Board 8 > [VGMCX] Nothing But Theory/cheap treasure, cicio/Rivers in the Desert

(+) 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:

Beatmania iidx 25 CANNON BALLERS - Nothing But Theory

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifJHiJ3RctE" data-time="

Half Minute Hero 2 - cheap treasure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bp10S6DDsI" data-time="

.
Match #2:

The House in Fata Morgana - Cicio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaWuLJ8S0BE" data-time="

Persona 5 - Rivers in the Desert

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqL6oJfkNag" data-time="

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

Master Spy - Mission 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8PbgC4IxXk" data-time="

La-Mulana - Giant's Cry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB97J5YAbIM" data-time="

.
Easy vote form:
Nothing But Theory / cheap treasure
Cicio / Rivers in the Desert
Mission 3 / Giant's Cry
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Full post later but man Cicio is like a top 5 song in this contest and I'm going to be voting against it in round 1 fffff

RIP Cicio you deserved better.
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Second Dark Matter Battle was one of my favorite discoveries, and less than a week in it's already out

everything is not going to be okay
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Cheap Treasure
Rivers in the Desert
Giant's Cry
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FL81 posted...

Second Dark Matter Battle was one of my favorite discoveries, and less than a week in it's already out

everything is not going to be okay

I had been trying to get City Streets 2 into VGMC for years and seeing it get eliminated in the first round is extremely annoying
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Nothing But Theory
Rivers in the Desert
Giant's Cry

landslide in all of em. lapix is god. rivers is the only p5 that i think its popularity is justified. la-mulana is la-mulana

Rivers in the Desert

I'm not going to vote on the other matches as I've played none of those games. I need to hear them in context to be able to discern properly. And Rivers in the Desert is one of my favorite VG songs ever so yeah.
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*looks at thread title*

I think we're just going to officially label the azuarc editions of the VGMC series as a separate Super Nintendo franchise.
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cheap treasure
Rivers in the Desert
Giant's Cry

had to check my faves bracket to remember which of the first match I was less ambivalent towards lol
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BlueCrystalTear posted...

Rivers in the Desert

I'm not going to vote on the other matches as I've played none of those games. I need to hear them in context to be able to discern properly. And Rivers in the Desert is one of my favorite VG songs ever so yeah.

Or you could just judge them based on the music itself, which is what we're all basically doing.
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cheap treasure
Cicio
Mission 3
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cheap treasure
Rivers in the Desert
Mission 3

Side bracket was way better than Main today imo.
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Half Minute Hero 2 - cheap treasure
Persona 5 - Rivers in the Desert
La-Mulana - Giant's Cry
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cheap treasure
Rivers in the Desert
Giant's Cry

that side bracket match hnnnnnnnnng
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cheap treasure
Rivers in the Desert
Mission 3

Losing Everything Is Going To Be Okay probably hurt the most, but Mango Tango was pretty great too.
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Half Minute Hero 2 - cheap treasure
La-Mulana - Giant's Cry
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Cheap Treasure
Rivers in the Desert
Mission 3

God, I hate almost all rhythm game tracks that get nominated in these contests. This smash-face-on-keyboard-post-results mess is an example of why. Yes, that's an exaggeration, but not as much as I wish it were. Cheap Treasure wins by virtue of not being offensive and revolting to the eardrums.

Jesus Christ, poor Cicio. It's a really good track, and a wonderful slow and emotional piece. Unfortunately, it got paired against what might be the best song in the contest round 1, but I guess it had to happen to somebody. Rivers is a fantastic "epic final boss" tune, yet it has its own unique Persona 5 trademark jazz theme to it that makes it stand out and become a modern classic. The chill and serene bridge is an awesome break from the driving percussion and bassline, which means the last chorus is triumphant instead of tiresome.

Not much to say about the side bracket. I'm just feeling Mission 3 more. They're both fine songs if not exciting.
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One Night in Neo Kobe's alright imo, but I love Mango Tango. Dark Matter was also quite a loss.

Jump Up Superstar's probably my favorite of what's been eliminated, but I'm kinda 50/50 on weather I prefer Behind the Mask.

cheap treasure
Rivers in the Desert
Mission 3

Most solid round so far.
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Half Minute Hero 2 - cheap treasure
Persona 5 - Rivers in the Desert
La-Mulana - Giant's Cry
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Nothing But Theory - I like both of these! Could go with either winning, honestly. Neither is amazing, but they are good.

Rivers in the Desert - Unfortunately that's not true for the other matches! Cicio is awful. I can see it working as backing for an /emotional/ scene, but on its own? Blah. Rivers is amazing. Top 10 2017 song.

Mission 3 - Mission 3 is okay? Not one of today's best. Giant's Cry sucks though.
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cheap treasure
Cicio
Mission 3
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Rivers

The other song really grew on me by the end though
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Half Minute Hero 2 - cheap treasure
Persona 5 - Rivers in the Desert
La-Mulana - Giant's Cry
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cheap treasure
Rivers in the Desert
Mission 3

I'm not big on a bemani songs, and Nothing But Theory exhibits the same problems I have with a lot of them--namely boring bass lines and too much focus on the technical intricacy of the melody. I admit I don't actually dislike it, but I am pretty lukewarm about it. Cheap Treasure on the other hand is a pretty straightforward but effective song.

