Why does Mega Man's music tend to be so generic? As in, every game after Mega Man 1 has a bunch of tracks that fit the general theme of the series, but do not sound like they belong to their assigned stages.
Fresh hot take
There are two options you can go with video game music. Music that just is good and fits the game, or music that is atmospheric and themed to the stage. Something like Metroid tends to do the latterMega Man being an action game where you're always running and shooting makes a lot more sense to just have energizing rock inspired music through out, rather than say put something creepy and slithery in Snake Man's stage cause snake, it's not an atmospheric series of games and you never really stop moving
>>11245606>the music fits>but uhhhhCan you substantiate your complaint or is it more 'muh bellyfeel' shit?
>>11245635Anon is saying you can basically swap the tracks of any two stages and they will still make senseIdk if I totally agree though, like check out Flame Man's Arabic-sounding theme in MM6 or Shade Man's "spooky"-sounding theme in MM7, or Freeze Man's wintery sounding theme evenI feel like it could honestly just be down to the fact that the first six games were 8-bit so they couldn't really do as much with the instruments. Still you could kind of get a feel for what they were trying to do with some themes, like Wave Man's theme is slightly more tropical and Tomahawk Man's theme has a slightly western feel to it. But what >>11245615 said is also true, they probably wanted to keep it feeling action-packed since it's a fairly fast-paced game
>>11245606>do not sound like they belong to their assigned stageshow the fuck are you going to put gemini man stage music to anything else and have it not sound out of place
>>11246156a bunch of tracks =/= all tracks for every stage
>>11245606https://shmuplations.com/megaman/>Kitamura: Composer Manami Matsumae was assigned to the MM1 development. I told her my image for the stages, and the bosses’ individual characteristics. On top of that, I said there should be a bright, lighthearted feeling associated with the hero, Mega Man. On Elec Man’s stage, she used these sounds that subtly suggest electricity. On Cut Man’s stage, the music somehow gives me an impression of metal. Her songs were all very high quality. It was actually her music that first caught management’s attention, and made them think, “these new teams are doing good work.”>After MM1 was released, it was decided that we’d do a sequel. For MM2, Takashi Tateishi was assigned as the composer, and I was really worried when I heard his first songs. I was taken aback—they were extremely cutesy sounding, like something from Bubble Bobble or Fantasy Zone…>I realized what his mistake had been. He had looked at pictures of Mega Man and truly worked hard to write songs that captured Mega Man’s world. Consequently they all ended up feeling like variations on the theme of Mega Man’s character.>When we requested songs from the composers, we’d send them pictures of the backgrounds and other sprites for guidance. The source of my worries with Tateishi’s initial compositions was that they didn’t match the game in-motion, while you were playing. They didn’t match the movement speed or actions (jumping, shooting) of the gameplay, so despite the fact that they were very good songs, they felt too “laid-back” in the game.
>He was going to have to re-write them. At that point, I decided to try giving him some new guidance. [...] To accomplish that, I also told Tateishi not to focus on melodies like he had been. I said to try and let the changes in the rhythm express it. I think writing this way was much more difficult. I didn’t want him to think about the visuals per se, but rather stay focused on the fact that these were going to be used in a game. (laughs)>But thanks to those efforts, we ended up with songs like Crash Man, Heat Man, and Quick Man’s stage themes. The short, repeated musical loops in Heat Man’s stage, and the intense music of Quick Man’s stage really contribute to the player’s sense of tension in-game. Tateishi did a great job. Of course I think MM1 is a good game, but in terms of all the challenges we faced and overcame, I think of MM2 as a major accomplishment.>Tateishi’s finished songs really exceeded my expectations. And it was cool seeing how he took ownership of them. At first, you see, it was just another job assigned to him. But as he gradually came to see these as his songs, the quality went way up. That made me really happy.>And so one day, here’s what happened. The usual pattern was that I’d go into the sound room and check on how he was doing. But one day, very unusually, he called me in, grinning, and said “I just finished something awesome!” That song was Wily Castle stage 1.>That song, for Tateishi and myself, represented a culmination of all our efforts on this music. It instilled in us this feeling, like we were real pros now. Looking back on it, it’s funny—for almost every part of MM2, there’s a cool little story like this. It’s such a mysterious game.
>>11245606Can we not?
