Polo
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Posts posted by Polo
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- Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance came out in 2003 according to every source I checked, not 2002.
- Similarly, Pokémon Red's release date is currently listed as 1998. Since you're going with Japanese release years, it should be 1996 (the same as Blue).
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cuts off before it fully finishes, i.e. without the smooth fadeout in the MP3 or the fade-to-dark OCR headphones logo. Would this warrant a reupload like with Will Is the Lord?- Finally, the review thread for Club Del Toro lowercases the D in "del" (it's supposed to be capitalized, right?).
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Usually when I listen to this, I'm so totally swayed by the gradually intensifying lead synths at the start that, from 0:28 to 1:21, I get out of my chair (if I'm sitting down), assume Vega's fighting stance, threaten an imaginary opponent with a "claw" on my left hand, mimic backflips, "cling" to a wall to scale, and "leap" from it with a girlish cry, all to the beat. If I do it once, I often repeat it at 3:28 - 3:53. The fresh melody after that sure turns up the groove factor the way djp described (rowdy crowd and disco ball and all), although my body can't always keep up with the energy display if I dance (twice) before that. Basically, Club del Toro knows how to give me a silly-awesome workout with its enticing hook and sustaining vibe, so props.
Btw, I'm guessing Thailand was left out of the country shout-outs because that would imply that Vega's been defeated (and the player's moved on to Sagat and M. Bison). I can't imagine that handsome fighter losing a battle when he's got THIS to dance/fight to.
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I'm cool with that. Close to the original intent without being inaccurate. Changed.
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As I understand it (I haven't played a single Fallout game), the games before New Vegas had you control a "lone descendant of the original vault dwellers." And yes, there's no predicting how subsequent games in the series will either continue or drop this tradition, so saying "as of/up through the third installment" wouldn't be true either if the developers threw us a wild card. Would it be better to say "Each Fallout game typically follows a lone descendant of the original vault dwellers [...]"?
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Since the games allow variation in the player's stats and background, I added a few words to the passage to keep it open-ended: "Each Fallout game follows a lone protagonist, usually a descendant of the original vault dwellers, who explores and discovers what it means to survive in a devastated world."
Also Darklink42 said he was playing New Vegas while he was writing the bio, so no excuses from him.
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I think this could totally fit the bill as the soundtrack to a film noir involving spies. The co-op saxophones take the source lead for a sexy slitherfest, i.e. they work sneakily while at the same time emitting a laid-back aura. Many of the other players, with their raw, distant, and gritty quality to them, help develop the darkly intelligent character of this mix. There's dust-scattering thumps, throaty synths that don't need cough medicine to sufficiently carry the source's primary/secondary melodies, and some DEEP bass lurkers (at 2:28, one of my favorite parts), to name a few examples. Also, the saxes seem like able contenders to guide the listener through the 7/4 time signature section (1:44 - 2:16), the "I wanna try something different" foray at 3:29, and the unexplored Solstice rooms at 3:38+ (which, amusingly, has a few moments of feeling like it needs to find its way back [3:56 and 4:05] before it does so successfully).
It's a musical maze that, for me, is easier to navigate than the game itself. Maybe if I donned a fedora and a trench coat and had a dim street lamp above my head...
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Three seconds in (following a humming tone), we get a vicious invitation that sounds like: "YA READY FOR THIS? WE'RE PACKIN' FANGS AND FURY!" A fitting attention-grabber, because every guitar in this mix GAWRAOWRLZ like a foaming-at-the-mouth canine. If I become one with them, I get the urge to bite and tear off a person's flesh with my teeth.
In other less violent news, I appreciate the occasional changeup/freshener like 1:12 that acts as a buffer against the wall of sound. What I like best about the drum-led breakdown at 1:52+ isn't the industrial vibe or the way the bass slap kinda hops and slicks and slides on its time off, but rather the brief laser-like wind-down at 1:57. (Are those lasers? Cuz that's what I think of when I hear them.)
As for arrangement - Judg(e)ment's main melodic riff consists of 3 notes (1st 2 = same, 3rd is higher), notably in the beginning and after those voices LT hates, whereas No Need to Reload not only audibly pronounces those deeper notes in that riff span, but gives it a neck, a torso, and some limbs to help it go places (higher up the scale, down in the trenches, running back to the front lines [2:11], etc.).
Sweet chills all around.
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There's nothing like a mix that can sing, hum, float, and glisten the whole way through. Blessed instruments with angel polish create a fresh atmosphere I can set my spirit adrift in.