Ok so pyre story time for this second match. I played The House in Fata Morgana mostly on a whim shortly after it was released on Steam (before it really had any reputation) and went in with pretty mediocre expectations. So, I was totally floored when it ended up becoming one of my favorite stories in any medium, and Cicio was a pretty important song during the segment that ended up cementing the story in that status. This sort of emotional piano/vocal song is something that's right up my alley anyways, but in context it works so well. The song has that atmosphere-creating quality that most of the Fata Morgana soundtrack has, and then the chorus nails that cathartic feeling that I look for in music so well. Ughh I love this song and this game. I don't know if anyone remembers but I actually tried to nominate Cicio for last year's VGMC, but it didn't get much traction. I had actually given up on it already for this year, so imagine my shock when this year someone other than me actually decided to nominate it. Unfortunately it rose up only to get paired against Rivers in the Desert in what might end up being the biggest blowout of the contest, and in a cruel twist of fate I can't even show support for Cicio myself since I can't deny Rivers is a top tier VGM song. I admit Rivers is a better song, but my emotional connection to Cicio is much stronger, and I'm really sad to see it go out like this. If nothing else, the comments have encouraged me to nominate it next year.

Damn I'll try not to make posts like that often, but this match is especially painful for me to watch.

Anyways, pretty meh on the side bracket songs in comparison. Not a lot happens in Mission 3, but it is pretty chill in a way that seems like effective background music, so I'd say I like it from that standpoint. Giant's Cry is decent I guess.

Rivers in the Desert > Cicio > cheap treasure > Mission 3 > Giant's Cry > Nothing But Theory.
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Cheap treasure
Rivers in the Desert
Giant's Cry
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cheap treasure
Rivers in the Desert
Giant's cry
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cheap treasure
Cicio
Giant's Cry

Giant's Cry s on everything else today
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Nothing But Theory
Cicio
Mission 3
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Half Minute Hero 2 - cheap treasure
Persona 5 - Rivers in the Desert
La-Mulana - Giant's Cry
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Theory
Rivers
Mission 3
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cheap treasure
Rivers in the Desert
Mission 3
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cheap treasure
Rivers in the Desert
Giant's Cry

cheap treasure
Cicio
Mission 3

cheap treasure
Rivers in the Desert

I usually like BEMANI but NBT sounds like one of those songs that would get a very obnoxious ITG chart and I wouldn't like it whereas its opponent is mostly harmless

RitD is kinda just hype

Side bracket later maybe
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cheap treasure
Rivers in the Desert
Mission 3

Nothing But Theory
Rivers in the Desert
Giant's Cry

I like Nothing But Theory, though I can't help but feel like I would like it more at like .9x speed or something. cheap treasure doesn't interest me. I do think Cicio is very pretty, but Rivers in the Desert is one of my favorite video game tracks. I imagine I'm unlikely to ever vote against it. Mission 3 seems pretty dull, I don't really mind it but it takes a long time to get going. Giant's Cry isn't my cup of tea for the most part, but it does some cool things so I'll favor it here.
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cheap treasure
Rivers in the Desert
Giant's Cry
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cheap treasure
Rivers in the Desert
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cheap treasure
Rivers in the Desert
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Cheap Treasure ~ the intro is a bit annoying, but once it gets started, man, does it sound good.

Cicio ~ honestly, though, I like them both. I'm pretty sure Cicio won't win, but even if it doesn't, I like the other song enough that I'll be fine.

Mission 3 ~ I like the tone of this one. I could write to it without it being distracting.

azuarc posted...

BlueCrystalTear posted...

Rivers in the Desert

I'm not going to vote on the other matches as I've played none of those games. I need to hear them in context to be able to discern properly. And Rivers in the Desert is one of my favorite VG songs ever so yeah.

Or you could just judge them based on the music itself, which is what we're all basically doing.

Eh, the thing with me and video game music is that if I don't have context, the song doesn't have the same effect on me as if it did have context. I don't listen to VGM outside of games unless I've played the game and like the song. Am I weird?

I just saw "Rivers in the Desert" in the topic title and had to come in just to vote for it. One of the most kick-ass songs ever.
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Match 1: Nothing But Theory

Both are pretty good, but Nothing But Theory is just intense.

Match 2: Rivers in the Desert

First song was pretty dece, but Rivers in the Desert is just too good.

Side Bracket: Giant's Cry

Nothing But Theory
Rivers in the Desert
Mission 3
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Giant's Cry
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Nothing But Theory
Rivers in the Desert
Mission 3

Didn't really care for the songs I didn't vote for at all.

BlueCrystalTear posted...

Eh, the thing with me and video game music is that if I don't have context, the song doesn't have the same effect on me as if it did have context. I don't listen to VGM outside of games unless I've played the game and like the song. Am I weird?

I just saw "Rivers in the Desert" in the topic title and had to come in just to vote for it. One of the most kick-ass songs ever.

I suggest you read the rules
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Side Bracket:
Mission 3
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Beatmania iidx 25 CANNON BALLERS - Nothing But Theory
Persona 5 - Rivers in the Desert

La-Mulana - Giant's Cry
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Nothing But Theory
Rivers in the Desert
Mission 3

Hard day to rank.

-I'm not a fan of rhythm songs in general, but the first match was basically "piano-on-Red-Bull vs. weak mash-up of chiptune and rock". Not bad songs, but could've been better.
-I hate to vote against a beautiful song such as Cicio, but Rivers In The Desert --as meh as it gets in terms of songs with an 80's vibe-- is still catchy enough to me to vote it over Cicio's weak vocals (Russian?).
-La-Mulana has at least one way better song than this one (even though this one's not bad). This is a hard match, although Mission's 3 duration also made me take a look at the many tiny details of the image.

Nothing But Theory > cheap treasure > Rivers in the Desert > Cicio > Mission 3 > Giant's Cry
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