Song of the Week - WEEK 124 Voting/WEEK 125 Nominating
 

Song of the Week. 100 Weeks and counting.
Week 124 Voting is closed.
Week 125 Nominating is restricted.

Week 124 Voting
The rules for voting can be found here.

Results:
1). [19/13] Dynamite Headdy (Game Rip) - Schumacher Fly
2). [19/12] Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - To Catch an Owl
3). [18] DOUBLE DRAGON II The Revenge - Low Pursuit (Mission 2)
4). [17] Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow (PC Redbook Audio) - The Mojo Mansion
5). [15] Dragon's Fury (Game Rip) - OMAKEBGM00 (Thunder Force II: Knights of Legend)
6). [14] Real Bout Garou Densetsu 2 Arrange Sound Trax - Get the Sky ~ With Your Dream (Alfred)
7). [9] Kameo: Elements of Power Original Soundtrack - Hero's Theme
8). [3] Duck Tales 2 (Game Rip) - Scotland Theme

Tracks:
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: DOUBLE DRAGON II The Revenge - Low Pursuit (Mission 2)
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: Dragon's Fury (Game Rip) - OMAKEBGM00 (Thunder Force II: Knights of Legend)
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: Duck Tales 2 (Game Rip) - Scotland Theme
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: Dynamite Headdy (Game Rip) - Schumacher Fly
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - To Catch an Owl
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: Kameo: Elements of Power Original Soundtrack - Hero's Theme
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow (PC Redbook Audio) - The Mojo Mansion
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: Real Bout Garou Densetsu 2 Arrange Sound Trax - Get the Sky ~ With Your Dream (Alfred)

Notes:
If you are a member at more than one of the forums in which this event is being held, please nominate and vote in only ONE of the forums. You may, however, comment in the threads at any of the other forums.

Week 125 Nominating
The Nominations Queue can be found here.
The rules for nominating can be found here.

Here is the link to the corresponding thread in the other forum:
- Soundtrack Central

Might as well vote since I'm bored at the moment. This seems like a very strong week.

DOUBLE DRAGON II The Revenge - Low Pursuit (Mission 2): This a pretty well done fusion of rock and jazz, though the arrangement seems quite liberal compared to the original track. The saxophone wailing was enjoyable and I found the bassline pretty interesting too. A couple parts seemed to be on autopilot but overall it's still nice. I didn't even know there was an arrangement for this game!

Dragon's Fury (Game Rip) - OMAKEBGM00 (Thunder Force II: Knights of Legend): It took me a couple listenings but I finally decided that I enjoy this track. The sample selection isn't the best it could've been - I found myself desiring more contrasts - but the pace and melody were decent and kept me interested. If it's a chiptune, as I suspect, it could've gone far in last year's contest.

Duck Tales 2 (Game Rip) - Scotland Theme: I was one of the few people lucky enough to get my hands on this game when it first came out, and one of my highest hopes was that the music was equal or superior to the first Ducktales game. It wasn't to be, however. Not that this track is poor or anything but it does help one to realize how much of a benchmark the first Ducktales game was for chiptune quality. My opinion of this track is that it isn't developed quite enough to be outstanding. It could've benefitted greatly from a deeper bassline and maybe a bit less reverb.

Dynamite Headdy (Game Rip) - Schumacher Fly: Always wanted to play this game but never got to it. Now I sort of regret this, as the music is obviously top-tier for the Genesis. If the entire rip is of this quality, I'm going to have to download it. Was this composed by anyone from Sonic Team? I'm detecting many similarities in style. Good stuff.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - To Catch an Owl: For once, an orchestral that isn't over the top. Very relaxed and subdued, rather pretty. I'm not sure if this same score was featured in the movie. I'm hopeful that this was written specifically for the game because I like it and don't want to have it spoiled by knowing it wasn't completely original. I appreciate the airy nature of this track quite a bit.

Kameo: Elements of Power Original Soundtrack - Hero's Theme: Here we go, the ubiquitous march. These always go in one of two directions: angry or triumphant, and I much prefer the latter. This particular piece straddles the fine line between both. It becomes more oppressive toward the end but the key prevents it from being too disharmonious at least. The last thirty seconds were an interesting finish. Not really my thing but I didn't hate it.

Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow (PC Redbook Audio) - The Mojo Mansion: Very quirky, indeed. There's almost a calypso-like vibe throughout and that's pretty darned cool. The drums are excellent too. I've never heard of Maui Mallard but now I'm intently curious. This one's got some serious potential.

Real Bout Garou Densetsu 2 Arrange Sound Trax - Get the Sky ~ With Your Dream (Alfred): I guess I go last this week. This is a powerhouse of a guitar-driven piece. The melody is outstanding, even infectious. However, it's complimented by some very romantic strings and horns, allowing it to maintain a poetic balance; it's neither too aggressive nor too laid-back. Even the little drum solo is pretty cool. I love energetic tracks like this, especially ones that exude such a dominating air of triumph. It all comes together so satisfyingly at the end. <3

Spread 'Em

3 Points: Real Bout Garou Densetsu 2 Arrange Sound Trax - Get the Sky ~ With Your Dream (Alfred)
1 Point: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - To Catch an Owl
1 Point: Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow (PC Redbook Audio) - The Mojo Mansion
1 Point: Dynamite Headdy (Game Rip) - Schumacher Fly

Consolation Prize: DOUBLE DRAGON II The Revenge - Low Pursuit (Mission 2)

A really, really good week. The competition is very tight.


