Board 8 > VGMC11 day 16: Flying Battery Zone vs Sexualizer, Maximum High Speed vs MARIA

(+) Yeah! (+)

How easily I lose track of time...

Welcome to today's topic for Video Game Music Contest 11, a tournament of the best tracks from games, as decided upon by you, the voters.


Links:
Bracket - http://www.bracketmaker.com/tlist.cfm?tid=466312
Contest info - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1d-N92Sis_Ghh-QYE2cQqClPP5H3T-idwlk0CUHOv2ew
Discussion and results thread - https://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/75120003
Main bracket playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW9O9mntH1RFteVUCpIsmLHRwqLStaQJD
Side bracket playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW9O9mntH1RE35F2S4u6Ie8w1o0jHPKXB

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 you are not doing this, your vote may 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 isn’t 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!

Match 1:

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games - Flying Battery Zone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtlaE4kMKG0

Hotline Miami 2 - Sexualizer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaE20aXxCz4


Match 2:

10,000 Bullets - The Maximum High Speed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL29gR2JKYg

Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk - MARIA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__uWvBsbVIA


VGMC Masters side bracket:

Top Gear - Las Vegas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-3x8P0YpvA

R-Type (Commodore 64) - Title

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGqA654iCVo


Easy vote form:
Flying Battery Zone / Sexualizer
The Maximum High Speed / MARIA
Las Vegas / Title

Flying Battery Zone
The Maximum High Speed
Title
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Title

others later
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Sexualizer
MARIA
Las Vegas

How did LA not win yesterday? Has ANY snes track been able to get a win so far this contest??
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Flying Battery Zone
The Maximum High Speed
Las Vegas

I've warmed up to MARIA somewhat but MHS is too juicy.
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although if we're allowed to change the speed of these my vote actually goes to MARIA on 2x
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Sexualizer
The Maximum High Speed
Las Vegas

I wish The Maximum High Speed was better because it's actually the sort of thing I'm really into, but I don't like MARIA much at all so not too hard.
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Sexualizer
Maximum High Speed
Las Vegas

Please stop nominating MARIA. Make it end already. These vocals are nearly Rebecca Black-tier.
---

Hotline Miami 2 - Sexualizer
Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk - MARIA
R-Type (Commodore 64) - Title
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Sexualizer
MARIA
Las Vegas
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Janus5k posted...

although if we're allowed to change the speed of these my vote actually goes to MARIA on 2x

It practically puts the song into a different genre, but I prefer the original. Then again, I kinda laugh at all the people who whine about the song. (They probably laugh back at me every time there's a Persona track in a match.)

Sexualizer
MARIA
Las Vegas

Hotline Miami 2 - Sexualizer
Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk - MARIA
R-Type (Commodore 64) - Title

trdl23 posted...

Please stop nominating MARIA. Make it end already.

man this is your second vgmc, right? two contests is nothing. the best is yet to come? now that's something we can all complain about.

Also, btw, poll winner is absolutely Barkley.
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Sexualizer
Maria
Las Vegas
---

FBZ
MARIA
Title

also, chmod b111000000\n makes perfect sense for a song title what are you talking about
---

Sexualizer
The Maximum High Speed
Title

trdl23 posted...

Please stop nominating MARIA. Make it end already. These vocals are nearly Rebecca Black-tier.

---

Sexualizer
MARIA
-
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Sexualizer
MARIA
Title

Flying Battery Zone
MARIA
Las Vegas
---

xp1337 posted...

man this is your second vgmc, right? two contests is nothing. the best is yet to come? now that's something we can all complain about.

That song isn't physically painful to hear.
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MycroProcessor posted...

THE MAXIMUM HIGH SPEED is my 8th favorite in the contest!

MARIA is my 126th favorite in the contest!

