Board 8 > [VGMC] d39: Apex of World vs Onboro, Variations on Ra vs Arcade Menu

(+) Yeah! (+)

Welcome to today's topic for Video Game Music Contest 14, a tournament of the best tracks from games, as decided upon by you, the voters.

Links:
Contest info - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VNrPnFRI7nJ4PqFiURBW0NWqxvXiuasoq8Sn_O169ss/edit#gid=320804650
Bracket - http://www.bracketmaker.com/tlist.cfm?tid=473292
Discussion and results thread - https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/78524521
Bracket playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW9O9mntH1REnVI_W6yELaDP6Zac8b0Wq
ToC playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW9O9mntH1RE-TQMj19D0k5nm-0zeH12J
VGMC compability sheet - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lpX4faqnn_geI0y4i6MrZ2AXpV6SWXoWrIA6_eyx-yM/edit

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. (Matches do not begin until at least 10:00 EDT.)
- 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

Fire Emblem: Three Houses - The Apex of the World (Rain)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0KjljX4Lqg

The Caligula Effect: Overdose - Onboro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N6f61cR7pI

Match 2

Magical Chase - Variations on a Ra Melody
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pZnrwOj4eA

GTI Club: Supermini Festa! - Arcade Menu
https://www.youtube.com/

Onboro
Variations on a Ra Melody
Dark Legacy
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Apex of the World
Arcade Menu

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Onboro
Ra


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The Apex of the World (Rain) (157th) vs Onboro (37th)
Variations on a Ra Melody (4th) vs Arcade Menu (155th)
DARK LEGACY [23rd//29th] vs 1NF3S+@+!0N (Theme of Crabulon) [1st//1st]

fire bemblem whoa;.... apex of the world starts out actually really really cool lmao, love the vocals like A LOT i love how robotic and dark then are against this really soft pad and piano in the beginning and its just POWERFUL in general but it falls into kinda "fire emblem noise" which always makes me sad cause i always think it's gonna be a cool song i remember and then i dont. do not like the fodlan winds motif tbh i think that's like the literal moment the song loses me at 1:15. Onobobobo-bo bo-boro is VERY FUN iranai iraNAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI IRANAI love the vocal performance a lot, like angrily screaming the lyrics in a way that still actually sounds legitimately good like damn girl BELT IT this songs very very good. thank you caligula crew for getting all the caligula bangers in ...... but next year year of cradle pls lmao

W a v e t a b l e S y n t h I s G O D Variations on a Ra Melody is everything I love about wavetable sounds and then some. The super sparkly opening sweeping arps and start ostinato explode into that absolutely HAUNTING low bass that just resonates at 0:42 throughout any amount of volume that it can; in your house, in your headphones, through your earhole and around inside your head cavity likes holy shit this song literally makes me feel like I'm being affected by more gravity. It's so HEAVY and I LOVE THAT. But at the same that all the arpy stuff is trying to LIFT ME IN THE AIR so I am AFFECTED BY GRAVITY BUT ALSO FLYING like what is happening. such a good song its actually an experience in and of itself like geez. arcade menu is super funky and so close to being something i really like but it just doesnt click with me. if there were some reason i would listen to it for a very long i feel like i might like it more but yeah, for now not really. against ra melody its just so, so outclassed lol

toc match is DUMB SUPER DUMB i hate that i feel so strongly about this one despite how much i like both songs fuck you ((still not as bad as elferia vs flash frost lmfaooo)) GO CRAB

1NF3S+@+!0N (Theme of Crabulon) > Variations on a Ra Melody > Onboro > DARK LEGACY > Arcade Menu > The Apex of the World (Rain)

The Apex of the World (Rain)
Variations on a Ra Melody
1NF3S+@+!0N (Theme of Crabulon)

Fire Emblem: Three Houses - The Apex of the World (Rain)
Magical Chase - Variations on a Ra Melody
Beatmania IIDX 21 Spada - Dark Legacy
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The Apex of the World (Rain)
Variations on a Ra Melody
Dark Legacy

The Apex of the World (Rain) (7.0) / Onboro (6.5)
Variations on a Ra Melody (8.0) / Arcade Menu (7.0)

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Onboro
Arcade Menu
Dark Legacy

Apex is alright. The vocals at the start are cool. The lady voice later on is cool too. Onboro's real great, in a way similar to Love Scope.

