Disc's Creatively Named Medley of Miscellany

[Dubious Disc]

guys i made a

made a blog​

I couldn't come up with a cool and witty name like everyone else has, so I just did this instead. I really wanted to name it Disc World, but it didn't feel right since I've never actually read Discworld and I didn't want to reference something I knew nothing about lol

Anyway, hello! I'm Disc. I guess this is my little pocket dimension? I started this because I wanted a place to talk about the video game music I like (fair warning right now it's 90% just Kirby and Mega Man X, maybe Splatoon), but there's probably gonna be some other stuff here too. I most likely won't talk about anything going on in my actual life, more just stuff related to my interests and whatever happens to walk into my head at the moment. I might ramble about art stuff too, if it isn't directly related to what I post in my art thread.

I'll say in advance that I probably won't post a lot of Pokémon-related content here. I might every now and then, but most of the Pokémon stuff I have to say fits well enough in other sections, so this is just like an extra pile for the stuff that doesn't fit anywhere else.

I get a bit lonely sometimes since it's so hard for me to approach people, so please feel free to stop by and say howdy (i use this face so much lol)

じゃあね!

 

[Dubious Disc]

Well, before anything else... 100 posts! I wanted number 100 to be something more significant than a typical F&G/OtB post, so I figured I might as well post something here.

As forewarned in the previous post, I like Kirby music a lot, thus this entry is dedicated to Kirby music. I recently decided to rank some of the themes in the Kirby games, like boss themes, final boss themes, first stage themes, and I thought instead of just letting my lists sit around with no audience, I might as well release them into my own personal void (here).

We begin the song ranking journey with Kirby boss themes! A few guidelines I used for picking the themes:

• Only including the games' generic story mode boss themes, the ones that play at the end of levels. Also including extra mode themes where applicable.
• Not including unique boss themes like Grand Doomer, Core Kabula, King Dedede, anything like that (this includes the Parallel Meta Knight + Dedede theme).
• In games with remakes, I'm considering the original version (in the case of Super Star Ultra and Nightmare in Dream Land I like the originals better, and Return to Dream Land Deluxe is practically the same apart from very minor differences).

To be completely clear: this isn't meant to be an objective ranking, just a measure of which themes I, personally, as an individual, like most. Very few things bother me more than people framing their opinions as objective facts, so I want to make certain that this is just my own personal preference and not an indication of which themes are actually good or bad.

Spoiler: #17 - #14

• [#17] Kirby's Dream Land 2 - Boss (no official title, though I've seen it called "It's Boss Time" occasionally)
  • I…don't like KDL2 music…haha…honestly though, almost every song in this soundtrack just hurts my ears. It's not the songs themselves that's the problem, just the weird crunchy sound. Yeah, I don't like this theme.
• [#16] Kirby's Adventure - Boss
  • It's definitely a Kirby-boss-sounding theme, but not super interesting? It just feels a bit underwhelming.
• [#15] Kirby: Squeak Squad - Boss Battle
  • A mid theme for a mid game. Maybe it's because I haven't played Squeak Squad, but it always seemed rather forgettable to me, and this theme feels forgettable too. It's very repetitive, nothing really makes it stand out.
• [#14] Kirby: Squeak Squad - VS. Squeak Squad
  • It's just the Squeaks theme, but less interesting. I guess it's kinda cool how it's mixed into the boss theme, but not much.

(I know the Squeak Squad videos have different titles, localization of Kirby music titles has always been weird)

Spoiler: #13 - #10

• [#13] Kirby's Dream Land - Boss Theme
  • Honestly…it's kind of annoying. There's a good melody in there, but it's hidden behind the constant beeping in the foreground. And it's not quite iconic enough for me to overlook its flaws.
• [#12] Kirby Star Allies - A Battle of Friends and Bonds
  • Honestly,,,, I could never bring myself to care about this theme. It just feels a bit underwhelming. Doesn't hit very hard. I'm sure it's a good theme, I just personally don't find it that interesting. Oddly enough, I think it'd make a pretty good stage theme. I just don't like it as a boss theme.
• [#11] Kirby & The Amazing Mirror - Boss Battle Theme
  • I associate this theme with Dark Mind so much that I sometimes forget it's the game's normal boss theme too. It's okay, I guess. The instruments are funky, but there's some parts that get annoying. It's not one of my favorites, but not one of my least favorites, either. Just kinda there.
• [#10] Kirby's Dream Land 3 - Boss (no official title)
  • I haven't paid much attention to KDL3's music, but this one is actually pretty good. It's got a nice variety of sounds and a good beat. Catchy SNES music for the win. (It actually kinda sounds like Kirby 64? Not sure if that's just me.)