New Nomination

Album: Emperor: Battle for Dune
Track Title: Victory Is Inevitable
Composer: David Arkenstone
Disc Number: 3 (Harkonnen)
Track Number: 15
Year: 2001
Additional Notes: This nomination represents a grand departure from the norm for me but I've got tremendous faith in this one.

Oh man, a track I worked on! And what's more I love that soundtrack, and I never would've expected it to get any recognition. I'm talking, of course, about Harry Potter - "Owl Chase" (which apparently is actually called To Catch an Owl). I didn't work on the composition of the song, I merely converted it to DS and GBA, but when working on this game, I was really impressed by the tracks. It was one of those jobs I was expecting to be tedious and just turned out awesome. If you have a chance, check out the rest of the soundtrack, it's extremely whimsical.

Then there's my own nomination, Scotland from the NES game Duck Tales 2, which I think is just marvelous in its simplicity. Great melody and I always love NES tracks with a "walking" bassline, and this one does the trick nicely. It's certainly no "The Moon" or anything, but then again, nothing is. I think this is a little gem, even if it might not stand up to this killer predecessor.

OmakeBGM00 is the third track I'll give a point to. It's really outstanding, sort of a classic arcade shooter vibe but at the same time the composition is somehow quite fetching, without any overly wanky solos or anything that tries to steal the show, but just a solid piece of work. I really enjoyed this.

Tough week, all these tracks are great.

3 points - Duck Tales 2 (Game Rip) - Scotland Theme
2 points - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - To Catch an Owl
1 point - Dragon's Fury (Game Rip) - OMAKEBGM00 (Thunder Force II: Knights of Legend)

One of the best Genesis soundtracks, by my reckoning. No Sonic Team members, as the soundtrack was done by the Treasure sound team: Norio Hanzawa and the like. Quirky, fun, and loads of depth (in number of tracks and composition). You may remember South Town's Theme from the BCC, which lost in the first round. Pity, because it's the best track from the ST and just about as good as the Genesis gets (which is phenomenal).

There are some pieces in the game that have John Williams' themes in them, but this one is completely original :D

Sorry to disappoint you there buddy. This was one of the only surviving tracks of my previous Dynamite Headdy rip. There's no way I could do it again (time and energy) but I'm sure you could find a good rip out there. Even then, get the genesis sound file. It probably sounds better and you can loop it however long you fancy.

3 points: DOUBLE DRAGON II The Revenge - Low Pursuit (Mission 2)
My nomination. Love this arrangement for the cheesy 80's rock, solid percussions and crazy sax. It helps that source track is also my favorite stage theme from the game (Mission 2 in the NES/Mission 1 in the arcade and every other port.)

2 points: Dragon's Fury (Game Rip) - OMAKEBGM00 (Thunder Force II: Knights of Legend)
Second best track of the week. Would have received a 3 if not for a nom. And by the bye, Crash, this very tune from the original game was in the BSC (which also lost during the first round.)

1 point: Dynamite Headdy (Game Rip) - Schumacher Fly
Pretty enjoyable. Great melody and groove. Still nowhere near as good as South Town's Theme.

Runner-ups: To Catch an Owl


Nomination:

• Album Title: Battle Squadron (Amiga Game Rip)
• Artist: Ron Klaren, Ivo Zoer
• Track Title: In-Game Music
• Source: HOL
• Year: 1989

(3 points) Dragon's Fury (Game Rip) - OMAKEBGM00 (Thunder Force II: Knights of Legend)
(2 points) DOUBLE DRAGON II The Revenge - Low Pursuit (Mission 2)
(1 point) Dynamite Headdy (Game Rip) - Schumacher Fly

Next nom

Artist: Hiroshi, Aiai
Game: R-Type Leo (Game Rip)
Track: Paradise Planet (Stage 1)
Year: 1992
Source: r-type leo at arcade-history: video games, pinballs, slot machines, etc.

Uploading to nom folder

I'd like to nominate something from Metroid Prime. The game is probably not very obscure, but I also think that it is not very well known for its soundtrack, since most of the music is very ambient. There are some exceptions to this, like boss fights (although you mostly don't pay attention to the music on the first play-through since the battle is so intense ;)) and a couple of tracks that are pretty melodic and rhythmic (of which I'd like to nominate one).

So I'm not sure if this complies with the obscurity rule, please tell me if it's okay to nominate this, then I'll post the track details and upload it.

It might depend. Some of the melodic tracks are actually arrangements of Metroid and Super Metroid tunes, which are very well-known. I don't think I'd have a problem with one of the more obscure tracks though.

Okay, I don't know Metroid and Super Metroid, so I'll just get more specific:

SCDC-00276~7: Metroid Prime & Fusion Original Soundtracks - VGMdb

Disc 1, Track 21 (Tallon Overworld)

I'm gonna have to say "no" to Metroid. The game is very well-known and tracks from it have done well in the annual Best Song Contest.

Metroid Prime is relatively obscure, I mean it's a huge game but I don't know anybody that specifically adores the music from them (although I do think everybody agrees that the music is awesome, when asked). I don't think it's really fair to heap them in with Metroid and Super Metroid, which are very well known, pretty much on a Final Fantasy level of fame. So anyway, I'm okay with Metroid Prime. Although I wouldn't be petrified if it didn't make it through, I don't remember if MP got a lot of exposure during BSC for example...

