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8bit: Visual and acoustic consistency or divergence?


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#1 Sheik

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Posted 24 March 2019 - 05:10 AM

Here's a thing that I have been thinking about: What do you think about using more refined video game music in 8bit games? So, say you are making a Zelda quest with the gameboy tileset - everybody does these days (which is a good thing!). Now, would you prefer if the soundtrack used exclusively 8bit tunes or would you enjoy more elaborate compositions more?

Personally, I feel like there has to be some sort of consistency. Playing an 8 bit game using the Twilight Princess OST doesn't seem right to me. Now, there's a bit of leeway, though. I wouldn't complain if an 8bit game used 16bit music (say, using the LttP soundtrack in a Gameboy-styled game) if it wasn't a wild mix but fairly consistent.

What do you think about these things? Are you a sucker for consistency or do you think the visual and acoustic styles may reasonably diverge?


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#2 Shane

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Posted 24 March 2019 - 05:24 AM

I do like consistency, I did my best to search for obscure and unique GBC music that sounded great for my released quest. But I do know it can be hard finding that sort of stuff, speaking from experience. I'd personally go for 16bit music otherwise if I couldn't find anything fitting for 8bit.

 

I don't mind more modern soundtracks in something like a GB quest, as long as the music style and quality is consistent I suppose. This is probably more of a me thing but I don't really like having 8bit music next to something more elaborate. I can shrug it off but it's not really ideal for my own projects. Also kind of applies to sound effects, like 8bit sounding ones next to realistic sound effects.

 

I'd say go wild as long as your music selection in itself is consistent. Though your soundtrack would sound much better if it fit with the graphical style of your quest, of course. My personal taste will always be 8bit music though, especially for 8bit tilesets. GBC music still has a ton of charm for me.



#3 Eddard McHorn Van-Schnuder

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Posted 24 March 2019 - 08:48 AM

You can maintain a consistency that exists completely outside the realm of arbitrary hardware limitations. I agree though, generally I think 8-bit music tends to mesh better with Gameboy-type graphics, but I also think that if done right, anything can work.

 

That's a generic statement of course, anything *can* work "if done right", but I fully believe you could make a game with gameboy-type graphics and still make a straight up live orchestra-soundtrack feel right.



#4 klop422

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Posted 24 March 2019 - 10:10 AM

Personally, I prefer consistency, but I've gotten used to Classic quests with MIDI. I just want to hear 8-bit music, tbh :P

I'd say that, as with what it seems like everyone here thinks, the music has to be at least as 'advanced' aesthetically as the graphics.



#5 Lüt

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Posted 24 March 2019 - 11:07 AM

Using "live" audio recordings in an 8-bit quest be like:

nusery-rhymes-sing-along.jpg
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#6 Eddard McHorn Van-Schnuder

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Posted 24 March 2019 - 01:59 PM

Using "live" audio recordings in an 8-bit quest be like:

nusery-rhymes-sing-along.jpg

There's that, then there's Space Jam and Roger Rabbit. :P


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#7 Dark Ice Dragon

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Posted 24 March 2019 - 02:41 PM

i don't care if is 8 or 16 bit, the important thing for me is that the music is suitable for the surrounding environment of the level and, where possible, that expresses the feelings of the protagonist in that moment in history



#8 Moosh

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Posted 24 March 2019 - 10:24 PM

If I was a Music Man Famitracker Master some consistency would be nice, but good trackers are hard to come by compared to MIDI which in turn are infinitely hard to come by compared to OGG. Do what's possible within your means.


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#9 P-Tux7

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Posted 25 March 2019 - 03:19 AM

yeah um well if toby fox can put megalovania into an 8 bit game why can't we put awesome music like that into our quests  :toast:




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