And I imagine this is the widest gulf we're going to see. I know Aurora's was 128, but what's 127?

excess crayons/bbl was wider!
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Flying Battery Zone
MARIA
Las Vegas
---

Sexualizer
The Maximum High Speed
Title
---

Sexualizer
The Maximum High Speed
Title
---

dowolf posted...

also, chmod b111000000\n makes perfect sense for a song title what are you talking about

That's a weird one to single out! I always thought that was one of the more straightforward EXA_PICO song titles in terms of what it means! It only gets a bit more puzzling when you know the context! I mean, that's a Linux style command right? And the character using it is based off XP/Vista.

trdl23 posted...

That song isn't physically painful to hear.

speak for yourself
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Flying Battery Zone
MARIA
Las Vegas
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Sexualizer
The Maximum High Speed
Title
---

Flying Battery Zone
The Maximum High Speed
Title

no seriously give me ideas here votes:
Sexualizer
The Maximum High Speed
Title
---

Flying Battery Zone
*abstain*
Las Vegas

Great second match, nearly supported both songs.
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Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games - Flying Battery Zone
Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk - MARIA
Top Gear - Las Vegas
---

Hotline Miami 2 - Sexualizer
Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk - MARIA

R-Type (Commodore 64) - Title
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Sexualizer
The Maximum High Speed
-
---

30 min...er, 45.

Sexualizer
The Maximum High Speed
Title

I'm not the biggest fan of the Genesis's FM synth sounds-- they can be kind of abrasive-- but the original Flying Battery Zone had a certain sonic cohesion to it, at least. This rendition of the track blows that up with a blur of messy-sounding guitars and some incredibly generic-sounding synths-- listen to the one playing the melody at 0:25, it's like a synth preset from the 90s-- which erodes a fair amount of the original's appeal. Okay, so maybe then they did something interesting with the melody or arrangement, maybe give it a new dimension to think about? Nope-- it's a faithful, vanilla cover of the original. At least that bass seems to be having a bit of fun.

Listening to Sexualizer makes me want to listen to Run. Man, that track had style. Sexualizer is much more straightforward in its intentions-- I much prefer the throbbing rhythm it establishes for the first 10 seconds of the track before it switches to a more basic kick - snare - kick - snare pattern. I don't think it's a bad track, but it doesn't really succeed at sinking its hooks into me.

THE MAXIMUM HIGH SPEED feels more like a track name that deserves caps than its opposition, anyway. It's not the most interesting jazz track but the genre shows up infrequently enough in video game music (or maybe it's just the contests) that it's refreshing to hear just the same. I'm not sure whether to enjoy the varied rhythms of the repeated single note this track pulls occasionally, or find the whole endeavour annoying. I think this is pretty catchy but it's probably the percussion that I enjoy the most-- the 6/8 time established by the drums and the bongos really sell this to me.

I've talked about MARIA enough in previous contests, I think. It's in VGMC11. A fair number of people like it. I can see where the appeal is, in much the same way as something like, say, Ezio's Family. I don't like it and think it's mostly devoid of ideas (in much the same way as something like, say, Ezio's Family). This is a series with soundtracks rich in musical ideas. Give me The Wind's Blooming Mountain. Give me Impromptu.

I think Las Vegas is pretty boring. 'but kaonashi you like synth arpeggios and love Potential for Anything so this should be up your alley'. Good point! I guess the answer is that I'm inconsistent. But more than that, I think Las Vegas is predictable and bland. I think of a phrase Mycro uses to describe some other tracks-- it keeps going back to its tonal center, over and over again, every four bars. Contrast with Potential for Anything, which decidedly does not do this-- and the resulting tension drives the tune forward in a way I really like.

Title is pretty cool. Chris Hülsbeck puts in the work to really make the C64 soundchip sing (well, sing as well as possible, anyway), creating sounds that vary in timbre and giving the illusion of more layers than exist at any moment. I like the trick he uses for some of his pluck synth leads-- the tone right at the point of attack is actually an octave off of the sustained tone, giving it a distinct texture.

Sexualize Las Vegas at maximum high speed

but more seriously, votez

Sexualizer
The Maximum High Speed
Las Vegas

MARIA gtfo
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Sexualizer
MARIA
Title
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Flying Battery
Maximum High Speed
Las Vegas
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