Spoiler: #09 - #06

• [#09] Kirby and the Forgotten Land - VS. Dangerous Beast
  • This one…meh. The intro is great, the beginning part is interesting, but I kinda lost interest in it as it went on. It keeps changing just as it starts to get good, and eventually it loses a lot of the tension and just feels a bit bland. If it had kept more of the beginning's energy throughout, I probably would have liked it more. I'm only ranking it high because I like the intro.
• [#08] Kirby Super Star - Boss Battle
  • Like almost every song in Kirby Super Star, it's iconic AND a banger.
• [#07] Kirby Star Allies - Another World to Win
  • A boss theme I don't like, but in an energetic electric guitar arrangement? Now we're talking! Genuinely though, I like this version a lot more than A Battle of Friends and Bonds. It actually feels like a boss theme, instead of the stage-theme-sounding original version. There's a lot of tension and energy that the original doesn't have. The Meta Knight/King Dedede version is even better, since it incorporates their unique motifs.
• [#06] Kirby: Planet Robobot - Vs. The Wicked Company
  • Thematically, this fits super well. It's a big contrast to other Kirby boss themes because of its more electronic sound, but the instruments and its use of the Haltmann Works motif makes it really clear that this is a Planet Robobot theme. It fits the "wicked company" theme well too, it's more menacing than Triple Deluxe's more playful boss theme. I like mechanical-sounding themes like this, so this (and the entire KPR soundtrack, honestly) is right up my alley.

Spoiler: #05 - #02

• [#05] Kirby and the Forgotten Land - VS. Psychic Power Given Form
  • That elephant trumpet at the beginning is so annoying, but other than that? It's a great theme. It definitely has that "battle in a parallel world" feeling. Instead of falling off like the main boss theme does, this one keeps building up and getting more interesting.
• [#04] Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards - Boss
  • All "RULES OF NATURE" jokes aside, this is definitely one of my favorites. The beat is really catchy and it's a good balance between cheerful and pumped-up.
• [#03] Kirby: Triple Deluxe - Bouncing Boss Battle
  • I feel like this definitely fits the whimsical fairy-tale aesthetic of Triple Deluxe. While Return to Dream Land's boss theme is more intense and Planet Robobot's is more mechanical, this is more funky and has a sort of magical feel to it. The beat is really good, too. A lot of these themes have good beats.
• [#02] Kirby's Return to Dream Land - Blazing! Boss Battle
  • Now THIS is a boss theme. Not only can you and your friends take down Popstar's toughest enemies, but you can vibe to an awesome theme while you're doing it! The instruments and beat make this a really triumphant, driving song; the intro sounds menacing, like the boss you're facing, but after that, it quickly becomes more confident and catchy, getting you into the fighting spirit.

And finally...

Spoiler: #01

• [#01] Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe - Hot! Elemental Boss Battle
  • They took an already good boss theme, and they did the "darker electric-guitar-focused alternate-dimension arrangement" thing that Star Allies did. And it's glorious. It's a remix of the main boss theme, but it's got a completely different feeling: it's not as upbeat as before, it's got more intensity to it, since the stakes are higher in this story. Finally using Welcome Your New Overlord's motif in a remix? Yes, please. And that tiny bit of Magolor's theme right about a minute in? Perfection.

So that's that! I have to admit, I psyched myself out of doing this a fair number of times, mostly because of that little voice in my head insisting that "people here don't care about Kirby music! They don't care what you have to say about Kirby music! Nobody will listen to you!" I tend to get really worked up about things like this, and it's why I often start to write something before deciding "nah, never mind" and deleting it. A lot of my drafts go nowhere, simply because I worry about what people will think about them. Caring too much about how people will react is absolutely one of my biggest flaws, and undoubtedly it's caused me a lot of issues. Anyway, that kinda got away from the point. The point is, I like talking about Kirby music, and I don't really have anywhere else to talk about Kirby music, so you're just gonna have to deal with me talking about Kirby music. Let me have my fun, okey dokey?

