Sonic 4 - Splash Hill Zone (Classic Arrangement)

[Shadownnico]

SOMEONE! HURRY! HACK THIS INTO DA GAME!!

[daijonIIX]

Sounds more like a Sonic 3D Blast Stage

[spiderplant]

@daijonIIX That's why I just can't like this version of the song. 3D Blast was such an awful game.

[mseifer]

@daijonIIX

yeah, reminds me of sonic 3d

[mamamario64ds]

Sounds like a more apropriate song for plamtree panic in cd. *commences hacking*

[hydelied]

Absolutely amazing Gecko! I've listened to several of your tunes from VGRemix as well. You have an amazing talent for sound ;). This blows the standard Sonic 4 OST out of the water.

[WilsonsWardrobe]

I still prefer the original, but awesome remix.

[Jimothyp]

NICE

[xboxgamerJ16]

like. you should do the soundtrack for all sonic 4 games.

[GustavoMsTrashCan]

I tend to disagree with my fellow youtube mates, here.

This feels like a post-megadrive approach, not entirely classic imho.

[DoctorMelon]

@GustavoMsTrashCan I get a very "Ristar"-esque feel from it - it brings to mind bonus music in Sonic 3. It's YM2612-specific, so this could indeed play on a megadrive.

[dissident93]

@DoctorMelon Only if it uses five monophonic channels.

[MastaGambit]

GECKO. THEY SHOULD HAVE PAYED -YOU- TO MAKE THE SOUNDTRACKS. =D

[AvatarFanBoy98]

*adds to favourites*

[daijonIIX]

0:33 Balloon Park beginning

[DayLaMike]

This sounds great 16-bit Sonic 4 where you at!?

The original song is just horrible it grates at my brain.

[lannn]

anyone whose listening in 5.1, check out the back two speakers! XD

[Zink120]

Ok, so I've probably listened to this like 30 times by now. You have improved this piece no end. It's all in the style!

Just saying... if you felt like doing any more Sonic 4 tracks like this, you would make a LOT of people happy!

[FendyRhodes]

@Zink120 Co-sign

[ArcaneGitRum]

Are you using a Genesis soundfont or actual Genesis hardware?

[Dooke80]

I like the use of VOPM and Faithfulness of the Sega Genesis's audio capabilities.

[KyleAB5000]

NICE!!!!!!!!!



[lilmattere]

SOMEONE SHOULD EXTEND THIS!!!

[knucklesfan8]

I actually think this sounds way better than the original

[Delfino224]

They should have done it like Final Fantasy IV: The After Years did and brought it back to 16 bit just for one game.

[Ui2019]

This sounds spot on for a Sonic & Knuckles track - great job!

[lightning89]

Holy crap this sounds so much better!

[TheZonegamer]

This sounds so much better than the original

[Wiintendoh]

GUYS GUYS GUYS!!!!

You have to remember, Sonic 4 is a 128-bit game! It's 2010, NOT 1990! Of course it's not in the genesis style. You can't just make silly assumptions like OMGFFFF THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEEN IN THE GAME FUK SEGA!!11!!!1oneone

Nonetheless, this is an amazing arrangement and should have been in Sonic & Knuckles or something. :)

[8BitDanooct1]

@Wiintendoh have you even ever heard of Mega Man 9 or 10? Are you seriously implying that developers can't go back and actually make GOOD retro games in this day and age? Sega fucked up Sonic 4 and the music was no exception.

[Wiintendoh]

@8BitDanooct1 No I have not.

[SketchHurricane]

@Wiintendoh If Sega was making shit like the upcoming Generations 10 years ago, we wouldn't have to say things like that :/

[Wiintendoh]

@SketchHurricane Generations sucks anyway. >_>

[SketchHurricane]

@Wiintendoh Um, it's not out?

[Wiintendoh]

@SketchHurricane It doesn't have to be out for me to know that it sucks.

[firereed4]

@Wiintendoh Why does it suck?

[Wiintendoh]

@firereed4 Terrible and disgraceful music

Bad sound effects

Rehash of Unleashed and Colors

Not on Wii but 3DS

More

[firereed4]

@Wiintendoh Will the next one be good?

[Wiintendoh]

@firereed4 The next Sonic game? I doubt it assuming it uses the Hedgehog Engine.

[firereed4]

@Wiintendoh Hedgehog engine is a graphics engine.

[Wiintendoh]

@firereed4 Oh, I thought it was a gameplay engine.

