Smash Bros. 3D/U OST Contest! Round 27 - Midgar (Grading)

[Robert of Normandy]

This round's winner is....

CAPTAIN HOTCAKES!

Spoiler

I'm coming for you, Hotcakes.....

Spoiler

j/k. I'll accept my grades and bow to the opinions of the judges....

Except Tumblr. Taking off points for "Don't Speak Her Name?" That's pretty much THE most popular/remembered song from Awakening. I don't see how any stage from Awakening could NOT include it.

 

[Swamp Sensei]

Except Tumblr. Taking off points for "Don't Speak Her Name?"]

What?

 

[TumblrFamous]

Spoiler

j/k. I'll accept my grades and bow to the opinions of the judges....

Except Tumblr. Taking off points for "Don't Speak Her Name?" That's pretty much THE most popular/remembered song from Awakening. I don't see how any stage from Awakening could NOT include it.

I'm sorry! I never felt like it fit well enough on the stage! It was just my own opinion.

 

[Deleted member]

Yes.

Alright! I'll buy it if I can! I hope that copies aren't hard to find.

 

[Robert of Normandy]

What?

I'm sorry! I never felt like it fit well enough on the stage! It was just my own opinion.

Mostly kidding. It is your opinion. I'm not going to boycott the contest or anything because I didn't get 1st place, but I just had to get it off my chest that I didn't agree with that.

By the way, I am thinking about getting Awakening. Should I?

No wai Awakening is for scrubs 0/10

jk. Despite the fact that I personally don't care for it(I prefer older FEs), I do think that it's a good entry point into the series.

 

[Swamp Sensei]

Mostly kidding. It is your opinion. I'm not going to boycott the contest or anything because I didn't get 1st place, but I just had to get it off my chest that I didn't agree with that.

I'm just surprised Tumblr removed points for Don't Speak Her Name.

Baffles me.

 

[RavenKingSage]

I wonder if you guys would have liked my Blazing Boss Medley... anyway, I was in Olekidsf's corner. Congrats to Hotcakes! So what's the next round?

 

[Robert of Normandy]

Sorry, but I just had to make this joke:

[collapse="Star's Grades"]Shinpichu:

Importance: 9/10
Popularity: 8/10
Variety: 8/10
Fit: 8/10
Total: 33/40

Love the idea of an “Arena Battle” medley, but overlooking the theme that plays in Arena Ferox is a pretty large oversight. You chose some really good tracks, but the Awakening tracks are just a little lackluster.[/collapse]

Blame Awakening for having a lackluster soundtrack.

 

[APC99]

I have a question: I have a Wii U, DS and GBA. Wii is broken right now, so no GameCube games.

Which Fire Emblem do I choose first?

 

[Olekidsf]

Geez, I knew I wouldn't that well, but I wasn't expecting to be last. O_O Then again, I just got into Fire Emblem for the first time this year, so I guess I did pretty well all things considered.

Anyhow, still crossing my fingers to see Castle Wily, Mario Galaxy, or Windy Hill Zone next. (Even though I know Swamp's gonna choose the Animal Crossing stage just cause I asked so nicely)

 

[Swamp Sensei]

Just updated both the youtube channel and the wall of honor.

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2JfJ-TeYbFtL9QTAMzUNow/videos?view=1

Tell me what you think!

 

[Swamp Sensei]

I have a question: I have a Wii U, DS and GBA. Wii is broken right now, so no GameCube games.

Which Fire Emblem do I choose first?

I'd recommend Fire Emblem or Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones.

I'd wait on Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn for now.

 

[Robert of Normandy]

I have a question: I have a Wii U, DS and GBA. Wii is broken right now, so no GameCube games.

Sacred Stones is a good place to start. It has a lot of the same features as Awakening(such as free roaming map, infinite grinding, branching promotions), and it's generally considered one of the easier games in the franchise, so that might be a good place to start. On the DS, if you're willing to import it(or go through other means) to get it, Heroes of Light and Shadow is quite good. It has a My Unit/Avatar feature, just like Awakening, as well as a casual mode(which removes permadeath), and easy grinding via the drill grounds.

