OCRA-0007 - Super Street Fighter II Turbo: Blood on the Asphalt

[BrainCells]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tMIyCN_6vrw

This is just awesome!!

[Compyfox]

Wish I'`ve seen Ryu Stage r the HipHop Tracks, but cool. Might dust off my old Dreamcast (especially if I find more of those hacks, a pity that this is a "grey-zone" in terms of legality, or so difficult to pull off in other games), though I hate the standard Controller for fighting games, and I dunno if I need a modded DC or not.

However now that the "remix project" is ported into the game, it fits a bit more. Just with it would be possible with Chrono Trigger or Doom.

[AkumajoBelmont]

Mozgus-

You've done a fantastic job. I've left some comments on the torrent page also.

The music fits in sooooooo well. Actually, I'm surprised at just how well they fit in!

This is mindblowing- awesome stuff.

Dude, you've totally made my day

[Mozgus]

Wish I'`ve seen Ryu Stage r the HipHop Tracks, but cool. Might dust off my old Dreamcast (especially if I find more of those hacks, a pity that this is a "grey-zone" in terms of legality, or so difficult to pull off in other games), though I hate the standard Controller for fighting games, and I dunno if I need a modded DC or not.

However now that the "remix project" is ported into the game, it fits a bit more. Just with it would be possible with Chrono Trigger or Doom.

It's possible with Doom. Ever heard of jDoom?

http://www.doomsdayhq.com/

Run Doom on that engine. It allows for a ton of graphical upgrades, as well as soundtrack replacements.

Now the one I really wish I could do was insert the Super Metroid album into the game. Damn that would be great. Someone really needs to figure out how to insert code into a game rom, to ask for an mp3 at the right points.

[Aetherius]

just thought I might mention that this is the SSF2T remix collaborative project discussion thread and not the 'OMG UR SO COOL WITH YOUR OBSOLETE CONSOLE MODS!' thread everybody stfu.

[Mozgus]

just thought I might mention that this is the SSF2T remix collaborative project discussion thread and not the 'OMG UR SO COOL WITH YOUR OBSOLETE CONSOLE MODS!' thread everybody stfu.

You're just mad because your song didn't make it in the game

PS: Dreamcast will never be obsolete.

[Aetherius]

You're just mad because your song didn't make it in the game

Don't be provocative.

[Mozgus]

You're just mad because your song didn't make it in the game

Don't be provocative.

Provocative = "everybody stfu"

[Eternal Testament]

You're just mad because your song didn't make it in the game

Don't be provocative.

Provocative = "everybody stfu"

Calm down kiddies. As Aetherius said this a thread for feedback not for flaming.

So, can we just get back to the adulation of zircon's track?

[V___]

"Tokyo Slapdown" is mostly just the original theme and a heavy baseline, but I like that minimalistic approach. After all, they say genius is in simplicity. I think the heavy base reflects our character very well. By the way V, what's he saying at 2:25?

Yeh, I only had like a week to work on that (entered the project very late)... The guy is saying 'Hello Gentlemen', I beleive the samples from Cowboy Bebop, it was sposed to work in with the rap which never eventuated. I wanted to change it to japanese females saying somthing in Engrish, but didnt have the sample on my computer...

So far my only disapointment with the project is the fact it doesnt go on a standard CD.... I had to cut down some tracks to make it all fit on...

[Aetherius]

two 45 minute long CDs. Sure it wastes space, but most bands only put out 45 minutes worth of music on their albums anyway.

[Eternal Testament]

Thank flying heaven for mp3 players.

[Malcos]

Hey were you the guy that put alternate tracks into the DC version of Marvel Vs Capcom 2, including the burly brawl track? That was excellent, made the game so much more enjoyable!!!

No I wasn't that guy. I did have that arranged version though. It was ok but that guy did a sloppy job. Some tracks had a second of silence at the start, and he didn't bother looping the adx files, so if the fight dragged on, you had silence to fight to, heh. I did the "Accurate" mixes on those two games. Check my site to more info and video examples.

[Dhsu]

I was gonna suggest one of the OCR Guile mixes if you didn't like Trenthian's, but I guess I'm a bit late on that one.

[zircon]

Thank flying heaven for mp3 players.

haha, nice. You should really check out my original album "Impulse Prime" if you haven't already.. there are more phat beats where FH came from.

[Project R2K]

You should really check out my original album "Impulse Prime" if you haven't already.. there are more phat beats where FH came from.

Awesome! I already put my name on the waiting list. Is there anywhere else we can buy "Phasma Elementum"? The site says it's no longer available.