Right away I noticed how the bouncy chorus (0:53 - 1:15, 3:50 - 4:12) follows the notational progression of the CV3 version of Clockwork rather than the Circle of the Moon one. A deliberate return to the source tune's roots? If so, +1 nostalgia for that. I also like how, after the quiet half-pauses following the mini-climaxes, the mix snaps back to "let's hurry along now" mode, particularly with the addition of the subdued percussion (0:30 and 3:28 ) and the drum-like quadruplet (2:16). When things start to wind down, there's some unique shades of anticipation for the end: 4:35 seems to gear up for another climax, 4:46 feels lost in ethereal space, and 4:57 wants to linger while being tugged by a decisive hand. The last half minute or so sounds like a mother gently putting her child to bed: "I'll bet you'd want to gaze out the window all night... It IS a very lovely view with the stars twinkling... Well, it's time to tuck you in, little one... Sweet dreams."
Love it. A+
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I will go so far as to say this mix can be interpreted several ways:
- Not simply poetry in motion, this is poetry on the MARCH. Progressive yet introspective, merciless at the front of the activity bulk but beautifully calm in the center, it's a storm that both destroys and revives the entire landscape in one gradual sweep.
- In a gracious nod to the source name, this embodies the concept of time. Thundering drums keep the measured, unstoppable pace; shaky strings echo regrets, nostalgia, and other longing-based emotions that humans feel when they think about time they will never get back; and progression-wise, the atmosphere creeps up on us loomingly (like fast-approaching deadlines) and departs in the distance (making us say "where did all the time go?" and "life can pass you by").
- Need a physics textbook? Just pluck some physics terms from here, since many can be said to be in this mix (some previously noted): weight, force, friction, momentum, compression (lol), you name it.
If this were the real song played during Ultimecia's time compression spell, sign me up for the end of the world.
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I was listening to the soundtrack to Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters yesterday and I came upon Gemini Man's theme.* The song's beat, tone, and structure IMMEDIATELY reminded me of this ReMix.
. Coincidence? Or did McVaffe draw inspiration, however large or small, from that particular arcade tune? I guess the real question is whether this mix stands on its own, unique among other Gemini Lasers. And the answer is yes, of course.
Something about the tin-metal drums and the "just thick enough" bass makes me hungry. They sound yummy enough that I'm trying to close my mouth over them and gulp 'em down. Speaking of taste, the sparkles and shaker are like salt and pepper (condiments are complements). Piano bass notes (and doubled notes in a higher key) are the melody's guiding wheels, and chords and runs gracefully flex the arrangement's space of expression, which feels free in a relaxed tempo like this. And the flute lends an uplifting hand whenever it senses the other players need a break or two.
This sure tingles my taste buds. I could use some nachos and salsa right now.
*If anyone's curious, I was using M1, a neat little tool that can access the music from MAME ROMs, and Gemini Man's theme is song 16.
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Battle Kid: Fortress of Peril - Timmy and Chet Donovan (cutscene faces and regular sprites)
Lufia - Water Fairy
Lufia 2 - Iris
Secret of Mana - Dyluck
Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished: The Final Chapter - Feena
Zelda: Link's Awakening - Mermaid
The Minesweeper face when you win:
LT: Took 'em all except the oogly Battle Kid cutscene ones.
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What I like about this mix:
- it's got a Goldeneye/Perfect Dark-like vibe throughout (action/suspense), sometimes fueled by quirks like that familiar tube wind sound 5 seconds in
- in this time signature, just enough pompous emphasis is placed on every starting third (or sixth) note to get me jamming along
- those whirly, almost offbeat synths at 0:29 - 0:32, 0:53 - 0:56, and similar nooks in the melody are like cute little sirens that add to the action
- the piano arpeggio at 2:11/2:12 contrasts with previous similar moments by adding a reflective grace to this post-breakdown section
Most flavorful.
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*sigh* SUCH a lonely vibe at play. It has shades of sorrow, loss, and feeling burdened, but they're titillatingly mild. The mix doesn't try to pin down my attention, it doesn't elude my senses, and it almost puts me in a trance as it gently tugs at my heartstrings. It treads some floaty, almost ambivalent ground. Whew.
To echo GrayLightning, my only gripe is the cutoff ending. But the more I listen to this, the more I can easily forget that detail and just lose myself in the serene soundscape. <3 <3 <3
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Dissonance? My ears don't pick that up - the keys flow vibrantly together and manage to juxtapose different elements in ways that feel RIGHT. Loud and quiet notes, up-the-scale runs, blood-related melodies, various detours - they're all melodically sound by themselves and among present company. The mood is stretched and molded so vigorously that I feel like I'm watching one of those vintage cartoons led by a hectic plot. Essentially, the madcap essence is strong, but it's executed with finesse.
