Lurker > Place

Senko no Ronde Rev. X - Limitless Cinderella
ONGEKI SUMMER - GEOMETRIC DANCE (Long Ver.)
League of Legends - Renata Glasc, The Chem-Baroness

Great music today asterisk.

angry grr
No more harpsichord trance music I beg you. I do not understand the Umineko ascendedascension negative;0 silverbullet bloodletting hateful888 solvent-f worldenddingopictures songs and buddy that is o k. It's funny though, because I generally do enjoy dark trance in this ilk, but just have never been able to resonate with the compoundword things that stomp the contest year in and out. Is it bias because ewww popular? Or a general distaste for music that my whacked-out brain perceives as repetitive or 'Same'-y? Thinking it's the latter. For this song in particular, there's a bit from 3:00-3:27 that I like, but when the rest of the song is actually so -frustrating- to listen to, that can't do very much to bump the score. Glad it has an audience(!) but I ain't it.
Today's cumulus:

[9.0] GEOMETRIC DANCE (Long Ver.)
[8.5] Limitless Cinderella
[8.0] Crocus
[8.0] Renata Glasc, the Chem-Baroness
[6.5] we've got to believe in something
[2.5] liberatedliberator

I Have I No Mouth, and I Must Scream
Donkey Kong '94

Earthbound
Actraiser

I cannot in good faith vote for Sonic 1 over Earthbound.

Raiden V - Secret Cave
Caravan Stories - Tenement of the Blue Spirit
We Love Katamari - Angel Rain

Not too enthusiastic about anything today, but I would like to extend a special nod for To the Distant Sky. The point difference in that match is razor-thin. Today's hors d`oeuvres:

[8.5] Tenement of the Blue Spirit
[8.5] To the Distant Sky
[8.0] Angel Rain
[7.0] Secret Cave
[7.0] Magus Confronted
[6.5] The Final Smile

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown - Daredevil
Pokmon Legends: Arceus - Field (Late Night)
GITADORA HIGH-VOLTAGE - LUCID NIGHTMARE

Nothing to add today! More great music. Today's murder (like, a bunch of crows):

[9.0] LUCID NIGHTMARE
[9.0] Field (Late Night)
[8.0] The Wind Calls to Shevat in the Blue Sky
[7.0] Daredevil
[7.0] Alice Maestra
[6.5] Mixed Melody (Stage 4)

Kirby's Dream Land
Myst

Depends which DK we're talking about.

The tiki thing from DKCR tried to hypnotize DK and Diddy--both were too stupid to make any sense of it. This DK has no capacity for higher thinking, therefore has no regret and nothing to be afraid of. All that he knows is banana, and banana is good.

THIS Donkey Kong on the other hand
https://youtu.be/UtGL5yKdSCk
is completely fucked.

Final Fantasy Tactics - Precipitous Combat
Dune - Chani's Eyes
Splatoon 2 - Frantic Aspic

The Etrian thing is 'better' than most stuff that sounds like this, but 'better' apparently nets you a whole 5.5. Year of stephan picq. Today's buffet:

[9.5] Frantic Aspic
[8.5] Chani's Eyes
[8.5] Aquatic Ambience
[7.5] Precipitous Combat
[5.5] Heart of Concrete
[5.5] Hoist the sword song

Streets of Rage 2
Castlevania: Bloodlines

Kid Icarus: Uprising - Chapter 6: Dark Pit
Phantasy Star Online 2 - Confronter
Xenoblade Chronicles X - NightL

Fun day with two misfires and another 10. I'll probably enjoy playing Bug Fables more than I do listening to it, and maybe context helps there. Really wanted to vote for Xeno Arcadia but the Sawano just edges it out (though it wpuld've scored much higher without the male vocals). I might prefer the scrappy 'garage' sound of the first Hylics but the Salamone treatment jives well enough. Today's contents:

[10] Confronter
[8.5] NightL
[8.5] Xeno Arcadia
[7.0] Chapter 6: Dark Pit
[4.5] Team, This One's Stronger!
[3.5] Conviction Corridor

Puyo Puyo 2
SimCity 2000

Thought this might be an issue, lol. Cleopatra Fortune first appeared on the Taito X-55, a karaoke/game console hybrid.

Damnit, UF8!

X-55
Cleopatra Fortune

I'll probably move some stuff around in a bit.

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair - Kill Command
Final Fantasy Brave Exvius - Break the Limit!
Shin Megami Tensei IV - Battle - b2

I've had an exhausting time of it recently so this contest has fallen way, way to the side. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood but this was a real lukewarm bunch. 'Sleepy' is the word I'd use. Love Darren Korb but that vocal is not a great match. Kill Command still jaunty and fun as ever; that's a contest staple I'm very happy to have around. VGMC this is the 173rd time you've shown edm anime violin music in class. Today's program:

[8.0] Kill Command
[7.0] Break the Limit!
[6.5] Make This Right
[6.5] In the Blood
[6.0] Battle - b2
[3.5] E.SYNAPSE

Rounding out noms! Great stuff on the table. I will definitely enjoy watching the other platforms get crushed by an unholy fuckton of SNES reps this contest.