>>11246352how can you prove gemini man stage wasn't included in OP's "a bunch of tracks"
>>11245606FINALLY SOMEONE SAYS ITim all for music, i love music and love osts, whenever I play something or watch something, I'm always attached to the music, and most of the times, it's the music what stays in ny memory. as someone with that interest in music... I sa y megaman music is overrated. most of it it's just noise. don't remember anything, megaman 4 3 6 whatever, they're all the same. and I don't like rock, and megaman overuses rock, especially X games. only remember the first X gameit's overrated, well it's rock metalshits stuff anyway, of course it's overratedonly music I like are the zero games, THAT is interesting music, not just noise
>>11245606What makes you think MM1 assigns them appropriately? What stops you from swapping Elecman and Iceman? Or Gutsman and Cutman?
>>11247282>I don't like rock, and megaman overuses rock, especially X gamesMost megaman games don't have actual rock music. It's just midi beeps and boops for NES and SNES, electronic music for X4 and X5, and only then does it actually sound like anything resembling rock from X6 to X8.
>it's a snow/ice stage therefore it should have long synth chords with a lot of reverb and some christmas bells!This is what everyone who says "the music don't fit the stage" think and want. They have zero imagination and just want a bunch of overused clichés.I say Crash Man's stage music fits because it fits the flow, rythm and originality of the stage. It wouldn't fit in any other stage.
>>11247282Mega Mans name in Japan is literally rock man.Also nobody cares if you don't like rock music, play a different game then. Go play gay shit like Mario that has ice cream truck music for all I care.
That's why I prefer 10's OST over 9's.
>>11247969people who listen to actual music and play instruments appreciate things like MM and classic Sonic tunes.conversely, manbabies who only listen to game music and soundtracks are bigger fans of things like DKC and Mario music.
>>11247282OP wasn't saying Mega Man has bad music. OP was saying the music doesn't seem like it was made for specific stages and so could be shuffled around without loss.Both OP and you are wrong by the way. If you love music that much then you should be able to recognize more than just noise in, say, Mega Man 3. Come on, dude, put a little attention into it.
aight you asked for itMM2:>Bubble Man - Relaxed tango rhythm and smooth harmonic progressions in the verse lead to a 'drifting' feel, while the heavy use of low pulse waves and mid-range triangle in the intro create the impression of the sound being heard from underwater>Heat Man - Tight funk rhythm, heavy percussion, short section lengths and fairly small frequency range 'compress' the music, befitting a stage taking place in a series of cramped tunnels that require carefully-planned movements, while the ascending response figures to the main verse melody give the impression of lava bubbling up from a pit>Wood Man - Faux-'wooden' percussion in the intro, while the galloping rhythm, darker chords, and drawn-out melody convey a sense of forward momentum fitting the 'gauntlet' nature of the stage>Air Man - Heavy chromaticism in the melody (and the rapid ascending figures during the solo) causes the music to feel precarious, as if being blown in different directions by the wind
>>11249415>Crash Man - Bassline and melody both center around ascending figures, with the bassline's chromatic walkups capturing the player's ladder climbing and the melody's constant upwards trajectory reflecting the seemingly-endless series of screens the player needs to traverse; additionally, the major key (and corresponding 'fun' tone) reflect the level's unique focus on vertical progression compared to the other stages, encouraging the player to approach its gradual challenges with levity>Flash Man - Chromatic, echoing figures in intro and chorus reflect the slippery physics and cavernous setting>Quick Man - Rapid, repetitive Latin rhythmic figures (with large pitch leaps in the accompaniment) with periodic noise percussion in the intro and verse rush the player, while the chorus's more deliberate pace provides a tenser counterpoint to the other sections that culminates in a rhythmic stop and tom fill designed to disrupt the player's flow>Metal Man - Ascending and descending figure in countermelody resembles the regular motion of a gear, while the sudden shifts in the intro between the low, drawn-out melody and staccato rhythmic stabs reflects the changing directions of the stage's conveyor belts
