Most irritating music/sound f/x in a shmup

[pixeljunkie]

I used to hate the music in Rayxanber 3, but now I kinda' dig it.

I think the sound FX in alot of PCE shooters overpower the awesome music, which bothers me. Gate of Thunder for example. The shitty sound FX are WAY too loud.

[Klatrymadon]

Is Sapphire too obvious? The sound effects in this are simply hateful; obnoxiously loud, nosebleed-inducing barbed-wire-fence twangings to which prolonged exposure could probably cause tinnitus. Brrrrrr.

I think Bill is dead right about Irem's soundtracks and how the sfx detract from the experiences for the most part, but after Sapphire, hearing the sound of the Force pod's attachment is like being massaged with milk and honey.

[lgb]

r-type II stage 1, it makes me feel a bit sad because the other tracks are usually great

also I've been pissed off at ZUN music after sitting down with the fighting games because cool instruments... god I don't even know who did that, I don't think it's ZUN but maybe I'm wrong

some remixes also make me feel bad, and they tend to be remixes from the same guy! soulcalibur III (of the cursed image, specifically edit: OH WAIT DIFFERENT GUY) and cho ren sha (but GOD loser is VERY GOOD AT ANYTHING ELSE, FUCKING TULPENEMBLEMS, GOD, FUCK)
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Raiden Fighters Jet.

Worst music ever.

that's what I thought before I sat down to really listen to it, discovering it really isn't that bad

The music in the second stage of Border Down is pretty horrible. It sounds like the soundtrack to some 70's sitcom.

yeah it's kinda supposed to

Star Force gets kind of grating after a while, same for Halley's Comet

"dungeon" (to me it sounds Mario-ish) stage owns

Sakimoto's best shmup soundtrack is Shippu Mahou Daisakusen by far.

this

souky and his war stuff isn't bad though, ogre battle had nice tunes

[Gwyrgyn Blood]

Zing Zing Zip is kind of annoying to play with the sound on.

I think you are understating how bad the audio is in this game:
http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm8784414

Music is literally a 5 second clip looped indefinitely for every stage. I won't even get in to the voice overs.

[Specineff]

I've always noticed the music in Gunhed/Blazing Lazers to be quite short and repetitive. Like every 20 seconds or so, the music loops. Srsly.

[Dave_K.]

Ketsui lock-on sound effect in the "bugfix" rom. Why they decided to change this even though it wasn't related to any bugs is beyond me. Thankfully I don't have any crashing so I keep to the original rom. I'm sure any eventual console port is going to have it though.

[linko9]

RADIANT SILVERGUN's SOUNDTRACK IS CRAP!

Glad to see I'm not alone on this. Ikaruga's is much, much better, though still not great in my eyes (or ears). Personally, there aren't many shmup soundtracks that I like, and this is coming from a huge VG music nerd. I guess my favorites are the Gradius series and Twinbee. As far as recent shmups go, Galuda's ok, and if Touhou didn't use such irritating synth instruments, I'd probably like it a lot.

[Gespenst]

RADIANT SILVERGUN's SOUNDTRACK IS CRAP!

*runs away*

Agreed. Although even those who made it also made FFTactic's Soundtrack (which IMO also total crap)
Oh yeah, anybody haven't mentioned this:
RF2: THE BOMBER'S ENGINE NOISE IN HUMMINGBIRD'S STAGE (Sky stage). EARBLEED!

[gs68]

Gradius IV: "THE MISSILE IS NOT EQUIPPED YET!"

[saucykobold]

Batrider:
Please continue! Please continue! Please-please-pl-please-pl-pl-pl-please-now!

[Klatrymadon]

I've always noticed the music in Gunhed/Blazing Lazers to be quite short and repetitive. Like every 20 seconds or so, the music loops. Srsly.

I think that's more a problem of wishy-washy middle-of-the-road composition than length, mate. Quite a number of early Gradius tunes loop within 20-25 seconds, but they always manage to feel like cohesive, whole pieces of music and never outstay their welcome before a level's over.

