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Voting Guidelines Teams were tasked with writing three mashup arrangements of two songs each, one from a Mega Man game and the other from a Mega Man Successor game. In order to make your vote, listen to the remixes and, for each pair, choose the remix that fulfills the following criteria (listed in order of importance): The remix arranges both source tunes in an interesting and identifiable way into one cohesive piece of music. The remix is well-produced within the conventions of the genre. The remix is enjoyable to listen to. Stream the remixes via Soundcloud or Download the Round 2 Remix Pack (MP3). For your reference, here are the source tunes for Round 2. Mega Man 4 vs. Gravity Circuit Pharaoh Man Theme of Ray (Optic Circuit) Mega Man X4 vs. Mighty Gunvolt Burst Cyber Space Beyond the Watery Vortex Mega Man Zero 4 vs. 30XX Ciel d'aube Slave to Duty (Midgard Boss 1)

What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

Glad you caught that! Clutch is a Maryland/DC-based band but the inspiration track (“Son of Virginia”) has more southern rock influences from bands like Corrosion of Conformity. Can’t recommend either band highly enough!

I'm baffled there are not tons of remixes from this game on the site, the songs are all so catchy.

Howdy, here's my track. The source is Kirby's Epic Yarn - Snowy Fields https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XhjH2RCEQ1ECXwpORlO01gn2Z5UIwJpx/view?usp=sharing There's a nonzero chance I'll send a tweaked version down the line but mentally it's good to get this off my plate by sending this verison.

You already know Josh and I are down - we’ll be mashing AQA from Fusion with Heart of Fire from Castlevania Aria of Sorrow

We’re having some issues with hosting/domain stuff. Will figure it out.

It seems to be okay now. But it was very slow to load for me a few minutes ago.

Definitely a banger! It gives me The Megas vibes, which is always a bonus. I'm also enjoying the Etrain Odyssey implementation!

So, I'm not sure about if this source is actually eligible. Heavily based on non-VGM track that was released in '97 was then adapted for the game that was released in '99 with direct usage from the '97 album track. Regardless of that I'll get into it. The style and genre adaption is great, very cool. One of your more accessible tracks you've put together. I like the source usage throughout. No qualms with that. The #1 major issue is the mixdown here. The lead is not the primary focus of the mixdown. Everything is fighting for it's own space and stepping on other parts. Some of the synths are also taking up a lot of space in the mix as well due to being fuller and having a large frequency footprint. Let your performers stand out and let them shine! Bring the leads up and push the backing elements away, foreground and background. Consider EQ to help create space as well. Not a fan of the percussive delay effect in the beginning of the track, but that's not a deciding factor at all. Also the panning felt fairly wide as a means to try to carve more space out for parts. There's a hi-hat type sound panned left that stands out a lot to me. I'm in agreement with prophetik, the mixing is the killer here and they could be fixed without much effort. NO

The 9-8 sig is no small accomplishment! I mean really, what's not to love about time signature alterations! Even with the altered tempo, and the improvised nature of the arrangement, the theme always remains consistently recognizable. The cherry topping it off is the buttery smooth production, an absolutely fantastik arrangement!

Nailed the 80s John Carpenter vibe 100%. From the synths to the ambience, you hit it on the head with what you were going for. I enjoy the suspense and throwback feel. Even with the breakdown I struggle to make the connections to the source. It's very difficult to associate a chord progression with being memorable and associated to a particular source tune. I have a hard time saying that a progression is the thing that can link us back to it (unless the source is primarily just progression without other elements like melody or a strong rhythmic component). As the others have noted, this simply does not have enough source usage being dominant. 1:05 is when I really begin to understand the source usage with the ascending arp line. I do get the connection with the chords just after 0:30 but it's just not the memorable part of the source. I felt the production was good and clean, and it is really cool that tubas and low brass got to carry the melody for a while. What's here is very creative and engaging, but this came down to not enough dominant source usage, I would like to see a stronger connection to it. NO

Jazzy beat. Check. Excellent Rap Delivery and lyrics? Check. Beautiful Chorus/Singer tone. Also check. Yep this one gets a gold star.

Oooooh, yes, give me all the noir jazz! This is perfect for a lounge style setting. Smooth and sexy, fantastic mix all around.

The final transition into the piano before the guitar was really nice. I actually got some later Kirby boss vibes from the piano and synth especially around 1:30, just from how the beats hit that "dun dun pause dun dun pause repeat" while the rest of the melody played. Damn good track and one of my favorites off of Feature Length.

