OCR01105 - Mega Man 2 "Tickle My Wily"

[esden9]

This is one of those rare remixes that I listen to nearly everyday and yet will still hit repeat when it's over. The fusion of symphonic and electronica elements is damn near perfect..a defining sound that will always remind me of early 2004. It brings to mind in crystal clarity everything that was happening in life at that time. It's subtle and varied ornamentations send shivers up my spine. Truly a remix to be loved and adored forever.

[Antelucan]

Wow. I love that string motif in the background. Also, the string runs at 2:57 are superb. I personally like how it began with a soft piano, gradually increasing in tempo, and it all winds back down to the same. Way to interweave the electronic and orchestral elements. This is remixing at its finest.

[Babylon Skyscraper]

I must sadly admit that I registered and got an account on ocremix.org just to reply to this thread. Yes, it's that cool.

Now, I'm not about to blow sunshine up anyone's ass without justifying my claim. Unfortunately, as I listen to these songs on my silly Quicktime, I can't get a minute or second count, so I'll keep my unfortunately vague references as to the strings and the synth and the chords (etc, etc...) few and far between. As seen by the previous posts in the thread, Star did something right. I think we can all agree there.

Someone mentioned, as I was browsing through the thread, that this song stands on its own not as a remix, but its own tune. Frankly, I would agree. I've not yet played Megaman II, as my friend just got the Anniversary collection for the Xbox and I have not yet partaken of that sweet ambrosia in a disc. I have never heard the original tune.

So, now that I've torn apart my own biased arguments and all foundation for them to stand on, let's get to the fickle sunshine blowing, right? Right.

I was skeptical about this mix when I first began looking through OCR's stuff, mainly because the title. I thought that "Tickle My Wily" was immature, and that somehow this would reflect on the song. It should be noted that this was before I had listened to any of Star's songs. That said, I have never again judged a song by its title.

Have any of you ever played through Megaman X? Man, is that guy angsty or what? Seriously, the final speech at the end when Sigma's base is gone was emotional! Anyways, when I listened to this remix the first time, I couldn't help but imagine what the Wily stage was like. But with every Megaman game, there is that feeling of angst when you get through the 8 original bosses. You know the game isn't going to last much longer. You know that you're going to uncover the secret plot. You know you're going to fight Wily/Sigma/whoever, and that it's going to be epic and utterly awesome, because that's what you've come to expect from Megaman. And if you've played X a hundred times like I have, you get to expect that; you've got your mad powerups, your 8 weapons, your 4 sub-tanks, and you're ready to go. You are premeditating the murder of Sigma. It's that angst that comes with the realization of your actions, the mixture between sorrow and desperation, the feeling of "I don't want to fight, but I must!" felt by the character (because he's the hero, it's his job, and no one else can do it) and echoed by the player (because you bought the damn game and Capcom spent all this time making 8-bit robots for the sole purpose of giving you things to kill) that this song flawlessly embodies for me.

There are Megaman songs out there written by the boys at Capcom that begin soft before entering into their main chorus. Sigma Stage 1 in MMX is like that. Would it be improbable then to see this song -this one right here, "Tickle My Wily"- appear in one of those final, angst-ridden stages? Personally, I think not. Maybe I'm stepping beyond my boundaries here, but I think this song fits in perfectly with the Megaman genre for where it sits in the game's storyline. If there was a way to loop the track before its piano ritard for the finale, I don't see why it couldn't be in a level of its own. However, as it stands, this piece is a work of art that rivals anything that any of Capcom's composers could have rolled out with. Congradulations, Star, and a million thanks for providing all of us with this song.

[Bummer]

Now this is something completely different. How many remixes are there of this theme. Probably very many, but how many did it not only with techno instruments, but also with orchestric material? Not many, this might be the only one, and it may not be surprising that Star made it either.

The synth samples was great I think, the beats likewise, but what captured me the most was that Star had changed those MM-synths into strings, giving a completely other effect which I´m afraid to describe since I´m just gonna express myself wrong, but it´s sure beautiful, and by the help of the techno stuff, this gets more than just a harmonic piece. The piano was the beginning and finishing touch to this piece, and i have absolutely no complaints about it.

The only complaint I have is the name of this remix, I don´t really understand the thought behind it.

Majestic and awesome at the same time, you´re one of the best Star.

[Psychotic Ninja]

At first I thought this remix was gonna suck, but man was I wrong. Star Salzman did a great job remixing this.

[diamondfalcon]

Yeah, you seriously should have changed the title, and maybe more people would have downloaded this mix. I withheld downloading this remix the first time I saw it because it sounded lame. But after finding out it was made by the Star Salzman much later, I got the piece and it is now my favorite Wily remix. Great job with the string and techno mix, it's very awesome. Keep at it Star Salzman!

[Audity]

Great ideas and implementation. I would say it's the best Wily mix, but it basically ties against NoppZ's Wily Meets Flashman (as if they were each at opposite ends of a long metal pole). Wily Meets Flashman may seem like a very generic techno song upfront, which prevented me from immediately thinking to keep it (took me many listens), but has so much going on, which simply works, just like this mix, which seems like a generic orchestral song at first. Here's to good Wily mixes!

[avaris]

One of my favorite tracks from OCR. Love it how it retains the feeling of the source but expands upon so well to create a new a unique piece of music. Kudos good sir!

[OceansAndrew]

A little unfocused, but definitely exciting and creative. The soundscape was nice and varied, and the effects and panning was always interesting. Pretty epic stuff, I dig it.

[Marmiduke]

A no-brainer 5 star mix. It's a wonderfully slowed down, textural take on a a track that naturally suits being played fast. Giving the melody room to breathe and explore uncharted territory unlocks so much more than I ever dreamed existed within Mega Man music.

As far as I'm concerned, the faux orchestra elements (especially those in the intro) are very much an acquired taste, but I actually wouldn't trade them for anything. The mix has a nice Harry Gregson Williams-esque sound that I really dig.

Sounds like a lot of people had an issue with the goofy, homoerotic title, as well. While it may not match the tone of the music, it is memorable. And sometimes, that's an invaluable thing to be, especially when the music deserves to be remembered.

I frigging love this mix and consider it one of the more listenable and inventive from the Mega Man mix catalog.