My favourite Game Gear track will always be Sunset Park Act 2 from Sonic Triple Trouble, it managed to have such a memorable melody despite the limitations of the chip
The SN76489 is the weakest PSG chip in my opinion but people still managed to push out some hardcore bangers on it. X-Men pretty much shaped the music taste I have today.
Yes, I love when Sega 8 bits gets hardcore! Loved that you included Sonic 2 GG boss theme, the SMS one is different , but the 8 bits is definitely more on the line of the hardcore themes shown here. Scrambled Egg zone would have fitted, too. Funny that you say it is on the line with something like the prodigy, as the sound is in fact heavily based on 808 State's Cubik. Many of the themes composed by Naofumi Hataya and Masafumi Ogata for Sonic 2 8 bits, Sonic Chaos and Sonic CD are heavily inspired by 808 State. Great mix as always!
funny, I associate 808 State with Pacific 202, which is a completely different vibe from the same album. but you're right, Cubik is basically the blueprint for half these songs!
2:10 Game Gear Sonic 2's Boss theme actually quotes an old dance tune. The riff is nearly identical to the grungy bass in 808 State's Cubik. The same two composers (Naofumi Hataya, Masafumi Ogata) who worked on the Japanese sonic CD soundtrack also did Sonic 2 for the Game Gear. Needless to say, they were fans of Breakbeat Hardcore, since it's all over Sonic CD.
My favorite Gamegear track is "Epitaph" from Vampire: Master of Darkness, wich i think has some of the best music on the system. Also the Wonderboy games have pretty good soundtracks on Gamegear and Master System. Sonic Chaos is another example where the Gamegear has some different tracks in some stages compared to the Master System version.
1:89 A little context, the same sound chip in the game gear and master system was used as a secondary sound chip in the genesis. The streets of rage games used this chip to play one or two instruments in the genesis versions, but here on the game gear it's doing the heavy lifting for the whole track.
With the lack of lowers notes and crappy feature deal (and the game gear sound is a crappy deal for the composer I totally believe it's what killed the neo Geo pocket using the same chip) it forces the composer to push the limits into another direction.
oh dang, I didn't make the connection til you mentioned it! I wonder if they're both drawing from a specific dance tune that got popular, or if it's built from first principals (it's a good phrygian riff)
I had a GG in the day and while I liked the console overall I hated the sound chip. And honestly, I still kinda do. This video sums up my feelings about most of its tunes just being busy and noisy. The only GG OSTs I ever enjoyed were Yuzo Kushiro's work, because he was a genius. Otherwise, at most I tolerated them. (Defenders of Oasis wasn't bad.) Still, thanks for trying to find good tunes.
The square channels go only as low as 109Hz (slightly lower than A2). You can make a drum kick with it, which sounds alright, especially on small speakers. I don't think it is used like that in any game. But i used it in my remixes of Streets of Rage and Funky Fugue. It is possible to go lower on the noise channel using periodic noise, but the timbre of that noise is unsuitable for a drum kick, but it can be used as a bass. That type of noise is rarely used in games. Most noticeable games are Alien 3 and a few Lemmings tunes. None of the games in your video use periodic noise. And i don't know any games with dance music which did.
The Game Gear version of _Road Rash:_ you're missing out. ;-) That would be on top ten soundtrack lists even if the Genesis version didn't exist. Especially if the Genesis version didn't exist. ;-)
that's a really fun question, because the answer is kind of subjective! usually, any dissonance is fine as long as you eventually resolve it to some sort of consonance, but then the blues came along and said "there is no resolving. every chord has a tritone." and it's a good and popular sound! I'd argue that the songs featured here borrow from that, albeit more leaning into the unstable sound for the sake of energy. the fact that dance music is built around loops also helps. as a wise man said several times: repetition legitimizes.
You should check the music made with the General Instruments AY family chips. However, in this case it cannot he handled by system. The Intellivision, for an instance, has a short library and the use of the chip as a music synthesizer is scarce but it was very well used. On the other hand, the ST has few good examples that are worth noting since most are poor or serviceable renditions of Arcade or Amiga tunes.
How many different drums could this chip produce? It seems like they all sound the same. But I've heard this chip make some good sounding drums but it was only on the Genesis. Did the extra processor allow it to make more variations not possible on the GG?
