Classic Mega Man tuneage poll

I am here today to ask you a question. A question of dire importance!

You see, back in the day before they started crapping them out left and right, the Megaman Games came packed with some pretty quality tunes. Not just one or two, but usually the whole thing was pretty great. Each one has it's own unique style and flavor, and apparently some are liked more than others.

It is for this reason I have called you all here today to ask you, out of the original 6 Mega Man titles for the NES (not including remixes, remastered editions, etc. Just the original chiptune. NSFs can be found packaged here.) which one do you favor the most, and why?

To start, mine has always been Mega Man 4. From start to finish the fast paced and driving rhythm of the game was always a standout in my mind. The ending tune is also very classy, and very easy to hum/whistle all day. It's awesome.

What about you?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

As a whole, my favorite soundtrack of these six is MM5's. Mari Maruta is awesome, and her only contribution to the classic MM series was the most solid as a whole, with no track disappointing, even though the melodies aren't exactly the most infectious. And Darkman Stage rocks, obvs.

My favorite overall track is actually from MM4, though: Bright Man's stage theme. That shit gets stuck in my head for hours.

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I LOVE all of the NES Mega Man tunes! Each game had their own style and sound, and none of them ever sounded recycled. Classy shit right there.

My fave would either be MM2 or MM5. They were a little more atmospheric than the others and seemed to convey the theme of each stage the best. Those two happen to be my favorite to play though, as well.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I remember that there was a poll like this about a year ago, though I can't remember if it was the best music or the worst...or if it was even about the music.

I'm torn between Megaman 2 & Megaman 3, and not just because of Bubbleman and Sparkman. It's a tough call either way you look at it, but I feel that Megaman 3 just barely wins me over for now. Megaman 3 had some amazing music from levels like Dr. Wily Stage 2, Dr. Wily Boss, Topman, and Sparkman. The music that comes from those tracks are just amazing.

And now, thanks to you, I suddenly want to play Anniversary Collection again.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I think Megaman 2 had, pound for pound, the most innovative and original of all the music ever featured in the series. I remember going to my friend's house with my tape deck so that we could record the music to listen to on our Walkmans (A very primitive attempt at ripping VGM in 1988).

But really, nearly every track was a standout. Bubbleman, Crashman, Airman, Flashman and Metalman were highly memorable. Wily Stage 1-2 is pretty much legendary. Even the lesser stages - Quickman, Woodman, and Heatman - had music that eclipsed pretty much anything from Megaman 6. But Bubbleman's Stage is definitely my all-time favorite Megaman track.

And I think the remix attempts are a testament to the high quality of Megaman 2's composition. Over at OCRemix, there are more MM2 remixes than any other game in the Megaman series. Why? Because the originals were quality and a remixer usually prefers to begin with something strong and identifiable, or else there's little point in doing the remix.

My runner-up is Megaman 5. A lot of people would argue that Megaman 3 was better, but I think there was a tremendous rise in originality when they sat down to write for 5. Waveman, Chargeman and Gyroman's stages have wonderful themes. Stoneman and Gravityman were memorable also. Megaman 3 had its strong moments, like Snakeman and Magnetman, but 5 felt a bit more polished.

But don't even get me started on how purely awful the music in Megaman 6 was.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by SuperSonic

I remember that there was a poll like this about a year ago, though I can't remember if it was the best music or the worst...or if it was even about the music.

You must be thinking of the Best Mega Man Music Contest, which was NYRSkate's final completed GFF mega-poll. It was just like the BSC but all MM tunes; if memory serves, the winner was actually from 3, "Snake Man."

I'd agree with Crash--2 and 5 are loaded with classics. The thing that I love about the NES titles was that even the most mundane of them (6) had some innovative and listenable themes (I'm still quite partial to Centaur Man and Flame Man). It goes without saying that just about any song from the NES era can wipe the floor with the trashy genero-rock that passed for Mega Man tuneage these days.

With that in mind, I'd rank them 2, 5, 3, 1, 4, 6.

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Originally Posted by Crash Landon

But don't even get me started on how purely awful the music in Megaman 6 was.

I'd like you to get started, actually. What was so bad about it that it had to be classified as awful, not even relatively? Flameman's(?) tune was awesome.

But anyway, this decision was cake for me. As good as the others are, MM5 had by far the best tunage, no contest. Personally, I also think MM3 had better tunage than 2 as well.

EDIT:

Originally Posted by AWACS Eagle Eye

Stuff

Wow, I should've just copypasted that post, I 100% agree with everything, including Brightman having the best theme.

FELIPE NO

for me must be Megaman 3, it was the first i played, but the songs remain, even now on my head!
Hardman and Magnetman themes rock in my head!!!

