FF song bracket: Round 1, Group 17

[Flintlock]

Pick your four favourite songs from the selection above!

If you can't decide on just four, you can vote for as many as you want, but only in one poll of the 20 in the first round. The full list of upcoming polls can be found here.

You can listen to the songs in the playlist below.

This poll will be open for three days, and at least four songs will qualify for the next round.

Other popular names for these songs include:

Floating Continent - "New Continent"
Court Jesters - "Jesters of the Moon"
The Darkness of Eternity - "Dark Messenger"
Besaid - "Besaid Island"

For more information on this event, visit the discussion thread.

Spoiler: Newer versions of NES songs

 

[Tetsujin]

I've listened to Omnis Lacrima so many times ;_;

 

[Roger]

I am seeing the wrong playlist.

 

[Flintlock]

Fixed.

 

[Jason Tandro]

Coin of Fate is just another incredibly beautiful piece. Not quite on the feels level of Forever Rachel, but it's up there.

On That Day Five Years Ago is just vintage FF7 nostalgia and a very pretty piece.

Jesters of the Moon (Court Jesters) is among my favorite villain themes and is bouncy as all hell. Earns a point from me.

Besaid (FFX) is well deservedly in one of my top ten town themes, even though people have pointed out that it's not technically a town theme but the first field theme. Whoops. My bad, but I ain't even mad. It's beautiful.

 

[Roger]

Coin of Fate, Bombing Mission, Fight with Seymour and Sunleth Waterscape, lotta worthy choices here but picking a top 4 wasn't difficult.

 

[RedFFWolf]

On That Day, 5 Years Ago - One of my all-time favourites across all FF

Only a Plank between One and Perdition, Dark Messenger and Court Jesters get the rest of the votes, with Besaid missing out by a hair's breadth.

 

[Monterosa]

I just want to throw this in here because every version of Besaid is distinct and I'd like to share two of my all-time favourite pieces of music:

FFX HD Remaster

We're not supposed to vote based on piano versions, but this is too beautiful not to include:

Spoiler: FFX Piano Collections

 

[ForceStealer]

On That Day, Five Years Ago - Very pretty, emotional song.

Only a Plank Between One and Perdition - My favorite crisis theme. I love the driving beat of it, and the way it "skips" every fourth measure or so.

Court Jesters - Great song. I can't not tap my foot to it.

Darkness of Eternity - Always surprised the Black Mages never did this one, it's a rocking boss theme. I even learned to play this one awhile back.

Honorable mention to Sunleth Waterscape.

 

[Ghost X]

Floating Continent (Final Fantasy VI)
Opening - Bombing Mission (Final Fantasy VII)
The Darkness of Eternity (Final Fantasy IX)
Omnis Lacrima (Final Fantasy XV)

 

[Lex]

On that day five years ago
Opening - Bombing Mission (how can I not? It's epic)
Evil Forest (I'll always call it that)
Seymour

I would have liked to have voted for Omnis Lacrima because it's pretty fantastic. So is Sunleth Waterscape.

 

[Monterosa]

BTW, the poll includes Battle Theme 1 from Final Fantasy II, but the video is for Battle Scene from Final Fantasy I.

 

[Flintlock]

^ Thanks, fixed it. Anyone want to change their votes as a result?

The poll will close in a little over 24 hours, so here are mine.

My top pick is Coin of Fate. Reasons: I love Edgar & Sabin, I think their theme is already a very good composition, and I'm a sucker for slow, sad reprises (see also: Great Warrior).

My other votes are for On That Day, Five Years Ago..., Only a Plank Between One and Perdition (never understood the name though), and Besaid. And I know this is kind of an unpopular opinion, but I prefer the original Besaid to the remastered version. It fits the island so much better.

Honourable mentions to Opening - Bombing Mission and The Darkness of Eternity, both of which are going through anyway.

 

[Flare]

Danger in the Forest - Perfect song for that dark forest. I love the mysterious feel to this song; it doesn't sound dangerous at first, but there's a weird feeling to it when I listen that seems to suggest otherwise.

Besaid - I love this song so much, I listen to it a lot. It always puts me in a good state of mind, and makes me imagine walking along the sunny and shaded paths of that tropical island... or swimming in the color inlets and waters.

Fight with Seymour - I enjoy this song, and it suits Seymour.

Omnis Lacrima - Love it. Yoko Shimomura's music is gorgeous.

 

[Monterosa]

Initially I thought this group would be very difficult, but given that Opening - Bombing Mission will definitely be going through, I can put that aside and I'm neatly left with four excellent songs

Coin Of Fate The story of Edgar and Sabin is one of the most touching tales of brotherly love in any work of fiction I know, and this song makes it all the more emotional. The Piano Collections version is a favourite.

Only A Plank Between One And Perdition I still don't understand this song title, but whatever, it's a great song. This gets me fired up. One of my favourite musical moments in the game is when Selphie's crew run out to attack BGH251F2: this song gets you fired up for the battle ahead (a tricky one unless you spam GFs), and then when you start the fight it's almost like this and the boss theme were meant to always be together. Oh, nobody nominated Force Your Way for this contest... D'oh.