Edit: I'd agree with Swamp, you'll definitely want to skip on Shadow Dragon and Radiant Dawn. RD has a lot of complicated mechanics, so it's not newbie friendly at all(plus, it's fairly expensive and rare right now). SD is controvertial among the fanbase, as it's a fairly bare-bones remake of the very first FE, and probably wouldn't leave much of a good impression of the series(though it does have a stellar translation). It's also quite challenging.

 

[APC99]

I'd recommend Fire Emblem or Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones.

I'd wait on Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn for now.

Sacred Stones is a good place to start. It has a lot of the same features as Awakening(such as free roaming map, infinite grinding, branching promotions), and it's generally considered one of the easier games in the franchise, so that might be a good place to start. On the DS, if you're willing to import it(or go through other means) to get it, Heroes of Light and Shadow is quite good. It has a My Unit/Avatar feature, just like Awakening, as well as a casual mode(which removes permadeath), and easy grinding via the drill grounds.

Edit: I'd agree with Swamp, you'll definitely want to skip on Shadow Dragon and Radiant Dawn. RD has a lot of complicated mechanics, so it's not newbie friendly at all(plus, it's fairly expensive and rare right now). SD is controvertial among the fanbase, as it's a fairly bare-bones remake of the very first FE, and probably wouldn't leave much of a good impression of the series(though it does have a stellar translation). It's also quite challenging.

So, Sacred Stones. Got it. I've been looking for Fire Emblem games to play, because, apparently, I'm ostracized by my friends for never playing a single Fire Emblem or Pokemon game.

Not kidding on the Pokemon one. Closest is my brother's obsession with the cards. I've been trying to get Red/Blue, but every time they boost up the prices when I get enough money.

 

[Robert of Normandy]

Anyway, since we're on FE, I thought I'd share this:

Spoiler

 

[D-idara]

I've been reading the whole thread, and I've noticed something that I only see in Smashboards, even with all the positive reception Sonic and Megaman had, seeing people write comments like "Third-Parties should all go last" makes me think that some people still don't understand how important these characters are to Nintendo...hell, right now Sonic's more important to Nintendo than Captain Falcon or Fox McCloud! I mean, third-parties shouldn't be treated like they don't belong in Smash, because THEY DO, Megaman's pretty much a Nintendo character and Sonic was Nintendo's rival back in the day.

On another note, I think I'll be losing the round if Smashville comes in just because there's a bunch of other franchise/third party choices that fit the stage very well and I'll feel forced to add them...also, I don't think 'Fit' points are being judged right, for example, in the Pilotwings round, the Sonic Unleashed "Tornado Defense" song took quite a few points off my scores for "not fitting". But the reasons of why it didn't fit were that it was a Sonic song, yet it went perfectly with the stage's design and aesthetics, fit points should be based on the song fitting the actual stage, not on game series

That's just my two cents, though~

 

[APC99]

I've been reading the whole thread, and I've noticed something that I only see in Smashboards, even with all the positive reception Sonic and Megaman had, seeing people write comments like "Third-Parties should all go last" makes me think that some people still don't understand how important these characters are to Nintendo...hell, right now Sonic's more important to Nintendo than Captain Falcon or Fox McCloud! I mean, third-parties shouldn't be treaten like they don't belong in Smash, because THEY DO.

On another note, I think I'll be losing the round if Smashville comes in just because there's a bunch of other franchise/third party choices that fit the stage very well and I'll feel forced to add them...also, I don't think 'Fit' points are being judged right, for example, in the Pilotwings round, the Sonic Unleashed "Tornado Defense" song took quite a few points off my scores for "not fitting". But the reasons of why it didn't fit were that it was a Sonic song, yet it went perfectly with the stage's design and aesthetics, fit points should be based on the song fitting the actual stage, not on game series

That's just my two cents, though~

I like your 2 cents, though. I want to do Dr. Wily's Castle SO badly, I've been preparing for that since June.