>>11249419MM3:>Gemini Man - Dissonant chords and theremin-like instrumentation throughout reference common staples of stereotypically 'alien' music, while the uptempo samba mood during the verse highlights the stage's more playful aspects (space tadpoles, space penguins, etc.)>Needle Man - Slower funk rhythm emphasizes the stage's focus on carefully navigating obstacles over speed, while the highlighted bassline during the intro continues a long association in action game VGM between low end melodies and construction - we can also view the legato triangle counterline in the intro as foreshadowing the aerial elements found in the Doc Robot version of the level>Snake Man - Disco rhythms combined with slinky verse and chorus melodies contribute to a 'serpentine' vibe, while the verse's instrumentation is reminiscent of a snake charmer's shehnai>Shadow Man - Heavy use of 'spy' (the closest Western analogue to the ninja, at least in terms of aesthetics) musical cliches like funk rhythms, blues-inspired melodies, and an emulated horn section
>>11249420>Spark Man - Rapidly ascending and descending figure in the intro countermelody creates the impression of an operating factory, aided by the 'motivational' Aeolian disco character of the verse melody; the ascending chromatic line that ends each verse section also reflects the rising platforms in the stage>Magnet Man - Not quite as characteristic as the others, although the unique major key may be attempting to represent the experience of flying with the magnet enemies in the stage or simply add some lightheartedness to a level based heavily on yoku blocks>Hard Man - Disco rhythm and accented melodies create an industrious, yet driving character befitting a quarry stage that prioritizing quick, spontaneous movements>Top Man - Fast blues rock style, centering around a small number of repeating riffs, hints at the motion of a carefully spun top, while the stop-start rhythmic fills found throughout achieve a similar flow-disrupting effect as Quick Man's theme and call attention to the variety of stage elements
>>11249423MM4:>Several stage themes feature a refrain section with classically-influenced minor key harmony, which rarely fits the 'theme' of the stage but reinforces the villain's Russian nationality>Dive Man - Surf rock-inflected percussion and harmony create an obvious connection to the stage's water theme, while the drawn-out melody and the echo effect applied to it lend a 'floaty' feeling to the overall sound>Drill Man - Similar to Hard Man's theme in its use of disco elements for an invigorating mine stage, this time aided by a repetitive arpeggio figure in the verse countermelody with a drill-like, sawtooth melodic contour>Toad Man - Funk elements (emphasized bassline, idiomatic horn lines) creates a 'slinky' mood befitting a sewer stage similar to Shadow Man's theme, while frequent simulated hi-hats imply the rain outside and the flowing water inside; additionally, the tight, harmonized melodic material of the refrain alternating with the loose, echoing soloing in the verse represent (respectively) the exterior and interior of the stage, and the frequent chromaticism in the bassline and solo conveys its slippery floors>Bright Man - High staccato triangle lines in the intro and verse evoke a machine powering on, while the lengthy phrases and upwards-oriented harmonic progression in the verse give the player space to analyze the (slightly) more puzzle-oriented obstacles found throughout the level
>>11249427>Pharaoh Man - Heavy tom drums and sweeping glissandi in the intro allude to the cliches of both 'exotica' music and adventure film scores, with the former quality also being referenced by the descending figure ending each phrase of the chorus; the driving percussion throughout encourages forward motion, while the highly melodic bassline and generally chaotic structure gives the sense of a rapidly-unfolding mystery>Ring Man - Meandering melodic character throughout creates a winding tone ideal to a level based around both carefully navigating over open spaces and clashing with a variety of minibosses>Dust Man - Warbling chords in the intro evoke the vast junkyard implied by the level's outset, with the descending chord progression, also found in the chorus, creating a sense of resignation; the verse's dirge-like melody and pounding snare rhythm then merge to push the player forward without losing the intro's darkness>Skull Man - A generic rock track, admittedly, although it would struggle to fit into any of the other stages given their own characteristic features
