Board 8 > [BOST] Day 21: Umineko v Ys 3 PCECD, League v PMD2, G Darius v Katamari Forever

(+) Yeah! (+)

Greetings, and welcome to the Best OST Contest 5! In this contest, you and fellow video game soundtrack lovers will come together to once and for all answer the question "What is the best video game soundtrack? (For now.)"

Links:
Contest Bracket and Info - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sD964sXfa3trbXrr14mFKeEIA14cGM2RtHmW9TqGBmw
Discussion Thread - https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/77915805

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VOTING RULES

- Each match will be between the songs representing each game, not the game as a whole. Please remember to listen and vote with this in mind! Any votes referring to a game name rather than a song name will not be counted. You have been warned!
- Listen to both songs!! If one is your literal favorite song in the world and the other is something you hate with a passion, listen to them both!!
- No alts, no rallying, no begging for something to get more votes, etc., etc., you know the drill.
- If you change your mind and would like to swap your vote, you may do so. As soon as it is 24 hours since the match topic was started, you may not change your vote and new votes will not be counted.
- If you would like to vote in advance for matches you know you will miss, please let me know in the discussion topic.

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Main Bracket: Winners Round 2

Umineko no Naku Koro ni - System 0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs4wKRHmiR8" data-time="

Ys III: Wanderers from Ys (PCECD) - Illburns Ruins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqHXU0AVa0E" data-time="

Main Bracket: Losers Round 1

League of Legends - Get Jinxed

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

Pokmon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness & Sky - Craggy Coast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x6RSnryVhQ" data-time="

Snubs Bracket Match

G-Darius - H.G. Virus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0aVWqaod8Q" data-time="

Katamari Forever - Galactic S-O-U-L

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gcv4vdzriI" data-time="

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Vote Form:
System 0 / Illburns Ruins
Get Jinxed / Craggy Coast
H.G. Virus / Galactic S-O-U-L

Also an extra reminder that because of the late topic posting yesterday, Day 20 voting is still open for a bit longer!

Illburns Ruins
Get Jinxed
Galactic S-O-U-L

why is Data in Umineko

System 0
Craggy Coast
Galactic S-O-U-L
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System 0
Get Jinxed

Illburns is pretty good tho actually
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System 0
Get Jinxed
Galactic S-O-U-L
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Ys III: Wanderers from Ys (PCECD) - Illburns Ruins
League of Legends - Get Jinxed
G-Darius - H.G. Virus
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Umineko no Naku Koro ni - System 0
League of Legends - Get Jinxed
Katamari Forever - Galactic S-O-U-L

MATCH 1

It's kinda funny to think that for one of the few Star Trek quotes that I know, System 0 is the only reason I know it. This song's a great example of that dark gothic sound that's plentiful in Umineko's soundtrack with the harpsichord melody. That's one of many things that I'm a fan of when it comes to this game's soundtrack. If I'm not mistaken, quite a few songs in this game from -45 do this kind of stuff. I don't really remember what else that composer's done for the game besides Yomitsu Hirasaka Corruption. That organ after the intro hypes the song up so much too. The choir in this song is really great as well, especially towards the end of the song when it's just the piano playing underneath.

Like Mycro said, Illburns Ruins has this 80's/90's feel to it, but to me, this is a bit of a cheesy 80's/90's style that feels a little too stereotypical in its approach. That's not necessarily a bad thing, and in this case, it really isn't, but it doesn't get a whole lot of points for that, I suppose. Definitely not a bad song, but not quite my preferred style of Ys music.

MATCH 2

lalalalablablablabla. I've replayed that intro too many times now because of that haha. I kept staying in this limbo state of trying to figure out if I actually like this song for a while because of those vocals, but that chorus with the synth chords at 0:40 really drew me in. I really enjoyed that part. The rest of the song was pretty cool too once I got used to the vocals. It's definitely a stylistic flair that fits well for the song that I can appreciate, even if I prefer just regular singing.

Craggy Coast is one of those songs that's really nostalgic and reminiscent of my days of playing PMD games, but, unfortunately, not because I think it's a really good song. It's definitely not bad, but this is more like background music for me than something where I sit there and go "yeah, I like this!" 2:03-2:07 and 2:12-2:16 is really nice, though. Those parts definitely stuck out to me in this song.

