Board 8 > FL81 ranks VGM (Rankings: Part 2)

(+) Yeah! (+)

handsomeboy2012 posted...

Still waiting for Dire's rankings to return...

*sweats*

I haven't forgotten. It'll be back up soon I hope.
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#8 Deemo - Suspenseful Third Day
Nominator: TheArkOfTurus (2/5)
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgUYY7Mqgbw" data-time="

Here we have it, the highest ranked sad piano song on my list! (although it was a tough call between this and Satori Maiden) It has all of the emotional sadness in it that I love in this sort of thing, but it also does a bunch of neat other things too. I love the sad violin starting at :30 in, I love violins, they're one of my favorite instruments! Then the song gets even better at 1:38 when it picks up for the climax. Very pleasant, this is what I like in piano music.

Side note, be sure to check out the ranking topic hosted by @MycroProcessor still in nomination phase!
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/77180844
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safety bump

got called in to work all of a sudden
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#7 Super Smash Bros Ultimate - Vega's Theme
Nominator: NowItsAngeTime (1/5)
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meM-szfWBV4" data-time="

SSBU is my most anticipated game of the year (in several years really), and also my most anticipated soundtrack with its over NINE HUNDRED songs!! This version right here is only a one-minute preview, as the full version has yet to be released for nearly another month, but I quite like this so far. Piano + Spanish guitar + violin is a lovely combo, I can't wait to listen to the full version of this in-game! Smash music always exceeds my expectations SSBU for BOST5 anyone?
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bump

Tough choice between the next two, I'm having a last minute dilemma

will decide later, am tired now
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#6 Xeno Crisis - Boss Music
Nominator: MycroProcessor (1/5)
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTGgAk4gPpg" data-time="

What better way to follow up a one-minute long preview track than with Another one-minute long preview track!! The thing that really stands out for me is that despite this only being a minute long (and an unfinished preview track at that!) this actually feels quite complete when I'm listening to it. This song is busy enough and does so many cool different things during its short duration, that it seems a lot longer than it actually is, whereas with the previous track, it was really cool, but it was obviously just a short snippet of what's to come. But with this one, you could've told me this was the finished version and I would've believed you.
As for the track itself, it's great! It's got that really cool faux-electric guitar Genesis FM synth sound to it that I really love, I could easily see this working in a Contra game or something. I'm glad people are still making homebrew Genesis games because there's just something about that soundchip, that when used like it's used here, is just magical. I'm definitely going to keep my eye on this game.
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funny how much of this top 10 is from games not out yet

UF8 posted...

funny how much of this top 10 is from games not out yet

Ooh, didn't even realize Drift Stage hasn't been released yet
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#5 One Piece Treasure Cruise - Treasure Map Boss Theme
Nominator: TheArkOfTurus (1/5)
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEaCzWX1Ig0" data-time="

Congratulations to @TheArkOfTurus for having two nominations in the top 10 (and also for having the nomination in dead last place, I guess). Anyways, this one's a very "stereotypical FL81 nom" as Mycro would always say. This song has that rare electric guitar + saxophone combo that I love, kinda reminds me of the DBZ Budokai 2 ending theme.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdO6PgFjkKY" data-time="
This is definitely something I'd expect from an anime fighting game. I like "hype" songs they get me pumped up, and the more intense the better! I love saxophones

On another note, I fixed the YouTube nomination playlist (finally) and replaced the broken links for I Expect You to Die and Morning Glory.
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FL81 posted...

Congratulations to @TheArkOfTurus for having two nominations in the top 10 (and also for having the nomination in dead last place, I guess).

I will always be most proud of making someone listen to Training Room.
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bump
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let's do it
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#4 Violent Vengeance: The Universe Hero - Nanmushi's/Nimeoseudok's Theme
Nominator: rwlh (1/5)
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXv-V3ss1nY" data-time="

let's do it
l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-let's do it
let's do it
let's do it
YOU'RE QUITE HOSTILE
yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah boiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

What in God's name is this creation that has appeared before me? In my many years of being part of the VGM fandom, never before have I heard something so truly bizarre, as this track is right here. I am amazed that something like this even exists. And I mean that in the most sincere and positive way possible. If, somehow, humanity were to be nearly wiped out, starting out from a clean slate and having to rebuild all of its culture from scratch, I just don't see something this strange happening a second time. It really is a small miracle that this exists. I love those cheesy MOD instruments and vocal samples, but the way it just out-of-the-blue transitions into Push It Real Good is nothing short of genius. It's just so random and unexpected that I had to do a double take and make sure I was even hearing this right. This is all super catchy too, out of all the songs nominated for my topic, this is the one I've re-listened to the most. So, congratulations!