MM5:>Charge Man - Mixolydian harmony and melody throughout evoke the openness and exhilaration of riding a train's roof, with some low bass hits during the verse calling to mind a train's whistle; in-game, the normal percussion line is frequently interrupted with track noises>Wave Man - Latin rhythms, lowered tempo, a slow harmonic rhythm and a fairly low pitch range all contribute to a laid-back theme for a stage centered around avoiding stage hazards, floating up on giant bubbles and riding a jetski>Star Man - Uses similar devices to Gemini Man (dissonant harmony, high portamento lines reminiscent of the theremin) for a 'spacey' atmosphere, this time punctuated by periodic noise percussion to highlight the stage's more mechanical aspects and chromatically ascending and descending lines bookending the chorus to represent the level's floaty physics>Gravity Man - Intro uses winding staccato melodic fills to convey the gravity-flipping mechanic central to the stage, which is later reiterated by a similarly-complex passage in the breakdown; on a more conceptual level, the verse's upbeat tone invites the player to experiment with the feature's potential, while the more dissonant chorus following it reminds the player of its potential dangers
>>11249430>Gyro Man - Highly syncopated staccato chords open the theme with a bouncy character; most of the melodic figures are based off of either a rapidly ascending motion or a slower descending motion, while the intro and final section of the chorus both center around a sudden upwards shift in pitch>Crystal Man - Along with 'sparkling' chord stabs in the intro, nearly every pulse wave in the theme is played as a square wave, creating a hollow, 'crystalline' sound>Napalm Man - Dorian harmony throughout, wide melodic leaps during the intro and the end of the verse, and sudden key shifts all reference common cliches of 'adventure' film scores, highlighting the stage's military theme and emphasis on traps and surprise enemies>Stone Man - High counterline in verse evokes the ringing of pickaxes or mining equipment, along with the same (but less intense) disco elements from the likes of Hard Man and Drill Man
>>11249431MM6:>Wind Man - Heavy use of simulated cymbals throughout evoke the sound of a whooshing breeze, while the upbeat tempo and strong interplay of melody and countermelody throughout give the impression of moving freely through the air (also helped by the rapid chromatic descent at the end of the chorus - a positive twist on the device as seen in Air Man's theme)>Flame Man - All manner of quasi-Arabian cliches, including the Mixolydian mode used with its b7 scale degree emphasized, melodies harmonized in fifths, and a slow opening vaguely suggesting the introductory portion of an Indian classical piece>Blizzard Man - Not the most evocative theme in the series, although the slower rhythm compared to other themes in the soundtrack help to reinforce the more deliberate sections of the level>Plant Man - Latin rhythms and melodic devices appear in spades, most notably in the form of simulated congas (or perhaps bongos) in the percussion throughout, to create a sufficiently 'jungle-esque' atmosphere
>>11249435>Tomahawk Man - Galloping percussion throughout evokes the horses of the Wild West, aided by a dramatic, lyrical melody in the verse, pre-chorus (whose more tender character was arguably geared towards the sunset setpiece at the stage's midpoint), and chorus>Yamato Man - Mostly-pentatonic melody harmonized in fourths instantly establishes 'Asian' character of the level, while simulated kotos appear in the verse countermelody>Knight Man - Intro and chorus both play in an atypical triple meter with harmonic minor chords to evoke a classical European mood; the verse and pre-chorus counterlines take inspiration from Baroque music cliches with extensive ornamentation, non-lyrical melodic lines and a harpsichord-like timbre that later moves to the melody in the chorus>Centaur Man - Slow, repetitive melodic figures and a Mixolydian harmonic pallete in the intro and chorus (along with a Bubble Man-like echoing melody) convey the stage's relatively calm, watery setting, while the chorus's Phrygian dominant harmony references cliches commonly associated with Middle Eastern and Greek music in the ears of most Western listeners
>>11249415I'm gonna reply to all of your posts but these are some good write-ups.
>>11249442Ah fuck I meant I'm NOT gonna. I'm tired. Good posts still, Anon. I love the music of the Mega Man games, and it's good to see all of these descriptions for every stage theme like this.
>>11249415>>11249419>>11249420>>11249423>>11249427>>11249429>>11249430>>11249431>>11249435>>11249438Anon delivers! Great posts.
>>11245606Excuse you?
>>11249415
>>11249415Bro you should make videos or at least a blog or something on this. I've always wanted an actual in-depth analysis of the classic Mega Man soundtracks and how they relate to both the themes and the gameplay of their respective stages so this is awesome. Thank you.
>>11249745
>>11249415Blessed effortposter
>>11249415Can you do MM1? I know these were meant to counter OP's retarded take that didn't include the first game but still it was so interesting and I wanna save all this and give them each a listen later.
