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Post by ParanoiaDragon on Nov 10, 2014 2:24:01 GMT -5
Holy Carp, I should've recognized #2 on EP 7! Ok, 1 is obviously Jim Power, I'll assume the Amiga version? 2 is Zero Wing? You should've done the Turbo CD version just to mess with people! 6 is Valis 3, Genesis version. I can only think of 2 versions, not sure if there was a PC version, PC88/98? 10 is easy 3D Dot Game Heroes, or am I horribly wrong? 12 is Shantae? 14 is Simpsons arcade game?? 17 sounds like something from Konami, though I know not what.
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Post by Wyrdwad on Nov 10, 2014 3:15:27 GMT -5
Your guesses are all correct (including your brand identification for #17), and you're the first person to correctly identify #10. That leaves us with only #4, #7 and #19 left to identify! Once again, first stage music is proving to be a popular theme. Though these last three will last the rest of the week, I think! It's only a matter of time before somebody guesses #4 (frankly, I'm shocked no one has already!), but the other two are going to keep people guessing for a while, I think. -Tom
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Post by Ascended Mermaid on Nov 10, 2014 9:22:20 GMT -5
07. Snow Girls Winter Blast... I mean... Heavenly Guardian. 19. I think it's an indie game with a grappling hook.
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Post by Wyrdwad on Nov 10, 2014 12:16:39 GMT -5
Wow, nice job getting #7 -- I figured that would be the last to go. No such luck on #19, though. It is not either of those things. -Tom
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Post by Ascended Mermaid on Nov 11, 2014 6:25:40 GMT -5
A revealing ALoY search. I praised the game for being fun and full of replay value, especially for a bargain bin game. Since it was originally a Pocky and Rocky sequel, I shouldn't have been too surprised.
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Post by Wyrdwad on Nov 14, 2014 1:36:51 GMT -5
It occurs to me that I'm a day late for my traditional mid-week hint session! Sorry about that. Here are hints for all 20 snippets, with special attention paid to #4 and #19 (the only two which remain unidentified): 01: This European PC classic was scored by a fairly famous western musician who was more than a little "inspired" by A Searing Struggle from the Ys III: Wanderers From Ys soundtrack. He later admitted that the similarities between this track and that were not coincidental. 02: This game is better remembered for its use of "Engrish" in its cutscenes than anything else, but among those who've played it, it's typically a very highly-regarded title. 03: This is from an arcade game based on a movie license. 04 (UNIDENTIFIED): The compositional style of this song, and especially that distinctive "dirty violin" synth (as I like to call it), should be something of a dead giveaway as to who composed it, since almost every soundtrack he's ever done follows suit. Once you've figured out the composer, all you need to do is think about what games he's composed for that would actually have stages, and you've pretty much got your answer. 05: One could easily joke that if this sounded more like Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega might've had grounds for a lawsuit, since everything else about this game was clearly inspired by the blue rodent. 06: This is from the third game in a series that, at the time, it seemed like everyone had heard about but no one had ever played. The fourth game is generally the most well-known, in my experience. 07: This PS2 and Wii title is one that doesn't get talked about much, but is a fairly good stage-based semi-free-roaming overhead run-and-gun-ish game. 08: This is a unique Metroidvania title in that your protagonist has free range of movement in all directions throughout the majority of the game, with virtually no effects from gravity. 09: This game's predecessor was like an RPG without battles, whereas this title is more like a visual novel with an occasional board game-like movement mechanic. 10: One of the pioneers of "next-gen retro," featuring graphics that are simultaneously old-school and extremely modern. 11: When your protagonist in this game jumps, it sounds like he's saying "DOO!"... and when he attacks, it sounds like he's saying "DA!" (I might have those backwards, though). So I used to like to sing, "Camptown ladies sing this song...", then make my guy jump and attack twice. DOO DA! DOO DA! 12: This is often cited as the most technically impressive game on its platform. 13: This third installment is generally overshadowed by its predecessors. 14: An arcade classic, generally cited as the best game ever to be made from this particular license. 15: An oft-forgotten Genesis title with a really cool and unique visual style to it. 16: An isometric platformer for the NES. 17: This Japan-only game features an all-star cast of characters from a bunch of other games. 18: Another licensed game. This list is full of them! This particular one is from a license that existed in the western world, though the game never quite made it over. 19 (UNIDENTIFIED): This is one of those Japan-only games that importers typically wonder about, as there seems to be no good reason it never made its way overseas... except maybe the name? It's a pretty badass game with a distinctly NON-badass name. 20: This Falcom game was the last completely original title to be released in its particular series, though remakes and revisions of previous entries have been seen numerous times since. Good luck! -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Nov 15, 2014 22:15:22 GMT -5
Still nothing on #4 and #19, and I'll have the next episode up later tonight, so I'm going to give a couple more last-ditch hints for those two. Really simple ones, but they might juuuust be enough to take things over the edge. #4 is a PSP platformer.
