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SNES vs Genesis Sound

dogen said:
Try elemental master and dragon's fury.
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Dragoon En Regalia said:
Definitely give Landstalker a shot. Great music by Motoaki Takenouchi, but the game itself's lacking in rivals even now.
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Thank you guys, these are exactly the kind of recommendations I was looking for. Landstalker specifically is a great one because I've been looking for this game for some time but couldn't remember the name.

EleventhHourSuperpower said:
Since you didn't mention it, just in case I've got to throw out Castlevania: Bloodlines, the GOAT. An underrated early title is Revenge of Shinobi.
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Oh yes, I've been neglecting Bloodlines for some time because I couldn't come up with a setup that did the sound in the game justice, but now I have it.

As for Shinobi, what are other games in the series worth playing? (aside from III). I remember trying the original arcade game but it wasn't too hot. I've been trying to find a copy of the 3DS reboot too, as I've heard it's decent.

Anyways I'll bump my post once, I hope you don't mind:

Opa-Pa said:
Hey guys recently I've been looking up cool Genesis games I've missed because I've barely playing any and discovering how cool its chip is made me really excited to try some less popular stuff that has good music.

I'm kinda weird and I can't really enjoy games music properly unless I've played the games myself, so could you recommend me good Genesis games with remarkable music? Brief descriptions for them would be appreciated too. No Sonics and Streets of Rage obviously, but less popular but not necessarily obscure stuff like Ristar would be neat (obscure games are fine too).

For reference, I already own nearly every 3D Sega Classic on 3DS, so those games and their series are already on my radar.
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As for Shinobi, what are other games in the series worth playing? (aside from III). I remember trying the original arcade game but it wasn't too hot.
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I don't know about shadow dancer(aka shinobi 2), but revenge of shinobi is great. Some of the best music on the system too.
 
Been playing some sonic jam on my Saturn and damn the music in Sonic 1-3 sound far weaker than on my Mega Drive 1 console. There's no comparison.
 
I grew up with a Genesis (well, a Mega Drive, since I'm from Sweden) which probably completely formed my opinion on this, but I always loved the almost janky sound.

A soundtrack that often pops up in my head is the first Road Rash. There's just something about it.
 
Beerman462 said:
You can't be serious
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UncleSporky said:
Here, I'll get the other one out of the way.

I love this freakin' song so much
on the console where it actually sounds good
.
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I know I'm late to the party, but I just want to say...

Rock and Roll Racing sounds better on SNES, but Cool Spot sounds better on the Genesis.

Both systems do sound pretty well, it's just the combination of HOW instruments sound through them and how the musical developers utilize their shortcomings (yeah, I mean it's all midi at the end of they day, to put it in layman's terms) that makes a soundtrack stand out.

Some games really hit that nasty, ear-exploding point (which I call banging a pipe against a steel beam) with the Genesis, totally disrespecting what the sound chip can do - and some games just underappreciate what the chipset can do in the SNES and seemingly just get lazy.

It doesn't really matter which system "did what the other couldn't." It matters how well the musicians could work with what they had.
 
Jinketsu said:
I know I'm late to the party, but I just want to say...

Rock and Roll Racing sounds better on SNES, but Cool Spot sounds better on the Genesis.
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I feel like the audio for the Genesis port of Rock and Roll Racing was heavily botched in general. Not just in its compositions, but also the game could not play voice samples and music at the same time. Whenever the announcer cut in to say something the music audio would stop dead. https://youtu.be/j66aTmeV-w4?t=80

I honestly think that they could have spent more time working this out.

The only upside to the Genesis soundtrack is that it includes an synth version of Radar Love: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TKbT3vorw4

Which is not in the SNES game.
 
Sciz said:
You're doing God's work, Gecko.
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Yeah I went through the entire channel. I think I actually might enjoy the Genesis overall sound more now. I've been playing Phantasy Star 4 for the first time as well and that certainly helps too, that game sounds absolutely fantastic.
 
There's no denying the genesis has a metallic sound to it, sometimes to its success or its detriment.

Personally I prefer the SNES sound, and yet, Genesis might have a lot more character in its uniqueness.

But for a lot of lesser games, the robot farts are real.
 
^Great job as always Gecko.

So I beat Castlevania: Bloodlines at last and it was great, one of my favorites in the series for sure. I feel silly for neglecting it for so long, but it's cool because I feel like I wouldn't have appreciated the music otherwise.

Favorite tracks are the opening stage's (obviously), and this gem. Having Simon's theme play on my way to Dracula was neat, too.

Now I want to replay Portrait of Ruin again since I'm a fan of Koshiro now and I'm sure I knew that song and others in Bloodlines from that game.

This reminded me of how much I like the Dracula X soundtrack on the SNES and how I prefer it to the original despite the game being a poor adaptation of Rondo.

Bloodlines

Opus 13

So good.

