? I DON'T KNOW! LEAVE ME ALONE!

13. DoDonPachi DaiFukkatsu Black Label - Xanadu (Stage 2-B)
Uploader: TheKnightOfNee (363)

Rating: 8.5
Comment: This one of those rare songs that caught my attention squarely on the first listen. Not enough to go top 5 or anything, but it's still a very impressive piece. It presents this great electro-rock sound with a couple exceptional drum fills. I have no idea what DoDonPachi DaiFukkatsu is, and I doubt I could say it five times fast, but Xanadu is an awesome song.
P.S. This game title breaks the GameFAQs forum filters, apparently, because it contains F-U-K.
Best part: The drum break fill at 1:24.

Alright, everybody hates vocals, except Celtic and xp.

Actually, how many people around here actually hate vocals? I mean, most popular music has vocals, so unless you turn on the classical station in the car, odds are you're listening to a singer. I just know it's a running joke about B8.


Well, anyway, moving on...

20. Shadow the Hedgehog - Waking Up
Uploader: superangelo128 (236)

Rating: 8.5
Comment: This song reminds me of a few songs on the Mortal Kombat (movie) soundtrack, which I used to own a long time ago. Mind you, I'm talking about a movie soundtrack, where it's "songs inspired by," but there were some really cool songs on that. So if I equate this with something that has really cool songs on it, then that's a good thing, right? I'm not going to go looking for my old cassette (yes, I had it on tape) to draw direct comparisons, but there were songs on that unlike I had ever heard before, so there's a strong sense of nostalgia here for me...really odd for a game I've never played and don't know anything about.
Edit: I went looking for whichever song it was via YouTube, and I can't find it. I'm probably thinking of something else entirely. The rationale doesn't matter. I like the song. I admit the quality doesn't seem top 20 material, and maybe it's not, but it's #20 today.
Best part: 12 seconds in.

19. Persona 3 - The Battle For Everyone's Souls
Uploader: KamikazePotato (023)

Rating: 8.5
Comment: At the very beginning with a middling tempo, you wouldn't expect such greatness, but the best word I can use to describe the tone of the intro is menacing. It continues to be awesome after that without getting all frenetic with wailing guitars like most contemporary boss battles would. Plus it has a surprising section with an opera singer that doesn't suck. There isn't a part of this song I dislike.
Best part: On the other hand, there isn't a part that really stands out to me, either.

18. Mega Man X - Ending
Uploader: superangelo128 (089)

Rating: 8.5
Comment: Most ending themes are sappy, triumphant, or reprise the main theme. This one is introspective, which is rather unique. It's a great piece for setting a different mood than maybe you'd expect, makes you question just what you were doing, and it ends on a sad note rather than giving you any satisfaction for a job well done. That might sound rather moribund, but the song is simply awesome.
Best part: 1:13.

17. Ys 7 - Innocent Primeval Breaker
Uploader: Ed Bellis (435)

Rating: 8.5
Comment: A song directly inspired by Best OST, ha! This is the highest positioned all-out rock song. (By my reasoning, anyway. There are some kinda sorta's, like the next song.) Probably not surprising that it would come from either Guilty Gear or Ys. I had this song described to me as Riches in Me-lite, which is true in some regards -- it starts strong, the rest of the song is decent but not nearly as good by contrast, and they've got a similiar vibe. But Riches in Me inexplicably didn't strike me, and this one did. (P.S. Riches in Me sounded WAY better on headphones.)
Best part: Solo at 2:19.

TheKnightOfNee posted...
That last place is mine forever

I take this as a challenge.

Dragon Warrior / Dragon Quest - Battle Theme


Final Fantasy Legend II - Ahh!


Final Fantasy Adventure - Fighting Arena



Don't actually use all of those, just whichever one is worst. I'm not trying to bloat the list with crap. They're all short to listen to.

For an actually somewhat good song, and extremely unknown...

Wizball - Title

sonten1 posted...
Sloprano and Funky's Fugue are too very good songs that should be nowhere near the Top 50

If they're very good, why should they be nowhere near the top 50?

