Marmiduke

I think this is pretty much the bare minimum of interpretation that is tolerated on this site. All this mix really does is point out the baroque influence of the score, and semi-successfully combines it with a contemporary beat. The melody is pretty simple, arrangement is practically nil, and its not really something that is going to be remembered. It's one of those blink and you miss it tracks, only you never really miss it. BUT I will point out that in all its 1:22 duration, I didn't once wish it would end. So it's definately not the bottom of the music barrel, in my books.

Ahh, Yoshi's Island. I enjoyed it even more than Super Mario World. It was bigger, deeper, more varied, better looking and had better music to boot. In my opinion obviously, I know how much of a following SMW has. This is probably one of the first McVaffe mixes I ever heard, and I remember being very impressed with it all that time ago. Nowadays, I only hear the original midi updated in production and its tropical flavour transplanted with an Indian one. Not that it is a terrible combination; things sound swell, especially given its age. However, McVaffe showed his true brilliance covering the same source with CrystallineCaverns. The details and quality of arrangement from that mix is lacking here (understandably; they were years apart). Regardless of my thoughts of it now, this mix is one of my most listened to ever since I've had it for about 7 years. That must count for something. At the very least, it's well-done cover. But that's about all for me.

Definately a victim of the passage of time. For every mix that grows better with age, or at least stays tolerable, there is a mix like this one that just performs as a mere husk of its former glory. I dare say I'm over-dramatising a tad. I'll turn it down a notch. This mix sounds empty, and like it is stumbling its way from point A to B. The source is quite pleasant, but it's presented rather undercooked and unseasoned. It's not something I hate; after all, it's pretty harmless. But it's not a mix I'll ever get the urge to cycle through my OCR playlist trying to find. I suppose that's why they invented playlist shuffles.

Not a huge fan of the bass, but I do like everything else. I'm sort of glad to see this be a remake and not a mix with a lot of liberties taken. One because I think the theme benefits a lot from its straightforward design and length. And had this mix been 4 minutes, my attention span would not be very leniant. There's some nice surf jammin' sounds here, but not a whole lot more. If that's the sort of stuff you enjoy, and I do, then there are much worse ways to spend 1 minute 45. Plus, the title is one of my favourites on the site. Exclamation points are coming back in a big way!

I have to say, after being a huge fan and player of Super Mario 64, and a great admirer of the OST, it took me a very long time to place this theme. I got the Virtual console version a couple of months ago, and it's clear to me now, but this is such a radical departure to one of the game's most unsung melodies. I was very thrown. What was apparent though was how much I enjoyed this even though I couldn't recognise the link to SM64. As a standalone, it was impressive. So now that I can understand where things are originating from, it adds a whole new level of impressive. The electronic stuff is to die for. The piano is very fitting, I think, although people seem to be divided over that. I see it as a necessary breather and conclusion to such a wall of sound approach. It's disconcerting how little this resembles the original. Not just in mood, but the melody has been mutated into something its own mother wouldn't recognise. But hey, it's lawful, it's a remix and it sounds very awesome. I doubt a faithful interpretation would sound nearly as original, creative and full of energy. Much praise.

Very cool piano work here. It definately exposes a bit more of the emotion that was retained in the original. Very accomplished expansion of the source melody, it's all pretty consistant arrangement wise. One thing about the string element, it does its job well and I think the piece benefits from its inclusion, but at times I think it shadows the piano a little too closely. Very minor gripe, and one that I don't even notice during some listenings. Like I said, the benefits outweigh and detractions the strings have. Another solid piano mix. And here I was thinking that the piano mix was a niche product for an already niche audience. There are a ton of really talented pianists with healthy videogame love. It's a real privelage to be able to share in that love. Keep them coming.