Well whatever "engine" is used for Unleashed, Colors, and Modern Generations.

[firereed4]

@Wiintendoh There could be a way to turn off the music.

[RemiusTheAwesome]

@Wiintendoh

The Hedgehog Engine is just a rendering technique. It had to do with the lighting effects in Sonic Unleashed (light diffusion). It's why the game looked so damn pretty.

But the movement engine? Yeah, sonic colors and sonic generations are obviously using the same physics engine as Unleashed did. There are barely any differences between them at all.

[Wiintendoh]

@RemiusTheAwesome Yup.

[CannyTails]

@RemiusTheAwesome Sonic Colors has no Hedgehog Engine and it looks as good as PS3's Unleashed.

[RemiusTheAwesome]

@CannyTails

Sonic Colors looks great for a Wii game....but no, it doesn't look anywhere close to Unleashed, dude.

[CannyTails]

@RemiusTheAwesome Each person to their own, I guess.

[Snivy932]

@CannyTails It does have the Hedgehog Engine, just in Unleashed they were saying "Look at this awesome engine!!!" but in colours they actually made a real game with the engine. They've been making the Hedgehog since around 2004 and first came out in Unleashed.

[CannyTails]

@Snivy932 Nope, they said that the Wii is a bit too weak to handle the Hedgehog Engine. I'm sure Unleashed Wii doesn't have the Hedgehog too. Besides, Unleashed is a real game.

[Snivy932]

@CannyTails It's almost exactly the same game though just no werehog, sonic it's probably a lower size and stuff one for the wii

[CannyTails]

@Snivy932 O.....kay?

[Snivy932]

@CannyTails I speek nonsence sometimes, i ment is a lower quality version of the engine, just more advanced. And no i wasn't drunk...

[CannyTails]

@Wiintendoh Um, the Wii is too weak to handle the Hedgehog Graphics Engine. The 3DS has graphic capabilities matching or even beyond the Wii. There you go.

[Wiintendoh]

@CannyTails Um, the Wii can have a non-Hedgehog Graphics Engine. The 3DS game is no even remotely close in style compared to the 360 and PS3 counterparts.

There you go.

[CannyTails]

@Wiintendoh I know, but remember? Classic Sonic hating Nintendo and all? Maybe they're parodying that.

[TailsX97]

@CannyTails

The problem is they cant use the full hardware of the 3ds.

3ds have a very short battery-life and would need to be constantly charged

or else the battery would get empty in just a minute.

Its the same with psp. Most games run at 222 mhz instead of 333 mhz so the battery life gets longer

[CannyTails]

@TailsX97 You have a point.

Man, they should make a battery for the 3DS that lasts longer!

[SmashLuigiFan1]

@Wiintendoh You call yourself a SEGA fan? You don't give it any hope at all? You assume because its using the unleashed/colors engine for modern sonic it will be bad? BTW Sonic 4 didn't suck, and I was kinda mad it wasnt 16-bit, but who cares? Still a good game.

[gamephreak5]

@SmashLuigiFan1 Sonic 4? a good game? LMAOROFL

It felt more like Sonic Rush 1.5 rather than a true sequel to the genesis Sonic games. It would've gone better I think if the game didn't go by the name "Sonic 4", 'cause then it wouldn't have such high expectations to live up to.

And believe me, SEGA failed on all accounts to live up to those expectations with Sonic 4.

[SmashLuigiFan1]

@gamephreak5 TBH I only watched my bro play Sonic 4 and he seemed to really like it (he got pissed when he heard the sonic fanboys caused episode 2 to get cancelled. Then I told them they are making it)

[CannyTails]

@gamephreak5 Guess what? I think Sonic 4 is short.....

For Sonic Rush 4.

[MaggotsInDisguise]

@CannyTails No. Sonic 4 stands for Sonic 4. Not Sonic Rush 4.

Sonic 4 was a good game.

[CannyTails]

@MaggotsInDisguise Sonic Rush was also a good game. I love it. More than some of the classics, in fact.

[timour4567]

@Wiintendoh FINALLY! SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS ME :DDDD

[Wiintendoh]

@timour4567 OMG IKR LOLOLL!!!!! ^____^

[TailsX97]

@Wiintendoh

Actually the wii version is 32bit

the ipod version is 32 bit

and the xbox360 version is 64 bit

[KyleAB5000]

@TailsX97

nope. ipod is 64 bit, Wii, 360 and ps3 are 256 bit (well i think the wii might be 128 bit)

[bibinson]

@KyleAB5000 Are you kidding me?