I can understand the rest of your opinions, even if obviously mine differ, which means I approve of those opinions! (If I can't see where you're coming from with something, then I disapprove of your opinion.)


Advo, only 20 songs left, and 10 of them will probably go up by the time you read this, but I'm all over the place. Board favorites, known entities, and a couple total surprises. I guess nothing's totally a surprise at this point if you're willing to go back to the sporcle quiz and eliminate what's been used so far. The real question is the order. And if I did it again, I'm not sure how different that would be. When I went back to order the songs once I had decided what was a 7.5, what was an 8.0, etc., I had a hard time placing things. I'm not good with semi-arbitrary decisions. So I listened and listened and finally just said screw it and picked stuff. I generally stand behind the decisions I've made, but it's inevitable that, me being me, I will second guess myself constantly about everything. The only part I knew for certain before doing the actual numbered order was which songs were in the top four. Even now, I'm actually getting a little sick of those songs, but not quite enough to demote them.

Cosgrove link doesn't work for me.


Theron
Burke
Matsugane
Grindemyr
McGregor
Kelly

I look forward to seeing how this plays out.

Somebody posted a picture partway through the White match that made me second-guess myself a bit. I went primarily off the match pic, and that match pic didn't rival Alba at all.

Ed Bellis posted...
Neither does this one person.

Nonsense! This is B8! Everybody hates vocals...except Celtic.

Pikachu 025 posted...
And yeah, no idea where you hear male singers in there.

3:09? Once that part hands over the melody, they're singing in the background with what sounds like lyrics of "hit the daddy-o, hit the daddy-o"

The female singer sings with an open throat. The male singer's stuff is much more close-throated and stressed. The part is mostly in the background, but it's the dominant voice from 4:15 to 4:44.

There's definitely at least two different vocalists used...the tonality is too different for it to be the same person. (Unless I'm thinking of Z, since I'm at work and can't listen to make sure I'm talking about the right AT song.)

Speaking of listening while at work, though, I came across an interesting revelation today. On account of doing the Sporcle quiz, I had MP3's of the top 50, so for amusement I put them on my player. I was doing something in a back room today at work, so I started listening. Now, I'm well aware that a song on headphones sounds differently than one on speakers, and there's the file format to consider as well, but some of these songs sounded radically different. In some cases they sounded way better, in some cases much worse. In some cases I heard parts I didn't even know existed. And yes, it was the same version of the song. Now I'm almost tempted to do the list over again, listening to MP3's of the songs either on headphones or in my car. (And no, I don't have a great sound system for my computer. I'm not an audiophile, so something that merely plays the sound at a volume I can hear it is normally fine.)

The Mana Sword posted...
Harmonica actually uploaded wrapped in black for me on one of my off days as, what I could only assume, a joke.

That's funny, because that makes it his highest-ranking upload. Everybody else still has one left.

25. Castle Crashers - Winterbliss
Uploader: Kleenex (091)

Rating: 8
Comment: I'm of the firm belief that the only two ice levels I've ever heard that do it right are this and Ice Cave Chant (DKC). All of the others are excessively tranquil. This captures the mood of a frozen wasteland while still providing a proper sense of action since, y'know, not everything is about getting turned into a snowman or skidding on a patch of ice.
Best part: The beginning, or the part right after where it reprises.

24. Final Fantasy X - Seymour Battle
Uploader: Pikachu025 (129)

Rating: 8
Comment: Technically I first heard this song in-game, but the first time I actually listened to it was on Underworld23's top 100 RPG battle themes, which was basically the first time I listened to VGM online through YouTube. The song amazed me then, and clearly it still has an impression on me now. The descending twinkles into the singers, and then the heavy two-pattern drums is a very noticeable and unique intro. The rest works great for a mid-game boss.
Best part: The doodla-doodla-doodl-doodl bit at 2:08. (Ok, yeah, the intro, but besides that, 2:08.)