PC
Math Blaster Episode I: In Search of Spot
The Journeyman Project
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream

SFC
Kamaitachi no Yoru

Cho Aniki: Seinaru Protein Densetsu - Neko Nabe
abstain
We Love Katamari - Blue Orb

emergency format break

Kirby Air Ride - City Trial ~ City
Pokmon Legends: Arceus - Battle! (Arceus) ~ Phase 4
Kaze no Notam - Nature

Another amazing day! I am so in love with the Pokemon world's depiction of an omniscient superbeing and all of the stimuli associated. Some of the most visceral stuff I've seen in any video game. Today's pickings:

[9.5] Battle! (Arceus) ~ Phase 4
[9.0] City Trial ~ City
[9.0] Nature
[8.5] Abstract Map
[8.0] In Hell We Live, Lament
[7.0] God Reads Twilight

ARC
S.T.U.N Runner
The Simpsons
Daytona USA

PC
Myst
Alone in the Dark

GEN/MD
Gunstar Heroes
Dynamite Headdy
Rocket Knight Adventures

SNES
Mario Paint

SCD
Sonic the Hedgehog CD
Keio Flying Squadron
Ecco: The Tides of Time

PC-9821
Policenauts

MEGA-LD
3D Museum

CD-I
Link: The Faces of Evil

Deemo - FEHLT (DEEMO edition)
R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 - Move Me
X-Men - Ethnic Cave & Flame

Weird day. Only one I'm enthusiastic about is Ethnic Cave & Flame, which is still such a great nom like damn I wish I'd thought of it. Congratulations on your successful takeover of video games china. Today's slate:

[8.5] Ethnic Cave & Flame
[7.5] FEHLT (DEEMO edition)
[7.0] A CYBER'S WORLD?
[7.0] Move Me
[6.0] Combat Beneath the Waves
[6.0] Mars

Wonder what this contest would have looked like without the presence of NES. By round 3, 13 of 16 nominees were NES originals, with outliers in Tetris, Donkey Kong, and Bubble Bobble. Regardless, thanks for hosting and I'll be looking forward to gen 4!

Alto's Adventure: The Spirit of the Mountain - The Spirit of the Mountain
Jewels of the Oracle - Panditah of the 7th Mountain
Nobunaga's Ambition: Haouden - Morning Bell

Super divisive today, which I'm betting will reflect in the votals. My favorite age in Myst is the one called "Todd Baker". What's going on with the mixing in Silent Desert?! It made me laugh so I gave extra points for that Today's company:

[9.0] Spirit of the Mountain
[9.0] Morning Bell
[8.0] Panditah of the 7th Mountain
[6.5] MAD LAST WORLD
[5.5] Sky of Twilight
[4.0] Silent Desert

E-102 Gamma (Sonic Adventure)

Metal Gear Solid - The Best Is Yet To Come
Burning Rangers - Burning Hearts (Burning ANGEL)
A.N.N.E - stg_travel_2_3

Another solid batch today! City of Tears is my favorite HK pick from this year's running, but it gets edged out by another cool discovery in a year full of cool discoveries. Takenobu Mitsuyoshi sings the word "Oh" and gets grounded. Today's exhibition:

[8.5] The Best is Yet to Come
[8.5] Burning Hearts (Burning ANGEL)
[8.0] stg_travel_2_3
[8.0] City of Tears
[7.0] Home Sweet Home
[7.0] Illusory Blue Flowers

The Devil Game - CHAMPION RITUAL
Lord of Vermilion Arena - SaGa Frontier 2 Medley A -LoV Edit-
Planet DOB - how do you think?

No close calls this time. Karma is a funny and fickle thing, and I suppose today it's manifested in how do you think(?) getting totally bodied by the competition. Para Bellum's great though and I'll always be down for MIDI rep in the bracket. Today's flock:

[9.5] how do you think?
[8.5] Para Bellum
[7.5] SaGa Frontier 2 Medley A -LoV Edit-
[7.5] CHAMPION RITUAL
[6.5] Breath of Forest
[4.5] You Will Recall Our Names

Desperate times. Change my vote for the super-good The Wretched Automatons to Cleopatra Fortune - DESIRE

Caravan Stories - Bunwaii Desert
Ketzal's Corridors - Highland Fields: Grass Ruins
NieR - The Wretched Automatons

