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Post by Wyrdwad on Nov 9, 2014 6:32:34 GMT -5
Episode 8 is now up. This week's theme is... first stage, area or dungeon themes. Again. I sort of accidentally wound up finding a bunch more really great tracks while trying to pick out stuff for an entirely different theme, so I figured, why not create a sequel episode? Last week's was my most-answered to date, after all... so now, you get more! And this time... it's much harder! Mwa ha ha... All but one track was successfully guessed for the last episode. And that one track was... ..."Open the World" from the Culdcept II Original Soundtrack, composed by Kenji Ito. Here's the track itself on YouTube -- it's quite good! As mentioned in my first hint, this is actually three different songs all jammed together into a single track for some reason -- I used the second part, which begins at 2:24. Interestingly, this was the very first Kenji Ito soundtrack I ever heard, so while most people probably associate him with SaGa, I'll always think of him as "that guy who composed Culdcept II" first and foremost. And here's the full answer key for episode 7: 01) Tokobot / Tokobot Plus: Mysteries of the Karakuri 02) Jumping Flash! 03) Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams (TurboGrafx-16 CD version) 04) Strider 2 05) HyperZone 06) Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures 07) Culdcept (Culdcept II Japan) 08) Castle of Illusion HD starring Mickey Mouse 09) Battletoads in Battlemaniacs 10) Vib Ribbon 11) Contra: Hard Corps 12) Um Jammer Lammy 13) Gumshoe 14) Gremlins 2: The New Batch (NES) 15) Treasure Master 16) ActRaiser 17) Castlevania: Dracula X / Castlevania: Vampire's Kiss (SNES) 18) **JPN ONLY** The Scheme 19) **JPN ONLY** Nayuta no Kiseki 20) **JPN ONLY** Soukaigi Good luck, and happy listening! -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Nov 9, 2014 4:58:12 GMT -5
Nope! Episode 8 might not go up till morning (I'm tired and still have to arrange all the tracks into my template), so I'm going to give one more hint. The original game was (at least at the time) a Sega Saturn exclusive that later got ported to PS1 with expanded content, but neither version ever saw the light of day in the west. The sequel was initially released for Dreamcast in Japan, but following in the shoes of its predecessor, it got an expanded port on PS2, and *that's* the version that finally made its way to the west (and the game from which excerpt #7 was taken). Since the original game was never released here, though, the "II" was dropped from the name for its western release. -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Nov 8, 2014 3:27:49 GMT -5
Will probably have a new episode up in less than 24 hours, and we're down to only one unidentified track (track #7)... so I'm going to give one last-ditch hint, to see if anyone can guess it. Otherwise... I will have bested you! MWA HA HA!! The track is from the second game in a multiple platform-spanning series... or, as far as most westerners are concerned, the first. Since this is one of those titles where the first game never came out here, while the second did... but lost its number in the process. I think if I said anything more than that, I'd be giving it away, so this will be the final clue before the answer is revealed. Good luck! -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Nov 6, 2014 4:42:10 GMT -5
No on 7, but yes on 8. That leaves just two to go! -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Nov 6, 2014 4:07:51 GMT -5
Middle of the week, so about time for some hints! This has been the most successfully-guessed episode of Soundtrack Sleuth to date, with 17 out of 20 tracks correctly identified before even a single hint was given -- only 1, 7 and 8 remain unknown. So I'm going to focus on giving detailed hints for those three, and much simpler hints for the others. Here we go! 01 (UNIDENTIFIED): The PSP often got criticized for being a port system -- not long after launch, it seemed like half its library consisted of ports from other consoles or handhelds. However, there were a handful of games that completely reversed this trend by debuting as PSP exclusives, then later being ported to other systems. This is one such game, having been PSP-exclusive for quite some time before finally getting an updated console port that... kind of made the PSP version obsolete, sadly. But no matter which version you play, this is actually a really great game.
02: This game has the unique honor of having spawned a series that never left the PS1. From the first title to the Japan-only last title, every game in the series was PS1-exclusive as far as I know (though the last game did have PocketStation support, which you could argue is kiiiiinda like another system...).
