Shinobi 3 vs Rise of the Robots (MnP123)
Outline
The last round ended at a tie between me, TheVideoGamer and TheVodouQueen. Congratulations to both! As a result, we both get participate in a double dose round!
Here's what TheVodouQueen had to say during her pick:
"Right, so... Most people thought (especially back in the '90s) that girls weren't into video games--and if they were, they'd be playing something related to Barbie, or as later in the 2000s, the Bratz doll games, or something along those lines. But for me, as a girl, I was playing stuff like Shinobi 3. Not only was it one of my first games for the Genesis, (besides Sonic 1 & 2), it was one of my favorite of the action-platformer genre to play, (the next being Gunstar Heroes for the same system). It was also the first game with a ninja protagonist and theme I got to play, even before Ninja Gaiden or Strider. I used to play the ever-loving shit out of this, and the soundtrack is not only awesome and high-octane, but shows off a lot of what the Genesis had to offer for its 16-bit soundscape. Sad to see, again, it be one of those games on OCR grossly under-represented, with only--as far as I can see--the song 'Whirlwind' being remixed.
So, I really want to pick a source from one of the classics and my personal faves.And I hope everyone else gets to enjoy too, if they hadn't heard this one before. ^^ Going for something a lil' bit...darker, this time.
Let's see what ya'll can do with it. <3 " - TheVodouQueen
Game: Shinobi III (Sega Genesis/Mega Drive)
Source: Inner Darkside
And here is what i had to say about my pick:
"I went for a game with arguably a simple soundtrack, but a damn near effective one. As you can tell, i'm a huge electronica nerd, so soundtracks like this to me, are just awesome. The game was supposed to be revolutionary, advertised as the next evolution in gaming, however it turned out to be complete garbage. Development hell, clunky controls, a soundtrack that was supposed to be by Brian May (Of Queen Fame), full motion video for all scenes, and of course 32mb of power. It never came close sadly. The robot designs were modified at the last minute, so the graphics didn't use it's full potential. The FMV scenes were scrapped, meaning only the intro is full motion video. Mirage could only license one Brain May song, already released under the name "The Dark" as an opener to his debut solo record "Back to the Light", the rest of the score was done by Richard Joseph and Jason Page (Also noted for it's rave score, than Brain's rock styled affair), and the controls were reported to be really clunky and stiff. Oh well, if you ignore the controls, the game actually looks great, especially one of the higher end, in terms of graphics.
Anyways enough about history, this track is awesome (As is, the whole soundtrack). It balances out a perfect blend of simplicity, combing Breakbeats, Bass Stabs, Cyberpunk like synth chords, and a military marching rhythm. I think this can work for a great range of styles. Hell it might even work great with dark strings for a classical music setting! All in all, this one can be integrated into some many ideas, i hope you have a lot of fun with this!" - TheVideoGamer
Game: Rise of the Robots
Source: BFH03 Builder
Deadline: 16th April @ 1PM
Closing Date: 18th April @ 1PM
Vote Ends: 25th April @ 1PM
MnP ARCHIVE - made by Trism
Resources
Rules
MISSION STATEMENT
The goal of Compo:MnP is to promote that "meat and potatoes" conservative approach to remixing: this includes the mood and composition of source tunes. It is up to the remixer to create their own personalization, or to simply give it a sound upgrade. Moreover, the compo is a great opportunity to hone your remixing skills and give video game music the respect that is due. SOME reinterpretation is recommended, but not required.
MnP Instructions/Guidelines
- Source-Picks are limited to the era of gaming 1984-2006. In other words, Nes/Sega Master to PS2/GC/Xbox 1. So far i'm still undecisive about this, but keep an eye out, things might change.
- Modifying the Source is fine, so long as it doesn't sound completely separate from its original intent.
- If you're gonna do a genre change, at least make sure the original aspect of the source is not lost.
- Tempo changes are fine, as long as it's not a big change. I'm talking like, going from 80bpm to 140bpm.
- Submissions must be at a maximum of 20mb (keeping in step with ThaSauce's file size max), and submitted as a MP3 file.
- Only 1 entry per participant. Previous winner cannot participate but can submit a BONUS entry.
- Try to avoid making quality-based comments on submissions until after the Round is concluded. It is to avoid a Bias in Votes.
MISC/TIPS
- When picking a source tune, make sure it has a MIDI to make people's lives easier.
- In-game sound FX are permitted, so long as they don't comprise the whole track (i.e. replacing entire MIDI tracks with just sfx)
Entries (4)
Named in honor of the artists that picked these fun sources! I covered both sources in a medley. I structured it to treat each song separately (mostly) to be sure that I kept things faithful for both songs to stick to the spirit of the MnP.
For Inner Darkside, I employed samples of authentic japanese instruments to take the lead and used some synthetic bass and pads to add atmosphere. And Taiko drums! I went for capturing the original's atmosphere, a kind of mystical awe of a strange, slightly sinister place. I primarily stuck to the original, but revisited the melody for some variation. The dark parts of the song connected well with the BFH03 Builder bassline.
Speaking of, I tackled the BFH03 Builder with my best attempt to replicate the gritty electronic vibe of the original. I used several FM instruments, and threw down some sfx's I found in my library. I used part of the original drumline, the almost militaristic snare beat. I distorted a piano vst for the thrumming chords of the middle, which made an interesting effect. After a runthrough, I adapted a few parts of Inner Darkside to call back to Shinobi. Right before the end, I got a bit carried away and created something almost dancey by changing the bass progression, and I hope it's not too outta line for MnP cause it was real fun to make.
This was great fun to create, a real eclectic experiment.
*Shrugs*
...I tried. <3
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Genre: Electronica / Electric-Orchestra
BPM: 85
Key: C Major
Inspiration: The Glitch Mob
Synths, drumkit, guitar, distorted stuff, and some strings. Guess it works.
Normally i wouldn't do this, because i want to give people a fair chance, however i am genuinely curious to see how these sources work together, and low and behold, they work amazingly. So much so i didn't even need to do anything to Inner Darkside. Both are in the same key, and have a brilliant rhythmical balance. It's as if it just works lol. I knew i was in the right place.
The source is built up like this:
- The main groove is ripped from Rise of the Robots, as well it's chord progression, synth bass and snare patterns. I basically covered the whole source.
- The melodic elements of Inner Darkside is incorporated, both the main melody, the counter-melody and it's other subsequent sections. I did not incorporate the rest, just the melodic ideas.
- I tried to contrast between light and heavy parts, while also including build-ups to keep you pumped.
All in all it's a, rather effective take on a mix of both. I'm proud of this.