Lurker > rwlh

I know deo voted for me already (thank you!) but I wait to reiterate my love for Swamp Fever Horde Theme. It won my 2024 vgm ranking. First place out of 300 songs! Wowzers! Here's what I said:

WARNING: LOUD

I have listened to a lot of vgm over the years. More than most people. So it is with the utmost care and weight that I make this statement:

This is the most unhinged video game song Ive ever heard.

Yes, more unhinged than EXSPHERE! EXSPHERE at least has a melody and a story. More unhinged than Crazybus and other randomly generated music, which tends to be tamer in sound. This is justgod. Where do I even begin with Swamp Fever Horde Theme?

First off, the comments cant seem to decide what the main instrument is. Is it a violin? A banjo? A fiddle played by a violin bow? I suspect the last one. Either way, its screechy and unpleasant. From the opening notes its designed to put you on edge. Youre supposed to be afraid when you listen to this. Its not spooky horror ambience; its the total opposite of that. This is maximum intensity for two minutes and forty-eight seconds. It does not abate. You are on Mike Moraskys Wild Ride, and you cant get off. This is a song, above all else, that commits.

This is not a song for everybody. I would argue, perhaps, that it is not a song for anybody (except me lol). You will surely hate this. Yet I cant think of a better song to give me than Swamp Fever Horde Theme. My reaction to this isintense. Immediately Im sucked in, immediately I experience intense emotions (although perhaps theyre not the intended ones). More than the other 299 nominations, this is a true experience. Thank you, -Chaos-Zero-, for this stellar nomination, and congrats on winning the ranking!

Solid day today, one of my favorites so far.

Pokemon Red

Alex Kidd in Miracle World

heaven
Voided
Cardinal Palace

Friday Night Funkin' - M.I.L.F
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZy0EFF4PEI

This seems like the most popular song from the game but something else might qualify.

Pitfall!

Vagrant Zaveid
Herald of Darkness
Grand Master Duel

Herald of Darkness is a lot of fun. Pretty solid day today!

Update: 55 total nominations, now including fun categories such as Opera, Software, and Sports Nominations are still open, so you still have time to get your pet characters in!

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/a/ab57d068.png

Late Goodbye
Cannon Ball
GET ENUF

I don't know if it's a surprise that I like Late Goodbye so much (I suspect it might be?), but it's top tier for me. I like Grieving Womb too. Namiki's getting a lot of play this year!

Happy Pride Month to a song about how you just can't gay it up. This is what I said in my ranking:

People have come up with bad takes that this is, like, Naganumas first song since Jet Set Radio or something. Thats simply not true. The mans been active and has done great work. GET ENUF might be his biggest work in a while. Its the master at his best: excellent samples, horns, breakbeat, all of the quality Ive come to expect from Naganuma. Its hard to really describe what sets GET ENUF apart from, say, the Sonic Rush nominations, but it really is just a terrific showcase of what makes him one of my favorites. If you want to find out why Hideki Naganuma was on my big list in the nomination topic, listen to GET ENUF.

Battle Against a True Hero
Untamed Heart
Mayan

Battle Against a True Hero blew my mind when I first heard it almost a decade ago. One of my favorite big climactic battle themes. Many times I have tried to simulate an actual loop of this song by hitting replay immediately. Lousy Toby Fox and his awful non-looping soundtracks.

Today also has Untamed Heart, a song I thought about nominating but chose not to. Then somebody else wound up offering it up, and I hopped aboard the Klonoa train. This is a song that gives me nourishment. I have shed tears to this song. There isn't much I'd take over it.

Mayan is here too omg I'm FROTHING AT THE GOFDHAMN MOURHRH hrthneenwnsjswekdfofffkd

handsomeboy2012 posted...

Are nominations still open, completely missed this

Yep!

Need PICTUREs to be able to accurately judge.

Compass
North
Tong-Nou (Tong-Nou Theme)

Compass might be the first Mili song I really like! Very emotive.

North was another surprise. I'd previously listened to it and rated it very low, but now I'm super into it, like 8/10 levels. It sounds "live" in a way that reminds me of FAR: Changing Tides - Round from earlier in the contest. Northern Desert isn't really my thing but I can appreciate the vibe it's going for well enough (although it sounds more like forest music to me).

At long last the return of TONG NOU. This song is incredible. I like Crumble Soul a lot too - I'd consider it over the other four songs today - but it's outclassed.

Super Mario Bros. 3, not the first game, which is interesting.

neutral no

Encounter Elite!
abstain
Brilliant Wings

Strange Memories of Death
My Favorite Hero Show
Sunset Synthetica

I've always liked Twister -Kingdom Mix-. It's listed as a 9 on my sheet. I don't think it's still a 9, but it's very enjoyable, always trying on new musical hats for basically the entire runtime. The power is yet unknown indeed.

