One thing I appreciate most about these videos is the subtlety of the humour. Like how he puts Tchaikovsky on at 0:12:23, acts shocked, puts on "Hello, Happy Kingdom", smiles, satisfied... and moves on without mentioning it. So much more satisfying that wheedlingly pointing out "Oh, this was done a hundred years before by T--!!"
I really get the sensation that your love for this game mirrors that of my own. I rented it constantly as a kid and have fallen eternally in love with its soundtrack. Thank you so much for making this video with so much attention to detail and love. It means a lot to see people spreading the love for this game!
Just wanna say love your videos, found you through your Xeno 3 analysis stuff and it's great!, there's not much musical analysis of games on YT(from what I've seen anyway) so it's really cool to see these deep dives.
If you didn't know, "Hello, Happy Kingdom" also has a remix in Fortune Street for the Peach's Castle board. That one is structured more similarly to the original.
Super great moment to go through the soundtrack piece by piece. The key mark I personally realized ia that when you compare the SNES soundfront to modern instrumentations is that some of it's lead proposition like the bass in some tracks has more "OOopmh" than the more harmonized sounds of the orchestral counterpart.
Wow! Got to say it! You look like you are having so much fun! THAT, alone, guarantees that people will return to watch your whole video as their schedule allows! I know I certainly will! So great to see someone enjoying what they love! Other people have said in the comments that we need positivity right about now. Agreed! THANK YOU for making this video! Susan
Great video. Thank you so much for the detailed comparison, time to appreciate each song version, and all the passion that went into this. I'm 42 and connected very strongly with this game and this soundtrack when I was 15/16. Brought back a lot of fun memories, and gave me more appreciation for the remake.
Your analysis are always excellent and I love seeing your reactions to the music as a genuine fan. The feeling and passion shines through your voice and facial expressions! It´s incredible to have such good content from someone who´s as fanatic over Mario OSTs as I am! Keep up the amazing work!
@49:09 The title totally makes sense! 1) Some bells have names (cf. Big Ben). This one's called Mary. "Mary Bell" 2) Mary is well known for being happy. So they call her Merry Mary. "Merry Mary Bell" 3) She swings! "The Merry Mary Bell Rings" 4) Yaaay! "!!!" 5) ??? 6) ........yyyaaAAAAAAYYYY!!!! "!!!!!!!!!!!"
Lol! Watching more of your video this morning! I have to say, I love the title "A working mole is a happy mole!" As a CNA, I am one of the fortunate few who loves her job! And, in general, it is a blessing to HAVE a job, period. Even more when you love what you do! ...This is great music! Thanks, again, for making this video!! 😀
Amazing analysis video! I have to agree on some of the songs in the remake aren't on par with the original, but at least we have two versions to appreciate now for each song. I really loved the references to external songs (the classical tune you used for a brief moment in Toad Town, Scrub Scrub Scrub, etc).
9:18 I think that's fair even for Yoko. Considering that the Mario and Luigi series has battle themes like Come On, Showtime, and Try Try Again, Mario RPG's battle theme sounds a bit dull in comparison, at least in the original.
Thank you for doing a video on the Mario RPG soundtracks. For years, I've said that SMRPG had the best soundtrack of all Mario games (with the possible exception of Super Mario Galaxy); it has been underrated for so many years, but with this remake, this soundtrack may finally get the praise it deserves. In my opinion, when comparing the soundtracks to each other, it seemed to be bordering 50/50, giving a slight edge to the original soundtrack. I think the composer may have been trying a little too hard to make the tracks sound more fantastic and outstanding, which led to, as you put it, a "wall of sound" in some areas. Also, in the remade soundtrack, the bass doesn't seem to do some of the tracks justice like they did in the original, which is probably the biggest reason why I find the original soundtrack to be overall better.
Mathew Valente is also working on doing restorations of the original music by re-creating the songs with the original synths that the SNES sampled, you should check that out too!
Wonderful to see you back again, Nico! Thanks for taking us down this tunnel of brightness and positivity during these rapidly darkening days before the Winter Solstice. Had to pause the video to listen to the new "Where to?" in full... a few times... but I'll be back soon to relish the rest!
Glad you like it! I was a bit reluctant to let half the remake tracks play in full like that (especially when I'm not emoting the whole way), but the flow would be much worse if viewers had to keep leaving the video to go listen to them.