Ra Melody okayish I guess. Some parts I dislike. Arcade Menu's pretty forgettable.

Dark Legacy and Infestation might be my two favorite songs in the ToC. Shame they hit each other so early.

Onboro > Apex > Arcade Menu > Ra
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The Caligula Effect: Overdose - Onboro
Magical Chase - Variations on a Ra Melody
Beatmania IIDX 21 Spada - Dark Legacy

i am unspeakably mad that that first match was allowed to be a first round match.

The vocals in the start of Apex of the World are 10/10 material god I wish there was a song version of just that (not Spirit Dias it just doesn't have the same energy) but Onboro is just amazing throughout.

in the words of another caligula effect song: "fuck this world"

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The Apex of the World (Rain)
Variations on a Ra Melody
Dark Legacy

really crazy how Fire Emblem music for me went from "this exists" (Id Purpose) to "this is kinda neat" (End of All, VGMC11) to "this is the best run of all time" (End of All, VGMC12) and now I picked an FE song to win the entire bracket. just keeps going up although it's hard to go up from that so I guess it's already at the apex (rain). this song is somewhat removed from my usual tastes but it plays on my feelings very well - it takes a while to get going but the motif usage especially at 3:29 and then that DROP at 3:53 just sort of kill me instantly. Onboro in contrast is handily my least favorite of the Caligula songs in the bracket - vocals feel like they're just shouting a lot and the rest of the song doesn't really pick up the slack.

very hard to focus on the second match given the other two but both songs are fine, variations is more interesting though

do nekomatas eat crab

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Fire Emblem: Three Houses - The Apex of the World (Rain)
GTI Club: Supermini Festa! - Arcade Menu
Beatmania IIDX 21 Spada - Dark Legacy

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Onboro
Variations
Dark

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Onboro
Variations on a Ra Melody
Dark Legacy

The Apex of the World (Rain)
Variations on a Ra Melody
Dark Legacy

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The Apex of the World (Rain)
Variations on a Ra Melody
Dark Legacy

Onboro
Variations on a Ra Melody
1NF3S+@+!0N (Theme of Crabulon)

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The Apex of the World (Rain)
Variations on a Ra Melody
Dark Legacy

The Apex of the World (Rain) is my 87th favorite in the contest! i remember liking this a lot more than i do. chanting at :25 is fun and the piano rhythms alongside it are fun. this doesnt viscerally excite me to an elevated extreme the way a lot of FE music does, but at least has the right vibe. the artificialness of the piano at like 2:02 and other production elements around that bit area cool they sound like deemo(blue reflection slow song). i don't dislike three houses music (I literally had this track on my "considering supporting" list) but i think i have to be very, very intently, actually listening to the song, to get anything out of it, where the Awakening/Fates music i like will immediately excite me even if i'm not paying much attention. this isn't a "bad thing" it's just a difference and means i'm rewarded for actively paying attention, but as a result at some times i'll rate this way higher/lower than others. right now's a time where i'm having a hard time paying attention to it so i'm not getting as much out of it as i wish i was

Onboro is my 183rd favorite in the contest! something abouit this song makes me Mad when i listen to it. there was some melodically similar fake dubstep chiptuine song i once felt the same way about and i'm not sure how to describe it there's just all thes notes at the start that arae too normal but are like "edgy" but not "cool" they just sound "stupid instead and i want thgE" lth[dlpb[ the drums are too fast shupt up i don't like this song. i don't really have anything positive to say but the reason it's ranked higher than all of 184-192 is because it's "obnoxious" and ""edgy"" (i dunno if anyone else would even use the word edgy to describe this, I use it too much but whenever I use it it's a positive descriptor, it's a trait i look for lol) in a way that feels like "a Sonic heroes song i dont actually like but makes me nostalgaic for 20034". I guess some more actual positive stuff i could say: I like playfulness of the synth patches. some of the guitar chords are also really cool.

