OCR01291 - Metroid II 'Anthem of a Metroid Hunter'

[djpretzel]

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

[Red Shadow]

BGC makes quality stuff. So far so good and hoping to hear more. Love it.

[Viewtiful Fig]

Really brought the ending credits theme to Half-Life to mind until I remembered that immortal Metroid 2 credits theme. This is amazing, it brings back memories of a not-really-incredible-but-still-good Metroid game. But seriously, the soundfonts used in the beginning make me think of Half-Life. @_@

[Corporal Eschebone]

So yeah, this is awesome. Kinda like everything else that's been coming in and giving me a need to review nearly every damn piece for the last few weeks.

The GBS-esque soundfonts remind me of those times a long time ago where I'd listen to the sound test on Game & Watch Gallery 2, only infinitely superior and with more reverb. Good times.

Edit: Soundfonts, really, or samples? I don't know anymore, it's all the same to me. Heh.

[RimFrost the Tourianist]

As an old Metroid fan, i'm very pleased to see more and more remixes of previous games flowing into the site ..and i'm impressed by this one .
Catchy, funky and generally very listenable track.

Good job BGC :o :D

[underthesun]

I agree, catchy, and has a nice feel to it. Very cool, really like it. Kudos :)

[BladeForever]

Metroid 2, believe it or not, is one of my favorite. And yes, the credits theme is quite immortal. BGC has given this song new life. I love it. I really do.

[Bahamut]

At first, I was like "omg, is this the credits?"

And yep, I was right. This remix impressed me far more than the other one, as it had been covered much better by Ziwtra (no offense). However, I found the arrangement solid throughout the whole piece, and I thoroughly enjoyed the interpretation.

[big giant circles]

This remix impressed me far more than the other one, as it had been covered much better by Ziwtra (no offense)

none taken. there's got to be a starting point for everyone, and "Begin the End..." just happened to be mine. (and z-man is an exceptional mixer who puts out a tough act to follow regardless) :)

[PlastikBag]

This remix impressed me far more than the other one, as it had been covered much better by Ziwtra (no offense).

Wait a second, I don't recall Ziwtra remixing the same song that BGC did. Surely they were both from the same game, but not the same song. Or at least I think so... :?

But anyways, I liked this song a lot... As I do with just about everything else showing up on this site these days. You did a great job on this song and it surely shows a great deal of improvement from your last release, which I also liked quite a bit.

[DJ Riott]

This turned out nicely BGC! I'm glad I could hear and help from the WIP version on. I knew it'd make it :wink:

This has always been in top 5 for game soundtracks, so I was a big skeptic hoping you wouldn't ruin it. >> hardly.. excellent work!

[Bigfoot]

Wow, first post in FOREVER. Haven't been here in so long, I can't even trace my previous posts :P

Anyway, I'm definatly a Metroid fan(as you can tell from my sig), and all I can say is that you did very well wiwth this BGC :) I was dissapointed Metroid II only had 1 remix, and now it has a very nice one. Keep up the good work.

[Corporal Eschebone]

At first, I was like "omg, is this the credits?"

And yep, I was right. This remix impressed me far more than the other one, as it had been covered much better by Ziwtra (no offense). However, I found the arrangement solid throughout the whole piece, and I thoroughly enjoyed the interpretation.

The only other remix is by Mellogear and Mustin [which isn't of the ending credits], and Ziwtra has [url=http://www.ocremix.org/detailremixer.php?mixerid=259]no Metroid remixes period (]Metroid 2[/url).

[jordex]

This song was very exciting considering that I've never heard the original before and didn't know what to expect but it's good even though I don't know it

Nice instrument selection, there are some cool effects and it's got alot of variety

It seems that not 1 second in this song repeats but it gets more exciting as it moves along, it keeps going and going

This is great, keep it up BGC!

[big giant circles]

and Ziwtra has no Metroid remixes period.

I believe he was actually referring to the fact that my first remix was for the game Final Fantasy Adventure, which at the time had only one previous mix by Ziwtra. His mix is exceptionally awesome, and mine, in comparison, was only so-so (I think so, anyway).