[KyleAB5000]

@bibinson

Nope

[officialmashitup]

@KyleAB5000 If you're going to talk about "Bits", from the 5th generation onwards (PS1, Saturn etc) bits were categorised by how many mhz the graphics processor had, so the Ipod would be 64-bit, wii would be 256-bit and PS3 and 360 512-bit

[KyleAB5000]

@officialmashitup

Ahhh well thanks for the knowledge :)

[lilmattere]

omg this is soooo going in my sonic 1 hack!

[Snivy931]

MEGA DRIVE

[GemsofEarth]

*sighs* Kiss my ass dislikers!

[MTCesquire]

This is what Act 2 should've sounded like instead of it being an entirely different tune.

[JETZacx]

@reniisgod @geckoyamori Let's not forget that this tune is supposed to be for a downloadable game, which doesn't have such limitations. Sonic 4's tunes may use samples from the Genesis games, but they don't emulate the YM2612 chip. Jun Senoue couldn't get access to the development kit for the Genesis sound chip, so he had to improvise - though he wished he made as authentic as the originals.

[enclosedfury]

Dude... Remake the whole soundtrack! Seriously...

The only BGM I like was Splash Hill Act 3 and Mad Gear Acts 1 & 2. You have to remake the whole thing. You're awesome!

[reniisgod]

The Genesis would never be able to pump out this tune due to it's shite sound chip

[JETZacx]

@reniisgod Play any of the Sonic 3 tunes and you'll notice that most of them are as complex as this one. The sound chip sucked compared to the SNES, but it was still a sound chip that could pump out memorable tunes anyway.

[reniisgod]

@JETZacx I agree the Genesis had some good tunes, but this tune is a bit too much for the poor sound chip

[geckoyamori]

@reniisgod I guess you're right. You clearly seem to have a lot more knowledge than me on YM2612 specifications.

[Wiintendoh]

Do LLZ act 2 and MGZ act 1! I love this style! :D

[HikariChino]

I hear a little bit of Balloon Park on the drums, but that's just me.

[PhoenixRage07]

I have to say, this is better than the original version. It's more catchy and it flows better. I don't say it often, but excellent remix!

[phillyfanmatt]

Every time I listen to this it actually makes me angry that they didn't do the whole game like this.

[Humpudy]

@phillyfanmatt Yes, it just wasn't "Classic" enough...

[TheDarkwolf011]

This my freind is the greatest

[Dreamcube017]

Where do you get your soundsets from to make these?

[ChrisAlgoo]

Hey composer, how did you get that great bass sound?

[dissident93]

@ChrisAlgoo Either trackers, VOPM, or a soundfont.

Or maybe, he used a real YM2612? haha

[kkeelan]

I agree with everyone. I think that if they were going to whore out and make everything nearly identical to Sonic 2 they would at least adhere to it a little more with the music and visuals. I mean, even the GBA Sonic games had it going right than the next-gen ones do...

[M200XL]

This is the best genesis version I've heard. This probably would make a good end credits theme.

[mopbrothers]

this definitely sounds like the old school Sonic. This would definitely fit an old sonic cart.

[Callofgun]

please extend

[Munchzor]

I think Sonic 4 won the award for "least inspired music this gen", barely winning out against Lords of Shadow. Fucking Casino Night Act 2.

Nice remix, though! Makes it sound genuine Genesis-like.

[MrBurgundy76]

now that is sonic!

[Tamanozke]

Man the original sucked so bad. I almost didn't listen to this because of how bad it was.

Then I heard, and I was very glad I clicked the link. This is amazing, and how the game SHOULD have sounded!

[milkmanv1]

99% of fan-made "old school" arrangements sound like crap.

This is that 1% that sounds like it would be right at home with the originals. Amazing work dude.

[vw77]

8bc user, I salute you!

[Adam060756]

You really should of made this longer.

1:30 in length is like your teasing us.

[Hotrodx199]

Props to you my friend. Well done

[AzukaraMegaDriver]

It's been exactly a year since this remix came out. Still sounds amazing.

[IshidaTheQuincy]

The actual version actually sounds like a poor remix of this.

[spider486]

@IshidaTheQuincy so true

[Bashe86]

@IshidaTheQuincy

This. Forever.