Oh and I found these Genesis chip covers of Sonic CD's JPN/EUR soundtrack and they're pretty awesome, I think I even prefer some of these, and I adore the originals:

Palmtree Panic

Stardust Speedway (Bad Future)
 
lazygecko said:
Eternal Champions - Midknight (YM2612 Rearranged)

Original music is so damn sparse on the sound design (and this despite being one of the very few western games to actually use all 10 channels), but there's some interesting tunes beneath all that. I was really taken aback by just how complex Midknight's theme is time signtature-wise.
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Holy crap that is absolutely amazing. I love FM synths so much.
 
lazygecko said:
Eternal Champions - Midknight (YM2612 Rearranged)

Original music is so damn sparse on the sound design (and this despite being one of the very few western games to actually use all 10 channels), but there's some interesting tunes beneath all that. I was really taken aback by just how complex Midknight's theme is time signtature-wise.
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This sounds really nice!!!

EPSYLON EAGLE said:
Golden Axe III - Cursed City ost is pure awesomeness!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alu7cb43mpo&index=17&list=PL8AE17278410D859D
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That's one of my fav songs in the whole game!
 
Sparkster is an interesting comparison. I am assuming they started with the SNES music and then just lazily ported it to Genesis. Comparison:

SNES vs Genesis

The Genesis version just gets really muddy and overpowered by the bass.

In contrast, the first stage of the original Rocket Knight Adventures is dope as hell, which was a Genesis game from the ground up.
 
when done right genesis' metally reverb sound was great. i have a few VST plugins based on the soundchip, can do a lot of crazy things when put through effects plugins. i can spend hours messing around with that stuff
 
Mental Atrophy said:
Sparkster is an interesting comparison. I am assuming they started with the SNES music and then just lazily ported it to Genesis. Comparison:

SNES vs Genesis

The Genesis version just gets really muddy and overpowered by the bass.

In contrast, the first stage of the original Rocket Knight Adventures is dope as hell, which was a Genesis game from the ground up.
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Played rocket knight adventures last week on my good speakers and the sound in that game is even better than what I remembered.

The soundtrack is phenomenal, but the sound effects are also pretty good.

Konami were mega drive wizards back in the day
 
Mental Atrophy said:
Sparkster is an interesting comparison. I am assuming they started with the SNES music and then just lazily ported it to Genesis. Comparison:

[URL="[/URL] vs [URL="[/URL]

The Genesis version just gets really muddy and overpowered by the bass.
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The bass is too loud, but otherwise the genesis sounds much better here.

The snes version sounds like a cheap copy.
 
dogen said:
The bass is too loud, but otherwise the genesis sounds much better here.

The snes version sounds like a cheap copy.
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It's not just that it's too loud. It's that everything is at the lower register, so it all blends together into this muddy bassy mess. The instrumentation of the SNES version is just a lot better, and is why I think the track was originally written for the SNES game, though this is only speculation. The music in the original game is heads and shoulders above its Genesis sequel.
 
Professor G's videos are badly processed with dynamic compression, which is probably sounds muddy to you. There's an insane amount of volume ducking going on whenever a peak occurs, which isn't representative of what it actually sounds like. This is really one of my biggest pet peeves with youtube VGM videos and how some channels just indiscriminately apply compression, EQ, stereo separation, reverb, etc. without even disclosing it.

Rocket Knight Adventures sounds richer because it uses the extra PSG channels and is expertly arranged around that which makes all the difference. Lord knows why Konami opted out of using that for most of their other Genesis soundtracks.
 
I think the soundtrack in Monster World IV was pretty good considering it was on the Sega Mega Drive.

Monster World IV - Arabesque court in dream
https://youtu.be/vFbvdGTCL-8

Monster World IV - Main Theme
https://youtu.be/VhMjuEh6jsE

Monster World IV - Heart of Ice grave
https://youtu.be/MHnvC5G14Yo

And just as an excuse I'll post tracks from Illusion of Time (Gaia) from SNES for "comparison".

Illusion of Time - Danger Abounds
https://youtu.be/znXnCiilanU

Illusion of Time - Itory Hidden Village
https://youtu.be/n4j78YtoQL4

Illusion of Time - Signs of the Past
https://youtu.be/R93Y17S2tiY

One of my favourite tracks:
Illusion of Time - In the Earth Womb
https://youtu.be/03-iQmba44k
 
Jinketsu said:
I know I'm late to the party, but I just want to say...

Rock and Roll Racing sounds better on SNES, but Cool Spot sounds better on the Genesis.

Both systems do sound pretty well, it's just the combination of HOW instruments sound through them and how the musical developers utilize their shortcomings (yeah, I mean it's all midi at the end of they day, to put it in layman's terms) that makes a soundtrack stand out.

Some games really hit that nasty, ear-exploding point (which I call banging a pipe against a steel beam) with the Genesis, totally disrespecting what the sound chip can do - and some games just underappreciate what the chipset can do in the SNES and seemingly just get lazy.

It doesn't really matter which system "did what the other couldn't." It matters how well the musicians could work with what they had.
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I don't know, i think it's also a matter of taste for the sound. In those two cases i always found Genesis to have a sound "which is less clean" than the SNES one. Yes the drums are stronger and i kinda understand why you could be nostalgic of that sound (I myself had a Genesis with Sonic 2 and i love that OST) but SNES is always more "natural" even if it can be weaker.

