1. Benthic Undertow
   Wassup Thunder
2. Widget Synthesis
   APZX
3. Ambient Fusion Water v1.4 (b/c Composer Cloud VST is a bag of d
   hoboka

APZX: Very nice work going on here. So many fine touches and stylistic techniques, the first half was very boppin', then you blew it out of the water with the underwater sector. Delightful piano work, and that wobbly synth adds an excellent atmosphere. It very much reminds me of Axiom Verge music.

NickC: You made an exquisite underwater atmosphere, I may have to look up this Hive. I love how the piece came to life about halfway through, very nice touch indeed.

HoboKa: Liking the string work. The vocals add a nice touch, need a bit more reverb and release time methinks, but they are definitely integral to the song. The extra little details, like the glock bits, really made this thing alive.

Wassup T.: I love the drowned metal of this piece. It pulses and thrums like the denizens of the deepest dark. It flows nicely, could listen to this for a long time. I note the Metroid main theme motif in there, XD.

TVG: I love how very different the wave forms of your song are from everyone elses XD More importantly, I love the crispy, mechanical feel of this. That hard, dry mechanical kick really capitalizes on the gadget theme, and the synth work feels really tight. And using part of the melody from Sector 4 worked impressively well. Nice work!

1. Aquatic Hive
   NickC
2. Widget Synthesis
   APZX
3. Benthic Undertow
   Wassup Thunder

NickC - The Metroid Prime percussive effects were certainly a welcome touch to me. Not sure how I felt about the march drums and waoo waoo synth bass. Felt the ambient vibe was better retained here and the new ideas mostly fit well. Maybe the bass needed to be pushed back and made less in-your-face, but that's getting into too much nitpickery I s'pose. BUT naggles aside, 'Aquatic Hive' DID retain the ambience of the source material mostly, and set up a great underwater atmospheric electronic sci fi hellscape.

APZX - First half has an awesome phantasy star 2 synthwave feel, and nice Axiom Verge / Metroid Prime lead on the second half. Nice piano work too, love that reverb. Great synths and I like that rhythmic popcorn synth, gives it a Metroid Dread kinda feel.

Wassup Thunder - my fav of the bunch, but not the best candidate for MnP...what a conondrum hahahaha. Nice instrument choices, switch ups with the E-guitar stuff. Good production imo.

Here's where the critique comes in...to me, you kinda killed the ambient feel of the source tune by using such dry in-your-face E-Guitars. I think they needed a SHIT TON of reverb and needed to push them to the back-stage, maybe even slowed tempo-wise by 5-10bpm, to do the source material justice. Usually I am biased towards Rock Guitars and have no problem with slotting them in #1 slot, but this is an aquatic ambient theme, tough to nail with a metal remix in mnp.

TheVideoGamer - Was gonna give you third, until I heard the A-tonal pad and bass at halfway point. Feels slapped together last second without giving yourself a chance to freshen your ear and listen to it again. But when the Sonic stuff comes in, it's perfect. Nice attempt to bridge the 2 themes though. I think the Sonic 3 material you were much more at home with.

1. Ambient Fusion Water v1.4 (b/c Composer Cloud VST is a bag of d
   hoboka
2. Aquatic Hive
   NickC
3. Chrome Groove Zone
   TheVideoGamer

Bonus Entry: A Double Take - Solid bass, interesting pluck and that reso synth is a classic that never seems to get old. Interesting here is that you did indeed layer the instruments, but while it is layered it does not really spread out across the stereo field. It is just kind of cramped all together. Then the bass itself is actually lacking any real bottom end. The kick has a solid enough transient though. Diggin' the clap though. The groove is solid enough as well. Fun enough listen on Soaring Circuitry. Now for Claimed by the Deep. Okay, so some SFX to set the mood. Mmmmm, deep strings. Love the bowing. Can't resist that piano can you? Definitely, moody and filled with ambiance just like the OG. The use of space in this bit is just beautiful too. I noticed this too when I did my quick take on it, but the chords themselves are really at odds with one another. On the one hand they are just so pretty, but on the other it is just dark and brooding. I think you did a really good job of bringing out the raw emotion of each chord in this take.

Aquatic Hive - Okay, so the Metroid theme here. All right. Solid enough pluck and I do like the stereo panning on the individual hits. The layering for the pads and such is quite good. The sparkly synth I would've liked to hear with more reverb on it to push it a bit more distant because as it stands it is a bit forward. And then the main progression kicks off. Solid enough pad here. Almost reminds me of some bagpipes honestly. Oh. Was not expecting this to get any percussion. Hmmm. And really after this it is nothing but more layering to bring out the different parts a bit more. What's this towards the end? A change up. Okay. I dunno what I think about this. Rather interesting bit.

