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Great CDDA remixes in ports to other platforms
Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 4:30 pm
by alexh
I recently came across an archive of 10's of MP3 remixes of the music from Shadow of the beast 1 & 2.
The remixes were remarkably good, studio quality, much better than your usual homebrew stuff which screws with the beat and timing of the original work. Perhaps even as good as the
Immortal Remix CD by Ruben Monteiro
So impressed, I started a quest to track down where they came from, and who made them.
The discovery I made, shocked me. They were the music ripped off the CD versions of the games for the TurboGrafx-CD (PCEngine Super CD-ROM^2) and FM Marty Towns and Sega MegaCD!
I had no idea these versions had CDDA let alone such good remixes.
PCEngine SuperCD-ROM^2
Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 4:31 pm
by alexh
The PCEngine version was done by Davy Jones' company "DMA Design" (the people behind Lemmings and BloodMoney).
It is a very good coversion, arguably better than the Amiga version both technically and in gameplay (perhaps not music). The graphics are very smooth, larger main sprite, two retries. Very fun to play.
The music is CDDA and MP3's can be found
here.
It is very good.
Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 4:48 pm
by alexh
I'll review the music for the other versions and provide details on the musicians and downloads soon.
If anyone knows of other games which were ported to consoles/computers with CDDA versions of classic Amiga music then please let me know.
Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 12:03 pm
by XtC
Ey up!
An interesting discovery. It's actually the kind of thing that belongs in the
Lost In Translation section of the new ExoticA wiki - if you fancy a challenge?
Re: Great CDDA remixes in ports to other platforms
Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 7:11 pm
by Kaminari
alexh wrote:I had no idea these versions had CDDA let alone such good remixes.
My, I've had the PC Engine version for 16 years. The soundtrack is much better than the late remixes by Ruben. It's no wonder: it was arranged by Tim Wright himself. His Mega CD version of his original Beast 2 soundtrack is not bad either, very atmospheric.
Re: Great CDDA remixes in ports to other platforms
Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 8:06 pm
by alexh
I've read in several places (including Wikipedia) that "Tim Wright" (of Shadow of the Beast 2 & 3 fame) was responsible for the CD studio music in the PC Engine version of SOTB.
However I've found compelling evidence that the music from the PC Engine version (1992) is ripped straight from the earlier FM-Towns version (1991) and in the credits the music is Arranged and recorded by "Ian Henderson" and "Chris Howlett".
I know Wikipedia isnt always accurate but I'd like to try and confirm this... anyone else know anything about this??
Re: Great CDDA remixes in ports to other platforms
Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 8:53 pm
by alexh
I wrote down that the music in the PC Engine was credited to Cold Storage (Which is Tim Wright)!
Hmmm, I wonder whats going on?
Re: Great CDDA remixes in ports to other platforms
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 10:27 pm
by Kaminari
> "Ian Henderson" and "Chris Howlett"
Those names don't ring a bell at all. It's been a while, but I remember Tim Wright from the end credits of the PCE version. Maybe I'll have a go at the game again. Btw, no wonder the PCE and FMT ports are musically identical, they were both developed by DMA for Victor Entertainment (JVC/VMI at the time).
As for famous Amiga to PCE CD conversions, you can add Jim Power to your list. The soundtrack was composed and arranged by Chris himself (I think you can hear some medleys on his albums Rainbows and Sound Factory).
Re: Great CDDA remixes in ports to other platforms
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 7:29 am
by alexh
I called Tim and he doesn't remember doing it.
Is there any way to check out the end credits in the PCE game without completing it?
Re: Great CDDA remixes in ports to other platforms
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 8:30 pm
by XtC
"View friendly" text dump from the PCE ISO: -
Code: Select all
credits produced by psygnosis and nec written by dma design based on an original amiga game by reflections director dave jones project manager brian watson programming by michael dailly animation player by russell kay and brian watson production steve hammond john white martyn chudley intro graphics by jeff bramfitt mike waterworth end sequence by jeff bramfitt garvan corbett animated sequences jeff bramfitt lee carus nikki westcott actors mike waterworth garvan corbett nikki westcott lee carus neil thompson gary burley dianne walsh backgrounds mike waterworth garvan corbett lee carus gary burley miscellaneous graphics steve hammond mike dailly music by d.c. productions ltd. gofer jane donald nick burcombe play testers john white steven reid dave jones scott traynor steve hammond me tea boy scott johnston special thanks to andrew whyte dave haliey gary timmons jamie grant jill jamieson mark ireland stacey jamieson the fileserver a piece of lime biscuit muncher russell kay if at first you dont succeed cheat no dragons were harmed during the making of this game a dma design production mcmxcii
Re: Great CDDA remixes in ports to other platforms
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 8:32 am
by Kaminari
So indeed, it's not Tim / Cold Storage.
Never heard of DC Productions, very interesting. Alex, where did you get those names (Ian Henderson and Chris Howlett)? The only Google occurrence I found was Wikipedia, and the Beast article doesn't cite any source. Whoever they are, they did an amazing job. So much better than many studio remixes of late.
Re: Great CDDA remixes in ports to other platforms
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 8:43 am
by Kaminari
Ok, just found out on a Japanese BBS that those names are actually credited to the FM-Towns port, so that sounds legit enough. Does anyone know anything about DC Productions? There's one
Ian Henderson who writes nice atmospheric music, but there's not a word on him working in the game industry.
Re: Great CDDA remixes in ports to other platforms
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 9:01 am
by Kaminari
Probably unrelated, but this is amusing. I found in Amiga Report 5.01 (dated 1997) the address of a particular US Amiga dealer in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I live in France, yet I'm a bit familiar with the place. Small world
DC Productions
218 Stockbridge Avenue
Kalamazoo, MI 49001
Phone: (616)373-1985 (800)
dcpro!
chetw@heifetz.msen.com
Re: Great CDDA remixes in ports to other platforms
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 9:34 am
by Kaminari
Last word from me for today:
Mike Dailly probably knows a lot more about the PCE and FMT versions.
Re: Great CDDA remixes in ports to other platforms
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 7:06 pm
by alexh
The FMT version cites these two names and DC productions in the intro scroller.
The PCE version is credited "DC Productions" on Moby games.
Someone says that Cold Storage is credited in the PCE game over credits, but I can neither confirm nor deny this. All I can say is I talked to him and he said he did not remember doing it.
It was I who added the details about DC Productions, Ian Henderson and Chris Howlett to Beast Wikipedia article (replacing what it said about Tim).