I should nominate something. Something cool and refreshing. Let's see how this does, I don't know if this game is considered too big though, I have a hard time putting .hack//'s popularity into perspective:

Game: .hack// MUTATION
Title: Culture City Server Carmina Gardelica (rtown2 Lambda)
Album: .hack// Game Music Perfect Collection (Disc 1)
Composers: Chikayo Fukuda, Seizo Nakata
Download link!

Sorry, but I'm gonna have to vote no on Metroid Prime. I think between tracks in BSC and just general vgm fan exposure, it doesn't really fit in SotW. Also, I think that track's one of the most well known ones, no?

Tallon Overworld contains the Brinstar theme from the original Metroid. Hits with full force at about a minute and a half in.

I'm pretty skeptical about allowing any music from at least the first Prime, myself.

I think there was a .hack nomination in the past? I have no issues with the nomination.

Yeah, staff4 from the same album. Week 6. Placed third.

I am also okay with this.

I thought so too but I forgot there are apparently two Tallon Overworld tracks. I don't have the soundtrack handy to cross-reference the track number directly, but I did find this which is completely original.

Hmm, yeah, the one with Brinstar in it is Planet Tallon IV (track 7). Tallon Overworld is the one in that video. Didn't catch any previous Metroid themes in that one either. My overall reservations on Prime music still stand, though.

Yeah, I don't really have strong feelings either way, but I think I'm leaning towards no.

Yeah, well, with that link to VGMdb you should have all the info you need for a valid nomination, so I guess it's up to you to decide. I'm not high enough on the queue to get it in next week, so there's still time to decide. Your call.

3 points - Dragon's Fury (Game Rip) - OMAKEBGM00 (Thunder Force II: Knights of Legend) - I'm a bit fond of the rearrangement of this track, there being 3 versions of it I've actually heard. This one has a bit more meat to it, though the arrangement from Technosoft music collection has a killer bass line. That being neither here nor there, this one grew on me a lot.

2 points - Dynamite Headdy (Game Rip) - Schumacher Fly - Wow... just, wow. A lot is done for being a Genesis/Mega Drive tune. It was a tough pick between this and Knights of Legend for 3 points.

1 point - DOUBLE DRAGON II The Revenge - Low Pursuit (Mission 2) - In the same boat as Crash here, I didn't know there was an arrangement available. I'd love to hear more of this stuff in the future.

Next Nomination:

Sorry, Darkcomet72, but this one is mine!

Album: Omega Five Soundtrack
Track: Stage 1: The glacial fortress
Artist: Hiroyuki Iwatsuki

Source: SRIN-1041: Omega Five Soundtrack - VGMdb

Uploading to SotW FTP.

So... this is it:

1 point ~ DOUBLE DRAGON II The Revenge - Low Pursuit (Mission 2)
1 point ~ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - To Catch an Owl
1 point ~ Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow (PC Redbook Audio) - The Mojo Mansion
3 points ~ Real Bout Garou Densetsu 2 Arrange Sound Trax - Get the Sky ~ With Your Dream

(3 points) Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow (PC Redbook Audio) - The Mojo Mansion

I'm extremely nostalgic about this song in part for having played to the game, but also since I used to listen to the soundtrack back in 6th grade by putting the game disc in a CD player. I find "The Mojo Mansion" to be very special, not a style and sound you encounter frequently in VGM. While slightly childish and repetitive, it's still so catchy and memorable, it gets me every time and I can't help but feel good. Definitely a tune to whistle to!

P.S. To the person in charge of editing the tags, I was wondering why the artist order was inverted? Not a problem, but I'd still like to understand why this was done. Thanks!

(2 points) DOUBLE DRAGON II The Revenge - Low Pursuit (Mission 2)

Phil Collins' Easy Lover? Nope, but real close though. :p O'Bits did some truly awesome arrangements and this track is one of my favorites. Love the punchy rhythm and the saxophone!

(1 point) Kameo: Elements of Power Original Soundtrack - Hero's Theme

Grandiose! Perfectly conveys the heroic theme, especially with the rich choir. Some less captivating parts, but overall a moving piece.

-------------------

Dragon's Fury (Game Rip) - OMAKEBGM00 (Thunder Force II: Knights of Legend)

Yay for classic arcade shmup music! "OMAKEBGM00" is a powerful piece, yet to my ears, it sounds like so many other shooter tunes. Not the most original VGM track, but staying in the safe zone helped it to be good (but failed to reach the chance to be "OH MY GOD!" great in my book).

Duck Tales 2 (Game Rip) - Scotland Theme

A jazzy NES tune that is pleasant, yet not elaborated or overwhelming enough compared to the other songs this week.

Dynamite Headdy (Game Rip) - Schumacher Fly

This is a great chiptune and I definitely like it. However, the competition is very strong this week, so I'm sorry but my mere 6 points are already distributed.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - To Catch an Owl

Beautiful film-like music which captures well the feeling of flying (if it's actually related to it in-game).

