New GFZ1 Track...

[SamVision]

is terrible.



No offense to the artists involved, but this new "version" of the track not only sounds completely different, it is also utterly inferior to the previous version. The original was a nice soothing melodious piece that felt like an appropriately chill introduction to the game. This new version seems to have taken a much worse approach and sounds like a mess. Even the indev version on youtube sounds better.

 

[Golden Shine]

I actually really like it! It sounds like a homecoming party, which really suits the joy and awe most people would get running into the new 2.2 GFZ1.

Story-wise it fits.....less so. Y'know, considering the fact we're entering the destroyed ruins once bustling with life, now overrun by Eggman.

"Yaaaay, everyone is dead!" - GFZ1, the song

 

[SamVision]

Actually I may be in the minority here, but the whole revised soundtrack is just worse than the previous version. GFZ1 is the worst offender but all of the tracks suffer from a lack of focus and energy. I still dont quite understand why the soundtrack needed to be redone, all the old tracks sounded just fine. Egg Rock Zone has been completely ruined and dont even get me started on Arid Canyon Zone.

 

[Knuckles MetalMind]

I personally love them more now, although I may be biased after hearing the old ones too much.


While sometimes I thought they were watered down on the first playthrough, after trying some emblem hunt, some of them get tiring after 10 minutes, specially THZ1. Aerial Garden is glorious, and I love the new GFZ, DSZ, ACZ and bosses ones. THZ gets tiring on long playthroughs but I think it's somehow better too. I've to hear more of RVZ and ERZ, but they sounded great on my first playthough too.

 

[clairebun]

is terrible.



No offense to the artists involved, but this new "version" of the track not only sounds completely different, it is also utterly inferior to the previous version. The original was a nice soothing melodious piece that felt like an appropriately chill introduction to the game. This new version seems to have taken a much worse approach and sounds like a mess. Even the indev version on youtube sounds better.

Hi! I was largely responsible for the rearrangement of the tune. I'm always interested to hear feedback from listeners to see if there are things that can be changed and improved.

Respectfully, I'm inclined to disagree with your assessment. I had several problems with the original composition, namely that it didn't feel as "soothing" as it did "grating". The flute melody felt very stale, the chords basic and predictable, and the general rhythm failed to live up to the brightness of many of the mainline classic Sonic games' first levels.

In part, my arrangement for Greenflower 1 was inspired by Green Grove 1 for the Genesis/MD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmEvL7trYmc

While the arrangement is not quite as active as Green Grove, it does share a similar upbeat rhythm to it, with a melody that is more explorative and less shy of dancing around.

I would argue that this new approach was practically necessary due to the changes that Greenflower received. It's not exactly the quiet hillside that it was in 2.1; the flowers are dancing, animals have more personality, and the hillside is decorated with trees and checkerboard flourish on the textures. It almost demands that the new track match the livelihood of the environment.



That being said, your opinion is noted, and I will take it into consideration with/against the rest of the feedback that I receive. The consensus thus far has been positive, however.

 

[JEV3]

I actually really like it! It sounds like a homecoming party, which really suits the joy and awe most people would get running into the new 2.2 GFZ1.

Story-wise it fits.....less so. Y'know, considering the fact we're entering the destroyed ruins once bustling with life, now overrun by Eggman.

"Yaaaay, everyone is dead!" - GFZ1, the song

Check the intro again. I sat through it wondering if it changed for this version and noticed that in addition to new badnik sprites, there are some other changes that might make greenflower a little more lighthearted.

The new version of the story fits better, Greenflower never felt like a ruined wasteland to me.

 

[Lliteqiel ꙮ]

Dunno Sam, personally I love the new takes on the music. I especially was not expecting Red Volcano to be redone to take a prehistoric kind of a personality and I adore the new theming that's been done to it. It's so much more than just a standard lava-filled cavern environment now, and its accompanying music just completes it for me.

I also appreciate both the new Egg Rock acts because it's not the same gods-forsaken repetitive loop of a guitar solo.

 

[JEV3]

Oh and I personally think every new track for SRB2 feels like it has so much more character and personality than they ever did before. Zones that had always had good music like GFZ and ACZ not only became better but felt more distinctive. Zones that I didn't used to care for so much (music-wise) had a huge improvement (CEZ and RVZ).

 

[Retroben]

I think much of the new music is trying too hard to sound similar to Sonic Mania music and I don't like the new tracks over the originals,its the scenario of original is a smash-hit while the new version in many ways just can't compete with the original song.

(I have a strong bias against Sonic Mania and its music style,again compared to smash-hit original songs they are based around,and also for a number of other reasons,one surrounding the Denuvo scare that could supposedly destroy your storage and another where it could've had a port on Android where I could've bought it on the Play Store,the Denuvo part left a bad taste in my mouth and kept me from bothering with getting it.)