I'm getting a sick southern vibe from this! Really good vocals as well!

I was a fan of Blackthorne ever since I heard it on DoD. I'm glad it was recently posted on OCR, and it's perfect for this 8Track!

I really like the tempo shift in the middle. The ReMix goes hard and has some neat modulations! Somewhat heavy but maintains jnWake's jazz background.

It's such a good song from a good game! Glad to know people still remix the OST from this game.

Spooky! This one begins with some creepy pads and sound design. There's some string melodies in the background but I'm not sure they're echoing the source. At 0:30 we get a lead of sorts and some movement on the bass before we get some chords on whistle-ish instruments. At 1:07 we get the source's main arpeggio line on many different instruments for a while, until at 1:44 things settle down. Soundscape is really cool, every instrument sounds great and I love all the effects on the background. At 2:19 we get a new section that's quite fun and at 2:44 we get the main arpeggios back alongside some original writing. This section gets a bit noisy with all that's going on, makes it hard to focus. At 3:22 we get a repeat of the main arpeggio/melody of the source. Melody is on a sitar-ish instrument that doesn't cut through the mix all that well. At 3:51 there's a break, then The Shining reference and the track ends. What a spooky/tense track! Production is very well done, the mix is mostly very clear (only a few spots with a bit too much going on) and the sample choices fit the idea perfectly. I particularly loved all the additional sound design efforts with all the SFX and transitions. At some points, especially towards the "climax", the production reminded me of the Zerg Themes from Starcraft, maybe it'd be interesting to try cover one of them on this style! Arrangement will be the main point of contention here. While the track's structure is good, with enough build-ups and breaks to keep an interesting pace, source usage is quite on the edge. As per your own write-up, source is clearly used from 1:05 to 2:18 and then from 2:40 to 3:50, for a total of 2 minutes and 23 seconds. Since the track lasts 4 minutes and 19 seconds this barely scrapes the 50% "unofficial rule" but I don't think the source is really dominant on all those sections. In particular, from 2:40 to 3:22 while you can definitely hear the main arpeggios I don't really think the source is the main focus so I can't completely count that part as dominant source usage. Overall, while this is a really cool arrangement with great production, I agree with proph that source usage isn't dominant enough for this to pass. I think making source usage clearer from 2:40 to 3:22 or adding some more direct quotes of the "melody" from the source in earlier parts of the track would help. NO

feels like a demoscene track, i dig it

That synth and percussion work is glorious. The shift from the opening to the main beat in the middle was cool, and it makes sense to shift back at the end. Damn good arrangement for a very nice ReMix.

This also would have fit nicely. RoeTaKa's got the mood nailed based on the number of times he already showed up. :-)

Interesting chord options in that sample. I suppose I should've been a little more clear on my approach. I'm going more into a direction of non-functional harmony. I'm trying to get a blend of diatonic and non-diatonic, hence the A♮ in my composition. But I will consider the options you provided. That third chord sounds the most promising to me. It's unfortunate, though, because the E and E♭ is a bit jarring. But even with open voicings, I was hoping that it'd sound a little more pleasant. I'm trying to create a "desert" theme, but without going the stereotypical route. Anyway, thank you for your input. I appreciate it.

Hey all, this is a rework of my previous Metroid Fusion album/EP idea. Plan is for it to be an "official" OCR album, but wanted to put feelers out to make sure there was interest first. The idea is that every track uses a Fusion source and a secondary source, meaning the Fusion remixes from Game Set Mash 2 would all be eligible. Round 1 / Round 2 / Round 3 It doesn't have to be a literal back-and-forth; "pastiche" tracks (like something in the style of John Williams or Gorillaz) are acceptable as long as they follow the usual OCR submission guidelines. I'm hoping for about 8-15 tracks; there are 6 that would be eligible from Game Set Mash and then at least one I want to do personally. For release time we'd shoot for Fusion's 25th anniversary, so either November 2027 or we could do February 14 2028 if we needed an extension for some reason. EDIT: Also meant to mention Fusion sources can be used more than once. If you want to do AQA Depths three times, go for it!