@@NicD Hmm. Yeah. I can imagine your struggle, on reflection. When I first watched the video, I noticed myself getting a little antsy in the first few minutes, having the urge to look at my phone. Then I recalibrated to the appropriate level of stimulus. I think we just have to accept that this is a more leisurely pace of video. I think the gameplay selections on the top right also play a role. They can add visual interest during the sections you're on pause. In the Mushroom Kingdom, there were a lot of goofy things going on. The toadstool's candid romantic backstory with his wife. Mario jumping on a kid's head and riding him around in a square (wtf). The guy "Simon Says"ing him into a hidden block. But the sections with less amusing visuals (dunno, bopping enemies on the head in a normal battle) might feel a bit slower. But in general, I think that's just the kind of video this is. Relaxing fare. People just have to adjust to that register.
And this video also forced me to choose my favorite songs from each version. Here they are, my top 10 songs from each: Original - Happy Adventure, Delightful Adventure - Heres Some Weapons - Grandpa and the Delightful Tadpoles - From Inside the Earthen Pipe - And My Names Booster - My Paradise (Monstro Town) - Barrel Volcano - Weapons Factory - Seeing Dreams Through the Window of the Stars - Happy Parade, Delightful Parade Remake - Battling Bowser - Battling Strongish Monsters - Lets Take the Midas River - Beware the Forest Mushrooms - Rose Town - Greeting from the Pipes - This is Booster Tower - And That Makes Me Booster - Shopping at Seaside Town - Battling Smithy
We have the same favorite song and the same favorite part of said song! You know your stuff! Edit: Also your reactions, like Mallow dancing, are everything. Edit 2: 33:08 Me in the next 3 months after I heard Rawest Forest for the first time. Edit 3: 1:15:16 Um. It's pronounced "Jino". Not "Gino". Edit 4: Thanks for the recommendations!
Thanks for the thoughtful comment! There's one thing though... There was some controversy in a previous video, so I am especially careful with contested name pronunciations now. ruclips.net/video/3EulwRCdacg/видео.html&lc=Ugx7fTF9wqHe5w0yhEx4AaABAg In this case, I could have gone with the consensus on how to pronounce Geno, but instead gave in to chaos and *pronounced it four different ways* over the video. 😁
Funnily Hello Happy Kingdom was used in another game, something I didn’t know until looking it up, there was a Remix done for Fortune Street, an Wii game made in 2011. This one in particular probably because it featured Nintendo characters and was also made by Square Enix
I honestly prefer the original battle themes. The main battle theme has that really nice catchy squarewave (the drumroll is much clearer too), the mini boss theme has a better record scratch effect, and I like the boss theme's drums better
Like you, I have a very soft spot for the original songs. I'm so glad the remake has the option to use them if you wish in the option settings. For my first playthrough though. I decided to use the new songs too. Lots of great bangers in there! My list is slightly different from yours as to which ones win out, but overall, solid soundtrack and solid critique! Thank you Nico!
This video and analysis is great and I enjoyed watching all the way through, it definitely is a good OST, however for me Yokos best work in the Mario RPG front is the Dream Team OST. It‘s just so so good, Dreamy Somnom Woods for example best forest theme I ever heard. I also love her work in the recent Mario Rabbids game with Battle at Beacon Beach. All that said my other fav Mario RPG OST is the Origami King one. There is this lovely concert about the whole games OST with so so many guest stars like David Wise, Grant Kirkhope and so so many more that I can‘t possibly list them all here. Origami King definitely has the best put together OST I think. I like it more than Thousand Year Door or this one here.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who isn't too fond of songs with too much reverb on everything, making all the different instruments melt together into a vague cloud of noise. That's something I couldn't stand in the Superstar Saga remake. Half of the music sounded like it was playing in a sewer.
Good gods, the Algorithm really must hate you with this video. Less than a thousand views after four days? And I legitimately watched the video about twice already. What else is a lowly RUclips watcher to do? (I also shared it with people, before you tell me to do that.)
This video combines the strengths of my two biggest videos on game music: it goes through the soundtrack of a Switch RPG (like for Xenoblade 3), but a Mario one, with an emphasis on references and comparisons (like for the Mario movie). I thought it was a slamdunk. It ended up the same length as my comparable Xenoblade 3 video, but with better click-through rate and view duration. Yet it has 16 times fewer views. I'm only replying now because I was so disheartened I took a break. In all frankness, post-XC3, I need more views for the amount I work I put in. I have no idea what happened or what could be done.
