Sega Genesis vs. SNES!?

[pepharytheworm]

Whenever I hear someone say Genesis is better at rock music I point out Rock n Roll Racing which sounds much better on SNES to me.

Here's a sample
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n108Nwq ... re=related

Genesis Born To Be Wild
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvvgYFio ... re=related

SNES Born To Be Wild
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-T1liu5ag0

[flamepanther]

Actually, I don't understand people saying the Genesis is better at "rock" soundtracks at all. Where it excels isn't rock music by a long shot. Where it really does best is pop, techno, and New Jack Swing. Pick any Sonic soundtrack for example. It only makes sense, too, as those are genres developed around synthesizers--often MIDI instruments that used frequency modulation just like the Genesis. Rock is sort of a bad match.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

Whenever I hear someone say Genesis is better at rock music I point out Rock n Roll Racing which sounds much better on SNES to me.

Here's a sample
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n108Nwq ... re=related

Genesis Born To Be Wild
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvvgYFio ... re=related

SNES Born To Be Wild
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-T1liu5ag0

Rock & Roll Racing was a game that suffered from lazy coders who knew nothing of the genesis, bad programmers hence bad music.

Here's a fantastic game with great guitars from excellent programmers on the Genesis:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhi_bK1bH4U

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

Actually, I don't understand people saying the Genesis is better at "rock" soundtracks at all. Where it excels isn't rock music by a long shot. Where it really does best is pop, techno, and New Jack Swing. Pick any Sonic soundtrack for example. It only makes sense, too, as those are genres developed around synthesizers--often MIDI instruments that used frequency modulation just like the Genesis. Rock is sort of a bad match.

Frequency modulation is considered the best from of true electric guitar sounds on the fly. It wasn't until much more featured samplers hit the market in the mid-late 90's that anything really came close. In the end they still lacked the real grit and sound of an FM machine with true twang to it.

[pepharytheworm]

Rock & Roll Racing was a game that suffered from lazy coders who knew nothing of the genesis, bad programmers hence bad music.

Here's a fantastic game with great guitars from excellent programmers on the Genesis:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhi_bK1bH4U

Thats only assuming that Blizzard was great at programing for the SNES and not the Genesis, which isn't true most of their ports were pretty close on both consoles, Lost Vikings and The Death and Return of Superman comes to mind. You can't just make excuses for the Genesis sound saying its lazy programing. As far as I have heard the Genesis was always easier to program the music for.

By the way that Thunderforce song sounds awful guitar wise, not composition wise though.
Do you play guitar? If that buzzy, trebly, blown speaker sound is what guitars sounded like I don't think I would play them anymore. Don't get me stated on the drums which sounds like waxed paper being hit by a spoon.

[flamepanther]

I love that tune, but I have to use way too much imagination to get "guitars" out of it. I hear square and triangle waves. Reminds me of an NES, but with more sound channels. The guitar riff during the first level of Star Fox though? I get that immediately.

Obviously, Star Fox doesn't really have a "rock" sound track despite the decent guitar sample. However, I feel the Mega Man X soundtracks have plenty of "rock" tunes that sound at least as good as what's on the Genesis, and certainly no more unconvincing.

[pepharytheworm]

Here's another rock music comparison.

Chuck Rock SNES
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pPZqEunrvs

Chuck Rock Genesis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KT-3dTZEWAA

[pepharytheworm]

However, I feel the Mega Man X soundtracks have plenty of "rock" tunes that sound at least as good as what's on the Genesis, and certainly no more unconvincing.

Well they don't call him Rockman for nothing.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

Rock & Roll Racing was a game that suffered from lazy coders who knew nothing of the genesis, bad programmers hence bad music.

Here's a fantastic game with great guitars from excellent programmers on the Genesis:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhi_bK1bH4U

Thats only assuming that Blizzard was great at programing for the SNES and not the Genesis, which isn't true most of their ports were pretty close on both consoles, Lost Vikings and The Death and Return of Superman comes to mind. You can't just make excuses for the Genesis sound saying its lazy programing. As far as I have heard the Genesis was always easier to program the music for.

By the way that Thunderforce song sounds awful guitar wise, not composition wise though.
Do you play guitar? If that buzzy, trebly, blown speaker sound is what guitars sounded like I don't think I would play them anymore. Don't get me stated on the drums which sounds like waxed paper being hit by a spoon.

I know it's not a realistic sound, that's what made it better. Straight up real guitars and sample based guitars are ok, but I need my stuff raw, gritty and synthy. Like drinking a nail & razorblade smoothie, refreshing AND extreme.

It was a synth guitar lead that made what I consider to be perfect game music composition. Hard, rocking, and in my face; just how I likes it.

Also, you chould check out Mr. Yamori's stuff man, he makes some fantastic Genny compositions of SNES tunes and they can get surprisingly good or better than the originals at times:

http://www.youtube.com/user/geckoyamori ... Uwg-n1GgOo

All that having been said the SNES still murders the Genny in the classical/orchestral department.

[flamepanther]

So basically, your preference of the Genesis for "rock" comes entirely from personal taste... an idea of how synthetic "guitars" should sound that a lot of people aren't going to agree with.

So, pop and new jack swing are still the only areas where I've heard the Genesis solidly win. I remember being amazed the first time I heard the Spring Yard Zone music. It could have almost as easily been a karaoke version of a Bobby Brown song. And of course we all know about Sonic 3.