OST vs OST: Round 1, Week 7

[superaielman]

Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Bearer of Hope: So, I was replaying Radiant Dawn, and as I was playing, I was actually stunned by the quality of the soundtrack. This song in particular is simply epic. The lines have been breached, the enemy is upon you in overwhelming numbers, and their reinforcements don't stop coming. It's a very orchestral song, which goes along very well with the atmosphere of a final stand to push away the enemy. It's almost fitting that this song only plays a couple of times, since there are only a couple of battles epic enough to warrant this tune.
Comfort's Call: On the other end of the spectrum, this song is incredibly soothing; almost eerily so. Putting it in context, it's a really unique vibe of disconcerting serenity that I haven't really had the pleasure to experience in other games. You really can't explain it without spoiling it, which I will hold back on doing so, but it sets up the ambiance of the moment beautifully.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZMhTVV3amQ Bearer of Hope
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLzQYabEUkc Comfort's call

vs

Muramasa the Demon Blade
Powerful Looking: Muramasa has a bunch of really good Japanese violin music. I really love the beginning of the song and it makes the boss fight against Torahime and her awesome horse really epic.
Desires Connected to Enlightenment A Version: This is the song for the temple areas when their aren't any enemies around. I love how it slowly builds up from the creepy chanting at the beginning. Some more awesome violin stuff in this one as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4FfXqXsvdA Powerful Looking
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2Tvj2347VA Desires Connected to Enlightenment A Version
--

Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
The Tokyo Conception: The SMT series has always had great music.  For those of you not familiar with Nocturne, this song plays during the end of the world.  It's short, but it really fits the end of the world.  It has 3 movements that really fit the mood of death and rebirth, which is what the game is about.  The first movement of the song is all about contentment, the final passing of the world.  The second movement signifies the beginning of the world's recreation.  And the third and final movement signifies the bold, new world that's been formed.  Raw.  Emotional.  The song exemplifies death and rebirth perfectly.
The Final Battle: Haven't put many battle themes on here, but this one is worthy of it here.  I was tempted to put the Dante Battle here, but I like the melancholy, somewhat hopeless feeling of this battle theme.  It's pretty fitting for fighting Lucifer.  It sounds epic, but in a lonely, hopeless way, and based on the storyline, it fits perfectly.  You get the feeling you're fighting in a vast, endless void, which...you are!  It fits the scene amazingly well.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r1SKWfyGbc The Tokyo Conception
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8shfZfbii4 Final Battle

vs

Ace Combat Zero
Zero: The fate of the world lies in your hands, but that isn't what you're fighting about.  This is a personal fight that has the future of the world as a background for you.  For your opponent that is what he's fighting for, but not you, you're here for him.
Mayhem: Has a cowbell.  Nothing more needs to be said.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qOWv54HzYc&hd=1 Zero
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW6oT4Tc8bA&fmt=18 Mayhem
---

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness- Toccata into blood soaked darkness and Garibaldi Temple. No, I haven't played the game and I don't give a damn. The OST is fantastic from top to bottom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8EfxAhz8-o Toccata into blood soaked darkness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VD7jiErMKQ&feature=related Garibaldi Temple

vs

Chrono Cross- Chrono Cross is known for too many PC's, weird bodyswitching antics, and excellent music.  The tracks selected are both low key, but definitely are a lot of fun to listen to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRCtS2oYsNU Frozen Flame
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-nHIY-ahn8 Prisoners of Fate

---

Bastion
Bastion is a melancholic game, yet it has very colorful graphics, simple easy to pick up gameplay, no text, and no voice acting. It achieves this feat purely thanks to its sound; with the narrator's permanent commentary and the more subdued haunting soundtrack.

