Music/Sound a big problem in Psikyo Shmups?

[MrOldSchoolCool]

I know most of you guys will disagree, but I've always thought that Psikyo shmups were pretty mediocre.

The gameplay is pretty straightforward (although admittedly quite solid), but I feel like the sound really brings it down.

My Opinion: The music (and sound in general really) is god awful. I know that gameplay should be the most important thing, but it just feels like a lack of attention to detail and really lazy. Plus, shmups are generally known for having great soundtracks.


What do you guys think?

[Eno]

I always thought even the die-hard high-scoring guide-writing Psikyo fans from here agreed that their soundtracks range from not memorable to definitely bad?

[Furry Fox Jet Pilot]

There are a few music tracks from Strikers 1945 II and Strikers 1999 that are quite good. Especially Strikers 1999, where some of my favorite tracks have that sad, epic feel like something you would hear in an action movie score. Maybe it's just me being a sucker for that type of melancholy-ish music, but Psikyo has some really good music tracks. I'll post the links tomorrow.

[trap15]

I like a lot of Psikyo music, but I can't deny that their samples are fucking atrocious as all hell.

[neorocker]

I dislike Psikyo music a lot. Zero Gunner 2 has some okay jams. I kinda dig Dragon Blaze's boss theme but that may be more up to constant exposure to it

[eatfrog]

A think both of the gunbirds have a couple of excellent tunes. A bit childish and pretty crap samples, but catchy melodies.

[KAI]

Great Illustrators, shitty composers, that's Psikyo for you..

[trap15]

shitty composers

I seriously beg to differ. The composition is amazing. The issue is the samples. Listen to the soundtrack to Varth, it's amazing and by the same composer.

[KAI]

Anything on the YM2151 sounds awesome.

[Eaglet]

This one for an example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN-5JnK46c0
is pretty good.

But i agree. Psikyo music in general is forgettable at best.
Especially from the Strikers games. So corny.

[neorocker]

Completely forgot about Gunbird! Haven't played it in a while, though. Definitely good music, just bland samples driving it. Definitely outshines most of the other stuff from Psikyo.

This one also came to mind as being decent: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snexawibnbs. That guitar powerchord sample is so loud! The melody is cool but totally lost.

[trap15]

This one also came to mind as being decent: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snexawibnbs. That guitar powerchord sample is so loud! The melody is cool but totally lost.

Yeah, that guitar sample is pretty much the single worst offender of all bad psikyo samples. It ruins basically every song it's in. Except at this point I think I have Stockholm syndrome because I kinda love it despite it being objectively fucking horrible

[MOSQUITO FIGHTER]

Yeah, Psikyo soundtracks aren't all that great. The best I can say about it is that the composer at least had his heart in the right place.

[Edge]

The Psikyo games don't have very good sound / music. But I never felt like it is that much of a problem. It is nothing special, but it does it's job. Sure, better sound and music would definitely make the games better. Still overall I don't feel like the mediocre sound is that big of an issue with their games. At least for me.

[lilmanjs]

Gunbird has great music. Sadly it is so short! Strikers 1945 plus though, worst offender! Can't say enough bad things. The psp port does remove the boss music.

[Squire Grooktook]

Music never bothers me. I'm great at compartmentalizing between gameplay and aesthetics. Often times if I spend quite a bit of time with a shmup, I'll start using a custom soundtrack even if I like the ost (unless it's something like Ketsui where "HOLY SHIT THIS OST IS ALL OF ME").

But yeah the music in Psikyo doesn't seem memorable. Not bad but not great either. I like their games but more the reason I haven't really gotten into them is too much static/memo based dodging for my tastes.

[EmperorIng]

Humorously enough, I think my favorite Psikyo tracks are in Sol Divide.

[Furry Fox Jet Pilot]

Listen to these:
Strikers 1945 II- Dam Buster http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpHnUap5NWY
Strikers 1945 II- Devil's Tower http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siwfJgcFYKI
Strikers 1945 III- Turn Red (Russia) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N13jug0oMbA
Strikers 1945 III- Another Side (Warp) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VxePBsd ... ature=plcp

[To Far Away Times]

Psikyo shmups have always come off mediocre to me. Everything from sound, visuals, gameplay... pretty much everything is average at best, to be honest.

[Pretas]

Sengoku Blade/Tengai has both great compositions and great samples.

[Despatche]

what a riduculous thread.

gunbird is easily one of the best shmup soundtracks in existence, and that is partly due to its samples; strikers 1945 and sengoku blade are close, provided you stick with the old version of strikers. gunbird 2 is just sad in comparison, and most of the other games really are bland, but both are still not so in the ways most of you are thinking.

Psikyo shmups have always come off mediocre to me. Everything from sound, visuals, gameplay... pretty much everything is average at best, to be honest.

not even once. "average" doesn't actually mean anything because people like you keep using it to describe things that they simply dislike, instead of things that are actually average versus a certain metric.

sengoku ace through sengoku blade is some of the nicest pure pixel art in existence, pretty much every other game is high quality pre-rendering, see above about the music, and the only games that play anything like them are games related to them to begin with... though raiden fighters has a bit of that feel.

[DJ Incompetent]

C'mon trap15! Hack me up a BGMless Strikers rom!
*poke* *poke* *pokepokepoke* I can superplay mix better than their sampling!
pwwweeeeeeeeaaaase! *poke*

[trap15]

Strikers has great music and if you disagree you suck

[DJ Incompetent]

awww rats!

[colour_thief]

I love how I click all the examples, the best that Psikyo has to offer, and think they're all forgetable. QED

Not trying to be a dick, I don't mind their games and in fact have PCBs of Gunbird 2 and Strikers 1999. But their music is at best inoffensive to me.

[Despatche]

if you have to "think" they're forgetable, i'm not sure the concept exists

[trap15]

Could you not be so pedantic all the time? The point he was getting across was "and come to the conclusion that they're all forgettable."

I imagine even people with severe social impairments could have figured that out.

[Despatche]

you're not saying anything different. a lot of "criticism" doesn't actually criticize anything, it just says "i don't like <x>" and then runs for it. i'm not being pedantic, that is actually what's meant by the term, like so many other terms. why should i be intellectually dishonest because everyone else is?

edit: yes yes i get it you're trolling it's cute you win can we move on now

[BIL]

Dear Patchy-kun,

You tend to have really good taste in VGM so I'm interested by the GB1 props, as its OST always struck me as tinkly Muzak trash just like the sequel's. I was possibly tuning them out, though - those games' style don't do it for me at all, except for that wacky old homosexual dude! Got any links? I'd like to give it a proper listen.

Regards, BIL

PS

I could swear Dragon Blaze's st5 boss BGM is ripped from Banjo Kazooie, it really upsets me to think Grant Kirkhope is being plagiarised this way. :{

[colour_thief]

a lot of "criticism" doesn't actually criticize anything, it just says "i don't like <x>" and then runs for it. i'm not being pedantic, that is actually what's meant by the term, like so many other terms. why should i be intellectually dishonest because everyone else is?

This isn't math, everything is subjective. Subjectively I would rather mute the music in Psikyo games, therefore it has failed on me. I can say I vastly prefer eg. Tetris the Grand Master 2's music which runs on Psikyo hardware. Psikyo's own music is just very bland and with poor quality samples. It doesn't do justice to the crazy gameplay, because it doesn't get you pumped for the insanity.