Board 8 > NFUN Ranks 1000 VGM: 300 VGM Edition

(+) Yeah! (+)

Johnbobb posted...

definitely didn't think that was going to be my top song but I'll take it

It isn't!
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70./95. Zakuzaku Actors - Memories of Summer Vacation
Nominator: @banshiryuu
9.1 (8.6/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcTUGn8Xnhs
You're lucky I forgot to finish listening to all of mozell's songs. This is a new favorite. Got bumped down a bit since I took this screenshot, sadly. At least that just means deo owned himself more https://i.imgur.com/yzeuPTB.png

69./93. The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces - The Calm
Nominator: @UF8
9.1 (8.6/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuaZQxECqzg
The Gaels are famous for their fighter jet squadrons
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wait the calm hadn't gone out yet, huh

do i still have any songs left now lol

UF8 posted...

wait the calm hadn't gone out yet, huh

do i still have any songs left now lol

yes
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NFUN posted...

yes

damn i was hoping i'd be able to claim a moral victory by finishing at 69th

i always finish at 69
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68./91. Street Fighter III: Second Impact - Cave Man
Nominator: rukir
9.1 (8.6/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUgwI3XOoSk
This is an incredible start. I like how a few of the background instruments just barely almost don't fit, so you're always kind of aware of them regardless to what else you're paying attention to the song, yet they still always sound nice. Most of what I like about this is tied to the instrumentation, really. Honestly, it doesn't matter a ton what the rest of the song does because the base of it is so good; it doesn't do much, and it doesn't need to

67./89. Shadows of Adam - Into the Depths
Nominator: @dowolf
9.1 (8.6/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMP8PzREUGA
The dark synth, choir and temple drums work great together. Creates a fantastic atmosphere, and then the flutes come back in, which is exactly what I want. It's almost extremely cheesy, but I can forgive it because of how thoroughly it succeeded. Here I'll start doing a Hastesque "favorite part": 1:16-1:27. Bongos

rip ruhir
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66./88. Galactic Pinball - MOONMANs Fandango
Nominator: @rwlh
9.1 (8.6/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATo5PbN7sfE
WE HAVIN MAC TONIGHT. Don't really like the intro for some reason, even though it seems like the kind of weirdness I'd be a fan of. The song itself is retiree worthy, yeah. Very warm in the way only songs with these instruments can be, with great melodies and accompaniments. Even manages to squeeze some emotion with the bee-bee-bee-beeps

65./87. 3D Ultra Pinball - Colony Level Starter
Nominator: @MycroProcessor
9.1 (8.6/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJS7qXeTEUs
why is this so COOL. Sounds kind of Ishibashi to me, like it could be a final boss theme in an old Falcom game, and most of the time I'm forgetting that this is being played with basic midi instruments. Extremely impressive

DOULBE PINBALL
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64./85. Murasaki Tsurugi - Fairytale Poison and Solitude
Nominator: @UF8
9.1 (8.6/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYOeWL-GScY
Did this retire? I don't think so. It definitely deserved to. Excellent flamenco. Favorite part: 3:16-3:24

63./82. Rewrite - Phobia
Nominator: @pyresword
9.1 (8.6/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GcX-HDyUwk
Getting a Phantasy Star vibe from this, which is good (Anthropologist's note: this was written when I was first dipping my toes into PSO episodes 1 and 2, and didn't know about the Whole New World that awaited me, or the hell that awaited y'all hearing me talk about it). It's not actually that Phantasy Star though. Still very cool. The melody is pretty evocative for what it's aiming for, and the construction around that is great. That being said, I'm really not sure why I like it this much; I don't feel like it's the type of song I'm apt to love. It's just clicking, I guess. Favorite part: 1:30-1:45
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62./79. Soul Nomad and the World Eaters - Crying for the Dark Sky
Nominator: @dowolf
9.1 (8.6/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dB6KVll3Hcw
The weirdness at 1:10 is super cool. Both the voices doing fucking whatever (this is like slapton done right) and the instrumentals taking a different turn. The transition out of that section is expertly done, in a way that retroactively makes the beginning of the song make more sense. The singing is kind of funny but I'm into it. Sometimes you have to admire when a composer goes all-in on something strange or risky. Favorite part: 1:10-1:30

