VGMC, 8-Bit Wandering: "Dream Zone [Final Sector]" Review

You mention in the description of this song that you had a lot of fun making it, and listening to the song, I can definitely tell! The sounds from 0:00 to ~2:00 are surreal and menacing; I really love how you intersperse the more obvious 8-bit sounds with the crunchier, machine-like glitches. While this section is somewhat unpredictable, a pattern will crop up occasionally (e.g. the repetition at 1:08), which makes it super intriguing to listen to.

The song dips a bit around 2:19. I love all the sounds you use here, and the groove is nice, but the melodies, chord progression, and overall feel of this section are kind of underwhelming to me. It's not the concept itself I dislike - I definitely believe there's a way to pull off the "waking up from a nightmare" story of this song - but I think this piece could benefit from a more thorough transition between its two distinct sections, to solidify the fact that we're out of the nightmare and into a happier place. I almost imagine the first part fading to near silence, before the happier riff starts fading in, like in Linda Perhacs' song "Parallelograms" around 3:30. I also think the interactions between the melody and countermelody of this section could use some looking at: they tend to clash a lot, with each other and the chord they're supposed to be resting on, fostering tension in a section that I think is meant to be free of it.

There are definitely some things I love about the second section, though! I adore the drums that come in at 3:36, for example, and the hi-hat pattering away above everything else helps keep the energy of the section steadfast and light. I think if you put some time into ironing out the details I mentioned earlier, it would make for a really great song! Keep at it. :)

Man this has solid Cave Story vibe for me. I was reading your description as the song was playing and I feel like your description fits the song very well! Kudos for bringing this thought to life as well as this!

Well done!

Hello 9VoltBaby,

Your intro is original and give nostalgic feelings of Atari 2600 and after of gameboy. Maybe your insistant sound in the intro with more nuances of tonality can be better and why not use it in a rythmic of a melody... A lot of new things can be done from this already interestring song. Good Job.

Rafdows

Those "glitching" sounds in the first part of the track sound so legit it's scary, and I really love how you managed to change the atmosphere completely when the second part of the track starts, while still making it feel like it's the same "place". Really lovely.

Really cool! sounds like you actually used a real chip bending with a gameboy or something. I like it :)