ReMix:Mega Man 6 "Fortress of the Knight" 4:00

By Vurez

Arranging the music of one song...

"Knight Man Stage"

Primary Game: Mega Man 6 (Nintendo , 1993, NES), music by Yuko Takehara

Posted 2006-06-18, evaluated by the judges panel


"The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what we share with someone else when we're uncool" - just saw Almost Famous (director's cut, aka "Untitled") for the first time, and loved it - especially this quote. Definitely recommended. Vurez recently had his excellent T.Hawk mix posted, but he actually submitted this MM6 mix before that whole shizz went down. First above all, let's dole out the massive props to Don for covering potentially the least popular of Mega Man's NES outings and doing a superb job all around. Check out his Blizzardman and Centaurman mixes if you doubt the true faith. His third mix of the blue bomber's sixth narrative covers the Knightman theme, which one could potentially intuit from the title. So many men, so little time. Err, that came out wrong... you get the idea. The name of the game here is orchestral with some rock elements, namely rhythm guitar, an acoustic kit, electric bass, and lead. Quoth Mr. Aversa:

"The production values here, as with all of Vurez' mixes, are absolutely superb. Lots of very high end samples that are actually used WELL in a convincing manner. At times the brass seems a little too loud, and I do agree with TO that the drumwork could be a little more interesting, but really, there's no way I could have any substantive complaints about the production. The 'swamped' soundfield is not really an issue for me after I listened to this a few times. It contributes to the unique sound."

One of the things that I think makes the MM6 OST less appealing to most ReMixers than the first three soundtracks is the absence of catchier, bubblegum melodies that stick in your head. Vurez works well with this less hook-driven material, however, as his relatively conservative but still considerable arrangement matches up with his adept reinstrumentation skills to take less salient melodies and turn them into fleshed out orchestrations. That's what he's done previously with Mega Man 6, and that's what he does here yet again.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Crulex
on 2013-06-25 09:26:06

Knight Man has always been one of my favorite Robot Masters and I've enjoyed his theme a lot as well. Vurez manages to take that slight "medieval as Mega Man could get" feel and give it a boost. The vocals and the rocking bits sounded great, but some things sounded a tad off or loud. In the grand scheme of things though, I loved this ReMix.

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tweex
on 2010-08-25 20:30:31

The opening solo viola/violin was not my favorite in the intro. Being so exposed, it felt nasty. But then the swell into the driving marcato brass. Great intensity there. The e guitar was a really nice addition. The ethereal female choir sounded great in there and I loved the brass stabs behind the guitar solo. This has a great cinematic quality to it with all of it's dynamic shifts! I wish the drums would have had a little more punch to them as they would have made the kick ass mix even better. The rock orchestra fusion is certainly NOT lost on me. I am an avid fan and Vurez offers a great example of just such a mix. Good job!!!

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Marmiduke
on 2009-10-16 07:06:18

A bit hit and miss for me, only because I don't think it always achieves its ambitions. As symphonic rock this is decent, and to be sure, it never falls into substandard levels. However, the superior rock sections seemed a little marred by all the orchestral effort put into things. Don't get me wrong, I like a little infused orchestra as much as the next man, but not when it competes with the driving power of the song.

There's some great sections of electric guitar work, and it shows that a lot of thought went into what this mix would be and how it would sound, but I personally think for all the brass and the strings, it's really only distracting from the star of the show. Maybe a reshuffling of emphasis on certain aspects would have satisfied me a little more.

As it is, it's a competent and interesting take on the theme and definately showcases a lot of talent. Though I can't say I thought it soared, due to what I percieved as a confusion of power. Minor gripe to some possibly, but I couldn't get past it. Well made all the same.

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OA
on 2008-04-24 10:54:35

Brass is a bit loud, but this is stellar stuff. Great samples and atmosphere, and it's a good theme, with an excellent treatment.

The chugging guitars in the rhythm with the nice brass hits and the choir sound great great, and the lead guitar is good as well. The sound quality says to me sampled, but the nuances say performed, so honestly I have no idea on this. Either way, it's very effective and sounds good. The drums are the weak link, but with so much going on, it's pretty easy to let that slide. If they were any busier, the song would be overly cluttered, and right now there is a lot packed in there. I actually think a bridge or something that wouldn't have so much going on would have made this even more effective, but it is still a great mix.

