Board 8 > [VGMCYYZ] Castle of Illusions/In the Flame, Cosmic Hero/Reach for the Moon

(+) Yeah! (+)

Welcome to today's topic for Video Game Music Contest 12, a tournament of the best tracks from games, as decided upon by you, the voters.

Links:
Bracket - http://www.bracketmaker.com/tlist.cfm?tid=469506
Contest info - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lzzbpDP2whgvOTN2XHETfWg79IyPs01jdwIQu_L2C7k/
Discussion and results thread - https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/76419785
Main bracket playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW9O9mntH1RFBXCwz0vAKZg8V0rnrKHsE
Side bracket playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW9O9mntH1RFI-vkdyFa8-bXzbFLMLl1X

Rules:

- Listen to both of the songs. Links have conveniently been provided for both songs. Even if Song A is your favorite of all-time and Song B is from a series you hate... Listen. To. Both. (If I have suspicions your vote is not based on a fair and impartial preference, it will be disqualified.)
- Obvious contest rules apply (no alts, one vote per person, no rallying, etc.).
- Please make your voting options clear, rather than burying them in text.
- Each set of matches lasts 24 hours, even if the new one isnt up by then.
- Always vote on the versions of the song provided, not versions from different sources.
- If you know ahead of time that you're not going to be around and you want to vote in advance, post your choices in the discussion/bracket topic.
- Please do NOT post tallies/score updates in the middle of the match, as this has a tendency to directly influence matches.
- You don't have to vote in all the matches, but it'd be cool if you did!

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Match #1:

Trails in the Sky the 3rd - Castle of Illusions (Phantasmagoria)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDjFAWBwvyI" data-time="

Pyre - In The Flame

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAWmSzN7Uf8" data-time="

.
Match #2:

Nex Machina - Cosmic Hero

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZh_QHezYZM" data-time="

Touhou 8: Imperishable Night - Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETTk83qis0w" data-time="

.
Side bracket (what should we call this?):

Ar Tonelico 3 Qoga - EXEC_CUTYPUMP/.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eibdMW2iMc8" data-time="

Phoenix Wright: Spirit of Justice - Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfIcDfHkC68" data-time="

.
Easy vote form:
Castle of Illusions (Phantasmagoria) / In The Flame
Cosmic Hero / Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke
EXEC_CUTYPUMP/. / Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016
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Castle of Illusions
Cosmic Hero
A New Chapter
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In the Flame
Reach for the Moon
A New Chapter of Trials!

The Trails song is quite good, but man, I LOVE me some Pyre music. I nominated this one for a reason; the vocals are just wonderful, and if you're going to have a vocal track, the singers better be magnificent. In the Flame is magnificent.

Cosmic Hero felt kinda... formulaic? I feel like I've heard it before, and I could predict what was going to happen in the song before it happened. That's surprising since I usually suck at that. Anyway, Reach for the Moon has become a VGMC meme, but fuck if I'm not voting for my favorite Touhou song over a paint-by-numbers rock/techno fusion.

I'm sorry azuarc, but I couldn't get through the Ar Tonelico song. It was an assault on my ears from the first two seconds. I despise screamo, and like most screamo songs, this sounds like someone is vomiting into a microphone. Phoenix Wright wins this by default.
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trdl23 posted...

I'm sorry azuarc, but I couldn't get through the Ar Tonelico song.....Phoenix Wright wins this by default.

It's okay. If I DQ'ed everyone who did this, CUTYPUMP would win the match 1-0.
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Trails in the Sky the 3rd - Castle of Illusions (Phantasmagoria)
Nex Machina - Cosmic Hero
Ar Tonelico 3 Qoga - EXEC_CUTYPUMP/.

Reach for the Moon is - I think - the VGMC repeat offender I'm most okay with (but seriously we need to stop this guys) but it ran into something I actually liked which means it actually had bad luck here lol.

and while that is one of my least favorite ar tonelico hymns it's still good here although it's not against a complete pushover so i had to think a second.
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Trails in the Sky the 3rd - Castle of Illusions (Phantasmagoria)
Touhou 8: Imperishable Night - Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke
Phoenix Wright: Spirit of Justice - Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016
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Castle of Illusions (Phantasmagoria)
Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke
EXEC_CUTYPUMP/.
---

Castle of Illusions Phantasmagoria - Okay, so I always liked this song. Big emphasis on liked, I wasn't that crazy for it. Re-listening to it just now though I feel like I was into it way more than I've ever been. The play with the Cry for me motif is really cool, I guess I never appreciated it before. 3:23 does Chopin better than all of Eternal Sonata. In The Flame's vocalist is completely uninteresting.

Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke - This was my first favorite Touhou song, and now it's like... probably not Top 10. But I still like it a lot. I actually like Cosmic Hero a lot too, but not more than Mokou's theme. Cosmic Hero got snubbed tbqh

Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016 - CUTYPUMP is great but on the ironic scale. Apollo '16 is really great but on the unironic scale, so it wins. Sorry CUTYPUMP.