61./76. Ash of Gods - Terminum
Nominator: @kaonashi
9.1 (8.6/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3blT4gNiog
I can be particular about conlangs. Them sounding cool or weird to me can make or break a song. The conlang used in this and Steel for Humans is definitely a good one. Favorite part: 2:20-end
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60./31. Chrono Trigger - Corridors of Time
Nominator: Akkrillic
9.1 (9.1/0)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsvN18iAzb4
One of the rare songs that gets exactly as much acclaim as it deserves. Exquisite. Best part: 1:43-2:07... FUCK. I FORGOT IT DID THE UNISUGA

59./75. 7th Dragon III: Code VFD - Kazan- The Future Buried in Flowers
Nominator: Scholteheim
9.2 (8.7/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXM75dIyVp8
I get it, the song has "future" in the name because it sounds like it's trying to be an EDM remix of a Steins;Gate song at first! This establishes an enthralling mood and doesn't really go anywhere with it. It's VGM that, unfortunately, makes it clear that it's built for specific contexts, the type of song I'd hear while exploring in Deus Ex or Astral Chain or Cyberpunk 2077 and go WHOA WHAT IS THIS and enjoy much less when listening in isolation (that being said, I do enjoy listening to it in isolation). Good guessing game fodder though... alright, so I found this accidentally somehow while looking for guessing game fodder and listened to it another thirty times and I like it .8 more now. Oops. Favorite part: 2:48-3:15 (or the start of the first chorus)
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58./71. Undertale - g a r d e n
Nominator: @Place
9.2 (8.7/1)
https://youtu.be/baV-6-oHnA8
What a high quality rip from Daddy Dokuro

this really hits different. it maximized the impact of the original track, especially at the transitions and the presentation. Good sources too. The Dodonpachi part at 3:04 fucks me up every time (favorite part: that)

57./70. Katamari Damacy - Lonely Rolling Star
Nominator: Zyxyz's Mom
9.2 (8.7/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_QydNXI_ok
happy!! :D FP 2:50-3:46

rip zyxyz's mom
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I was genuinely super surprised at how positively people responded to Crying for the Dark Sky. I don't have much to add beyond that, but :)
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56./69. FAR: Lone Sails - Colored Engine
Nominator: @kaonashi
9.2 (8.7/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L6MoWzAx1M
It's mellow without being boring and manages to subtly build up to interesting things without you really realizing it. I really like the mournful horns. Favorite part: 1:48-2:12

55./67. Bastion - Percy's Escape
Nominator: Ian
9.2 (8.7/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmDNbT0D7hc
https://imgur.com/a/tX195Nd

WHOA what's happening at 50 seconds? Ok I was somewhat into the beginning and with that this song kind of rocks

bye ian
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dowolf posted...

I was genuinely super surprised at how positively people responded to Crying for the Dark Sky. I don't have much to add beyond that, but :)

vgmc~!?
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54./66. The Terminator (Sega CD) - Rivit Fanfare
Nominator: @Chinballz
9.2 (8.7/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lplpmNRUE0w
I love how unapologetically goofy this is. The Amiga-ass percussion and the super cheesy guitar, not the mention the dumb vocal intro. Look at the thumbnail! It's aggressively 90's in the best possible way. Favorite part: 1:40-2:20

53./65. Amagon - Megagon
Nominator: @Se7enThrust
9.2 (8.7/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G7Mi57QrNQ
Congrats Se7en. You did it! That melody at the beginning is wonderful. Very warm and seems somehow meaningful. Sounds like it could be from Magical Chase. The rest isn't as strong, but isn't problematic; it supports the mood and initial melody well enough that I'm not let down at all. New upload is slightly worse. Favorite part: first 12 seconds

bye Chinballz and Se7en. The culling of low compat users continues
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52./63. Armored Core Verdict Day - Mechanized Memories
Nominator: Thomas
9.2 (8.7/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6gOSF5SR-s
The voices are super cool. Feels like it's kind of missing something, something that'd take it to the very top tier. Or, maybe I'm just naturally inclined to like the sort of instrumental it has. It's like... punk pop? Something about the chords or progressions, and the way the rhythm guitar sounds, is kind of offputting to me. It's unique and stylish enough that I still like it a fair bit despite this... you ever write a very milquetoast, generally scathing review for a song you like a lot? I guess, overall, I'm annoyed at the song for its unforced errors (in my eyes). Favorite part: any of the choruses