Ambient Fusion Water v1.4 (b/c Composer Cloud VST is a bag of d - Rather interesting title. Bold strategy. Big opening. Solid enough SFX to set the stage. Hmmm, I do like the subtle color shifts you did with the chords. Perhaps to me most interesting is that you really brought out the wondrous mystery in the piece. You also definitely kept the dark chords in the intro. Then in the main progression bit and again the changes to the chords here are indeed subtle, but really do alter the color quite significantly.

Benthic Undertow - Ahhh the electric guitar. I do like the electric guitar here. It adds a rather interesting timbre to the piece. Though I am not sure if I like the actual distorted guitar you went for here. The second on that comes in I definitely feel fits the vibe more. The reverb on the drums is actually kind of disappointing. I kind of want more pre-delay on the reverb so the hits sound a bit more distant. Another thing, I also feel that this would be a great track to invert the polarity of the reverb. As it is the reverb stays on the same side as the source. Not the end of the world or anything, but it does remove a possible dimension that could have been exploited for more potential impact.

Chrome Groove Zone - Oooo, finally something not from Metroid! That is a very sharp snare. Honestly, I think it is too loud here. I don't mind the synths at play here. Though I am not really hearing where things are supposed to be placed in the sound stage. Everything is vying for your attention, but there is really no allowance for coloring the piece through the use of space. Further while the snare is sharp and too forward the kick is simply lacking in overall presence. And while I like the overall way you laid out the track the under utilization of available space really hurts this IMO. You've got some utterly excellent ideas here that are actually hampered by some production quibbles. The high frequencies are just disjointed and uncontrolled on the drums. The synths are fine, the bass is alright, there are some balance issues, but yeah. Fun take overall though.

1. Ambient Fusion Water v1.4 (b/c Composer Cloud VST is a bag of d
   hoboka
2. Chrome Groove Zone
   TheVideoGamer
3. Aquatic Hive
   NickC

APZX:

Great work arranging both sources, both came out beautifully. The chrome Gadget mix is delightfully energetic, the leads sound just spot on. I just love the percussion on it too. The transition to Sector4 was quite impressive, really sounded like sinking down to a new, strange world. The echoing blips and bleeps made great atmosphere, the piano was haunting. I think you really hit the MnP theme of faithful but with your own twist.

NickC:

Great atmosphere and choice of instrumentation. The subtle swells of the pads are a great effect. Adding percussion is a great, artful effect. I love your little trilling additions and variations. Especially at the end, you made it have a real dark, sinister dive. Excellent work!

Hoboka:

Ah, love those strings, especially on the baseline. Nice subtle additions on the chords there. That soprano(?) is positively spine tingling, gorgeous work on that choral lead. That soft, gating synth was great. Aaaand I think I heard that tuned percussion reference the Metroid Main theme motiff!!! Beautiful work.

TheVideoGamer:

Great intro, loved it. Fantastic groove, loved the instruments you used for the melody and backing parts. Positively groovey! That big snare gave me such joy. The slightly chiptuney leads are such a nice choice. And DANG, did you blend that metroid melody in nice! That honestly amazed me, great work on that.

Souperion:

Doing both sources, impressive! Chrome gadget was sounding nice and bright, got a really charming instrumentation on it. It's real lively and energetic. Really fun variations too! Great climax on it.

Then your Sector 4 came out beautifully. The aquatic sounds and splashing plunge were great to start if off. The waterphone is a great ambient addition to the pads and strings. Loved that woodwind on the melody! Great variations and atmosphere.

And who IS this "Wassup Thunder" joker and waht's his deal with putting badly mixed guitars in everything?!! >:0

1. Benthic Undertow
   Wassup Thunder
2. Ambient Fusion Water v1.4 (b/c Composer Cloud VST is a bag of d
   hoboka
3. Chrome Groove Zone
   TheVideoGamer

Wassup Thunder - Good rock take on Sector 4, I like all the little details in this

hoboka - Reminds me of what it might sound like in a newer HD re-release or something, other than the operatic vocal I think something even more synthetic or maybe with less vibrato would sound more Metroid. Kind of a strange thought actually it feels like too human and yet choir is a staple sound of the franchise...

TVG - Great arrangement, the way you incorporated both themes is really cool

APZX - Fun synths all around especially in the Sonic half, though I also thought "I shoulda used something like that" a few times in Sector 4

Souperion - Nice bonus entry, the orchestral treatment for Sector 4 especially I like the arps were a great touch

1. Ambient Fusion Water v1.4 (b/c Composer Cloud VST is a bag of d
   hoboka
2. Aquatic Hive
   NickC
3. Widget Synthesis
   APZX

After thinking long and hard, i believe HoboKa should get the win. From the top yes?