 

[Zdrmonster12]

Note to everyone: If you want to have the old music, turn off Digital Music.

 

[ChaosX]

Now this is bit of a touchy topic with the 2.2 update, there are tracks that really blow the original ones out of the water, but some are just not as familiar or "suiting" as the old ones, I can put a few examples;


Deep Sea: Literally those 2 tracks could've done just fine if they went mostly untouched, maybe add a bit more presence by adding more synths and samples, maybe even updating the sounds of the instruments but that's it, changing the tempo and chords up really changed the already perfect mood of the original tunes into a somewhat more "happy" ambience which is definetly what I think Deep Sea doesn't hint to. It is a respectable effort but it sadly lacks what the original had in my opinion.


Arid Canyon: Again, the original act 1 tune was just perfect how it was, maybe upgrade stuff up but don't change the tempo and drums, especially the guitar chords! This song was my 2nd favourite over all pre-2.2, but now stands as, I think, my least favourite so far. For Act 2, it's ok since we never really got an official arrangement for act 2, although I think it sounds a bit too laid back? Maybe a bit more action could make it perfect, maybe add a real guitar instead of whatever that main synth is that makes it sound too much like a kazoo? An harmonica? So far anything's better than that synth to be honest. But overall, most of act 2 is nice.


Aerial Garden: Now this one... I mean, the revision doesn't sound too far off from the original one, but I gotta be honest when I say I totally didn't want this track changed at all, the original Aerial Garden track was my favourite out of anything in Srb2 pre-2.2, but this one lacks the tranquil and charming ambience and sound the original had, I like the new added epic synth, but I belive the track should've gone, at max, mostly unchanged.


That was my 2 cents on the new soundtrack for Srb2, there are more pros than cons, but those cons are, like, BIG, atleast for me. This update has been INCREDIBLE and I couldn't be happier to be alive now to play the biggest update yet to a game I've been following since early 2010. Props to Cobalt and everyone who contributed to the soundtrack, there are things to polish and change (hopefully you take my petpeeves as part of the changes hehe) but it's still an admirable improvement!

 

[Elyos03]

Aerial Garden: Now this one... I mean, the revision doesn't sound too far off from the original one, but I gotta be honest when I say I totally didn't want this track changed at all, the original Aerial Garden track was my favourite out of anything in Srb2 pre-2.2, but this one lacks the tranquil and charming ambience and sound the original had, I like the new added epic synth, but I belive the track should've gone, at max, mostly unchanged.

Isn't the new version based off the unused Acts 3/4 version that are used Mystic Realm?


(I know, it sounded a little confusing, but still.)

 

[SSNTails]

I have to say that there is nobody better around here to take over the musical duties for the game than CobaltBW.

The GFZ1 track takes a little getting used to because the original (especially the intro) is so seared into people's brains that it feels off when your subconscious is expecting it.
So if there has to be one edit to the GFZ1 track, I'd say just make the intro more like the original. The rest is definitely great.

Deep Sea was never that good IMO, so any change to it is a welcome improvement.

Castle Eggman is also an excellent remake, hitting the right points and good patch choices on Act 2, especially.

Red Volcano I'm less thrilled with, but it's passable. I love the new prehistoric motif that gives the stage exactly what it needed, but the music isn't quite as menacing as the difficulty....which leads me to...

If there's any tracks I'd have to pick as being at the bottom of the barrel in the new arrangements, it's Egg Rock. Yeah, the old version was pretty repetitive, but the new one just seems too unmemorable/ambient (Sonikku actually pointed this out to me as well, unprompted). I don't know what the fix is for here, although I will say that I do very much like this take on it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OBGk2OaMNk

I have a lot of other thoughts on other aspects of the game, but I think it's best for now that we congratulate the team for what they've done here and how far they've gotten. The first 90% of working on a game is easy. The last 10% to get an actual release out the door is grueling, tedious work that isn't fun at all. Now is the time to celebrate and rest.

 

[Augus]

The old GFZ music wasn't really soothing to me so much as it was just really boring and flat, as was most of the old soundtrack. The new soundtrack is a lot more lively and makes much more of an effort to sound like an authentic Sonic game. Old soundtrack sounds like a placeholder in comparison. There wasn't a lot of variety within the tracks themselves so they would get repetitive really really fast, even in zones you were blasting through in under 3 minutes. I know you've been listening to those midis for like 20 years now but try to have an open mind to changes.

 

[clairebun]

The GFZ1 track takes a little getting used to because the original (especially the intro) is so seared into people's brains that it feels off when your subconscious is expecting it.
So if there has to be one edit to the GFZ1 track, I'd say just make the intro more like the original. The rest is definitely great.

This is a fair point. I'd consider changing it, but by the time I did so, many people likely would have already gotten used to the 2.0.0 intro. And then we'd have the same problem. Rinse and repeat, lol

Deep Sea was never that good IMO, so any change to it is a welcome improvement.