[zircon]

Yeah both CDs sold out at a surprising pace. However you can pick them BOTH up at iTunes (it's a little cheaper than CDbaby, actually) or alternatively, buy 'em in their original WAV format on my website (www.zirconstudios.com - electronica section) for a few dollars less.

[zylance]

Naturally you put the most expensive option in your sig...!

[Nec5]

The one song that I found particularly interesting was Aetherius' "Blood on the Asphalt". It captured all the emotion and power of the original.

I remember hearing that theme in the first SF II, and it was quite a moving piece. The voice in the song could be a little cleaner(as could the production), but it succeeds in taking the original to a new and appropriate level. Nicely done.

[Aetherius]

Actually,I've been working to clean up the song's mixing, as I plan to submit it to the judges, eventually...I made some big mistakes the first time 'round. Rushed too much.

[Jered Cain Denton]

There's just something about this remix project. Something that tells me that, basically, I can listen to this one a hell of a lot easier on my little walks around town than the other three I've downloaded.

It just sounds natural for me to listen to this one as I walk, I guess. Nice work, I got hooked immediatly.

[Polo]

Cool how the site's design matches OCR's color scheme. The character fades are a mystical touch, and it's refreshing to see three different Guiles for his theme and both ending variations. Also, spot of blood + playfully badass text = win.

01 - Rock the Asphalt - By 0:11 there's something at every evenly carved-out niche in the beat, with random tighter fits later on. The guitar subtly rearranges the conservatively-noted intro, then co-ops with the buzzy synth that plays the second and more uplifting melody / chorus. Cymbals punctuate three out of four beats at this point. I was hoping for another buildup before the cymbal finish, but no matter, since this is, after all, an intro.

02 - Prepare Yourself - HOT DAMN! The heroic trumpets, with an added note to the source, sound like they're announcing "HERE COMES A NEW-CHAL-LEN-GER~!" Then the buildup feels like it's scurrying for a hiding place, panning left and right. Hard to keep track of without those metronome-friendly samples beating away. Things get heavier and more frantic with the prospect of said challenger parading through the streets. By 0:35, when the piano comes in, every sample is clear. At the 0:26 - 0:28 iteration, I expected the last note to drop a tad, to mirror the 0:49 - 0:51 iteration. The last one, which reminds me of that pre-movie Tri-Star sigil tune (I think that's what it was), is the cliffhanger that seals my fighter's stance.

03 - Wallstreet Monster - Clap-and-shaker-ish percussion intros into a set beat. The hollow flute maintains an open jungle vibe. Whatever that was, panned left at 0:58 and 2:11, diverted my attention from the action center stage. Then the bell lead, blending with others later on, creates flashy, sophisticated nightlife imagery. Didn't know Blanka was such a bon vivant. Fade out = Blanka retreating into the obscurity of the jungle. Repetitive cookie-cutter sections, but nevertheless rich.

04 - I Don't Fight Boys - Sweet auralgasms. I can totally hear this during a live street performance of Chun Li showing off her gravity-defying Whirlwind Kick under the hot sun. This goes through so many different textures at a steady pace. Introing strings, as well as all other strings, sound crisp and jazzy, no matter what the company. Starting at 0:46, I picture this playing by the ocean, I don't know why. But it fits. Heh, there's even what sounds like an American ballgame organ at 3:04. I'm all over the breakdown at 4:37. The smooth gliding outro supplements it longingly.

05 - New Mexican Thunderbird - I still remember when Shael said he'd more likely listen to this while driving away after having punched someone in the face. Fun times. Ever since his first WIP, Vurez has packed the soundfield on this puppy to the brim. Every second exudes wild west lore, from racing the runaway train on horseback (intro), cruising the plains (the bulk), even to the tumbleweed blowin' desert (2:52) and the final battle where the Indians race down the hill to meet the enemy. Yes, the samples (especially the trumpet, violin, and the chanty Indian voices) sound that realistic. Makes me wish all Native Americans could orate their legends like this.

06 - Thank You, Dee Jay - This track stays with me after listening to the whole album. Classic Bronx Rican rapping, with some spicy and ethnic Spanish. Miss "thank you, Dee Jay" and the kazoo / blow horn add to the cheesy fun of this mix (not to mention the turntable squips / twists). 1:28 and 2:36 sound decisively Mexican with the classy bar piano. And is that a fight at 2:07? Heh, I guess it had to happen sometime this album. The crowd (2:56 - 3:14) compliments, rather than overshadows, the music. Ends a little suddenly though. (left) "Dee Jay!" (right) "Vamos Dee Jay!"