51./62. Katamari Forever - Everlasting Love + You
Nominator: @-hotdogturtle--
9.2 (8.7/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0KzYztRZiw
@-hotdogturtle-- you are smart. You are smart. Favorite part: 3:45-4:25

bye thomas
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Top 50!

Italicized = one song left, bold = eliminated

NFUN: 8.8
VGMC Honorees: 8.1
Place: 8.03
banshiryuu: 8.01
kaonashi: 8.01
Akkrillic: 7.96
MycroProcessor: 7.93
rwlh: 7.92
Muzzleflash: 7.87
ellie: 7.84
Zyxyz's Mom: 7.84
UF8: 7.82
Zyxyz0: 7.82
Scholteheim: 7.81
pyromide: 7.8
dowolf: 7.76
Thomas: 7.75
Collen: 7.72
PSI_NESS: 7.72
-hotdogturtle--: 7.71
Th3_M4j0r: 7.7
rukir: 7.69
azuarc: 7.65
RyoCaliente: 7.64
pyresword: 7.62
Chinballz: 7.6
Shonen_Bat: 7.57
JONALEON1: 7.56
BetrayedTangy: 7.52
PrinceKaro: 7.52
Rob: 7.52
Direkrow: 7.5
UltraMana: 7.5
trdl23: 7.49
FL81: 7.48
Neotelenta: 7.43
Pikman: 7.4
UnluckyLucky: 7.4
Raetsel_Lapin: 7.39
wv: 7.38
scarletspeed7: 7.36
rwlhs friend: 7.35
Choco: 7.3
DragonImps: 7.3
Ian: 7.3
Rufus: 7.29
MargaretAnnMid: 7.21
jangler: 7.18
Dragon66116: 7.15
Regaro: 7.15
Se7enThrust: 7.24
Elecmarol: 7.12
LOLIAmAnAlt: 7.1
OrangeCrush980: 7.07
Wicklebee: 7.05
Snake5555555555: 7
r0xm2n: 6.99
Reddeh: 6.96
handsomeboy2012: 6.9
Prody Parrot: 6.89
Johnbobb: 6.77
lucifiere: 6.48
arti: 6.09
Bane: 2.1

2 Alive:
Place
kaonashi
UF8
dowolf
pyresword
BetrayedTangy
FL81
Regaro
handsomeboy2012
Prody Parrot

3 Alive:
banshiryuu
Zyxyz0

4 Alive:
VGMC Honorees
JONALEON1

5 Alive(!):
MycroProcessor

Congrats to Mycro for having 10% of the remaining songs be his
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I don't even remember what I have left!!

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spreadsheet!
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*checks spreadsheet*

Hmm, surprising last pick left. Not from NFUN's perspective, because none of my nominations were really tailored, they were mostly arbitrary. More surprising seeing it myself, because it was one of those filler songs that I threw in just to get 20 noms. So a lucky guess, pretty much.

Top 50 should have some good writeups, hopefully.

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*also checks*

huh ok (ya go my lifecycle)

Toxtricity posted...

vgmc~!?

I mean... :)
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I know I'm coming to this topic extremely late, as I only started coming to this board a little after SD's Discord opened up, but... wait, no, I'm still confused. And now annoyed that I accidentally clicked on Rise and Shine Ursine after finishing up DRV3 this week.

Pity I got in too late to throw on the nominations, but would you really want me throwing more Samurai Shodown and FFXIV your way?