I was still fairly new to FL Studio at the time I arranged Begin the End of the Beginning (still am, in comparison to most people ;) ) but I do think that "Anthem..." is a decent step up the scale of mixing capability. Hopefully, I'll continue to make progress. I'm learning new things all the time, not just about FL, but about audio in general. I take no offense at all if someone says that I mixed a song from a game that someone else has mixed from, and my mix seems inferior to whatever degree to the other.

I don't think there is a veteran mixer on this site who sounds exactly the same as their first mix did. That's what this is all about. Learning and improving. I listen to "Begin the End..." now, and I can pick out 50 things right off hand that I would have done different if I had known how. But, again, that was my first one, and I'm happy to feel like I'm improving.

I thank everyone for all the kind comments in regard to my mix(es), and I'll do my best to keep raising the bar in quality!

[the biz]

Hey man, i wanted you to know I have both the ones the have been posted here and the UT mix on WIP. I really like your stuff, It has energy and skill and is just plain enjoyable. The only weakness I see (and I see it because it would be mine as well) is that your remixes are very "busy". That I know of only Protricity can pull off busy and do it well, but if you've improved this much this fast, I look forward to what you can do later. :) As a side note, Ziwtra remixed the FIRST overworld music, and BGC remixed the SECOND overworld music. Don't know if anyone else noticed that...

[big giant circles]

As a side note, Ziwtra remixed the FIRST overworld music, and BGC remixed the SECOND overworld music. Don't know if anyone else noticed that...

(actually, Z-man remixed the 1st overworld theme, and I remixed a boss battle theme. There are 3 main boss battle themes, and I did the 2nd one.)

But I appreciate your comments, bro :)

[the biz]

really? shows you how long it's been since I played FFA...LOL, years man....

[Nigel Simmons]

"Epic" and "Grandioso"? ... I really don't think so ... but it's alright, anyway.

[BladeForever]

You use FL Studio? Honestly, what is your full opinion on that program compared to others?

[wingd]

This is actually a Mix I requested once and I think it's LONG overdue. This mix is beyond awesome and I couldn't believe someone finally did it. So well done. This has always been one of my favorite game end themes. Gave my goosebumps. Great job, Big Giant Circles.

(Can't wait to listen to this puppy on my iPod)

[Kadosho]

Metroid II
This was one of the lost gems in the GB collection.
Plus it was an alright game too.
It may not have been like its older sister, but it really felt like another level of Metroid for a different system.
+====+

BGC's cover "Anthem of a Bounty Hunter"
Nicely done piece, it also reflects the end credits theme too. After the missions done, she can relax.
Its also laidback, but in a cool progressive way.
Great job BGC! 8)

[Coucou]

Some of the things I like in this mix:
- so good sounds design, especially for the lead
- filter use from 1'10 to 1'29
- wha-wha filter fx @2'30
- the drums rolls which are very reallistic (but sometimes a bit loud, fox example @2'26)
- the bass glide @2'34
- the end with the various arp.

Conclusion: this mix enters my favorite ORC mixes collection.

[jorgandar]

mine too =D

[Random Fox Thought]

I really like this one. Nice soft melody without any real sudden jolts which send you out of relaxation, while keeping it entertaining and catchy.

Really creative when someone can make such a great remix from a gameboy title (I love gameboy themes, but to make an in-depth remix like this from one it takes a lot of talent). Good job.

[Ham On Rye]

I love this remix. So much I had to register just so I could post how much I love it. I used to keep a save game of Metroid II on the pak at the very end of the game just so I could go in, beat the last boss and listen to this music over and over again. I'm hardly an expert critic but I liked how the instruments kept that game boy sound.

[philomory]

The ending theme of Metroid II is one of my all-time favorite themes. Like Ham On Rye I have a save on my cart at the very end so I can go beat it to hear the end music; I used to press my game boy up against my ear to hear it better.

Let me say that this remix is very good. But, because of how much I love the original, I can't help but hold a very high standard for what a remix of it should be. So I have a criticism.

