[How to achieve Feeling in your music.]

also there's the whole "color" of music thing, how it relates to the affective key characteristics i haven't looked into yet

http://www.musicawareness.com/ColorsBook3.html

anything more on color and music, just google "color music" but most ought to be taken with a grain of salt

[How to achieve Feeling in your music.]

I agree with the above, that doesn't wound bad or fake. Part of it could be that you know it's a fake, a synth, so you'll always hear it as such. Same with other people who've used or heard a particular synth version, they know from working with it it's fake so no matter how well it's done it will always sound fake to them.

Ascending melodic leaps

I LOVE this kind of stuff, this is exactly what I want. Please do more as you mentioned.

I've found some things in the same vein online, they inspire me to write some interesting melodies, at least to myself.

http://ase.tufts.edu/psychology/music-cognition/emotion2009.html

http://www.wmich.edu/mus-theo/courses/keys.html

[Most unique/odd ball video game music?]

Clay Fighters

ha, i still sing that to myself on random occasions! at least, the part i remember:

"

clay fighters

clay clay fighters

come and fight them if you dare

"

what was that tune [at least that part] originally?

[Most unique/odd ball video game music?]

earthworm jim's "what the heck?" from :34 on is elevator music with random screams. loved that as a kid:

and the "andy asteroids" level - while banjo music may be befitting of a chase, not so much one in a wormhole in space:

[Most unique/odd ball video game music?]

The Neverhood and/or SkullMonkeys.

yes!:

also, i liked the country radio in the first gta. it had one song, covered for by the announcer saying "well that was so good i think i'll play it again"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNByQsKlRew

and gta2 had a christian radio station, this was the funniest song on it:

"jesus my savior, my favorite flavor"

that's all i can really think of now...