03: This shmup was ported to a bunch of different consoles, and is arguably one of the seminal titles in a subgenre of shmup that remains fairly popular to this day.
04: This is the third time I've featured a game from this series in a Soundtrack Sleuth episode -- though the first time I've included any tracks from this particular entry.
05: This early SNES title is often compared to another, more popular SNES title... and although this game represents a different genre altogether, the comparison is an easy one to make since so much of its visual and aural design feels like it was lifted straight from that other game.
06: This recent-ish indie game is the reason for my stated rule: "Tutorial stages count, but only if they're unskippable." The game has no clearly-defined stage order, presenting itself with more of a Mega Man-style stage select -- but it ALWAYS begins with this tutorial stage.
07 (UNIDENTIFIED): This track is the reason for my stated rule: "If multiple tracks are played during a particular game's first stage, any of them are viable for this list." This multiplayer-focused non-MMO game features two tracks per stage, with one fading into the other once the stage's halfway point is reached (and fading back if you regress). The game's OST (which is composed by a relatively big-name game musician, but NOT the same big-name musician responsible for its predecessor's OST) is quite good, but has a bit of an annoying quirk: the first half, second half and battle BGM for each stage are all combined into single tracks, meaning much of the CD consists of 7+ minute long tracks that are actually three full songs, each one looped twice and then faded out before the next begins. Why the CD was structured this way, I have no idea.
08 (UNIDENTIFIED): I decided to use the far less well-known remake version of this track, as opposed to the original that I'm pretty sure a ton of people would've gotten instantly. The remake version is pretty heavily arranged, and I happened to choose a section from the track that alters the melody of this classic first stage theme pretty significantly. It still has the same basic structure and progression as the original, however, and a few melodic nods that are dead giveaways... so listen closely, and I'm pretty confident you'll get it. If it sounds familiar, go with your gut, and you'll probably be guessing right.
09: This SNES game is sort of a sequel, sort of a reboot of an NES classic. It's very unlikely you've ever seen this one (or its predecessor) through to the end, however.
10: This PS1 game is presented entirely in black and white.
11: This is from the obligatory Sega Genesis entry in a series that was (at least at the time) traditionally released on Nintendo systems. Many people prefer this game to its SNES counterpart.
12: Those of you who know this, know this... or at least, you know what character is singing. But listen closely to the lyrics, as this may not be from the exact game you think it is.
13: This is from a light gun game.
14: This is from a movie-licensed game.
15: This is from a game that had a real-life contest featuring actual prizes associated with it.
16: This is from a game that featured two completely different gameplay styles, with two completely different protagonists. Its sequel nixed one of the two styles completely, and is almost universally considered a far lesser game because of it. (Actually, there are a ton of OTHER reasons the sequel is considered a lesser game too, but that's a whole other bag of worms!)
17: This is from what's generally considered a good but heavily-neutered SNES port of one of its respective franchise's most highly-regarded entries.
18: This Japan-only game is the first PC-98 title to be featured in a Soundtrack Sleuth episode. The game's OST typically overshadows the game itself, but the game is honestly quite good -- it's an early flip-screen Metroidvania with great balance and a cool atmosphere.
19: This is from a game that was sneakily named as if it's part of a much larger series, when in fact it has almost nothing to do with said series whatsoever. It heavily relies on the four seasons as a central mechanic in its gameplay. This is also the ONLY title on this list to take advantage of the "or (in the case of RPGs) dungeon" stipulation in the rules -- every other title on the list is from an actual first stage of some kind, but this track is specifically played in an RPG's first dungeon.
20: Our final track is from a SquareSoft title that's all but forgotten -- and was never really well-remembered in the first place for anything other than its absolutely spectacular soundtrack.
