Flame, Flame, Flame... Why?
And just to keep it up, RETRO ARTICLE ON STAR FORCE 3!
The Mega Man Star Force series takes place approximately 200 years after the Battle Network games. The series stars 5th grader Geo Stelar (Subaru Hoshikawa in the japanese version), and his partner Omega-Xis (WarRock in Japan). Instead of jacking in like in the Battle Network games, you pulse into the wave world. As of the time of Star Force, the network evolved into a system of electromagnetic waves that control everythinf. Omega-Xis, or Mega for short, is a being made up of EM waves, and when Geo merges with him to pulse in, he becomes Megaman.
As in the battle network games, you fight viruses. Battlechips are now battle cards, and no longer have letter codes. Instead, you can only choose two cards that are connecting on the custom screen, and any white cards that appear. The battles in Star Force are over-the-shoulder and you can only move left and right, unlike the side view and relative free-range in the Battle Network games. Lastly, there are the usual HPMemorys to collect, except now they've evolved into two forms: HPMem10 and HPMem20, which raise your max HP by 10 and 20 respectively. Now for the preview!
Mega Man Star Force 3 takes place an unknown amount of time after the end of Star Force 2. Geo has saved the world once again, although he almost died in the process (that tends to happen in these games). He met a new rival, named Solo whose personality is most like Chaud from BN. Solo is the last member of the Mu civilization, and he has no one to merge with to become an EM being. Instead, he uses the powers of loneliness to pulse in. Well that changes in Star Force 3. First off though, Star Carriers are phased out and replaced with Hunter VGs. They even allow EM beings to phase into the real world as Wizards, similar to CopyBots from BN6. Food-lover Bud has Taurus, and musician Sonia Strumm has Lyra. And of course, Geo has Mega. New buds abound including braniac Zack, who has someone named Pedia, and Solo, who has one named Laplace.
The story revolves around a giant meteor heading towards earth, entitled Meteor G. Now if you played the Battle Network games, you'd know that in BN4 a meteor was heading towards Earth, and inside was the justice-dealer Duo. Duo was going to wipe out all the evil on Earth, and thus end the human race. But Megaman.EXE showed him that everyone has evil in them, just as they have good. And the earth was saved, and Duo said he'd return. Whether or not Meteor G is Duo's return is unknown. Anyways, the meteor is causing mass amounts of Noise. The noise directly influences gameplay. Depending on the noise levels, Megaman may take on different forms based on bosses from the first Star Force and others. Currently revealed forms are Cygnus Noise, Gemini Noise, Ophiuchus Noise, Ox Noise, Libra Noise, Cancer Noise, Crown Noise, Virgo Noise, Wolf Noise, and Corvus Noise. Virgo and Corvus are new to the series, as no character with those names has appeared in the games yet. Just so you know, Virgo is the Virgin and Corvus is the Crow.
Also shown is what may be the ultimate form, known as Black Ace. Black Ace appears when the Noise level is at 200%. I don't know if there's an upper limit to Noise levels; there's a screen showing it at 315%. Lastly, the first boss is called Spade Magnets. As this is all I know, it is now massive screenie time, spoilerized to save space.
[spoiler=Megaman Art](http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/illust1.jpg)
(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/illust2.jpg)
(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/illust3.jpg)
(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/illust4.jpg)
(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/chara/illust1.jpg)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Other Art](http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/chara/illust6.jpg)
(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/chara/illust5.jpg)
(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/chara/illust4.jpg)
(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/chara/illust3.jpg)
(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/chara/illust2.jpg)
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Screenshots](http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/ss1.jpg)(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/ss2.jpg)(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/ss3.jpg)(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/ss4.jpg)(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/ss5.jpg)(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/ss6.jpg)(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/ss7.jpg)(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/ss8.jpg)(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/ss9.jpg)(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/ss10.jpg)(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/ss11.jpg)(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/ss12.jpg)(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/ss13.jpg)(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/ss14.jpg)(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/ss15.jpg)(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/ss16.jpg)(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/ss17.jpg)(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/ss18.jpg)(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/ss19.jpg)(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/ss20.jpg)(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/ss21.jpg)(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/ss22.jpg)(http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/img_wavestation/hensin/ss23.jpg)[/spoiler]
Also, the trailer:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_eu0KWkHqY[/youtube]
This game is shaping up nicely, and if you have any updates or questions, post them here. Next time, I'm gonna discuss video game music and share some of my favorite tracks. Until then, game on!