To be fair, I was listening to just the track, on earphones. There's an audible splice when the piano downslide starts: the instruments that just finished playing are cut out unnaturally. Looping a live recording is not trivial, even when planning for it; the audio engineers were probably left trying to cover up an imprecise repetition.
yesss finally someone else in agreement about the remaster ost seriously lacking bass when its the punchy bass that gives the original so much of its charm and is one of my fav things about the soundtrack, so having it mostly absent was so disappointing. Monstro town is also my fav track bc of its complexity like you noted and its remaster disappointed me so bad lol its just a messy wall of sound w/ no distinction btwn all the layers
One thing I appreciate most about these videos is the subtlety of the humour. Like how he puts Tchaikovsky on at 0:12:23, acts shocked, puts on "Hello, Happy Kingdom", smiles, satisfied... and moves on without mentioning it.
So much more satisfying that wheedlingly pointing out "Oh, this was done a hundred years before by T--!!"
This was also my way of avoiding wheedlingity when Toadofsky comes in later! And freeze-frame at 0:12:29 when the name comes in...
I think 15:11 might also be a Tchaikovsky reference? I forgot what it's called, but it prolly comes from somewhere in the Nutcracker suite
@@wileamyp Yeah, definitely a reference to Russian Dance Trepak from Nutcracker.
I really get the sensation that your love for this game mirrors that of my own. I rented it constantly as a kid and have fallen eternally in love with its soundtrack. Thank you so much for making this video with so much attention to detail and love. It means a lot to see people spreading the love for this game!
I'm completly with you on the "Batteling a Weapon Boss" Theme, I really miss the strong bass from the original :(
There is a variation that starts playing when you have a good chain going that has stronger drums, but overall, I think you’re right.
Just wanna say love your videos, found you through your Xeno 3 analysis stuff and it's great!, there's not much musical analysis of games on YT(from what I've seen anyway) so it's really cool to see these deep dives.
@32:33 "it's too staccato. It's like the lead is shy"
Hehehe. So insightful and so funny, Nico... (:
If you didn't know, "Hello, Happy Kingdom" also has a remix in Fortune Street for the Peach's Castle board. That one is structured more similarly to the original.
Super great moment to go through the soundtrack piece by piece. The key mark I personally realized ia that when you compare the SNES soundfront to modern instrumentations is that some of it's lead proposition like the bass in some tracks has more "OOopmh" than the more harmonized sounds of the orchestral counterpart.
Wow! Got to say it! You look like you are having so much fun! THAT, alone, guarantees that people will return to watch your whole video as their schedule allows! I know I certainly will! So great to see someone enjoying what they love! Other people have said in the comments that we need positivity right about now. Agreed! THANK YOU for making this video! Susan
Great video. Thank you so much for the detailed comparison, time to appreciate each song version, and all the passion that went into this. I'm 42 and connected very strongly with this game and this soundtrack when I was 15/16. Brought back a lot of fun memories, and gave me more appreciation for the remake.
Your videos are always so fun
Great content I really enjoyed it also I can’t tell if you are really good at staying still or some editing was involved but still great work 👍🏼
Your analysis are always excellent and I love seeing your reactions to the music as a genuine fan. The feeling and passion shines through your voice and facial expressions! It´s incredible to have such good content from someone who´s as fanatic over Mario OSTs as I am! Keep up the amazing work!
Merci à toi! Je vais me tapper toute ton analyse au complet. C'est ma soundtrack préférée de tous jeux confondus.
@49:09
The title totally makes sense!
1) Some bells have names (cf. Big Ben). This one's called Mary. "Mary Bell"
2) Mary is well known for being happy. So they call her Merry Mary. "Merry Mary Bell"
3) She swings! "The Merry Mary Bell Rings"
4) Yaaay! "!!!"
5) ???
6) ........yyyaaAAAAAAYYYY!!!! "!!!!!!!!!!!"
I accept.
i believe the title is supposed to be "the merry MARRY bell rings", marry with 2 r's instead of 1. makes way more sense.
@@Eligames2009 Who's gettin' hitched?
I just subscribed. This was beautiful.