Real Bout Garou Densetsu 2 Arrange Sound Trax - Get the Sky ~ With Your Dream (Alfred)

Yippee! What a neat rock number, with many different instruments and segments. Slightly generic in my opinion, yet quality material nonetheless. Let's see, how many points do I have left? All gone already? Damn! :mad:

(3 points) Dragon's Fury (Game Rip) - OMAKEBGM00 (Thunder Force II: Knights of Legend)
(1 point) Dynamite Headdy (Game Rip) - Schumacher Fly
(1 point) DOUBLE DRAGON II The Revenge - Low Pursuit (Mission 2)
(1 point) Kameo: Elements of Power Original Soundtrack - Hero's Theme

Nomination:
Artist:Yuzo Koshiro
Album:Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 3 Original Soundtrack
Track Title:Phantom of Blue
Disc Number: 1 (of 1)
Track Number: 17
Catalog Number: MJCD-20102
Year: September 27, 2007
Source: Game Music Revolution

Anyone else care to weigh in on Metroid Prime? Opinions seem mixed, so I'm probably going to make a poll within the next 24 hours unless there's a flood of ayes or nays.

As superpumped as I am to get a nom from this, this album was released four days ago. Let's give the Iwatsuki some time to marinate and taste even better.

We seem to be having a whole spate of nominations from recent games and albums. Maybe it's about time we actually codify how long it takes for music to no longer be novel, assuming people still agree with this rule. Three months?

A Met Prime track with some Brinstar in there? I'm actually pretty lenient on eligibility, but gotta go no on it.

Fuck the album, I'd have nominated the track if there was a gamerip. It's not like Omega Five is a super popular game, and it's been out on Live for at least a while. WHILE THE IRON IS HOT, CHz! BLARGH.

Edit: On a serious note, I don't necessarily understand the point of letting the game music "simmer" when it isn't exactly an ultra popular release to begin with. Exactly who are we catering to at this point? Why does game music have to be "simmering" in the face of an "album" release. That sounds pretty backward. I doubt much of GFF, or any "gamer" for that matter, actually knew about the track until this album was released. Granted I have no actual statistics for that, so I'm reaching a bit... so I'll just ask, the game dropped January 8th, 2008; how long of a wait are we talking about here, Chz?

There's no Brinstar in the track. And also no ocarina.

Edit: ROFL @ Dynamite Headdy. There's no way I can vote now, the 'shot bias will just be too overpowering.

I can still nominate though!

Artist(s): Spencer Nilsen
Album/Game Title: Sonic Boom
Track Title: Workbench - Bad Future
Disc Number: 1 (of 1)
Track Number: 14
Catalog Number: DIDX-020642
Year: 1993
Source(s): DIDX-020642: Sonic the Hedgehog Boom Limited Collector's Edition - The... - VGMdb

The Metroid game series and its music are very popular, although latter titles aren't classics. If this specific track actually includes hints from the first game soundtrack, it doesn't seem obscure enough in my opinion.

Plus, I think there's more to VGM than Metroid. A lot more.

Three months sound good. When a new album gets released (and even more so when it's shared by #gamemp3s), it receives a good deal of attention. So, I don't think it needs the boost of SotW yet.

And as I mentioned above, there's more to VGM than one album/game/series. I'm certain there's material out there pretty much nobody heard about, yet there's always a risk that they might prefer never to hear about it either. As long as I'm concerned, I prefer to be exposed to songs that might be slightly less excellent than the popular tunes, but that are completely unfamiliar to my ears.

According to CHz and Dhsu, it doesn't. If there is going to be a poll about this, it would be nice if the poster could point out the fact that this is a completely original track as there seems to be quite some confusion regarding this fact.

Well, I can certainly see your point here, and I agree with you on most of it. With the MP track although, I had the feeling that while the game is well-known, its soundtrack isn't. For example, when I downloaded it and listened to it outside of the game for the first time, I was really surprised at how good it was, because I didn't really pay attention to it in-game.

Well, maybe that's just me, or maybe most of you guys already have the soundtrack in which case it really doesn't need SotW exposure. This is just the reason why I felt it would be a good idea to nominate this. Also, sorry for causing such a mess doing it ;).

Also, can anyone tell me where I can find some information about this Best Song Contest that everyone is talking about? I've tried searching for it but didn't find anything useful.

My votes:

(2 points) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Video Game Soundtrack - To Catch An Owl

(2 points) Kameo Elements of Power Original Soundtrack - Hero's Theme

(1 point) REAL BOUT Garou Densetsu 2 Arrange Sound Trax - Get The Sky -With Your Dream- (Alfred)

(1 point) DOUBLE DRAGON II The Revenge - Low Pursuit (Mission 2)

(2 points) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Video Game Soundtrack - To Catch An Owl
(2 points) Kameo Elements of Power Original Soundtrack - Hero's Theme
(2 points) Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow (PC Redbook Audio) - The Mojo Mansion


Alright week (too many dull entries, though).

Btw, is Phantasy Star series banned for Sotw? And some other series (apart of the popular ones, evidently)?

I understand holding off on an album that's new that has the chance to become really popular. But for stuff that is pretty obscure and certainly won't move into the spotlight, I don't see why we need to wait. It's not going to make a huge leap and be outside the confines of SOTW anytime soon.

It seems like this week the votes are divergent.

²P DOUBLE DRAGON II The Revenge - Low Pursuit (Mission 2)
³P Dynamite Headdy (Game Rip) - Schumacher Fly
1P Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - To Catch an Owl

I am not too familiar with Metroid really, hence I say yes, especially it's promised to be an entirely original track.

