sonicmega's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Take Me Across]

This... this is beautiful!

My friend, I never thought simplicity could come in such a wonderful form in terms of musical prowess, yet here I sit stunned before you, unbelieving of what you've managed to create for your VERY FIRST SUBMISSION. This, if nothing else, is surely a sign of hope that Newgrounds still has a steady flow of viable Audio Portal regulars coming in to this very day.

Perhaps what surprised me most about this submission was the way it cleverly disguised what seemed to be a bad-quality recording of guitar-playing, then suddenly... "exploded"... into a whole nature of different rhythms and strings. I honestly did not see this coming, and trust me, it was a definitely enjoyable experience. Your composition remained consistent and fluid throughout the piece, with no stray sections or notes to ruin the listening experience. Are you SURE you have never done this before?

I must also remark on the influence of Maplestory that exists here, particularly at 1:45, but do not fear, for this was incorporated just as well and with open arms awaiting it.

Shortly put, my friend, you have created a gradual piece that has done everything to impress me, as well as even cause me to feel RELAXED. This was by far the most surprising first entry I have ever heard from a Newgrounds user, and if it continues this way, believe that I WILL be coming back for more! Congratulations!

shadowmana responds:

haha alright, thank you very much. The beginning transition is one of my favorite parts. I did that so that people might listen to it, maybe be a bit drawn away at first to the point of almost leaving. Then WHAM they're hit with something they just cannot move away from.

Thanks for the review!

[Entrance Me (Original Mix)]

A wonderful trance mix!

I will admit, the opening sequence of rain was a bit of an offset to the rest of this song, but I completely understand the purpose of it in this submission; to paint the setting, the locale, where the rest of the song takes place. In that respect you did extremely well, and I am more than happy to overlook the slight effect it had on the piece as a whole.

Regarding the rest of your song, simply beautiful is the word that comes to mind. It reminds me quite definitely of many of the more Trance-based Dance Dance Revolution songs I have come to love, and this submission is very alike in its execution; many of the beats and arrangements have a soft tone, but stand out in their own regard. Meshing is also important here, as well, and even here you succeeded very much so in providing a "plump harvest" of ripened notes. The fact that I hear this through stereo headphones certainly helps the ambiance of it all ;)

Overall, this is a well composed piece that surely deserved the rank it got, and I look forward to seeing what else you may have to offer the people of Newgrounds in the future. You've found your forte, my friend, now don't give it up for ANYTHING!

Mrmilkcarton responds:

Hehe music is my life.

[Squint]

For an early start, it's a good one!

I will definitely say that the beat in this song was the most admirable portion of it. The notes may not necessarily have had much structure to them, you nonetheless managed to capture a basic outline for a song that could be expounded upon in the future.

Perhaps what could be most improved within this piece is the nature of the notes themselves. I feel too distanced between each section because of the fact that their tone and source just doesn't blend that well. Nevertheless, there are hints of some organization here and there, and the separation of left and right speakers for some sound effects was a nice addition.

It isn't memorable, but it still has its moments!

[Rose At Nightfall]

An elegant prose in the form of thorn and bristle.

Being a video game fanatic, I am always one to be interested in hearing the newest production of what may possibly become the boss fight of a future submission, and it is my pleasure to say that this piece moved my inner child in a way few musical symphonies manage to; not just in spirit, but in intuition, imagination, and application.

The beginning of this submission is by far the most interesting, in that it shows quite clearly the contrast about to occur; the joyful tones of the hero (in the form of toy-block sounds) are soon met by the ominous hymns of "justice" standing in his/her way, and the ensuing combination results in nothing short of pure energy emanating from both participating parties.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of this piece lies in that while I almost always attempt to find a suitable game that already exists where the music I am hearing could have been utilized, I cannot name one offhand for this submission. This is not because it is not adaptive to its surroundings, but in fact because it is so original and unique that to tie it to a specific genre would be nothing less than disappointing.

What we have here, in shorter terms, is a masterful compilation of background tones and foreground beats that mesh together as a collective whole while still managing to battle against one another to flesh out the true life behind this piece. What you have done here is a feat rarely attained by others in its wake, and for that I commend you highly. Your submission has earned a place in my heart.

Congratulations, fine sir.

NemesisTheory responds:

Big review!

Video game fanatics are cool to respond to, especially when they go as indepth as this, it really means a song touched them, so I'm really happy it did the trick for you too. :D It's also amazing that the song touched you on so many levels! (didn't even know that was possible XD)

And yes, you totally nailed the idea behind that. The inner child, confrontation and beginning of the fight! :)

And that means I must've done a pretty good job lol... I like the idea that those songs are versatile and can be used in lots of different projects. :) So that's a big compliment, so thank you for that as well. :)

I'm really happy you liked the song that much, and I would be happy to see it in some of your submissions (I checked a few out before I writed this, they are really cool, your voice acting is awesome!), so dont hesitate to let me know if you want me to check something out! I'm especially curious how you'll use this song if you ever decide to use it. :)

Thank you for such an awesome review! :)

[Outset Island Orchestrated]

A simply excellent submission.

