The Nikanoru

I had one vote for Of Pendants and Crystals... (Thanks, @BlueJackG) Maybe Hyrule Divided? As for the voice samples, I was referring to the Ganon's Message I had promised to do, but I can do anything folks want me to. I'm more of a bass than tenor, so I'm not sure how good my Link would be - especially if I try to 'chipmunk' it - but I can try that too. I just like to be all kinds of villainous! EDIT: Or Path to the Golden Land...

Track Name for Lost Woods: "Fake Swords" I estimate about two weeks to get this ready. Voice samples for Sunday at the latest. Life just keeps getting in the way... Just a quick note about our title: Pieces of Courage is a name I feel would be better suited to a project of Zelda 1 or 2, as these games revolve around the Triforce of Courage. A Link to the Past doesn't focus on any one piece of the Triforce. Picky, I know - but I do feel a name for the album should reflect a little closer to the nature of the game. ... Not that I'm trying to steal any thunder from BlueJackG! It was a good suggestion.

I'm skeptical, but curious.

Hey, Rhino. Put me down for the 'Lost Woods,' if not taken. I'll provide a title soon. I have a voice-over idea for 'Ganon's Message,' too, if you're interested. PM me if you are. It may take some time for me to complete. You have a deadline? EDIT: Title suggestion: Agahnim's Grand Design or Of Pendants and Crystals

This is great! Really bouncy - had to groove a bit while listening. Only complaint: I can barely hear that flute, and what I can hear, sounds ... not authentic? Other than that, this is pretty darn complete. Great work!

Awesome. Especially like that 'Shoryuken' halfway through - very well timed. Love the video!

Yeah, I get that. It's not like the pre-SotN games had much in the way of plot structure - or (with the exception of LoS series) much afterwards, either - and let's face it, the gameplay is what keeps us coming back for more. Still, a big part of it for me was the overall plot concept: legendary family battling ancient evil through the centuries. Admit it - you would probably not have the same love for the series if it was based on Care Bears and No-Heart. In the words of Chernabogue: Yes.

Just heard the revision. I like it better too - the sound creates a much smoother transition into 'the groove.' You're very welcome. Not having gone through any music school, I lack the proper terminology for certain aspects of music, so I tend to use my intuition and couch my opinion in analogy and metaphor; I'm glad you found some of the things I said useful. Thank you for letting me see into your musical process! ... now your track just needs MORE 'groove.'

Lemmings was a game I never had the patience to master - I was too busy with Lost Vikings and King Arthur's World at the time I had the opportunity to play and never got back around to it. Loved the soundtrack, from what I heard of it - mostly variations on classical themes, if I remember correctly. Interesting take on this track. I like the arrangement so far, but those synth sounds are really irritating when they come in, IMO. You start with nice, calm chimes and slow tones, then there's this really jarring synth that comes out of nowhere and kind of upsets the feel. A bit of compression might fix the effect, but I would choose a different tone, something warmer. ...Of course, by the time you reach 0:39 and the drums kick in, it all fits much better, but still. I like the progressive intro, bringing in the instruments one at a time, then drums. Good build-up, interested to hear where you take it from here. Looking forward to v2.

From the article Dave the Rave posted (http://www.polygon.com/2016/4/29/11540020/sega-shinobi-movie-stories-international-marc-platt): "We love the Shinobi games and believe that the world of ninjas has never been properly explored onscreen," Platt said in a press release. ...Someone should tell him about the Ninja movies, or better yet, Shinobi: Heart Under Blade.

Yes, I've heard this as well, but Nocturne of Moonlight doesn't portray this particular line of thinking very effectively, does it? He seemed perfectly content with himself and the Vampire Killer when I heard it...

Interesting track, very smooth. The only things I'd say is to check the volumes of the different sounds in relation to each other and watch out for clutter where the drums build - this is causing some sort of compression issue in my headphones.

My only comments would be that the xylophone and some of the percussion at 0:41 to 0:51 seems 'closer' than the rest of the soundscape (maybe a bit more reverb needed) and the chimes I hear at 2:37 are REALLY quiet. These are TOTALLY nit-pick observations - it really does sound good as is. Another beautiful track. Awesome, Slimy!

This is not a terrible track. Timing IS a mess, but I like that loose, casual feel - makes me want to listen to this on a hot day with a beer in hand. I'd run with this one and see where it goes. My only suggestion: take the synth out and stick with the natural guitar and whistling.

CASTLEVANIA BLOODLINES! ... yeah, right.

I would say this point right here has kept retro console gaming itself on the market for many years.

You know, I like the feel of this track, but it's kind of ... meandering. I think the pace is kind of choppy. Honestly, it feels like Sonic is pacing himself on his last lap - which, as we both know, is something Sonic would never do. Maybe keep the main beats (a little muted, perhaps?) coming through in the calmer sections; this might help keep the pace a little more consistent while preserving the feel you are trying to create. I also think the melody and harmony sounds are too loud when compared to the rest of the soundscape. This is really noticeable in the calmer sections, but doesn't seem as much of an issue as the track picks up the pace. I'd also say the outro is missing something ... a certain je nes sais pas. Maybe someone else can provide a suggestion ...? Now, despite what I say above, I am certainly not an expert on house tracks by any stretch of the imagination, so ignore me if my suggestions don't fit your design. Good track! I hope to hear updates soon.

http://www.theverge.com/2016/7/14/12187296/nintendo-nes-classic-edition-announced-price-games I think I might have my Christmas present planned out... But what do you think? Great addition to the console family or another whiz-bang gimmick to bleed us console gamers using nostalgia?