Strange Memories of Death is my 1th favorite song in the contest!!! Wowzers!!!!!!! I've always loved this soundtrack, and Strange Memories of Death is the pinnacle. Even ignoring the enhanced sound through a special chip in the Famicom, the melody and production are perfection. NES music doesn't get much better than this. I've tried to get this song into VGMC a few times - it had only previously been in VGMC4, more than a decade ago - but I decided I wasn't going to bother again this year. So naturally, somebody else nominated it I'm pleased as punch just to finally see it here and I hope you all enjoy it even a fraction of how much I do.

As if this all wasn't enough, today also has My Favorite Hero Show, which is probably my second or third favorite Elebits song, also known as "Elebits workout music." AND it's up against this very unique Evergrace song that manages to be simultaneously intense and chill, one of my favorite combinations...hmm. Toughie, might relisten and change my vote later.

Sunset Synthetica somehow has elements of like...all five of these other songs. How bizarre.

Bane_Of_Despair posted...

Alright I picked out some episodes to watch, 7 in total but they're short episodes so it equates to roughly 49 minutes of watching. I tried to order them in the way you should watch them, hopefully this is a good encapsulation of Bingo!

Bingo
BBQ
Bedroom
Stickbird
Daddy Dropoff
Slide
Sleepytime

I appreciate the Bingo episodes, thank you!

re: Luffy, I think I'll stick to the original plan of episodes 4 through 8. Luffy was literally the example I had in my head of someone I hoped nobody nominated, solely because I didn't feel like sifting through a million episodes/volumes, so having that guidance is helpful, thanks.

Staff Roll
abstain
GUE Tech Theme

Match 2 was a surprise. I originally had Color Your Night at a very low rating but I really like it today. MAD LAST WORLD is really solid too. I might circle back to this one later.

GUE Tech Theme is a deceptively simple song with a lot of layers. Really nice discovery.

FakeAccount3000 posted...

Can I nominate Luffy from One Piece or are nominations closed / he already nominated?

Nominations are still open. However, I will refer you to this section of the OP:

If theres a character from a 300+ episode anime who has a very slow character arc that starts in episode 5 and ends in episode 295, youre going to have to narrow it down for me! Or, ideally, nominate someone else.

But if what Maniac64 says about Luffy is true, then he's probably okay to be nominated. Just keep in mind that I won't be reading much of the manga/watching much of the anime.

Gwen, the Hallowed Seamstress
Sailing Ship (Broken ver.)
Stage Music 1

Gwen, the Hallowed Seamstress was a nice surprise when filling out my bracket.

azuarc posted...

Activity: 0.5/10 -- Genuinely does not do anything ever unless her masters really crack the whip.
Backup: 1/10 -- Is not interested in fixing your problems.
Conversation: 1/10 -- Does not want to talk, and usually whines about not being allowed to sleep when forced to.
Demeanor: 0/10 -- She's asleep.
Effort: 1.5/10 -- And if she's not, she's probably actively avoiding you, except when she thinks you can help her avoid someone else.

Total: 4/50

This is hilarious I wonder what ostensibly heroic characters (not necessarily Genshin) could get a lower score than her?

envidia
Deep Blue
Predestined Fate

Sword of the Surviving Guardian
Metallic Madness Zone Act 2
Pledge of Demon

Today Metallic Madness Act 2 clicked for me in a way it hadn't before.

It's always a nice surprise whenever I find a Yakuza song I like. Pledge of Demon is very cool! I love how overbearing the guitars are in a sort of maximalist sound design sort of way. Normally guitary songs like this are a tough sell for me, but Pledge of Demon is proof that there are always exceptions!

I am making some WAVES

Two of Braves
Menu
Blissade/Egregori

I haven't been posting my writeups for the songs that were nominated for my ranking and also got into VGMC, but here's my writeup for FixyText Menu, which nabbed an 8/10 and 43rd place (out of 300):

For a nine-minute-long ambient song, I dont really have a lot to say about this one. Some of the long stretches dont hold my interest as much, but then there are parts that are achingly beautiful; those are the parts stick out to me and justify the songs high placement. The song is pretty minimalist, with glitchy bits like stuttering and overly held notes. As with Torvus Bog, this is a great song to put on in the background and let your mind wander.

This section of Bracket C is weird. The songs in this fourpack - FixyText Menu, Blissade/Egregori, and The Phantom World - are all super close for me, particularly the third match, but I'd take any of Prontera Field/Snowfield/Sword of the Surviving Guardian/Challenge over all of them. (Though they all clear The Merciless Savior.)

Sword of the Surviving Guardian
Challenge
The Merciless Savior I guess?