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i got one ffxiv song and zero samurai shodown songs (and heard zero of the latter), and considering one person used up every slot for the same game, at worst, you could only tie for least diversity!

you can throw songs at me if you want and i'll give my thoughts
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50./60. Bio Force Ape - Stage 1
Nominator: @-hotdogturtle--
9.2 (8.7/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQcWAn66qjo
Crazy Noisy Bizarre Town. This is really good for this kind of NES tune. For the most part, NES soundtracks fall very short for me. Geniuses like Follin or Gonzalez are really the exception. I'm probably being overly critical, since the way I look at it is a little weird. The way I figure it, to make a general song, you need to choose appropriate instruments, create a melody, add harmonics and backings and percussion, and mix and master it. NES streamlines the process by sharply restricting what and how many instruments you can do and how much you can affect the mastering (of course, you can do insane technical things if you're good, but it seems most composers work on a more-or-less level playing field). As a result, you'd think that they'd be able to do more and interesting things with the melody; after all, it isn't like their selection of notes is meaningfully restricted. And yet, video game music seemingly hadn't really evolved to that point yet, judging by how much early VGM were just classical songs translated and how blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah I find so much of it. There are other factors, yada yada, but the result is that most of what I hear is just stunningly mediocre. Uninteresting melodies, for no apparent reason besides lack of talent or imagination. *This* is how I expect NES music to sound, more or less. Something even simpler than this is fine. Just like, the main melodic instrument and scale playing behind it is so much better than so much else of what I heard, and that doesn't seem technically challenging at all. It's got emotion behind it, instead of being a flat expanse of nothing. If I listen to a random modern soundtrack, sure, I won't be surprised if it's boring. It might have boring sounds or melodies or mixing, the key being that there's so many more points of failure, and half the time they're going for that mood anyway, a mood made possible by higher-fidelity instruments. There's a lot of good NES soundtracks, of course, by good composers. It's just, more than anything else, I want to scream 'You had ONE job!' at the composers of the legions of completely forgettable chiptune soundtracks. Se7en doesn't have a terrible high average

oh yeah this song. most of it is fairly good. enjoyable. what really elevates it is that section at 1:10. That melody is absolutely fantastic. Every time I listen, I question why I placed this so high, and then that segment shows up and knocks my socks off. Absolutely beautiful

You may have cursed yourself a bit, hdt. oops

49./57. Fairy Fencer F - Unbreakable King
Nominator: @Direkrow
9.2 (8.7/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cPy0Yp8IAs
That very basic bar of trumpet eighth notes thing this does is very effective on me somehow. Overall, maybe the best use of trumpets of any song submitted. When I look at any individual aspect of this song, it seems pretty simple, and yet the whole is pretty great. There are a lot of songs, like the Blazblues and Senran Kaguras, which are fairly similar to this, and they usually try to work in something unique so they're not just a rock song. Those all did much worse. I really don't think there's a significant difference between those and this; this wins because the flair in the form of the trumpet is the winner. Favorite part: 1:38-155
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48./55. Occultic;Nine - RESOLUTION
Nominator: @kaonashi
9.2 (8.7/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tIcVeP0HOQ
ohhhhh Takeshi, what are you doing? This is *cool*. You can hear the sci;adv vocal pads in the back and there's plenty of sci-fi sounds all over the place, but this is much funkier than Steins;Gate or Robono. Basically, he took a song from one of those soundtracks (which I adore) and gave it a neat piano and new synths that make me think of MMBN. Why wouldn't I love this? Favorite part: 1:27-140

47./28. Granado Espada - Laguerra del Mundo
Nominator: @trdl23
9.2 (9.2/0)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_--z5kyU1w
I am victorious.

trdl is not
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46./27. Monty on the Run - In-Game Music
Nominator: @rwlh
9.2 (9.2/0)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIA_0cvS2gQ
Absolutely insane. Blows my mind whenever I look at the simple oscilloscope. I'd comment more about how I feel about the song, but the predominant emotion is always bafflement that this exists, and expressing that for 400 words would get tiresome. Favorite part: 1:06-1:09