Just caught this yesterday. Great show, can't wait for Episode 2. I especially like the Robot Legs scene. 'No, no! I fully support ... whatever it is you're doing.' LOL However, after solving the robot legs issue and the Star Fox issue (also hilarious), what will happen next??

I think maybe I'm hearing what everyone else is: To Slimy, it's the loud, 'unappealing' melody sounds and quiet bass with abstract feel; and to timaeus222, it's the density; I think what I'm really hearing is the intricacy of the melody and the sound wave sound chosen clashing with the equally intricate harmony line and organ synth. What I guess I'm getting at is with all that movement and focus that the melody is getting - which is by design, as you said - I can see why folks would say that the square wave sound is unappealing and the 'rest of the soundscape' is too quiet. Maybe the featured melody is too intricate in places, drowning out the soundscape and running against the smooth bass and beats. Here are examples of what I mean: 1:33 - 1:38: I still think it sounds cluttered here. I'll use the analogy 'it feels like every melody and harmony part is trying to steal the spotlight all at once.' 1:39 - 1:54: In contrast, this part is perfectly balanced. @timaeus222 @Ganaé Let me know if you two would agree. 1:55 - 2:28: This 'verse' part feels better, more organized. I hope I'm being clearer than mud, lol. Just an observation about composition, really. I still really like the arrangement and I can listen to it just fine as is. Besides - you're the composer, so if you think this is done, then it is.

Well, I already agreed that they were too similar to discount as coincidence. There is not much difference between the two tracks. I'm looking at the bigger picture and asking so what if it is? And at what point do we care? At what point is it copy and at what point is it not? You say that the melodies for the songs I chose are completely different and you never would have heard that similarities except stylistically and chord progression. So, a 'style' difference, or slightly different arrangement makes it not a copy? Conversely, the lyrics in the Sephiros track are different then When Worlds Collide, even if they are delivered in the same style. There are other minute differences I'm sure could be found. That doesn't make it a copy of the song by the same yardstick. Fair enough. I just believe that like every art and craft of humanity, if someone likes or appreciates some thing you have created, inevitably someone is going to come along and copy it or some aspect of it in some way, shape, or form - whether you realize it or not. We can call it theft, we can call it inspiration, we can call it coincidence, but in the end it's the same thing - and we all interpret that in different ways. I choose to appreciate art for what it is, art - no matter how similar it looks to another piece of art.

Heh. BS. You remember when we all used to play our games on tube screens? Well, I found that part of the 'magic' in the 8 and 16-bit visuals is all in the ol' Sharpness control on the TV. Those graphics looked a lot more pixel-y, blocky, rigid, and hard-edged if it was turned up too high ... if you're picking up what I'm putting down. Great to hear you submitted. Good luck!

You know, I played SotN very late in my gaming career ... at least, that's what I'd like to call it ... but I cut my teeth on Castlevania IV and Dracula X, and SotN wasn't so different in terms of controls. I have to agree that the Metriodvania gameplay still stands out as some of the best I've played. I still need to play a Castlevania game every so often to scratch that itch. They DID do Nocturne of Moonlight as a sequel ... sort of ... but it certainly isn't a game, nor do I think it would translate well into a game. So, a game of Alucard and Maria exploring the world outside of Dracula's Castle? Definitely a blank page, but where would they go if there's no Castle? Maybe something along the lines of Simon's Quest? An HD SotN remaster, eh? They could make the game a true masterpiece ... but there are a few issues to work out. The level system was just a tad unbalanced here and there, wasn't it? (ie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPMdp8HGajk) Also, would you keep it the traditional 2D (or 2.5D like MoF) platform dungeon-crawl action, or action-adventure 3D like LoS? I'm still a fan of the 2D platformer and it would help to preserve that 'original feel' if it was kept similar, but I REALLY ENJOYED the 3D aspects of LoS, and the open world concept of the second game was awesome, just poorly executed. I think it could be excellent either way, but There seems to be quite the debate about which style is 'more Castlevania.' What do you think?

One of the most intimidating tracks I ever fought a boss to was this track from Secret of Mana. I give you ... The Oracle by Hiroki Kikuta. Very experimental for its time; this is kind of Downward Spiral-ish, very industrial, mostly based on percussion and synth. A VERY challenging song to remix, for sure; however, very dark and creepy and COOL track to work with. Secret of Mana has been treated well here, but a gap remains for this track. Could someone please remix this track in all its awesomeness?

Gee, I don't know, Gario - you might want to have a judge look at this. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA .... oh, I kill me. Anyway, this is a fascinating arrangement. I suspect you are guilty of participating in the Super Audio Kart frenzy I've been seeing these last few weeks, 'cuz I'm detecting quite a few 8 and 16 bit sounds in this mixed in some VERY interesting ways. I really like the way you've overlaid the tracks while still keeping each melody distinct, even when you flip back and forth. I especially like all of the improv fills over the melody that I hear ... everywhere. The 'moody' bass and beats you've chosen to accompany this are, IMO, perfect for the sound you create; my only complaint is that all the fills do sound a bit cluttered here and there just because of all the activity at once (one example at 1:33). For an audiophile like me, great to hear all the intricacy of the melodies, but to the casual listener, it might be a bit much. Other than that, I love it! I was bouncing almost as soon as that bass and beat came in. Great track - and a bonus that you chose two of my favorite Castlevania tunes of all time!