Next time I feel like doing rankings it'll be Kirby final boss themes (of which there are many). And maybe in the meantime I'll post about other non-music-related stuff too.
じゃあね!

(i couldn't find a transparent version, sorry--)​

 

[Dubious Disc]

I couldn't think of anything else to post, so ranking Kirby final boss themes it is.
Including multiple phases, not including:

• Extra mode final bosses (ex. Galacta Knight, Morpho Knight)
• Pre-final bosses (ex. President Haltmann, Hyness, Leongar)
  • Miracle Matter is included because it's the final boss for the bad ending.
• Nightmare's Power Orb or Duel in the Darkened Sky, because they're just very short loops without much melody.
• Themes from "final attack" sequences like Dark Mind's third form or the drill against Star Dream.
• Themes from remakes, like before with the boss themes.

This probably goes without saying, but spoilers for every main-series Kirby game here. To be fair, if you aren't already a Kirby fan the spoilers won't make much sense, and if you are a Kirby fan you'll probably already know who all the bosses are, so I guess the spoiler warning doesn't matter much. But it's there.

Spoiler: #22 - #18

• [#22] Kirby's Dream Land 2 - VS. Dark Matter
  • It's definitely ominous. And surprisingly for a Dream Land 2 track, I don't hate it! (Okay, I don't actually hate DL2 music, but I just don't like it much.) But it's a bit short and repetitive.
• [#21] Kirby's Dream Land 3 - VS. Dark Matter (Hyper Zone 1) (no official title)
  • I mean, it's good, but…I feel like it doesn't fit Dark Matter that well? It's got a jittery unsettling feel at times, but parts of it seem way too cheerful for a Dark Matter theme. I guess my problem with it is that the tone changes too much. It starts out ominous, but then it becomes upbeat and happy-sounding, then becomes ominous again, and it's difficult to keep track of. It's got a really catchy beat, though, so I can forgive that. I'm a big fan of catchy beats.
• [#20] Kirby & the Amazing Mirror - Dark Mind (Second Form)
  • I'll admit, after listening to the Star Allies remix of this theme, the original is a bit underwhelming in comparison. It's catchy and all, but not one of my favorites. I like it, but there's better themes out there.
• [#19] Kirby's Adventure - Final Boss
  • The beginning part is super catchy. The middle, not so much. They kinda cancel each other out to make a "pretty okay" theme. It's good, but I probably couldn't listen to it on repeat for long. I think it fits Nightmare pretty well, so that's a point in its favor.
• [#18] Kirby: Squeak Squad - Dark Nebula Battle
  • Ah, the lamest and most universally hated Kirby final boss…It's actually a pretty good theme, though. It's got an interesting melody, and of course a catchy beat.

Spoiler: #17 - #13

• [#17] Kirby's Dream Land 3 - VS. Zero (Hyper Zone 2) (no official title)
  • I thought Dark Matter's theme wasn't fitting, but this theme absolutely fits Zero. It also gets weirdly upbeat at times, but it's got unsettling instruments and melodies throughout to always keep you on edge. The way the main melody goes from one ear to another is kind of eerie too. It's too discomforting to listen to it just for the sake of listening, so I don't really like it as a song, but I do appreciate it as a boss theme.
• [#16] Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Two Planets Approach the Roche Limit
  • Now that I think about it, I'm probably alone in not liking this theme much, it's generally been received very well. This theme is…a lot. It's an epic orchestral piece, yeah, but it's a lot to take in. My issue with it is that there's not really a structure or pattern to it; it just keeps going. And because of some weirdness of how it plays in-game and how it syncs up to certain attacks, it's not actually one single song, it's got a lot of different pieces that transition smoothly between each other depending on where the fight is. I don't really know how it works, but it's confusing. And it makes the theme very difficult to listen to, since it keeps changing, sometimes randomly. The Jukebox/soundtrack version is obviously better than the in-game version, since it doesn't keep changing, but still, the fact that there's no obvious pattern is disorienting. It's good once you get used to it, like it sounds nice instrument-wise, but I'm not the biggest fan. I'd rather listen to a normal song with a normal loop. The Phase 2 version is good, though.
• [#15] Kirby Super Star - VS. Marx
  • Mischief, chaos, foolery, it's all here. All in this theme. I really like its chaotic vibe, and it fits Marx perfectly. I don't dislike this theme, there's just a lot of themes that are even better.
• [#14] Kirby Star Allies - Suite: The Star-Conquering Traveler
  • This is actually four different movements, one for each phase, but I'm looking at the theme as a whole. (I'm ranking the fifth movement separately, because it isn't in Story Mode and also because I think it deserves its own section.) They're pretty good, I guess. I don't have anything special to say about them. They're well-done orchestral themes, and the instruments in each movement fit each phase nicely. My favorite movement from the main four is probably the third, I like how it sounds. Same case as Marx's theme where I don't dislike it, I just like others better.
• [#13] Kirby: Triple Deluxe - The World To Win (Soul of Sectonia version)
  • I don't really like how it's the same as the theme from the end of the Story Mode battle, just with the sections in a different order. It just makes it sound a bit odd. The frantic energy it has does match well with the fight, though.