Whew! All right... good luck! -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Nov 3, 2014 2:49:01 GMT -5
Correct on 3, 16 and 17 (game may be inferior, but I actually like this version of the song better!)... incorrect on 7, though (not even the same composer, I'm afraid!). And I'd be surprised if you knew 5, as I went pretty obscure with it... but then again, that was actually one of the first ones to be correctly identified on HG101, so maybe it's not as obscure as I thought! -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Nov 2, 2014 22:14:42 GMT -5
I assume the former, since the latter is virtually impossible. -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Nov 2, 2014 14:28:41 GMT -5
Both have been guessed correctly by other people already, so if you're curious enough, here are the answers: 04 is Strider 2. 09 is Battletoads in Battlemaniacs. -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Nov 2, 2014 13:21:43 GMT -5
Technically, you're wrong on #15, but I think you just typoed the number, since that's obviously not SNES synth. Pretty sure you meant #16. In which case you got all eight, including #12 (my sneaky one!). Very nice!
-Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Nov 2, 2014 4:31:10 GMT -5
Well, it's sometime tomorrow... and I couldn't wait any longer! Heheheh... This episode's theme: Tracks played in a game's very first stage, level, world, area or (in the case of RPGs) dungeon. If multiple tracks are played during a particular game's first stage, any of them are viable for this list. Tutorial stages count, but only if they're unskippable. The key to this list is that no songs on it may be used as repeating level themes -- they are only viable if they're played *exclusively* in a stage, level, world, area or dungeon that can readily and defensibly be regarded as the game's first. I wasn't sure about my choices for this episode when I started putting it together, but I actually really like how it turned out, and consider it to have a rather nice variety of music from a pretty wide range of eras and systems. This may be my favorite overall set of tracks I've used thus far -- I could make a pretty good mix out of these! Do beware, though, as I have a few pretty sneaky little bits of misdirection in this list. Because of course I do. Heheh. Full answer key for last week's episode: 01) Star Fox 64 02) Gitaroo Man / Gitaroo Man Lives 03) Katamari Damacy 04) Within a Deep Forest 05) Doki Doki Universe 06) Toejam & Earl 07) Chibi-Robo: Plug Into Adventure 08) Alien Syndrome (arcade version) 09) Dark Cloud 10) Final Fantasy IV ("Final Fantasy II") 11) SmartBall / Jerry Boy 12) Bubsy in: Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind (SNES version) 13) Double Dragon Neon 14) Super Hydlide 15) Marble Madness (NES version) 16) Altered Space 17) Super Mario Galaxy 18) Earthworm Jim (Sega CD/Mega CD version) 19) **JPN ONLY** Ai Chou Aniki 20) **JPN ONLY** Zwei II Get ready to head-smack when you see what #15 was. -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Nov 2, 2014 2:12:24 GMT -5
Correct on 5, but I'm afraid it's a no-go on 11 and 14. Regarding #5: I recommend checking out Doki Doki Universe sometime, if you're interested in a game that's... totally different from every other game on the market today. It's very relaxing, and really puts you in a good mood. It's a very sweet, philosophical kind of game, and it's a shame nobody seemed to care about it after its release, because it definitely deserves a lot more attention than it got IMHO. Regarding #14: You're not the first person to say it sounds like Phantasy Star music! That comparison gets made a lot.
And actually, somebody else got 14 since I posted my clues earlier today, so if you're interested, it's actually from... Super Hydlide As for #11, here's a dead giveaway clue, since I don't see anybody guessing this one before episode 7 goes up otherwise: I can't say for sure if he was involved in this particular track, since the game had three composers and there's nowhere that lists which tracks were composed by whom as far as I know, but Akira Yamaoka MAY have been responsible for this. -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Nov 1, 2014 19:41:41 GMT -5
Man, still six tracks left to be identified, and episode 7 is almost ready. I'll keep this one going until sometime tomorrow, but after that, the full set of answers will be revealed and this will go down as the most unanswered challenge yet! Kind of surprising. 4, 5, 11, 14, 15 and 16 have yet to be figured out. Still absolutely shocked that no one's gotten #15. Here are the tracks that have been successfully identified so far: 01) Star Fox 64 02) Gitaroo Man / Gitaroo Man Lives 03) Katamari Damacy 04) 05) 06) Toejam & Earl 07) Chibi-Robo: Plug Into Adventure 08) Alien Syndrome (arcade version) 09) Dark Cloud 10) Final Fantasy IV ("Final Fantasy II") 11) 12) Bubsy in: Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind (SNES version) 13) Double Dragon Neon 14) 15) 16) 17) Super Mario Galaxy 18) Earthworm Jim (Sega CD/Mega CD version) 19) **JPN ONLY** Ai Chou Aniki 20) **JPN ONLY** Zwei II And here are some extra hints for the final six tracks: 04: This freeware title makes heavy use of ball physics.