where's waldo

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Variations on a Ra Melody is my 40th favorite in the contest! "Pure PCE jam that pushes its chip to the edge and back." - Place, 2020. ALways a pleasure to listen to a Basisc-[the enigmatic voice calls from the inside of the A logo in the art work: "BASISCAPE DIDNT EXIST YET YoU FUNKY FLOWER"] ok Fine you funky language precision DARK BEAM. Always a pleasure to listen to a HITOSHI SAKIMOTO original sound track : ) I love Hitoshi Sakimoto! he is one of my favorite video game music composers and founded my favorite video game music sound team. the strangely loud delay echoes is appealing to me, it feels like proto-yack sound design, Senko no Ronde DUO for PC Engine. also love how I always feel like this is in 3/4 but it's just a 3+3+2 4/4 rhythm but i don't notice because it hypnotizes me too much for me to get a solid perception and that's GOOD. sakimoto has a variety of traits/styles i like but I think my favorite is something he did a lot more often in his music for old soundchips than in full-prod stuff: Having really prominent held out bass notes that don't share the same scales as the rest of the music (particularly, using the note a half step above the tonal center). :46 feels SO intense somehow, and it doesn't feel wrong at all somehow even though it seems like it should. Instead it just seems GRAND and mysterious. I talk about unpredictable chord progressions all the time being a thing that consistently emotionally impacts me, this isn't even that it's just a single note managing to have the same effect that entire "weird chord changes" have on me (though the abrupt modulation at 1:00 is pretty unexpected and definitely threaded together by that bass pad thing). I think the very slight detune effect and exact timbre he's gotten out of this chip for that bass floating in there is beautiful as well. the abrupt quartal run ascensions in triplets at 1:40 are so VIDEO GAME(prog) lol i love their presence so much

Arcade Menu is my 121st favorite in the contest! Grand Theft Iuto has somg big funky e clavi and the good epiano sounds and hm. i have a hard time saying anything about this one. my reactions are really similar to the ridge racer one in earlier. I like this style of music but it isn't an example that stands out to me so instead my reactions just numb but like "oh yeah i like 'the kind of song this is' " without being impressed by any of it in specific, other than things that apply to every song in this style. It's cool and i like listening to it and do not dislike anything about it

cars6

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Dark Legacy (15th out of 56) / 1NF3S+@+!0N (Theme of Crabulon) (28th out of 56s). Kinda close, not really. both "7/10" ratings
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Onboro
Arcade Menu
Dark Legacy

i have The Caligula Effect overdosed on vtuber jpop covers before entering this topic if you noticed what i dumped in the raetsel topic today (in fact, that's only a tiny portion of everything i've been listening to stuff for the last like 12 hours straight oops) so yeah uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh let's get to these matches

neutral-negative on apex. neutral-positive on onboro I'd say. don't feel too strongly about either today. i want to like apex of the world more but i just don't my opinion just fell gradually over time idk. meanwhile, fortunately onboro's probably benefited if anything from following unhealthy amounts of vocaloid covers because it is an above average one basically

ra. i remember i had the other magical chase song in my consideration list in noms but not it but i also don't particularly dislike it, it's just... not the kind of song that has the punch wow factor to make me want to support it. not all sakimoto things catch my attention go figure. still, probably would take it comfortably over madara for instance. arcade menu is a fairly stereotypical song that is also not the kind of song i'd expect to see in. it also managed to sneak on my support consideration list because i thought it'd be the kind of song that would appreciate such consideration. didn't make the final cut, of course, but still i'm pretty reasonably pleased that it's here. just also not that strongly really, it's not exactly saving today or anything