Spoiler: #12 - #08

• [#12] Kirby: Planet Robobot - Intermezzo Without a Leader
  • Doesn't sound like a final boss theme, does it? Well, it's the middle phase theme, a sort of calm before the storm. I like it though, it's calming (but not too calming, it's still got just enough tension to work) and has a spacey feeling. I couldn't listen to it just to listen to it, but it's good background music.
• [#11] Kirby: Planet Robobot - Soul 0 System
  • I'm a big fan of Planet Robobot's mechanical remixes of existing tracks like Studying the Factory, and this one, a Heart of Nova remix, is no exception. The "heartless machine" energy is really strong here, with the jarring electronic sounds and chaotic incorporation of other themes. Plus I appreciate the fact that it's a remix of Heart of Nova, for lore reasons.
• [#10] Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards - Miracle Matter
  • I love how the intro takes the normally upbeat intro and beat of the boss theme and turns it into something sinister. It's true that there's not a lot of melody to it, but it's got enough variation to make it interesting, and it's got a catchy beat. And I like catchy beats. The lack of a main melody also fits Miracle Matter well, since it's this bizarre geometric being with no face, so the theme is just as unsettling as the boss.
• [#09] Kirby's Dream Land - King Dedede's Theme (Mt. Dedede)
  • This has to be one of my favorite versions of Dedede's theme (the Super Star and Forgotten Land versions being the others). What can I say, it's iconic. HAL absolutely struck gold when they made this.
• [#08] Kirby: Triple Deluxe - Sullied Grace
  • Drawcia's theme did the "calm organ-based theme that abruptly gets super intense about a minute in" thing first, but Sullied Grace perfected it. The long intro does bother me, but once the electric guitar kicks you in the face out of nowhere, it's absolutely worth the wait. I also think it does a really good job of conveying the boss's character; it's got a very definitive "regal evil queen" vibe. The maniacal laughter in the soundtrack version (couldn't find an upload of it) is a nice touch, too.

Spoiler: #07 - #03

• [#07] Kirby's Return to Dream Land - Welcome Your New Overlord
  • I'll probably always call this Under My Control, it's ingrained too deep into my mind to change it now lol. (Context: When this game was initially released in 2011, the title of this theme and many others were never localized into English, so Under My Control became its universal fanon name. The Switch remake this year finally gave us an official English name, but by now Under My Control has become such an iconic name that it's a tough habit to break.) Under My Control is an interesting name actually, it's got the double meaning of Popstar being under Magolor's control and Magolor being under the crown's control. Anyway, I like this theme. Not as much as this battle's other theme, but I like how energetic and menacing it is, especially the threatening aura of the intro.
• [#06] Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards - 0² Battle
  • (It's Zero-Two, not zero squared.) 0² has to be one of the most unsettling Kirby final bosses, so naturally it gets an eerie, tense battle theme to match. But I really like how, despite being eerie and tense, it's also sort of relaxing and sad. I'm a fan of understated boss themes like this one: ones that aren't intense and driving like the traditional boss battle theme, but still manage to convey "climactic final battle" energy in their own way. (Although a drawback of these is that they often rely a lot on context for their true impact.)
• [#05] Kirby: Planet Robobot - VS. Star Dream
  • I'm still a sucker for mechanical-sounding themes. The intro is really cool and intense, although it does get a bit underwhelming and slightly repetitive after that; the middle section always goes on longer than I expect, and it gets a bit too quiet at parts. That said, when it does get good, it gets really good.
• [#04] Kirby Star Allies - Suite: The Star-Conquering Traveler - Final Movement: Sparkling Star
  • I think this is probably one of the most impactful, climactic themes in the Kirby series. It starts with the same intro as the fourth movement, but instead of looping the electric guitar part (which is still very good), it eventually changes to a piano version of Green Greens, and that in itself is an emotional gut punch. This is one of those non-intense boss themes I mentioned in my review of 0²'s theme; it's slow and somber, but still has loads of impact, possibly because of how different it feels from the other phases. If you stick around for long enough, some chiptune also starts to come in, and eventually it starts playing Green Greens, which is even MORE emotional damage at a reasonable price. It's a very emotional theme overall, especially combined with its context and the boss fight in which it plays. I'm only ranking it a bit lower because I feel sad when listening to it and I don't like it when music makes me feel sad. :'(
• [#03] Kirby: Planet Robobot - Vagrant Counting Song of Retrospection
  • There is a lot going on in this theme and I like all of it. Surprisingly for a theme that changes so much, it actually holds together very well. It's got a bunch of weird electronic things going on, and has a strong feeling of "final battle against a bizarre machine". It's really fitting for the fight too, since things get pretty funky in this phase. (The title makes sense in context.)

