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Which games have better music: Mario, or Sonic?
- Thread starter Phediuk
- Start date
There's nothing so memorable as music in mario games.One of the greatest accomplishments in these games.
Sonic is also really good with the 2D ones. Always like the casino ones. The 3D ones haven't been consistent.
One thing I hate in sonic games is the failed rock band themes. I don't know why they went for the edgy appeal.
Sonic is also really good with the 2D ones. Always like the casino ones. The 3D ones haven't been consistent.
One thing I hate in sonic games is the failed rock band themes. I don't know why they went for the edgy appeal.
Sonic, probably. Mario music has very high highs, but there's always a great deal of boring music, or music that's not especially memorable. With Sonic, you can usually count on the music being worth listening to outside of the game. Mario music often completely leaves my head when I'm not playing the level it plays in.
Even when it comes to bad music, I'll take the cheesy raps about pumpkins and emeralds over the forgettable NSMB background music. BTW Dark Brotherhood does not exist
Even when it comes to bad music, I'll take the cheesy raps about pumpkins and emeralds over the forgettable NSMB background music. BTW Dark Brotherhood does not exist
Fachasaurus
Member
This thread has raised my hype levels for the new Sonic games. Even though I know that's dangerous. But damn, I can listen to the music without playing the games and I can imagine playing a perfect Sonic game. It can take me to that place.
Sonic hands down has better music overall.
Sonic hands down has better music overall.
I have to say Mario though the question is difficult because there are generations of games.
Sonic 1's Main theme vs Super Mario World's Main theme? Maybe Mario because it'll randomly pop in my head more frequently than Sonic's theme.
Mario Galaxy soundtracks are masterpieces.
Ah Casino Night Zone.
Super Mario 3D World is amazing.
Aren't there more Mario games? Is that even fair to Sonic?
Sonic 1's Main theme vs Super Mario World's Main theme? Maybe Mario because it'll randomly pop in my head more frequently than Sonic's theme.
Mario Galaxy soundtracks are masterpieces.
Ah Casino Night Zone.
Super Mario 3D World is amazing.
Aren't there more Mario games? Is that even fair to Sonic?
And at what point do you think most would have even checked a Sonic trailer up until?
2k6 was literally the year where Sonic ceased to exist beyond memes for most people.
allenpergallon
Member
Let's stop kidding ourselves with this rhetoric.
This man gets it. Galaxy and Unleashed are musical tour de forces in their own respective rights and really nail that top shelf quality for what genres they cover.
Shame about how they used the Werehog battle theme though.
Dusk Golem
A 21st Century Rockefeller
At this point I'm convinced some voters here haven't listened to much music from the 3d Sonic games, and are just basing this off of the few (mostly) vocal songs they remember. As someone who's played every 3d Mario & Sonic game, those who are saying 3d Mario is far superior to 3d Sonic and ir's not even close, and worse those defining 3d Sonic as rap and lyric songs, just sound silly to me. It's far closer than I think some think.
I mean, different strokes and stuff. Maybe it's just not what I expect from a game OST.
Of course they don't, but "it's Sonic"
People is still stuck with the selective rock and rap stuffs from Adventure era, yet they remember clearly Galaxy or 3D World. Tells you much.
No idea. Because honestly it's really close. Both franchises have their fair share of Green Hill Zones, Gusty Gardens and The Yoshi Clans.
Whichever game has Gusty Garden Galaxy Theme written for it.
Bioshocker
Member
This. Sonic Mania sounds fantastic, though. Seems they're back on track.
And at what point do you think most would have even checked a Sonic trailer up until?
2k6 was literally the year where Sonic ceased to exist beyond memes for most people.
Yeah I shouldn't be shocked but reading people note how the musical direction has changed for the worse but overlook how great Unleashed was but I guess you're right, most people just attribute the quality of the Sonic games with every factor of the titles
I mean, different strokes and stuff. Maybe it's just not what I expect from a game OST.
Really? I wouldn't have expected that theme to get that reaction TBH, although do keep in mind it's a character theme (Rouge's).
This is one of her level themes, it follows the same jazz/bossa nova hybrid (?) motif. What do you think?-
http://youtu.be/UMsT9om7seE
I like City Escape and Pumpkin Hill but it makes me sad they became memes, only because there's some real gems in Sonic Adventure 2's soundtrack that nobody ever remembers.
