LogFAQs > #950003116

18) Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater - Main Theme
Series ranking: 1 of 2
https://youtu.be/rNVCD1dsnJI
Composer: TAPPY, arr. by Harry Gregson-Williams
Prelim score: 9.6/10
Score: 9.5/10 (phenomenal)
VGMC History: VGMC 2 (Lost R6 to Floater Land Galaxy)
Favorite Part: 0:44 - 1:56 and 5:07 - 5:31

To me, this is the quintessential MGS theme. MGS2 Theme is great, (scored an 8.1, and an adjusted 7.8) but to me it's like a rough draft of the MGS3 theme. For example, I enjoy the combined acoustic/electronic percussion as opposed to the more exclusively electronic sound that's done in the MGS2 theme. SO MANY cool effects are used that are perfect for action/espionage...the variety is practically ENDLESS. Instrumentation is fleshed out and perfected in MGS3. Lots of cool meaningful details. The overall form and development is much more complex, complete, and satisfying. Not to mention saving the second half o the MGS2 theme at the end just makes it that much better! Im guessing the MGS2 theme is more popular because it has more focus on the famous theme. Meanwhile, this has contextual filler, but I dont really feel like its fillertheres compelling stuff going on even in those parts.

Starts off nice and calm this time around, but before you know were back to the classic MGS drums and strings! A brand new theme gets introduced by the french horns! Reverse piano at :44 really works well for an incoming forte sectionI Again, the new theme presented by the horns makes me feel SO GOOD. Nice key change at 1:29! Im surprised at all the details put in even in those parts! Love the harmonic progression at 1:41, plus the violin ideas are intense already, but the way they end on they park on those long triplets at 1:50 and 1:55. WAY intense in a cool way. The following section has lots of cool electronic drums and sound effects that just sound like stealth! 2:38 has this COOL hairpin (also another one at 2:16).

Nifty last-measure sound effects leading into cool hi-tech rock cinematic atmosphere at 3:32 (I enjoy the 16th+dotted eighth rhythms right before it, too)... done SO amazingly well... love the blacksmith percussion and the rocking low synth use. Part of the MGS3 theme even joins in with that a little later! Another one of those cool piano effects (w/ brass) from before at 4:11!!! Nice sweeping sound effect at 4:15, and then I LOVE the deep low synth that comes in at about the same time, the way it grows (kind of Xenogears-esque). The panning electronic. beeps are really...hi-tech. Pretty ambient chords, too.

Finally we get the militaristic MGS2 theme introduced by a BEAUTIFUL guitar (absolute perfect contrast to the previous section) with tasteful piano downbeats, and finishes off with a more classic rendition of the theme. And it has the same AMAZING key change when it repeats which just makes me.... ;_; A few notes get added to the end of it to help it sound more conclusive at the end (its very nice, but was it really necessary?).

All in all, this is a production MASTERPIECE of action/espionage, and it makes me REALLY want to play the MGS series. (shame on me for not playing them)

17) Taiko no Tatsujin 7 - Burning Force Medley
https://youtu.be/jWGhoykW3Cc
Prelim score: 9.0/10
Score: 9.5/10 (Phenomonal)
Composer: Yoshinori Kawamoto, arr. By Yuji Masubuchi
VGMC History: VGMC 14 (Lost R5 to Second Dark Matter Battle)
Favorite part: https://youtu.be/jWGhoykW3Cc?t=111

To think this one likely would have been dropped if it werent for my unusually early support of this during nominations! (most of my supports occurred near the end of the nomination period) Anyway, this theme is so HAPPY and feel-good! Kind of like that anthropomorphic drum. :----) (speaking of which, uhh, if you beat that drum, youre literally beating his face in, kekeke!) I LOVE this style!!!,( not sure precisely what it is other than kind of a mix of rock/prog/fusion?)

But yeah, it starts off simple and bright and happy. Im liking that acousticguitar-like synth at 0:17, along with the groovy organ chords, except this organ seems to have a key-striking quality to it. Oh, wait, I dont think its an organ at all. Whatever. It sounds really COOL as accompaniment regardless. The whistling adds a soft touch to it. Delicious cluster transposing chords at 0:57. A cool contemporary jazz feel that I love!! Those guitar note bends...gogogogo! The guitar solo is simple in terms of notes, but so very tasteful as far as timing goes. Then when the electric piano joins it, its cool! Some percussion comping, too, is fun here. At 1:24 the organ does a chord moving upward chromatically I KNOW Ive heard somewhere

We enter the final section at 1:36, the best part of all! Compositionally this is too much fun.every time it steps away from the tonic its just so very satisfying. I love 1:54 when the rhythm section joins the melody and it gets wild! Harmonies are just ridiculously compelling around here; for example, the way it prepares to modulate (1:52 - 1:59), woooooooowwwww!!! Towards the end gets less melodic, but somehow it feels it was done just right oh, man, those ambiguous harmonies followed by one FINAL surprise key change! (Yeah, not an intuitive chord to end on) And the 9th on top of it sounds REALLY good! And I love that TASTEFUL gliss there, too!

Why does autoplay have to have Starry Heavens next in the playlist? ~_~

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"Ah, a party! We haven't had one of those. It could be fun! So... what is a party?"
"You drink punch and eat CAKE! ...I think."