Music Progress

People asked me by mail last week: "Why did you wait so much to start making the game music?". Well, back when the project started I had a very different idea of what the game was going to be like when finished. Now I can see and actually feel how this game is evolving, and these are some ideas I have about the soundtrack:

It won't be orchestrated. Not because I can't make nice arrangements, I just want to differentiate AM2R from VonRichter's Metroid:SR388 in terms of style, and this includes music.
And besides, VonRichter clearly kicks my ass at composing epic soundtracks.

So, I chose a more electronic approach. I'm using some elements from Metroid Prime 1 (filtered drums with background choirs and pads), and the Metroid fights will be like boss battles in Fusion (upbeat techno, just to raise the tension). This kind of sound will fit the game style.

For example, the main tunnel theme is catchy and invites to the adventure of exploring SR388. The ruins areas are calm and mysterious, the player senses something terrible happened there.

After clearing an area, as you go deeper into the planet, the main theme changes according to the new areas. Caves become darker, and the music becomes atmospheric and clautrophobic.

I hope you could understand anything I wrote, it's even more evident that English isn't my native language when I try to describe music.

About the music progress: I just finished the first version of the main tunnel theme. I'll show you a preview on my next post, right now I'm tweaking the song everytime I get my hands on it.

This is how the project looked like before automation made it a mess



NCFC 2008 has been announced, and I've registered a booth. I'm preparing some exclusive material: A new trailer, some new screens of the latest developed areas, and a new demo. The trailer might give you a preview of a Metroid fight, the demo will be mostly an update fixing some bugs, improving performance and adding customizable controls (Finally!!).

Regarding your comments about the endings: Yes, there will be multiple endings in the game, depending on completion time, item percentage and difficulty level (there are 3). When the time comes I'll be choosing an artist to draw the ending screens, since I totally suck at drawing, and HyruleSwordsMan is specialized in sprites.

Thank you all for your support.

Comments

Anonymous said…
NICE! i cant what for the next demo, i hope you find a good artist for the ending sheens, I kind of like that one suggestion about Samus wearing normal Civilian clothing, it would be interesting to see Samus weiring something normal for a change.
Samuraikill said…
Keep up the good work! I can't wait for the next demo :)
Anonymous said…
Aw, sweet dude.

The first prime game had a cool and effective soundtrack. My favorit was Meta Ridley's theme and the second prime battle theme.

Will there be a different theme with each metroid evolution?

If so, my suggestion is have the same beat but with a different setting.

Alpha: base theme
Gamma: upped the beat, more techno sounds.
Zeta: More gritty and edgy.
Omega: more base and slow the tune down a little.
Anonymous said…
I remember awhile ago some gaming magazine said all the metroids used synthesized music because they wanted to put emphasis that the worlds were very different from our own. So between an orchestrated version and a synthesized one, I would say the synthesized music fits the atmosphere better.

Oh btw, I'm a native english speaker and you write it better than I do :)
Anonymous said…
MAN I CANT WAIT FOR THE DEMO!!!!!yeah the music is gonna be awesome especially because its like fusion.im siked about your game and cant wait any longer.
Lazure said…
I wasn't a fan of most of Fusion's overly techno themes (especially themes like the Nightmare, that had those weird distorted sounds to it). However, Fusion's main theme (and sector 1 theme), the underwater place where you open red level hatches, and certain other ones that weren't so heavy into techno were good, though.

My favorite metroid soundtrack was probably Super Metroid's or Zero Mission's.

The only Prime game I played was the 3rd one on the Wii (no gamecube ; ;) so I have no idea how Prime 1 sounded.

I think whatever the new main tunnel theme is should sound pretty close to the original, but enhanced with today's sound quality. However, all those little beeps and stuff the original metroid II played when you were in each sector branch could definitely use replacement with something very nice, very atmospheric, but not irritating like the original cart.

I don't even know the first on how to make music for games. I am just a graphics person, that's all I can do ;).
Anonymous said…
i've heard some of the other metroid sr388 songs and they are not all epic they have many experimental and electronic elements and extremely moody. i think the music in the video is from the intro cinemas the intro. the ice caves theme is amazing and creepy as hell all electronic there is also a technoish one but i dont remember what area it for
Anonymous said…
I got what you were saying just fine. I'm really jazzed up to hear both the general tunnel theme and the ascent/exit music after beating the queen.
Lazure said…
By the way, will customizable controls include the ability to use and customize gamepad buttons?