#19 is a Japan-only PS1 platformer. Good luck, and I'll see you again shortly with episode 9. -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Nov 16, 2014 1:08:41 GMT -5
Episode 9 is uploaded, so I'm afraid your time's up! This week's theme is complementary to the last two weeks', as we're now dealing with repeating stage themes. By which I mean, themes that are repeated in multiple stages, levels, worlds, areas or (in the case of RPGs) dungeons over the course of a single playthrough. Old-school games would often reuse the same track for every stage, or at least for every stage of a certain type, so this list primarily consists of retro themes (and is also the shortest episode of Soundtrack Sleuth to date as a result, with much tinier snippets than usual). That will make this much easier for some of you... and much more difficult for others. The rule here is that in order to qualify for this list, a track must play in at least three different stages, levels, worlds, areas or dungeons. And of course, the full answer key to episode 8: 01) Jim Power in: Mutant Planet 02) Zero Wing (Genesis/MegaDrive version) 03) Willow (arcade) 04) Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? 05) Jazz Jackrabbit (PC) 06) Valis III (Genesis/MegaDrive version) 07) Heavenly Guardian 08) Aquaria 09) Corpse Party: Book of Shadows 10) 3D Dot Game Heroes 11) Skyblazer 12) Shantae (GBC) 13) Splatterhouse 3 14) The Simpsons (arcade) 15) Comix Zone (Genesis/MegaDrive) 16) Snake, Rattle 'n' Roll 17) **JPN ONLY** Konami Wai Wai World 2: SOS!! Paseri Jou 18) **JPN ONLY** Kyattou Ninden Teyandee! ("Samurai Pizza Cats") 19) **JPN ONLY** Chippoke Ralph no Daibouken ("The Adventure of Little Ralph") 20) **JPN ONLY** Sorcerian Forever Good luck! -Tom
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Post by ParanoiaDragon on Nov 16, 2014 2:07:26 GMT -5
3 is Who Framed Roger Rabbit! 6 is Karnov 10 is Tower of Druaga 13 is Wonderboy 14 is Wonderboy in Monsterland? Haven't played the thing, but it has a similar sound to Wonderboy, so, took a stab.
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Post by Wyrdwad on Nov 16, 2014 2:13:57 GMT -5
Correct on 3, 6, 10 and 13, incorrect on 14.
-Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Nov 20, 2014 2:58:19 GMT -5
Middle of the week! You know what that means: time for hints! Six tracks remain unidentified: 1, 2, 5, 8, 16 and 18. 01 (UNIDENTIFIED): One of several firsts for Soundtrack Sleuth, this is the first Atari 2600 game to be featured in any episode thus far. And... that's all the clue you get, since there are precious few Atari 2600 games with BGM, so I've already narrowed the list considerably. 02 (UNIDENTIFIED): Another platform first, though I'm not going to identify the platform for two reasons: one, it would probably be a dead giveaway, and two, I'm pretty sure this same music was used for the release of this game on multiple platforms (though not 100% certain!). I will say, though, that on the platform I specifically chose, this dungeon theme would likely not sound anywhere near as clear as it does here -- there would be a lot more staticky distortion, as the sound capabilities of the platform in question weren't great. Also, this game has been on a BUNCH of different platforms, though the music wasn't always the same across them -- the version I'm most familiar with, for example, had a completely different soundtrack altogether (not to mention a different set of sprites, a different translation of the text... it was just a very different version of this classic game overall, and arguably a better one). 03: This is actually based on the ending credits theme from a movie. 04: There's one track I could've used from this game that would've been much easier to recognize. Instead, I chose to be cruel, and picked the "Game B" stage theme. 05 (UNIDENTIFIED): Yet another platform first! This time, it's an Intellivision game. And once again, that's all the clue you get, because there weren't a heck of a lot of Intellivision games with BGM either! 06: This arcade classic is probably better known for its home port, which was surprisingly arcade-accurate in most regards. It's one of those games that used the same music for every stage, and the protagonist of it became a short-lived almost-kinda-mascot for the company that produced it, making guest appearances in multiple other titles -- usually as a villain! 07: This is from a licensed SNES title that's often overlooked. It's vaguely Metroidvania-ish, and is actually a pretty cool game, albeit a bit simple. 08 (UNIDENTIFIED): Surprised no one has figured this one out yet. This arcade classic has gone by two names, with one of its home ports famously getting renamed in North America, perhaps to avoid... offending people, somehow? (That's my best guess.) 