05: Created by the same guy responsible for Toejam & Earl. This is actually a modern title, available on a variety of systems (and utilizing cross-play among virtually all of them), though it doesn't seem to have done very well. Cute game, though!
11: Your main character in this title is able to stick to walls and ceilings, and can throw balls at enemies.
14: This is actually one of many games in this series, most of which have been released in English, none of which have been very well-received. This is arguably the best game in the series, however, and despite its medieval fantasy setting, you DO go to space in it... and run around. Like, you're just a knightly dude, running around in space, stabbing things. Without a ship. It's very weird.
15: Your main character in this game is not a human being, nor even a humanoid or anything else that one would typically consider to be alive.
16: Your main character in this game is an astronaut, in a space suit. One of the game's primary mechanics is that you have a limited supply of air, and have to collect air tanks as you explore in order to replenish it so you don't suffocate. Good luck! -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Oct 30, 2014 12:13:19 GMT -5
Yep!
-Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Oct 30, 2014 3:22:08 GMT -5
I'm really shocked no one has gotten 15 yet, honestly. Once you get it, you're totally going to do a head-smack, I think. As for your three answers, 8 is correct, but 3 and 11 are not. -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Oct 30, 2014 1:09:56 GMT -5
Middle of the week means it's time for hints! 01: In space. To my knowledge, this was one of the first games ever to feature controller-rumbling -- possibly THE first. And this was a big part of its marketing. 02: **UNIDENTIFIED** In space. Played during a battle with three alternating phases: charge, attack, and guard. Not one of the most well-remembered stages in the game, but very specifically in space. 03: Hopping from planet to planet. The planets are super-tiny and function more like menus than anything else -- but it still counts! 04: **UNIDENTIFIED** On the moon. This is from a freeware title that's NOT available on Steam, GOG or any other major game distribution service to my knowledge, but still has a pretty sizable following -- and numerous other titles from the same developer are, in fact, available on quite a few different distribution networks. 05: **UNIDENTIFIED** In space. Sounds like it comes from another game series, but it doesn't. You're not hearing things, though! The same person responsible for THAT series is also responsible for this much more modern title. 06: Traveling from one floating space-mass to another. In an elevator. Prominently features aliens. 07: Theme specific to a UFO full of aliens. The aliens, however -- and the UFO, and your main character -- are all very tiny. Pretty much the size of toys. 08: **UNIDENTIFIED** On a space station and/or ship. This is a repeating stage theme that you're probably not paying much attention to in this arcade classic, on account of fighting off hordes of aliens with absolutely no time to let your guard down. 09: On the moon. Your goal here is to gather pieces of a giant robot in order to reassemble it back at base. 10: On the moon. The ship you use to get here is modeled and named after a particular type of aquatic animal. 11: **UNIDENTIFIED** On the moon. This is a game where your main character is transformed into a monster and must journey across the land to defeat an evil wizard so you can transform back. The Japanese version of this game had towns, but those were removed from the English-language release. The story was also heavily altered. 12: On a space ship. This game is generally looked down upon, though not nearly as much as the first (and only) 3D entry in the series. 13: On a space ship. This song has lyrics. And is very, very '80s. Even though it was not composed in the '80s. 14: **UNIDENTIFIED** In space. Also played in a techno dungeon. This is from a JRPG on the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. 15: **UNIDENTIFIED** On a floating space-mass. This one is a bit of a stretch -- the last stage just happens to take place on floating platforms with a star-field background, so I was like, "it's space!" The game has no story to speak of (not within the game itself, anyway -- maybe in the instructions?), but is very definitely a classic, often imitated by other titles and ported to just about everything. 16: **UNIDENTIFIED** On a space shuttle (sort of a rocket ship, sort of a space station). This is sort of like the forgotten middle game in a European-developed trilogy, with its predecessor on the NES and its successor on the SNES. One man composed music for the predecessor, somebody else composed music for this title, and both men worked together on the successor. 17: On a space station/floating space-mass. Hard to classify exactly what it is, but it's in space! Then again, the vast majority of this game is. That's sort of its thing. 18: Blasting through space. This plays during between-stage minigames, and is intentionally whimsical to match the general feel of the game itself. 19: In space (or at least in high atmosphere with stars and planets clearly visible). Speaking of whimsical, the Japan-only title from which this stage one theme comes is... well, whimsical would be one word. But I think most people would use stronger words. Like "disturbing" and "bizarre." The series is kind of infamous worldwide at this point. 20: On the moon. In this Japan-only game, the moon in question is reached... by staircase. Because that's just the kind of game this is. Good luck! -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Oct 26, 2014 2:54:52 GMT -5
You're kinda sorta on the right track with #2, but only kinda sorta. 'Fraid it is not correct.