23. Pepsiman - Pepsiman Theme Song
Uploader: superangelo128 (243)

Rating: 8
Comment: For a song that doesn't take itself the least bit seriously, it's downright amazing. I've certainly never heard of Pepsiman the game, and I imagine it's probably one step up from those games BK was giving away and one step below Annoy the Noid, but the music is top notch. There's some great freeform parts from the electric piano and the sax. I guess you'd call this jazz fusion? I call it awesome.
Best part: Peeepsi maaaaann! Pepsi, pepsi, peeepsi maaaaann!

22. Sonic Rush - Wrapped in Black
Uploader: Kleenex (266)

Rating: 8
Misheard Lyrics: To blathe. To straw. To blathe. To straw. To blathe. To straw, to straw, to straw. Rappin bad and bad and bad…
Comment: And we all know "to blathe" means "to bluff." I know there will be some who decry the vocals in this song, and I understand that perspective, but honestly I think those silly samples are a big part of what makes this song what it is. Don't think of them as vocals, but merely sound effects, because that's all they are. And did you ever expect to see a Princess Bride reference in a write-up about this song? =p
Best part: probably the beginning

21. Mega Man 3 - Title
Uploader: TheKnightOfNee (482)

Rating: 8.5
Comment: The intro is a style that isn't tried very often at all, and I wish more composers would give it a go. I'm amazed that an NES chiptune was able to encompass that feeling so well. The rest of the song past :30 is just gravy. And, it would appear that in some sense, Mega Man is the big winner of the countdown, considering it has three songs in the top 25.
Best part: The beginning, duh!

30. Super Meat Boy - The Battle of Lil Slugger
Uploader: Kleenex (084)

Rating: 8
Comment: Just 57 seconds long before it loops, but a very awesome 57 seconds. 18 seconds of eerie, 19 seconds of ominous, and then 18 seconds of awww yeah.
Best part: I'll go with the awww yeah.

29. Chrono Trigger - Frog's Theme
Uploader: superangelo128 (283)

Rating: 8
Comment: I'm starting to get a bit jaded on Frog's Theme, but that doesn't mean it isn't awesome. Such a bold, triumphant entrance. I wouldn't have expected the melody to be carried by a pitch-bending flute after that, but this march sustains it's feelings of epicness throughout the entire short loop. Who do you think would win in a fight, Frog's Theme or Guile's Theme?
Best part: The beginning of the melody.

28. Umineko no Naku Koro ni 2: Turn of the Golden Witch - worldenddominator
Uploader: Ed Bellis (386)

Rating: 8
Comment: This placement right here? This is respect. I'm not a huge Umineko fan, as I still find it hard to justify the board's position of including visual novels in the realm of video games, and after living through the 8- and 16-bit eras, I tend to be cynical of Japanese things that don't get brought overseas. (I'm obviously not a weeaboo.) I seriously don't know what the hell this Umineko thing is or why people love it so much. But damn, the music's good. This is one of Umineko's two big guns, the other still waiting its turn. They're really good, but it's so hard to live up to the hype that everyone here puts them up to, and obviously I've got a natural negative bias to begin with. Still, if I do my best to ignore the noise from both ends, WED is an epic piece, from the opening piano to the drums that follow to the first melody to the harpsichord section that gets taken to the 10th degree...it's pretty hard not to like it, or to "overrate" it. So yeah, trust me, despite the rant above, I get it. I do.
Best part: umm...2:04?

27. Dragon Quest VIII - Heavenly Flight
Uploader: KamikazePotato (296)

Rating: 8
Comment: There's absolutely no mistaking it as being a Dragon Quest song; I can spot Sugiyama a mile away (even though I didn't know his name until I read the video info.) It's such a light, airy song; appropriately named. I wish it was all as good as the beginning, but it had to have a middle section.
Best part: Toward the end of the song, at 2:11, when the full ensemble re-enters to the final climax, if climax can even be used to describe this song.