Lol! Watching more of your video this morning! I have to say, I love the title "A working mole is a happy mole!" As a CNA, I am one of the fortunate few who loves her job! And, in general, it is a blessing to HAVE a job, period. Even more when you love what you do! ...This is great music! Thanks, again, for making this video!! 😀
Amazing analysis video! I have to agree on some of the songs in the remake aren't on par with the original, but at least we have two versions to appreciate now for each song. I really loved the references to external songs (the classical tune you used for a brief moment in Toad Town, Scrub Scrub Scrub, etc).
43:57 "That's filthy!" *smiles*
LOL. I get what he means, but it's a funny quote if devoid of context.
9:18 I think that's fair even for Yoko. Considering that the Mario and Luigi series has battle themes like Come On, Showtime, and Try Try Again, Mario RPG's battle theme sounds a bit dull in comparison, at least in the original.
Thank you for doing a video on the Mario RPG soundtracks. For years, I've said that SMRPG had the best soundtrack of all Mario games (with the possible exception of Super Mario Galaxy); it has been underrated for so many years, but with this remake, this soundtrack may finally get the praise it deserves.
In my opinion, when comparing the soundtracks to each other, it seemed to be bordering 50/50, giving a slight edge to the original soundtrack. I think the composer may have been trying a little too hard to make the tracks sound more fantastic and outstanding, which led to, as you put it, a "wall of sound" in some areas. Also, in the remade soundtrack, the bass doesn't seem to do some of the tracks justice like they did in the original, which is probably the biggest reason why I find the original soundtrack to be overall better.
You blew my mind in 10 seconds...I never made the connection with the world map theme!
Mathew Valente is also working on doing restorations of the original music by re-creating the songs with the original synths that the SNES sampled, you should check that out too!
Oooh, I was listening to his Chrono Trigger restorations the other day.
Wonderful to see you back again, Nico!
Thanks for taking us down this tunnel of brightness and positivity during these rapidly darkening days before the Winter Solstice.
Had to pause the video to listen to the new "Where to?" in full... a few times... but I'll be back soon to relish the rest!
Glad you like it!
I was a bit reluctant to let half the remake tracks play in full like that (especially when I'm not emoting the whole way), but the flow would be much worse if viewers had to keep leaving the video to go listen to them.
@@NicD
Hmm. Yeah. I can imagine your struggle, on reflection.
When I first watched the video, I noticed myself getting a little antsy in the first few minutes, having the urge to look at my phone. Then I recalibrated to the appropriate level of stimulus. I think we just have to accept that this is a more leisurely pace of video.
I think the gameplay selections on the top right also play a role. They can add visual interest during the sections you're on pause. In the Mushroom Kingdom, there were a lot of goofy things going on. The toadstool's candid romantic backstory with his wife. Mario jumping on a kid's head and riding him around in a square (wtf). The guy "Simon Says"ing him into a hidden block. But the sections with less amusing visuals (dunno, bopping enemies on the head in a normal battle) might feel a bit slower.
But in general, I think that's just the kind of video this is. Relaxing fare. People just have to adjust to that register.
And this video also forced me to choose my favorite songs from each version. Here they are, my top 10 songs from each:
Original
- Happy Adventure, Delightful Adventure
- Heres Some Weapons
- Grandpa and the Delightful Tadpoles
- From Inside the Earthen Pipe
- And My Names Booster
- My Paradise (Monstro Town)
- Barrel Volcano
- Weapons Factory
- Seeing Dreams Through the Window of the Stars
- Happy Parade, Delightful Parade
Remake
- Battling Bowser
- Battling Strongish Monsters
- Lets Take the Midas River
- Beware the Forest Mushrooms
- Rose Town
- Greeting from the Pipes
- This is Booster Tower
- And That Makes Me Booster
- Shopping at Seaside Town
- Battling Smithy
I remember being FLOORED at what they did with Rose Town! Strong contender for best track!
Shimomura is legendary man
I can't believe how good she is. Responsible for so much of my childhood!
We have the same favorite song and the same favorite part of said song! You know your stuff!
Edit: Also your reactions, like Mallow dancing, are everything.
Edit 2: 33:08 Me in the next 3 months after I heard Rawest Forest for the first time.
Edit 3: 1:15:16 Um. It's pronounced "Jino". Not "Gino".
Edit 4: Thanks for the recommendations!
Thanks for the thoughtful comment! There's one thing though...
There was some controversy in a previous video, so I am especially careful with contested name pronunciations now.
ruclips.net/video/3EulwRCdacg/видео.html&lc=Ugx7fTF9wqHe5w0yhEx4AaABAg
In this case, I could have gone with the consensus on how to pronounce Geno, but instead gave in to chaos and *pronounced it four different ways* over the video. 😁
@@NicD No worries! The video was awesome either you pronounced it right or wrong.