And no, #8 is also incorrect. Sorry!
-Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Oct 26, 2014 1:02:11 GMT -5
You are actually *not* correct on #5! It is not from any of the Toejam & Earl games. Good guess, though, because it definitely does sound like it. ...And there may be a reason for that... #8 is also incorrect. Again, though, good guess. And yes, it is an arcade title. The rest you've listed are all correct. As for #15, trying to think of a good clue that isn't toooooo obvious... hmmm... It's the biggest stretch on this list, as there's no story actually stating you're in space, nor really any story of any kind (within the game itself, anyway -- I'm sure there's a story in the manual, but that hardly counts!). It's included, however, because this particular stage -- the final stage, as it happens -- takes place entirely on floating platforms with a star field in the background. Thus, space! Close enough for this list, at any rate. -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Oct 25, 2014 7:58:40 GMT -5
Stupid stickers! Meta-gaming before meta-gaming was a thing. Ahead of its time, but in the worst possible way! Heheheh...
Super-great game, though. Glad I was able to introduce it to you!
-Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Oct 25, 2014 3:54:15 GMT -5
Oh, hey, I didn't even know you were familiar with that soundtrack! Seven other tracks have been identified so far, but that was NOT among them, so you've just brought the total up to eight. Nice job! -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Oct 25, 2014 3:36:45 GMT -5
All this time, the Follin brothers and Jake Kaufman were pretty much my top-tier picks for non-Japanese game musicians, and I didn't think anyone else could ever quite give them a run for their money. ...Then, in the course of listening to tracks for my Soundtrack Sleuth videos, I discovered Alberto Jose Gonzalez. I had no idea this dude existed, mostly because he's composed largely for licensed games that are most likely viewed as shovelware (Smurfs and such) and now works primarily on iOS titles and such. But DAMN, this guy is totally up there with the greats. Just listen to this track and tell me it's not one of the best 8-bit techno songs you've ever heard. (Skip ahead to the 1:00 mark if you don't want to deal with the intro, but I kinda like it -- it adds a little extra mood to the piece!) Here's a more mellow, emotional piece from him (from his very first NES soundtrack, no less!). And a couple tracks from the GBC version of Turok 2, including the one I used in Soundtrack Sleuth episode 5. These absolutely SCREAM Tim Follin to me (especially the second) -- I swear, this Gonzalez dude managed to out-Follin the Follin brothers. And here's a track from one of his later-era GBC releases. I had no idea the GBC could even produce this full of a sound. It really sounds like it's using waaaaay more channels than the GBC has! I'm not sure if you guys are familiar with his work or not (I imagine Gamemusicfreak must have at least heard of him before), but for me, discovering this guy was a total HOLY CRAP moment -- he really has shot up my list of favorite VGM composers almost instantly, and I felt compelled to share because... well, just listen! Here's a full list of his works, and some info on him as well: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Jose_GonzalezI hope to hear more of his stuff in the future. Maybe some indie game designer can recruit him into the limelight or something, or one of his own games will hit it big -- because damn, he seriously deserves it. -Tom
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