================= ==SMWC IDOL ROUND 2== ================= Judging by Supertails ============== ==NORTH DIVISION== ============== ==Submission 1== Song: Death Egg Dancer Author: Slash Man Quality - 9/10 Now THIS is an unusual remix - combining Death Egg and Special Stage to the overall tune of Calcobrena and it came out very, very well. It begins with Calcobrena, which sounds nearly identical to the original, then picks up the tune of Death Egg. It fools one into thinking it's part of the song. The relation between these two tracks is very spot on, though I think the special stage theme doesn't work quite as well, since the overall tune is happier and less eerie. Further, the tempo decrease feels a little random when the overall "feel" of the song isn't too much different, retaining the bass and percussion in a normal way, and the transition back to normal tempo is abrupt. The combination of Calcobrena's feel with the various different tunes is quite well done, though mixing the melodies more rather than going from one to the next would've been interesting. Complexity - 3.5/4 It's nearly two minutes in length, has 8 channels and uses samples. This, combined with the overall work of putting the Sonic melodies to the song helps this rating a lot. Still, some things, especially background channels and bass end up repeating a lot - while it helps the overall feel of the song, mixing it up a little more would've helped even more. Functionality - 6/6 Samples don't conflict with Yoshi and cutoff is very minor. Proper v0 fix and echo buffer are here. OVERALL: 18.5/20 ==Submission 2== Song: Zero's Sweet Home Author: S.N.N. Quality - 8.5/10 A very interesting mix of some very different tracks. The beginning is surprising - shifting from the beginning of O2 to the main melody from Edgar/Sabin's theme. Even more impressive was :40 - My Home, Sweet Home fits surprisingly in the song, becoming a believable "verse" as is seen in many final boss themes. The overall feel of the song is very etheral and is helped by very good sample choice and bass/percussion. The issue with this remix, though, is that it doesn't always feel like one. With the Edgar and Sabin theme especially, as well as part's of Zero's theme, they're not always the easiest to discern, and it's hard to tell if some parts (such as bass and BG melodies) are actually from the respective songs or original. In many places, the song that's playing is very clear, but it isn't consistent, so you often feel lost in the track. Complexity - 3.5/4 Uses all 8 channels and is over a minute in length. While it's not quite as lengthy as some submissions, the many channels and samples, including what appears to be several original ones, shows a lot of work and helps this category quite a bit. Functionality - 5.5/6 Yoshi compatibility, echo fix, and proper header. Apart from the FF6 melody, which gets a bit of cutoff, it's pretty minor and reserved for channels that play little. OVERALL: 17.5/20 ==Submission 3== Song: Final Stage Drawcia Author: Kipernal Quality - 7.5/10 Very interesting song choice here. For the Sonic portion, I was impressed with some portions (like the choir) that separated it from the original. I wasn't too fond of short notes around :35, but the general transition from the Sonic to Kirby portion is surprisingly smooth and well done. That being said, the Drawcia piece seems to use samples right from the DS game (something cool and not seen much) and sounds nearly identical to the original, a feat in itself ...but it's a remix round. So while I really liked the changes made to the Sonic part, the Kirby portion doesn't sound like much of a remix at all, and the length makes it wear thin. Before the rather nice transition back to the Sonic portion, it would've been neat to see bits of the Sonic song playing on certain channels to mix it up a bit. Rather than cleverly mixing the two songs, it just progresses from one to the other. Complexity - 3/4 8 channels, over two minutes in length, and lots of carefully chosen samples and commands. While the transitions are very well done, the score's hurt a bit here by the lack of crossover between the two songs. They're very much two separate parts. Functionality - 4/6 Cutoff isn't horrible and is mostly reserved for percussion, but it does hurt the song a little in-game. Very small issue, but because the sample slot is deleted, the track isn't compatible with Yoshi, which isn't mentioned. The patch and emulator issues make the accessibility of the port troubling, especially since so many use ZSNES. OVERALL: 14.5/20 ==Submission 4== Song: Neo Float Islands Author: Moose Quality - 8.5/10 What's so impressive about this remix is the way two different songs connect in such a natural way. It beings sounding like Float Islands, yet when the Neo Green Hill Zone melody kicks in, it's surprising yet fits into the song and background melody. The way they switch again at :30 and 1:04 is additionally smooth. My only real gripes are with the @2, which may have sounded better with @3 instead, and the percussion, which occasionally feels distracting