djpretzel Posted September 15, 2005 Share Posted September 15, 2005 Email sub file Ninja Gaiden II - Windy Day Hayabusa Mix.mp3 Hey there! My name is Adam Schneider, though I go by the handle justonehuman for most online stuff (including, if you choose to accept this submission, my preferred Remixer ID). I've been meaning to send in a remix or two for some time to your site - I am absolutely loving the fact that there's a place for all of us enthusiasts to gather and share our combined interests in video games and music - and I finally got up the guts to send one in! This remix is one of my older works, so I can say with confidence that it's probably not my best work, but all the same it's the only completed remix I have at this moment, and I still think it's good enough for submission. To get, however, to the point, the remix in question is from Ninja Gaiden II on the NES. The song's title I don't actually know, but it was found in levels 2-2 and 4-2 of the game - the levels with rain/wind/water blowing and/or pulling poor Ryu all over the screen! The original music for these two levels is very, very basic - and unfortunately, somewhat repetitive - but I thought that was probably for the best, as it would be easier to reix the track and to add my own take on things. There are few things to watch for in this mix; hopefully they will come through alright on the mp3 conversion (this was originally done on a Mac in an .aiff format). First, at several points throughout this remix, including at the very beginning and during the solo part at 1:20, I've added a wind-like effect to pay tribute to those nasty, nasty elements which made our lives as players so miserable during those two levels. I also think that the harmonic back-up guitar part at 1:42 is worth listening for - it's one of the parts of this piece I'm happiest with. Lastly, I couldn't decide exactly how to end the remix for a very long time; the odd, echoing machine sounds seem *just* weird and surprising enough that I like the way that it brings things to an abrupt close. Admittedly, this remix doesn't have the highest quality instruments (it's kind of old, and I didn't get around to purchasing better sound packs until after it was almost finished), and it is still a touch on the repetitive side. Also, I've had a little trouble with distortion and noise during the conversion process to mp3, but I think that's been solved at this point (if it's still a problem, please let me know and I can send you a another copy with reworked volume controls and the like). I do think, in the end, that I've done enough to keep things interesting without totally departing from the original music track from the game. I look forward to hearing what you think of the piece - I am certainly prepared to accept any constructive criticisms you may have, and would be happy to rework things if that proves necessary. If you like the piece, and have any interest in other mixes I'm working on, I would also love to know that as well! Alright, well I'm done talking your ear(s?) off - I hope you'll enjoy this submission, and please feel free to let me know what you think, or if you have any questions. Thanks very much! Adam Schneider (a.k.a. justonehuman) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted September 18, 2005 Share Posted September 18, 2005 http://www.zophar.net/nsf/ninja_g2.zip - Track 3 [NES version] http://www.snesmusic.org/spcsets/ngt.rsn - "Mountain" (ngt-209.spc) [sNES version] Decent wind-like intro, but then the generic this sounds set in. Guitar synth has no meat on it, and neither do the synths. Whole track has no depth to it. Very basic arrangement here. I liked that the style was almost chiptune-ish, but that's merely a case of the mix having a bit of charm. Ha, nice ending section at 2:14. Points just for being weird. You really gotta construct something with more body to it. Thin synths, drums, etc., don't get the job done. The arrangement was too conservative, and, at a mere 2;34, entirely undeveloped as a concept. Learn and grow. This one's old, so don't bother reworking it. Start anew with some fresh concepts. NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vig Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 fairly straightforward, not really adding anything new or terribly creative. Also the mix relies far too heavily on the guitars which sound awfully weak. Need more ideas in the arrangement and you need to thicken out the instrumentation. NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harmony Posted October 7, 2005 Share Posted October 7, 2005 Thin but decent guitar starting things off…it’s got potential. The bass coming in 0:09 signals problems though. It’s very weak and monotonous. Drums are just about the same. Gotta enjoy the fast synth work but everything is still very flimsy and the intro seems to be over. That same guitar riff plays until 1:20 which gets old. The synth/guitar break section isn’t bad but the weak bass absolutely kills any potential of it being great. Same issues for the repeated last portion of the mix. Two problems are apparent: poor sounds and weak supporting rhythms. You’ve got to have a solid foundation before you pour lead synths and guitars into the mix. Here, the repetitive bass and drums aren’t cutting it. Once that’s sorted out, you’ve got to pull off much richer and engaging lead guitar and synth work to keep listeners entertained, even for only two and-a-half minutes. Send in some of your newer stuff if you think that you’ve resolved some of these issues, otherwise…practice practice practice. NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrayLightning Posted October 7, 2005 Share Posted October 7, 2005 I like the synths, classic and fun stuff. But beyond that everything sounds too basic. The lead guitar synth is ugly and grating, I'm afraid. Production in general is pretty basic and vanilla. The mix is a bit muddy. I'd like the kick drum to be exposed more. Carve out more room for it in the mix by EQing the other elements. In the arrangement department this doesn't do much to make it stand out either. It's a basic and safe interpretation that feels very underdeveloped. Consider adding elements and more ideas in here. More instrumentation and compositional ideas would aid this in many ways. I hope to hear more of your newer work, but this ain't gonna cut it. NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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