DOUBLE DRAGON II The Revenge - Low Pursuit (Mission 2) Vaguely reminds me of Sasai's Mystic Quest work. Not bad, but doesn't deliver on its early promise.

Dragon's Fury (Game Rip) - OMAKEBGM00 (Thunder Force II: Knights of Legend) A decent chippier sound, but ultimately not enough development to keep it interesting for the full length.

Duck Tales 2 (Game Rip) - Scotland Theme I loved and played the first Ducktales game, but never even saw a copy of its sequel, and the music's entirely new to me. Reminds me a bit of the original's Transylvania theme, but suffers by comparison somewhat.

Dynamite Headdy (Game Rip) - Schumacher Fly A fine, energetic, complex tune, this. The composer really pushed the old Genesis sound chip to the limit here.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - To Catch an Owl James Hannigan did an excellent job with the most recent Harry Potter OST, and this is a good representative of that. Sweeping and whimsical with a great (original) melody.

Kameo: Elements of Power Original Soundtrack - Hero's Theme We've had a lot of Kameo nominations (at least two from me), but that's fine by me as it's a terrific OST. This bold, choral music may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's the kind of thing I lap up.

Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow (PC Redbook Audio) - The Mojo Mansion Sort of a "Haunted Mansion" vibe here; very cute and surprisingly catchy.

Real Bout Garou Densetsu 2 Arrange Sound Trax - Get the Sky ~ With Your Dream (Alfred) A nice rock ballad with that "Top Gun" feel.

This was quite a good week; I enjoyed most of the tracks thoroughly.

The Point Spread
Harry Potter - 3 pts.
Dynamite Headdy - 1 pt.
Kameo - 1 pt.
Mojo Mansion - 1 pt.

2 points - DOUBLE DRAGON II The Revenge - Low Pursuit (Mission 2)
2 points - Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow (PC Redbook Audio) - The Mojo Mansion
1 point - Dragon's Fury (Game Rip) - OMAKEBGM00 (Thunder Force II: Knights of Legend)
1 point - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - To Catch an Owl

There was nothing I disliked this week, very good overall.

3 pts - Low Pursuit
2 pts - Schumacher Fly
1 pts - Omake

Double Dragon was an easy in, then it was a free for all. Would have given the original Knights of Legend 3...Maybe 6. Schumacher was a cool surprise, so I slipped it two.

I made a Metroid Prime poll.

We once had a track from Katamari Damacy in SotW. This was from a game rip, before the soundtrack came out and way before the game was released in the U.S. So that's the theory behind the rule: you can't tell if this dinky little shmup no one's heard of could have a word-of-mouth popularity explosion and be Katamari friggin' Damacy.

Even if you agree that waiting is a good idea, though, it turns out to be particularly hard to nail down how long to wait. Let's just say we go with three months after the game's initial release. Who's to say three months is long enough, and everyone isn't going to know the music inside and out at the end of month four? What if the game's been out in Japan for four months, but is due out in the U.S. in another month? Is it okay now, or should we wait until after the new release? And how long after the new release? What if the game's been out for four months, but a soundtrack is coming out in the next month? That would probably increase the popularity of the music even more than a domestic release of the game would. :bigugh:

I don't really have an opinion for or against the rule, but it's how we've been doing things. We've just been able to get away with a nebulous "novelty is not obscurity" without defining an acceptable waiting period because we've never really had to deal with people nominating very recently released tracks until a bunch of them right now.

Um, Sonic CD? Is this okay with anyone?

The BSC is a yearly tournament-style contest here for any original piece of video game music (so nothing off arrangement CDs, etc.). You can view the 2006 and 2007 archives.

Yup, all Phantasy Star is out, unless you can make a case that a specific game is obscure enough. Same with Wild Arms. I'm seriously making myself a note this time to finish that list, because I keep forgetting and it's embarrassing.

I assumed it would be since I didn't see it in the archive. I don't really know about its popularity outside SotW though, aside from SONIC BOOM, SONIC BOOM, SONIC BOOOOOOOOM. Is there just a moratorium on non-SMS Sonic games in general? How about the Advance and Rush series?

Hey guys, I'm back in this thing! (My last nom was Distant Memories, a runner-up all the way back in Week 29.) You can thank Liontamer for encouraging me to return to nominating new songs... although I haven't actually acquired much new obscure music in a while, so we'll see how long this lasts. But I have at least a few tracks in mind. And I'll try to vote when I can! :)

Oh, CHz. Would the Rockman X arrange album be obscure enough to qualify for SotW? I know Mega Man is insanely popular, but that album seems relatively obscure.

Anyway, here's my current nom. Larry, I heard your criticisms during #VGM, but this really does seem to be the most competitive song on the album.

Artist(s): kt2
Album/Game Title: History Repeats Itself: Abandoner/Lostchild coupling soundtrack
Track Title: Abandoner - Abandoner Main Title
Disc Number: only one
Track Number: 2/12
Catalog Number: HBMC-011
Year: 2004
Source(s): The actual physical CD. And here's the VGMdb link for those who want it.

Voting is closed and nominations are restricted!

