Sonic 4's Music Style

[LuminousNeon]

So something most of us know about Sonic games is that even if the game wasn't well-received, there are usually at least a few songs to like.

So, I want to discuss Sonic 4.
That game that really doesn't deserve the title of "The Sequel to Sonic 3&K".

I quite like the music style frankly, it's another way of remaking the genesis tunes. Though I wouldn't take it over Generations by any means.
A lot of the tracks are pretty catchy, like Episode 1's title and Sylvania Castle.

How do you feel about it?

 

[Mr Kixx Reborn]

Sonic The Hedgehog 4 even though it wasn't well-received is still a pretty mediocre game in my opinion. Sure it wasn't all that great but you could still have some enjoyment playing the game (It's like the fact that it's bad makes it good). Now between the 2 games I would defenitly put Episode 2 over 1 due to how better that game was in general, and although it didn't do as better as Episode 1 did Episode 2 got received better.

Now onto the music, Sonic 4 had some pretty decent music such as The Metal theme, Death Egg Mkii act 1, hell even the special stage music, now not all tracks were good, but they managed to create some nice tracks.

 

[Icarus]

It was bad.

 

[HPR]

The boss Music was actually cut from 3D blast all the way back then. Because they thought it wasn't good. Take that as you will.

 

[Chimes]

So something most of us know about Sonic games is that even if the game wasn't well-received, there are usually at least a few songs to like.

So, I want to discuss Sonic 4.
That game that really doesn't deserve the title of "The Sequel to Sonic 3&K".

I quite like the music style frankly, it's another way of remaking the genesis tunes. Though I wouldn't take it over Generations by any means.
A lot of the tracks are pretty catchy, like Episode 1's title and Sylvania Castle.

How do you feel about it?

As a practicing YM2612/YM3438 sound designer, I'd say that Sonic 4 actually would not be out of place in a early first-party 1988 MD release. And I mean that in the worst way possible.

The composition for Sonic 4's music is actually pretty fine: in fact I actually liked some of the songs like the Lost Labyrinth stage and Mad Gear. But the sound design... oh my fucking god is it horrible!!! Poor Jun Senoue restricted himself with these false limitations and it shows.
The music's sound design could've been so much better if SEGA went with a arranged soundtrack instead of that orgy of synths.

Not only do the sounds and the synth patches clash so hard, but more often or not the synths sound like Jun Senoue lugged out a PSS-470 with dying batteries and tried to get it to make sound.

It almost tempts me to want to make a actual arrangement for the YM2612 that doesn't sound horrible, but many people have already done so, and they've done a much better job than I could.

 

[Icarus]

This is a good thing that Mania didn't try to replicate the YM style like Forces which was a bad idea.