45./26. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life - Today is a Diamond / Honjitsu wa Diamond
Nominator: @handsomeboy2012
9.2 (9.2/0)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ogfouf7f8g
I managed to get my friend into Yakuza, who ended up loving the series. His favorite part wasn't the games, nor the characters, nor the story, but this stupid fucking song. He loves it to death, and plays it all the time. I bet he's done actual karaoke to it, somehow, by now. I see his point. It's so damn infectious, regardless of how much you actually like it. Seeing Kiryu strumming a ukulele and singing in this video while everybody nods along is so goofy in the best way. I don't have a choice in not giving it a low score. Favorite part: 1:27-1:31

get up my baby!

bye rwlh
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44./54. Samorost 3 - Mushroom Picker Dance
Nominator: @Zyxyz0
9.3 (8.8/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFB2wcxPTn0
Very strange feel this has. I didn't have high hopes for it with the weird... mushroom sounds at the beginning, but I think the Bastion feel it went for was perfect for it. I honestly can't articulate what this song is going for besides 'mushroom', but whatever it is, it did it. Huh. Was totally expecting this to be a relatively normal jangler or maybe a kaonashi nom, but somehow it's Zyx?? Favorite part: 1:26-end

That guy in the thumbnail? It's me. Mushrooms

https://twitter.com/redsunO21/status/1356623647176327169?s=19

43./52. Deemo - Dedication
Nominator: @JONALEON1
9.3 (8.8/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeWIyU5eVQ4
Apparently I got three void songs and didn't realize it until actually looking through the list of composers. They all sound pretty different. This one feels more soulful than the others (it's Deemo, so that makes sense). Mixes the piano and flute very well with the classic rhythm tropes. I want to give props to this song for being "classy". It's *tasteful*. So many rhythm songs go way too hard into the rhythm game song genre (compare this to FLOWER, which I feel goes for something similar), and so many songs going for something emotional end up being navel-gazing, boring, sappy, or other epithets that probably aren't actually meaningful to anybody (perhaps including myself). This is very restrained, and knows how to use moderation. It doesn't go too hard on any aspect and knows when not to push its luck. As a result, it's something almost sublime. It's masterful. Probably my favorite example of this style I've heard. Favorite part: 3:19-end
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too tired to improve writeups much

42./51. Magical Chase - Variations on a Ra Melody
Nominator: @banshiryuu
9.3 (8.8/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-CFEQ-r1IQ
It's really cool how they mix the magical, happy fantasy that dominates the start with the sinister synths which evolve into a dramatic feel. On first listen, I thought this was just decent FM, and it took more exposure for me to really pay attention and notice how good the progression was. Favorite part: 1:10-2:03

41./50. Gamera 2000 - The Promise ~ to be born again and see you
Nominator: @MycroProcessor
9.3 (8.8/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_0ra-0IHqU
Sky Tower melody. The word that comes to mind for this song is ""compelling"" (a word to be used in the same sense later!!). It draws me in, makes me *want* to keep listening. I could've begin to tell you why that is. It's a shame that the song is so short and loops a bunch. If it did more it could've gone far(ther). Favorite part: 0:31-0:45
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40./48. Tadpole Treble - Midnight Bayou
Nominator: @BetrayedTangy
9.3 (8.8/1)
https://youtu.be/ut9KEvtfSJ4
How could you dislike this?.. hmm. Perhaps a better question would be "How could you dislike this and live with yourself?" It's incredibly charming, with a great singer and sense of mood. If you hate this, you need help. Favorite part: 1:28-1:32

39./47. Super Metroid - Lower Norfair
Nominator: @BetrayedTangy
9.3 (8.8/1)
https://youtu.be/uujsW7yFkZU?t=7185
I love this track's simplicity. It's straightforward and repetitive, and manages to succeed for the same reason Kirby tracks do. The variation is barely existent, but the melody and atmosphere is so strong that the retreads of the melody aren't a problem at all. Sometimes you just want something a little hypnotic while also being understatedly menacing. Favorite part: 1:10-1:18

Tangy probably thought he was safe and sitting pretty. Tangy was probably wrong
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Haha more like surprised I made it this far! Glad you enjoyed Midnight Bayou, easily the best song from that game

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Huh, I thought I had more songs left.