Sources: Official Site (in Japanese, though) (http://www.capcom.co.jp/ryusei3/), References at the bottom of this page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mega_Man_Star_Force_3)
*All pictures were taken from the official site. Better quality video on official site too.
[originally written on August 11, 2008; originally posted at Zelda Fan Game Central (http://www.zfgc.com)]
Posted on: February 05, 2010, 02:14:29 PM
Time for another interview with a remixer! Connor Pelkey, alias Cyril the Wolf, might not have been on OCR for that long compared to the other remixers on the site, but he knows his music. And he can growl quite well, living up to his name. The only track he has posted is a recent mix from Sonic '06, but he has several tracks on the Final Fantasy IV album, Echoes of Betrayal, Light of Redemption (http://ocremix.org/album/14/final-fantasy-iv-echoes-of-betrayal-light-of-redemption). And he has stuff in the works too! Here is the interview I had with him a short time ago.
Mirby: What started your interest in video game music?
Cyril: I can't really settle on a story, but I suppose that the most true one is that way back in probably 2000.
M: Elaborate, if you can.
C: I finally got internet and went on "Antagonist" which was an AOL "teen" group for video games, and people posted MIDIs. The first midi I downloaded was FF9's battle music and then I just started to collect and listen to them. I'd been tooling around on a keyboard for a bit before that. So it was a natural progression to just listen to the music for the games.
M: What started your interest in remixing?
C: Not really sure. It was one of those things where I sorta fell into it.
M: Ah. One of those things.
C: When I started making MIDIs in about 2005 (I think) I joined VGMusic, and started doing little arrangments
M: hehe I go there a lot. Are there any tracks you've done that you're more proud of than the others? Or that you like more?
C: Yea, I would say so, I don't have too many "public" mixes on OCR, but I definately put more pride into my "realistic" remixes, like Emerald Beauty from FFIV and of course I am a big fan of my currently only posted mix. Absolution Comes in Dreams.
M: lol Nothing wrong with not being prolific.
C: Oh I am. I'm currently have at least 5 tracks lined up, and I have the Grand Robot Master Remix Competition.
M: Well the average new visitor to OCR probably wouldn't think so. But once they delved into the albums and stuff, they'd change their minds. And I heard a track from that yesterday.
C: Yea, that is true. But I don't exactly post things very often, even to the WIP boards.
M: Are there any remixers you haven't collaborated with in the past that you'd like to collaborate with in the future?
C: Everyone?
M: Anyone in particular?
C: Ha, I knew you'd ask me that, umm... Yea, I'd def like to collab with Geoffery Taucer, and bLinD if ever possible, and probably zircon if he ever felt he had the time.
M: Any tracks you'd like to remix in the future?
C: I don't really plan ahead on that. Any track that I hear that I like I usually instantly get an idea for it. So, I don't really look ahead in that regard, becuase I have a huge queue already!
M: You're the second remixer I've interviewed, and the second to have a backlog! Hehe... Do you have a favorite track from a game?
C: Oh man... Yes, I do, I have a favorite track from every game that I play or come across. To be obscure I really like the song "Southerta" from Soul Blazer
M: I need to resume playing that... Obscurity is good; lesser-known tracks need all the love they can get.
C: Of course, I do like the normal things, like FF and stuff. Of course I am a HUGE fan of Final Fantasy Mystic Quest.
M: That's because Mystic Quest has some of the most epic music ever
C: And I have something planned for the Doom Castle and Final Battle themes from that game; Something on the scale of Genesis of Destruction [from Echoes of Betrayal, Light of Redemption].