MATCH 3

Man that album cover for G-Darius is really cool. I don't know what it is about it, but I like it. Sadly, I can't say the same about H.G. Virus! I'm just not really a fan of these sharp, erratic chord changes. I can understand how this might be appealing to some, but this isn't really my thing.

Galactic S-O-U-L is also not all that interesting to me. It wasn't bad to leave it on as background music for 7 minutes while I went and did other things, but it's not the kind of music that's super appealing to me. It kinda feels like the type of song that I might find while scrolling through radio stations where I listen to it for a few seconds and then move on because I'd rather hear something else. I wouldn't call this song bad, though.

This set of writeups is looking a bit negative so sorry about that :(

System 0 > Get Jinxed > Illburns Ruins > Craggy Coast > Galactic S-O-U-L > H.G. Virus

But yes... the chorus of Get Jinxed is soooo freaking good

1:37 to 1:44 is just incredible.
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Illburns Ruins
Craggy Coast
H.G. Virus

okay i went into match one expecting to go illburns, after listening to system 0 went "YO THIS IS MY PICK", listened to illburns and went "YO THIS IS MY PICK" and then listened to system 0 and repeated. i think i'm actually sticking with illburns... yeah. 1:05 to 1:18 is so good

match two is way closer than i thought it'd be too!! i like get jinxed right now waaaaaay more than i have before. weird. still not enough to push me towards it though

fish

System 0
Craggy Coast
H.G. Virus

GOD tier first match. System 0 is easily a top 5 Umineko track for me, and Illburns Ruins has that oldscool '90s PCE hard rock sound I LOVE so much. I know these were both my nominations, but this is the strongest match in the contest so far for me.

And then the sudden drop in quality!! Get Jinxed is the worst song that's come up so far in the contest, and I expect it to hold this title. Craggy Coast has some cool things going on, it's very Pokmon styled. Not much to say here.

The G-Darius soundtrack has a unique charm that I feel like no other soundtrack has quite been able to capture, and H.G. Virus is a very good example of that distinct style Hisayoshi Ogura uses in this game so well. Admittedly, I've never been crazy about the Katamari soundtracks. This one is decent though I guess, doesn't really have that oversaturated saccharine feel to it like a lot of the other Katamari tracks.
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System 0
Craggy Coast
H.G. Virus

it's funny how people talk up -45 songs that get into stuff like this as being their favourites in umineko without ever acknowledging the other ten -45 songs that are all very similar

SO I'M GOING TO CHANGE THAT. HERE'S A FRESH RANKING

Yomitsu Hirasaka CORRUPTION = Patchwork Chimera > Prison STRIP > Infant Queen Bee > Totem Blume > System 0 = Fake Red Shoes > The Girls' Witch Hunt > Kuina > Aci-L > Solitary Deep Sea Fish (> regular Yomitsu Hirasaka > System 0's one remix)

so... needless to say I cannot in good conscience say System 0 is in my top 5 Umineko songs. It's not even in my top 5 -45 songs for that matter. So yeah, it's good but not that high up there for me. Thankfully the difference in the scores I'd give all of these is really not very big at all, so I don't really mind which ones are and aren't in the sets. And well, it's still good enough to get my vote in the only match that I could really consider particularly close at all (apologies to katamari, but it just isn't)

Illburns Ruins
Get Jinxed
Galactic S-O-U-L

Illburns Ruins
Get Jinxed
Galactic S-O-U-L
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Illburns Ruins
Get Jinxed
Galactic S-O-U-L

System 0
Get Jinxed
H.G. Virus

B8 match

EVIL match with EVIL song rolls. I thought about Get Jinxed when making the LoL setlist, but dismissed it fairly quickly for not being my style nor something voters would care about. Fortunately, some people convinced me to put it back in because it turns out I was wrong on both fronts! I love the synths in the chorus and how they go together with the vocals. Craggy Coast is a solid pick and sounds very happy and carefree, not craggy?