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

For me, this is a pretty easy call. 2 all the way. Crash cited most of the reasons, though I disagree on the favourite tune. I could rock out to flashman all goddamned day.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by orion_mk3

You must be thinking of the Best Mega Man Music Contest, which was NYRSkate's final completed GFF mega-poll. It was just like the BSC but all MM tunes; if memory serves, the winner was actually from 3, "Snake Man."

Actually this was something that happened before the Mega Man Music contest, but I'm pretty fuzzy on the details right now. I can't remember if 7 or 8 were options but I'm pretty sure 1-6 were there.

Yes you're right, Snake Man was the winner of the contest from last year defeating Bubble Man in the final round. 3rd place songs were MM2 - Dr. Wily Stage 1 and MM3 - Spark Man Stage. If we had that contest again, I'd probably vote differently this time around seeing as how I finally got into the X series this past year.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Quote:
I finally got into the X series this past year.

Same here. X3's music was rather meh, though.

I've always been into the X series (minus X7 and X8 for.. fiscal reasons). I've actually never really played any of the original series games..

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by SuperSonic

If we had that contest again, I'd probably vote differently this time around seeing as how I finally got into the X series this past year.

I'd probably vote exactly the same, since I've never gotten into the X series:biggrin:
The NES games had a certain creative and melodic spark to them. X and the later PSX "classic" series lost this entirely, becomeing so much generic rocknrollica. And the less said about "Battle Network," the better...

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Originally Posted by orion_mk3

I'd probably vote exactly the same, since I've never gotten into the X series:biggrin:
The NES games had a certain creative and melodic spark to them. X and the later PSX "classic" series lost this entirely, becomeing so much generic rocknrollica. And the less said about "Battle Network," the better...

Agreed. Once you get past Megaman X3 you've pretty much heard anything worth listening that the newer games have to offer.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by neothe0ne

Quote:
I finally got into the X series this past year.

Same here. X3's music was rather meh, though.

I've always been into the X series (minus X7 and X8 for.. fiscal reasons). I've actually never really played any of the original series games..

So far I've gotten up to X6, and the best one I've heard thus far is X5. One of the reasons is because of a remix of a certain boss track in there. Anyone who's played the original Mega Man knows what I'm talking about.

Spoiler:

The Shadow Devil, or in the original Mega Man we know him as the Rock Monster.

The classic Mega Man tunes from the NES are true gems. I've really enjoyed the final boss tracks in all of them (even though Mega Man 2's was just the usual boss track, but it's still awesome).

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

It was a really hard decision for me but I'm going with Mega Man 4. Most of my favorite tunes from the Classic Mega Man series are in that game. Let's see... Ring Man, Skull Man, Drill Man, Dive Man, Drill Man, Pharoah Man, both Cossack stages, the Second Wily stage... Damn, there was a lot of really good music.

And as far as the music from the MMX series goes, I'd say that MMX and MMX2 had the best music in the entire series. It's a tie between the SNES version of MMX3 and MMX4. The PSX version of MMX3 wasn't that great. It sounds too slow-paced compared to the SNES music. The rest of the music after X4 is pretty forgettable.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by AWACS Eagle Eye

As a whole, my favorite soundtrack of these six is MM5's. Mari Maruta is awesome, and her only contribution to the classic MM series was the most solid as a whole, with no track disappointing, even though the melodies aren't exactly the most infectious. And Darkman Stage rocks, obvs.

My favorite overall track is actually from MM4, though: Bright Man's stage theme. That shit gets stuck in my head for hours.

Agreed about MM5. I only discovered the awesomeness of that soundtrack last year, but it quickly rose to the top of my MM soundtrack list, beating out MM3, which had been my favorite for many years. What other stuff has Mari Maruta done?

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Ahh, I'm always up for some vigorous MM music debate.

Megaman 2 is the clear choice among the NES set. It has the melodies, the rhythms, the counterpoint, and most importantly, the punch and kinetic energy that the rest of the series flirts with but never quite recaptures. If I had to settle on one piece as being the best, I'd go with Airman - the rhythms are perfect and the 8-bit guitar solo in the back half is still completely awesome 17 years later.

Next would be Megaman 5. Never liked Stoneman's theme, but the rest plays like a more cohesive and skilled version of Megaman 3's music, with its different styles and bittersweet melodies. Seeing as I put it in the Best Song Contest, it's no surprise Darkman's theme is my favorite, followed closely by Napalmman.

Third would be Megaman 3, which matches MM2's energy but channels it into a sunnier sound than its predecessor's anthems. The more serious pieces get more clout amongst the fans (the intro, Protoman's theme, Wily 3-4), but it's the upbeat stuff that really carries it (well, maybe not Topman). My favorite here is Needleman, the funkiest 8-bit piece this side of Hip Tanaka.