M: Can't wait. Do you have a favorite video-game composer?
C: Actually, yes. I am an Uematsu fan to be perfectly honest, BUT... he is not my favorite. That spot would definately go to Ryuji Sasai who composed music for Treasure of the Rudras and the rock music from FFMQ
M: That's who made that music? Sweet. Always wondered.
C: Love that prog-rock style. Yea, the jazzier stuff was another composer, I forget who at the moment.
M: It just adds that much more urgency to the battles. Dangit! Now I want to play through MQ again!
C: Its true, and those basslines are great. He was a bass player in a prog rock band before doing VGM. It'd only take a couple hours ;)
M: I know. Lastly, what do you enjoy most about remixing video game music?
C: The fact that I improve with every mix. Each mix is its new challenge in arrangment, playing, mixing, mastering. Its great. Sometime when I am good enough, which will be soon by my reckoning, I will have an original album.
M: Well, it's as the old saying goes, "Practice makes perfect."
C: That old saying is bunk, Practice makes better, even if perfection is the goal. Even on Enya's watermark album there are small errors. haha
M: Nothing is perfect, as perfection itself is an unattainable goal. But it's still something to strive for!
C: Exactly, but I'm a realist. :)
M: Thanks for this interview. I found it to be quite fun
C: Thanks Mirby. I'm a bit of a narcissist, so I had fun too. ;)
M: Heheh Nothing wrong with a little narcissism.
C: Its true.
You can find Cyril's page on OCR here: Artist: Cyril the Wolf (Connor Pelkey) (http://ocremix.org/artist/5473/cyril-the-wolf). Keep your eye on this page here for more articles and interviews! Until next time, game on!
Posted on: February 11, 2010, 01:03:09 PM
The world's fastest follow-up interview with someone else is here! Stevo Bortz, alias Level 99, may not need any Rare Candies to up his skills. He's been on three OCR albums already, and is gathering steam to appear on several more albums, and is the project director of the forthcoming NiGHTS remix album, Lucid Dreaming (http://ocremix.org/forums/showthread.php?t=24557). So how did someone who is seemingly quite busy find time to be interviewed? Simple. I asked, he offered. Here's the result.
Mirby: What started your interest in video game music?
Level 99: I've been playing video games since I was around 5 years old. I've been making music since I was around 10. I never really got into that much video game music, or remixing, until I started college. Some friends of mine in my dorm found some cool Chrono Trigger remixes on VGMix and OCReMix back in 2003, and as I gathered more remixes and soundtracks I thought I'd give it a try myself.
M: That leads into, and answers, my next question. So, I'll skip ahead.
L99: Alright.
M: Are there any tracks you've done that you're more proud of, or like more, than the others?
L99: Absolutely. It's fair to say that, in every musician's life, there are points where exponential increases in musical skill and understanding take place. As of now, I'm more proud of my work within the last 8 months than I really am of anything else I've done before that. Some tracks I also do as favors for friends who run projects or want to collaborate, and unforunately some of those I may not identify with as much so the results may not have been as good. The song I'm most proud of that's been released thus far is my track that I did for December 2009's DoD competition, which I collaborated with OA and Moonlapse on. The songs I'm most proud of that I have in progress are one track for the NiGHTS project, called The Nemesis Schema, and a ska remix of a Kirby Super Star song.
M: Are there any remixers you haven't collaborated with in the past that you'd like to collaborate with in the future?
L99: More than a handful, to be sure. Off the top of my head would be: DragonAvenger, Sixto Sounds, bLiNd, and a whole slew of others. There are so many talented musicians in this community that I end up doing way more collaborations than I do solo songs. I think I only have five or six out of my current twenty-plus remixes that I'm doing by myself.
M: Any tracks you'd like to remix in the future?
L99: I have my list. Most remixers keep a list of good songs they want to do, or ideas for styles to apply to songs. I definitely want to remix some more songs from Katamari Damacy in the near future.
M: That is one of the most fun games I've ever played. Anyways, do you have a favorite track from a game?