Has anyone got any advice for getting back into the remix game after a 15 year absence? 😂 https://ocremix.org/artist/4705/random-hero For the first time ever, (my old computer was horribly underpowered 15 years ago, let alone now) I have a computer powerful enough to properly run my music software. But it’s been over a decade! Does that muscle even exist anymore? At times, it felt like those 5 years or so when I was active on this site were like me catching lightening in a bottle. Can I do it again, with new, more user friendly tools? I’m gonna find out! So to shake off some of the creative rust, I made this. I guess you could call it ‘The Angels of Hell: 15th Anniversary Re-Remix’ https://drive.google.com/file/d/14bPcavUvStgJAfFU_TtcKjWRj1_i1Qzd/view?usp=drive_link I used the sample pack from the original. Compared to what’s out there now, it might show its age a little (like me) It’s the same song structurally with a few additions, subtractions, alterations and substitutions with a way better mix. Wish me luck! RH (Ryan)

I didn’t come back to OCR after a 15-year hiatus (not unless you want to count a direct rejection from Larry himself), but I did come back to arranging VGM after a 10-year hiatus along with @pixelseph and joined OCR in so doing. I did the same thing you’ve already done: revisit and old completed project and do it again, only with better tools and more experience. In our case, Seph had done a few tracks with Team Dogfight for Homestuck, I took audio production courses in community college, and the two of us played in a few bands between 2012 and 2022, even did some studio recording time. We had a massive knowledge gap holding us back that we needed to fill before we felt comfortable coming to the community and revisiting old material got us back in the saddle, so to speak. Snappleman shared some wisdom in the Discord and I’m inclined to agree: if you’ve got any old backburner projects you didn’t finish, you could pick one of those up and see if you can complete it now.

Glad to see you wanting to get back into the swing of things musically. Don't forget to join the Discord server! https://discord.gg/ocremix - More folks are offering you advice there too. :-)

Random Hero! a name I havn't seen in ages (I LOVE your Squirrel Outta Hell Count Batula arrangement!) I only got in the mix game within the last 5 years ish, and my samples are terrible midi so I don't have much advice, just wanted to pop in and say I'm a fan!

Hey there old timer. The last time I did any serious music arrangement work regularly before the last couple of years was back in the first half of the '00s. I know where you're coming from. Technology now is at the point where I can make the kind of things I want to make easily and cheaply compared to 20+ years ago when it was all locked away in ivory towers and you couldn't just "go on YouTube to learn how to do something". If you still have a grasp of the arrangement fundamentals – and judging from your past contributions you did then and I doubt it's left you – you'll be fine. I have learned so much in the past few years through osmosis and from trying things out. That's the most important thing. Try things out. Like Zack said, join the Discord and hang out. There's usually a regular WIP commentary night called Office Hours on Wednesdays, but even outside of that, the #workshop is always active. Make stuff, see what others think.

Join the discord and mingle. Workshop is a great spot to rediscover yourself.

I was out of the arranging game for most of the last decade due to burnout and just not being able to harness any inspiration, and I'm back into it as hard as I ever was in the 2010s and I think I'm making my best stuff ever now. So yeah as long as the muse has grabbed you again you'll be fine!

I can literally smell a human sinner here. For this incredibly grave sin, you should regularly repent and synth hard! ... Dude, 15 years? Were you in a creative coma as a musician, snoring away comfortably like a huge Flemish Giant flopped into the cozy meadow, or were you somehow on the run from the Mafia or something? I mean, hey. I'm also kind of a pro at picking up an old remix from over 10 years ago and completely remixing it or rewriting the composition (simply because I've just started getting into music, composition, mixing and mastering around this time). But if you haven't done anything musically in all these years, you've really let yourself go and metaphorically left your passion in your bum bag. ... Nevertheless, welcome back to the club. ))

Just jumping in and writing is probably the best way. Work on the broad strokes of composition without focusing on details, making stuff you don't intend to polish to a 'finished product' to keep yourself familiar with tools, and possibly trying out ideas or techniques you are not as familiar with to stretch yourself. If you end up with something you particularly like the direction of, then maybe circle back to work more on it.

Coming from a DKC2 aficionado such as yourself that's high praise!

My understanding these days is the preferred way to emulate games on Linux is RetroArch (https://docs.libretro.com/guides/install-gnu/ ) which also integrates with really neat stuff like Retro Achievements.

Absolutely 100% agreed with Argle that this mix NEEDED to exist. Loved every second!

