Board 8 > [VGMC] Day 81! feat. Linked! Leave! Populate! Degrade into Madness!!

(+) Yeah! (+)

Welcome to Video Game Music Contest 18, an annual celebration of the best of the best video game music according to the voters!

Important Links:
Bracket: https://www.bracketmaker.com/tlist.cfm?tid=478494
Contest info sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HBxgL9woiCMFKNOPuN_qdxmzjStJXSpC3Ocalfsavdk
Contest discussion thread: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/80763291
Main bracket playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLT3m7iohpL0y-5OyCrkgprWtXARkEJzh_
Compatibility sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1casDvSi-Tmrcco8_4k6cX5X7MLuJTUZvXIjqYTrD8V8
Last years spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SAJKYJmYhccLvbf_H-5uSA7-eMwXfW8k1q74Qho1bLU
VGMC total stats sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1K1XdLWiUKB2kX99qYBgnRbLU_sCz4dvZSByKKJHCT6o
Discord: https://discord.gg/7FVXqWj

Rules:
- Listen to both songs in a given match, at least through the loop time provided (to make sure you don't skip before you've heard the whole thing!)
- Please consider the loop point listed when judging the song; if a video loops one minute 5 times, don't treat it as if it's a repetitive 5 minute song
- If it's a match between your favorite song ever and a song you despise, still LISTEN TO BOTH! Votes can and will be disqualified if there is suspicion songs are not being listened to, and you may be discounted for the rest of the contest for repeat offenses.
- No alt accounts, no rallying or begging, etc., etc.... You only get one vote! Swapping votes is alright, just make clear that you've already made a vote and are swapping.
- Make clear what your voting options are! Please keep votes separate from any comments, and use the titles given in the topic post.
- Voting in all matches is not mandatory, feel free to skip matches you do not wish to vote in.
- Vote based on the links provided, and not other sources of audio. Links are specifically chosen for best quality and the like.
- Don't discuss vote tallies in this thread, or in other threads, as they may influence votes. Likewise, please refrain from looking at the running tally before voting.

Voting Period:
- Today's matches will last 24 hours from the time of posting, or 24 hours from 11pm Eastern, whichever is the later time.
- Please note this may mean that two topics will be active at the same time!
- If you anticipate being unable to vote in a given day, please send an absentee vote to @banshiryuu, or post your absentee vote in the discussion thread!

.

Match 1

Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard - Labyrinth IV - Petal Bridge
Composer: Yuzo Koshiro
Loop Point: 2:36
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTwUbWqIh4I

Opoona - Blue Desert Hotel
Composer: Masaharu Iwata arr. Mitsuhiro Kaneda
Loop Point: 1:37
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6VRd7_5t7o

.

Match 2

Xenoblade Chronicles - Mechonis Field
Composer: TOMOri Kudo, CHiCO, Kenji Hiramatsu (ACE+)
Loop Point: 3:34
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLaKBotgQVw

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III - Spiral of Erebos
Composer: Takahiro Unisuga
Loop Point: 3:58
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHvnwxAg5ww

.

Easy vote form:
Labyrinth IV - Petal Bridge / Blue Desert Hotel
Mechonis Field / Spiral of Erebos

Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard - Labyrinth IV - Petal Bridge
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III - Spiral of Erebos

Labyrinth IV - Petal Bridge
Spiral of Erebos

Blue Desert Hotel
Spiral of Erebos

Blue Desert Hotel
Mechonis Field

Blue Desert Hotel
Mechonis Field

Blue Desert Hotel
Mechonis Field

Labyrinth IV - Petal Bridge
Labyrinth XC - Mechonis Field

Labyrinth IV - Petal Bridge
............Mechonis Field

Opoona - Blue Desert Hotel
Xenoblade Chronicles - Mechonis Field

Blue Desert Hotel
Spiral of Erebos

Spiral of Erebos > Mechonis Field > Blue Desert Hotel > Labyrinth IV - Petal Bridge [Dungeon: 16F-20F]

Labyrinth IV - Petal Bridge [Dungeon: 16F-20F] - 7.5
it's neat

Blue Desert Hotel - 8
quite a nice song I like :)

Mechonis Field - 8.5
I prefer the Definitive Edition ver. but this song is still pretty great