L99: My favorite track from any video game would have to be the Staff Roll from Final Fantasy Tactics on PlayStation. That is one of the few video game songs that, by music alone, can bring me to tears.
M: I need to resume playing that too! Do you have a favorite video-game composer?
L99: *insert obligatory line about liking Nobuo Uematsu*. Heh, I do enjoy Nobuo but he's actually not my favorite. I'd have to say that, keeping in line with liking FFT so much, Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata are my joint two-favorite composers. If I had to pick one, I'd probably pick Sakimoto over Iwata, though. It's a tough call. I personally try to look more at the music itself as opposed to who authors it.
M: Wow, already at the end. Lastly, what do you enjoy most about remixing?
L99: I'll have to steal the position that my friend Shaun (Avaris) takes: there are two great things about this community. The first is the music, the second is the people. While I love doing music and I can't imagine life without doing it, it's the people I meet and get to work with that really make this hobby stellar. Many of my best friends I've met through the remixing scene, and when we all meet up at places like MAGFest to hang out and jam...it's quite indescribable.
M: Well, I'll have to appear at MAGFest one of these days. Thank you for the interview. It was, well short and simple, but still enjoyable.
You can find Level 99's page on OCR here: Artist: Level 99 (Stevo Bortz) (http://ocremix.org/artist/5420/level-99). More interviews are sure to come, so keep your eyes peeled for other stuff! Until next time, game on!
Posted on: February 11, 2010, 01:45:40 PM
Juan P. Medrano, alias Sixto Sounds, is a man who lives by his state's standard: Everything's bigger in Texas. His remixes are big on the rock, heavy on the guitar, and huge on the quality. Whether it's remixing a track from a classic Ninja Turtles game or from a recent entry in the Tales of series, he's doing it, and doing it well. Being a contributor to OCR for 5 years, half the time it's been around, he's built up a stable of 20+ tracks, including one to the Dwelling of Duels (http://dod.vgmix.com/past/oct08/03-SixtoSounds-MM2-Wairi-DoD.mp3). I recently interviewed him, and this is what he had to say.
Mirby: What started your interest in video game music?
Sixto: Hmmm... well, as a kid i didn't play video games THAT much. I dabbled in a little Nintendo, little bit of Sega. But there were some games like Punch-Out!!, Afterburner, Sreet Fighter 2, [Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV] Turtles in Time where the music just kind of stuck with me. In my head I could always here the music being played by a live band.
M: I was the same way (just different games).
S: Anyway, once I picked up guitar at around 11-12 years of age, I pretty much forgot about video games; wasn't till maybe 2004 that a friend shared some MP3s with me. Remixes from OCR; It was Prot's Brainsick Metal (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00569/) and djp's GerudoInterlude (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00368/).
M: Two of my favorites! Nice!
S: Yeah, that really drew me into the site and that's when I started listening to the music of all these older games I used to love...
M: And that's what started your interest in remixing tracks yourself, I take it?
S: Yeah, exactly; I figured, why not?
M: Are there any tracks you've done that you're more proud of, or like more, than the others?
S: Let's see... Well, my favorite one might be my Super Hang-On remix "Burn, Baby, Burn (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01771/)." I think I like it the most because, well, I went in with the idea of making it sound a certain way...
M: Actually, I haven't heard that one. So I'm going to get it now. I actually have no idea how I missed it...
S: Hehe. I wanted to give it this 80s kind of feel. Not so much 80s metal or anything. Also, this was the first time I was able to get everything sounding just the way I wanted.
M: That's pretty cool! To continue, which do you prefer; solo tracks, or collaborations?
S: I prefer the solo stuff. To be honest, i've never really collaborated, per se... Except for one time, with zircon, on the FF7 project [Voices of the Lifestream (http://ocremix.org/album/1/final-fantasy-vii-voices-of-the-lifestream)].
M: Lunatic Moon (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01640/)?
S: Yeah. In that track, zircon and I wrote together. In all of my other collabs the music had pretty much been written out already.
M: Great track, one of my favorites. Especially with your 45 second or so guitar solo type thing.
