ReMix:Plants vs. Zombies "Seedrun" 3:35

This newcomer's gonna grow on you like a weed, as JSABlixer debuts with a spirited 8-bit "don't-call-it-a-demake" of music from the first two Plants vs. Zombies! Blixer explains how his idea germinated from Laura Shigihara's "Grasswalk" and then cross-pollinated with four other tracks, including an unofficial one [GASP]:

"The intro was inspired by an intro to an indoor percussion show, though I can't actually remember the name of it. I realized, after writing up to the main "Grasswalk" motif (1:00-1:11), that this arrangement would work even better if I made it a medley of sorts and tossed in a few extra themes. Ultimately, those would be "Demonstration Mini-game" (PvZ2), "Loonboon" (PvZ), and "Ancient Egypt's Final Wave" (PvZ2), in that order. I also really liked the swing in PeaMix's "Holiday Mashup" themes (PvZ2 Reflourished), which happened to include some "Grasswalk" references, so that's the inspiration behind the swing section. Also "Loonboon" just sounds like it should have swing, even if it technically doesn't. But, yeah, that's pretty much it. I hope you guys will enjoy it!"

The arrangement roots itself in the different sections of "Grasswalk", sowing in references to "Demonstration Mini-game" at :47, "Loonboon" at 2:33, and "Final Wave" at 2:58, along with the influence of "Wave 1" from PeaMix's unofficial, fan-made PvZ2 Reflourished expansion soundtrack during the swing section. Among our panel, judge Chimpazilla's got the most experience with PvZ's music, so her approval shines a bright light on this piece's strength:

"Ah, a 100% 8-bit PvZ arrangement! All the sources are clearly identifiable, and although the arrangement does move along like a medley, it is cohesive. I'm not a super big fan of 8-bit mixing, but I believe this is mixed/mastered adequately for the genre. Despite the instrumentation not changing all the way through the piece, it never loses my interest as it moves through the various source tunes. The swing section is fun and I believe the original Loonboon source does in fact have swing! At least in the piano writing. This is a clever multi-source arrangement and I like it a lot!"

Great transformation into an 8-bit chiptune, with careful attention to varying up the different NES-style sounds. I wasn't put off either by the instrumentation sounding "samey"; if you're familiar with 2A03 sound combinations, this is extremely varied, especially by not holding to standard NES channel limitations. This isn't a mere 8-bit transcription, it's a full-on interpretive arrangement with extra themes grafted on. The limited mixing was the "weak" point here, but the sound's so authentic and the arrangement's so fantastically spirited, you'd have to be a lame brain to not appreciate it. Quite a succulent song, it's all that and a bag of chips! ;-) Very nice job by JSABlixer, who's shuffled and shambled into our hearts (and lawns) with this magnificent coming out party!