ReMix:Pokémon Pinball "Pocket Arcade" 2:50

Enjoyed some time off, but we need more upbeat, chippy goodness in our lives, so let's bring it with Treyt's Satoru Iwata tribute piece from our new The Impact of Iwata album, a beacon of bouncy brightness arranging Pokémon Pinball! Speaking of bounciness, one of Iwata's first big breakthroughs at HAL Labs working with Nintendo was developing realistic pinball physics for Pinball, mechanics which continue to be referenced and used by Nintendo to this day! You'll learn all about many important moments in gaming like these if you pony up for Nintendo Force editor-in-chief Lucas M. Thomas's new book The Impact of Iwata, highly recommended. When it came time to develop an arrangement representing the book's second chapter on Iwata's pinball prowess, Treyt suspected he may have gone a bit overboard, but it's clear he produced something equal parts fun and respectful:

"Did I overdo it, LOL? This remix is for chapter 2 of the Impact of Iwata collaborative album, which is headed up by TSori and Lucas.

There is a lot to love about the early era of VGM. The sounds available to the composers were so limited, the interfaces took technical know-how to operate, and it wasn't the celebrated practice that it is today. These composers were the people diving headfirst into uncharted waters, pioneering new possibilities and standards, eventually transforming our perception and understanding of music into the incredibly diverse world of sound that it is today. My goal with this track was simply to combine the promise and potential of the past with the possibility of a today that wouldn't be the same without our beloved Iwata. I hope you enjoy."

Warms an old curmudgeon's heart to see the regard for the old school composers and programmers who paved the way, especially when it's so effectively communicated in music as Treyt's done here. The first 7 seconds of his arrangement are extremely attention-grabbing -- a cool sweeping start, ethereal chips, and complex beats -- an immediate hook that seems to have snagged judge DarkSim, a Pokémon Pinball vet:

"Man, I played the hell out of Pokémon Pinball back when it came out! Great to see a remix of the title theme find its way into the inbox. And such a good one, too!

Arrangement is really fun, keeping the upbeat nature and really cranking it up with tons of fast runs and filthy bass. Sound palette is a nod to the original but obviously a big upgrade from the Game Boy. The bitcrushed drums, sweet-sounding pulse waves and soaring saw leads work well together, as we know chiptune sounds do. [...] Now, I wouldn't mind digging out my copy of Pokémon Pinball after that..!"

The brief drop at 1:00, followed by the return of the beats at 1:07 and the cool countermelodic synths until 1:15, that's merely one of so many strong segments across the board here. Every moment is packed with careful, creative attention to evolving and engaging textures, and speaks so well to Treyt's intent on honoring and broadening the sound palette of the original music (kudos to ZackParrish's mastering as well). All of the other judges who voted on this also described this piece as fun, and this is easily the most upbeat, nostalgic-sounding piece on the album for an 8-bit kid like me.

I've already gone through the story of Treyt winding up a community regular here at OCR, but, listening to his efforts here, I just had a big smile on my face appreciating what a special and thoughtful creator he is; I'm infinitely glad he's with us in the scene. Awesome creation by Treyt and a true highlight on a stellar tribute album that you need to fully experience, The Impact of Iwata! :-)