For one, my gamepad's 'button 1' and 'button 2' are not arranged very playably for platformers- thus I need the ability to remap the buttons. :)
Lazure said…
By the way, I just played the tech demo again using xpadder to hack the keyboard controls to my gamepad buttons. I am impressed on just how accurately you represented the physics. It feels just like metroid zero mission (except for the behavior when rolling into a ball while charging).

The only thing I am concerned about is how long it took to build up the speedbooster. It takes longer than it is supposed to for the superspeed to build up in the tech demo, than it did in the original games. Is that intentional?
Anonymous said…
I have a question about the next demo. Is Ridley going to appear in the upcoming demo? After all, you stated that Ridley won't appear in the final version of the game, so I think that it's best to not include Ridley in the second demo.
Anonymous said…
Also, I think that the cutscene of the metroid queen getting launched onto Zebes and then killed by mother brain would make a nice secret ending (maybe for 100 percent of items and the best time on the hardest difficulty level).
Anonymous said…
seen vonrichter's work, and actually, i'm more excited about your project than his, enven though i'll enventually play both. Both styles are different, i prefer the super metroid sprite for samus used by von richter but simply the idea of being able to play metroid 2, which is a genuine episode by nintendo, with updated presentation which fits the style of the other 2D episodes makes me more excited than playing a fan game totally original. Don't get me wrong, i'm impressed by his work, but i prefer the AM2R project from what i've seen of both, necause it fits better the other 2D Metroids styles and doesn't take too much liberty. it's just a matter of tastes i suppose ^^.
Anonymous said…
I really hope you make the game non-linear as opposed to the origional. I think the reason why nintendo didn't make it so was because there was only so much memory in those gba carts.

I can't imagine how scary difficult it would be to go against the queen with only fifteen missles or so, the morph ball, and ice beam.

That way, you can have another secret ending like in zero mission.
Anonymous said…
for people that have not played or finished metroid games maybe you could see the metroid queen walking inn the backgruond with super creepy "The Grudge" style music
Lazure said…
I like both projects. They both excel in their respective directions, and I'm hoping to play both when the time comes. :)
Anonymous said…
U SHOULD USE TRAPPED IN THE CLOSET AS MUSIC FOR THIS GAME...

the music is by r kelly
Anonymous said…
Metroid II was the first game I played in the series (although super metroid was the first one I've seen). I've always liked this game and I've always wanted to see it remade. I can't wait to see a metroid battle and listen to the remixed music, especially the silent cave areas and the leftover chozo ruins. Keep it up man!
Anonymous said…
I liked Prime's soundtrack. Good call.

Fusion's boss music never felt...right...though. I'd ask you to reconsider that part.
Anonymous said…
I wish you good luck, don't give up !
Anonymous said…
Usually ambitious fan-games are never released, but you HAVE to release this one. Please, please do NOT cancel this game. You'll get all my mental support. This game's like a dream come true.
Anonymous said…
English Isnt your first language? Anyways, I love the idea of using some of Primes music, it is awsome and Prime is my favoirt game. Man I thought that this update was going to be boring wiht just music and all. But when you said that there will be another trailer with maby a metroid fight, and another demo!! Woo!
Anonymous said…
This is evilivent to everything... but. I can do some spriting myself. Im working on some Alha Mochroid sprites. Its coming along prety well. But, i can only alter and fix or finish sprites. Im prety good at imitating the type of shading and style of the sprite im working on. but i cant make my own from scrach. :(
Anonymous said…
Erelevent, sorry for multi posting.
Anonymous said…
wow, maby i shouldent post without checking my spelling... im embarrassed.
Anonymous said…
Are you meaning to also use Metroid Fusion syle music for any bosses in the game, such as arachnus? If so, are you going to keep the arachnus-X boss music from Metroid Fusion, make a remix of it, or just make new boss music for it?
Anonymous said…
hmmm i wonder how many of you commenters will take a shot at taking the position as the official artist of AM2R.

seeing that DR.M said "When the time comes I'll be choosing an artist to draw the ending screens, since I totally suck at drawing, and HyruleSwordsMan is specialized in sprites."