thank goodness for dark legacy being around to actually wake me up to VIDEOGAME music today it was a tall order for any of the others to do so in these circumstances. crab. also exists in this realm of the videogames today yes. it reminds me more of other songs in its style today than usual. it may not directly make me want to crab rave but it still makes me want to listen to more pulsating electro stuff in general like uh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYVwNEVQ7fM
... i should probably consider reuploading that in non-dogshit quality it's unbelievable dimensions continues to get nothing but uploads this bad

Onboro
Variations on a Ra Melody
1NF3S+@+!0N (Theme of Crabulon)

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The Apex of the World (Rain)
Variations on a Ra Melody
Dark Legacy

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The Apex of the World (Rain)
Arcade Menu
Dark Legacy

Onboro
Variations on a Ra Melody
Dark Legacy

Well, that was something. At first I found it surprisingly unfamiliar, but good. Then the familiar bits came in. I seem to have underestimated just how epic Fire Emblem's become. And yet...Onboro just really captured my attention. It managed to capture the teenage nostalgia without triggering the embarrassment. I suspect I know why. Well, okay, the lyrics being in Japanese also helps because it means I can't tell what they're actually about, thereby allowing me to just enjoy them for their sound.

Oh wow we're just being amazing today! I was sold on Variations on a Ra Melody from the start, and that was before it started getting heavier. This is probably something from a late level. I absolutely adore what they're putting down here. Arcade Menu is...also very good, but outclassed by the rest of this day.

Speaking of outclassed by the rest of this day...the ToC match is certainly serviceable, but we're still in R1 on the main bracket and R2 on the ToC; it's not supposed to be the weakest match of the three! And that's what it is. 1NF3S+@+!0N is no Servants of the Scourge, and while it's still a very good song...I feel like on this day, it's my #6. So strange.

Onboro > Variations on a Ra Melody > Apex of the World (Rain) > Dark Legacy > Arcade Menu > 1NF3S+@+!0N (Theme of Crabulon)

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The Apex of the World (Rain)
Variations on a Ra Melody
1NF3S+@+!0N (Theme of Crabulon)
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The Caligula Effect: Overdose - Onboro
Magical Chase - Variations on a Ra Melody
Beatmania IIDX 21 Spada - Dark Legacy

Match 1: Yep, this is Fire Emblem music. Onboro is very anime, but I'm somewhat enjoying it.

Match 2: Cool soundchip shenanigans going on in Ra Melody. I'm enjoying this quite a bit more than when I first listened to it during nominations. Arcade Menu is groovy, but doesn't stand out compared to all the other racing game menu music that does this same thing.

ToC: What Mycro said.

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Onboro
Arcade Menu
1NF3S+@+!0N (Theme of Crabulon)

Tough choice for ToC, both of them are really good.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses - The Apex of the World (Rain)
GTI Club: Supermini Festa! - Arcade Menu
Terraria Calamity Mod - 1NF3S+@+!0N (Theme of Crabulon)

Just heard this version of The Apex of the World very recently in Heroes! I feel like the track starts out very strong, but there are some parts along the way that are weaker and makes it feel a bit unbalanced

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The Apex of the World (Rain)
Arcade Menu
1NF3S+@+!0N (Theme of Crabulon)

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Onboro
Arcade Menu
Dark Legacy

The Apex of the World (Rain) vs Onboro: Apex of the World is a very cool name for a very cool song. The chanting that happens in the background is super cool along with everything else. AND THAT VIOLIN AT 3:30 MMMMMMMMMMMMM GOOD. Anyway yeah this song is a banger going up against another banger. Obligatory YOOOOOOOOOOO for Onboro because that song slaps. It feels like a more "raw" version of Love Scope but it can't hit in the same way. Normally I like songs that have that raw feel to them but in this case I don't. Still a very good track tho. Oh and also 2:18 is worth mentioning for being a solid part. Very good match up here.