Galactic S-O-U-L isn't the name of a Kirby boss theme like I thought for the entire last week...
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System 0
Get Jinxed
H.G. Virus

Illburns pretty funky style track. I like it quite a bit! System 0 is just great though. Always been a big fan.

Get Jinxed I actually like a good amount listening to it again. The slower part after the first minute isn't as good, but it gets good again. Craggy Coast is terrible.

HG Virus starts good and I like its sound but it goes on a little long without changing much. Katamari song goes even fewer places, though.

Easy matches today. Might've taken Illburns over the other four songs.
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System 0
Craggy Coast
HG Virus

wow get jinxed is such a throwback

windows xp pianos
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Umineko no Naku Koro ni - System 0: 10. One of my favorite Umineko songs. I've said before that I tend to like songs that simulate the experience of losing your mind, and nothing I've encountered quite does that like System 0. The creepy Star Trek clip, the slow build toward the trademark -45 dissonance, the breakdown with the clipped chanting, the ending where it all kind of comes together...I don't often hear this song mentioned in the same breath as the soundtrack's big names, but it clearly deserves to be there. A masterpiece.
vs.
Ys III: Wanderers from Ys (PCECD) - Illburns Ruins: 6.5. I know I overuse the word "fun" in music writeups, but this is a "fun" song. That drumbeat puts in extra work. This is one of my favorite versions of this song; it's goofy and very 90s.

and

League of Legends - Get Jinxed: 1.5. This is not something I would ever willingly listen to. I'm not saying it's bad - I think the "blahblahblah"s are funny - but I can't find anything super redeeming in it for me personally. I'm glad it's on the setlist because it represents a different - and popular! - side of the League soundtrack, but that doesn't mean I'm voting for it.
vs.
Pokmon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness & Sky - Craggy Coast: 5. I thought this said Creepy Crag and I got excited for Plok :( I am strongly considering voting against this even though there are levels upon levels of rating differences between it and Get Jinxed because at least I remember Get Jinxed. I'm forgetting this as it's playing.

and

G-Darius - H.G. Virus: 9. Ah yes, G-Darius. Of all my noms it's the one I care the most about. (Naturally I didn't think to nominate it until the very last day.) H.G. Virus is probably the weakest song (to me at least) in the set, but it just does so much cool stuff. That G-Darius industrial factory noise, the ethereal piano, the big chords, the mechanical scatting - this song is just so cool. And this is the weakest to me in the set! Hopefully we get to hear more of it throughout the contest.
vs.
Katamari Forever - Galactic S-O-U-L: 4.5. Wow those drums are loud. I like the breakdown around 2:15, then it turns a bit psychedelic. This is not what I would have expected from a Katamari song. I don't love it but I respect some of what it does. But man, I wish those drums were quieter.

Votes:
System 0
Craggy Coast (...for now)
H.G. Virus

System 0
Get Jinxed
Galactic S-O-U-L

It hurts when you practically flip a coin on one match, and then the next pairing is distinctly worse than the song you sided against. Sorry, Craggy Coast.
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Illburns Ruins
Get Jinxed
H.G. Virus

how the heck is System 0 this low in a set (don't answer that I know why)

would comment on the contrast in the second match but very little wouldn't contrast with Get Jinxed

Galactic S-O-U-L was a big ball of nothing sorry Katamari
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System 0
Get Jinxed
H.G. Virus
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System 0
Craggy Coast
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Illburns Ruins
Get Jinxed
Galactic S-O-U-L

The third match had meh songs, but oh boy I did not like H.G. Virus.

Umineko no Naku Koro ni - System 0
Pokmon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness & Sky - Craggy Coast
G-Darius - H.G. Virus
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System 0
Get Jinxed
HG Virus
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Illburns Ruins
Get Jinxed
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Not feeling System 0 today for some reason. I guess it was never my favorite Umineko track in the first place but I remember liking it more than this.