@Uffe von Lauterbach No problem. There are said to have been people who once tried to create soundscapes with dodecaphonic music. ;) But maybe let's approach it according to the rules of conventional harmony. You wrote that the piece is in E flat minor. This means that the following notes occur: Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb (B), Db. An Emaj13 chord contains the following 7 notes: E, G# (Ab), B, D# (Eb), F# (Gb), A, C# (Db). This means that only 5 of these 7 notes in the chord are part of the scale. And that obviously creates this brief dissonant interlude in the soundtrack. So you can either change the chord or the key to make this little passage sound more harmonious, although I would definitely modify the chord to match the key. I created an audio sample with 4 little piano chords for ya (everything arranged from the lower to the higher notes). Chord 1 >>> your Emaj13 chord that doesn't really fit your chosen scale (just for comparison) >>> notes: E, G# (Ab), H, D# (Eb), F# (Gb), A, C# (Db) Chord 2 >>> a highly depressing chord (but fitting your scale) >>> notes: Eb, Gb, Bb, Db, F, Ab, B Chord 3 >>> a little bit less depressing chord with a tiny spark of hope (fitting your scale) >>> notes: Eb, Gb, Bb, Db, F, Ab, Db+1 (1 octave higher than the previous D) Chord 4 >>> a rather inviting chord with a slightly eerie undertone of impending death (fitting your scale) >>> notes: F, Ab, B, Eb, Gb, Bb, D# It sounds like this: Piano Chords.mp3 Perhaps you should check whether one of these three chords would be more suitable for the critical part of your track. ... Have fun and good luck with your composing. ))

Well, you've got about 49 days to get something done. If you believe you can do that, then welcome aboard.

opens with the initial brass stabs from the original in the synths, with some interestingly-timed percussive elements around it (i can hear where they come from in the source, but still a bit confusing). the echoed or delayed hits don't sound like a roll as much as they do random attacks, which i don't think is intended. this drops pretty quick into a build with some more of the percussion hits in the right ear especially. guitar comes in around the 0:40 mark and builds into a pretty intense section at 0:49. i like the chugs here. a lead comes in with the melodic line at 1:02, but it's pretty buried. i like the filter work on it, and doubling it an octave down helps reinforce it, but it's still quiet and hard to hear. the switch at 1:16 helps make it be clearer as there's less going on behind it. it's still much heavier in the right ear through all of this, which becomes tiresome by about 1:45. lead becomes more clear around that point which is nice. there's some falling action here with loads of ear candy and stuff jumping around the soundscape, which is fun. the same lead comes back at 2:09, but it's easier to hear this time as there's less competing with it. i liked the half-time section at 2:23 as a way to break it up without losing intensity, and 2:37's guitar lead sounds great. tone really cuts well. the doubled melody section is neat too, although i found the heavy vibrato that was added at the end to be a little off-putting. there's some fun ensemble work to extend the phrase around 3:40-3:45, and then some repeated lines to finish it off. the vocal pad sustain past the last hit doesn't sound intentional. this is a pretty intense take on the original. i like the driving feel throughout, and i like the breakdown around the 2:00 mark. i think the arrangement/adaptation really works well for this style. i found the lead at 1:02 to be very hard to hear initially, and the right-ear-heavy mix from about 0:45 through about 1:55 was pretty noticeable. i also don't think the ending was quite what was intended, and the intro's drum hits/rolls were very confusing and felt out of time. i think all of these are really easy to update and fix, and i'd prefer to hear them handled before posting. i think that this is pretty close to the line and wouldn't be surprised for other judges to be ok with what's being presented, but i think especially the lead being inaudible for a minute is enough to hold it back for me. NO

what a weird original. opens with some interesting sound design. 0:30 does start to bring in some of the chord structure of the original, but it's pretty far afield from that. 1:05's ascending lines are more recognizable. the juxtaposition of the music box next to the synth leads is interesting. we get a beat around 1:43, and i like the space that the bass provides by not playing constantly here. the brass and sfx at 2:02 are surprisingly menacing when combined with the tempo change there. 2:19's original section is a bit of a break before we get back into a brass-heavy section. i don't really hear the A section in here, and the long swell on the brass instrument you're using becomes pretty obnoxiously clear. the 'b' section at 3:24 is a little clearer where it's coming from, and it functions as an outro. i think you've really nailed the vibe you were looking for here, for sure. there's a real dark, intense thriller-style feel to what's going on. i'd say though that i really don't get anywhere near enough source to my ears, which is my main concern. i hear what i'd attribute to source at 0:51-1:15, 1:22-2:18, and 3:22-3:51, which is 109/255 seconds (43%). maybe i'm missing something here? i separately found the track to over-use those brass samples that really got exposed at around the 3:00 mark. but i liked the overall direction of the piece, and like i said earlier i think the vibe's great. i just don't think it has near enough source as compared to all the other references. NO