Basically I don't feel the remix was opened properly. Anthem spends 1'09 covering what was, in the original, an 0'08 lead in. That's not necessarily a problem, but for someone who's familiar with the original it builds up a lot of anticipation.

My problem with Anthem comes at 1'10, when the anticipation built up over the past minute just falls flat. In the original, after the opening bit the theme comes in immediately with a sort of energetic fanfare-ish sound. In the remix, however, there's this sort of winding-down noise, after which the theme fades in, becoming recognizable a few seconds later. I found it to be a big let down.

The bit from 4'19 to 4'25 shares the same problem, but not nearly as much, because the theme is picked up again that time.

Other than that the only complaint I can make is that at some points it felt like the melody was too soft relative to the beat.

Now, I'm not trying to say that that ruins the remix. That would be a gross overstatement. In fact, from 1'18 to 4'18 the remix is very, very good. But it took a long time to shake the feeling that something was missing.

[Audity]

So I just went to go clean the toilet seat, and I heard something inside the toilet. It was none other than the beginning of this ReMix! I swear I heard it! So I ran over to the internet in order to review the whole song, due to me literally hearing what sounded like the beginning.

This mix is quite versitile. The introduction is very drawn out, yet pretty appropriate in how the left ear sounds during it, mainly.

When the melody comes in at 1:10, however, I feel a bit of melodyitus, in that the melody doesn't really seem to fit with the rest of the intro (which sounds more game-boy metroid-like). I know purists of the original like the post above have a completely opposite look (wait, I just looked at his post again and he also said 1:10 didn't fit), but as for me, I've never played this part of the game, so it sounds more like the ending to a Mario game. The softness of this section is well-anticipated, but the start of the "Mario melody" doesn't fit.

The rest, I don't really know what to say except that it never gets boring, unless you don't like the genre of the whole piece, which is very one-genre-ish due to the sample sets. Fun.

[WesternZypher]

Boppy and upbeat. Me likes.

[OA]

Good stuff, peppy and chippy, and some good vintage BGC- Strange that this track was made years before I ever started to want to mix myself. :O

Anyways, the beats are hot, the atmosphere is there, and though i think the intro went a little long, there was a lot of care put into the little details that really make a mix awesome.

Good stuff, and interesting to hear where Jimmy Jam has come from 5 years ago. :D

[Pachi Risu]

That was quite the listen, definitely a decent upbeat ReMix. Keep 'em coming.

[halc]

This one seems to come up fairly often when I listen to OCR's on shuffle. Plenty of signature BGC synths and drum processing - always an enjoyable listen :-D

[Polo]

There was a gap that needed to be bridged between the last two songs in the game, and bgc pulled it off seamlessly. The bulk of the mix, as djp says, is very celebratory: the percussive flourishes are like flags "waving" their right to celebrate, the lead at 1:46 joyously declares a toast, and the violin adds a sensitive touch like a female singer invigorating the hearts of men. It's also cool how the pistons/hammers, air compression, and other machine-based sounds capture the "atmosphere" of outer space (i.e. being surrounded by tech facilitating space exploration). And through it all, I see a scantily clad huntress smoothly chillin' after a hard day's alien massacre.

This satisfies on many levels. See you next mission!

[Marmiduke]

A strange Metroid song, that's for sure. Definitely a stark contrast to the dark, subterranean mood electronica the series is reknowned for.
Overall, the mix is pretty solid stuff. It's got a poppy vibe that's well married to the retro-tinged synths, and there's much appreciated depth to the backing tracks. The arrangement itself failed to grab my attention all that much, but it's got that nicely implemented, methodical intro that sets up the melody to come. While that melody is very centric, varied and apparent... I personally think it lacks the punch needed to carry the full mix. A firmer presentation of that main melody would have improved the entire package.
Regardless, this is sweet. Light, soft and airy doesn't come to mind when thinking about Metroid soundtracks, but the mix does it well enough. Somedays, you just need triumphant end credits music to pull you through.