Build that wall: You start hearing this song in the Prosper Bluff level, and I believe it's the first vocal track in the game. Your reward for finishing the level is meeting the character who's singing.
The Mancer's Dilemna: Honestly, picking only two tracks is difficult, I'm putting one of my favourites here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8cELTdtw6U&feature=related Build that wall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HHqdLrTBwQ&feature=related The Mancer's dilemma

vs

Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Long Lost Ocean
Survival from the Force: This is the final dungeon theme to the game.  Say what you will about Sakuraba's compositions, but this soundtrack he did a spectacular job of making amazing quality music with deep, varied instrumentation and great mood setting.  The song builds up - it starts a bit chaotic, which isn't abnormal when you're staring at an entire floating continent that came out of nowhere.  Then it becomes more coherent, the melody and main drive of the song come in to play.  Then, right around the 1 minute mark, you hit the main driving force of the song, the "determination" section.  It is designed to force you into the rest of the song, which follows a similar beat with different variations throughout the rest of the 3 minute tenure of the piece.  It is an excellent dungeon song, pushing the player into exploration and combat within the dungeon, and driving home the importance of the storyline to this point - you're there, it's new, but you've come so far that you have to find the drive to keep on going to the end.
Soul Poetry (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyXIN_A8vOQ): Picking the second song was hard.  And this is a particularly odd choice I think, in that most people won't ever hear it.  But it further exemplifies the amazing variety in the soundtrack.  This song plays when you, uh, Game Over and die (prooooobably either in the airship or at Malpercio's second form >_>).  Just listen to it and close your eyes - it's haunting, which is quite fitting for both the game and for the purpose of the song.  The piano is deliberate, backed up by a ghostly vocal and harpsichord and percussion that just...get to you.  It is amazingly fitting, and amazingly calming, sort of an elegy for the dead, which is perfect.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQw7xD7C2fY Survival from the Force
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyXIN_A8vOQ Soul Poetry

FE10 vs Muramasa
SMT:N vs Ace Combat: Zero
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness vs Chrono Cross
Bastion vs Baten Kaitos

[Fudozukushi]

The Ace Combat Zero songs aren't listed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qOWv54HzYc&hd=1 Zero
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW6oT4Tc8bA&fmt=18 Mayhem

FE10 vs Muramasa
SMT:N vs Ace Combat: Zero
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness vs Chrono Cross
Bastion vs Baten Kaitos

Others after sleep.

EDIT: Sleep is overrated.  Castlevania gets the first vote add.  Also sleep isn't overrated.  ZZZZZZ.
EDIT2: Vote put in for Bastion.

[dude789]

FE10 vs Muramasa I felt that FE10's soundtrack was weaker than FE9's and I like Muramasa's more than FE9's. FE10 has some good stuff, (I love Bearor of Hope and Sorrowing Prince Pelleas.), but Muramasa really nails the style they were going for. 
SMT:N vs Ace Combat: Zero: Really good match but SMT:N's battle themes are just too good.
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness vs Chrono Cross With the exception of Baten Kaitos, this is a stacked pool.
Bastion vs Baten Kaitos: Every decent Baten Kaitos track has 2 really bad tracks to counteract it. Bastion's soundtrack is simple and effective.

Edit:
Some more Muramasa stuff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1xyVzD3QS0&feature=bf_next&list=PL992B627305342FA8&lf=plcpMuramasa uses so many instruments, but uses them each so delicately that you never feel overwhelmed by it unless the game want's you to be. Great atmosphere music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg8w1PBRrQ0&feature=bf_next&list=PL992B627305342FA8&lf=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2Xo5qUJ5n8&feature=bf_next&list=PL992B627305342FA8&lf=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TX8AzZUhw4&feature=bf_next&list=PL992B627305342FA8&lf=plcp However, when it wants to, Muramasa can go for the overwhelming route. So much going on in this track and it's used perfectly in game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3NXJJli2oA&feature=bf_next&list=PL992B627305342FA8&lf=plcp Another great boss track. It really brings out how you are literally fighting forces of nature. I really love the part of the song that starts at 1:25.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc8s5Pb-zE0&feature=bf_next&list=PL992B627305342FA8&lf=plcp

[superaielman]

Thanks Fudo, will edit that in.