S: I do wish I could re-do it; it's not one of my favorites.
M: Ah, well a true artist in never satisfied with their work, I suppose.
S: True that.
M: Any tracks you'd like to remix in the future?
S: Tons!
M: Such as?
S: Well, I've got about 23 project tracks i'm working on; stuff from Megaman X games, Final Fantasy 9, the Dragon Quest games... Lots of stuff. Plus, I'm going to be remixing another track from Turtles in Time, which is probably my favorite game soundtrack.
M: For the Boss Themes (http://ocremix.org/forums/showthread.php?t=22663) project?
S: Yeah.
M: And it is a fairly epic soundtrack.
S: That it is.
M: Fun game too, for that matter.
S: Definitely, even today. That re-shelled version is so great.
M: Re-shelled? Is that some sort of re-release for XBLA or something?
S: Yeah; a remake of the arcade game in 3D. It's really fun when you play online with 3 friends.
M: That it would be.
M: Do you have a favorite track from a game?
S: Hmmm... That's a tough one. It would be a toss up between Ken's Theme in Street Fighter 2 or Sewer Surfing from Turtles in Time.
M: Both of which you've remixed.
S: Right!
M: Do you have a favorite video-game composer?
S: I'd probably have to say Motoi Sakuraba. I love Nobuo [Uematsu]'s Final Fantasy stuff, but I dunno...
M: He's pretty cool. Tales games and Golden Sun, that's all that really needs to be said
S: I've always liked how Motoi writes; more of a modern style. Yeah, I love the Tales soundtracks and the Star Ocean's.
M: I always liked how there's a Sakuraba (and Sakuraba III) in Tales of Phantasia. One last question. What do you enjoy most about remixing?
S: Well... I like recording and mixing music. Period. I just love doing it. It feels like it's something that comes naturally to me. Remixing video game music, though... I guess I just love being part of such a big community, being able to make something that other people enjoy. I still haven't met any of these people as I've never been to MAGFest or a meetup, but I'd like to some day.
M: Well you're being interviewed by one right now. Thank you for your time. It has been an honor, Sixto.
S: Anytime.
You can find Sixto's page on OCR here: Artist: Sixto Sounds (Juan P. Medrano) (http://ocremix.org/artist/4685/sixto-sounds). I'll keep interviewing them as they come, so stay tuned. Until next time, game on!
Posted on: February 17, 2010, 05:39:31 PM
Andrew Aversa, alias zircon, is one of the more prolific members of the remixing community. He currently has 25 remixes posted to OCR, composed the music for the XBox Live Arcade game Fittest, directed the massive Voices of the Lifestream project, contributed to three other albums, including the Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix soundtrack, and founded Impact Soundworks. With all this, how does he have time to do anything else? I'm not sure, but he took a few minutes out of his day to let me interview him.
M: What started your interest in video game music?
Z: My earliest memory where I was really excited about video game music is probably back when I was in middle school. At the time, I didn't own any consoles, but my parents let me rent an SNES over the weekend if I did my homework. I remember when we first went to the local video store, my mom picked out Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, knowing my interest in role-playing games (I did play D&D games on PC.) I distinctly recall hearing the boss music for the first time and just getting incredibly hyper. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world.
M: What started your interest in remixing?
Z: Toward the end of 2002 (high school), my nextdoor neighbor and longtime friend downloaded a copy of Cool Edit Pro, a basic audio editing application. We used it to create mashups of Linkin Park songs, if you can believe that, as we were big fans at the time. Anyway, for Christmas that year my friend asked for a copy of Cool Edit, but instead got a program called Magix Music Maker 7 deLuxe, a very simple loop-based music creation program, akin to ACID or Garageband. Around this same time, I had just discovered OC ReMix; my family had just gotten DSL and a friend of mine recommended I use my newfound bandwidth to download everything on OCReMix.org (which I began to do.) So, logically, the first thing I wanted to try in Music Maker was making a remix.