I couldn't choose between the last two themes, both of them are excellent in their own way, so I decided to cheat and make them both #1. They are equally awesome.

Spoiler: #01

• [#01] Kirby's Return to Dream Land - C-R-O-W-N-E-D
  • Near perfection. The instruments, the melody, the well-chosen incorporation of Magolor's theme and Green Greens to pull at your emotions, this entire theme is just so well done. The intro alone, with the context in which it plays, is superb: it perfectly conveys the sudden sinking feeling of triumph cut short, the feeling of "wait…the fight isn't over, is it…?"
• [#01] Kirby: Triple Deluxe - Fatal Blooms in Moonlight
  • This is another one of those more subtle boss themes. It's not harsh and loud, it's much more graceful and elegant, which ties in very closely to the theme of beauty that's central to the boss's character. I think this theme is unique among Kirby final boss themes. It's graceful, it's beautiful, it's haunting. Just like C-R-O-W-N-E-D, near perfection.

And here we are! This was a lot harder to do than the boss themes, there's so many themes I like and it was very difficult to pick out which ones I liked more than others. Even the themes I ranked low are good. I'd say it ranges from C to S tier, I don't think any of them are truly bad. Give some of them a listen, why not.

Next time I'll probably rank some Mega Man X tunes. Not sure what, since I don't really like any of the standard boss themes. Maybe opening stages, or every Zero theme or something. I'll figure it out.
じゃあね!

 

[Dubious Disc]

(I couldn't find a good gif of X's sprite that wouldn't download as a WEBP, so here's Mega Scizor since it's kinda Maverick-ish)​

Mega Man music!! Mega Man X music, in this case. I ended up going with opening stage themes, since they're pretty iconic and I actually like them. Never been a big fan of the boss themes, they're a bit meh in comparison to the stage themes.

Bit shorter this time. I'm including Zero's X3 theme, since it does play in the opening stage. (And because it's a very good song.) As usual, not including remakes or alternate versions. (I realize now that this no-remake policy might end up causing problems if I get to ranking Pokémon themes, but whatever. I'll deal with that when I get to it.)

Spoiler: #12 - #10

• [#12] Mega Man X8 - Noah's Park
  • It's…not that interesting? There's just a lot of guitars doing stuff. It goes forward without really changing or progressing. But it's decent background music, something you can fill your ears with.
• [#11] Mega Man X5 - Opening Stage (Zero)
  • …It hurts a lot less if you don't know where else the main melody is used. It's less bright-sounding than X's version, which is a pretty good parallel to Zero as a person, at least.
• [#10] Mega Man X5 - Opening Stage (X)
  • I honestly don't really like either of the X5 opening themes. Maybe it's because I usually listen to them right after the X4 ones, and those are really good? Dunno. There's some catchy parts here and there, but it's not one of my favorites.