FE10 vs Muramasa
SMT:N vs Ace Combat: Zero- SMT music in general is really excellent. Ending theme is another standout.
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness vs Chrono Cross- CC's OST is good. What holds it back from greatness is the utter pile of shit that is Gale. That *really* hurts considering how often the theme plays.
Bastion vs Baten Kaitos- I'm surprisingly underwhelmed by Bastion's OST.

[Niu]

Muramasa - Overkill
Ace Combat: Zero - Over Overkill
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness vs Chrono Cross - Abstain. This one is too close for me. CC felt more consistent in general and had more tracks of my taste. On the other hand, despite CoD had less tracks in my favor, what stand out to me really stand out.
Oh,  and you can't discuss CoD music without mentioning this.

Mortiva Aqueduct -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3U8tkRi7M8

Bastion - Bastion finally clicked.

[Fenrir]

Some other Bastion tracks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX_XfgBsuEY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jU9EFTMhbY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQWAcgefsQQ&feature=related

[superaielman]

I also like Insane Aristocracy a ton from CoD as well.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAPr9AAKVlY That game did music *right*.

[Lance]

Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn vs Muramasa: The Demon Blade
My comments for FE9 apply to FE10 as well: though I adore the game, the music never really stuck with me. On the other hand, Muramasa is good stuff. I'm particularly fond of Turbulence.

Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne vs Ace Combat: Zero
Closest match here, I think. While I do enjoy the music from the Ace Combat games, Nocturne just has too many great battle themes that get stuck in my head.

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness vs Chrono Cross
"Castlevania music" is usually good enough to win, but I'll stick with the old favorite here. The Chrono Cross OST does have a few missteps here and there, but the rest of the soundtrack is good enough to make up for them.

Bastion vs Baten Kaitos
Aw, sonofabitch. I love the Bastion soundtrack, but Baten Kaitos is one of my favorites. Really sucks that one of them is losing in the first round.

[OblivionKnight]

I might add more comments later, as I have a lot I want to say.

FE10 vs Muramasa - Literal coin-flip.  Both are very good fits for the game.  FE10 is by far the strongest of the series, and I know it better, so tie break with that, I suppose.

SMT:N vs Ace Combat: Zero - Huh.  Ok, another one I am very surprised with.  Ace Combat Zero has some really solid music that really fits the "flight" aspect of the game.  Now, a lot of those songs are awesome, but they are very similar.  They all seem to build off the same general theme - not bad, but makes them feel a bit repetitive and more "background noisy".  Still, quite close. 

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness vs Chrono Cross - I'll echo Niu here.  CoD felt a bit weird with the music compared to other titles, though still good.  I actually think Gale's decent, though not spectacular.  CC is good and I do love a lot of the random tracks.  Great variety, overall great quality of every song.

Bastion vs Baten Kaitos - Huh, shit, Bastion's got a pretty awesome soundtrack.  Pretty fitting for the game too.  Well, a lot closer than I thought.  Nom solidarity for one, but...I think I'll go with variety in the fit here.  I like the sheer spectrum of the BK soundtrack, whereas Bastion seems to fit in a general line of genre.  I'll be sad if BK loses, but Bastion's at least a decent contender. 

[Fenrir]

FE10 vs Muramasa: Might vote later but probably not.

SMT:N vs Ace Combat: Zero: Yep good fight. I'd have voted for Ace Combat a few years ago, but I've grown to appreciate Nocturne's soundtrack more and more. (especially the battle themes)
Dante's:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZTNjzXCtII

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness vs Chrono Cross: Daaaaaaamn!
CoD is classic Castlevania... I think I prefer Lament of Innocence's OST a bit more though.
CC is like the only OST I've ever bought for good reason. I'll admit it has a lot of stinkers though, Gale is not the worst track by a long shot:
http://www.youtube.com/user/PeyserConley#p/c/E9BC9AD85F99F8CB/11/nRugw4mQnh4
http://www.youtube.com/user/PeyserConley#p/c/E9BC9AD85F99F8CB/29/LJHzwwux1TM
UGH.

