ReMix: River City Ransom 'RiverCityRobot'
Download MP3
Play Preview
- Game: River City Ransom (Technos, 1989, NES)
- ReMixer(s): posu yan
- Composer(s): Kazuo Sawa
- Song(s): 'River City High ~Confrontation!!~'
- Posted: 2002-01-30, evaluated by djpretzel
Only have time for one post tonight, but it's a ReMix of a game that holds a special place in the hearts of 8-bitters worldwide - the one, the only, River City Ransom. Mixing RPG elements with the Double Dragon beat 'em up formula, and throwing in ample helpings of cheese, Technos created a unique and unforgettable 8-bit masterpiece that everyone should play at least once in their lifetime. po uses his minimalist hip-hop mentality here to throw some funkage down on the OST, with a nice meaty beat, a synth bass that refrains from filtering out till 2'34", and his trademark simple-but-good style. I would have actually dug some soloing mojo here - improvisational and not in the original, granted, but it would have added that one more element that would have pushed things a bit further. As it stands though, a straightforward genre interpretation of the original, and a good groove to boot. Dig.
Discussion: Latest 13 comments/reviews; view the If this were bitcrushed just a little more, I would have been
super-happy. Would have been more robotic sounding and changed it
from sounding coincidentally kinda like a robot to deliberately
definitely like a robot. Still, I'm liking the stiff semi-funk with
the slow build, like the robots are out on the streets in the wrong
part of town looking for a good time. Not familiar too much with
the source but on its own merits, this doesn't age as bad as others
because of the intended sound.
Could have had a bit more development and attention to the "robot sound" (really, I was secretly hoping for a ripoff of Daft Punk's ROBOT ROCK), but I still kinda liked it. Guilty pleasure, you could say.
- Level 99 on December 27, 2010
Could have had a bit more development and attention to the "robot sound" (really, I was secretly hoping for a ripoff of Daft Punk's ROBOT ROCK), but I still kinda liked it. Guilty pleasure, you could say.
- Level 99 on December 27, 2010
I always liked the bass of this song, makes my head bob each time.
Lead synth is nice too. Drums are a bit dry though, they could use
some WD-40.
- Vilecat on December 27, 2010
- Vilecat on December 27, 2010
Samples are terrible all around. It sounds a bit empty too, but
part of that might be the samples. The main thrust of the mix
could've started much earlier - it took more than 1:15 for
something to develop. It also doesn't seem to really go places
either, just maintaining the same steady and unchanging progress
through the song. Overall this is kinda bleh to me.
- Bahamut on September 28, 2009
- Bahamut on September 28, 2009
does kind of take a minute to get going, but I absolutely love the
funky bass line. good job.
- justinj212 on January 15, 2009
- justinj212 on January 15, 2009
I've only heard po's more recent stuff, so it's kind of cool to be
able to compare this blast from the past to songs posted only a
month ago. He's obviously come a long way. :P This is a little too
simple but it does have a hypnotic repetitiveness to it that
distills the essence of the source. Would have been awesome to hear
some vocals or a lead over that.
- Palpable on December 12, 2008
- Palpable on December 12, 2008
The intro is a little to slow to build up; it takes 1:16 before it
really "gets going". Even then, the main melody is pretty
overshadowed by the everything else, which is fairly
repetitive.
It does have a nice urban/techno beat and has potential, but in the end, it wasn't fully exercised.
Yeah, it's basically like a vocal-less rap song, which is weird.
- 42 on December 9, 2008
It does have a nice urban/techno beat and has potential, but in the end, it wasn't fully exercised.
DragonAvenger;355820 wrote: Where's the rap?
Yeah, it's basically like a vocal-less rap song, which is weird.
- 42 on December 9, 2008
Where's the rap? This track really could have used a central focus
point.
Man, it's been so long since I played, and sucked at, RCR. Brings back memories.
- DragonAvenger on December 15, 2007
Man, it's been so long since I played, and sucked at, RCR. Brings back memories.
- DragonAvenger on December 15, 2007
A little too empty to be effective, in my opinion. The source was
there, but the best parts were left out. SOmeone mentioned rapping
over this, and I totally see it, because not only would it fit
well, it would provide the main interest this song needs.
- OA on January 2, 2007
- OA on January 2, 2007
So funky.
So, so funky.
Great groove on this. And historically, this is what it all comes back to for po. So many of his tracks feature a snippit of this groove in some form or another. Sort of like Totaka's Song to Nintendo games, this track seems to have influenced po's work dramatically.
That said, this is probably the weakest of his arrangements in that it's barely there, but I love it. I think if po were to do this now, there'd be madcat soloing over the thing, which would rock, because that's how the original was - a melody with a bunch of soloing.
Either way, this piece is a great benchmark in po's repertoire. Definitely worth checking out.
- Mustin on December 16, 2006
So, so funky.
Great groove on this. And historically, this is what it all comes back to for po. So many of his tracks feature a snippit of this groove in some form or another. Sort of like Totaka's Song to Nintendo games, this track seems to have influenced po's work dramatically.
That said, this is probably the weakest of his arrangements in that it's barely there, but I love it. I think if po were to do this now, there'd be madcat soloing over the thing, which would rock, because that's how the original was - a melody with a bunch of soloing.
Either way, this piece is a great benchmark in po's repertoire. Definitely worth checking out.
- Mustin on December 16, 2006
I never got to play this game but the musics good and i wish i
could have had a chance to play it but oh well.
- Super Metal Mario on May 5, 2005
- Super Metal Mario on May 5, 2005
This is a great song for a rap...(not River City Rap though). I
like it alot, but the melody is covered very minimalistically.
There was alot more of a melody in the original track. This just
covers a tenth of the main melody.
Although, the beat is killer, the patches are excellent, the bass will kick your arse, but it just needs alot more to it. If there's a version of this instrumental without any rap lyrics overtop, this will be a highly recomended song.
- fetusboy on June 9, 2004
Although, the beat is killer, the patches are excellent, the bass will kick your arse, but it just needs alot more to it. If there's a version of this instrumental without any rap lyrics overtop, this will be a highly recomended song.
- fetusboy on June 9, 2004
Got a nice little groove on there.. Its a small, contained sounding
song. Very repetitive, maybe too much so. It doesn't go anywhere,
just keeps things simple. This might have been nicer with a new
melody line going on or something else to distract us from its
repetitiveness..
- Rayza on October 8, 2003
- Rayza on October 8, 2003
River City Ransom 'River City Robot'
Personally, I've never played RCR, so I never really got why the music was requested so often. Now I understand why, if Po's rendition is any indication. Kinda minimalistic, but artfully so. Po definately fills a jazz/hip hop niche here, which is good cause it's a style not many remixers take on. Coulda done without the several repetative measures of drums and bass, but overall this works well. Recommended.
- orkybash on May 22, 2002
Personally, I've never played RCR, so I never really got why the music was requested so often. Now I understand why, if Po's rendition is any indication. Kinda minimalistic, but artfully so. Po definately fills a jazz/hip hop niche here, which is good cause it's a style not many remixers take on. Coulda done without the several repetative measures of drums and bass, but overall this works well. Recommended.
- orkybash on May 22, 2002