07 - Tokyo Slapdown - That introing flute bleeds / is unfocused, but it works fine with the Japanese strings. I feel they could've had more elbow room to play with the melody before the DnB took over. From 0:15 on all I can think of is cars (doubly so 'cause of the name E. "Honda"). Sounds like a musical engine with screeching brakes not quite working in a parking garage. The opening synth makes tentative blending cameos, then changes its mind. Once in a while the bass, while murky, changes the notes it hits. After the Game Boy pops in around 2:00, the bass adds subtle melody changeups as well. Not the most adventurous track, but it allows the closure to maintain Japanese humbleness (E. Honda never strays far from his bath anyway).

08 - Reaching for Nirudha - The best I could find out about "Nirudha" was that it's a Sanskrit word. Tell me the meaning of it and I'll come one step closer to enlightenment. A fire burns low and bright at the start. 0:38 introduces the long-limbed D-man to us, and 0:57 is a crafty, lower-key rearrangement, giving way to an emerging light flute. The more serious bridges between happy iterations feel like the perilous trials of a firewalk. 2:33 = tongue-tingling-tasty. No problems with the key change at the end. Overall, this holds its own unique ethnic urban beat, blending Middle Eastern percussion sticks and turntable-ish swerves, for example. I don't care if the percussion is mostly left on autopilot; the instruments mesh well into a nourishing, meditative Zen.

09 - Guile's Mile Long Dong - First off, ballsy title ftw. Cute flute intro, soon diving into a double-time buzzcut beefiness. There's always another sample backing up and playing off of the lead, the role of which is passed like a baton between many synths. Halfway through, the melody goes into 4/4, with a third 5-note iteration preceding the normally-coming-third riff of Guile's theme. The guitar at 2:17, though a little subdued, has scope and diction. By the way, for some reason this mix sounds very Mega Man-ish (notwithstanding the fact that this is, after all, Capcom). And what do you know, just like the Mario Game Over chiptune at the end of Bombing Shade of Blue, so too does Trenthian wedge a Zelda Triforce cameo at the end. Sweetstuffs.

10 - Communist Jungle - That throaty synth makes me wanna speak an alien language. Here we're treated to an additive mix, with a shaker, hi-hat, dirty DnB, cymbals, and a slew of jungle-creepy glides and vibes dispersed throughout. To compound our absent sense of direction comes the vodka-inebriated "It's like a jungle sometimes~!" and vaguely English subliminal messages later on (4:17 until the end especially, which suddenly makes it all new-agey).

11 - Flying Heaven - Clear bass and koto lead. What follows is summed up best by djpretzel:

Drums at 0'15" get progressively layered - this is a trick Andy knows well, layering kits upon kits for a thick, aggressive percussive presence, and he's only gotten better at it.

zircon fills up the soundfield, fast enough to pump up our adrenaline, gradual enough for us to catch and keep up with, into the red meat of the mix that's more kick-in-the-teeth than punch-in-the-face attention-grabbing. I can envision Fei Long whupping his opponent using just kicks: Jago's combo-rific highs and lows, Mortal Kombat sweeps, Double Dragon knockouts, Liu Kang and Riptor's bicycle kicks, you name it. 1:36 is a respectable time-out for the unlucky challenger. Then at 1:58 he kicks it back into overdrive. Aw yeah.

12 - Army Girl - High-as-hell-kicking Cammy enters on that rising and falling guitar sample, which sounds agreeable no matter how many other instruments play along. After its entrance comes a set of cooperating bass / shaker / whatnot synths, then another set. When that lead at 0:49 ebbs and flows, there's what sounds like a secondary percussive sample with some hypnotic reverb on it. The piano-carried melody I'm hearing around the middle has echoes of the WIP that myf rapped over. At 3:30+ there's some interesting chemistry happening between samples on all grounds (front, back, middle). I need a smoothie.

13 - Made in U.S.A. - Just how many guitars are there? At least three, I think. They carry a dynamic arrangement, complete with emotive key changes and a segue into the latter chunk of Ken's theme at 2:17. 3:05 is needed for this kind of ongoing energy, an echoed-into silence amongst the surrounding noise. Drums vary up their beat at timely conjunctions while cymbals simply hit their metronome-timed marks. Everything sounds kinda muddy, as the instruments tend to bleed into each other. With some mastering though, each one can stand out and crispen up, and then this'll be ace tunage.

14 - R U Overdrive - The commanding guitar and percussion duo makes the sunset on Ryu's stage an epic sensory indulgence. Personally, the tone flooded me with nostalgic days, when video games were all the world to me and I played them 'til the sun came down. Several times I thought the mix would end, when suddenly it came back full throttle, giving me another dose of nostalgia. My soul quivers with delight.