Rouuuugh day for Snowfield. I like it a lot, but Sword of the Surviving Guardian is one of my favorite new discoveries of the contest - I have it winning Bracket C! I completely overlooked this song during nominations but it really swept me off my feet. On the flip side, Snowfield is a radically different song - immersive and depressing, it really envelops you inside. As much as I love Sword of the Surviving Guardian, I won't mind at all if Snowfield wins.

I supported Challenge. It's another song that really blew me away. Try, Try Again sounds like Welcome to Nimbus Land from Super Mario RPG at parts.

No Turning Back
Quatera Woods
Prontera Field

I've never been a fan of Dearly Beloved.

Suna no Shiro -The Castle of Sand-
You Will Know Our Names
Release The Seal

1:50 of Release the Seal certainly made me sit the fuck up and pay attention. I'm shocked at how close match 3 is for me. Destroy all of dead, indeed.

Maniac64 posted...

Honestly seems like to clean a cut off to not take it

Several people have told me they want to nominate something but haven't thought of anything yet, so I feel like waiting for them is the appropriate play.

skulltrumpets posted... does that mean its too late for me to cave in and ask my girlfriend to pick a nomination for me

Nope!

Wow, are we seriously going to get exactly 50 nominations

Balearic Birds
Gravity Man
EXEC_ViiBaCi_MjiiRa/.

Balearic Birds and EXEC_ViiBaCi_MjiiRa/. are two of my favorite discoveries this year; it was hard picking between them in their eventual match in my favorites bracket. Tough second match too.

Convergence
Bulletin Combat
Dragon Valley

Convergence is beautiful. I would consider voting Crisis City if it was just the first part.

...or are there?

Dance of Wind
Stilt Village
VEX DAY TRANSFUSE.EXE

Matches 1 and 2 are a nightmare fourpack, god.

So happy Dance of Wind made it in. It's such a joyous song, full of bouncy energy. It's a great song for getting energized; I feel like I can do anything when I listen to it. One of my favorite discoveries from my ranking topic. Chromesthesia sounds a bit like Umineko zts, though with a unique spin on the style.

Now, onto DKC3a. I'm elated that something from this soundtrack got in. DKC3a is my favorite Donkey Kong Country soundtrack, and given my high opinion of the rest of the series' music, that's saying a lot. Those of you who complained earlier about GBA sound quality will find something totally different here. I sincerely hope you enjoy.

Oh but Fire Island Volcano is cool too! (no pun intended) I've always liked this one. I love the didgeridoo at the start that gives way to this fiddly, jig-like theme. It's a very fun song, especially at the start of the loop. Very strong fourpack for me!

I also like the slow build of VEX DAY. I'm not as into match 3 as I am the first two matches, but VEX DAY is a song I could see myself coming back to.

up

azuarc posted...

I'm trying to figure out what kinds of entertainment media is unrepresented here...opera?

There are no professional wrestling nominations yet...

The Best Is Yet To Come
Wildfire
Mortified by Faith

I think I've soured a bit on Danger. At the same time, Wildfire landed more today than it has in the past. And Evergreen kept things really close.

I have added a secret 50th character of my own This one's going to be the one to beat...

We're at 49 nominations! Wowzers! Here's a handy dandy pie chart that shows the medium breakdown so far:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/b/b099c64f.png

To nobody's surprise, games are dominating. I'm actually surprised that books are in second place. I would've thought cartoons would have more than books. I didn't beg you all for such voracious readers!

Nominations are still open. I haven't started anything yet, so you're welcome to change your pick as well.

Same Old Story
Carrot Carrot
Queen in the Dark Night

Still open!

Gall posted...

And thanks UF8, I have been well and truly bitten by the genreposting bug.

For what it's worth I'm planning on doing what I did last year and doling out genres in round 3.

I have seen maybe 2 or 3 episodes of Bluey and I loved it. Happy to hear any recommendations!

I should probably start compiling all of these nominations.

abstain
Morning Dew
abstain

I like the lyrics in Morning Dew.

Battle! (Deoxys)
Weight of the World/Nouveau-FR Version
Battle: The Skyscraper

Match 2 surprised me. I did not expect to vote for Weight of the World. Maybe it's this version that's especially resonant with me today (I'd need to relisten to the other versions to be sure), or maybe Death by Glamour fell a little flat. Either way, I'm always up for being surprised with my votes.

Battle: The Skyscraper was a nice find.

Boy am I glad I limited it to one nomination per person...

BlueCrystalTear posted...

Will go for one of my go-tos... the one for which my account name is an homage to...

Tear Grants (Tales of the Abyss)

...but if you haven't played that, you probably should. Best way to experience it.

As I said in the OP, I don't play games anymore, so I'd be going off LPs and/or other material, like Wikis and even info from you, the nominator. If that's not sufficient, feel free to pick someone else.

So many interesting picks!