M: I presume that it worked out
Z: Well, our first collaborative effort would have gotten a form letter rejection today, but at the time we couldn't have been more excited to be actually producing music. Both of us had taken piano lessons for years, but it's a big leap from that to using loops, a MIDI keyboard, filters, distortion, etc. We really had a great time with it, and even after my friend went home, I kept working.
M: Are there any tracks you've done that you're more proud of or like more than the others?
Z: In terms of video game remixes, I'm pretty proud of all my work, but there are a handful that I think really stand out. One is Kindred (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01739/), which I collaborated with my wife Jill (pixietricks) on as a gift to our friend bLiNd when he was in the hospital. Another is Ragol Weather (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01849/), a mix from Phantasy Star Online which was a unique genre for me, but also turned out really well. There's also the Monstrous Turtles! (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01558/) crowdpleaser from Super Mario World - I think I could do better today, but it seems like most consider it as a classic, so on that level I'm proud.
M: I like it, partly because the name, partly because, well, great source material that wasn't lost in translation whatsoever.
Z: You know the story behind the mix name, right? It's actually a line from the Super Mario World manual that Liontamer found because I couldn't come up with a name myself.
M: I looked up the instruction booklet online, sure enough it was there. Just another example of how a line taken somewhat out of context is much better than in-context. Are there any remixers you haven't collaborated with in the past that you'd like to collaborate with in the future?
Z: At the top of my list for future collab partners would have to be bLiNd and McVaffe, on some kind of electronic remix
M: Any others?
Z: Somehow, my business partner (impactsoundworks.com (http://www.impactsoundworks.com)) Bustatunez and I haven't actually ever collaborated on anything, so that would be fun sometime too
M: Hehe... Any tracks you'd like to remix in the future?
Z: Way too much stuff to list individually, believe me! I've always wanted to go back and redo my early mixes from Phantasy Star IV, or even do a project based on that someday. Disgaea and Makai Kingdom from Nippon Ichi also have some great, under-appreciated music that I don't think anyone else has remixed yet. The funny thing is though, I don't usually plan my remixes in advance. When I try, they don't usually get completed, so most of what I release is just what happened to come to me at any given time.
M: That's what Cyril said. He also said he'd like to collab with you.
Z: We kind of already collaborated if you count the Mega Man 9/Mega Man & Bass mix I did which sampled some of his previous remixes. ;)
M: Cool. Do you have a favorite track from a game?
Z: It really is impossible for me to pick just one. There are way too many classics that resonate with me. If I had to pick the one that was MOST nostalgic, it would probably be Flowers Blooming In the Church from FF7. The melody itself is beautiful, but the way it's arranged in this particular track is timeless. It brings to mind all the fond memories I've had playing FF7 throughout my life.
M: Every time I get to disc 3, I restart... furthest I got was JENOVA Absolute... who owned me. Do you have a favorite video-game composer?
Z: Call me a fanboy, but Nobuo Uematsu all the way. I love the man.
M: Everybody Loves Nobuo
Z: Funny story about that, too...
M: Yes?
Z: I won an arrangement contest where I got free VIP tickets to meet Uematsu after a Distant Worlds concert, but literally everything that could have went wrong on that trip did.
M: Such as? If you don't mind sharing.
Z: First, we forgot to bring a camera and had to get a really crappy disposable one when we flew into the Chicago airport. Second, I left all my nice clothes behind - I thought I had packed them, but I didn't. Third, I intended to bring two copies of Voices of the Lifestream (http://ocremix.org/album/1/final-fantasy-vii-voices-of-the-lifestream), the FF7 arrangement project I directed. I had one with me and someone from Squaresound (the guys running the contest) was supposed to bring the second copy, but he forgot it. So, I had to give my only copy of VotL to Uematsu, which is fine, but I would have died a happy man if I could have gotten him to sign a copy for me.
M: Wasn't Dirt Devil (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01685/) the track that won the contest?
Z: Yep. Still, it was an amazing concert and I got to shake the man's hand, so I guess it wasn't a total loss.
