ReMix: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins 'Seizing the Castle'
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- Game: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (Nintendo, 1992, GB)
- ReMixer(s): WillRock
- Composer(s): Kazumi Totaka
- Song(s): 'Wario's Castle'
- Posted: 2010-04-11, evaluated by the judges
Willrock writes:
"This remix is a step forward for me in a way - it includes less of the same samples and patches I have used in the past and has more sounds I have made myself, unlike editing presets which I did a lot of in the past. With this remix, I took the source and tried to take what was so great about the original, and multiply it ten fold, and imo the best aspect was the dark tone of the track, being almost castlevania like. This remix does have a very castlevania-like sound - lots of organs, vox pads, an electric guitar solo, which is a first for my ocr mixes if this is accepted, and a trumpet."
All of Will's mixes have been good, but there was a certain consistency that did potentially run the risk of becoming repetitive, so I'm glad he's switching things up & expanding his horizons a bit. Don't worry too much, though - it's still the same Willrock you know and love. It's also our first mixage from Kazumi Totaka's score to Super Mario Land 2, and it's always great to see more portable games getting some TLC. You'll hear what Will means re:Castlevania as soon as the organ enters, but there's plenty of development and variety, and towards the end things shift away from the dark/gothic feel and get more major-key & anthemic. The filtered oooOOOOooowow synth in the intro actually sounds a bit like a didgeridoo, and the guitar solo at 1'52" is great, screaming stuff. Vinnie writes:
"I think Anso summed up the drums best. The high-end sounds loud, but they also sound hollow. It's a sizable problem, but that's my biggest beef with what is a GREAT arrangement. Will, I am soooooo glad you stepped out of your comfort zone for this, this is a great variation on your usual style. Maybe not my favorite track of yours, but I know as you continue to refine the production on these new skills you're picking up, you will make some really awesome stuff. Not to say that what's here is problematic, but it doesn't have the polished fullness of your best synth tracks. Guitar solo is damn cool, and you worked those new instruments into your rock drums + synth palette nicely."
This might be Will's best arrangement yet, although I think the judges were basically on the money that production on earlier, synth-only mixes was slightly more polished & the overall sound was fuller. But hey, he's branching out and doing new stuff, it still sounds damn good, and it's from source material we didn't have yet, so I'm a happy dude. Nice ritardando ending and drum hits wrap everything up into a neat, well-sequenced, rocking package. Great stuff from Willrock that expands what he's capable of while maintaining what we already dig about him, which is a great equilibrium to achieve!
Discussion: Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the letterONE;710860 wrote: I've played this game many times before, but I don't seem to remember the song. WHY!? ......Possibly because I haven't played it in a while...
Anyways, good remix, even though I don't remember it in the game.
Its Wario's Castle theme (the last level in the game after you get all the coins)
Glad you enjoyed the remix! :)
- WillRock on September 1, 2010
Anyways, good remix, even though I don't remember it in the game.
- letterONE on September 1, 2010
My fave is at the ending wen the synth (3:01) kind of "falls" after each phrase. Nice touch
- Mtlbro on May 2, 2010
I also really like that low baseline synth in this. A good spot to hear what I'm talking about is 0:36. Actually this whole thing reminds me of the main theme song for Legacy of Kain, Soul Reaver as much (more?) than it does Castlevania. Doubly awesome.
The only thing that I'm meh about is the electric guitar. It just sounds too... high in pitch and heavily processed, given the other sounds surrounding it. It doesn't balance out. Balance of high and low pitched sounds is a big deal imo, and that balance is so neatly found in the first minute of this song, the rest of the song is... well, it's too [i]good[/i] to be a letdown, but it's not up to par with the first minute of the song.
Regardless, good stuff, definitely a keeper!
- Nobbynob Littlun on April 29, 2010
My only complaint is that everything until 1:36 sounds like an intro; I guess it's because the song just doesn't get a beat going; in my opinion, the beat in the background sounds like it's holding back the remix from starting for real.
- Martin Penwald on April 26, 2010
Willrock is an interesting character. He takes alot of genres to different novel levels in his music. This one's more of a rock that's more of a groove than a smack in the face which is a nice switch. There's definately Castlevania sound and a bit of Zelda LA's Tal Tal Mountain at 0:26. The 303-ish bass is an interesting insert with the organ and a kind of chiptunish sound for the bass. I like the lead synth at 1:04 as it's got a very saxy (or sexy) kind of sound that works well with the organ and synth basslines. At 1:39, things get going good in terms of the arrangement and a solo guitar 1:52 really brings out the emotion of the entire feel of Mario having a hard time in the castle. 2:45 and onward though, I just couldn't get into it, but at the ending is where a good smackdown comes in as well as the snare/crash combination which works as a superb move.
To conclude for some odd reason, this isn't something I'd have on repeat over and over. It just doesn't appeal to me even though synth rock is a beautiful genre, especially if you did a Mario track with a Castlevania type sound. I guess I'm just used to Konami making my pulse go during an epic 2D level while listening to a great track. What I'll do is give a 8/10 since it's got some great arrangement qualities as well as excellent instrument choices, however, I'd love to hear more of Willrock's work before I give better reviews on his stuff.
8/10
- A-RoN on April 22, 2010
ProtoDome;667069 wrote: He can't. He programs the MIDI into his brain so his fingers are automated. Filthy cheater.
Good song, one of my favourites of yours. <3
Dude, the system.
THEY CAN'T KNOW ABOUT THE LIES, MAAAAN.
I DON'T WANNA DIE MAN!!!
DUUUUUUUUUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Neblix on April 15, 2010
neblix;666526 wrote: Willrock can play guitar, dude.
He can't. He programs the MIDI into his brain so his fingers are automated. Filthy cheater.
Good song, one of my favourites of yours. <3
- PROTO·DOME on April 15, 2010
Liontamer wrote:
The guitar solo at 1:52 was decent, but the sample was pretty exposed and didn't sound realistic. That was the first time I've heard you sequence a electric guitar in the context of it needing to sound authentic, which is a good risk to try; not terrible, but keep at it.
As willrock said
LARRY FAIL
Willrock can play guitar, dude.
- Neblix on April 14, 2010
CC Ricers;665474 wrote: Willrock [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=IH5BIYnosWQ]actually made one[/url], but it wasn't accepted on this site :-o Maybe if he wanted to re-work this mix?
I still could do I guess :P
I do believe BGC told me he would see me banned forever if I didn't resub it... I haven't resubbed it yet... :lol:
Also, LT quote from the judges decision :P
The guitar solo at 1:52 was decent, but the sample was pretty exposed and didn't sound realistic. That was the first time I've heard you sequence a electric guitar in the context of it needing to sound authentic, which is a good risk to try; not terrible, but keep at it.
The guitar was actually PLAYED by me. No sequencing.
Larry-bot fail :D
<3 you really
- WillRock on April 13, 2010
- OA on April 13, 2010
- Pander on April 13, 2010
- BlackPanther on April 12, 2010
Lol. But yeah, I agree, we need a Starworld one now.
Also:
Polo;665585 wrote: Definitely a castle worth seizing. :nicework:
YES.
- Melbu Frahma on April 12, 2010
- LostChronos on April 12, 2010