26. Chrono Cross - Life ~Faraway Promise~
Uploader: Harmonica (445)

Rating: 8
Comment: I'm not a huge Chrono Cross fan, so I had actually never heard this before Best OST. After 37 seconds of intermittent tones, I wasn't expecting much, but then the song actually began for real, and I was amazed. Other than maybe Dreams of the Shore, I'd say I like this better than anything else I've heard from CC, and although I think Scars is massively overrated, that's still not damning with faint praise. Life is just really good.
Best part: I could pick any random point in time after the "intro" and do well, but I like the melodic passage that begins at 2:48.

35. Outlaws - Anna's Theme
Uploader: Harmonica (067)

Rating: 8
Comment: This one caught me by surprise. I didn't even remember it from the first pass. Chances are I ignored it on a sleepy Friday morning when I didn't want to listen to a slow, sweet song. However, this song is rather amazing at creating a sad, sullen mood. Just as the initial part with the dulcimer-harpsichord thing wears out its welcome, we add an oboe, a singer, and then a trumpet, each of which slide into place seamlessly. Even when it adds a little more sound later, it still remains true to the feel the whole time.
Best part: Highly debatable, but I'm going with 2:05 when the trumpet enters. The ending part is surprisingly good also.

34. Another Bound Neo - Trample Machine
Uploader: Harmonica (319)

Rating: 8
Comment: Another total unknown for me -- not many of those left at the top of the mountain. The build-up in the first 50 seconds is great. The rest just manages to not disappoint. Considering the starting point, simply not disappointing is accomplishment enough.
Best part: At 28 seconds.

33. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings - A Nearly Peaceful Place
Uploader: Harmonica (312)

Rating: 8
Comment: This list has quite a few songs that are slow and sappy, and none of them have scored well (unless you count Anna's Theme, which I wouldn't.) It's a fine line to walk, but ANPP has enough of the soulful tension to keep the listener engaged. That's a credit to the conductor of the musicians who played the song, considering that sort of stretching and stressing of the tempo can't be taught to a machine or written in on sheet music. The song fits the combo of the title and the picture excellently, as it truly feels like it could be the mood of walking through forested wilderness, or perhaps remembering lost loved ones like the scene halfway through Braveheart.
Best part: It's all pretty much the same.

32. Ar Tonelico III: Knell of Ar Ciel - EXEC_FLIP_ARPHAGE/.
Uploader: Pikachu025 (269)

Rating: 8
Comment: This one starts off sounding like it could be in the same category with the previous song. Even by 1:04, we've only really heard different choral parts, and still nothing with any sort of edge to them, though it is building with minor background instruments. And then at 2:07 the floodgates open. While ARPHAGE remains primarily a choral work throughout, the softness is replaced by a sense of forward progression and there are a few instrumental passages. There are also a couple of minorly weird parts from 3:16 to 3:46 that detract from the overall work. Actually, I'm not nearly as impressed with the men in this song as the women, and I suspect that if the male parts had simply been cut out the song would be a great deal better. As it is, though, it's still getting a good rating. I already had a chat with at least one person who expected this to go bottom 50, and clearly I disagree. But then, I don't hate vocals.
Best part: 2:07.

31. Odin Sphere - Odin Sphere's Theme ~ Shanachie Ver.
Uploader: superangelo128 (467)

Rating: 8
Comment: The first 2:20 is all about the vocals, and supporting them. Yes, another vocal piece. Deal with it. They leave after that point, and the rest is practically pure instrumental. Of course, I haven't really said anything up to this point about the song itself, and frankly I'm not sure what I can say beyond describing it. It's a good song, but I've really got nothing to comment on.
Best part: I like the beginning.

Silly history student.

Have you played other Civs? It's not that hard to, y'know, ignore the civilopedia and just play the game...at least until you need to know what your unique unit does.


Actually, to be fair, starting a new Civ game is tricky because you have to learn the tech tree. Yeah, never mind what I said. I understand completely.

Too many, considering I never wear them. My mom decided that if I was never going to remember how to tie one every three months when I put one on that she would buy me zipper ties. But she kept buying them and buying them. Now I have like 20 zippers and maybe 3 or 4 "real" ties. No clip-ons, oddly enough.