 

[Starbound]

About the Sacred Stones recruitment theme, Swamp...

If I were going to use one from Sacred Stones, it'd be "Powerful Foe" first.

That's the boss music vs Vigarde, Valter, Callech, Reiv and I think Selena.

I actually did have Powerful Foe on my list, but I had to cut it because I had 15+ songs I wanted to include.

don't do mario galaxy next as it will take me months to get a list of 8

 

[God Robert's Cousin]

Good job, Hotcakes! I'm proud of you! Except. You did one thing wrong. You did it horribly wrong...

I don't see "Fire Emblem (Melee)" on there anywhere! Why do we not have that version of "Together We Ride" instead?!

Other than that, it's definitely an excellent list and I agree completely with it winning over mine. 7/8th of it, at least.

Oh yeah, and this is yet again another round where I've ended up in 2nd place! I'm either developing a Luigi complex or I really should be proud of myself that I know I can consistently keep a high score in my music selection. Let it be known that I am the best* at selecting music for Smash Bros.! Haha!

*On average.

 

[KingofPhantoms]

I'm coming for you, Hotcakes.....

 

[Starphoenix]

Sorry, but I just had to make this joke:

Blame Awakening for having a lackluster soundtrack.

The problem is many of the cinematic songs do not suit Arena Ferox, which is why I came down so hard on "Don't Speak Her Name". Yes, it is a popular track, if not the most popular; but at the end of the day I am trying to think of what best fits the stage being covered, and the song simply does not fit. Everyone who used that tracked earned a point in the "importance" category, but it was at the expense of a point in the "fit" category.

 

[KingofPhantoms]

Almost forgot-

Congratulations to Star for being a new judge here!

And congratulations to Captain Hotcakes for winning this round.

 

[God Robert's Cousin]

Anyway, since we're on FE, I thought I'd share this:

By the way, shinpichu.

[12/1/2013 7:52:51 PM] shinpichu: Also your Arena Ferox list sucks

 

[Robert of Normandy]

[12/1/2013 7:52:51 PM] shinpichu: Also your Arena Ferox list sucks

Well it does

 

[Sarki Soliloquy]

Wow, thank you everyone! You've all done well. Also, welcome to the judge's seat, Starphoenix!

As for Fire Emblem games to start with, Sacred Stones or Awakening. Both have unlimited grinding, free world map progression, and, Awakening in particular, has some of the best replay value and content value in the 3DS library. Although, I may be a bit biased since I've opened up to the series with Awakening and I would like to play more of the previous installments in the future.

What can I say? I'm proud of my list choices and that all the songs came together to fit the Fire Emblem series for the better. Now I'm a 2 time Soundtrack Contest champ. Only rivaled by that of God Robert's Cousin! We'll see who's the big shot now. And the judges notes seem to indicate that I knocked shinpichu out of the top score by a close margin! And he's feeling it!

But in all seriousness, you all did well and I humbly take my victory.

I was absent from a lot of the rounds I was looking forward to, especially Pilotwings. But my confidence has been reaffirmed. I was about to say, I'm sure there are some disappointed people here. But you know something? You know something? If you had told us two rounds ago that I was going to come 1st place in Arena Ferox, I would've gave anything for that. Not only am I going to Arena Ferox, but I'm going to Wily's Castle! And Boxing Ring! And Windy Hill Zone! And Nintendogs! And Mario Galaxy! And Find Mii! And New Smashville! And Gerudo Valley! And Garden of Hope! And then we go to that ambiguous Donkey Kong Country Returns stage that no one's talking about! And then we go to Tokyo, Japan and take back the Executive Producer's chair from Masahiro Sakurai!

AAAAHHHHH!

 

[Ascended]

So, any tips on how to win a round other than copy off someone else's list? At least I managed to break my streak of fifth place by getting sixth this time!