A super nice surprise. :-)

Recommended.

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Audity
on 2006-11-18 20:29:28

The volume of the many things seem out of place. Overall there's a nice loud air of reverb thing going on which I like. The arrangement is good too, which is what inspired me to come here and review it while listening to it being played on the latest vgdj episode.

I still say your Yamato Man mix from VGMix is the best, mainly because the original melody is one of my favorites ever. I highly suggest submitting that here, either as is, or making it more intense. I always have to turn the volume up to max :o. Other than that, don't stop making music when you can!

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Chickenwarlord
on 2006-08-07 16:18:38

This piece is well produced and a pleasant to listen to. It just won't jump out at you. 'Fortress of the Knight' is well done, but nothing special in terms of catchiness/'remember that one part?' type revelations.

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Krythan
on 2006-08-03 16:19:20

Megaman 6 doesn't stick out in my head for it's soundtrack, but Vurez has the ability to transform a mundane piece of music into an unforgettable masterpiece! What he has created here is dramatic, exciting, and just plain KICKASS! Wow! His other remix of MM6 - Flurry of Frozen Fury - is top-notch as well. Both are at the top of my favorites list!

For this remix, it is most definately a 10/10 for me. keep up the good work man. :D

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ScytheML
on 2006-07-16 07:34:39

This IS my favorite remix of all time. I have been listening to it non-stop for 3 weeks now.

Words cannot describe... I am in awe.

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Martin Penwald
on 2006-07-07 09:11:40

Nice ReMix that comes of rather old-skoolish due to its source-tune, but that is actually a good point, at least in my book.

I'm definitely diggin' the part from 2:08 on, very nice slow-down.

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Brim
on 2006-06-27 23:44:05

At first, it sounded pretty typical, and then afterwards, it kicks into a badass guitar, with almost a cinematic feel to it.

Kickass.

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Flare4War
on 2006-06-27 04:02:11

Very tightly arranged mix.

Nice work.

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MrBogus
on 2006-06-19 14:12:53

I've come to appreciate Vurez's distinct Greek-spaghetti-western style, if you pardon my atrocity of a label. But at the same time, I felt it was getting a little stale, that he wasn't trying to grow anymore. I saw this mix and thought to myself "Hmm, another MM6 mix from Vurez. I bet I know what this is going to sound like."

I was WRONG.

This mix totally caught me off guard. Nice additions of electric guitar and symphony hits. I don't know what else to say. This is your best work to date, Vurez, keep it up.

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Ferret
on 2006-06-19 13:06:10

I can tell that some people do have their reservations with this remix; personally I think it's a very well-executed piece that brings to mind some of the more popular symphonic metal performers (which I sall not name to let the reader draw their own conclusions).

All in all it's a powerful piece that evokes the proper sense of wonder and enchantment, which I would liken to visiting Disney World and seeing more than just the castle.

The electric guitar was a nice touch, reminding the listener that this is the future but that chivalry can still survive in an age dominated by machines and impersonal computers keeping us connected as a society.

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Bummer
on 2006-06-19 03:46:05

It took a while for this remix to get into serious business, it sounded so sad in the beginning but luckily some pwerful strings appeared to add some more power to the arrangement.

The variety among the instruments used surprised me. Sure, it's a castle, but when I started to hear church bells I got a little baffled. And let's not forget the electric guitar, probably not the best choice since it's a medieval theme we're talking about here, but elements that deliver some serious kickass cannot really go wrong anywhere.

Great remix, good to see that your remixal talent isn't going to any waste. :D

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MajLink
on 2006-06-19 02:17:55

Wow, just starting off this mix i was thinking that i was honestlly gonna suck. Thank goodness i decided to listen more. It just got better and better. I was sceptical from the start because i never played mega man 6(the only one i never played). Amazingly enough i was still imrpressed with the song. Very well done and keep up the good work.

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Mega Man 6 (Nintendo , 1993, NES)
Music by Yuko Takehara
Songs:
"Knight Man Stage"

Tags (6)


Genre:
Rock
Mood:
Instrumentation:
Bells,Brass,Choir,Electric Guitar,Orchestral
Additional:

File Information


Name:
Mega_Man_6_Fortress_of_the_Knight_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
5,640,460 bytes
MD5:
f73fc15301f58626744ffa24f3f9bbc4
Bitrate:
185Kbps
Duration:
4:00

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