Like this mix or not, everyone owes Ziwtra a lot of thanks for spreading the FFA love, with the cooperation of Big Giant Circles of course. Their personal vendetta to make sure that the game's soundtrack is no longer overlooked as it has been for years may not have been as successful as it should have been, but it was epically awesome for those who checked all their mixes out. 'Willed Assault' is the perfect example of the great Ito source remixed right. Glitchy, melodic synths and beats win me over everytime. Loved the FFA soundtrack, and uber-love this mix. When you strip things down to the bare facts, this is an extremely effective, super creative contemporisation of a very solid Gameboy tune. Try to find a flaw in that formula.

I expected a lot more people to express a lack of enthusiasm about this mix. I'm pleasantly surprised at the generally positive support that people seem to have for it. To me it isn't the most memorable of tracks, but it is a nice little tool that I can utilise to unwind, relax and have a Coke to. I'm conditioned to choir samples (after dozens upon dozens of hours of playing the Metroid Prime trilogy) so I thought they were nice and also quite different to typical choir usage as well. As was also noted by people before me, the ending is also something I would have liked to have seen extended, because of a noticeable spike in quality of arrangement. For me, Chrono Cross mixes are never going to floor me, because I find the source either overly serene or overly melodramatic, but I'm glad there is stuff like this made to give me more of a chance to appreciate what I may be missing beyond my initial impressions of the originals.

Ah, music to really move to. I was an eighties baby, and Sega + 80s electronica/synthpop is pretty much my early childhood (before Nintendo corrupted me and made me their whore), so this mix nestles quite nicely into that part of the brain that controls nostalgia. Really catchy beat, archaic as it may sound. Very nice pacing and momentum. I love how it just keeps on dancing and changing its style on the fly. That is so 80s. That is so Sonic. I get the sense that Rayza could make slick, fun-as-fuck electronica like this with his eyes closed, but that might be discrediting the tremendous amount of time and effort that goes into making these. For what it is worth, I think the effort has brought about some very joyous payoff, indeed. Yay.

This mix has been unfairly usurped to make way for Zanarkand mixes of higher production quality. I say unfairly because I really like the treatment of the source here. True, there are creative problems like the waves that seem to be intended for the background but sound like they are crashing down upon you. And the instruments show their age. But there's something about the arrangement that I really enjoy. It's not a radical take, but it emphasises the strengths of the melody (which is a very moving piece in its own right) and wraps it up with some lame albeit palatable soft rock balladry. In other words, its some nice stuff.

I've been playing through Metroid lately, and the soundtrack is one of the things I like most about it. I honestly think the Brinstar theme sounds best out of the NES chip, possibly because it is ingrained in me. And while the theme sticks out in comparison to pretty much every other Metroid tune, I still think it is one of the best. Mix wise, it is hard. I don't think the Brinstar tune is fertile enough. I was just listening to an actual orchestra play this (on the Smash Bros. Melee Smashing... Live! album) and I don't even think that represented it 100%. It's a weird, upbeat tune designed to be looped, so I can understand the difficulty. However, Avien manages quite swimmingly. I like the stereo aspects of the mix; it does immerse you into the whole "highschool orchestra" experience. Arrangement was close to the originals, transition left quite a bit to be desired. Both tunes are hard nuts to crack I think because they are irrespective of what Metroid was to become. Avien did a standup job. It sounds good, and I enjoyed it enough.

A stupid concept that works surprisingly well. Either the mixer was just lucky that his skills exceeded his creativity, or he was really smart and could foresee that there was potential in this sort of genre stuff. I don't tend to enjoy game melodies crammed to fit into bizarre, ill-suited genres just for the sake of representing a genre, but I think this one is pretty damn enjoyable. It just sounds decent, to the degree that I just sat back and didn't argue it. It spices up the melody in a way I wasn't expecting, which resulted in me really getting into it. The prominent brass is a great compliment to the original tune, even if it isn't as authentic sounding as humanly possible. It should, at the very least, show a lot of people how this sort of adaptation is done correctly, and that a lot of thought (or luck?) is crucial.