Spoiler: #09 - #07

• [#09] Mega Man X7 - Awake Road Again (Highway Stage)
  • It's got a lot more "this is a Mega Man X opening stage theme" energy than Conflict. I really like how the intro sounds, but there's a few parts of the theme that sound a little odd. (Is the title a reference to the X1 opening stage? I swear I've heard it called Awakening Road or something before.)
• [#08] Mega Man X7 - Conflict (Escape Stage)
  • Yay, Axl's here! This theme definitely has a tense, escape-y feeling, which sets the mood well. It's a bit harsh on the ears sometimes, though, so I'm not as big a fan of it.
• [#07] Mega Man X2 - Opening Stage
  • A moment of silence for Green Biker Dude…It's catchy, but not remarkable. I can't say it stands out to me – if it wasn't for the GBD thing I probably wouldn't think about it at all. But it's still good.

Spoiler: #06 - #04

• [#06] Mega Man X3 - Opening Stage
  • It's a bit more intense than the X1 and X2 opening stages before it, like there's more danger or higher stakes. I actually don't mind the X3 guitars that everyone memes on; they're annoying sometimes, sure, but I don't hate them. Maybe it's bias, but I actually prefer the X3 guitars to the PS1 arrangements. Deal with it.
• [#05] Mega Man X4 - Opening Stage (Zero) (I promise the actual stage looks a lot more interesting than what the video shows)
  • I feel a bit bad for this theme, it's naturally gonna sound inferior when it comes right after X's (way more awesome) opening stage in the soundtrack. But I like this one too, I think it shows Zero's character pretty well. It's more driving and intense than X's version, which I think is a good match for Zero's more forceful fighting style. (I couldn't think of anything funny to say about his voice clips.)
• [#04] Mega Man X6 - Opening Stage (without guitars, only in Japanese version)
  • It's very different from the other opening themes, but I really like it. It does a great job of setting the mood and creating an atmosphere. This isn't a triumphant, get-going theme, it's one of quiet despair and hopelessness, of not knowing if the fight will ever end. For me personally, I think it also expresses a sense of loss and loneliness after what happened at the end of X5. X's best friend is gone, which he's likely still dealing with, and now it's just him setting out alone; like the intro cutscene says, "Now, you're the only one. There is no one else left to fight." And considering the events of X5, I wouldn't be surprised if going to the colony ruins brought back difficult memories for X. (Whoops, accidentally wrote an essay.) I actually like the version without the guitar better, the sudden guitars always felt a little out of place. (Depending on my mood, the rating of this one could go all the way up to #02.)

Spoiler: #03 - #01

• [#03] Mega Man X3 - Zero
  • It's short, but is it good. I never had the glorious "I GET TO PLAY AS ZERO?!" experience, but I can appreciate this theme and its context nonetheless. It's just so hype. Definitely my favorite Zero theme.
• [#02] Mega Man X - Opening Stage (Central Highway)
  • This theme is straight-up iconic. It's got that "come on, the action is just beginning!" feeling. Maybe I'm biased since it's from the first game, but this has to be one of my absolute favorite opening stage themes, and one of my favorite MMX themes overall.
• [#01] Mega Man X4 - Opening Stage (X)
  • The vibe of this one. I don't really know how to describe it. It's intense without being too dark or dramatic, and it's energetic without being too happy. The level of energy is just perfect.

Just for fun, Mega Man 7's opening stage theme would be between #03 and #04, and MM8's between #09 and #10.

So anyway, I can't really rank every Zero theme now, because most of them are already here lol. The X3 theme would probably be at the top, unless we're including X vs. Zero, which would instantly be #1. Although X vs. Zero would be #1 in any VGM ranking I make that includes it. It's a really good song and it's very important to me.
I don't really know what other MMX themes I could rank, there's not a lot that's consistent between all of the games besides opening stages, boss themes, and Sigma themes. Maybe I'm missing something, dunno.

Next time...actually, I have no idea. Got nothing planned. Guess I'll leave it a mystery for now--. I've been thinking about sharing some OC's, too...idk for sure, though. Usually my characters are quite personal to me and it feels a bit wrong showing them to the wider world. I'll just wait and see if I get the courage.
じゃあね!