And i guess my ear prefer "natural" sound even if a little weak compared to "not clean" sound even if more upbeat.

I don't know if what i say can be understood since it's so abstract.
 
Celine said:
Perfect song to sleep.
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I want that track remastered or whatever the term is and have a woman sing it, or a violin play it, anything to bring out that melody. Even a rendition of it using a piano would work.

Edit: Piano playing background music, woman or violin singing/playing the melody.
 
lazygecko said:
Professor G's videos are badly processed with dynamic compression, which is probably sounds muddy to you. There's an insane amount of volume ducking going on whenever a peak occurs, which isn't representative of what it actually sounds like. This is really one of my biggest pet peeves with youtube VGM videos and how some channels just indiscriminately apply compression, EQ, stereo separation, reverb, etc. without even disclosing it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, yesterday I was listening to the vgm rip I have, and noticed it sounded much worse in that video. Even other videos sounded much better..

Rocket Knight Adventures sounds richer because it uses the extra PSG channels and is expertly arranged around that which makes all the difference. Lord knows why Konami opted out of using that for most of their other Genesis soundtracks.
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RKA makes good use of the hardware, but I just don't find the music especially memorable compared to the sequel lol.


leesmapman said:
Castlevania's Simon's Theme
SNES vs. Genesis


You decide!
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Classic case of shitty youtube rip lol.

SNES has a better variety of (mediocre sounding)instruments, but I really like the section at 2:58 with the wobbly bass in the genesis version. That parts just drips atmosphere... I don't like the drums so much in that version, the snare just sounds weak and kind of out of place.

Overall I think the SNES version takes it, but overall the music in Bloodlines takes it over Super CV IV in my book.
 
leesmapman said:
Castlevania's Simon's Theme
SNES vs. Genesis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bV4QnvauC4

You decide!
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Neither.

This one is king.

Ok, back to the actual question.

I actually like the arrangement of the Bloodlines version more than the SCIV arrangement, but the biggest issue that Bloodlines has is that the sound programming for the music isn't the best. It's a thing I have with all of the Konami genesis games, they have great music, but they don't use the YM2612 as well as they could.
 
bishopcruz said:
Neither.

This one is king.

Ok, back to the actual question.

I actually like the arrangement of the Bloodlines version more than the SCIV arrangement, but the biggest issue that Bloodlines has is that the sound programming for the music isn't the best. It's a thing I have with all of the Konami genesis games, they have great music, but they don't use the YM2612 as well as they could.
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Holy shit what an amazing rendition. YM2612 haters are blind (or deaf as the case may be).
Simon's Theme is easily one of my favorite video game tracks ever and I though love every version, I'll always have a soft spot for the SNES track.
 
EleventhHourSuperpower said:
The best SNES soundtrack imo was DKC3. It is amazing atmospheric and also proved that the SNES could do surprisingly crisp guitar sounds.

Rockface Rumble - Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (SNES) Music Extended

Nuts and Bolts - Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (SNES) Music Extended

Water World - Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (SNES) Music Extended
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Rare's music was always phenomenal on the SNES, considering they had folks like Robert Beanland and David Wise, but Eveline Fischer needs special mention considering how unique the vibes in DKC3 felt.

Also why so many Genesis links? There's more to Super Nintendo music than ActRaiser, FFVI, and DKC2!
 
Chacranajxy said:
CPS1, brah.

And that just sounds like a worse version of the original.
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Do you expect it to sound the same with less capable sound hardware?

It's just a cover.

It's the same idea as making an NES cover of a SNES game or something. The fact that it sounds different is the whole point.
 
sfried said:
Someone posted Sonic remixes on SNES hardware, and while some claim they vastly prefer the originals, there are one or two tracks that benefit from the enhanced instrumentation.
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It was a valiant effort, but bleh...

The issue with that Spring Yard Zone, is that it's very choppy, the notes just cut off all the time, and it doesn't flow like the Genesis one. I don't know if I'm explaining it right, but the samples just don't quite fit IMO.

At least it isn't as bad as Green Hill Zone, holy hell.
 
bishopcruz said:
It was a valiant effort, but bleh...

The issue with that Spring Yard Zone, is that it's very choppy, the notes just cut off all the time, and it doesn't flow like the Genesis one. I don't know if I'm explaining it right, but the samples just don't quite fit IMO.

At least it isn't as bad as Green Hill Zone, holy hell.
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I feel we need someone who is familiar with each of the limitations of each hardware has been doing arrangements for awhile to really do a good rearrangement of the tracks.

Check out otobeya and their rearrangements of various tunes on Genesis, GameBoy, NES, and even Master System hardware. I kinda feel people like them will do a better job than just slapping in a soundfont.

Edit: Thanks to reading this thread I've ended up discovering some pretty awesome tracks from overlooked 16-bit era titles, like this one.

Also the Mega DriveGenesis does it best when its not pushing hard for the twangy synth stuff, or when its used sparingly and in the right places. Just listen to Monster World IV and you'll know what I mean (The horn usage here is a very good example of trying to contrast the strings, while the strings are kept at higher pitches of the sing to prevent screeching).
 
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