The Halo theme is actually quite a simple melody, which is becoming more common with modern game soundtracks. I would never call it one of the best themes of gaming history, but it works well and, lucky for us, is extremely versatile and adaptable to remixing. I loved this mix, mainly because I love choral music, and the writing and samples were really well done in the choral department. I'm not sure what people were expecting, but I thought the end was a terrific climax. Certainly satisfied me. There are dull samples in here, but that's not worrisome. It's a great package regardless. It has that epic sound, but not the ambition. A brave concept, and one that I'm sure alienates a few people. I dig it, though.

Frilly! There's a word I haven't used in a comment so far. Very frilly. Suitable and loyal to the afternoon tea mood and all its connotations: cravats, doilies, sweet rolls, hand-painted crockery. The juxtaposition between that sort of lifestyle and that of a hardcore Terranigma fan amuses me a lot. I smell a sitcom. It's great music to memorise rules of table etiquette to, not that I ever have/will. Something to be careful of is to have a determined goal in mind about what the mix is. I mean, I took it as a bit of a joke, but I know that if the mix was somehow supposed to be a classy, refined expansion of taste, the fact I found it funny may be quite insulting. Though, considering how farcical the title is, maybe we can all rest easy on that one. Fun, whimsical Miyazaki-ish waltz. Is OCR crying out for more in this genre? I think not, but I'm glad another gap in the diverse range of the site had been occupied. Nice work, OA.

Save for the lack of sirens and voice samples from 80s B-Movies, this is really transporting me back to the the genuine techno scene. Back when techno wasn't a scary aural assault, but more in line with Intelligent Dance Music. This mix is repetitive, yes. But that goes with the genre. Honestly, I think this is extremely varied for techno; there are plenty of slight shifts through the full 8 mins. I do prefer the parts of the mix that are more layered and a bit busier, but everything is very easy to listen to and to unconsciously program your body around. I know I surprised myself when I realised I was head bopping to the beat. Another more than substantial effort from Disco Dan. One thing is for sure, noone will remember him for subtlety. Long live obnoxiously big and badass mixes!

This is a case of the source being bigger than the mix, which is a shame because I really dig the production and the fluctuating tempos. Obviously, that melody is a superb choice for a remix, but I just don't see this expanding to its full potential. I do like it however. It has bundles of energy, it's unapologetic in its crazy rhythms, and it does a decent job of cradling the melody. But is it an earth-shaker? No. No it is not.

Yah, I got a huge Phendrana Drifts vibe from this, which is great because I could listen to that track for hours on end. Okay, so I really love this mix, and here's why. First thing that was done right was the decision to cover a Motoi track. Freaking yes. Second was to cite Yasunori heavily in the influence. Third, and most importantly, the mix was done in a seamless, sensible manner that sounds like a standalone composition. Contemplative, emotive and very pretty. A round-up of very smart ideas combined very skillfully. I do like.

I've found that some of the fastest, happiest and brightest melodies make the best slow melancholy melodies as well. Not that this mix is all that melancholy, but the slowdown is still quite beneficial in a lot of ways. The arrangement held my interest for the entirety, however the purpose of the mix was really unclear for me. The playing is in a middleground between powerful and relaxing. Not that all solo piano pieces should be one of those two categories, but in this mix especially, I started to think about the actual playing rather than what was being played. Maybe that's my problem and not that of the mixer's. Anyway, for what this is, it does well. Obviously piano mixes don't aspire to be heralded among the mighty, but I'll always have time for them. Glad to hear another one, and a finely arranged one at that.

Wow. When that piano starts, you can just tell. This mix is super quality. Such a great moment. I rarely get chills, and frankly find it quite cliche, but that moment was as close as I get. The true impressiveness in this for me comes from the fact that this tune has been wrung totally dry over the years and interests me nil. Lucky I don't judge a mix by its source, otherwise I would have missed out on an original, slow-burning beacon of hope for the music of CT. If someone can squeeze this much blood out of the CT stone, then it is an exciting prospect for all music sources. Beautiful choices in arrangement, the fleeting piano tangents to the more subtle variations. It's exactly how to treat such a well-known, strong melody. Disco Dan may not be reknowned for this sort of music, but he damn well should be. Excellent job.