 

[Dubious Disc]

I found something else to post about! I've been undertaking the daunting task of ranking all the Mega Man remixes in Smash Ultimate (it'll probably just be a tier list, I don't think I can rank them all numerically, there's too many of them), but until I get that done, here's something new:
As I mentioned on my profile, recently I started watching a walkthrough of the English fan translation of Mother 3. I know a few things about the story here and there, I know Porky shows up again, I know the Ultimate Chimera exists (because I found a fakemon based on it lol), small stuff like that, but I've never actually seen the entire thing from start to finish.
I'm not actually playing the game myself, so I can't do anything gameplay-related, but I thought I'd share my thoughts on the story. Just some commentary, for fun.

Very quick initial thoughts:
The music is actually really good! I haven't had the best experience with GBA music, it's always been a bit underwhelming to me, but the soundtrack sounds really nice so far. The rhythm attack mechanic is neat too. So far I think my favorite combo instrument is Duster's bass guitar.
I like the sprite animations too, they're much more expressive than in EarthBound. It gives the characters a lot more personality. And finally you can run! Without using an item!

Thoughts on the prologue and Chapter 1 (spoilered because, well, major spoilers):

Spoiler

I definitely like the beginning better than EarthBound's beginning. I like that it's more slow-paced and focused on the characters, instead of just randomly throwing you into an alien invasion. The alien invasion is cool in its own way, but I think Mother 3's beginning eases you into the story better. Plus there's a lot more unique characters.

The prologue was really sweet and wholesome, and absolutely succeeded in giving me a false sense of security that nothing terrible would happen in the first chapter, haha. But seeing that Chapter 1 was titled "Night of the Funeral" did worry me.

I assume we'll figure out eventually why those pig dudes were burning down the forest. They had some really good music, so I'm gonna assume they have a major antagonistic role. (Also because Porky.) I have a really big fear of fire, so the beginning part of Chapter 1 was definitely quite agitating for me, especially with that house collapsing seconds after Fuel was rescued from it. It was a relief to see that everyone made it out of the fire all right, there's that false sense of security again!

The search for Hinawa and co. was mostly just walking around, but I think I started to suspect that something had happened to Hinawa once they found Claus and Lucas. Once Bronson (I think that's who it was?) ran in all worked up, I was pretty much certain of it. I could feel this sense of dread slowly growing as he kept waffling and dodging around the truth. It was still a gut punch when he finally got out with it, though. Seeing Flint lash out was pretty difficult too, and the flashback he got after getting knocked out.

Pretty much everything from then on out just hurt more and more. Everyone talking about Hinawa, hearing about how Lucas was crying at her grave. "I thought you said anything could come true, as long as we prayed from the bottom of our hearts?! Mom can't even punish me now... I...don't want it like this..."

And when Claus went to fight the Drago my heart sank, I knew it wasn't going to end well.
The music in Alec's cabin hit pretty hard too, after how happy and carefree everything was in the prologue. I have no idea what's up with the weird pink-haired people (they've got a name, but I forget what it is), and the dark cave sequence was just annoying. Finding Claus's shoes worried me a lot. The whole fight with the Mecha Drago, and Alec telling Flint not to kill it so that its kid wouldn't suffer like Claus and Lucas was pretty sad, and when the camera moved to show Claus at the bottom of the cliff, that was like the final nail in the coffin. I genuinely feel so bad for Flint and Lucas now.

I'm looking forward to finding out what the pig dudes' deal is, burning forests and making weird chimeras. They've certainly got a lot to answer for.

---

Well, they certainly wasted no time making this story tragic and emotionally difficult! We get to know a peaceful, happy family, and then half of it is killed off by the end of the chapter. At least Boney's okay, if something had happened to the dog that would truly have been too much. Of course, I can't discount the possibility that something might happen to him later. I've learned that this game pulls no punches when it comes to dealing emotional damage.
As a story, it feels very different from EarthBound. EarthBound set up its main storyline pretty quickly, with Ness and friends having to collect the melodies and defeat Giygas, but Mother 3's story feels a bit more uncertain. Probably because of how it's split up into chapters (which I kind of like better, honestly).

I gotta say I'm looking forward to what comes next! I want to end this on a positive note, so...all the animals' dialogue is really funny and quirky, it's fun to see that even the animals have personality. My favorite is those pigs talking about some Mother 3 secret that only pigs know. (One of those pigs knows whether it'll ever be officially localized, probably.) The idea of using frogs as save points is cute too (even though I still don't like the concept of having to be in specific locations to save). I'm gonna start talking to all the frogs I see just in case they'll save my game for me.

じゃあね!