I love Tee Lopes but what makes the music in Sonic Mania better than anything from Sonic Colours or Rush Adventure?
NotDreamcast
Member
Sonic. Those sassy, catchy, energetic tunes resonate with me more than Mario. Both are pretty magical though. I'm glad to be alive in an era where cozy music like World 3 and Empire City exist.
Ok let's not get crazy here lol
Prefer their FM synth from their 80s arcade games over almost anything else.
NES-era Mario was tops. I loathe using the word "iconic", but in this case it fits.
SMW was interesting with every track being based on the same tune, but it felt kind of overdone.
Mario music after that is sort of forgettable. Except for that awful NSMB tune that they lazily put into way too many games.
SMW was interesting with every track being based on the same tune, but it felt kind of overdone.
Mario music after that is sort of forgettable. Except for that awful NSMB tune that they lazily put into way too many games.
I always forget that the night levels of Sonic Unleashed actually have music besides that battle theme. Cool Edge is really cool
Although I don't really share the love of Unleashed's day soundtrack with everyone else, the chilled out night stuff is great.
I absolutely love the Day music too but Unleashed's Night tracks are just something else. Sooooo good.
I agree.
The soundtracks from games like the Streets of Rage series, Shinobi series, Out Run, NiGHTS, Space Harrier, After Burner and Super Hang-On put most of Nintendo's output to shame.
Confused Cheeseburger
Member
Is this a joke?
Mario.
Shoutout to 2D sonic music, but 3D sonic music is garbage. Mario been killing it, Kondo is a wizard.
Mario.
Shoutout to 2D sonic music, but 3D sonic music is garbage. Mario been killing it, Kondo is a wizard.
I realize it's an unnecessary comparison, but Gusty Garden Galaxy is being linked in this same page and going with the purpose of the thread, I would say this track is not as good. And I don't think it's bad at all, really.
BTW it's probably unfair but if Mario Kart counts, it further seals the deal for me, personally.
Dr. Black Jack
Member
As a whole? Mario.
Sonic 1-3&K is the best though.
Sonic 1-3&K is the best though.
MarcoZombieCannon
Member
Sonic, no contest. Sega did, and still does, do killer soundtracks.
mrmickfran
Member
GOAT Sonic songs:
Planet Wisp Act 1, Crisis City Modern, Chemical Plant, Star Light, Empire City Day, Ice Cap Act 1, Hydrocity Act 2, Sonic Boom
GOAT Mario songs:
Bowser's Road, Good Egg Galaxy, Yoshi's Island Baby Bowser, Bowser's Galaxy Generator, Mario World's Athletic theme, Fort Fire Bros.
Not counting spin-offs because I'll be here for hours listing Mario Kart 8 music.
Planet Wisp Act 1, Crisis City Modern, Chemical Plant, Star Light, Empire City Day, Ice Cap Act 1, Hydrocity Act 2, Sonic Boom
GOAT Mario songs:
Bowser's Road, Good Egg Galaxy, Yoshi's Island Baby Bowser, Bowser's Galaxy Generator, Mario World's Athletic theme, Fort Fire Bros.
Not counting spin-offs because I'll be here for hours listing Mario Kart 8 music.
NotDreamcast
Member
Yup, the night stuff is where it's at. Listening to it a few years later, I think the Werehog Battle Theme is pretty good, it was just played waaaay too often.
Gamervana84
Unconfirmed Member
It's got to be classic mario. Not a fan of modern sonic music.
I liked that every level had a different variant of it, although considering how often it played I wish the difference was more pronounced. If anything the encounter rate should've just been cut in half lol.
Vital Tundra
Member
Sonic music is good and great, but they aren't as stand out as Mario through the years. I can hum many classic Sonic tracks, and a handful of 3D tracks, but I can hum multiple tracks from any Mario game.
Bakkus
Member
Kek
It's a bit sad that the 3D Sonic games are being dismissed due to their understandably divisive vocal themes. There's all sorts of good, varied music even in the 3D games before Unleashed. Adventure 2 has the most vocal themes, though, so it's probably the one that's most dislikable. Sadly, the backing tracks for many of the Knuckles stage themes are fantastic, but they're ruined by the awful rapping. My kingdom for an instrumental version of Kick the Rock.
