Board 8 > [VGMC] d21: Inferno (KI)/Azalea Town (GSC), kyokugen da!! (MUS)/Rivellon (DOS2)

(+) 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!

.
Match #1:

Killer Instinct - Inferno (Cinder's Theme)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1r-B0cDC9Y" data-time="

Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal - Azalea Town/Blackthorn City

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

.
Match #2:

MUSECA - kyokugen da!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6LIcyErn2c" data-time="

Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Rivellon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BksokWc3Da4" data-time="

.
Side bracket:

Super Castlevania IV - Simon Belmont's Theme

Inferno
Rivellon
Simon
---

Inferno
kyokugen da!
Simon

Long way down takes way too long to get interesting imho.
---

Inferno (Cinder's Theme)
kyokugen da!!
Simon Belmont's Theme

Weird choice for a Pokemon track. I feel like I should like Inferno more than I do - it has several really good parts, but it goes on a bit too long and I don't really like ending - but it's still more than enough here.
Don't really like either in the second match, so I'll go for the more interesting one.
Long Way Down annoyed me, whereas its opponent didn't
---

Inferno (Cinder's Theme)
kyokugen da!!
Simon Belmont's Theme

Oh yeah 1 Nom and 1 support going today, easily my favorite day of the contest so far!
I'm incredibly nostalgic for everything Pokemon G/S/C but Inferno is just too good compared to Azalea Town.
Oh hey we even have Belmont's Theme in the side bracket today, 3 top tier tracks for me today.
---

Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal - Azalea Town/Blackthorn City
Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Rivellon
Super Castlevania IV - Simon Belmont's Theme
---

Azalea
da!!
Belmont
---

Inferno (Cinder's Theme)
Rivellon
Simon Belmont's Theme

Inferno sure is cool. Azalea Town sure is... nope, got nothing. kyokugen da has some neat parts but I don't necessarily like the whole thing. I'm in the mood for the majestic mood of Rivellon. As for the side bracket, average though I think Simon Belmont's theme is, the vocals in Long Way Down kind of bothered me, and I disliked it by the end.
---

Missed a few rounds. Oh well.

Match 1: Inferno (Cinder's Theme)

Intense as hell! Damn! Azalea Town/Blackthorn City is kind of a weaker Pokemon track.

Match 2: Rivellon

A difficult round. But In the end, gonna give it to Rivellon.

Side Bracket: Long Way Down

Oh. I'm digging it.

Inferno (Cinder's Theme)
Rivellon
Simon Belmont's Theme

every one of these matches is easy, but not because Theme of Simon is really all that great. If Rivellon survives to round 2, I'm going to have a very hard time choosing.
---

Inferno (Cinder's Theme) - Possibly the best non-Arc Systems fighting game song to grace a contest! Vs. a Pokemon song. Not a hard match.

Rivellon - Man, Kyokugen is totally more my type of song, but it feels so plain! Rivellon's pretty solid. Held my interest a bit more.

Long Way Down - Once again, this contest sucks for Castlevania songs. SB Theme isn't bad, but eh. LWD has some cool creepiness going for it.
---

Inferno (Cinder's Theme)
kyokugen da!!
Simon Belmont's Theme
---

Inferno (Cinder's Theme)
Rivellon
Simon Belmont's Theme

Azalea Town/Blackthorn City
kyokugen da!!
Simon Belmont's Theme

Azalea Town is the best song today, opponent isn't bad

The riff at 1:17 in kyokugen da is giving me strong Symphony X vibes. Almost voted for its opponent, but it's a bit short with not enough going on. Closest match today.

