Board 8 > [VGMC] Day 97! THE FINALS!!!

(+) Yeah! (+)

Welcome to Video Game Music Contest 19, an annual celebration of the best of the best video game music according to the voters!

IF YOU HAVE NOT VOTED IN THE CONTEST BEFORE, PLEASE READ THIS! As per now-traditional rules for the contest, anyone who is voting just for the finals is required to give some sort of acknowledgement of having listened to both the songs in today's match. Any sort of "I listened to both songs." or "Confirm I heard both." or actually literally just say "hi deo" will work. Thank you and very glad to see you come around for our finals!!!

Important Links:
Bracket: https://www.bracketmaker.com/tlist.cfm?tid=479594
Contest info sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HqEzmlfEUsm6BWJbBxDm6ZUnQQ_2d1ezDlVBN2sYepY
Contest discussion thread: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/80981071
Main bracket playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLT3m7iohpL0zm7Svx4DXDy1XjUejSBazd
Last years spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HBxgL9woiCMFKNOPuN_qdxmzjStJXSpC3Ocalfsavdk
VGMC total stats sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1K1XdLWiUKB2kX99qYBgnRbLU_sCz4dvZSByKKJHCT6o
VGMC info site (thank you p0!!): https://p0p0p0p.github.io/
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 10pm 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!

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Match 1

Minecraft: Tricky Trials - Precipice
Composer: Aaron Cherof
Loop Point: 4:59
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEgjOyBwIaE

Heaven Burns Red - Shiva (Glacier Remix)
Composer: Jun Maeda arr. Hayato Asano
Loop Point: 5:09
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfWD-jIrIcs

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Easy vote form:
Precipice / Shiva (Glacier Remix)

Heaven Burns Red - Shiva (Glacier Remix)

Shiva

Shiva

so, uh. Here we are.

When I was first going through the HBR soundtrack, before playing the game, Shiva was not a standout. It was fine, sure, but compared to other battle themes like Indra or Indigo in Blue? It just failed to capture me heart and soul. (Also White Spell, though it did not occur to me that that was a battle theme until it drove a stake through my heart in that fight.)

And then I heard it in battle, and it clicked. The lyrics, which had previously had felt kinda nonsequitor-y, fell into place. So much of that was context, of realizing that this song was the moment where someone dug in her heels and stood her ground. That it belonged to someone. The only other time I can think of where my opinion on a song changed that much from hearing it in context is... Lady Tears 2? Say what you will about SH3, but the last 5 hours are perfect, and it wasn't until I had that context that the two halves of the song, the cthonic half and the mournful half, finally fit together.

I digress. At the end of the day, me having the context didn't really matter for the purposes of VGMC, since the song still wasn't quite there. And then a year or so later, they release a new game mode with remixed battle themes. Most of them were fine, and then I heard this rendition of Shiva. Or rather even, I heard that very first big chord. It's so different! In the original version, it's relief that I feel; in the remix, it's pure grit. This song needs that grit. And then it just keeps going. The way the music falls away to accentuate "hi ga koukei da" -- "And how'd that turn out"? The brief pause? Then letting the chorus build from a determined whisper, the "gamushara"/"do or dies" entering as an echo, as something in the back of her mind that she refuses to let go of? It's what I wanted from the original, what I found from the lyrics and the story but wasn't quite reflected in the song, and now it's there. We shift to the dream, and it feels like a dream; we shift to the harshness of reality, and it feels like it wants to beat us down -- and it feels like we're stronger.

And of course, Asano sneaking in a French horn solo on the second verse doesn't hurt. What can I say; I'm easily pleased :)

So I nominated it. And y'all liked it too. Now there's just one round left for this little summer glacier that could.

Here we go.

Hi deo. Ive totally voted before. You might know me.

To the Supra folks, we have seen this match before. We know how it went down. So, will Shiva successfully take revenge on the song that beat it out of a win last time, or will Precipice go 2-0 on poor Shiva? Stay tuned to find out!

VOTE:
Precipice

Precipice

Precipice

Heaven Burns Red - Shiva (Glacier Remix)

Minecraft: Tricky Trials - Precipice

shiva

voting for shiva. many such cases

God, why this AGAIN

Precipice

Precipice.

Shiva (Glacier Remix)

actually super solid final hi deo

Precipice

though admittedly I'd rather Aria Math be here instead, C418 deserves better around here

Shiva (Glacier Remix)

Precipice

Shiva (Glacier Remix)

.....against what I would've expected even a month ago

Shiva (Glacier Remix)