Adventure:
Pleasure Castle
Theme of E-102 Gamma
Tricky Maze
Bad Taste Aquarium
Adventure 2 (this one is more guitar-driven than most):
Keys the Ruin
This Way Out
Heroes:
Ocean Palace
Hang Castle
Mystic Mansion
Frog Forest
Emerald Challenge
06:
Crisis City
White Acropolis (Snowy Peak)
Flame Core
Anyway, I gotta go with Sonic. The main difference to me is that, until some recent Mario games (specifically the two Galaxy games, 3D World, and more recent Mario Karts), Mario songs had a lot of catchy melodies... but that's all they had. Being able to hum the main melodies from lots of Mario tunes is nice, but the songs didn't have much interesting to me beyond that. Sonic songs, from the beginning, have had more interesting rhythms, basslines, counter-melodies, and other things that take them to another level. Even the Game Gear/Master System Sonic songs are really interestingly composed, but their listenability is limited by the systems' less-than-stellar sound chip.
Adventure:
Pleasure Castle
Theme of E-102 Gamma
Tricky Maze
Bad Taste Aquarium
Adventure 2 (this one is more guitar-driven than most):
Keys the Ruin
This Way Out
Heroes:
Ocean Palace
Hang Castle
Mystic Mansion
Frog Forest
Emerald Challenge
06:
Crisis City
White Acropolis (Snowy Peak)
Flame Core
Anyway, I gotta go with Sonic. The main difference to me is that, until some recent Mario games (specifically the two Galaxy games, 3D World, and more recent Mario Karts), Mario songs had a lot of catchy melodies... but that's all they had. Being able to hum the main melodies from lots of Mario tunes is nice, but the songs didn't have much interesting to me beyond that. Sonic songs, from the beginning, have had more interesting rhythms, basslines, counter-melodies, and other things that take them to another level. Even the Game Gear/Master System Sonic songs are really interestingly composed, but their listenability is limited by the systems' less-than-stellar sound chip.
Sonic easily, most people dismissing the 3D era music probably haven't even heard the good stuff, the composers who work on Sonic games do a brilliant job of matching genre styles to the stage, something which Mario titles don't really do IMO, they play it too safe and keep things "Mario" sounding. Where as Sonic games have bounced around from Tech, Poppy, House, Jazz, etc, really tailoring the music to a stage
SEGA music in general is usually the best thing about their games, from the Genesis onwards whoever they get to work on the games really embraces how it should sound and the style it aims for.
SEGA music in general is usually the best thing about their games, from the Genesis onwards whoever they get to work on the games really embraces how it should sound and the style it aims for.
Telephone Man
Member
Sonic. Definitely Sonic.
Mario's tracks will always be iconic but I question if I love them just because of nostalgia. At least with Sonic's, I feel they're genuinely great and enjoy the artists and influnces behind them.
Modern Mario is no slouch though, and I feel his tracks keep on getting better... as long as you ignore those in the NSMB games.
Mario's tracks will always be iconic but I question if I love them just because of nostalgia. At least with Sonic's, I feel they're genuinely great and enjoy the artists and influnces behind them.
Modern Mario is no slouch though, and I feel his tracks keep on getting better... as long as you ignore those in the NSMB games.
not really unreasonable
It's really a shame that the "put" in that sentence is past tense and hardly any of those series are still running. But SoR 1 and 2 really do put 16 bit Nintendo to shame
Yep, all of these tracks are great. I especially love Ocean Palace, and the way Mystic Mansion has different sections of the track loop in different parts of the castle
Dusk Golem
A 21st Century Rockefeller
Actually I don't think anyone else mentioned this. Some Sonic stages make it so certain parts of the songs play and loop to segments of the stage to best match the segment you're at. I know Daytime unleashed and Generations also did this in some stages. There was a video someone made showing how the music in Unleashed worked with Rooftop Run as an example and it does the same sort of looping a segment at specific parts with dynamic intros, outros, etc.
CaviarMeths
Member
Sonic tracks have some good riffs, but almost nobody in the biz can top Koji Kondo at his best. Man is a legend.
Almost no one can.
The guys and gals that make Sonic music tho are amongst the few that have doing pretty consistently for decades though.
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