15 - Mercenary Boxing - Balrog's life story, told in lights: a champion whose return no one believes at first (intro), revved up hopes at 0:14, entering the limelight at 0:28, flashbacks of growing up in the ghetto and fighting to survive, now fighting back tears around 1:20, and the departure of a legend from 4:00 on. I love that baseball-cracking synth at 0:15 and that unchecked pounding synth at 0:36 more so (must be the heads Balrog's busting). The backup strings sound somber and more realistic than the leading ones, but I'm not exactly concerned about strings' authenticity unless they throw the mood off (which, thankfully, they don't). As is, they detail a pretty emotive story.

16 - Spittin' Narcissism - Ah, the infamous evil organ. Combined with the following strings meant for the royal and the noble, we get an idea just how evil and physically image-conscious Vega is. There's also a rattlesnake-ish shaker panned left, fancy-footwork bass, and a fun changeup at 1:42 with beat variations, dj scratches, and a now leading piano. Since Vega's ending is simply part of his theme repeated mercilessly, it lends itself well to rap. With the seasoned rappage he presents us with comes José's thesaurus-expanded usage for the word "beautiful." "I'm the most beautifulest thing in this world and I'm the reason this world exists." Can't get any more narcissistic than that.

17 - Urban Uppercut - Ah, trance-y goodness carried on gusts of wind. Sagat's time signature is tamed into a more manageable 4/4. Very urban bass entering at 0:24. The constantly beating percussion, panned left and right throughout, is like an enveloping blanket. At 0:52 and 1:59, the lead synth fluctuates in volume too much for my tastes, but then steadies itself later. Cool how the guitar carries the theme after the breakdown beforehand (could be a little beefier though). 3:35-4:06 is like Equinox (SNES) in tone and dreamlike in nature. I could sleep to this section. But then things march back in line. I wonder, in this following section, if the main theme notes didn't fade out, what would the arrangement sound like over the airy vibes (every other 32 beats)? Does it even matter? Probably not. It's easy to drift away to this.

18 - Tribute to the Master - I always imagined something grand and orchestral would suit the man in red, and it happens! Drums, trumpets, perilous flute, cymbal, and even a Thailand bell-standing synth get us started. Judicious arrangement planning, with original riffs leading around, to, and from classic sections, for example 0:52 - 1:13. Bison's on fire (or at least his hand is, and growing in power, in my mind) at 1:39, the electronica-heavy section. There's something about an electronica + orchestral fusion that makes for tasty ear candy. It presents the dictator's image as more "bow down to me" than "I'll make my opponents bleed," but that cymbal-ic finish exemplifies both aspects at once.

19 - Murder Instinct - Rygar first came to mind with the dirty synth + string intro. Heavy guitar compounds the theme every so often (0:23 and 0:36 for instance), and gets my heart pounding without getting repetitive. Reverb in this mix gives me the impression of Gouki's purple trailing figure entrance. At 1:46, I'm standing in a barren wasteland that gives every indication Akuma rampaged here. His theme echoes across the land, almost threatening that he'll jump in and pummel me like he did Bison. The strings and airy synths put me in mind of the "heaven" kanji on the back of his shirt, a reminder of his deadly, divine power. At the end he disappears in a fancy flash of light, into another dimension... doomsday is averted, at least for now.

20 - Home at Last - Much like Reaching for Nirudha, but with a more selective array of synths and a more playful beat. The flute plays a touch more of Dhalsim's theme before the end. Ouch, cut-off. But nothing a little editing can't fix.

21 - Blood on the Asphalt (Richter + Shael Riley) - My, how you've grown. Happy to hear the chewy synth and croaking synth again, as well as the driving drums and cymbals. I hear Guile's ending better here than ever before (best around the 2-minute mark). This mix has gone through five or so updates, changing things like the key the music played in, volume, and even singing pitches. The emotion's all over the place. I hear (at least I think I hear) drunken lethargy, desperation for answers, and a hint of sorrow overall. Some more flow between sections, i.e. living the contextual moment to grow from one emotion to the next, would leave a greater impact. Or, if the sections are supposed to be abruptly different, it would add to the notion that Guile tried to drink himself numb ("...before I hit the bar") to the drastic memories of his friend's last moments. Poor guy. After the first "blood on the asphalt" iteration, it sounds like the beat lags or fluctuates more than once. Also, I noticed quieter lyrical sections (2:27, 3:21) had the sole bass beating away, and the louder singing (3:00) had a new beat set to go with it. Vocals this time, btw, are CLEAR. Congrats, Shael.