 

[Swamp Sensei]

So, any tips on how to win a round other than copy off someone else's list? At least I managed to break my streak of fifth place by getting sixth this time!

You could talk to Groose or Venus.

They're no longer judges but they know what's up.

 

[Forcerounds]

Congrats on the win and nice victory speech, Captain Hotcakes!

I'll try to up my game next time for New Smashville and Mario Galaxy. Those are going to be some interesting rounds. One working with the expansive peaceful soundtrack of the two console games. The other having way more than 8 great songs between the two platforming masterpieces.

 

[Sarki Soliloquy]

My best advice is to prep yourself on the musical score of various games in the franchise that the stage in your round is from (depending on its size). Scroll through YouTube and listen to some tracks and see if they fit well with the stage and scoring criteria. Bonus points if you've played any of the games before and you already have some notable tunes in mind!

Pro Tips:

1: If a lot of people are posting or discussing a particular song, it's a sign of notability. Even if it means editing your list. Just don't become reliant!
2: Pay attention to which stages people are demanding before the next round so you have time to listen to the music in advance.
3: Certain tracks may be essential to a series (e.g. a main theme) and can warrant less points if excluded in most instances.

 

[FalKoopa]

So I tied for the 2nd place. Yay! Now to aim for the top!

 

[Robert of Normandy]

Emblem series for the better. Now I'm a 2 time Soundtrack Contest champ. Only rivaled by that of God Robert's Cousin! We'll see who's the big shot now. And the judges notes seem to indicate that I knocked shinpichu out of the top score by a close margin! And he's feeling it!

Spoiler

Spoiler

You'll get what's coming to you....

 

[APC99]

If I may ask, what exactly did you guys dislike on my track?

 

[God Robert's Cousin]

What can I say? I'm proud of my list choices and that all the songs came together to fit the Fire Emblem series for the better. Now I'm a 2 time Soundtrack Contest champ. Only rivaled by that of God Robert's Cousin! We'll see who's the big shot now.

Don't get too excited, budd! Realize that I gave AEM some direct collaborative help during the Wii Fit Gym round that he won, meaning my victories tally at 2 and a half times. I've also always landed at third place or higher every single round I've entered, with a solid 2nd place average. You gotta catch up more if you want to be my musical rival.

 

[Niko Mar]

So, Sacred Stones. Got it. I've been looking for Fire Emblem games to play, because, apparently, I'm ostracized by my friends for never playing a single Fire Emblem or Pokemon game.

Not kidding on the Pokemon one. Closest is my brother's obsession with the cards. I've been trying to get Red/Blue, but every time they boost up the prices when I get enough money.

I would definitely recommend playing FE7 (just called Fire Emblem here) too. Personally I think it's better than Sacred Stones, but mainly because the story and characters are amazing.

 

[Sarki Soliloquy]

Ah, best be careful about getting others a helping hand; it could benefit them more after all. I guess I'm going to have to employ some... neopotism.

So tell me...

 

[God Robert's Cousin]

I dunno.

I like to think I'm a chaotic neutral that just can't be bothered with bad shenanigans.

 

[Jumpman84]

Notes: Is Smash the only exposure you've had to FE?

I don't know why would you think that "Don't speak her name!" would be unfit for a fight. It sounds intense enough for a fight, while keeping on a sad, yet hopeful tone. An incredible composition, if I do say so myself...

Yes, I admit it! I have never played a Fire Emblem game (though I own Sacred Stones thanks to my ambassadorship, plus Path of Radiance in my game closet)! And I was wrong about it not being a good song!

And once again, no victory. I am a terrible person... (hangs head in shame)

(I think I have posted this once a round since I've found it. It's just too darn fitting! )

I still did pretty good, though. I only lost to shinpichu by one point! His track suggestion was good luck, after all! Thanks, man!

