Stupid Poll(tm) IX

[mahlemiut]

Been a while since the last one, huh?

Here's the samples for you to compare:
http://mahlemiut.marpirc.net/fs-arc.ogg (Arcade)
http://mahlemiut.marpirc.net/fs-cpc.ogg (Amstrad CPC)
http://mahlemiut.marpirc.net/fs-x68k.ogg (Sharp X68000)
http://mahlemiut.marpirc.net/fs-towns.ogg (Fujitsu FM-Towns)

I did think of the C64 version also, but quite honestly, it sounded like crap.
If you have any other ports worth considering, post a link to a recording here and I'll add it to the poll.

[BeeJay]

It was a close call between the x68000 and the Fujitsu FM-Towns but the Fujitsu FM-Towns just won out with the better drum sequence at the start. Both of them caned the original arcade version, despite my memories of the arcade sound from all those twennies I wasted on it back in the day. The CPC one was just crap in my book.

Cheers,
BeeJay.

[mahlemiut]

Personally, I go for the X68000, simply because more effort goes into coding music using PSGs or FM chips, as opposed to simply telling it to play a specific CD audio track, which the FM Towns does. And it sounds better than the arcade version, as opposed to most x68000 ports which often have practically identical music to the arcade versions.

Sometime I find games with CD audio tracks have music that doesn't compare well to the arcade original. For example, I much prefer the music of the arcade version of Death Brade as opposed to the FM Towns version (although in MAME 0.139 someone seems to have increased the ADPCM volume waaaay too much). http://mahlemiut.marpirc.net/fmt_deathbrade.avi (for comparison, as emulated by MESS )

I guess I could make a video of the x68000 version also, if you can stand the annoying disk swapping. We'll ignore the SNES version, since it just plains sucks

[BeeJay]

Now had I known that one was just "playing back a recording" then I might have voted differently..... I guess I didn't really think much about that at the time.

Cheers,
BeeJay.

[The_Pro]

Good tunes, I wasn't aware of these versions of Sky Shark. Got a link to more of the X68000 and Fujitsu songs? Yes, the NES (not SNES) version was crap, both in terms of gameplay and music. Someone actually told me a while back that he thought the NES version was great, I almost hurt him, who was it again...

[mahlemiut]

Well, offhand, I have this video of Bubble Bubble for the X68000 (as emulated in MESS), which shows the nice loading music that it uses.
http://mahlemiut.marpirc.net/x68k_bubble.avi

Most X68000 games favour being as close to the arcade as possible, so generally music will be more or less identical. As for the FM Towns, it's usually not quite as arcade accurate, more due to weaker sound and video hardware (although it's still better than what the PCs of the time used). Some will just put recordings of the arcade music on CD audio tracks, but a fair amount will remix the music. Like Raiden Trad (http://mahlemiut.marpirc.net/fmt_raiden.avi).

[The_Pro]

Oh man, I feel a downloading binge coming on, time to grab MESS and some roms and see what songs I've been missing.

[The TJT]

Awesome stupid poll Barry.

I voted Sharp version cause it sounded best on first time listening, sort of moving along with good pace. Then I listened Fujitsu once more and it sounded better 2nd time around, drums and all - which turned me off in their all digital glory the first time around. Thanks Barry, this was like being in Gaga concert.

Now someone do the same with Atari arcade games, Marble would be my choice though. Peter Packrat and Paperboy good 2nd.