I'm happy you mostly enjoyed your trip down Notable Retro Song Lane.

38./46. VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action - Safe Haven
Nominator: @Dragon66116
9.3 (8.8/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyK0RS6J_8A
Oh VA-11 HALL-A. Why are you such a good soundtrack? I was surprised how it worked in-game. With songs like Synthestiche and March of the White Nights, I expected the music to have some kind of plot relevance... like, at all. I guess having the freedom to essentially make a long album instead of having to tailor it to contexts is liberating to composers like Garaod, and he could just let loose. That being said, this works perfectly in context with the cyberpunk bartending simulator *thing* this game has going on, and especially to the kinds of conversations you get in it. I have trouble believing this isn't the "canonical" second shift starting song based on how aggressively fitting it is. It's motivating and melancholy, saying to me "Well this is life, may as well make the best of it"

37./21. VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action - Every Day Is Night
Nominator: @handsomeboy2012
9.3 (9.3/0)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-AfGh8gmiQ
My favorite VA-11 song, or at least it was. I think it's still safe. It's just too classic not to love. Encapsulates everything about its genre perfectly

double va-11 for a double elimination
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36./20. Kantai Collection - -Counter raid Another D
Nominator: @FL81
9.3 (9.3/0)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGYLIlCQWtw
I found out that the Ar Tonelico gang helped out with this song, which makes a lot of sense. I've recently (at the time of the ranking) come to the conclusion that edge weebshit is the best, and this is a perfect example of that. It's kind of funny that I got to ranking it at the time I did, since I've listened to it maybe 20 times in the last couple of days. Hell, 'today' I made the lyric trivia for VGMC this song. Gotta love the person comparing this to Nier Automata. At least the crappy comparisons I've been making in these comments are *reasonably* useful, or at self-deprecating when awful. Favorite part: any section with drums

SHIZUME!

35./19. beatmania IIDX 22 PENDUAL - Despair of ELFERIA
Nominator: VGMC Honorees
9.3 (9.3/0)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNmTgi43zuo
Far more obviously rhythm than most of Nekomata's other songs, and yet it still holds the brilliance of his other pieces. I was salty at Megalovania's loss as it happened, but it didn't take long before I realized this was a much better winner. It's all of the best part of generic rhythm game songs, combined with all of the best parts of generic Nekomata Master songs, creating something amazing and certainly not generic. Favorite part: 3:20-ed
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NFUN posted...

I've recently (at the time of the ranking) come to the conclusion that edge weebshit is the best, and this is a perfect example of that.

~one of us~

Also the EXA_PICO-ness doesn't run that strong AFAIK. Rekka Katakiri does the vocals, and she was the singer for Cocona in AT3 (GRANZERO=SPEAR, HYMMELI), but she isn't one of the main three (Shikata, Shimotsuki, Mitose).
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NFUN posted...

I found out that the Ar Tonelico gang helped out with this song, which makes a lot of sense

i never actually knew this but this explains everything
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34./44. Ar nosurge: Ode to an Unborn Star - Ciel_N_PROTECTA;
Nominator: @banshiryuu
9.4 (8.9/1)
https://youtu.be/mObp9qfDDuE
Shizume!

SURPRISE, there is a 1001st song! Deo nommed which having WON earned it a place in the VGMC honorees, so it was replaced with this. In some ways, I like this more, but (no spoilers) in other ways Exsphere is BETTER! Clearly! It hasn't died yet!