I have a collection of zipper ties for the odd occasion where I would actually need to wear one.

RevolverSaro posted...
Strange, I thought the job of a parent was to make sure the child grows up to be a well rounded individual capable of living in society.

Yeah, and if she's a total **** who expects things to be handed to her and blows out of proportion every "inconvenience" that is only giving back a tenth part what is given to her, then she isn't well-rounded or capable of living in society...unless she finds a sugardaddy, I suppose.

Biolizard28 posted...
And I say again, Board 8 would be better doormats for their children than parents.

Nah, they just aren't parents yet. I've seen the way parenthood changes a person. My sister was a bit rebellious in her heyday, and then a working single mom through her 20s. She eventually remarried and had more kids with the new marriage who are now reaching the early stages of teendom. She practically breathes fire at them, and then when I pull her aside and asking her if she's being harsh, she tells me in a completely civil tone that dealing with teenagers and getting them to comply is a very different experience than dealing with people in any other age bracket, especially when you're the parent of said teenager.

I should add, I was a high school teacher for two years, so I understand where she's coming from...to a point.

For the mostpart, I think they're dumb, and are totally off-putting. There are a very few select instances where I can think of where a tattoo looked really good on the person who had it, but those are the exceptions that prove the rule. I'm not a big fan of anything that looks artificial -- make-up, hair dyed in glaringly unnatural colors, piercings and tattoos all fall under that umbrella. But especially tattoos since at least you can get rid of that other stuff.

If there were some redeeming quality to tattoos, I wouldn't hate on them, but there simply isn't one. Not one. It's like smoking -- it's only cool when your friends tell you to do it.

I was entertained.

Typical teenage stuff? Yeah, to a point, but girl went a little over the top, it was a repeat offense, and she thought she could hide it from an IT professional who likes to brandish firearms. The dad talked about what he did when he was "her age," so honestly other expectations kinda go out the window when you know the perspective of the parent.

skull_bonek23 posted...
You're trying way too hard bro. You start the story at Olive Garden and leave at TGI Fridays.

well, see, TGI Friday's is right next door in the mall, so she exited into the mall, thru Friday's, and then out into the parking lot.

In any event, I'm the total opposite of a vegetarian, but if I was dating an "extreme" vegetarian, and her reasons were philosophical rather than physiological (meat makes her puke,) I don't think I would be a big enough dick to order veal. Chicken parm may not be quite as good as veal parm, but it would be a much wiser decision.

BTW, veal = calcium? Are you sure you didn't mean to say protein?

paperwarior posted...
My experience is it's usually the console-only gamers who are smug.

You must not have an LL account.

I don't even know what LL is. Leisure suit Larry?


the icon ownz all posted...
From: Haguile | #034
I mean, I ask that because if we are then I'd like to say that anybody who buys a ps3 secretly f****** hates dolphins.

I'll say so explicitly: f*** dolphins. Worst mammal.

http://www.amazon.com/Reasons-Punch-Dolphin-Useful-Guides/dp/1449401163


Tom Nook posted...
So PC gaming was never dead, huh? Not even remotely? Then how do you explain that gap between the 90's and Steam's appeal to the masses of today?

I didn't notice. I was too busy playing Everquest and World of Warcraft. =x


JJH posted...
That's the only new game I've bought since the first Dragon Age which looks pretty much just like the 360 version as well.

You're...joking, right? Dragon Age on 360, which my roommate had, looked horribly worse than it did for me on PC. It looked like I was playing a PC game from like 6-7 years earlier, if not more.

*tries to reason out the connection between Aerosmith and Armageddon*

Armageddon, the movie? Like with the inbound meteor? Aerosmith had a song in that...is THAT what he's talking about?

Give her some smiles, then ride her for miles.


I'm not the best for giving romantic advice, but I'd say just play it cool. Girl probably doesn't want to be lonely on V-day. It's probably in your favor. And on the bright side, if things work out, you won't have to work to remember your "twelve month anniversary" nor will you get hit twice for it.