1). [19/13] Dynamite Headdy (Game Rip) - Schumacher Fly
2). [19/12] Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - To Catch an Owl
3). [18] DOUBLE DRAGON II The Revenge - Low Pursuit (Mission 2)
4). [17] Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow (PC Redbook Audio) - The Mojo Mansion
5). [15] Dragon's Fury (Game Rip) - OMAKEBGM00 (Thunder Force II: Knights of Legend)
6). [14] Real Bout Garou Densetsu 2 Arrange Sound Trax - Get the Sky ~ With Your Dream (Alfred)
7). [9] Kameo: Elements of Power Original Soundtrack - Hero's Theme
8). [3] Duck Tales 2 (Game Rip) - Scotland Theme

No moratorium, although I think Sonic games should be looked at pretty closely. I thought Sonic CD's soundtracks were pretty well known, so I want to know what other people think. I'd be fine with the Advance games, but probably not with Rush or Rush Adventure.

Not likely. Album doesn't seem to get as much love as it should, but I don't see it being obscure enough to make up for the fact that everyone knows MMX.

3 points - Dragon's Fury (Game Rip) - OMAKEBGM00 (Thunder Force II: Knights of Legend)
2 points - DOUBLE DRAGON II The Revenge - Low Pursuit (Mission 2)
Nothing else really stood out for me. But
1 point - Dynamite Headdy (Game Rip) - Schumacher Fly
because I don't mind hearing it as much.


****Nomination****

Game/Album: No More Heroes (Game Rip. Don't know if the OST is out yet)
Song: Pleather for Breakfast (Fight vs Bad Girl)
Composer(s): Masafumi Takada & Jun Fukuda

EDIT: *Stares at time stamp of the last post*
*Anger*

The quality of the music in video games released in the last four months or so must be phenomenal.

No More Heroes
JP: December 6, 2007
US: January 22, 2008
OST: January 23, 2008

If this is okay, that NiGHTS track is too.

:gonk::gonk::gonk:

GONK!!!!

Oh well, glad to see two of my picks take medals at least. Didn't realize it would be that close.

See, I'm not really tracking here as that's a gigantic tap dance around what I asked. How long am I going to be waiting? I'm going to assume all that up there just added up to "There's a rule we follow, I don't know." I'm going over the rule you're supposedly invoking... no, it's not a rule, it's a "guideline", in this case. Whatever the hell this is:

I can't say I agree with the logic in this case, at all. Omega Five is an X-Box Live Arcade shooter that appeals to people who can appreciate how esoteric it is, that or people who just wanted the Gamerscore. Katamari Damacy was a PS2 game that exploded in popularity because the PS2 is actually a medium with a user base that actually wanted it from the get go. Personally, I don't really think it takes clairvoyance to see that the Omega Five Soundtrack is where most people are going to probably gain an appreciation for the game's music. However, my appreciation is from actually hearing it in game.

That said, I don't know what to do with that giant block of text, CHz. I'm gonna sit here, with no clearly defined time and one day someone's gonna decide that "Oh hey, it'd be cool to nominate this because it sounds cool off the album I just downloaded" while I'm sitting here right now thinking "I wanted to nominate this the day I heard it while playing the damned game." Just, I really want some kind of answer regarding how long of a wait I'm looking at. Or at least confirm to me that all that up there is the equivalent of "I don't know how long you're waiting, there's rules."

Oh, there's a 4 month rule? My apologies. I'll replace it with something else later then.

Regarding the inhibition period for new releases, I'd put it 3 months after a game's release (1) in the US (2) for the following reasons:
1. OST wouldn't matter, because it's the chance to listen to the track that's important. The time that an OST is released is also quite arbitrary.
2. US, because that's when the chance is greatest to be exposed to a track.
If it's a JP release, then wait 6 months or so.

About the Sonic nomination, I can't decide and would need more information. If the current track is an arrangement of some popular source tune, then no, otherwise yes.

Wah, I hated the results. Such a low position for my favorite track this week :gonk: (EDIT: Wops, Garou Densetsu 2 ^^U)

I'm pretty sure Sonic CD is one of the classic Sonic games, arguably the best Sonic game ever... And I vividly remember the soundtrack as well. So yeah, that's a bit too well-known for my tastes.

Additional Spam:
This is a weird argument because it relies entirely on hindsight regarding Katamari's popularity. Nobody knew (including Namco) that Katamari Damacy would be a huge runaway success, why else would they have sold the game for half the price of a regular PS2 game? Sure it turned out to be a huge hit, but if memory serves me, it was an obscure title for a good while before it became well-known.

Comparable titles (on the PS2 or on other systems) have not escaped obscurity, musically or as a game.

Meanwhile, the 360 is a pretty big market as well, and who is to say that this game will not become notorious for its soundtrack? I'd have difficulty accepting a nomination from Touhou, which by most standards can't really be called a well-known game, but the soundtrack is so revered.

Anyway I do agree that a general rule should be formed (after all my nomination for NiGHTS 2 was shot down just a few weeks ago on similar grounds). 3 months after a game's US release sounds good to me as well.

I'm quite neutral on the issue of time frame with regards to newly released games/soundtracks. I guess just stick with something that works for administration purposes and as it stands, I think the current methodology is ok.

Since we're on the topic of obscure/popular soundtracks, wanted to check if the Rockman EXE5DS&6 Complete Music Encyclopedia album is considered obscure enough. I have no idea if it's from a popular Rockman game/soundtrack but think the game(s) is for Nintendo DS. Was thinking of nominating a track or two.

