F03 Noumenon/The Ken Song/Zelda Hyrule's Angel/R U A Game Junkie

Match F03 - Vote now!

Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: 002 - Relics of the Chozo - Noumenon
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: 018 - OCRemix - The Ken Song
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: 127 - OCRemix - Zelda Hyrule's Angel
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: 232 R U A Game Junkie

: 002 - Relics of the Chozo - Noumenon
: 018 - OCRemix - The Ken Song
: 127 - OCRemix - Zelda Hyrule's Angel
: 232 R U A Game Junkie

After a minute or so into R U A Game Junkie, I was totally waiting for the piano to drop, and there it is at 2:53. That made me crack a smile. Lots of this just sounds... bad.

Not a big fan of the vocals in Hyrule's Angel, and the accompaniment during the vocals is just straightforward guitar Zelda stuff. Song gets a little bit better in the second half after the source tune switches. I really like the low health sound that comes in at 5:53.

The Ken Song was an instant classic when it was posted on OCR. My opinion on it has softened over time, but it's still a nice, solid work. Vocals and guitar are both bueno.

Shame then that it has to go up against my favorite track from Relics of the Chozo, Noumenon. The fondness comes completely from my consideration of the source tune as the greatest Metroid thing ever anywhere. Sequencing could be more realistic, arrangement could be less repetitive, etc. I'm well aware of the mix's faults, but I've been in love with the melody and atmosphere since the first time I heard it.

Relics of the Chozo - Noumenon
I've always liked creepy piano, so I could hear it over the strings instead of vice versa. Very nice shot at atmospherical suspense without being overly dramatic.

OCRemix - The Ken Song
At first I thought it was another guitar remix of the stage. The vocals make it sounds far too mainstream for my liking.

OCRemix - Zelda Hyrule's Angel
Definitely an acquired taste and a legendary rock band take on Zelda. Also sounds mainstream and it would almost work for me. However, I'm not a fan of vocal rock since the male singers tend to sound as though they're trying too hard to sound epic while rocking.

R U A Game Junkie
This would almost pass off as a nonstop DDR song mix. No thanks.

002 - Relics of the Chozo - Noumenon
Good ambience. The end reminds me of some mystery series.

018 - OCRemix - The Ken Song
Ok track, got the original melody well-concealed.

127 - OCRemix - Zelda Hyrule's Angel
A bit better and more complex than the former.

232 R U A Game Junkie
ha, I liked this one. I suppose the "bad sounding" part is intentional, because this arrangement has a slightly humourous tone.

002 Noumenon
Noumenon! Noumenon! Give us some food to chew-men-on! [/neverhood] A very nice, very moody, very ambient, very piano song. Why can't the original Metroid music be this good?

018 The Ken Song
Never a big Street Fighter fan (or player). This is just run-of-the mill rock, nothing to write home about.

127 Zelda Hyrule's Angel
The guitar's nice, but man, those vocals...I laughed. He's trying, but it's not sticking.

232 R U A Game Junkie
I M. Some very nice synthy game theme mixes here, with a few tooth-grindingly bad parts mixed in. A long slog no matter what.

Noumenon, definitely.

Voting after the poll close: 002 Noumenon

Too bad; would normally give it to The Ken Song, which is a great as well. Very polished pop rock piece.

"Noumenon" is, and always has been, one of my favourite game music arrangements ever. And it probably will always be.

R.I.P. Chris "Avien" Powell