Oh I ensured I pronounced it wrong at least thrice!
The remake of Shopping at Seaside Town is such a bop!
Funnily Hello Happy Kingdom was used in another game, something I didn’t know until looking it up, there was a Remix done for Fortune Street, an Wii game made in 2011. This one in particular probably because it featured Nintendo characters and was also made by Square Enix
Indeed, it was unexpected! And Bowser's Castle returned in Mario Party. (I cut these references out for time.)
+ Love your work Nico! I still put you as the default shopkeeper in Crypt of the NecroDancer. (and your analysis here is top notch!)
I honestly prefer the original battle themes. The main battle theme has that really nice catchy squarewave (the drumroll is much clearer too), the mini boss theme has a better record scratch effect, and I like the boss theme's drums better
I also think the normal battle theme Melody is a little eargrading in the remake. Whereas the original is an easier listen.
I can only imagine what dancing mad (and may other FF 6) tracks would sound like if FF6 got a full blown remake with live intstruments.
Amazing video bro, thanks for that! 🎉🎉 You should compare tactics ogre music new and old!
Great video Nico
Exiting the forest is super simpleeee
All you have to do is follow these patterns
Like you, I have a very soft spot for the original songs. I'm so glad the remake has the option to use them if you wish in the option settings. For my first playthrough though. I decided to use the new songs too. Lots of great bangers in there! My list is slightly different from yours as to which ones win out, but overall, solid soundtrack and solid critique! Thank you Nico!
What a good video idea hopefully you do this for other games
Love you and videos you make, I would like to see Mana Series (Seiken Densetsu) analysis 😊
How come you don't blink at all when listening to the music?
This video and analysis is great and I enjoyed watching all the way through, it definitely is a good OST, however for me Yokos best work in the Mario RPG front is the Dream Team OST. It‘s just so so good, Dreamy Somnom Woods for example best forest theme I ever heard. I also love her work in the recent Mario Rabbids game with Battle at Beacon Beach.
All that said my other fav Mario RPG OST is the Origami King one. There is this lovely concert about the whole games OST with so so many guest stars like David Wise, Grant Kirkhope and so so many more that I can‘t possibly list them all here. Origami King definitely has the best put together OST I think. I like it more than Thousand Year Door or this one here.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who isn't too fond of songs with too much reverb on everything, making all the different instruments melt together into a vague cloud of noise.
That's something I couldn't stand in the Superstar Saga remake.
Half of the music sounded like it was playing in a sewer.
You alive? 9 months is a lot man
Good gods, the Algorithm really must hate you with this video. Less than a thousand views after four days? And I legitimately watched the video about twice already. What else is a lowly RUclips watcher to do?
(I also shared it with people, before you tell me to do that.)
This video combines the strengths of my two biggest videos on game music: it goes through the soundtrack of a Switch RPG (like for Xenoblade 3), but a Mario one, with an emphasis on references and comparisons (like for the Mario movie). I thought it was a slamdunk.
It ended up the same length as my comparable Xenoblade 3 video, but with better click-through rate and view duration. Yet it has 16 times fewer views. I'm only replying now because I was so disheartened I took a break. In all frankness, post-XC3, I need more views for the amount I work I put in.
I have no idea what happened or what could be done.
44:35 what do you mean with "glitchy" i dont hear it
To be fair, I was listening to just the track, on earphones. There's an audible splice when the piano downslide starts: the instruments that just finished playing are cut out unnaturally.
Looping a live recording is not trivial, even when planning for it; the audio engineers were probably left trying to cover up an imprecise repetition.
@@NicD aaaah interesting. I love your breakdown of the music though
💜‼️‼️🤠
Funny thing, that's how I actually write to my friends. I get you.
After watching the xenoblade video, i switch to that one, My 2 best video game, You're a genius
Next cover when
yesss finally someone else in agreement about the remaster ost seriously lacking bass when its the punchy bass that gives the original so much of its charm and is one of my fav things about the soundtrack, so having it mostly absent was so disappointing. Monstro town is also my fav track bc of its complexity like you noted and its remaster disappointed me so bad lol its just a messy wall of sound w/ no distinction btwn all the layers
Ayo dodge dodo's pecks?🤨🤨🤨