@@Archer690Channel true true... But the NES can make half way convincing snare, kicks, high hat...things like that. Seems like the SMS can do ssssssssss or shhhhhhhh lol
@@f.k.b.16 yeah, the periodic noise mode on the NES is *really* good. nice and metallic. the periodic mode on the SMS/GG is just a pulse wave. that, plus the fact that you can only use 3 pitches by default, makes the system struggle with percussion
@@GSTChannelVEVO It sounds very similar to the Game Gear and Game Boy sound-wise, but also a little bit different. Could just be my nostalgia talking 😅
I hear you. I was (and somewhat still am) a SEGA geek but it's weird how some games had 3 times better graphics but still felt inferior to the NES because the sound chip..
hey there! I forgo narration in most of my videos, for the sake of a focus on the music. I do have some exceptions in a playlist titled "Learn something", or the "Interviews: Primary Sources" playlist. That said, none of those videos are anything like the "realistic games" video. Even if you don't stick around, I appreciate seeing that you gave my other videos a look. cheers
Some of them are kinda bad to my ears, I _really_ don't like the X-Men and Batman tune. An acquired taste maybe? But some are alright. The Matt Furniss stuff definitely sticks out, and I liked Max Man. Duck Dub Dub was ok too. It's really just the lack of bass notes that kill the SN7 for me, as when people use the "noise bass" trick, it utterly transforms the tune and suddenly I no longer feel like I'm listening on crappy speakers!
that's the eternal struggle 😔 I'm really fascinated by the batman tune in particular. i love the feel of the composition but the complete lack of low end is overwhelming. I may revisit it for my next video, the "add bass" mix, lol
Ooo we're entering the Game Gear arc!!
My favourite Game Gear track will always be Sunset Park Act 2 from Sonic Triple Trouble, it managed to have such a memorable melody despite the limitations of the chip
Anyone familiar with Yuzou Koshiro already knew this console can make banger tunes. ;)
The SN76489 is the weakest PSG chip in my opinion but people still managed to push out some hardcore bangers on it. X-Men pretty much shaped the music taste I have today.
Yes, I love when Sega 8 bits gets hardcore! Loved that you included Sonic 2 GG boss theme, the SMS one is different , but the 8 bits is definitely more on the line of the hardcore themes shown here. Scrambled Egg zone would have fitted, too. Funny that you say it is on the line with something like the prodigy, as the sound is in fact heavily based on 808 State's Cubik. Many of the themes composed by Naofumi Hataya and Masafumi Ogata for Sonic 2 8 bits, Sonic Chaos and Sonic CD are heavily inspired by 808 State. Great mix as always!
funny, I associate 808 State with Pacific 202, which is a completely different vibe from the same album. but you're right, Cubik is basically the blueprint for half these songs!
0:10 I thought for a second this might have been Norio Hanzawa, because it sounds like Seven Force's theme.
Huh, yeah. I wonder if he was inspired by that song.
2:10 Game Gear Sonic 2's Boss theme actually quotes an old dance tune. The riff is nearly identical to the grungy bass in 808 State's Cubik.
The same two composers (Naofumi Hataya, Masafumi Ogata) who worked on the Japanese sonic CD soundtrack also did Sonic 2 for the Game Gear. Needless to say, they were fans of Breakbeat Hardcore, since it's all over Sonic CD.
My favorite Gamegear track is "Epitaph" from Vampire: Master of Darkness, wich i think has some of the best music on the system. Also the Wonderboy games have pretty good soundtracks on Gamegear and Master System. Sonic Chaos is another example where the Gamegear has some different tracks in some stages compared to the Master System version.
This mix is gonna break your legs, and that's a promise.
1:89 A little context, the same sound chip in the game gear and master system was used as a secondary sound chip in the genesis. The streets of rage games used this chip to play one or two instruments in the genesis versions, but here on the game gear it's doing the heavy lifting for the whole track.
With the lack of lowers notes and crappy feature deal (and the game gear sound is a crappy deal for the composer I totally believe it's what killed the neo Geo pocket using the same chip) it forces the composer to push the limits into another direction.
Oh damn, new GSTMix, gotta get out the fine china for this one.
First song is literally plagiarized from Gunstar Heroes' theme of Seven Force.
oh dang, I didn't make the connection til you mentioned it!
I wonder if they're both drawing from a specific dance tune that got popular, or if it's built from first principals (it's a good phrygian riff)
YESSSSSS Sonic 2 GG made bus rides so much fun! Glad to hear the boss battle theme in the mix!
Gotta admit, these were some really cool arrangements!
The presence of an SNK game in this got me wondering if Neo Geo Pocket games will appear during this arc of the channel..
Shinobi & robocop ❤
I had a GG in the day and while I liked the console overall I hated the sound chip. And honestly, I still kinda do. This video sums up my feelings about most of its tunes just being busy and noisy. The only GG OSTs I ever enjoyed were Yuzo Kushiro's work, because he was a genius. Otherwise, at most I tolerated them. (Defenders of Oasis wasn't bad.) Still, thanks for trying to find good tunes.