I actually felt the original was pretty decent but just needed a couple coats of paint. I really love the direction Shane went with Act 1, though.

Red Volcano I'm less thrilled with, but it's passable. I love the new prehistoric motif that gives the stage exactly what it needed, but the music isn't quite as menacing as the difficulty....which leads me to...

I think both current RVZ1 and RVZ2 are pretty solid on their own, but the two acts are a bit similar to each other. While I didn't get time to, I was considering creating an "extra" track which basically would have been a remix of RVZ with the old tempo. Mixing this with the newly established tropical vibe would be an interesting experiment.

If there's any tracks I'd have to pick as being at the bottom of the barrel in the new arrangements, it's Egg Rock. Yeah, the old version was pretty repetitive, but the new one just seems too unmemorable/ambient (Sonikku actually pointed this out to me as well, unprompted). I don't know what the fix is for here, although I will say that I do very much like this take on it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OBGk2OaMNk

Egg Rock Zones 1 and 2 are tracks that I expected to get a lot of mixed feedback on. I'm pretty satisfied with how they came out, but I can understand how some people would feel like something's missing, as they definitely have a different feel to them (particularly Act 1). I'm curious if these new takes will grow on people over time or if the eventual ERZ level remakes make them feel more fitting.

 

[Augus]

I will say with ERZ is that the tracks feel a bit mismatched as they are. They're a lot more lively and fast-paced but ERZ remains a pretty slow-paced pair of levels, with a lot of sections comprised of very careful and deliberate platforming. Maybe this is because the track is being composed with the revamp of ERZ in mind, rather than the version of the stage that we currently have access to?

 

[clairebun]

I will say with ERZ is that the tracks feel a bit mismatched as they are. They're a lot more lively and fast-paced but ERZ remains a pretty slow-paced pair of levels, with a lot of sections comprised of very careful and deliberate platforming. Maybe this is because the track is being composed with the revamp of ERZ in mind, rather than the version of the stage that we currently have access to?

IIRC, my Act 2 is what prompted Nev3r to start working on the future map replacement for ERZ2. So, if anything, it was kind of the other way around. :p

They were largely changed with the pretense of "ERZ needs to sound less repetitive and more like Sonic music". I also disliked the old ERZ songs because they were poorly mixed, but that's more of a technical grievance than anything. The rhythm and tempo of new ERZ1 is actually not far off from the original, but it sounds a lot different due to the choice of instruments and the mood swings of each different section, with portions of the song being more distant and spacey, others sounding more busy and electronic. I'd say it's more of an alternate take on the moon station environment, rather than being exclusively meant for the remake. ERZ1 was also composed as a direct contrast to the new ERZ2 music, which takes the rock element of old ERZ and amplifies it two-fold.

 

[TelosTurntable]

New soundtrack gets nothing but praise from me, hits all of my favorite notes~ ... old GFZ is burned into my memory, but in the bad way, so I'm pretty glad with this. The whole soundtrack is pretty alive now, which fits the zones it goes along with. W-what? The hot topic is ERZ!? I'm late!?

I feel like the new EggRock Zone tracks really don't fit current ERZ at all- which is fine, the original songs were pretty closely tuned to the feel of the zone [besides, ERZ itself feels out of place with the rest of the game anyways.] Now - from the bits I've seen of the ERZ rework, that'll be fixed when we see it... and that scares me, because the vibe new EggRock tracks give off is somehow even more dangerous than their predecessors'.

I initially expected to hate any rework that pair, but I'm more than glad to say I appreciate the new edition! It's definitely necessary to fit in the new musical direction, at any rate.

Well- I guess I'll just have to wait and see about that when SRB2 Kai - The Final Chapters is released.
[I only just saw the post above: the fact that I was right for all of the wrong reasons amuses me deeply]

 

[ChaosX]

After a few times listening to both ERZ tracks, I really came to like them to be honest. Be it with the current versions of the stage, or the upcoming remakes, hearing the old tunes popping into bits of the new tracks was just an amazing feeling, I didn't really care if they fitted or not as I was having a blast listening to them while playing, and I guess that's a good sign.


In short with what I said previously, the new soundtrack is amazing, it is good to make changes but this big of a change can bring some slight conflict, it would be the right choice to consider and just don't completely take away the feeling and pace of select songs of the old soundtrack, as just in part dismissing what we've been hearing for years, bad or not, is kinda taking away a part of Srb2's style/history.

 

[Fizz]

I actually like every single track way better than the previous versions.
It has what we call, Groove
It's not even close.
the only thing I'd say is get a real guitar for ERZ and especially black core zone 3 where there's a-lot of cool guitar technique stuff going on that are made on a synth guitar instead of a real guitar, that's just personal taste.
Excellent job overall imo.