Topic: The NintendoLife VGM Tournament: Farewell

Xenoblade Chronicles wins 12-5
Half-Minute Hero wins 11-6

Sorry, I would have had this up earlier but I was having problems with Youtube working on Chrome. This was a pretty tough round, at least for me. It's nice to listen to some of these songs which i've never heard before though.
Here is a link to the current bracket

1) Secret of Mana vs. Kirby's Return to Dreamland

2) The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion vs. Street Fighter 3: Third Strike

1) Secret of Mana - I'm sure it'll lose since it's up against a First Party game, but I really thought this was a good theme, while RtD's was pretty boring and uninspired.

2) Oblivion - It's a dull, generic song that sounds like it was rejected from The Pirates of the Carribean, but almost anything beats Third Strike's soundtrack, especially it's Title Theme. It's very bad, yet at the same time annoyingly catchy. It's gonna take a crowbar to pry it out of my brain.

Little Inferno didn't win? Lame.

1)Secret of Mana( I really wanted to vote for Dreamland but this theme is just great, I need to remember this is not a popularity contest)

2)Street Fighter 3

1) Secret of Mana (Return of Dreamland's title theme has grown on me over time, but I still wouldn't compare it favorably to Secret of Mana's, which is one of my personal favorite songs in the tournament.)
2) The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (I'm not a fan of either song in this match-up, but Oblivion's isn't grating to me like Third Strike's is.)

Okay... I'm fine with how the last round ended...
@CaptainSquid Thank you.

1. Secret of Mana
2. ...Ugh... both are awful. Gonna go with SF3 though.

Also, what's with the Zelda hate on the Oblivion comment page? I think I threw up a bit inside.

1. Kirby's Return to Dreamland
I'm surprised I'm the first to vote for this. It may not be a great title theme but its still good and its better than Fear of the Heavens which I find to be pretty average.
2. Ugh, I really don't want to vote for either but I agree with @CanisWolfred. While, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion's title theme is extremely dull and generic, its at least better than the grating yet annoyingly catchy title theme that SFIII: The Third Strike has so if I have to vote for one it would be Oblivion.

1. Kirby's Return to Dreamland
I always enjoy Kirby music and this is no exeption. The Secret of Mana theme is good, but another generic piano RPG theme in my eyes.

2. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Its not great and I certainly enjoy Morrowind's title theme to this one, but the Street Fighter song is annoying and not even enjoyable.

1) Secret of Mana
2) Street Fighter
I love the Street Fighter 3 Title theme (not at first however) as like the other SFs, SF3 was different, hardcore, and very entertaining.
Its too bad SF4 is a little too serious. They can learn a thing or two from Tekken.

...All of my nominations are destined to fail.
Every single one was matched up with one that's basically impossible to beat u_u

</3

Anyways.

1. Kirby's Return to Dreamland
I love this theme, hence me nominating it. Kirby music always gives me very happy vibes, and this theme in particular really makes you want to play the game. Secret of Mana's title theme is beautiful in its own way, but like @CapnPancakez said, it sort of just blends in with all the other SNES RPG title themes I've heard. I guess cliche is the word for it? It just doesn't really stand out to me.

2. Street Fighter 3: Third Strike
Surprise! Neither of the themes are good. At all. Which explains my annoyance with the fact that actually good themes have fallen, yet one of these two poor excuses will somehow make it one step farther. For some reason, I like the Street Fighter title theme a little better. It at least sounds like a fighting video game. Unlike Oblivion's title theme which sounds like a copy and paste rehash of Pirates of the Caribbean. At least Street Fighter 3's theme is original, and while cringeworthy, has its own identity. I'll take original-yet somewhat annoying over boring and unoriginal any day.

1) Kirby's Return to Dreamland
2) Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

1. Kirby's Return to Dreamland

I noticed some hate with Street Fighter 3: Third Strike's theme, and I am completely surprised, it's not because I nominated it, but this song is just...............what Street Fighter truly is about, fighting in the streets, this song is a rap yes, but it's one of the best raps I have ever heard, at least in a video game, it showed a different time for Capcom, it showed a different time for Street Fighter...............I still don't get why people hate it, if it was for Mighty Switch Force or Rhythm Thief, I wouldn't be like this, i'm not trying to be a sore loser, but I just want to know, Why!?!?

@CanisWolfred We have completely different opinions, I think the soundtrack is some of the series best, could you explain why you don't like the soundtrack, and could you give examples?

1)Kirby's Return to Dreamland
2)Oblivion Come on guys it's not that bad. Granted it's not as good as Skyrim, but it does have that feeling of a grand and vast adventure. Beats rap that's for sure.

I gotta give you credit, this is the first time I can recall being asked to extrapolate on my opinion of a song on this site. Kudos.

Anyways, I think I'll start with the Title theme, since I feel that is well indicative of the rest of the soundtrack. I listened to it one more time, and now I don't necessarily think it's bad. No, now it's just a dull, repetetive song. It plays pretty much the same 4 bars throughout the entire song with very little variation, regardless of the instrument, including the voice. I really dislike it when singing sounds repetitive, it sort of fades into the backround, especially since in this case it doesn't seem any bit louder than the rest of the instruments. That makes it difficult to understand the lyrics, and it just becomes noise.

Then there's the other instruments. I don't like how the guitar(? Not quite sure, but I think it's a guitar) is used, making occasional high-pitched notes that I'm used to hearing in funk or disco music, neither of which I'm fond of. I find it rather distracting, as it's one of the few notes that stand out in this song. I mean, it should work and add variety to the song, but it's usually the same set of notes and it happens rarely, so I'm not really feeling it.

I also felt the second singer could've been used to greater effect. What could've been a nice contrast just ends up being irritating - she has a good voice, but since it just sounds like she's yelling half the time, it ends up annoying me.

There are a few other parts, but ultimately, I just felt that song was very dull, repetitive, and occasionally irritating. And this is coming from someone who used to listen to a lot of techno...

I'll post more (hopefully far less lengthy) examples later. I gotta relisten to a few tracks, which could take a while. I don't remember liking any of the songs on the soundtrack, though.

1. Kirby's Return to Dreamland
2. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

1. Kirby
2. Street Fighter

1. Kirby's Return to Dreamland - I really enjoyed Return to Dreamland's soundtrack as a whole.
2. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Not much to say on this one.

1) secret of mana
2) street fighter

1: Secret of Mana. I like that Kirby theme, but SoM just takes the cake. (almost a joke because Kirby eats cakes? You decide.)
2: Elder Scrolls IV. It's pretty boring, but not nearly as puke-inducingly annoying as the SF3 theme. It hurt my ears. Certainly not what I'd expect from a Street Fighter game.

Now, this round reminds that I've still yet to play Kirby's Return and ES4: Oblivion...

@CanisWolfred Well I feel honored, but I respect your opinion, I guess it's just that I see something different in this song and the soundtrack then most other people here, sorta like how people see something in that Homestuck or Justin Bieber that I don't.