Man, the '90s were a crazy time. It feels like I'm listening to the original High Quality Video Game Rip here.
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YEAAAAAAAAAHHHHH BOIIIlIIIIIII
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Wow, I forgot that was a thing, and couldn't have told you what it was called if I tried.
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120 fighters entered the arena, but only 3 remain! Who will stand out on top above the rest?

Find out next time on DRAGON BALL Z
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To Make the End of Digging will make the end of this list.
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#3 Gurumin - To Make the End of Digging
Nominator: pyresword (1/5)
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F276NpAk7CE" data-time="

Ooh, neat homage to "To Make the End of Battle", had that been nominated it would be ranked number one in this list! Ever since my friend introduced me to the Gurumin soundtrack (shortly before VGMC12), I've been nothing but impressed by the music here. Best way I could describe this would be Ys music, but more cutesy, but no less intense! This has those melodic electric guitars that are the reason why I LOVE FALCOM MUSIC SO MUCH, and then that part at 1:46 with the piano is SO GOOD. Very melodic, very fun. You guys should've nominated Gurumin music for the VGMC years earlier!

Between this and Soaring Through the Sad Blue Skies, I'll admit I like the latter more (it would've also landed rank #3 in this list)
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Damn. Oh well that's better than I usually do in these things.

Also I didn't really discover the Gurumin OST until this year, otherwise I probably would have nominated it for VGMC in the past. I've been nominating for a lot of these ranking threads at least!
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ya jinxed it
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#2 C9: Continent of the Ninth - Where the Sky Ended
Nominator: JONALEON1 (1/5)
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY1_6AwRSPU" data-time="

Man, what is it with Korean MMOs all having godlike music? I haven't even seen one where its soundtrack didn't totally blow me away with how cool it is. Concerning this song, I feel like this was picked specifically to tailor to my tastes, it's full of all the stuff I've said over the years on B8 that I love (lol). But hey, it paid off it got Rank #2! Really the only surprise here is that it was someone other than me to introduce this song to B8. First I've heard this one was in JONA's guessing game, where immediately afterwards I bookmarked this so that I could nominate it for the next VGMC!
So right off the bat here, we're slapped right in the face with melodic power metal guitars, super hype extreme intensity battle music right here. I can see this being maybe PvP music (?), lots of Korean MMO games seem to use this kind of music as their PvP themes. Here I am headbanging all throughout this track, then all of a sudden FDSFGSDAAA SYNTH KEYBOARD SOLO I love this shit so much!! Dual keyboard/electric guitar solos is my favorite thing ever! This is just so high octane that I can't listen to this and not feel energized for the rest of my day.
Every other year it seems I try to push some new "Korean MMO power metal" track for the VGMC, and I've found my next choice right here.
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#1 Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City - Their Own Brand of Justice
Nominator: MC_XD/DireKrow (1/6)
Link:

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

The moment I saw this nominated, I was pretty sure this was going to be my #1 ranking song in this topic! It wasn't easy keeping quiet about it for all these months.

I can't imagine this one being that much of a surprise to everyone (sorry lol), as I have gone on record more than once saying Yuzo Koshiro is my favorite VGM composer. What I really love about Koshiro's music is that he has a bit of everything in his composition portfolio, ranging from FM synth here, to heavy metal in the later EO games, electronic music in the SoR series, trance in the Wangan Midnight series, etc. and it all manages to be top quality regardless of the genre, being able to seemlessly change musical styles and still have it sound great. I remember first hearing about this series from an early VGMC that had a bunch of EO4 music in it, then I first heard this specific track through Rainwave and loved it instantly. I'm a bit disappointed that EO had such a strong showing in the VGMC several years back, then pretty much vanished from the contests in the years that followed, since all the music in it is real solid good stuff.

First thing in this song that I instantly love is that intro. That "neoclassical metal" chord progression (I don't know what it's called) is my absolute favorite and I love when boss music does that. I said it many times before, but I love this style of FM synth right here, really cool sound design. Even in the later games where it uses more natural instruments for that symphonic sound, it still sounds great, one of the real strong points of this series music-wise. I actually couldn't tell you which sound design I like more on these games (The Super Arrange version of this song is AMAZING). Then throughout the song we have more of that "dark classical boss music" style melody, reminiscient of Castlevania, that just sounds both cool and menacing. I've just really always liked Final Boss themes I guess

good shit

Congratulations @MC_XD and thanks to everyone for sticking with me for ranking these songs! This whole project has been a total blast! I might even do another one of these in the future (distant future, like in a year or two lol)

And stay tuned for the others' VGM ranking topics in the near future!
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Great rankings! Thanks for doing this.

The final ranking list, in order
https://pastebin.com/2jfGmQC3
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Up, gonna listen to a few before purge