There is justified confusion about the waiting period (cf. Manny Biggz). I thought I had made the situation clear by stating twice that the waiting period is undefined and seeking feedback about how long it should last, which a few people have provided, and I apologize for failing to do so. For the benefits of you and everyone else who does not know the particulars of the waiting period:

I don't know. We are currently in the process of making things explicit so that you will know.

The waiting period is neither a rule nor a guideline: it's a decree made by the SotW founder that was invoked probably once over the seventy weeks between when it was issued and a few weeks ago. Since then, it has been mentioned with regards to five tracks and counting, four of which have been nominated by people who only started participating after it was imposed. The part of the rules that you quoted does not apply because the waiting period is not in the rules at all. It has never been formalized and just been treated as common practice between the people who actually remember it happening because there has never been a pressing reason to until now. This is finally being addressed per the above [size=6][b] text.

If you would like a guarantee that this track will not be nominated by anyone until you do after the next lunar eclipse or whatever waiting period is agreed upon, assuming one is imposed on your track, I can provide one.

Seeing all these, "Is this obscure enough?" questions, I just have to think (like Rimo), there are so many obviously obscure/unknown games/game soundtracks/game rips out there - why not nominate something from them instead of going with a track from a semi-obscure album from a game series that isn't obscure at all? I'm referring to the Metroid Prime, MMX, Sonic Boom, etc. noms here. I guess it's because people tend to nominate stuff they're familiar with, and people tend to be familiar with albums/rips from popular series, but there's no harm in expanding your search and listening to other random stuff. Note that I have nothing against the people making these nominations, and if such noms only came once in awhile, it wouldn't be a big deal. It just seems like there have been a lot of borderline noms lately, like people are trying to squeeze in whatever questionable albums they can rather than trying to promote more obscure stuff (SotW's purpose).

Woohoo, second place!

I agree wholeheartedly with Drakken above. It's not the end of the word if an occasional too-popular track sneaks in, but I really wish people would choose clearly obscure stuff.

As for Sonic CD, I can't say one way or the other. Not familiar with the series personally, but I know some swear by it.

I dunno, it still seems like a cult classic thing to me. I don't know ANYBODY who had a Sega CD...the only reason I even played it was the lame PC port was $5. But again I can't speak for whether the OST itself has some big following outside of SotW for some reason.

As for what Drakken said...nominating from popular series might seem like missing the point, but in every popular series there tends to be obscure off-shoots and unlocalized releases, and bringing them to light is pretty satisfying as well. I might have underestimated Sonic CD's popularity though, so I'll try to come up with an alt nom.

I'm confused. Did this mean that you liked the track or not?

Well, I mean, I can totally see why you'd nominate it, it's awesome and if not everybody has heard it at this point, they really should. It's true that not many folks had a Sega CD at the time (and I really can't blame anybody for that), but judging from what I know of Sonic fans, a lot of people went and played the game on emulator later. I did actually play it on Sega CD, which might actually be sadder than playing it on an emulator.

Anyway, I'm intimately familiar with the Sonic CD OST so for me this is like nominating something from Rondo of Blood--it may not be the most played of the Castlevania series, but the game is revered by many fans as the best one, and in a series where the music is specifically admired.

Maybe I'm actually overestimating the popularity of the game and its music with "normal people" though--it's certainly awesome so it's not like I never want to hear it again... Anyway, enough yammering from me for one SotW thread. :D

That would be great!

Drakken/orion:

As far as your collective reasoning is concerned, if there were a clearly defined rule regarding what just happened to some of us, I'm pretty sure we would have gone to the massive amounts of untapped VGM out there for potential nominations. Unfortunately, in the case of myself, I liked The Glacial Fortress since I heard it in January. I mean, surasshu brings up something that is good in theory, but guess what? I know Omega Five isn't going to be a gigantic cult explosion. It doesn't take a genius to see that.

There will not be a massive outcry for the music from Omega Five, much less the game, because it isn't anything like what Katamari Damacy is. It's a shooter, esoteric. Katamari was a fairly fun game that was extremely addictive and not overly complicated to play. Again, I realize "obscurity" is a touchy subject, taken on a case by case basis, but I find that the bulk of you who enjoy oversimplifying only increases some of the frustration regarding our attempts to participate.

Guess what? I would love to nominate something else, but I heard "X" song first. As we're seeing right now, "obscurity" is very much a game of semantics as far as this contest is concerned. In the case of Sonic CD, that game's music precedes it. It has a clearly defined reputation, yet I see that its status as "obscure" is being viewed in a light that just might get it into this contest. I disagree that it's obscure, I also disagree that Castlevania's music is obscure, but this VGM scene we deal in is very much a niche market. That said, I don't see very many people trying to fight the rules, we're just asking for guidance. I could do without the peanut gallery. I appreciate CHz's patience and helpfulness in this regard.

I'll have to come up with another nomination, but I'm glad to know my issue is being addressed.

Are you saying that people might actually find out about and enjoy this music without your assistance? Because that's pretty much why the waiting period is in effect in the first place. Besides, shouldn't it be about the music anyway and not the person who nominated it? Seriously now.