This song is super good, it kind of sounds like Exsphere mixed with an Ar Tonelico hymmnos + more traditional Japanese rock. It has cutoff japes and odd effects, plus that robot voice which is COOLER than the voices used in songs like Exsphere. Those help make it more engrossing than a typical weebshit song, but it also has a strong melody plus some chords which I assume are weird and I will refer (likely improperly) to as Destiny Chords. It has stuff to say and says it in a way I want to listen to. Not sure exactly how it places in Nosurge vocal. I guess it's third, maybe, unless I'm in a mood for Xio Proceed. Favorite part: 3:35-4:05

33./43. Truxton II - HEAVY LONG (BOSS THEME ARRANGE VERSION)
Nominator: @Zyxyz0
9.4 (8.9/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txO1FOEFoZ4
Good weird jazz chords. Good bass. Good... alright I'll stop with this. Every aspect of the song I like a fair amount. Just point at something yourself and imagine me saying "good" to it. One of the best examples of this "type" of music I know. In other news, this definitely reminds me of another song I ranked (perhaps one about to go out), and I'm becoming increasingly convinced that it's shaped like itself. It just. Shit man, those chords are mezmerizing. They capture my soul, especially everything in the first minute. Christ, how does anything sound like this. Favorite part: 0:00-1:00
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NFUN posted...

I've recently (at the time of the ranking) come to the conclusion that edge weebshit is the best, and this is a perfect example of that.

I mean

yeah

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...now i'm just sad again that gust won't let Americans buy nosurge concerto DX on Steam.
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32./42. Lumines: Electronic Symphony - Close (to the Edit)
Nominator: @Place
9.4 (8.9/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YltqKvvRgC8
This is like BT Dutch had a baby with a Toyota Camry that only had funk mixtapes, amiga .mods, and one single from 1951 as music. Strangely enthralling (and bongos too). And Kirby synth. I can't really say much more, other than that I like this song a great deal. Although to be honest, I think I'm afraid of the art of noise. Favorite part: 0:45-1:05

31./41. Shamana Shamana - Moondawn
Nominator: @MycroProcessor
9.4 (8.9/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Dt-KTJDo5s
I was not expecting prog violins based on that thumbnail. This has a very kaonashi feel with the timing of everything in the song (okay I checked and it's Mycro that's close enough). I almost want to take points off because this is so obviously a song that I'd like, but that'd be stupid, so I won't. Still, this is probably the song most clearly likely to do well. At 3:25 it briefly becomes the good part of Invitation of the Butterfly. Favorite part: 4:38-5:29
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i actually had no concept that this would be like "the thing nfun likes the most" of all my noms haha. i just picked it because you were open to remixes basically, wanted to pick something 70s prog reminiscent, and i love this version of this so much.
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30./40. Terra Driver - Descent Into the Clouds (10118 Mix)
Nominator: Scholteheim
9.4 (8.9/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbhTmJ8FTXc
I see what you did. You knew I already knew Tower of Caelum, so you found a way to nominate a version I didn't know. You cannot convince me that this isn't CARD Revolution. I think I felt guilty about its upcoming elimination, because I hallucinated this song while half-awake for half an hour this morning. Favorite part: 0:29-0:54

29./39. Border Down - Snow Fox
Nominator: @JONALEON1
9.4 (8.9/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JhDFhOhBPo
This has juicy early-2000s SHMUP vibes. It's the kind of song I'm surprised doesn't do better in VGMC. Seems like it'd be popular amongst SHMUP music fans, people that like, uh, Quilava, and at the very least accepted by and enjoyed by those who aren't in love with it. Could be worth nomming [again?]. Favorite part: 1:56-2:24

bye schtolt
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terra diver and border down are both wonderful shmup osts i would support many songs from...
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there was actually a period where i acted like i didn't like snow fox as much as the rest of the border down ost, and was annoyed it seemed like it was the most popular yasuhisa watanabe song.