Spiral of Erebos - 9.5
GOD this song is so fucking cool I love it so much holy shit

Blue Desert Hotel
Mechonis Field

Blue Desert Hotel
Mechonis Field

Can't both of match 2 retire? :(

Labyrinth IV - Petal Bridge
Mechonis Field

I have to remark how difficult is Match 1 right now. These are both relatively short songs that awake a emotional spark on me. The more I listen to Blue Desert, the more it makes me want to shed a tear; and the more I listen to Petal Bridge, the more amazed I am of its simplicity! This is ten times harder than I imagined, and it would have been so much easier if Norfair had won... ah, this contest is so cruel. Eh, maybe I'm just saying things. I pick Petal Bridge. But so happy for whoever wins, it's always good to be so moved by music. Match 2 is also pretty even... I do have more familiarity with Mechonis though, so with respect to the greatness of Erebos, I am going for it.

Blue Desert Hotel
Mechonis Field

Isquen posted...

Can't both of match 2 retire? :(

Yeah, them + Apex pls :/

Spiral of Cheribos Bridge

...that works far better than it has any right to.

Labyrinth IV - Petal Bridge
Mechonis Field

contest has definitely made me come around on petal bridge now. still not my favourite EO2 song, but it's definitely up there finally (not that i didn't like it from the start, i just had a good chunk of other labyrinth themes higher than it)

Blue Desert Hotel
Mechonis Field

Blue Desert Hotel
Mechonis Field

Blue Desert Hotel
Mechonis Field

All four are good though!

Blue Desert Hotel
Mechonis Field

The funny thing about match 2 is it's my #1 song in the entire bracket against my #254 (I think) track in the bracket.

Labyrinth IV - Petal Bridge
Mechonis Field

Petal Bridge
Mechonis Field

Not how I expected to be voting in match 2 but I'm vibing with Mechonis Field much more today. Would be happy with either of them retiring.

Blue Desert Hotel
Mechonis Field

Blue Desert Hotel
Mechonis Field

Blue Desert Hotel
Spiral of Erebos

Labyrinth IV - Petal Bridge
Spiral of Erebos

Labyrinth IV - Petal Bridge
Spiral of Erebos

Labyrinth IV - Petal Bridge
Mechonis Field

Labyrinth IV - Petal Bridge
Spiral of Erebos

Labyrinth IV - Petal Bridge
Mechonis Field

Four neat songs, but easy votes.

Blue Desert Hotel
Mechonis Field

Blue
Field

Blue Desert Hotel
Mechonis Field

Erebos is literally my least favourite song left ahaa

Labyrinth IV - Petal Bridge
Spiral of Erebos

Labyrinth IV - Petal Bridge
Mechonis Field

Blue Desert Hotel
Mechonis Field

Labyrinth IV - Petal Bridge
Spiral of Erebos

Labyrinth IV - Petal Bridge
Spiral of Erebos

This is going to be a painful 0-2. (I don't actually know what the scores are)

I started out liking Petal Bridge but it's only gone up as the contest has continued. Really pretty and elegant piece. Probably my 2nd or maybe 3rd favorite song remaining.

Match 2 probably kinda close actually but eh.

Blue Desert Hotel
Mechonis Field

This would be an acceptable Round 1 fourpack. Nothing that's truly undeserving of having made it into the contest, one match where I'd be fine with either song making Round 2 while the other one features a song that's *not* deserving of reaching Round 2 against the only one in the fourpack deserving of reaching Round 3. Unfortunately, this is not Round 1.

Petal Bridge
Spiral of Erebos

Blue Desert
Mechonis Field

Labyrinth IV - Petal Bridge
Spiral of Erebos

Blue Desert Hotel
Spiral of Erebos

Really weak retirement match if I'm picking BDH here.

Labyrinth IV - Petal Bridge
Mechonis Field

A relaxing match 1. The DS muffle makes Petal Bridges percussion and sparkles nice and soft around the edges.

Match 2 is not close even though I do like Spiral. Mechonis is an all-timer and one of those songs where youre surprised its not already retired.

Will/Want is real fun too... anyway, voted Balearic Birds. Lots of good options in this poll, The Phantom Worlds the only one I never voted for.

Labyrinth IV - Petal Bridge
Spiral of Erebos

Blue Desert Hotel
Mechonis Field