Making the Music for Streets of Rage 4

IMHO music is the second most important part of SoR games after gameplay, if you mess with the music you're messing with the game. I'm so far split on the how the game looks but i can tolerate the graphics if the soundtrack&gameplay are still top notch.

One thing i've come to realise over the years is that the "Genesis Music" is hard to replicate, while SorR did a good job of arranging original songs, its nothing like the music coming from the original tinny/bass heavy Genesis soundchip. So, i would like to point out the OST made for Castlevania:Adventure Rebirth as example, the music sounds like it was made for Genesis and after some digging i found out that the music was authentically created by using an Sega Arcade soundchip.


I'm not saying SEGA has to go this lengths to recapture the essence of Genesis's unique music style but it is very doable and i won't even call it retro music. Obviously, we all want Yuzo back but he can't say anything about SoR4 on twitter right now. If anyone can come up with awesome gritty synth, bass and club music, its Yuzo! And no, i'm not of the opinion that Sor3 style music is "bad", dub slash is still my fav SoR track. Its gritty, aggressive and just what i want to listen to when i'm beating crooks in a dingy alley and SorR version doesn't even come close to giving me same feeling.

In my opinion, the graphic style and the song of the SoR 4 trailer nailed! The composition is very good, and sound like electro music, modernized, still, with an 80ish tone.

And the graphic style is very good, it brought SoR from the 90's to 2018, but still feeling like SoR. Comparing to Double Dragon Neon, SoR 4 looks how it would look. I saw people complaining, that the characters are "fat", for me, it's amazing, reminds me the blocky style of the classic Marvel Super Heroes from Capcom.

thenomad wrote:In my opinion, the graphic style and the song of the SoR 4 trailer nailed! The composition is very good, and sound like electro music, modernized, still, with an 80ish tone.

And the graphic style is very good, it brought SoR from the 90's to 2018, but still feeling like SoR. Comparing to Double Dragon Neon, SoR 4 looks how it would look. I saw people complaining, that the characters are "fat", for me, it's amazing, reminds me the blocky style of the classic Marvel Super Heroes from Capcom.

There seems to be a misconception on what is modern and what is outdated when it comes to video game graphics. Pixel Art Graphics are no way outdated and they are still just as good in 2018, pixel art games are still the most detailed looking 2d games. Rayman origins or Dragon's Crown don't even hold a candle to pixel art games like Metal Slug or Last Blade 2.

These graphics are in no way "modern" they are vector art, they've been in use since the early 2000's and have been mostly used by Flash animators/Game makers(especially mobile games). They are very cheap&easy to make and that's why its used by everyone, not because its "modern". The Blaze Sprites from Sor3 is still better looking that this new Blaze Sprite.

HD Pixel art is no joke, its going to need a AAA budget which Sega CLEARLY isn't ready to shell out.

The music in the Streets Of Rage soundtracks was never meant to be seen as 'Genesis' music, but modeled after popular dance music of the time.

The first game utilized several styles from Italian House to Hip Hop and New Jack Swing. SOR2 had a rougher personality, so the natural transition was to Acid House, Techno, and an early example of Trance ("Expander", which was one of the earliest of its time, I believe) with a few Hip Hop references still appearing. The third title once again moved things forward with it's industrial and robot-laden storyline, so naturally you got more Techno (Jeff Mills comes to mind) and a bit of Industrial Punk ("Dub Slash", for which I've heard similar styles in Atari Teenage Riot, KMFDM, and Alec Empire tracks).

The trailer music has grown on me, and it does have that dancey vibe, but the choice of guitars rather than distorted synths seemed a bit off (that was a gripe I had with several V4 & V5 remixes). Seems to have more of an 80s feel to it than 90s. I know that 80s dance has made a bit of a comeback, but 90s has to, if to a lesser extent. I actually made a SOR2 version of the trailer theme a few days ago



As for the graphics and overall impressions, I feel these are things that could change over time. It's possible they rushed the trailer to have it finished and out there before August was up, which is why the art style has been so controversial and they've only shown two playable characters. I would kind of prefer pixel art, if I'm honest, but in a way that advances the graphics from SOR3. Fans have experimented with such visuals.

Iceferno wrote:The music in the Streets Of Rage soundtracks was never meant to be seen as 'Genesis' music, but modeled after popular dance music of the time.

That's true but you can't deny that Genesis's Sound Chip gave it a distinct flavour.

Ironically, Sor3 was ahead of its time as that type of electro music more popular today. With that said, i find it odd that the trailer feels more like 80's than 90's or contemporary. Also, TBF with such cartoony graphics i don't think hard tracks such as Dub slash would fit the game's tone. It fits SoR3's tone more because it was so grimy&dark.

Yeah that's true. I think I got so used to the music of the trilogy that it's hard to imagine it not being 90s to some extent.
But since 4 is being made now, I guess modern music would make more sense. I do wonder how the soundtrack will turn out.