and repetitive. Other than that though, the clever combination of tracks really makes this one shine. Complexity - 2.5/4 Only five channels, over a minute in length, no samples, and few ADSR commands. As mentioned, the percussion is a bit repetitive and the song has a few areas that repeat. That being said, this area is helped by how much the two songs switch and retain channels from both. Functionality - 6/6 Has the proper echo buffer and v0 fix. At five channels, instrument cutoff is completely prevented, earning a perfect score. OVERALL: 17/20 ============== ==SOUTH DIVISION== ============== ==Submission 1== Song: The Medieval Tunnel Author: Blind Devil Quality - 8/10 Wow - the first thing that comes to mind is that this does more than just combine two songs, but also fit them under a theme. The intro and sample choice help establish it, and the samples remixing the castle theme help make it fit the setting. However, for the castle, I'm not too keen on the bass - it seems a little unnatural, and the pause at :52 feels a little awkward. As it transitions to Tunnel Rhino, the lead at 1:15 feels a bit awkward, though the way the castle theme comes back in at 1:55 is clever. The transition from the intro to the castle part is very nice, but the transition from the castle to Tunnel Rhino comes after a pause and feels a bit abrupt as a mood change. Additionally, while they're connected by transitions, the songs feel very separate from each other. It's a fantastic idea, and in many ways sounds great, but a bit more work tying the two together more smoothly would've helped the score. Complexity - 3.5/4 Very complex. Uses all 8 channels, runs over 2 minutes in length, has numerous samples, and many ADSR commands. The area is hurt a little by the lack of direct interaction between the two songs, but it's clear a lot of work was put into this. Functionality - 5.5/6 Kudos for keeping all the SMW instruments in the bnk - it's hardly necessary, but impressive. Cutoff is kept to the bass and percussion and is fairly minor, though a bit distracting when the timpani doesn't show up. Proper echo buffer and v0 fix. OVERALL: 17/20 ==Submission 2== Song: Super Simon Bros. Author: ThinkOneMoreTime Quality - 7.5/10 Well, this is something else. I was expecting one song from each game, but this remix actually includes several. Mario's underground and overworld theme as well as Vampire Killer, Simon's Theme and Bloody Tears from Castlevania it sounds like. And in a lot of areas, especially the beginning notes, they're combined in a very clever way. I was impressed with the mix between Vampire Killer and the underground theme as well as the overworld theme toward the end of the loop. Some parts, however, like the Bloody Tears bit, felt a bit abrupt and didn't transition the best. Outside of that, the remix in general felt pretty basic, preferring original instruments to samples and ADSR. It would've been great to hear the melodies pushed to new heights, but as it is, it feels a little basic in a round with a lot of complex ports. Even within SMW, the instrument choice feels a little simplistic. Complexity - 2/4 Only six channels, a bit over a minute in length, and as mentioned, no samples. Like I said in the quality portion, the Achilles heel of the port is complexity: while it uses a lot of songs, the instruments and commands make them rather simplistic. Still, this area is helped by the clever mixes that appear. Functionality - 5/6 No v0 fix, but it has the header. Cutoff is quite minor and only appears in two channels. OVERALL: 14.5/20 ==Submission 3== Song: The Final Phase ~ Total Rocked Out Edition ~ Author: Masashi27 Quality - 8.5/10 It's hard to believe something this heavy made its way into SMW, but hey, those MMX samples sure help! On the one end, this track is very heavy and upbeat - it's great to see it breathe new life into the infamous OW theme, and some bits, like the pitch bends are very clever. I also liked the mixing of the MM2 portion - changing some of the sections to make it a bit faster and some other twists were well done too. That being said, while they transitioned fairly well, the lack of mixing between the songs was a bit disappointing. While the OW theme sounds great with MMX samples, it doesn't seem to have bits of the MM2 theme in channels or mix with it in a clever way, same for the MM2 portion. Rather, it goes from one song to the other, which is fine, but keeps it from really feeling like a remix both songs. However, the energy and tempo worked well for both tracks, not drastically changing in mood from one to the other. Complexity - 3.5/4 Lots and lots of samples used here coupled with a song over two minutes in length help a lot here. There are some repetitive segments, and the lack of direct interaction between the two songs hurts the area a bit, but overall, it shows a lot of work and polish. Functionality - 5.5/10 Yoshi compatibility is always nice, despite being used very little in actual hacks. Only two channels have any cutoff and it's pretty minor. Proper header and echo fix included. OVERALL: 17.5/20