Match two is illegal. Match three is illegal. You are banned from making anymore matches. Alien Girlfriend is not as obnoxiously poppy as I remember, but still wouldn't call myself a fan. Might jump onto DESIRE depending on how the night shakes out. Today's ingredients:

[9.5] Bunwaii Desert
[9.0] Highland Fields: Grass Ruins
[9.0] Colony Collapse Disorder
[9.0] The Wretched Automatons
[9.0] DESIRE
[6.0] Night City (My Alien Girlfriend)

And yesterday's opponents, since I missed 'em:

[8.0] Route 113
[8.0] The Rain Formerly Known as Purple
[7.5] Coalescence
[7.5] RADICAL DREAMERS
[7.0] Routing
[6.0] Bamboo Boogaloo (Past)

Those would not be my first picks. Omits a lot of the great Sonic R stuff and opts four SA2 tracks including Ghost's Pumpkin Soup over Unknown from M.E. Out of these, Sonic Boom and Super Sonic Racing are tops.

Kirby's Adventure

F

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal - Thran Asteroid Qwark's Hideout
Pokmon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX - Sky Tower
ICO - ICO -You were there-

Yeah, a perfect ten! Might see a few more as we push ahead into the later brackets. I've really gotta get 'round to playing Wild Arms. Today's menagerie:

[10] ICO -You were there-
[9.0] Thran Asteroid Qwark's Hideout
[8.0] Proof of the existence
[7.0] Sky Tower
[7.0] To A New Journey
[6.0] xxxx/xx/xx (Remix)

Tetris

To SMB1 too. Man.

30XX - Hollows (Echocave)
Warframe - Sleeping in the Cold Below
Hunter Hunted - Under Pressure

Instrumentals versus vocals! Went in favor of the former (unless you consider the sampling on Under Pressure vocal, which I am one to do). Sad to see Warframe with another R1 exit. Instrumental GATE OF STEINER is an easy 8.5--I feel swindled. Today's offerings:

[8.5] Hollows (Echocave)
[8.0] Sleeping in the Cold Below
[8.0] Jupiter Guns Novel (Long Version)
[7.5] Under Pressure
[6.5] GATE OF STEINER
[2.5] LAST CALL

May as well go all in.

Mega Man 5

Haunter
Mewtwo

Gigantimax Inteleon is SUPER cool, but there's no beating the OG.

Heracross
Scyther

Kirby's Adventure

FF1 is a pretty sleepy game considering what came after. I sometimes forget Kirby's Adventure released on NES--its visuals, gameplay, music are all leagues above Nintendo's other classics, SMB3 included.

Library of Ruina - Angela
Uncharted Waters: New Horizons - THE CHASE ~Chase~ (Special Edition)
Einhnder - Shudder

Today was not difficult at all, huh. Both songs in R1 are fine, but Angela's highs hit higher than Frypan's. Sorry Joel Corelitz I still love you. Yoko kanno 9.5. I wanted to love Refinery but came away underwhelmed--great soundtrack on the whole, though. Today's assembly:

[9.5] THE CHASE ~Chase~ (Special Edition)
[8.0] Shudder
[7.0] Deserto Caliente
[6.5] Angela
[6.0] Argon Refinery
[6.0] Heretic Frypan

I changed my mind at the last minute OOPS.

Change my vote for Psychomeddler to Subarashiki Hibi - Tractatus Logico-philosophicus

And this one too why not
Fire Emblem: Three Houses - The Apex of the World (Rain)

Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Faded Dream of a Psychomeddler
[Abstain, for now]
Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion - #4 dunno

Psychomeddler is not as insanely good as I remember but it just edges the competition regardless. The second match, I just do not feel anything for either song. I think the TWEWY thing annoys me more, but I can't bring myself to throw a nod toward Apex either. Leaning Apex but likely to just walk out of that match entirely. For a brief moment I wondered why I ever had a problem with Unknown Pollution but then the guitar came in and oh yeah. The keys are cool when they do the cool things but a large part of the song is electric guitar driving rock whatever I do not like this sound. Betting #4 dunno doesn't stand much of a chance here but I love it a bunch and I'm just happy to see it make bracket. Today's entourage:

[9.5] #4 dunno
[8.0] Faded Dream of a Psychomeddler
[7.5] Tractatus Logico-philosophicus
[5.5] Unknown Pollution
[4.5] Apex of the World (Rain)
[4.0] Hustle and Bustle

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - Seashore War
GiFTPiA - Nocturne
WACCA Lily R - LIN NE KRO NE

CONGRATULATIONS EVERYONE ON THE Hrfffttrrfhgt (Best) DAY OF THE CONTEST SO FAR! Voting against any of these hurts me very much. Lookit that all 9.5! Woww. Thank you for sharing so much amazing music! Today's legendarium:

