SwordBreaker

Whoops. The picture didn't load or I didn't notice it when I first saw his reply. In that case, good one.

It's obvious that you didn't read my constructive reply. I'll say it again in case you didn't notice; I love OCR's vocal offerings and I can list you bunch of vocal remixes which are way superior. The Ken Song is an example of one of the oldies but still a way better track. Hale's Bopp's Summertime is also a good one. While both of those are rock tracks, they do have some punk in them. Both have way better vocals. I'm sorry, but scoffing the obvious vocal shortcomings as punk rock is a straw man's argument. Punk doesn't mean that it needs to be underdeveloped and subpar. I'm not faulting you for liking this track since musical tastes are subjective, but that doesn't mean that we can't constructively critique its flaws. There's a huge gap in production between the awesome backing track and bad vocals which is very distracting to me. If you want true punk, the whole track needs to have that garage sound, which is not the case here.

As much as I love the instrumental track, the vocals are very harsh...so much so that they practically ruin the mood that this remix is going for. It's one of the few times I felt turned off by the track due to the subpar vocals. Singing, melodies/harmonies, and mastering of the vocals could be a lot better than what's presented here. Lyrics is a subjective thing obviously, but in my view I didn't find much of a hook to it in spite of being "meta" and self-referential. I appreciate the nod to Hard Times, but personally it isn't enough for multiple listens. Sorry for the harsh critique, but I'm used to decent vocal remixes from OCR. This is one of the most unfinished final submissions I've heard in awhile. I know not everything can be a hit obviously and I understand this was part of a competition entry with very limited time in getting things done. What's presented in the final product is impressive relative to the time constraints, but it's not up to par with the bar set in terms of OCR vocal remixes.

Brilliant work. Brilliant idea for a remix concept, too. The nods to Riders of the Storm in the intro get the mood going well, then you realize that it really sounds like a Doors tribute band playing the Dark World from ALttP and all of a sudden your mind is blown. From the awesome keyboards/synth to the smooth guitar sounds, you really nailed the idea down to a T! It reminds me of Fishy's Beneath the Canopy remix from a few years back when he paid tribute to Pink Floyd in there. I really want more remix concepts like this, but I totally understand how difficult they are to make at times; you're walking a very thin line when trying to emulate certain mainstream hits into video game music remixes as you need to embrace the track's mood rather than follow its notes. Congrats to 3000 remixes! Feels like yesterday when I was around for the 1000th and 2000th entries. I can't imagine this community getting this popular and this far so fast. What better way to celebrate than chilling to an ALttP remix.

For me, Sunshine Airport is the most creative track theme from the new circuits. Absolutely awesome work with that one. From the old school tracks, I'm really liking what they've done with Toad's Turnpike n64 and Wario Stadium DS. It's like they've completely transformed to new beasts while retaining the original's feel. The old-school n64 Rainbow Road is a lot better than the lame new version. One factor that I'm kind of frustrated with is forcing the map to the GamePad, which is just not ideal at all with the fast-paced nature of the game. I just have no time at all to glance down at the pad while racing, especially when I'm using a Pro Controller. Also, this basically kills any kind of fairness with 4 player local Balloon Battle. The mode itself is already bad with the lazy track designs, but they've made it worse by not giving us the option to display the map on screen.

Seriously...what's left about this classic that hasn't been said? It's a masterpiece, which is a word I don't throw around that often. One of the first DoD tracks which wowed me back in the day and of course introduced me to CHM. Ever since the unlifting of the time limit in OCR, Unsealed first came to mind...and it's finally here! The original would've gotten a pass, but the fact that you re-worked this from the ground up...wow, dude, talk about dedication. I really appreciated the remastering, additions, nips and tucks here and there. My two favorite pieces of the track are the transition to the Santuary bit and the arrangement of the vastly underrated credits theme. You somehow manage to make these sections even better with the remastered version! I can't sing enough praises here. Excellent job, CHM. This will always be your crowning jewel in your arrangements!

So now that's the game's out, let's get some discussion going on! OCR can also host its own tournaments for the forum community. Loving the game thus far. Course design is sharp and extremely innovative. Can't praise the audiovisuals enough. The only blemish is the terrible balloon battle mode.

Love it! All tracks that have XPRTNovice involved in the FF6 album are classics! Gogo's is no exception. It's very playful and the clarinet playing complements what he was going for and keeps the soul of the original intact. The carnival transition in my opinion is seamless. It doesn't sound odd since the clarinet and melodies are up-beat already. Awesome job all-in-all. One of my favorites in Balance and Ruin.

Snap. Makes me wish that I caught wind of the thread earlier.

My entry says bonus track on it. I'm assuming that means nobody can vote for me, right? Is this because I entered late during the 3rd round? If so, then that's unfortunate. Would've been nice if I could actually participate officially. Comments/Reviews 1) Anterrior: huge props for creativity. Nice and cheesy lyrics which go with the track well, especially the change-ups you made in the chorus. Your singing voice is also good. 2) Rexy: props for being a champ and singing while your sick. Performance isn't up to snuff obviously due to the cold, but I really enjoyed your enthusiasm and vocal harmonies. Something about the accent which I dig, too. I feel that you would definitely sound better if you weren't sick. 3) Amayriot: decent singing voice but can be flat at times, but you're in tune with the instrumental and the production values on your voice are good because you sound clear. 4) CN: I like your passion and your voice is cool. The only parts which sound a bit pitchy is when you're singing high-pitched (falsetto) during the 2nd half of the track. I liked it better in the first half. Also, there's a bit too much echo.

...tumbleweed...

Just a heads up that I sent you a finalized second version of my track via PM, WillRock. Please use that one for my entry instead of the original.

Just sent you a dropbox link via PM with my entry, WillRock. Please confirm to me that you can see the link and download the file.

Sweet! That's an excellent source to pick. Very underrated. If Ocarina of Time 3D wasn't fresh off my mind, I wouldn't have recognized it. Excellent job to everyone involved in that one, including DrumUltima with the percussion.

I'm going to go ahead and throw in Xenogears, because it sort of reminds me of it. You know, another one that's getting into my head right now is "Generations". Starting to really like this track. And for some weird reason, it's giving off an Ocarina of Time vibe to me. If you listen to the Forest Temple music from OoT, the track also shares some similarities with the way the basic melody of Generations is structured. Loving how I'm noticing this stuff and it's making me like the tracks even more. Is there any basis to the nods I'm hearing or am I just crazy? Either way, guitars and vocals are really cool for this track, too.