I've been wanting to write a review to this for so long, but until now I could not find the words to adequately expressed how impressed I am with this piece. My good sir, it would seem that the best word I could find to describe this submission in the shortest possible amount of time would be this: nostalgia.

Being an avid gamer, I have always been a fan of memories of games long since played in my mind, and especially of the interludes and melodies of the beginning towns one's character would often progress through as they first became accustomed to the game. IMMEDIATELY, your song reminded me of that same feeling, and almost at that same instant the tune began to bring back to mind a flurry of games with the same melodic nature: Wind Waker from Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy IX (or even X), and perhaps my most favorite game ever to have been placed in my presence, Legend of Mana.

Yet this is not what has earned this piece such high marks from a reviewer such as myself, for one could comment that my statement simply implies an IMITATION. The true majesty behind your creation lies in that although it carries this air of similarity along, you have successfully managed to place interweaving strings of notes together in such a fashion that the result is entirely original. part of me wants to search my old game archive just to make sure this song wasn't already used in one of them; it's simply that well put together.

In short, your masterful composition of this submission is what has earned it my rarely given mark of a 10, and consequentially a slot on my favorite music submission list. Already I imagine a slew of flash ideas that could incorporate this song for a MUCH better environmental feel, and the fact that I came back to listen to it once more just to review the piece as a whole should be plenty to prove to you that what you have here is more than a good creation. It, my good friend, is an idea beautifully executed.

[Clean You Like A Bidet]

A good premise, but execution is lacking.

I will admit that this song has some merit behind itself; at first, around the middle section of the song, I got the impression of that of a ditty during a riddle from the Professor Layton DS game, in that it was simplistically inquisitive in its nature, offering a wide range of high tones without any actual structure to it. However, since such a game that this would fit in has already been released, I fear that the usefulness of this piece is not quite as apparent as it might have been beforehand.

Simply put, the most damaging aspect behind this submission exists in the extreme lack of background tones and accompanying bits that give depth and life to the piece as a whole. What we have here is really just a half-handed attempt (in the lightest sense of an already cruel-sounding description) at symmetry between the notes presented, a trial that does manage to reach some sort of organization at random points, but otherwise does not have a definite structure to discuss. At the very minimum, the concept of a bass background comes to mind as I listen to this song, one deeper than the lower pitch already presented, perhaps even as its own solo, in order to show contrasting sections within the song, a conflict present even within the very notes that comprise the piece.

I apologize for the verbosity of the above paragraphs, since they seem more of an over-exaggerated attempt at an "intellectual" review, but the short end of my observation remains that what began as an original submission was quickly battered down by the few different sequences it offered. Improvement, however, could certainly make this a far more enjoyable piece.

[Now you're a hero]

Haha, this so deserved 1st place.

I knew as soon as I heard this song that it had that uniqueness that truly only comes once in a while. Excellent composition of music, my good sir, this truly did deserve 1st place of the week, and I'm happy to be right behind it <3

Seriously, kudos to this song. It's so simple, yet hilarious. Almost as though it were a parody of Portal...

Reachground responds:

Hey there Sonic. Thank you for your kind words **blush**.

To tell you the truth, this is not a parody of Portal. That game is awesome and Jonathan Coulton is a big inspiration.

Big thanks again. //Henrik

[*What Have I Done? *]

The battle had since been over...

...yet as he stared at the swords stabbed into the ground in front of him, their owners having placed them there in their final fit of rage, Lyde could not help but choke back the tears that now tore at him from the inside; his country had won the war, but to him it felt nothing like so.

His family, dead. His comrades, destroyed. His people... torn apart. Who would have known that such a decimation was to occur on this day; nay, who COULD have known? That did not matter anymore, however, for now all that continued to exist were but the memories of his land that once had been. He had no home to call his own any longer.

He was born a fighter, raised a valient swordsman.

Now, he lives a mercenary.

KTRECORDS responds:

Very deep. I like it. It was very well written as well. U must write as a hobby? Regardless, well done. Thanks for sharing your story!

-Jason
KTRECORDS

[lost garden loop]

I have to agree with the review above me.

This song has a REALLY nice feel to it, and I can already imagine the kinds of stages it would be used in. The only weakness here is in that transition, since it's purpose is to be a loop, but otherwise you have the workings of a great piece here!

sonicxtreme responds:

yeah...your both right...humm..well lets see from now on wut i can do...thanks for your visit and review

[Watch it all fly by]

Definitely an enjoyable song!

Although it's missing that "tang" that is needed to propel a song from awesome to exemplary, there is no reason not to enjoy listening to this song at LEAST once, as I am now :D

fat-barry responds:

I shall now spend my life looking for that "tang". lol. Thanks for your advice.