And yes, it would be awesome if the purple tentacle belted out tunes like this in the game (although he'd still need fingers
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I like how there aren't any fades, breaks, or volume increments to bridge the sections - the mix is all one cohesive and indefatigable globe-trotter that paves a surprisingly fresh path full of elaborate melodic tangents. I'm a fan of the mellower sections for two reasons: 1) the sexy instrumentation sounds more seductive and in character in such environments; and 2) because of the subtle moods they provoke, like a sense of urgency (1:30), rethinking one's strategy (2:26), and just lyin' back in the bubble bath (3:34). Of course, the rapid drumwork at 2:35 has a spicy punch to it that I can't turn down either.
I will also say that listening to this helped me craft my Norfair hot springs sig (shown at the time of this post). This mix, with its kinky title and erotic tone, is just as bubbly.
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I get that familiar feeling of traversing wild, chilly heights, and it's not just because of the sounds of distant wind currents. First, the bouncy groove from Just a Little More (0:24+) sets up the "let's get exploring" vibe. Then, commanding players like the piano, the choir, and the synth at 1:51 not only take the stage, they take it for a glide and expand its scope. Topping it off, we get a few quiet sections in the beginning and middle that allow for reflection, not unlike taking in the view from a mountain summit. By the way, I like how the churning electric sounds (beginning and elsewhere) remind me of those tunnel-dwelling Scatter Bombus.
There's never a dull moment in this Prime edit.
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The page for the NES port of Donkey Kong could use some fixin'. A few Wikipedia articles state that it was released in '83, not '81 like the arcade version. This means that only the UVL reference link is correct about the release year (speaking of which, the IMDb page talks about the original game and the MobyGames link says '83 only in the header, not in the page contents). Also, the screenshot currently shows the arcade title screen, not the NES one.
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I get what you're saying. After a little thought, "androgynous" does serve as a nice little tease when introducing him/her, and the final paragraph wraps up the mystery by highlighting and expanding upon the deliberate decision. Reinstated. (And the last paragraph can stay where it is - trying to move it would require further rewording.)
I went and checked, and the Wikipedia articles on NiGHTS and NiGHTS into Dreams... don't agree whether the plural is Nightmaren or Nightmarens. So we can't say that NiGHTS is "one of two" without ending on the potentially wrong plural form, but we CAN say Reala is "another" 1st Level Nightmaren (which is what I changed it to). Besides, if readers do want to know more about these NiGHTS characters (if they don't read more... we must have failed), they can follow the reference links to learn that NiGHTS and Reala are the only two 1st Level Nightmaren(s).
Finito?
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"Form" does imply the skills and other characteristics that go with the looks. I just assumed you were trying to find a word that explicitly meant "appearance" and "abilities," but if you're comfortable with "form," then so am I. Winnarz.
maybe "upon learning of" would be better than "after learning of".It gives a more direct cause-and-effect tone to the plot, so yeah, we'll go with that.
Also, does NiGHTS change form at will, and can he/she/it take on the form of something situationally inadequate, i.e. can he/she/it morph into, say, a bobsled when underwater?I don't think we'd have to worry about that. We know NiGHTS is a playful little bastard who can do dream-like things like fly and transform and all, and I don't think screwing up a transformation would have any overt bearing on the plot or gameplay.
I guess that's it. Unless you have any more concerns regarding NiGHTS, we can finally leave him/her/it alone.
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"He was created by Wizeman, the ruler of the realm of Nightmare, as a 1st Level Nightmaren." Hooray for less ambiguity. Fixed.
"NiGHTS rebelled against Wizeman after learning of his plans to take over Nightopia"I'm cool with that. Also fixed.
"(H)is equal" is now "the purple jester."
As for the appearance+abilities conundrum, here's two more possibilities we can try...
1) Finish the sentence with a word covering both concepts at once: "He can assume the __________ of something else in a given situation, such as those of a bobsled in a snow area and a dolphin when underwater."
(a) physical properties
(
characteristics© (If we keep going/narrowing it down, it might become too vague...)
2) Start with one, then add a finishing thought for the other:
"In a given situation, his appearance can change - for example, into a bobsled in a snow area and a dolphin when underwater - and his abilities change to match what he becomes."
I'll wait until we settle on this before I cut "androgynous" out of that sentence.
By the way, if you feel you're being too hard when offering feedback, just remember that it helps to have more than one perspective to make these bios readable to more than only a few people.