Yeah, the really good soundtracks in Dissidia alone would be reason enough to buy it. And as far as I remember, you could also use or unlock a kind of jukebox in the game, as well as additional music tracks. But basically, the soundtrack is just the icing on the cake of the game, which is partly a modern beat 'em up with interactive, destructible arenas and partly a very complex, extensive RPG with an atmospheric story - in other words, a really successful combination of game genres. ... Here you can get a tiny glimpse of how music, gameplay, and story come together in the second Dissidia game, Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, for the PSP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKtTPeUk0yA And that's just the beginning of the game, which can offer over 500 hours of gameplay until you've unlocked all story parts, game modes, characters, music tracks, equipment, summons, items, and other secrets. ... Given the huge potential of this game, which is far superior even to the legendary Super Smash Bros. series, I'm already expecting a really big next-gen title for the Dissidia series, even if it's just a remake of the first two PSP games for now.

DJ Pretzel you are an amazing dude. I found OCRemix in the glorious heyday of my middle/highschool years, and I had endless fun hanging out with friends and "mining" cool new tracks that we would download and make mp3 cds from. The good old days when most of the music was techno, Hah! I am just rambling because I have been a casual explorer with no musical background for about 24 years here on the site, and wow, the love and passion of this project just oozes good vibes. One of my favorite things was DJ Pretzel's critiques. I did not have an ear for music at all, but the more I listened to his reviews/critiques/judgements and explanations of the music, I felt my own understanding and listening habits change. I began to notice little details and appreciate what the remixer was going for. As a non musician it's hard to put into words how much appreciation I have rooted in this little corner of the digital universe, even as a non contributor I have a warm feeling for this community and wish for continued success and music. Now time to go browse some old remixes from you OG admins back in the day. P.S. I am beginning my journey under a mentor to repair and play piano, so maybe one day, I will contribute to this community, or maybe my daughter when she's old enough to learn, will also be inspired by the music OCRemix has spread.

Cool approach giving these themes a darker mood and harder edge. To me, the high end of the sequenced bowed string lead was shrill, but I'll live. Love the blocky percussion accents thrown in here. Really interesting shifts in the textures in tandem with the theme tradeoffs. Small detail, but what great tension with the usage of the heartbeat SFX at 2:42; very menacing! I wanted the core beats to have a thicker sound, but the overall sound design and mixing hit hard and had a wide sound. Really strong way to personalize the treatment of the sources, timaeus, this sounds like you had a blast experimenting with some bold sound choices. :-) YES

Okay, Timaeus, you got me: I was definitely headbangin'. 😆 Always appreciate the solid source usage breakdown. Love the personal touches on the Ice Path melody and bassline, as well as the filter automation and sfx usage. There's a residual shimmer on the bongos from the comb filtering that I think actually does help them fit in at 1:09-1:21 and 2:27-2:40, but my strong acoustic drum and percussion bias might be why. Reasonable minds may differ. Nice work! YES

some creepy bass effects to start, but the ice path bass line is clear right away when it comes in. there's a filtered build that's clearly going to go hard, and it hits at 0:41. band sound is a big, aggressive vibe that feels like it's in half-time, and there's some really fun gating and effecting to keep it feeling like that even through the initial break at 1:09. bongo tone is really unexpected and tbh doesn't feel like it fits into the rest of the super-synthetic vibe. the team rocket theme comes in right after this and really fits the feel well - what a great combo. there's a bit of a break at 1:36 that's more of a drop and build - again, excellent work combining in the team rocket theme here - and at 1:55 we get a transition back to the ice path melody. this transition into this was a little rockier (no pun intended) in that the key didn't make immediate sense in my head listening to it. there's a big fall-off after this section at about 2:40, and we get some sfx before a slam transition back to team rocket for a few seconds before we close out on the ice path bassline again. this is a fun ride! i really like the approach and how intense it is without relying on a fast tempo to bring the energy. there's a ton of details hidden in here that are fun to explore. excellent work combining two great themes. YES