In The Flame
Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke
Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016

I can honestly say this is the first time I've been impressed by a song from a Supergiant Games soundtrack. These kind of vocal tracks usually aren't my cup of tea, but In The Flame was done so well. The Trails song is nice too though.

Not much to say about Match #2. I still love RftM, and Cosmic Hero just isn't doing it for me.

EXEC_CUTYPUMP/. is certainly unique, and I'd probably vote for it over a boring song, which this is not! That being said, A New Chapter is legitimately good so it gets my vote.
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Castle of Illusions (Phantasmagoria)
Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke
Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016
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In The Flame
Cosmic Hero
Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016
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In the Flame
-
-

Will hopefully vote on the remaining two later, but I wanted to guarantee I get this vote in at least.
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Castle of Illusions (Phantasmagoria) - Phantasmagoria is excellent! One of the top Trails songs. 3rd probably has my favorite soundtrack of any Trails game, with maybe Azure in second? In the Flame is just awful. How can people like those singers unironically? They're like, Benjamin Franklin level.

Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke - Why does Cosmic Hero remind me of a Furi song? Whyever it is, it's great! Man, there's lots of good songs today! 4/6 are songs I like a lot!

EXEC_CUTYPUMP/. I liked Cutypump unironically since before I even played an Ar Tonelico game, so I guess I can't comment on singers after all! Noriko Mitose just too good <3. I'm not sure I've ever voted for an Ace Attorney song in these contests, unless one's been against something really bad. The OSTs work great in-game, but there's not much to them listening without context.
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Flame
Cosmic
Chapter

I cannot unhear PUMP
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Trails in the Sky the 3rd - Castle of Illusions (Phantasmagoria)
Nex Machina - Cosmic Hero
Phoenix Wright: Spirit of Justice - Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016
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Castle of Illusions (Phantasmagoria)
Cosmic Hero
Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016
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In The Flame
Cosmic Hero
Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016
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Trails in the Sky the 3rd - Castle of Illusions (Phantasmagoria)
Touhou 8: Imperishable Night - Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke
Phoenix Wright: Spirit of Justice - Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016
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Castle of Illusions (Phantasmagoria)
Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke
EXEC_CUTYPUMP/.

Castle of Illusions (Phantasmagoria)
Cosmic Hero
Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016

Castle of Illusions (Phantasmagoria)
Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke
Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016

Castle of Illusions (Phantasmagoria)
Cosmic Hero
Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016
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In The Flame ~ I love this :D

Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke ~ Another round where I like both songs. I like this one a little more, but I'll be okay either way.

Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016 ~ Neither song, please, but this one I'd at least listen to again >_>

Castle of Illusions
Reach for the Moon
Apollo Justice

I'm not as big on 3rd's OST as most seem to be, but CoI is one of the better tracks and its opponent isn't really my thing.

Second match is solid but RFTM is too precious to vote against

I am very confused by that EXEC song
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Castle of Illusions (Phantasmagoria)
Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke
EXEC_CUTYPUMP/.
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Match 1: In The Flame

I liked the first one and thought I was gonna vote for it, but then this song started up and DAMN. In The Flame was legit! Loved it.

Match 2: Cosmic Hero

Not too crazy about either, but I liked Cosmic Hero better.

Side Bracket: EXEC_CUTYPUMP/.

I'm surprised at how much I liked that one. Pretty good.

In the Flame
Cosmic Hero
The_song_that_is_not_EXEC_CUTYPUMP/.

Apollo Justice gets the nod simply for being able to appear somewhere on the scale from 1 to 10. (And no, please don't vote like that.)
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In The Flame
Cosmic Hero
Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016
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Bump
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Castle of Illusions (Phantasmagoria)
Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke
Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016

I like Falcom music and this is a good one I think. In the Flame is really straightforward in a way that doesn't appeal to me that much. The second match is closer, but you know, I do kind of like the ZUNpets. I didn't find Cosmic Hero that memorable, whereas Touhou music tends to at least be catchy. As for the side bracket... what am I listening to? It's kind of amazing.

I tried really hard to convince myself that I should vote for it but I failed. But it was an experience.
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Castle of Illusions (Phantasmagoria)
Cosmic Hero
A New Chapter of Trials!

Match 1 was tough for me to pick

Match 2 was easy for me, Cosmic Hero is one of my favorite tracks in the contest.

Side bracket... Yeah Apollo Justice wins by default lol
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Castle of Illusions (Phantasmagoria)
Cosmic Hero
Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016

Wow. What a day of contrasts!