The square channels go only as low as 109Hz (slightly lower than A2). You can make a drum kick with it, which sounds alright, especially on small speakers. I don't think it is used like that in any game. But i used it in my remixes of Streets of Rage and Funky Fugue.
It is possible to go lower on the noise channel using periodic noise, but the timbre of that noise is unsuitable for a drum kick, but it can be used as a bass. That type of noise is rarely used in games. Most noticeable games are Alien 3 and a few Lemmings tunes. None of the games in your video use periodic noise. And i don't know any games with dance music which did.
The Game Gear version of _Road Rash:_ you're missing out. ;-) That would be on top ten soundtrack lists even if the Genesis version didn't exist. Especially if the Genesis version didn't exist. ;-)
The first track is straight up a PSG remix of Seven Force from Gunstar Heroes?
Needs more alien 3, the flash, road rash!
I got 2 gg cartridge :D
seamless transitions
some of these were really good, but at what point is dissonance just bad sounds
that's a really fun question, because the answer is kind of subjective!
usually, any dissonance is fine as long as you eventually resolve it to some sort of consonance, but then the blues came along and said "there is no resolving. every chord has a tritone."
and it's a good and popular sound!
I'd argue that the songs featured here borrow from that, albeit more leaning into the unstable sound for the sake of energy.
the fact that dance music is built around loops also helps. as a wise man said several times: repetition legitimizes.
Thinking about it, I'm curious how composers/devs would have reacted if the Mega Genny's PSG had the stereo capabilities of the Game Gear?
HIGH DEFINITION STEREO SOUND
@@GSTChannelVEVO Well, I suppose dual mono is technically stereo ;).
Many of these sound similar and even the composition in many are too close to be a coincidence. That being said, there are some gems
You should check the music made with the General Instruments AY family chips.
However, in this case it cannot he handled by system. The Intellivision, for an instance, has a short library and the use of the chip as a music synthesizer is scarce but it was very well used. On the other hand, the ST has few good examples that are worth noting since most are poor or serviceable renditions of Arcade or Amiga tunes.
I associate the AY with that really cool ringmod-ish feature that Factor6 uses. it's a more capable chip for its noise generation alone imo :P
How many different drums could this chip produce? It seems like they all sound the same. But I've heard this chip make some good sounding drums but it was only on the Genesis. Did the extra processor allow it to make more variations not possible on the GG?
i think all the drums on the gamegear are just noise at different pitches
@@Archer690Channel true true... But the NES can make half way convincing snare, kicks, high hat...things like that. Seems like the SMS can do ssssssssss or shhhhhhhh lol
@@f.k.b.16 yeah, the periodic noise mode on the NES is *really* good. nice and metallic. the periodic mode on the SMS/GG is just a pulse wave. that, plus the fact that you can only use 3 pitches by default, makes the system struggle with percussion
Super enjoyable listening mix, and excellent commentary to boot 🤘. Think you might ever do one of these for the Neo Geo Pocket?
I'm not sure, tbh! I am aware of it, at the very least...
@@GSTChannelVEVO It sounds very similar to the Game Gear and Game Boy sound-wise, but also a little bit different. Could just be my nostalgia talking 😅
Slaaaaam Dunku!11
It’s a pity that SEGA didn’t think of adding at least the duty cycle of the pulse channels to the sound chip, the music would have been much better.
I hear you. I was (and somewhat still am) a SEGA geek but it's weird how some games had 3 times better graphics but still felt inferior to the NES because the sound chip..
Nah man. wheres your voice at? Im not doing this..
hey there! I forgo narration in most of my videos, for the sake of a focus on the music.
I do have some exceptions in a playlist titled "Learn something", or the "Interviews: Primary Sources" playlist. That said, none of those videos are anything like the "realistic games" video.
Even if you don't stick around, I appreciate seeing that you gave my other videos a look. cheers
SN76489 ♥
Some of them are kinda bad to my ears, I _really_ don't like the X-Men and Batman tune. An acquired taste maybe? But some are alright. The Matt Furniss stuff definitely sticks out, and I liked Max Man. Duck Dub Dub was ok too. It's really just the lack of bass notes that kill the SN7 for me, as when people use the "noise bass" trick, it utterly transforms the tune and suddenly I no longer feel like I'm listening on crappy speakers!
that's the eternal struggle 😔
I'm really fascinated by the batman tune in particular. i love the feel of the composition but the complete lack of low end is overwhelming. I may revisit it for my next video, the "add bass" mix, lol