This is a little too faithful for my liking. The Zelda overworld theme is carved pretty deep in my brain, so I was after a bit more interpretation of the melody. What is here is fine, god knows the theme is brilliant and deserves mixes with loyalty, I just like to feel I'm in newer territory. A lot of the melodies from the Zelda games are actually vastly reinterpreted versions of this same melody, which goes to show how far you can stretch a good tune. The ending was awesome and really inspired. I would have liked the mix to continue in that direction, but alas, the ending was the end. Guess that's why the call it an ending. Well mixed, sounds good, but I've listened to far too many versions of this tune for a faithful redux to stay with me longer than its running time.

This came right out of left field. I would have never picked this as a Dhsu mix. There's some real broadening of range happening with this one. Not that the expected expertise on piano isn't present here. The original NES theme is slowed right down, which I wasn't too sure about at the beginning, because the blazing pace of the Super Dodge Ball soundtrack was what I liked about it. But I was sold on the decision by the end; when mellow music is as good as this, there's not much to complain about. The mix may be a little too obviously oriental, but that comes with the territory. SDB wasn't the first game to exploit musical stereotypes to represent international cultures, it certainly wasn't the last. With a source like this, I'm glad the cliche was embraced and not detrimentally shied away from. Overall, some very enjoyable work from a constantly evolving mixer. Rove it.

Starla's vocal talents have improved a huge amount from her first submission, which I guess is expected. There would be something very wrong if she got worse. The vocals have definite grace to them, and they bring a tranquility to what I see as the darkest track from Donkey Kong Country. At the very beginning, I thought this mix channeled Animal Crossing, which is so far removed from what the source is expected to sound like. I like this. To be honest, any DKC remix that isn't Aquatic Ambience impresses me right off the bat, because I think the soundtrack has a wealth of material that isn't fully utilised. Really solid production all round. I get the pangs of nostalgia from certain parts of this mix, which indicates for me that the remixers have done something very right. And I'm pretty sure most would agree that they have.

Well I for one love what is done here. To make a mix that is as potentially repetitive as this one so sustained and interesting for five minutes is incredible. The signature Mazedude quirkiness is still thrown in, with some strange chirps, boings and such behind the prominence of the main bass and melody so it doesn't take anything away from the apocalyptic vibe. But it is there, which is what is important. Bobby Prince's work continues to win my attention and admiration, and Mazedude is a huge part of that. His attention to detail in turning deceptively simple synth-gothic ambience into window rattling power trips is something to cherish. By the way, that premature fade out fools me every time. Every. Damn. Time.

This is the mix that drew me into the site, thanks to Newgrounds. I still love this piece, although it did seem a lot more epic back in the day. It has an air of James Newton Howard about it, especially at 1:48 which is very reminiscent of his work on Signs. I really dig it. DJP's signature of having things sound busy and linear at the same time was solidified with this mix, with myriad keyboard samples blasting away to the tune of those crashing drums. It would be extremely chaotic if only it didn't make complete musical sense. The samples are what they are, I never really complain about samples from old mixes. That's like cursing a 90 year old for having a bad hip. I remember when this was a pinnacle of mixing. Back when I thought those samples sounded almost realistic. Those were the days. The arranging in this mix is still as strong as it was back then, and is why the mix is still enjoyable. Awesome stuff; definitive OCR.

I concur with what DJP wrote all those years ago: LOL. This is serious music made to not be taken seriously. Simple yet broad satire on the gaming and mixing community. I love how it has something that any gamer can instantly relate to, even without having been a FF addict. A real classic that I'm sure I couldn't forget, even if I tried. The Chocobo melody is now completely synonymous with this song and its lyrics. I even know that it has become an anthem of sorts among the FF community. Novelty mixes that don't get old are rare, so it's no surprise this one is remix royalty. Also, I think I'm in love with Truth96130.