Mind you, Gunhed's levels go on for about four years...

[CStarFlare]

Ketsui lock-on sound effect in the "bugfix" rom. Why they decided to change this even though it wasn't related to any bugs is beyond me. Thankfully I don't have any crashing so I keep to the original rom. I'm sure any eventual console port is going to have it though.

Are there any videos for comparison? I wasn't aware that the lock-on sound changed. Do either of the DVDs (INH/Death Label) use the bux fixed version?

[Dave_K.]

Ketsui lock-on sound effect in the "bugfix" rom. Why they decided to change this even though it wasn't related to any bugs is beyond me. Thankfully I don't have any crashing so I keep to the original rom. I'm sure any eventual console port is going to have it though.

Are there any videos for comparison? I wasn't aware that the lock-on sound changed. Do either of the DVDs (INH/Death Label) use the bux fixed version?

http://bigcore.rsdio.com/zakk/stuff/ketsui-sound.zip (thanks to zakk)

[PC Engine Fan X!]

I've always noticed the music in Gunhed/Blazing Lazers to be quite short and repetitive. Like every 20 seconds or so, the music loops. Srsly.

This is to be expected since it's only a 4MB Hu-Card game at best. At the very least, Compile tried their best with it.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Klatrymadon]

Ooh, I've got another one! The laser noise from Darius Plus. It's this awfully high-pitched chirp. I never used to think much of the early Darius games, but they've become firm favourites in recent years, and I frequently batter my thumb and wrist by firing fast enough for Plus' laser not to make its sound. Woe.

[ZOM]

Ooh, I've got another one! The laser noise from Darius Plus.

Ooooh yes! That sound is really disturbing - A shame, I love the game.

[Enhasa]

Speaking about Radiant Silvergun and Sakimoto for a sec again, Souky's is weird. Half of it sounds like RS and the other half doesn't. The part that doesn't is fucking fantastic, like stage 5 and stage 1 and some of the boss themes. Makes you wonder for these games, what exactly that Iwata fellow does. Maybe he's the one who should be famous and all.

And yeah, Ogre Battle is clearly the best out of the old traditional Sakimoto style.

Personally, there aren't many shmup soundtracks that I like, and this is coming from a huge VG music nerd.

Spoken like a true Cave player.

[CStarFlare]

http://bigcore.rsdio.com/zakk/stuff/ketsui-sound.zip (thanks to zakk)

Interesting. Thanks.

[Specineff]

I've always noticed the music in Gunhed/Blazing Lazers to be quite short and repetitive. Like every 20 seconds or so, the music loops. Srsly.

This is to be expected since it's only a 4MB Hu-Card game at best. At the very least, Compile tried their best with it.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Not to argue with you, PCE FX. I clocked Dragon Spirit's tracks, and some take up to two minutes to loop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPUgnYASSro Around the four-minute mark. "Kazan" is my favorite.

So I find it inexcusable for Compile to come up with such a meager soundtrack. On the other hand, Shinji Hosoe is awesome, and Namco really knew how to make good use of the PC Engine.

[Enhasa]

It's not very sporting to compare other stuff with Dragon Spirit.

[Doctor Fugue]

I can't think of a single example of STG music that I actually like, save for Radiant Silvergun and R-Type. For all other STG, I wish I could turn the music off and only listen to the sound effects.

Actually, it is the same with all genres for me. Driving games, fighting games, all games... I don't want to listen to any music. I must admit, however, this applies to the rest of my daily life; I generally don't like listening to music at all.

[Ed Oscuro]

I would like to say that listening to a bit of Mystic Riders in BridgeM1 turned me off the game for the longest time. I just fired it up in MAME and did a complete 180.

"180, you stupid, spaghetti-slurping cretin - 180! If I did a 360, I'd go completely around and end up back where I started!"