M: Good track. I really like the Magitek Factory theme; has a nice rhythm to it. Lastly, what do you enjoy most about remixing video game music?
Z: The community. With original music, to some extent you're just throwing stuff out into a void. You don't have that same audience of millions of people who have played Super Mario World or Super Metroid. Ultimately, what most musicians want to do is make an impact with their music and to affect people in some way. I've gotten countless emails and messages from people who have said my remixes do that for them. On top of that, there's this great, friendly community of people actually *making* the remixes, but I don't need to tell you about that.
M: Hehe. Thanks for the interview. It was fun and informative.
Z: No prob, let me know if you need anything else.
You can find zircon's page on OCR here: Artist: zircon (Andrew Aversa) (http://ocremix.org/artist/4628/zircon). I'm just getting started on these interviews! Until next time, game on!
Posted on: February 25, 2010, 02:35:32 PM
Liz Ryerson, alias ella guro, formerly Adhesive_Boy, has been out of the remixing scene for a while. But she's making a comeback. Although she only has six mixes posted, and worked on three albums, she still took time out to be interviewed.
Mirby: What started your interest in video game music?
ella guro: I don't think anything in particular sparked my interest. I just always liked the music in the games...it was like part of the experience of enjoying the game, and the better or more melodic music usually made the experience playing the game more memorable to me. But I also just liked the tunes; I used to make up fake lyrics and sing along to the songs while I was playing.
M: Me too!
eg: Yeah... haha... But nothing in particular started my interest, that I can remember
M: What started your interest in remixing?
eg: In middle school, I used to make levels for Wolfenstein 3D, the ancient PC game. And so I had a mod that I was making, and you could import your midis that you made into the game...so I started making MIDI rearrangements of wolfenstein tunes, and my own original tunes. Then in 2002, I found OCR through John Romero's website and I was like "UGH not another game MIDI site." And then I clicked on it and then I started wanting to mix pretty soon after, and even though I thought there was no way I could do something as good or professional sounding as what was on the site, I figured it was worth a shot. So I started doing stuff with MODplug in 2002. Also some mixes on OCR inspired me - mazedude's mixes, for example, and Gux's "darkworld jazz" which was my favorite track back then.
M: Are there any tracks you've done that you're more proud of or like more than the others?
eg: Yeah, my most current 3 mixes on OCR. The DKC mix, the Kirby one, and the Earthbound one. I did them in highschool, and I'm pretty proud of how they all turned out. I think the DKC one is where I really learned to make a really complete, solid arrangement of something. And I think with all three I was being pretty ambitious and I pulled it off, mostly. There are certainly some things that didn't work out in those, but I'm still pretty proud of what I did.
M: Are there any remixers that you'd like to collaborate with in the future?
eg: I'm trying to get some kind of collaboration going with Nase, because I like his stuff a lot. I've nearly done a collab with Shnabubula a few times, hopefully we can actually do something one of these days. I'm certain there are more...I'd always like to collaborate with Mazedude, but I don't think he does collaborations.
M: Any tracks you'd like to remix in the future?
eg: Oh god, yeah. I have a massive list. I think I might just mix whatever strikes me at a particular moment...though at the top of my list is "Aquarius" from Castlevania 3, another track from Treasure Hunter G, possibly the field music from 7th Saga or another Kirby track, but there are many, many others. Also maybe something from Secret of Mana.
M: Do you have a favorite track from a game?
eg: I have many favorites, but I'll name a few. The "Snowman" theme from Earthbound/the Mother series [Snowman is from Earthbound Zero - M](which I mixed), the Staff Roll/Protoman theme from Mega Man 3, "Wind Scene" from Chrono Trigger...there are many others, but those spring to mind.
M: Do you have a favorite video-game composer?
eg: I don't think I have one who's an unequivocal favorite. But Hiroki Kikuta (from the Secret of Mana games) is up there. Hip Tanaka, just based on his work on Metroid, Earthbound, and Super Mario Land. Tim Follin always brings it. Also I like "John Pee", a guy who composed for the game Treasure Hunter G.