Bastion vs Baten Kaitos: BK is proably the best classic Sakuraba OST but I'm not a fan of classic Sakuraba. P

[SnowFire]

FE10 vs Muramasa
Murasama seems pretty cool.  Bearer of Hope is pretty good, having just been in a (the?) battle that used that piece, but eh.  Not sure the rest of FE10's soundtrack holds up its end of the bargain.

SMT:N vs Ace Combat: Zero
Eh.  Ace Combat didn't really do it for me at all, while Nocturne has got some interesting tracks.

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness vs Chrono Cross
Curse of Darkness is pretty great, yes.  That said it's up against one of the all-time greats.  My only complaint about CC's soundtrack is really that there's too much islandy relaxing stuff, but whatever.
Also, why hasn't Dream of the Shore of Another World been linked yet?  It was in the top 4 of the original music tourney, I think.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROKcr2OTgws

Bastion vs Baten Kaitos

Huh, shit, Bastion's got a pretty awesome soundtrack.  Pretty fitting for the game too.  Well, a lot closer than I thought.

The bottom 4 kind of ruthlessly crush the top 4.
Chrono Cross
Curse of Darkness ~ Baten Katios and the Lost Ocean ~ Bastion?
Muramasa?
Nocturne ~ Fire Emblem 10
Ace Combat: Zero?

[Talaysen]

FE10 vs Muramasa
SMT:N vs Ace Combat: Zero
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness vs Chrono Cross
Bastion vs Baten Kaitos

[DjinnAndTonic]

Agree almost entirely with Snowfire's assessment for this one. Almost.
I think Bastion beats out Baten Kaitos pretty handily. Though it's definitely one of the closer matches.

FE10 vs Muramasa
SMT:N vs Ace Combat: Zero
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness vs Chrono Cross
Bastion vs Baten Kaitos

[superaielman]

Updating tomorrow.

[Sierra]

FE10 vs Muramasa
SMT:N vs Ace Combat: Zero: Surprisingly rocking.
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness vs Chrono Cross: Much like the game's cast, CC's OST has a lot of chaff. The standout songs are killer, though.
Bastion vs Baten Kaitos

[Fudozukushi]

Pointless to add so late, but hey, any excuse to list music.

More Ace Combat Zero tracks.

Glacial Skies: Music for the first level.  A nice build-up that leads into the more exciting parts just as you begin your combat against the enemy.
Contact: A regular scouting mission goes awry when an enemy Ace Squadron joins the fray with this music blaring.  Just another day in the war!
Flicker of Hope: Plays during the liberation of an occupied town that will allow ground forces an attack route to the occupied capital.  Your objective here is to support the paratroopers as they jump by shooting down AA guns SAM batteries and other planes.
Diapason: A remix of Flicker of Hope as this time you are liberating the capital.  As the music plays you soar above the skies wiping out air support, while the forces attacking from the land route you secured take back the city with the help of the civilian population rising up against their oppressors and taking control of AA weapons.
The Round Table: The second half of Mayhem(sorta).  Your allies are losing, the superior enemy pilots have wiped out 80% of your allied forces.  And then you dive into the fireworks as Mayhem plays and the entire tide of the battle changes.  The Round Table begins playgin when the enemies Ace Squadron reinforcements come into play.  But it is not enough to stop you.
The Demon of the Round Table: You're on your way to the most important mission in the war, stopping the new superweapon for being used.  On your way you pass over one of the major causes of the whole war.  And for the third time an enemy Ace Squadron attacks you over the Round Table.  But the third time is not the charm.  Outnumbering you 4 to 1 won't help them.  This is their only chance of stopping you and the enemy sends their best and it is not enough.  You are the Demon Lord of the Round Table, and nothing can get in your way!

[superaielman]

Muramasa 7, FE10 1
SMT:N: 7, Ace Combat Zero 4
CC 8, Castlevania CoD 2
Bastion 7, BK 4