I don't really wanna vote for either of these songs in the snubs match so I'm not going to.
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Ys III: Wanderers from Ys (PCECD) - Illburns Ruins
Pokmon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness & Sky - Craggy Coast
Katamari Forever - Galactic S-O-U-L

I don't have a lot to say about today's lineup-- it's been busy for me. But I really LOVED the Katamari Forever song. It reminded me of Saint Etienne_!! And I loved the sound of the Ys III song-- awesome instrumentation. And you know how I feel about Pokemon... That music fills me with joy! Happy to finally be back to voting today!!
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Ys III: Wanderers from Ys - Illburns Ruins
Pokmon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness & Sky - Craggy Coast
G-Darius - H.G. Virus

Great stuff today, again strapped for time though with not a lot to say. I'll vouch for S-O-U-L though, because it reminds me of something I'd hear while exploring one of those bizarre virtual spaces like Worlds.com or Second Life.

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System 0
Craggy Coast
Galactic S-O-U-L

as usual snubs is hardest batch but a lot of pretty solid stuff today
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Ah, man. Gonna go with my gut after all.

Change G-Darius - H.G. Virus to Katamari Forever - Galactic S-O-U-L

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Illburns Ruins
Get Jinxed
H.G. Virus

Both songs in the first match were only "okay" to me. I don't really have a lot to say here so lets just move right along 'cuz I got things to say about the other two.

So, Craggy Coast is my favorite of the setlist for PMD2 (actually my preferences of that list go almost perfectly in reverse number order...). For a calm, pleasant-ish track (something I can be pretty picky about probably), I enjoy the sort of weirder surreal feel this gives while still being nice. I really like the up-tempo bit starting at :15, especially the wild but very quiet instrument in the back. Some of the calmer parts of the song I can be a bit more iffy on, and the instrumentation sort of feels a bit "plain" to me, but this is still a great song that I like. And hey, it's up against a vocal song should be a no-brainer right? Nope. Somehow, Get Jinxed is one of very few vocal songs I can actually enjoy, let alone tolerate. I really wish Get Jinxed didn't have the singing, because unlike a lot of other vocal songs, I really feel like the instruments here would totally be able to stand nicely on their own. Maybe not so much at the very start where they're more of a repetitive backing to the vocals, but after that they work real well overall and I can get really into both how the instruments sound & the tune they play. And honestly, the vocals really aren't as "unlikeable" to me as a lot of other vocals can be, even as the girl sometimes kinda transitions between singing and screaming for a second somehow. Heck, at their best -- their best -- they can even kind of work with the song for me. Not everywhere but like, particularly at :43 where she says the word En-er-gy with the notes, like the combination of both the pitch of her voice & the pitch of the notes. Mostly just that one word but, coming from me that's pretty exceptional. Gosh I really love the whole long section at :37 - 1:01. Don't really like the way she goes blah blah blah at the start though but that's just the start, a lot of songs have dumb starts. Man both of these songs are way too good compared to others in this contest, this being an initial loser bracket match is just painful. Man I kind of feel like this is the sort of match that's exactly what the "Listen to both songs!!" rule is all about. Maybe I shouldn't even vote here with how close these songs somehow are to me but, perhaps this is some combination of how rare I can enjoy a vocal song + a new good find vs. an old good find I'm already "used" to, + just how ridiculous it would be for me to vote this way but I'm honestly kind of leaning towards Get Jinxed with it's overall fun dark digital energy in keys I really like, vs. how I feel about Craggy Coast's "pleasant"-ish second half I'm sorry Mycro !!!

H G Virus is another song that I really wish didn't have vocals & I think the song would really work better with out them. That's a pretty silly statement though because well to be perfectly I'm not really even sure if they are actually "vocals" but those mouth noises doin the beatboxing beat are just super off putting to me. But the rest of stuff here is this weird cool abstract, appealingly unstructured stuff. Galactic S O U L is more of the type of song I might not think would really work even without the vocals -- the backing's really simple and repetitive, the sort of thing for vocals to stand on their own or some thing probably. Anyway the bass synth in S O U L is pretty cool but I don't care for the big band drums. This write up probably sounds more negative towards the song than I actually am, there are other cool elements to the song like , some stuff with the way the song turns towards the middle. Not enough to outweigh it's faults for me compared to the H G Virus though. if you combine the letters H G S O U L you can make the word GHOULS. wow spooky just in time for hallo ween
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