[Sturmvogel Prime]

Irritating Music
- Arrange Mode's Stage 1 BGM in Triggerheart Exelica
- Stage 1 BGM in Super EDF: Earth Defense Force

Irritating Sound FX
- The ''BONUS!!'' voice in Blazing Star

[Udderdude]

I can't think of a single example of STG music that I actually like, save for Radiant Silvergun and R-Type. For all other STG, I wish I could turn the music off and only listen to the sound effects.

Actually, it is the same with all genres for me. Driving games, fighting games, all games... I don't want to listen to any music. I must admit, however, this applies to the rest of my daily life; I generally don't like listening to music at all.

I think you just completely missed the point of this thread .. :X
Also you should try and find a genre of music you actually like.

[Doctor Fugue]

Pardon my misunderstanding of the thread. I thought it was a place to name the music or sound effects that we found most irritating in an STG. However, since I find nearly all STG music to be so totally annoying to the point of distraction, I thought it would be best to name the two that I actually do not mind hearing.

I then tried to explain my extreme stance by including a note about how I do not enjoy listening to music in general; that is, STG music is not the culprit for my distaste, but rather it is because of my own preference for silence. I apologize for my negativity. I am like one of those professional race car drivers who does not enjoy watching motor racing on TV.

[gameoverDude]

Actually, Blazing Lazers is a 3 Meg game (not 4M) and Dragon Spirit was done in only 2 Meg - with all 28 minutes of great BGM in there.

Blazing Lazers probably had less HuCard space left over after all the graphics were done, and I think the BGM guys got the short straw here. That said, BL's tracks still sound good - even if they loop more. BL does have a bit more going on graphically than DS, so I guess it would've needed to be a 4M card to match DS in soundtrack length. BL does break it up a bit and change the music for midbosses (which is really necessary in this case IMO).

[Kollision]

However, since I find nearly all STG music to be so totally annoying to the point of distraction, I thought it would be best to name the two that I actually do not mind hearing.

I feel sorry for you, buddy. Honestly.

[nZero]

Actually, Blazing Lazers is a 3 Meg game (not 4M) and Dragon Spirit was done in only 2 Meg - with all 28 minutes of great BGM in there. :shock:

Blazing Lazers probably had less HuCard space left over after all the graphics were done, and I think the BGM guys got the short straw here. That said, BL's tracks still sound good - even if they loop more. BL does have a bit more going on graphically than DS, so I guess it would've needed to be a 4M card to match DS in soundtrack length. BL does break it up a bit and change the music for midbosses (which is really necessary in this case IMO).

Actually Dragon Spirit's sound code takes up 40KB, Gunhed takes up 80KB (probably due to the additional space required for the voice samples). I think the BGM guys probably still got the short straw over at Compile when compared to Namco, but probably more in the time and budget department than the amount of space being taken up on the card.

[FRO]

Announcer from Donpachi...wow shut the fuck up you fat fuck

What? He's by far my favorite shmup announcer. Much better than the lady in DDP, who just sounds bored.

Agreed - the announcer in DonPachi annoyed me at first, but now it's one of those fun novelty things that I enjoy

I'd have to agree w/ those who say 1942, that was probably the one NES game that I could never bear to listen to the sound on. One of the reasons after all these years I STILL don't own the NES cart. Also, to the person who mentioned the 1943 "low energy" sound, I say YES! That always grates, despite my affection for the game itself.

[Skykid]

RADIANT SILVERGUN's SOUNDTRACK IS CRAP!

Glad to see I'm not alone on this. Ikaruga's is much, much better, though still not great in my eyes (or ears). Personally, there aren't many shmup soundtracks that I like, and this is coming from a huge VG music nerd. I guess my favorites are the Gradius series and Twinbee. As far as recent shmups go, Galuda's ok, and if Touhou didn't use such irritating synth instruments, I'd probably like it a lot.

What a load of tosh, Silvergun's soundtrack is sublime.

But both Silvergun and Ikaruga (...definitely Ikaruga) soundtracks are thoroughly trounced by Gradius V - by far and away Sakimoto's best work.