Classic Castlevania vs. Nine Inch Nails - Hurt
---

Killer Instinct - Inferno (Cinder's Theme)
Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Rivellon
The Evil Within - Long Way Down
---

Inferno (Cinder's Theme)
kyokugen da!!
Simon Belmont's Theme

slorsp

Azalea Town/Blackthorn City
Rivellon
Simon Belmont's Theme

Azalea Town/Blackthorn City
Rivellon
Simon Belmont's Theme

Azalea isn't a great choice for this contest but Inferno kept going on and on, and I was pretty tired of it by the end.
---

Azalea Town/Blackthorn City
Rivellon
Simon Belmont's Theme

Azalea Town/Blackthorn City
Rivellon
Simon Belmont's Theme
---

Killer Instinct - Inferno (Cinder's Theme)
Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Rivellon
Super Castlevania IV - Simon Belmont's Theme
---

Inferno (Cinder's Theme)
kyokugen da!!
Simon Belmont's Theme
---

Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal - Azalea Town/Blackthorn City
Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Rivellon
Super Castlevania IV - Simon Belmont's Theme
---

Killer Instinct - Inferno (Cinder's Theme)
MUSECA - kyokugen da!!

Super Castlevania IV - Simon Belmont's Theme
---

Inferno (Cinder's Theme)
kyokugen da!!
Simon Belmont's Theme

-First match: I'm not much of a fan of Heavy Metal as I am from Rock, the same way that I'm not much of a fan of violence as I am from action, but Azalea Town is a pretty "meh" Pokemon song (I don't know if Red's Battle is retired or not, but if not, then why would you nominate this instead of Red? Heck, even Goldenrod City would be the best city/town-themed song from Gen II), so I have to lean towards Inferno.

-Second match: kyokugen da's image is pretty disturbing; that aside, the song if pretty good, with some bits of progressive rock thrown into the mix, although it's a little too short. Rivellon goes into the opposite direction, playing a simple melody with relatively simple chords, although I don't like it that much when the fully orchestrated piece comes in... I don't know... It sounds kind of generic to me; but the rest is fine.

-Third match: Ah... Simon Belmont's Theme... One of the most iconic pieces ofvideogame music of all time, and one of my favorites from the game's OST (I specially like the titillating sounds at 0:32-0:48). Long Way Down sounds like an emo-rock song, or something you'd listen to at MTV 10-15 years ago. It sounds dark, but not in a way that I enjoy much.
---

Inferno (Cinder's Theme)
Rivellon
Simon Belmont's Theme

No time for full writeups. Only song I really care about today is Rivellon, though that one is really great to be fair.
---

Inferno (Cinder's Theme)
Rivellon
Long Way Down

Easy
Tough
Eh kinda normal

2>Side>1

Azalea Town/Blackthorn City
Rivellon
Long Way Down
---

Inferno (Cinder's Theme)
kyokugen da!!
Simon Belmont's Theme
---

Inferno (Cinder's Theme)
kyokugen da!!
Simon Belmont's Theme
---

Inferno (Cinder's Theme)
kyokugen da!!
---

Inferno (Cinder's Theme)
Rivellon
Simon Belmont's Theme
---

ed:
Azalea Town/Blackthorn City
kyokugen da!!
Simon Belmont's Theme
---

Inferno (Cinder's Theme)
kyokugen da!!
Simon Belmont's Theme

Oh hey more Mick Gordon. I think Inferno is a bit exhausting to listen to. I don't think it's bad but I do find stuff like 0:26 to be really boring. It does evolve considerably from there so some credit to it, I guess. (I actually prefer the sections where the synth takes the lead.)

Azalea Town is pleasant enough-- enough, in fact, to make this a pretty close match for me-- but a more fully-fleshed arrangement would really do this thing wonders. This is pretty sparse as-is.

Kyokugen da-- see now, those babies know how to throw down some electric guitar. I like this.

There are plenty of tracks I like with Rivellon's aesthetic, but Rivellon feels so paint-by-numbers in its composition and arrangement, from the incredibly common chord progression to the 'dramatic' string/brass crescendo. It plays the tropes it uses just way, way too straight-- nothing at all surprises me about this track.

Simon Belmont's Theme is okay, though I think its melody is among the weaker ones in Castlevania's oeuvre. I do really like that syncopated synth section starting at 0:32, though. It's definitely the highlight of the track for me.

I like both the progression and the mood set in the intro to Long Way Down. I think the vocals are kinda so-so.

Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal - Azalea Town/Blackthorn City
Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Rivellon
Super Castlevania IV - Simon Belmont's Theme
---