Danger In The Forest Somehow forest themes are consistently my favourite, this being no exception. The layers of harp arpeggios with the flute melody and those little chimes are beautiful. When the strings and choir come in, this becomes something truly mystical.

Besaid Whether we're talking about the original or the rearrangement for the HD release, Besaid is my all-time favourite Final Fantasy 'field' track.

I might say that the original is more fitting for the setting in-game.
Here we can hear a fusion of styles, with a highly melodic piano part, discordant bass undertones, and a wonderfully decorative electronic descant.

Chris of SquareEnixMusic.com says "A sense of fragility, calm, exoticness, and the influence of technology are simultaneously created, reflecting Besaid's scenery, history, atmosphere, and uncertain future all in one."

At first I was nervous about the HD remaster arrangement as I think the original is perfect, but I was astonished to hear that Hamauzu has kept elements of what makes the original so beautiful intact but reimagined it in a very different style. The electronic components remain, as does the piano, but everything is given a lighter and more naturalistic touch. I especially adore the addition of rainstick, which evokes gently cascading waterfalls, as well as the subtle chimes and bells which float around the melody. Choosing legato strings to take over the piano melody at 1:25 was a bold move and probably alienating for some listeners used to the original, but for me this lifts the atmosphere of the song into a new plane. I would go so far as to call it healing.

To those people who feel upset that this rearrangement has 'replaced' the original, perhaps think of them as two separate realisations of one musical concept. Given a chance to reimagine one's old works for a new age, no artist with a passion for his or her creations would leave everything untouched without some curious experimentation.


Honourable mentions
Floating Continent
On That Day, Five Years Ago...
Opening - Bombing Mission
Court Jesters
Darkness of Eternity
Omnis Lacrima

 

[Flare]

^I simply love the HD remaster's version of the Besaid song in X. I was nervous about it being remade, since I love the original so much, but I feel it's a perfect re-imagine of such a song. Different of course, more calming and 'beautiful' than the more upbeat version of the original. They both have quite different arrangements, yet they show you how you can take the same base tune and make two different atmospheres with it, while keeping both as beautiful pieces of music to listen to.

 

[Kuroto]

This was an awful group. I feel like I had just ripped my heart out and jumped on it fiercely. That's how difficult it was for me to vote in this group.

Only a Plank Between One and Perdition - I really like the rhythm in this piece. I notice how I hardly even listen to anything else than the piano going paadapa paadapa paada paada paadapa paadapa. It is so good!

Court Jesters - I was kinda surprised that I liked this piece as much as I do. I just think it's a really fun piece and I really like the melody. There's that one part in the song where the piano reminds me of the old movies with no sound. A really interesting piece.

Besaid - This is just such a beautiful piece. It's so simple and calm and yet there's nothing that needs to be added. I also really like the new version of this piece. Like Monterosa mentioned, I think the rainsticks are such a nice touch. Also I never mind hearing some violins and I think the violin sounds nice in this piece.

Fight with Seymour - It was tough picking the fourth piece in this group but in the end it had to be this one. The beginning is just so nice and then the rhythm comes in and the rest is just so groovy.

I never expected this group to be so hard. Honorable mentions go to Coin of Fate that marginally lost to Seymour and of course to The Darkness of Eternity.

 

[Super Mario]

Besaid baby, Long live Spira!

 

[Monterosa]

^I simply love the HD remaster's version of the Besaid song in X. I was nervous about it being remade, since I love the original so much, but I feel it's a perfect re-imagine of such a song. Different of course, more calming and 'beautiful' than the more upbeat version of the original. They both have quite different arrangements, yet they show you how you can take the same base tune and make two different atmospheres with it, while keeping both as beautiful pieces of music to listen to.

Besaid - This is just such a beautiful piece. It's so simple and calm and yet there's nothing that needs to be added. I also really like the new version of this piece. Like Monterosa mentioned, I think the rainsticks are such a nice touch. Also I never mind hearing some violins and I think the violin sounds nice in this piece.

Besaid baby, Long live Spira!

You are all my personal heroes today.

 

[Flintlock]

This poll is now closed. The songs which have definitely made it into the top 100 are:

Opening - Bombing Mission
Only a Plank Between One and Perdition
The Darkness of Eternity
Besaid

If your favourite song isn't on this list, don't despair! It might still get in as one of the best runners-up. The songs with the best chance of qualifying in this manner are:

Court Jesters
Fight With Seymour

We'll find out whether or not they've made it when tomorrow's polls close. Thanks for voting!

 

[Super Mario]

^I simply love the HD remaster's version of the Besaid song in X. I was nervous about it being remade, since I love the original so much, but I feel it's a perfect re-imagine of such a song. Different of course, more calming and 'beautiful' than the more upbeat version of the original. They both have quite different arrangements, yet they show you how you can take the same base tune and make two different atmospheres with it, while keeping both as beautiful pieces of music to listen to.

Besaid - This is just such a beautiful piece. It's so simple and calm and yet there's nothing that needs to be added. I also really like the new version of this piece. Like Monterosa mentioned, I think the rainsticks are such a nice touch. Also I never mind hearing some violins and I think the violin sounds nice in this piece.

Besaid baby, Long live Spira!

You are all my personal heroes today.

Any Spira lover is a hero.