... makes me sorta wish i could draw
Anonymous said…
omg i cant wait for this game. dude keep going and finnish the game please.
Anonymous said…
I love the music of Metroid Prime. It's so deep and atmospheric. . . the combination of that with 2-D gameplay could have interesting results. Fusion's boss music was rather plain, but it was effective. I don't think that Prime's boss music would fit well, so Fusion's vanilla flavored techno would probably work best. Which game are you going to draw inspiration for the sounds from?
Anonymous said…
for the metroid music battles, i think it should be like this

Alpha: Kinda slow and very technoy
Gamma: very fast, less techno
Zeta: fast, but not as fast as gamma music, even less techno
Omega: almost no techno and very slow
Queen: Average Speed, techno sounds, but not techno music
Larvas: the fastest of them all, and with no techno at all
Anonymous said…
Freaking sweet dude! Metroid 2 was the first Metroid I ever played. Your remake is looking awesome! You might already know this, but there's a band called Entertainment System that did some rock mixes of Metroid songs including Metroid II - SR388. Maybe they'd let you use it or maybe it'd give you some ideas for your mix.
Anonymous said…
I liked the metroid music in the original, and the chime that happens at the end after you kill the metroid. The metroid music dosent have to be splended, just catchy and metroid like. I dont know about having every evoloution having a diferent music. Maby every other evo. Like alpha and gamma have the same, zeta and omega has its own. I never got past the 3rd area, so I dont know how much omegas there are, i heard there are only like 5. If so, then maby the omegas should be a deeper and darker then zetas, like a remix. The larva can just have what ever the levle song is, seeing that is what nintendo has done so far, and maby a specal chime or the chime for when you kill a metroid when the baby hatches.

i just c c c came back from camp and went into withdrawl without metroid!!
Anonymous said…
i posted this yesterday on your area 3 post but, just encase you have decided not to check the suggestion there any more i will add it here as back up, plus i have an idea for the sound to go with it. since the enemies in metroid fusion are from planet sr-388 i think some of those bosses should be made into mini bosses to further explain how the scientists found them. the ones i think would be great additions to the game would be serris the sector 4 boss and for him to be a mini boss after you get the gravity suit (although the suit was added until super metroid) and to have him (stalk you) through an under water level appearing every once in awhile. also for hes miniboss room to be pretty large since serris uses high speed attacks and also for his appearance
in the room to have him slither into the room from a hole in the ceiling instead of hearing its screech then it suddenly dash at you randomly. for the music i would suggest the red hatch part of sector 4 from metroid fusion or the
underwater level of super metroid. also for there to be a tropical area using the music from the green area of brinstar from super metroid. finally to have a miniboss
like mother plant or the jumping boss that gives you high jump + spring ball both from sector 2 from metroid fusion. i know this was a long comment/suggestion but please put these into some consideration
Anonymous said…
i think for each metroid stages the sounds a remix from the original queen battle from metroid 2, but each one has its own style of how the music is played.
alpha- normal
gamma- speed up slightly- with a little base added
zeta- slowed down from the alphas version more base then gammas
omega- slowed down even more with even more base added
queen- i think the queen should have a new theme, but not techno , but it has a semi techno beat in it
larva- just a remix from the original metroid 2's theme from the
larva to keep it simple
Anonymous said…
I disagree with remixing the metroid queen's music for the alpha, gamma, zeta, or omega metroids. The music for them should be a remix of the music from the original Metroid II. The metroid queen could have a remixed version of its music.
SAC/Black_Yoshi said…
I think that the music for the last area, be like really dark (you can barely hear anything). And maybe if you feel up to it, maybe after the main project's done, you can make suit-sprite patches.
Anonymous said…
yeah once i remembered the music for the queen i thought the same thing, but the idea for the last area sounds
good and when the original metroids appear the music sounds even eerier and depending on how it turns out have the queen's sounds from the room above her may or may not sound well with it even though i think it should be kept
Anonymous said…
Ho crap! Iv been wanting to say this for a while, but keep frogeting. I love the gloing effect on the power beam when shot! Maby you can add a glowy effect to all gloing parts of the game, and then tone it down or take off the glow when samus is outside. When you reach the last part of the game, the glow is glowyer
Anonymous said…
Oh man, awesome! I played your demo on Yoyo Games, and I have to say, this is the most accurate fan game I have ever seen, as good as, if not better than, a 2D Metroid made by Nintendo.
I can't wait for the next demo, keep up the good work!

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