[10] Baba Yetu
[9.5] LIN NE KRO NE
[9.5] Nocturne
[9.5] Sogno di Volare
[9.5] Into the Woods
[9.5] Seashore War
[9.5] Storm of Fine Weather

Mario Teaches Typing (CD-ROM) - Practice Makes Perfect
Monument Valley 2 - Interwoven Stories
Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll - SaKuRa

NFUN it was totally on you for routing Practice Makes Perfect to the pure neutral path! I understand not enjoying Far East/SaKuRa but I maintain the instrumental version is much better. This vocal is mixed on top of everything else and is not all too strong besides but the melody still rocks so hard. I think the only TWEWY song I have ever enjoyed is Three Minutes Clapping. Year of todd baker. These thoughts are extremely out of order sorry. Today's crop:

[9.0] Interwoven Stories
[8.5] Practice Makes Perfect
[7.0] Umineko no Naku Koro ni
[7.0] SaKuRa
[4.5] Revenge
[4.0] Calling

Lenna's Inception - Deus Hex Machina
Mushihimesama Futari - Sea of Frozen Crystals
Halo: Combat Evolved - Halo

OOh no I am voting against Hiroyuki Sawano AGAIN! Excellent day, and my fave in a minute. Today's fetch:

[9.5] Sea of Frozen Crystals
[9.0] Halo
[8.0] Deus Hex Machina
[7.5] Swap Out (Regret)
[7.5] THEMEX
[7.5] Bi (veeeeeeeever)

YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World - Different World 1
Final Fantasy VI - Terra
eg man

I had a longer writeup for today. Might post it with tomorrow's batch.

Road 96 - The Road
Panzer Dragoon Saga - Atolm Dragon
Airport CEO - JFK Cadence

Comparing The Road to Vance Joy - Riptide is especially harsh and not even accurate imo. I like almost everything about the track except (big except) for those plonking vibes in the refrain which really do call back to that really awful corporate pop you hear in car commercials and YouTube ads and the like. Airport CEO is really incredible and probably my favorite discovery of the contest. Today's assortment:

[9.5] JFK Cadence
[8.5] Atolm Dragon
[7.5] Snow in Summer
[6.5] The Road
[6.5] I'm Back (to Rise!)
[5.5] Supper Woods

Castlevania

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown - Mimic
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim - -(PHENYLALANINE)-
Sonic Mania - Egg Reverie ~ Extra Boss Theme

Not much to say for this one. A bunch of songs I like. Today's spread:

[8.5] Mimic
[8.5] -(PHENYLALANINE)-
[7.5] Egg Reverie ~ Extra Boss Theme
[7.5] Nuedori
[7.5] 46-:ri9
[7.0] Aerolith Aurorablast (HAGANE Remix)

Metroid

Three Mega Men in R3? The SMB trilogy makes sense, but jesus.

The Blackwell Convergence - I Can See Into Forever
Uru: Ages Beyond Myst - Gahreesen Corridors
Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter - PowerOne

ILLUMINATE MY ENDING SKYYY
Today's harvest:

[9.5] I Can See Into Forever
[9.5] PowerOne
[9.5] Gahreesen Corridors
[7.5] Vertex (Stage 1)
[7.0] Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke
[6.0] Pragmatism -Resurrection-

Guilty Gear -Strive- - Necessary Discrepancy
Sonic Mania - Egg Reverie ~ Extra Boss Theme
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil (GBC) - Scroll Stage

Swapped my vote for Xenoblade X at the last minute. I really love Sawano's music and the fullness of his production but I seem to consistently enjoy Egg Reverie more. Thank you so much to whoever nominated Necessary Discrepancy. Today's bounty:

[9.5] Necessary Discrepancy
[8.0] Egg Reverie ~ Extra Boss Theme
[8.0] 46-:ri9
[7.5] Scroll Stage
[7.5] Mystic Pendulum
[6.0] Emmental Catalepsy

Arcaea - memoryfactory.lzh
Threads of Fate - Passing through the Forest
Phantasy Star Online 2 - Yggdrasil

Congratulations are in order, here. First, to Blue Reverberation for being the most 5/10 song in the whole bracket. Nothing even comes close! You did it! Second, Obnoxious Music really caught me off-guard and turned around into something I really enjoy. It reminds me of The Most Unwanted Song applied to musical trends from all across time. I'd really love to flip for it, but it's against Passing Through which is especially cruel. Today's haul:

[9.5] Yggdrasil
[9.5] memoryfactory.lzh
[9.0] Passing Through the Forest
[8.5] Southern Twilight ~ Dance on the Cape of Good Hope
[8.5] The Elephant's Foot of Obnoxious Music
[5.0] The Blue Reverberation

Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
Mega Man 2