09: Another platform first? I think this is another platform first, as it's an MSX title. It's not the only one on this particular list, however, but it is a bit unique in that the other MSX games I picked were arguably more well-known in the English-speaking world for their non-MSX ports -- and though this one *was* ported to other platforms, it is almost exclusively thought of by people as an MSX classic. (And yes, the MSX version *was* released overseas, in Europe, which is why this is not in the Japan-only section at the end.) 10: This is an arcade classic that spawned a veritable powerhouse of a franchise in Japan, though its presence overseas was pretty minimal. It did see a PS2 sequel and an anime series released over here, though. 11: I'm just full of platform firsts this time around! I really can't identify the system without giving away the answer, though, as this was one of *the* premiere exclusives on its particular platform, and the start of a franchise that continues to this day. 12: Both the Japanese version of this game and its overseas version were licensed games, but they used different licenses -- the sprites were just swapped out for the western release. The rest of this series (and it's a surprisingly long-running series!) would follow suit, switching licenses and characters left and right both within each country from game to game, and between countries, making this a very confusing series to keep track of. 13: This arcade classic was ported to almost everything, but due to weird licensing issues, some of the ports changed the main character, the name of the game, the story and (sometimes) the music, but left (almost) everything else the same (sometimes adding or altering stages, but still, more or less the same). 14: I could've made this another platform first, but instead went with the easier-to-come-by MSX version of the music. The MSX version was the original (and again, *was* released in Europe), but I recognize this song from my own childhood when I played an adaption of this game on my brother's Colecovision. The adaption in question was the exact same game, but swapped out the main character sprite and changed the name of the setting, turning it into a licensed game with a very different (and much longer) name. (I'll accept either answer.) 15: This NES puzzle platformer classic was based on an arcade game and ported to many, many platforms, though I honestly think the NES version is the absolute best -- even better than the arcade original thanks to much better instrumentation in the BGM. 16 (UNIDENTIFIED): An early-ish vertical-scrolling shmup that's been largely forgotten, but was actually my very first foray into the genre. The BGM isn't exactly great, but I appreciate that it was composed in a particular style that fit the nature of the craft you control. Although this is the theme used for every single stage in the game, better shmup players than I are probably more familiar with a different theme that played whenever you had power-ups (which I tended to lose almost instantly!). 17: Another MSX game that was also released in Europe, probably better known to North Americans for its NES port. 18 (UNIDENTIFIED): I guess this is technically YET ANOTHER platform first, as it's a Famicom Disk System game. Have I had one of those yet? I don't even know, actually! This one did actually see an official release in English, but not until 20 years after its Japanese release (and it was the non-Disk System version we got, which has slightly different instrumentation). 19: This classic puzzle platformer spawned a very small and widely-spaced franchise that finally got its first game released overseas not too long ago. 20: The last of the MSX cavalcade! This time a Japan-only MSX title, ported from another platform. Oddly enough, the MSX version of this game -- and ONLY the MSX version -- has a completely different soundtrack from any other version. Which is especially odd when you realize how iconic its original level BGM is. Good luck! -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Nov 20, 2014 5:03:33 GMT -5
Well, that is why I chose the part of the song I chose -- I figured it'd make things harder. Correct on all three, though! -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Nov 22, 2014 5:19:09 GMT -5
Episode 10 is almost ready, and there are still two tracks as of yet unidentified: #2, and #16. So, in the likely 12 or so hours before the answer key is revealed, here are two more hints for these tracks: 02: You know how I previously stated that this was a new platform for the list, but wouldn't tell you what platform it was? Well, now I will. It's the Apple II. But like I said, this music was likely used on other platforms as well -- I'm just not certain, because the version I played was a console port with totally different music.
