Board 8 > [VGMC] d102: Dark Matter Battle vs Rebel Army, Pressure Cooker vs Zeal Continent

(+) Yeah! (+)

I'm not saying I'm going to adhere to the poll, but I'd still like to know what everyone thinks. Round 3 will conclude on 7/13-7/14. From there, we have 31 matches to resolve -- 16, 8, 4, 2, and 1. Obviously that's a far cry from the 191 + wildcards we began with, but some people might be getting weary or want to plan around vacation or just get bored with one match per day. And also I want to figure out what date to claim for a list I want to run.

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/78714595
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!

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Match 1

Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon - Second Dark Matter Battle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeXGr9WerPg

Mushihimesama Futari - Shinjugamori Rebel Army
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjeOh8-OLDQ

Match 2

VVVVVV - Pressure Cooker
https://youtu.be/3Gj_88IMv3o

Ragnarok Tactics - Zeal Continent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9Z8UL2FHAc

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Easy vote form:
Second Dark Matter Battle / Shinjugamori Rebel Army
Pressure Cooker / Zeal Continent

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Second Dark Matter Battle
Zeal Continent
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Second Dark Matter Battle
Pressure Cooker
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Mushihimesama Futari - Shinjugamori Rebel Army
Ragnarok Tactics - Zeal Continent

Oy, today's a reflection of just how much my taste has changed as of late. Last year at this time, my vote would've been flipped!

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Shinjugamori Rebel Army
Zeal Continent

I like these songs : )
the oppone!nts are not bad at all though, but I REALLY like th!ese on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!es : D
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Second Dark Matter Battle
Zeal Continent
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Mushihimesama Futari - Shinjugamori Rebel Army
VVVVVV - Pressure Cooker

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Second Dark Matter Battle
Pressure Cooker

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Rebel Army
Zeal Continent

what a day

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Second Dark Matter Battle (8/64) / Shinjugamori Rebel Army (35/64)
Pressure Cooker (46/64) > Zeal Continent (26/64)

Oops, probably both undersold Pressure Cooker and oversold Zeal Continent (though it's still pretty good).

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Second Dark Matter Battle (19th) / Shinjugamori Rebel Army (70th)
Pressure Cooker (49th) / Zeal Continent (76th)

This was a fun past two days of music.

I think Zeal Continent is slightly better than Pressure Cooker, until that piano kicks in at ~1:04.

In a vaccum, I love how the section sounds, but I feel it clashes with the rest of the song too much. It's basically a PMD track in how it sounds, and I would be upset if that same type of section showed up there in most PMD tracks too.

Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon - Second Dark Matter Battle
VVVVVV - Pressure Cooker
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Second Dark Matter Battle
Zeal Continent

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Shinjugamori Rebel Army
Zeal Continent

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Shinjugamori Rebel Army
Pressure Cooker

I feel like I'm less into Pressure Cooker than usual at the moment, but not enough to give Zeal the edge.

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Second Dark Matter Battle (36th) vs Shinju Forest Rebel Army? (56th)
Pressure Cooker (42nd) vs Zeal Continent (48th)

Pokmon Super Mystery Dungeon - Second Dark Matter Battle
Ragnarok Tactics - Zeal Continent

One of the best PMD songs vs. "why this Namiki pick"

Zeal Continent is crazy and has a bunch of things going on at once and doesn't really know what it wants to be doing so that's why I like it.

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Shinjugamori Rebel Army
Zeal Continent
conquest

Rebel
Pressure
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Second Dark Matter Battle
Zeal Continent

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Second Dark Matter Battle
Pressure Cookier

Neither match swinging the other way will completely break my heart, although I would really like to see Pressure Cooker advance.

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Second Dark Matter Battle
Pressure Cooker

Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon - Second Dark Matter Battle
VVVVVV - Pressure Cooker

Re: Poll. My initial instinct was one match per retirement match but what I'm really looking for is what we normally do which I think is the second option? whateva. Either of those two is fine IMO.

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second dark matter
pressure cooker
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Second Dark Matter Battle
Pressure Cooker

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Second Dark Matter Battle
Pressure Cooker

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Shinjugamori Rebel Army
Zeal Continent

Pressure Cooker stacks up better than I expected here, so I'll be sad if it loses by one vote or anything like that.

Shinjugamori Rebel Army
Pressure Cooker

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Shinjugamori Rebel Army
Zeal Continent

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Second Dark Matter Battle
Pressure Cooker
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Second Dark Matter Battle
Zeal Continent

I almost forgot there was a PMD song in match 1 too

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Shinjugamori Rebel Army
Zeal Continent

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Second Dark Matter Battle
Pressure Cooker

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21. Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon - Second Dark Matter Battle
vs.
58. Mushihimesama Futari - Shinjugamori Rebel Army

What I had:
Roll Me In > Second Dark Matter Battle

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24. VVVVVV - Pressure Cooker
vs.
48. Ragnarok Tactics - Zeal Continent

What I had:
Solitude > You're Not Here (wildcard)

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Votes:
Second Dark Matter Battle
Pressure Cooker

Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon - Second Dark Matter Battle
VVVVVV - Pressure Cooker
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Shinjugamori Rebel Army
Zeal Continent

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Second Dark Matter Battle
Pressure Cooker
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Shinjugamori Rebel Army
Pressure Cooker

Shinjugamori Rebel Army
Zeal Continent

second dark matter battle - first encountered: vgmc12 - trend: slightly up
-this is strikingly different from the other pmd series tracks in the contest-- ditching pensive dungeon tunes for a full-fledged climactic battle. I prefer the former! but it's become easier over time to pick out the aspects of this track I like-- the mood has changed but the compositional flair has not.

shinjugamori rebel army - first encountered: this vgmc? feels like I encountered it earlier - trend: steady
-I love namiki's wondrous, almost exotic stage compositions for this series. some shmup osts go for a harder, more imposing feel but something like this, or like a night of falling stars, feels wide-eyed and light. you're flying in the sky! that mood seems to fit.

pressure cooker - first encountered: vvvvvv playthrough - trend: steady
-one of the few vgmc entries I first encountered in-game! this is historically my third favourite v track, after potential for anything and piercing the sky, though admittedly I haven't listened through the v tracks end-to-end in a while.

zeal continent - first encountered: Dire's guessing game - trend: steady
-I remember first hearing this in Dire's game and thinking it was real cool, a great find. (I also remember thinking it was familiar. did I listen to this track before? if I have, I don't remember when.) there's actually a moment where this vaguely reminds me of Kikuta, even if the composition doesn't really fit his style. (I think it's the prominent use of piano and guitar to help set up the rhythm.)

Shinjugamori Rebel Army
Zeal Continent

second choice was really tough

Second Dark Matter Battle
Pressure Cooker

Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon - Second Dark Matter Battle
Ragnarok Tactics - Zeal Continent

Zeal Continent > Pressure Cooker > Second Dark Matter Battle >> Shinjugamori Rebel Army

Very strong top 3.

Second Dark Matter Battle < Shinjugamori Rebel Army
Pressure Cooker < Zeal Continent

ilove you seal continue nent
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Second Dark Matter Battle
Pressure Cooker