Respectfully... Waiting period, Dhsu? You mean the one that CHz just established as not being clearly defined or even in the rules? The very rules I referenced when I made the nomination, Dhsu? People would find the music on their own, sure... but I find that I have very little reason to believe that many of us find VGM from places other than albums or gamerips. I smelled opportunity, I took it. The instant this started being a contest was when the very idea of it being purely "about the music" went right out the window.

It's the tracks that are competing, not the nominators. I'm not clear on what your point about albums and gamerips is...why does it matter the way people find VGM? The purpose of the waiting period is to allow the music to propagate, not necessarily the game. Nobody's actually played Drakengard 2 or Enthusia or Napple Tale, but those games are on the verge of being banned from SotW (if they haven't been already).

The tracks are competing, but the nominators are the persons recommending them, chief.

I'd argue on Drakengard 2... but my point goes back to when CHz made mention that the album for Omega Five was just released and we should give it time, whereas I felt it was more important that we go based off when the video game actually hits. Since that's the point of origin, barring any musical arrangements/remixes. I feel that VGM enthusiasm seems to often forget the very reason the music exists in the first place: the video game itself. I don't care where people find the music, just that we could make some kind of concession to original tracks if there's no gamerip. I could see us waiting on albums like the Darius Remix, which has absolutely no original music from any of the games in question, but if I had to wait to nominate an original track from Darius based off when the Remix album dropped, I'd be somewhat puzzled.

o/~ Memories... o/~

Yes, we never made a rule because it was a rare occurrence where a track was scrutinized on this basis. On a side note, I made a personal pledge to not nominate anything released in the current year. I don't expect a waiting period of that long from you guys, but I want to let you know what my stance is.

That's the same view I have about SotW. It's cool to have your track win, but there is no prize other than sharing music you enjoy with others. It works the same way in the BSC.


For the record, I heard "The Glacial Fortress" when I bought the game back in Janurary as well (thanks to CHz for the heads up). I thought it was great then, and still feel the same now. Definitely worthy of SotW. However, even the release of the game two months is rather recent. I have no problem giving the music time to propagate naturally, and likely at some point, having someone else nominate it for SotW.

We can't clearly define "obscurity" here, yet "natural progression" comes up? OK, then.

Haha. It means I couldn't resist referencing a musical in-joke. Sorry, carry on.

Alt Nomination:
Artist(s): Tatsuyuki Maeda, Yutaka Minobe, Masato Nakamura
Album/Game Title: Sonic Advance (Game Rip)
Track Title: Casino Paradise Zone Act 2
Disc Number: N/A
Track Number: N/A
Catalog Number: None
Year: 2001
Source(s): GSF rip

Also just to get this out of the way, here's a list of games I'm thinking of nominating that I think have questionable eligibility...if I can get a ruling on which ones are out, that'd be appreciated:

Grandia II
Grandia Xtreme
Panzer Dragoon
Panzer Dragoon Zwei
Parodius series
Radiant Silvergun
Shenmue
Shenmue II
Shining Force
WarCraft II

I don't understand what you're trying to say.

Speaking of Sonic nominations, here's one of my own:
=== Kaleb.G ===
* Album Title: SEVEN RINGS IN HAND: Sonic and the Secret Rings Original Sound Track
* Artist: Fumie Kumatani
* Track Title: HIGH AND BROKEN
* Source: #gamemp3s / VGMdb
* File Location: I can upload it if you need me to; I got mine from #gamemp3s
* Disc Number: 1
* Track Number: 08
* Catalogue Number: WM-0560~1
* Year: 2007

Debate the eligibility if you must. As far as I can tell, the music was largely panned, if commented on at all. Also, it didn't appear that the game itself was very popular; I've never even heard anyone talk about playing it.

Then I guess we're in similar boats. I do not understand how someone can define "natural progression" when the very term used to justify the existence of an event is never clearly stated. In that case, what would be natural progression for obscurity? Waiting for "non-success" to kick in?

Just to give my two cents, I don't think the Katamari Damacy example is relevant when talking about Omega Five. Sure, no one saw KD's popularity coming, but hey, it was an oddball budget game on a system with a huge install base that eventually caught on due to word of mouth. As Rotorblade said, Omega Five is a shmup. And one only users of Xbox Live can buy, no less. Shmups are never super-popular (at least here in the US), and there's nothing particularly unusual about this game that would cause anything like what happened with KD, so I'd say it's safe to declare it obscure enough for SotW. If its music happens to become popular after the soundtrack eventually comes out, so what? I don't think that's an issue.

Grandia II and the Shenmue games are definite 'no's. Xtreme, not sure. Those two PD games have had just a bit of exposure here in BSC; can't remember if they've appeared in SotW before. I'd say they're borderline. The Parodius series should be fine. Radiant Silvergun is one of Sakimoto's well-known works, so no. Shining Force is very well-known; its music perhaps less so but still enough to make it ineligible. And WarCraft II? Well, I'm not sure how popular that game's music is, so I don't have an opinion there.

Lots of convo still going on here. Why don't some of you n00bs and stragglers check out the Best Doujin Contest and make a difference: Best Doujin Contest - Gamingforce Interactive Forums

I'll pass if it's all the same. My loss? Awesome!

There a working link to the torrent download?

Likely not at this point, but every single thread has the tracks hosted as well as streamable. There's not much effort involved.

I can seed if you'd still prefer to have all the tracks.