M: Lastly, what do you enjoy most about remixing video game music?
eg: It's an excuse to be creative...relive my experience playing games in a way that's meaningful and fun; creating something that evokes a particular atmosphere or feeling. I like doing abstract things like that, because it gives me more room to surprise myself, and it also makes the music stand out on its own, as its own thing separate from just something that came out of my head. And also create its own little world like each piece is a tiny universe in itself with its own laws. Haha.
M: Well, thanks for the interview. It was great.
eg: No problem! Thanks for interviewing me!
You can find her page on OCR here: Artist: Adhesive_Boy (http://ocremix.org/artist/4529/adhesive-boy). Do not fear, more is to come in the coming days. Until then, game on!
Posted on: February 25, 2010, 04:05:15 PM
Andreas Kotsamanidis, alias SnappleMan, may have a ridiculously long name, but he can rock out like no other! Although he may not be that active on OCR, he has many other tracks in other locations. He even recently released a remix of the Contra 4 soundtrack, entitled Rocked 'n' Loaded (http://www.rockednloaded.com/)! I recently talked to him, and this is what he had to say.
Mirby: What started your interest in video game music?
Snappleman: Video games! Or more specifically, Konami games on the NES. I came over to the USA in 1989 and up till then I was living in a communist country and was exposed to very little western music. So as soon as I got here I went wild with inspiration.
M: What started your interest in remixing?
S: I was always a musical kid, and one Christmas my parents got me a keyboard and my brother an electronic drumkit. From then on all I wanted to do was learn and play video game tunes. It wasn't till the late 90s that I actually started arranging music.
M: Are there any tracks you've done that you're more proud of or like more than the others?
S: That's a tough one. Everything I end up releasing online is always more of an experiment than anything else. Most of the songs I arrange and record are sitting on some hard drive unreleased and probably never will be. The only songs I release are the ones I'm not sure about and need to get opinions and critique on. But my recent CD release Rocked 'n' Loaded would be what I'm most proud of. It's the first batch of remixes that I consider to be "done".
M: Are there any remixers that you'd like to collaborate with in the future?
S: I'd like to say no, because currently I've worked with everyone I've wanted to to work with, but you never know how people evolve as musicians and you don't know which new people will show up. Everyone has something unique to offer musically, but I've found that it takes two or three collaborations with that person to get them comfortable enough to truly get every idea they want out. I have a very loud, pushy and direct personality so that may be the reason. Currently though, I've become a fan of forming a small team of 2-4 people and just working on a bunch of songs together. But now that I think about it, I still haven't worked with a vocalist... so yes, the remixer I want to collaborate with in the future is Zyko.
M: Any tracks you'd like to remix in the future?
S: The Revenge of Shinobi soundtrack, some stuff from Etrian Odyssey 3, and some of Yuzo Koshiro's tracks from Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin.
M: Ah yes... Portrait of Ruin. Phenomenal soundtrack, and if I might say, you do remix Castlevania tracks quite awesomely.
S: Many thanks!
M: No prob! Do you have a favorite track from a game?
S: Well, that changes hour to hour, but for now, I'd say my favourite track would be the main theme from Super Metroid.
M: Hehe... Do you have a favorite video-game composer?
S: Yuzo Koshiro, Shinji Hosoe, Hip Tanaka; all tied.
M: All good ones too! One last question. What do you enjoy most about remixing?
S: The best part for me has always been breaking down the music and getting more of an idea of how it was written. You can always tell that the songs are originally written as long elaborate pieces and then the real work is when the composers and sound teams try to break that down to the essential elements of the theme to come up with the resulting 35 second loops for the game. It's very fun to try and guess where the cuts were made and what was cut out! Also, it's a great way for me to relive memories of playing the games themselves and also learning about writing catchy music in the process.
M: Good answer. Thanks for your time!
S: Thank you!
You can find his page on OCR here: Artist: SnappleMan (Andreas Kotsamanidis) (http://ocremix.org/artist/4625/snappleman). I'll keep trying to interview people, so stay tuned! Until then, game on!