Variations on Ra vs Arcade Menu: Ra is cool up until 1:30 were the song just goes off into a different direction I don't like. After that point the song is just fairly average to me. Arcade Menu is very disappointingly funky but any type of funky is a good funky so it gets a pass. Just wish it did a bit more with the vibe it has going, but I guess what the song did here still works.

Dark Legacy vs 1NF3S+@+!0N (Theme of Crabulon): Dark Legacy just keeps going and going and going until it finally stops. Never realized this before but being this long really hurts this track. Still has some good moments though. Crab is still crabbin out as usual. Cool stuff crab. I wish the times you were cool were cooler than the times Dark Legacy was cool.

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Apex of the World
Variations on a Ra Melody
Dark Legacy

Apex of the World has really grown on me since I first heard it a couple months ago. The track has an excellent way of having these cool variations and countermelodies weaving through without ever feeling like it loses the core energy/feel it's going for. I also like Onboro more than I did, but it feels a bit too much like standard Jpop for my taste. (And I wonder why I fell off of the Anime cluster in the visualization >_>) It also gets a bit shrieky, especially in the chorus.

variations on a Ra melody is CONFUSING this isn't a rhythm game it has nothing to do with Got Hive of Ra HOW DARE OTHER THINGS INVOKE THE NAME OF THE EGYPTIAN GOD CARD IN VAIN?! ...Ahem. Anywho, it's a super fun and varied track. Its opponent was clearly set up to be slaughtered, which is a shame because GTI's menu is super cool and the kind of funky jazz I really like. I think if it did something slightly different with the buildup it has going into 1:25 I might put it over Ra, but it just slightly misses the mark. Still, its intro can't be beat.

hermit crab route is one of the best routes FIGHT ME.
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The Apex of the World (Rain)
Variations on a Ra Melody
1NF3S+@+!0N (Theme of Crabulon)

My love for Apex has just grown and grown since I first gave it a support! I said Aka Desert was my favourite discovery before, but this song has really become something special to me. It's made me appreciate the Three Houses soundtrack more and even Fire Emblem music in general! So many good motifs used in this final level theme, especially 3:06 I think that's from the bridge of Edge of Dawn?
Didn't give Ra Melody much consideration during noms, but wow I really like this!
Hey I didn't vote for either of these songs to be here, what gives?!

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The Apex of the World (Rain)
Arcade Menu
Dark Legacy

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*abstain*
Variations on a Ra Melody
Dark Legacy

A first for me - I've never abstained before. I love both of them about the same. Might relisten and vote later.

Variations on a Ra Melody is so good it makes me want to cry.

Today is great. Five out of six 9+/10!

dowolf posted...

hermit crab route is one of the best routes FIGHT ME.

wait are there people who disagree with that
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Change vote to: Dark Legacy

I am dumb and didn't realize that the song is meant to be a bit louder than what the upload has it as. Like, it felt like a comfortable vgm volume but I think rhythm music should feel more punchy than that. This link might be a better one idk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdrQynC_9Vk

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Onboro
Variations on a Ra Melody
1NF3S+@+!0N

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Apex
Variations
1NF3S+@+!0N

Not super decided on the third match, but I feel bad for crab getting blown out right now.

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The Apex of the World (Rain)
Arcade Menu
Dark Legacy

Fairly close day, but I can't really get behind the Caligula vocals.