-First match is okay and straightforward. Close, but not too close for me to think my vote too much. Castle of Illusions is kind of lacking, but In the Flame is not my cup of tea (even if kind of well-executed).
-Second match: Cosmic Hero becomes my favorite discovery from the contest, and my second favorite song in the contest so far (Jenova Absolute being first), even though that image creeps me out for some reason. It's against a good Touhou song, but it kind of pales in comparison ("Where are the ZUNpets", I thought; *waits 2 minutes into the song*, "Ah, there they are.").
-Third match: "Hey, the first song isn't sounding... better turn up my headphones a little". LOL! I don't understand how such a good franchise in terms of music as Ar Tonelico is can have such a harsh song. Maybe in context it is better...? Phoenix Wright wins pretty much by default, even if it's a plain remix of the original theme.

Cosmic Hero >>>> Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke > Castle of Illusions (Phantasmagoria) > In the Flame > A New Chapter of Trials! 2016 >>>>> EXEC_CUTYPUMP/.
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In The Flame
Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke
Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016

Very weak day, lmao cutypump

Castle of Illusions (Phantasmagoria)
Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke
Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016

I wasn't ready for EXEC_CUTYPUMP/.
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azuarc posted...

It's okay. If I DQ'ed everyone who did this, CUTYPUMP would win the match 1-0.

I got through the whole thing. And even the Ace Attorney song even though it automatically won within 30 seconds.
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OrangeCrush980 posted...

azuarc posted...

It's okay. If I DQ'ed everyone who did this, CUTYPUMP would win the match 1-0.

I got through the whole thing. And even the Ace Attorney song even though it automatically won within 30 seconds.

You are a paragon of bravery. A lion amidst lambs.
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In The Flame
Cosmic Hero
Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016

we have a new contender for worst song in VGMC
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smh

peasants
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In The Flame
Reach For The Moon, Immortal Choke
A New Chapter

Really hard third match between two great songs had to think about this one for a while. Ask me tomorrow and I probably got the other way. Solid day today, overall.
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Castle of Illusions (Phantasmagoria)
Cosmic Hero
Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016
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Voting in the remaining two matches now:

-
Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke
Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016

I don't really have the drive to do writeups for each match after missing it last night. But I will say I really like the vocal style of In the Flame. Harmonized vocal duets with a male and female voice are actually something I almost always like and this is no exception. Phantasmagoria is also good but is definitely not in my top tier of songs from the 3rd. Would have voted it over either song from the other match though.
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In the Flame
Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke
A New Chapter
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In The Flame
Cosmic Hero
Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016

Castle of Illusions oscillates between kinda interesting and rote RPG music. I think the strange chime-like synth that's prominent in 0:26 is a cool effect. The next minute or so is neat! The melody that starts around 1:25 is not. But then it goes back to the chimes! But then it introduces a fairly horrendous-sounding electric guitar patch. And on it goes.

I'm not here for Darren Korb's vocals, though I think he does a serviceable job here. Honestly this is something I might have rolled my eyes at, maybe. But I really dig it. Some of Darren Korb's vocal compositions really hit the mark with me for reasons I'm not sure of-- Setting Sail, Coming Home, The Spine, this. I catch myself humming along to them more than any others on their respective soundtracks (though I haven't given Pyre's a proper listen). 1:45 might be really lame to some but to me it's great-- a real high point. I think the only part that really bugs me is the major chord at the end.

I think Ari Pulkkinen does a pretty good job scoring the really arcade-y Housemarque games, but I don't find the music quite as compelling out of context. Cosmic Hero is the same-- I think I'd have a lot of fun playing Nex Machina to this, but just listening to it straight doesn't really feel the same.

Sometimes I wonder why this Touhou track in particular became the every-year joke. There were, uh, six? Touhou tracks that first year. Why couldn't it have been, like, Border of Life? Or Wind God Girl? Though maybe I would have been just as sick of those by now. (My personal favourite at the time was Necrofantasia but I can kinda understand why that wasn't the one carried year-to-year.) Anyway Reach for the Moon is a decent Touhou track and I'm totally sick of hearing it in VGMC.

CUTYPUMP is dumb. And, I mean, it's trying to be! And it succeeds with flying colours. But that just means it succeeded at being dumb. Anyway this lacks a lot of what I think is interesting in Ar tonelico hymmnos in favour of pursuing its aesthetic.

I actually rather like Apollo's theme-- probably more than any other defense attorney's theme. SoJ's take might be the best of them.

Trails in the Sky the 3rd - Castle of Illusions (Phantasmagoria)
Nex Machina - Cosmic Hero

Ar Tonelico 3 Qoga - EXEC_CUTYPUMP/.

CUTYPUMP made me laugh, which is more than be said about zzzzzz
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ed:
Castle of Illusions (Phantasmagoria)
Cosmic Hero
EXEC_CUTYPUMP/.
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In The Flame
Cosmic Hero
Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016
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last minute votes ye

Castle of Illusions (Phantasmagoria)
Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke
EXEC_CUTYPUMP/.
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Pyre - In The Flame
Nex Machina - Cosmic Hero
Phoenix Wright: Spirit of Justice - Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials! 2016
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