APZX - Really nice synth brass work here, very house/techno'y going on here. Really liking the progressive movements here, really builds up into something. The original source is very syncopated, so i like how you didn't loose the feeling here. I do wish there was more nuance in the drums, for me they're a little flat and lifeless. I do like the synth work a lot though, very nice layering and space. Cool breakbeats going on here. The transition into the second source was pretty awesome in my opinion. It's almost like i was being shipped into another dimension. Especially since we have an funky rock kind of piece, and a dark orchestral type piece. It is a bit unexcepted, but one that i feel is a perfect switchup. I do feel at this point, you could speed it up, and add some drums to it, but that's just me. Only because then it feels like a breakdown, a build-up and then a drop. All in all though, lovely ideas, really digging your arrangement, well done!

Souperion - It's not like you to go this long lol. But i don't mind, makes a change from me doing it all the time haha. To be fair i've done this before. Made essentially 2 tracks rather than one composition. Digging the techno vibes of Chrome Gadget Zone, it's definately not your usual genre, and i love it. The synth work is lovely, and the drums really compliment it well. I do feel the claps and percussion get a bit lost in the mix personally, however the kick is fine on my ears. I also like the variation on the melody, especially since it's only a minutes worth of music for the Sonic Theme. Mixing is good, although in my opinion a bit of touch-ups could go a long way. I won't say too much, as it's a bonus, but we'll talk about the metroid portion of the remix. The transition to metroid, is sudden, largely because it feels like 2 entries, spliced as one. I'm guilty of this sometimes, especially if i want to make 2 remixes for it. In terms of length, i'm not actually bored (Then again i'm usually the one that manages and enjoys long submissions). I dig the string work here, it's really vibrant and really makes it more than MIDI sounds like the original is. It perfectly feels like a lovely orchestral upgrade from the original. Perfect stuff. I love the natural acoustic feel of this one, it's very vibrant, and emphasises a lot of that atmosphere. In terms of this one, compared to the other, the mix is a bit better here (Although both are mixed super well), although the only thing i will say, that sticks out (And it's really the only critique), is that the sounds can feel a little muddy. The melody could be a bit more defined personally. However the idea is awesome, and the switchup between the 2 was lovely. All in all, super nice 10 minute journey, well done!

NickC - Really nice take on metroid, also feels like a super nice upgrade. The original composition is lovely, but definately benefits from an HD version, which you deliver, super well! Synth work is very nice, really fits the mood of the original, whilst still being dynamic in it's own right. Really loving that main melody, the attack on the pad is soo good. Really makes it feel like it belongs on a new age album, but of course with more of that tense dark ambient feeling. Percussion is a lovely touch, really adds something without taking away. The only thing i could find to critique, really is that i feel there is some scope to play with in the sounds. It feels mostly limited to around 3-4 sounds, especially as we move towards the end. The intro could have been used more. I also feel there is polish overall, however (Although in my opinion this is more of a nitpick, now that i relisten back) it's still a really nicely mixed arrangement. Honestly the idea is super cool, and i love the fact you bridge intro at the end, great way to finish. All in all, well done!

HoboKa - Lush orchestration, a lot of people seem to be drawn into metroid more than Sonic lol. I'm kind of glad i helped APZX not be the only one haha. String work is awesome here, super vibrant and tense, perfectly captures the metroid feeling. That choir is also an awesome touch, although personally it feels synthetic. Not necessarily fake, but like it's a manipulated synth. I love the position in the track though, really amps up the spooky feel. It's hard to judge atmospheric pieces like this, because the composition relies on sparse instrumentation, but your arrangement is soo haunting, i love it soo much. I struggled to find critique, because honestly the choir does soo much to this piece. The dynamics are there, and the strings don't feel out of place. The choir is synthetic, my point stands on that, and i also feel maybe a bit more of a slight clean-up, but even then, what's there to clean-up? I seriously couldn't find much fault with this, so much so, i picked you to win. Well done!

Wassup Thunder - The last metroid remix of the bunch, before i go into my Sonic remix lol. Loving the synth usage here, really bridges the gap between synth and orchestra. The guitar work was also a cool touch, really makes it seem like it's a rock/metal version of this tune. The drums are a lovely idea, really takes it into some cool cinematic territories. Perfect for an action movie, where the main character saves the day. For this style, i am missing a big of a bassline, especially when you're using drums and guitars for this. The choir is lovely, i like the addition it brings. This one does need a bit of polish mix wise in my opinion, and the guitars could be used a little bit more, if you want it to be a bit more of a rock vibe. However though all that aside, i love your approach here, it's very unique, and has a lovely industrial/rock/metal kind of sound. All in all, great arrangement, well done!