Love Precipice just as much as I did during noms, but Shiva I've grown to love just as much, and that growth sticks out to me more as I listen to them side-by-side

it's pretty funny how similar the vibes on both are. i personally feel like it really goes to show how much impact the other communities have in vgmc now since not only getting an exact replica of the finals there is kinda crazy but also i feel like both of these songs... probably wouldn't have done as well a few years ago (keep in mind this is a moot point since they both also didn't exist a few years ago lmao but still)

of course i say that while also acknowledging that shiva was absolutely on a tear in bost24 as well, culminating in, well, you know lol
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/5/53dfd7fa.png
but even then like, half of all the asano noms that have been tried have been allergic to retiring, and hbr's own contest history has been obviously pretty middling, so it still comes as a surprise to me to see it so dominant compared to both halves here. and people have yet to be sufficiently swayed by aaron cherof's other offerings yet for them to actually make the filed (even though the cobalt core soundtrack is honestly really good, hopefully it gets some representation finally next year)

but yeah idk it's mostly just a vibes thing, they both feel like they appeal to a similar audience and that niche doesn't feel entirely b8vgm to me (not even just because of other contest results but just because i don't really associate wider b8vgm tastes with such emotional songs) but i'm entirely talking out of my ass here

anyway regarding the vote... i'll think about it a bit more but on the current listen it's very close for me... and i'm tentatively going to give it to Precipice

Precipice

Both great winners.

Precipice

Shiva (Glacier Remix)

Probably the best finals since 14, so props

Shiva (Glacier Remix) (Heaven Burns Red)

Shiva

Precipice

Precipice

Heaven Burns Red - Shiva (Glacier Remix)

Shiva (Glacier Remix)

Shiva (Glacier Remix)

shiba

I feel like I've listened to each of these songs about 40 times over the last year. Frankly, I'm sick of both of them now! Good riddance! Good contest! And good luck...

Shiva (Glacier Remix)

hi deo

Minecraft: Tricky Trials - Precipice

Shiva (Glacier Remix)

A pretty unexceptional final for me, but at least I'm guaranteed to like the winner more than the past two years!

probably the worst vgmc since 4 and I will commit suicide if precipe wins so you better harass people into not voting for it if you value my life

absolutely terrible people who do fucking terrible things to me in these communities and never apologize for it too. horrible horrible influence on the world

hope you all fucking die

Precipice

Precipice

Precipice

Precipice

Shiva (Glacier Remix)

Shiva (Glacier Remix)

Well since it's the final I might as well vote, I did listen to both and both are good

Shiva (Glacier Remix)

Precipice

Precipice

This contest has gone incredibly well for me I'd say, and as far as finales go, idk if I could ask for better. Both of these songs are 1. 10/10 songs 2. my supports 3. and supports I seriously contested with nominating myself in the lead up to the contest. (Good thing I didn't nominate Precipice though because I would have fucked with the nomination format lmfao) I have a slight preference in the end but I'll be happy either way.

Shiva (Glacier Remix)

after listening to both for like an hour, narrow edge for Precipice

Precipice

I understand now that its finally time for me to unleash all my pent-up anger at Heaven Burns Red. This goes back to when I first encountered it, in VGMC17, with White Spell. I saw in the bracket and thought Heaven Burns Red? Thats a cool name. Whatever this is, it probably beats Dialga. When the match day came I listened to White Spell and liked it! And I never liked Dialga, so it was an easy vote. White Spell lost. It happens, maybe HBR tries something else next time. Come VGMC18, it tried 3 something elses, 3 songs I didnt care for and that all lost in R1. After that I was like, this game is a lost cause. Its got nothing for me and nothing for these contests. Then came BOST24, and UF8 already gave away the ending up there. Its worth mentioning that I liked Sayonara, Early Summer, voted for it most of the time, and it consistently won its matchups. Voted Shiva on and off, and it stomped its matchups obviously. Voted against Sailing Ship every time, and it never won until the finals against Our Life, Our Scars, which makes no goddamn sense. That contest transformed my feelings toward HBR from fatigue into rage. Remember, its fair game to hate on it once its a proven success, and the same song doesnt make the finals 3 times by fluke. Furthermore, as long as you dont take it too far, hate can be fun! It can be a powerful motivation to keep being invested in the results, to keep rooting for the result that finally knocks your hated song off its high horse. Which brings me to...

Its opponent, Precipice. Unpacking my feelings on Precipice I find 2 desires for VGMC results: to see the songs I like win, and to see the surprises, the scrappy underdog songs win. Its great when those 2 desires successfully align, but ending up with 1 intact is still worth celebrating. My hangup is, I suppose, that I feel guilty for supporting Precipice in the first place, that I propped it up so it could tear through all the underdogs Im supposed to be cheering for. But that feelings not entirely rational, is it? Lets go down the list: Ancient Soundtrack 1 was never going to be worth anything. I dont shed any tears for Second Wind. Evil nutshells is the saddest loss, Epic Loon seems like its got potential but has run into worldbeaters twice now. The Ocean? is no Prophecy. Conquest and Liminality got deservedly stopped in their tracks. And Lost Forest is a forest, it never needed me in its corner. So am I going to keep moping over those Evil nutshells, or am I going to enjoy being on the winning team? Precipice, I said Liminality would be our last dance, but not we're not done yet, not while theres one more object of my ire to bring down. Im rooting for you.

hi deo

Heaven Burns Red - Shiva (Glacier Remix)