The both of you always manage to bring up the perfect points on how to improve a piece, while at the same time putting it in a way that isn't (at least to me) offensive.Wow, thanks dude. This kind of detailed praise is like a reciprocation of my own in-depth critiques. It means at least one person isn't just fixing things because I said so - they understand why and how it would improve bio efficacy while benefiting from it themselves. It makes being a co-editor worth it.
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Those are all valid points, my Swedish friend. Let me see how I can address them...
- "He is a 1st Level Nightmaren: a creature created by the ruler of the realm of Nightmare, Wizeman." I want to swap the punctuation here: "He is a 1st Level Nightmaren, a creature created by the ruler of the realm of Nightmare: Wizeman." Possibly even "Nightmare - Wizeman."Hm, I see how that's confusing. A few too many nouns and appositives, like back when Nightmare, Nightmaren, NiGHTS, and Wizeman were all lumped together. Tell me if this is any clearer: "He was created by Wizeman, the ruler of the realm of Nightmare, as a 1st Level Nightmaren." Or if commas don't sit well with you here, maybe dashes or parentheses would better delineate things?
- "NiGHTS rebelled against his creator after Wizeman tried to take over Nightopia" makes it sound like Wizeman and NiGHTS' creator are not the one and same.If it's because the previous sentence didn't solidify that easily enough, then yeah, that too needs resolution. We can cut that part and try this: "NiGHTS rebelled against Wizeman when he learned the ruler was trying to take over Nightopia..." I'll admit "the ruler" sounds kinda lame, but if I wrote "when he learned he was trying to..." that would only be confusing because of the two pronouns.
While we're on the subject, we can change "he was imprisoned" to "the jester was imprisoned" if the pronoun there is no help either.
- "start to have nightmares" -> "start having nightmares"Fixed. Works better.
- "never questioning Wizeman's orders to imprison his equal and capture Nightopia" sounds weird because I'm wrongly assuming Reala is female.Heh, come to think of it, we're only told that NiGHTS is androgynous and that Reala is "his" equal, so readers can assume that Reala is also androgynous. Friggin' gender benders. I suggest we change "his equal" to "the purple jester." That okay?
And I still don't like "an androgynous being whose appearance and abilities can change depending on a given situation, such as morphing into a bobsled in a snow area and a dolphin when underwater". It rubs me the same, wrong way a tense change does, but I can't explain why. Maybe doing away with "morphing" would do the trick. And maybe replacing the "and" in the second clause with "or". Ideally "such as into those of a bobsled in a snow area or a dolphin when underwater".I think the finishing clause is leaning toward explaining the "appearance" part and not the "abilities" part, whereas your suggestion would be the opposite ("NiGHTS' abilities change into those of a bobsled or a dolphin"). Plus, the former is singular and the latter is plural. We might need to introduce them as inseparable so readers can follow one to the end of the sentence with no hassle: "He can assume the appearance and abilities of something else depending on a given situation, such as a bobsled in a snow area or a dolphin when underwater." Just replace "something else" with one of the examples and badabing badaboom.
I'm also thinking we should cut the word "androgynous" from that clause because NiGHTS' gender is covered in the last paragraph. But then again, it IS part of his overall "flexibility."
I'm glad you're a co-editor, Dafydd. Having a mastery of English despite it not being your first language makes me take harder looks at my own English habits.
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Hey, don't look at me. Blame discjockeyroldgold for procrastinating in Photoshop while staring at my novelish script and going "tap tap tap."
Also, you're free to nitpick still. I just went ahead with the upload since Stevo took care of the issues I brought up and you didn't add to them last time. Though I guess now that the corrections are done, it is easier to see certain things better.
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Yes, I have thought about flying. Now I can, because I've dualized with NiGHTS (*flash of light*) who now flies freely in the OCR Wiki (i.e. his article is now fully entered). Some NiGHTS titles and a handful of simple slips ("snd" instead of "and", "Twins Seeds" instead of "Twin Seeds") were fixed for great justice.
Thanks for your patience and perseverance, good sir.
Now hopefully djp will get around to adding the blue Tap Runner already.
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Vault Boy's already existing page has been updated.
One bio down, one more to go.
OCR Mascot Bios - 20 more up for grabs!
in Projects
Posted
1) Thanks for sticking up for our hard work and letting the bios stay online.
2) The Scrooge McDuck image we have now is technically fan art, not found in any instruction manual or game promo. (Drawn by Don Rosa.) We can change the "Pictured from" bit to "Fan art by: (artist)" for him and potential other cases. Is that a fair workaround?
3) Is Geno staying or going? He was created by Square and debuted in a game created by two companies just like Sora, who's gone.