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The Apex of the World (Rain)
Arcade Menu
Dark Legacy
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Fire Emblem: Three Houses - The Apex of the World (Rain)
Magical Chase - Variations on a Ra Melody

Beatmania IIDX 21 Spada - Dark Legacy
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The Apex of the World (Rain)
Arcade Menu
1NF3S+@+!0N (Theme of Crabulon)

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The Caligula Effect: Overdose - Onboro
GTI Club: Supermini Festa! - Arcade Menu
Terraria Calamity Mod - 1NF3S+@+!0N (Theme of Crabulon)

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Onboro
Arcade Menu
1NF3S+@+!0N (Theme of Crabulon)

Onboro
Variations on a Ra Melody
Dark Legacy

match 1 contains 2/3 of the songs I don't really care for in D1. it often feels like it's more than that! Feels like a shame one of these has to advance. Well Onboro is alright, aside from the vocal focus. It's got some cool fast paced activity & decent instrumentation, just, vocal focus. TAofW(R) mostly bores me though, sorry.

Match 2 I think is sort of interesting given that during nominations I feel like I would've taken Arcade Menu over Variations of Ra, but now that seems to have distinctly swapped -- mostly because of Ra. I feel like I didn't give it much notice before but it's really grown on me. Especially that bass-heavy section at :44 and the keychange it works with at :59. Good activity from the higher-pitched main at the section from 1:35 too. Cool retro game stuff all throughout the whole song as well. Arcade Menu isn't bad either, cool jazzy funk. Variations of Ra stands out to me more right now though.

Toc, Dark Legacy features the sort of battle-action tense music I like in good chaotic ways, and has a lot to impress me with in the variety of moods it goes for, even if there is a lot of high strings & that more emotional slow bit halfway in. Infestation Crab Song is still nice techno stuff but I feel a bit more impressed with Dark Legacy at the moment.

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Fire Emblem: Three Houses - The Apex of the World (Rain)
Magical Chase - Variations on a Ra Melody
beatmania IIDX 21 SPADA - Dark Legacy

Don't have time for writeups today, but I should get a minute tomorrow!

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The Apex of the World (Rain) [7.7] < Onboro [9.1]
Variations on a Ra Melody [8.3] > Arcade Menu [8.1]
Dark Legacy > 1NF3S+@+!0N (Theme of Crabulon)

kinda burned out today. will say that i liked arcade menu a lot more before but it staled for me quite a bit as funk tends to and also that dark legacy is really good sorry crab k thx
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The Apex of the World (Rain)
Variations on a Ra Melody
Dark Legacy

Onboro
Arcade Menu
1NF3S+@+!0N (Theme of Crabulon)

Onboro
Variations on a Ra Melody
1NF3S+@+!0N (Theme of Crabulon)

The Caligula Effect: Overdose - Onboro
GTI Club: Supermini Festa! - Arcade Menu
Beatmania IIDX 21 Spada - Dark Legacy

MATCH 1

Apex of the World, compared to the other Three Houses songs in the contest, is actually pretty good! This song doesn't have the problem that the others have of not being able to draw me into the song. The melody's pretty nice, and while it doesn't beat other Fire Emblem songs that I like, it's still a good song.

So as I said in my Love Scope writeup, I love this game's upbeat j-rock music. Onboro, in particular, is another highlight of Reina Ueda's great vocal work. With this song, it's actually kinda neat how her voice almost sounds like she's going crazy at some parts. Like the way she puts so much force into her vocals in the chorus and also parts where her voice kind of cracks like at 3:23-3:25. Very easily rose to the finalist position in my favorites bracket because it's so good!

MATCH 2

I like how Variations on a Ra Melody starts out. Especially when the arp chords and bass show up at 0:07. Nice example of good arpeggio usage in a song like this and I like the vibe it has. The song kinda loses its luster somewhat as it continues to go on. It just doesn't do anything else that captures my attention beyond that intro part. Good song, though.

Arcade Menu's some good, upbeat, funky stuff! It doesn't suffer from any kind of cheesiness that might hold a song like this back for me. Consistently good all throughout, so even though its opponent has some good stuff to write about, I have to go for Arcade Menu here.

MATCH 3

Close match here but I think I prefer Nekomata Master's style of music as seen in Dark Legacy (the whole violin + electronic music stuff) compared to Infestation's brand of electronic music in this case. I'm fine with either song winning here.