i've since changed my tone on that tho, particularly because of the 1:56-2:24 section you highlighted as your favorite part actually! It happens so late in the loop that sometimes i forget it's part of this song and not some other song in the ost, one of the best moments in anything by yack. and the whole song is honestly great, was just salty because i'm attracted to weirder songs in this game for sure. definitely would consider supporting it
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28./38. inFamous 2 - Ascension Parish
Nominator: @Johnbobb
9.4 (8.9/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ4Org99RkE
Infamous has much different music than I would've expected. It uses, uh, I want to say ""pitch"" but that'd be stupid, uhhhh... different clefs in a way I don't hear, or at least notice often. Low aggressive lows, and high highs. Low brass with high strings, y'know? It creates a good constrast and unique tension. The percussion is worked in pretty perfectly too. This grew on me a lot as I listened to it. In general, I kind of tried to avoid conflating Personal and Deserved scores; thinking a song is unique is definitely distinct from enjoying it. As this climbed the rankings, I realized I couldn't do that here. In a tier filled with songs unlike nearly any other, this manages to be unlike nearly any other song I've heard in a way somehow *different* than how the others are. It has the chaos and unconventiality you might expect from the weirdos who make songs Place and cako like to listen to, with distinctly Western aesthetics that puts it in an all new category. I tend to mildly dislike when songs halt and atonally meander like this does two minutes in, yet even that works for this. Impressive piece. You've redeemed yourself here J-B. Favorite part: 3:34-3:56 (or one of the choruses)

27./37. Zyon - Altersist
Nominator: @JONALEON1
9.4 (8.9/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYapRBbZ5iY
me in 2018, a scoundrel: basically umineko

me in 2020, a guru: i know what trance is

In terms of 'generic' trance, this has to be my favorite. I might like some baroque zts or rock fusion SFA more, but in the contest between this and Taishi? No question. I was pretty disappointed when I couldn't really find any more void tracks in this style (though I didn't look very hard, mostly stopping after I realized Zyon had a bunch of composers and void didn't make many of the songs on it... or maybe that was war of brains). Just all-around a very solid song, knocking every aspect out of the park. Favorite part: 3:00-3:28

that was your last song, Johnbobb
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oh nice, guess I miscounted

goddamn the Infamous soundtracks are just absurdly good, and Ascension Parish is on its own level

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we've been in territory where I'd consider supporting songs for VGMC for a bit, but the top 25 gets a special section to detail their history and eligibility. note that i won't support songs that have been in any of the last five contests (10 on)

26. Minecraft - Aria Math
Nominator: @RyoCaliente
9.4 (8.9/1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KveGWSYDxKY
wait what is this is this actually in minecraft how have i never heard this. Anyways this sounds like OneShot with slightly less charm. ACtually not at all why did I say that. This feels like an insane I'd stumble into somehow and really like. how the fuck is this minecraft i'm so confused. everybody in the comments who likes this needs to listen to some super deep vgm cuts. i'm guessing i wrote <--- all that at 4 in the morning. Favorite part: 3:02-end (i guess)

25. Skygunner - Wishing for an Eternal Sky
Nominator: @pyresword
9.4 (9.4/0)
VGMC History: XIV: R1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAThXvfsLd4
This is gorgeous. Doesn't do a lot to stand out from generic Japanese vocal songs to be honest, but hell, it does it well. Sometimes you've just got to admit that some things are classic for a reason. Of course, the focus is on the incredible singer (I didn't recognize any of her other work, but seeing that she did a Hanjuku Hero games, I'm going to pretend she sung Four). What really elevates this song is 1:25. Not that section specifically--in fact, that's by far my least favorite part of the song--but what this dramatic inclusion allows the composer to feel justified in getting away with. When that segment ends and the vocals return... damn. The... swing? Syncopation? Literally nothing special? I'm bad at music theory help me. The THING. The COOL THING this section has. It's COOL. I don't even think it's different than the earlier section. It just stands out more thanks to the variety. It brings the song together. God I took a break to try to remember what syncopation is and this whole writeup fell apart. Favorite part: the THING! 1:49-end

rip Ryo. you were doing super well for a while, and then everything kind of fell apart at once
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Aw yes To the Distant Sky. (Which is the actual title according to vgmdb but I'm assuming I had it wrong when I nominated it)

Also would like to point that at the point I nominated it for this topic it had not been in a vgmc yet >.>. Which is also weird because I discovered the song through b8, but I guess it was probably through the old vgm youtube channel and not through vgmc itself.
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pyresword posted...

Also would like to point that at the point I nominated it for this topic it had not been in a vgmc yet >.>. Which is also weird because I discovered the song through b8, but I guess it was probably through the old vgm youtube channel and not through vgmc itself.

it definitely sounds like it should've retired in like vgmc 6
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