16: The type of craft you fly in this game is part of its title. Good luck! -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Nov 22, 2014 16:23:16 GMT -5
Aaaaand episode 10 is up! This episode's theme: Video game tracks that have been arranged or covered, whether by fans or commercial musicians, or tracks that have been sampled and arranged for inclusion in ordinary pop songs. This particular challenge relies on your ability to recognize melodies, even when they're adapted to completely different genres of music than you're used to -- though every track was chosen with care to ensure that nothing is impossible to discern. The usual rule still applies: music from any source that's not (and has never been) officially available in English at the time of this upload will be featured at the end of the list. However, for clarification, this only applies to the game that features the original track, NOT the album upon which the arranged track may appear. Songs from Japan-only albums may still be featured at the front of the list, as long as the game being represented was or is available in English. Due to the nature of this week's challenge, snippets from numerous fan-made works, as well as from songs on commercially-available pop music albums, are being used without permission or identification, so a disclaimer has been added to the beginning of the video. If anyone has any questions or concerns, please send me a private message and I'll do everything I can to ensure an amiable solution is reached. ...Also, due to the holiday season's approach and a busier than average workload, I'm calling this the "season one finale" of Soundtrack Sleuth. As such, there will most likely be no Episode 11 until 2015, and the answer key to this episode will be delayed just as long. So do feel free to ask for hints, since anything you can't identify may be eating at you for quite a while! In the meantime, here's the full answer key for episode 9: 01) Pressure Cooker (Atari 2600) 02) Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar (Apple II version) 03) Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (NES) 04) Gyromite (NES) 05) Snafu (Intellivision version) 06) Karnov (arcade version) 07) The Addams Family (SNES) 08) The NewZealand Story ("Kiwi Kraze") (arcade version) 09) Knightmare II: The Maze of Galious (MSX version) 10) The Tower of Druaga (arcade version) 11) Phantasy Star (Sega Master System) 12) Bugs Bunny's Crazy Castle ("Roger Rabbit" Japan) (NES) 13) Wonder Boy (arcade version) 14) Athletic Land (MSX) (a.k.a. "Cabbage Patch Kids: Adventures in the Park"/Colecovision) 15) Solomon's Key (NES version) 16) Tiger-Heli (NES version) 17) Antarctic Adventure (MSX version) 18) **JPN ONLY** Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa (Famicom Disk System version) 19) **JPN ONLY** Umihara Kawase (Super Famicom) 20) **JPN ONLY** Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu (MSX version) Good luck, everybody! Spread the word and keep the Soundtrack Sleuth name alive till next year, too -- maybe we can get even more people playing once season 2 starts up! -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Nov 23, 2014 0:10:11 GMT -5
Correct on all (and you're the first to get 1 and 7!). And yes, you either probably or definitely know 4, 6, 15, 16 and 20 too. Man, this episode was supposed to be super-difficult, but people have already figured out 14 out of 20! And it's only a matter of time before most of the rest get guessed, too. Good thing I put a few super-obscure ones in there to keep the challenge alive until episode 11. -Tom
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Post by ParanoiaDragon on Dec 4, 2014 3:46:12 GMT -5
Hmm, Tom, you alive? No updates, so you're probably just busy with work(Brandish or LOH perhaps?).
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Post by Wyrdwad on Dec 4, 2014 4:30:42 GMT -5
Well, this WAS the season finale of Soundtrack Sleuth, and I'm nowhere near ready to start posting season 2 videos yet, so I figured I'd wait a bit before going on my usual aggressive hinting campaign. Plus, between you guys, HG101, the XSEED forums and my Facebook, 15 out of 20 tracks have already been identified! The only ones left unanswered are 4, 5, 10, 12 and 20. Really shocked HG101 was the first place to figure out #2, though, as I was certain somebody here would get it first. And there's at least one other track (of the five remaining) that I also assumed somebody here would get right away. In fact, of the five remaining tracks, four are pretty surprising to me -- I expected they'd be guessed well before, say, #14, or #18. The only one of the five remaining tracks that I was expecting to give people trouble is #5, which I anticipate will be the very last one guessed (if it's guessed at all!). ...That's all the hinting you guys get for now. But if you want specific hints on any tracks, let me know, and I'll be happy to deliver. -Tom
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Post by Ascended Mermaid on Dec 8, 2014 10:04:47 GMT -5
This is tough... SUPER tough. So I'm just going to fire a couple of guesses. 04. 05. 10. 12. Gradius? 20. Castlevania? 20 is driving me crazy. I feel like I should know 12 and 20. // I'd like to request a hint for #04 as well.
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Post by Wyrdwad on Dec 8, 2014 15:01:04 GMT -5
Were you only guessing the five that haven't been identified yet? Because I practically included #2 just for you. For #4, let's see... It's the theme of the cave area from its particular game. Not cave level or stage, mind you, as the game in question doesn't really have levels or stages... but cave area. -Tom
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Post by Ascended Mermaid on Dec 8, 2014 15:44:04 GMT -5
Indeed I was. I may have to wait on any further guessing, but I found the time to do the whole thing. 01. Goemon? 02. Faxanadu 03. 04. 05. 06. Zelda: Ocarina of Time 07. 08. Ys II 09. 10. 11. Super Metroid 12. Gradius? 13. Spelunker 14. 15. 16. Final Fantasy IX 17. 18. Pacman? 19. Dance Dance Revolution? 20. Castlevania? #04 still eludes me, but I definitely know it. It's a finale. I remember that much about this piece.
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