22 - Blood on the Asphalt (Aetherius) - Popping percussion, playful piano, background whirls, and warpy sounds make for trippy territory. With the outset of the "breathing" lyrics, the tone and subject are subtly changed from revenge to feelings of ennui and despair. There are more liberties with singing not solely in clear-cut sections, but over and above them as well. The extra "and on and on" at 0:51 just works. 2:02 is an example of dropping pitches, fit for "soon I will be gone." At 3:00 there are higher pitches that fall and rise again, like riding waves. At the crossroads (4:15), the vocals clash rather than synergize. If they were in a foreign language I'd probably enjoy it without having to try to translate it. (I can't understand all the words anyway.)

23 - Hi, Score! - Nice to listen to you again, too. You haven't changed a bit. Guess you were done before I commented on you months ago...

Tastes more like candy than beef (sweet without the meat). I wanna mildly poke someone rather than punch 'em in the face. Is this maybe one of the tracks in the project meant to serve as an ear break (no joke intended), like a timeout in the workout where the bodybuilder towels off and drinks from his water bottle before lifting the next set of weights? (That'd work for Here Comes a New Challenger...)

I instantly recognized the rising arpeggio that is Ranking.spc, and I like how it's slowed, lingering, and upped another ante. Good start for a minimal source material. But the use of the xylophone-ish synth makes me feel like I'm solving a timed puzzle. Maybe this is more a challenge to my brains than my brawn.

0:17 is awesome, though I think you can give the drums and cymbal more space to jam beforehand. 0:52 is leaving me dumbfounded (so quiet all of a sudden without a build back into the music). And I'm not sure what to make of that buzzy bass. Any louder and it'll put me in mind of Frogger or some non-fighting arcade game; any quieter and there'd be no bass.

At the very end (2:02+), I think you can add 8 more notes to the existing 8, to help the whole thing rise another notch.

So yeah... that's my two cents.

Oh man. That feedback was totally sweet. Thanks!

24 - Ending Credits Mix - I can tell this was mastered via +volume. However I think it highlighted some weak spots. The lead doesn't quite... lead. It feels like it's fighting with the relentless percussion for dominance. I do hear holdups (intro) and breakdowns (1:27), but everywhere else the lead suffocates - and so do I. Not all samples are clear-cut. Also, what's up with the piercing shots? Clipping issues? This could use some more mastering overall (not to mention on that midi-like note at the end).

25 - Hadoken Mix - No, I didn't find the Easter Egg via clicking or even viewing the source, but I heard it the many times it was "finished." I remember ongoing percussion, Ryu's "Hadoken!" repeated, replaced, and added to by other Ryu-isms with mind-numbing repetition. This was never my cup of tea.

Now, where are the mixer's mugshots? Is that another Easter Egg? And what happened to the scratching / fading into each track progressively by DjSammyG? Or the urban wedding theme (Ken's ending)? I guess some ideas had to be scrapped to meet the project release date.

And I kinda miss myf's version of Cammy's stage.

Me too.

I ain't need a bitch life growing up young

Never knowin' if your next day is your last one

And everybody, yeah, lookin' for tension

Gotta be the best if you wanna get some

Blond haired girl, tragical past

With a glin' in her eyes, what a mystical laugh

From the moment she saw me I hoped it would last

Coming from a girl that could kick my ass

But I stepped too fast, I moved too soon

I told her I loved her alone in my room

Broke down cryin', I had made a mistake

Seein' that I didn't realize what was at stake

Her name was Cammy, London born and raised

She was runnin' from some Shadoloo thugs afraid

I saw stars and tears and it changed my world

'Cause now I was in love with the Street Fightin' girl

Anyway, kudos Shael, Malcos, and gang.

[Malcos]

The best I could find out about "Nirudha" was that it's a Sanskrit word. Tell me the meaning of it and I'll come one step closer to enlightenment.

Try searching for 'Nirudha Yoga' in google and see what you get.

[richter]

The character fades are a mystical touch, and it's refreshing to see three different Guiles for his theme and both ending variations. Also, spot of blood + playfully badass text = win.

Thanks! I worked pretty damn hard on the site design.

Also an extra big kudos to you for such a huge review! I know I appreciate it and I'm sure everyone else does too. Feedback is what's it's all about.

[nesper]

Also an extra big kudos to you for such a huge review! I know I appreciate it and I'm sure everyone else does too. Feedback is what's it's all about.

fo sho much love fo tha love i been shown so far and it ain jus feedback dawg itz tha connection bein made that entailz tha feedback