I've been reading the whole thread, and I've noticed something that I only see in Smashboards, even with all the positive reception Sonic and Megaman had, seeing people write comments like "Third-Parties should all go last" makes me think that some people still don't understand how important these characters are to Nintendo...hell, right now Sonic's more important to Nintendo than Captain Falcon or Fox McCloud! I mean, third-parties shouldn't be treated like they don't belong in Smash, because THEY DO, Megaman's pretty much a Nintendo character and Sonic was Nintendo's rival back in the day.

Um, I never said I didn't want third parties in Smash. I love Snake, Sonic, and Mega Man in Smash, plus I feel Pac-Man should join the lineup. I was saying they should be saved for the end because of that old saying "Save the best for last..."

On another note, I think I'll be losing the round if Smashville comes in just because there's a bunch of other franchise/third party choices that fit the stage very well and I'll feel forced to add them...also, I don't think 'Fit' points are being judged right, for example, in the Pilotwings round, the Sonic Unleashed "Tornado Defense" song took quite a few points off my scores for "not fitting". But the reasons of why it didn't fit were that it was a Sonic song, yet it went perfectly with the stage's design and aesthetics, fit points should be based on the song fitting the actual stage, not on game series

That's just my two cents, though~

But that's precisely the reason why it doesn't fit. Third party music tracks have never shown up on stages other than third party stages. Of course Sonic songs deserve to have a chance to shine, but we have Windy Hill for that.

Trust me, I know how you feel. I walked a very fine line by putting a Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games track on my Wii Fit Gym list and got lucky. But in the end, there are plenty of Nintendo songs that would fit on Pilotwings that dipping into Sonic is unnecessary.

Well, now to get my body ready for next round.... Smashville! YAY!

 

[Swamp Sensei]

I've been reading the whole thread, and I've noticed something that I only see in Smashboards, even with all the positive reception Sonic and Megaman had, seeing people write comments like "Third-Parties should all go last" makes me think that some people still don't understand how important these characters are to Nintendo...hell, right now Sonic's more important to Nintendo than Captain Falcon or Fox McCloud! I mean, third-parties shouldn't be treated like they don't belong in Smash, because THEY DO, Megaman's pretty much a Nintendo character and Sonic was Nintendo's rival back in the day.

I'm pretty sure they just want a big finale type thing!

And Megaman and Sonic may end up getting that treatment.

On another note, I think I'll be losing the round if Smashville comes in just because there's a bunch of other franchise/third party choices that fit the stage very well and I'll feel forced to add them...also, I don't think 'Fit' points are being judged right, for example, in the Pilotwings round, the Sonic Unleashed "Tornado Defense" song took quite a few points off my scores for "not fitting". But the reasons of why it didn't fit were that it was a Sonic song, yet it went perfectly with the stage's design and aesthetics, fit points should be based on the song fitting the actual stage, not on game series

But the game / series the stage is based on is part of the actual stage. It influences the stage design and aesthetics more than anything!

I mean imagine if the Bowser's Castle Music played on Pyrosphere.

The idea of Mario music on a Metroid stage is laughable, even if the theme works with the design and aesthetics, both being fiery indoor places where bosses are fought.

It's true that certain stages that don't have a lot to pull from like Pilotwings and The Gym but when Sakurai was faced with those kinds of problems, he gave smaller series chances. Series that couldn't establish themselves otherwise. Nintendo series that were often lucky to get a track. He didn't borrow from Mario, DK, Zelda, etc.

I'm a bit tired so I'm not explaining this as clearly as possible... Does this make sense?

 

[Jumpman84]

But the game / series the stage is based on is part of the actual stage. It influences the stage design and aesthetics more than anything!

I mean imagine if the Bowser's Castle Music played on Pyrosphere.

Or Baby Park, amirite?

 

[StupendousMike]

So, any tips on how to win a round other than copy off someone else's list? At least I managed to break my streak of fifth place by getting sixth this time!

Prep your list beforehand. I've only played one round (Skyloft) but feel fully prepared for Windy Hill, Wily's Castle and Mario Galaxy.