>>11250479If the thread stays up by tomorrow I'll go for it
>>11247967>it's not rlck because it doesnt use rock instruments until x6holy shit the iq right here>>11248032>Mega Mans name in Japan is literally rock manthank youwater is wetthank you for caring yo>>11248990grew up playing meganan as much as any other game. i remember being 14-15 and playing them allthey all the fucking same. 100 games and only 3 are hummablewhenever I play a game i ALWAYS remember its music, even if i played it jjst once and never touched it again. with something as praised as meganan i expected more, but got noosy rock shit insteadthere is that classic megaman song that sounds like a metallica songthere is that classic x rhino something song that literally got rock fanmade vocal covers because it literally is rockpower chords, can hear them all rockish power chords in x gamesflame mammoth, kuwanger something, whatever, etc, they all rock noiseit's not about variety it's about making anything even a lullaby a rock song. 100 games and they're all the sane. hell nes are supposed to be the most hummable,memorable, catchiest shit ever - not megaman'sagain, zero is the actual real good musicrock shit is the most pretentious shit ever. just look at how many anons here got angry, denial, about it. they even go "this is not real rock because" like the autistic they are always do, suddenly the power chords, the explosive guitar solos these games all had dont matter.I.
>>11252331>there is that classic megaman song that sounds like a metallica songflash manseek and destroyhad to google it. they're all the same
>>11252331>it's not rlck because it doesnt use rock instruments until x6YesGet real, retard. Capcom's first foray into 32bit consoles didn't have any fucking rock music in them.There's a character called Blues. There's no fucking blues music until MM11.
>>11252678t. this is rockfaggots knowledge about musicdamm this is a new low
>>11245606>Why does Mega Man's music tend to be so generic?because every single VGM composer heard how good that shit was and tried to copy it for the next decade or so. youre just lost in the retrospect
>>11249415>>11249419>>11249420>>11249423>>11249427>>11249429>>11249430>>11249431>>11249435>>11249438basedsomeone had to do it, and it sure wasnt gonna be me
>>11247967what drugs are you on? there's plenty of rock from x1-x3storm eagle, spark mandrill, x-hunter stage 1, toxic seahorse, blast hornet, doppler stage 1, etc etc
>>11252137Appreciate it
People getting into these pointless arguments all the time makes me wish they'd read Wittgenstein
>>11252137>>11250479MM1:>Ice Man - Chromatic runs during intro creating 'slippery' affect, while high echoed melody in verse gives the impression of shimmering ice in a vast tunnel; although present in nearly every song in the game, the heavy vibrato gives the impression of the lead instrument 'shivering'>Fire Man - Periodic noise percussion leads to a 'metallic' sound befitting the game's most industrial level, a trait also aided by the plodding chromatic bassline and minor classical harmony (a common technique for creating 'dire' music)>Bomb Man - Slower, Mixolydian feel encourages a methodical approach to the level's design>Guts Man - Blues influences throughout (mostly-pentatonic melody, emphasized chromatic walkdown from dominant to subdominant, repetitive melodic motifs) allude to common associations between blues music and the working class; low staccato leaps in intro could stand for rumbling rocks>Cut Man - High stabs initiating verse phrases imitate the sound of cutting metal; staccato articulations throughout literally 'cut' notes shorter than usual>Elec Man - Fast arpeggios ending each verse phrase give the impression of rapidly-flowing electricity; triangle wave solo during bridge bears a strong resemblance to the sine waves found in early electroacoustic instruments
>>11255919>MixolydianYou're making up words now.
>>11255919Thanks so much, this was great. Seriously you should make this a thing if you haven't already.
>>11245606I have no idea what you're talking about.
Personally I always associate the music themes of stages with the Robot Masters / Mavericks rather than with the stages, so in a sense I guess they paint more of an image of each character themselves to me than trying to paint the stage itself, and the mere act of inhabiting these stages flows over by proximity.And I'd still say some stages do manage to invoke a particular environmental feeling, but I don't know to put it into words. Something like Wave Man immediately brings to mind the water bubble mechanics, but that may be the nostalgia associated with the stage itself?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI0_v340OPM
>>11245606>play windman stage song >song doesn't sound like wind>play Egypt man stage>song doesn't sound like EgyptMega man a shit, WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!
>>11258091thanks - I have a video about the Sega Saturn's sound chip to make first, but I'll definitely think about doing some MM music analysis afterwards
>>11257654Looks like it's real https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixolydian_mode
>>11245606You're a retard and you're wrong
I love the rare effortpost in vr wish it happened more here
>>11245606>A series that objectively has amazing music >This retarded cock-hugging nigger faggot still complainsShoot yourself in the nutsack.
>>11245606Not everyone can afford to hire Koji Kondo.
>>11262514he's right though the music doesnt fit as well as say a sonic games music