Next is the apparently-unloved Megaman 6. While very poor in parts (Centaurman, Mr. X Stage), when it's good, it's very good. My personal favorite piece is Windman, one of the happiest MM pieces ever.

Getting weaker now...Megaman 4 is next. Some very good pieces, particularly in its castle themes, but many of the initial 8 stage themes are just plain blah (Skullman and Diveman are excused). Also, the boss theme is terrible. Cossack Stage 3-4 is best here, and it's a damned shame the Anniversary/Complete Works mix robbed it of its hypnotic hum and thumping drums.

Dead last is the original entry. Without Fireman, Cutman, and Wily Stage 1-2, the thing would be utterly worthless. I don't understand what so many people see in Elecman's theme. Cutman's tops, here.

If 7, 8, and Bass were to be included here, put 7 just behind 5 (Shademan and bitchin' Wily themes!), 8 just behind 6 (Searchman and Astroman!), and Bass dead last - Dynamoman aside, that shit's terrible.

P.S. As far as the X music goes, X5 is best, followed by X4 and X1. X7 and X8 are tied (though X8 would be higher if its disappointing themes weren't really disappointing), X3 and X6 are blah, and X2 and Command Mission should be stricken from the record entirely.

P.P.S. Just remembered the GB Megamen. 5 (Mars!), 2 (Hardman!), 4, (Wily Stage!), 1 (Wily Stage 2!), and 3 (Wily Stage...I guess).

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Toma

Agreed about MM5. I only discovered the awesomeness of that soundtrack last year, but it quickly rose to the top of my MM soundtrack list, beating out MM3, which had been my favorite for many years. What other stuff has Mari Maruta done?

Check her SNES works at http://snesmusic.org/v2/profile.php?...er&selected=43 (Mari Yamaguchi is her married name); Area 88 (U.N. Squadron) receives special commendation from me (and Breath of Fire also, obviously). MobyGames also credits her on Final Fight 2, although SNESmusic.org doesn't credit her.

She also worked on the TurboGrafx-16 version of Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition and Mega Man X4.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by AWACS Eagle Eye

She also worked on the TurboGrafx-16 version of Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition and Mega Man X4.

Wait a minute...I thought Toshihiko Horiyama was X4's sole composer? Where did you hear this?

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by SonicPanda

Wait a minute...I thought Toshihiko Horiyama was X4's sole composer? Where did you hear this?

Actually, you're right. Mari only did voicework on X4... Split Mushroom, to be exact. I was too hasty in posting and forgot.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by AWACS Eagle Eye

Actually, you're right. Mari only did voicework on X4... Split Mushroom, to be exact. I was too hasty in posting and forgot.

REALLY? That's awesome...I love that voice. Between this and Hamauzu singing One-Winged Angel, I wonder how many VGM composers do voice work as well. Might be worth another topic down the line...

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by SonicPanda

If 7, 8, and Bass were to be included here, put 7 just behind 5 (Shademan and bitchin' Wily themes!), 8 just behind 6 (Searchman and Astroman!), and Bass dead last - Dynamoman aside, that shit's terrible.

Hell no. If Rockman & Forte (Bass) were included in this poll, I might have had to think twice about my vote. The initial stage (Museum), and Groundman utterly hooked me with the jazz style, and every song (cept mabye King Castle stages) was awesome.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Quote:

Hell no. If Rockman & Forte (Bass) were included in this poll, I might have had to think twice about my vote. The initial stage (Museum), and Groundman utterly hooked me with the jazz style, and every song (cept mabye King Castle stages) was awesome.

Damn skippy. Coldman's Stage is the tightest shit I've ever heard in my life.

Classic-wise, I did enjoy the first 2 Mega Mans, with 2 and 3 being my favorites. I really liked 7 though, too, but since that's not considered classic in this poll, I digress.

FELIPE NO

I really don't understand the Mega Man 6 hate. I agree that some of the tracks were not some of the greatest ever, but every Mega Man game had its weak points. Flame Man, Wind Man, and Plant Man alone make the MM6 soundtrack worth giving a listen to.

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Originally Posted by SonicPanda

REALLY? That's awesome...I love that voice. Between this and Hamauzu singing One-Winged Angel, I wonder how many VGM composers do voice work as well. Might be worth another topic down the line...

Wow. I don't really like OWA, but that's awesome that Hamauzu did the voicework on that.

Weighing in on Rockman & Forte, chalk me up with those who think it's dope. My tops would still be MM5, but R&F might be second with hotness like Museum, Coldman, Pirateman, Dynamoman, and Tenguman.

I'd actually rank MM6 pretty high... definitely in my top three of MM1-6. The three stage themes that Ronz mentioned are all delicious, and I'd throw in Blizzardman, Yamatoman, and the two castle themes as well.

Jam it back in, in the dark.