[shadowdehhedgie5678]

TRUE TO THE CLASSIC SONIC NOW

[TheSonicBros]

It sounds like that it was ripped off of one of

Sonic 3's Multiplayer Stages.

[sonichedgehog88]

@TheSonicBros yep, the opening second is exactly the same as Balloon Park.

[Cam3leon]

I was a bit disappointed when I first heard Splash Hill simply because it lacked energy to me. But the more I listened, the more I could pictured the song fitting in Sonic Heroes, arranged by Crush 40. It has that same sound to it. I still think Gecko gave it the right amount of flair though; this even sounds ripped outta Sonic 3D Blast! And musically speaking, thats a REALLY good thing :)

[GreyWolfLeaderTW]

I find it funny how people are slamming on Jun Senoue, when its *his melody that this remix is using*. The only difference is that geckoyamori is running the song through a music program and is changing around the instruments used so to make it sound Sonic 3-ish. Granted, this is better than the synthesizers SEGA went with in Sonic 4, but you cannot deny the underlying melody's good. Jun Senoue *knows* how to make Sonic music. He's done it since Sonic Adventure, and no one complained then.

[afightingdreamer]

@GreyWolfLeaderTW Even before that he was doing music for Sonic 3&K and 3D Blast. I agree, the man definitely knows his Sonic music, the only problem here is the instrument set.

[ENC13officialband]

@GreyWolfLeaderTW

Totally

[jamesprower]

@GreyWolfLeaderTW I can't speak for anyone else, but for me, it wasn't the melodies, per say. I just found that the actual songs in Sonic 4 didn't feel like they had any 'soul' to them Maybe it's the synthesis they went with. And as you rightly pointed out, this is just a rearrangement of the melody Jun put together, and this pretty much backs up the point you were making when you said the underlying melody IS good.

[jamesprower]

@GreyWolfLeaderTW I also want to point out that I don't have a problem with Jun, he's a really talented composer; I just think it's a bit unfair that he's praised like a god when, other composers that have worked on the series don't get nearly the same recognition for having equal talent. That, and the 'OMFG BALLS OUT ROCK' in Sonic games got a bit tiring after a while, not because it was bad, moreso because what little genre deviations there were just weren't enough. Up until recently, anyway.

[EasterGhost]

Am I the only one who reached for the controller about halfway through the song?

[FinalGamerJames]

XD wow this is a REALLY good old-school remix, very well done man!

[pedroamaral1908]

Proof that Jun Senoue sucks at making classic style music. But... Sonic 4 sucks anyway, so probably he made it's music like that cause even he knew that the game sucks.

[charlesr456]

The original version of this song isn't bad.

It's just that this version is so much better.

[1234PIE43215]

Why is it that NOBODY is EVER satisfied with new Sonic games nowadays?

"HOMING ATTACK DOESN'T BELONG IN SONIC THE HEDGEHOG!" To me, that's bullshit. I love the homing attack. Let's say Sonic games didn't have spindash until Sonic 4. People would probably be complaining even though it was a wonderful addition.

[thatgirlismine]

@1234PIE43215 Because Sonic 4 controls like shit and has terrible level design.

[HawtDawg925]

@thatgirlismine I think the game is fun, but I agree there.

In the second "world," I cannot tell you how many times I died because of level design.

[1234PIE43215]

@thatgirlismine I think the controls are very good, but the levels are a little... bleh.

[subkidproductions]

SEGA clearly needs to learn how to make good music again.

[supersonicdrawer]

sonic cd with gameboy and sonic3&k

[metalsonic71]

0:14 0:40 :D

[InsanimationStudios]

Must.....threaten....Sonic 4 Episode 2 director with a razor-sharp hedgehog to make it feature decent sounding Megadrive synths! Then I must force him to hire a decent sound composer! Then I should convince him to have a different developer this time around.

[Sabe533]

I like it, it reminds me of Sonic rush adventure.

[ManhwaFan]

After listening to at least 7 different versions of Splash Hill Zone to include the original version, I recon this one is the best. It's nearly a year after the release, but I keep coming back for more. Bless you, mate.

[MrRiddleCT]

I'll just let this here -> If you were a malignal scientist who wants to conquer the world, would you use THE SAME machines in the same places where the hero already defeated you with REALLY minor modifications?

[adnxkof]

great!!!!! ^^ 

[skedardestroyer]

WOW....THIS IS PERFECT!!!! The only queston is, why did they have to wait until 2010 to release Sonic 4? I could see myself playing this on a genesis, with this music and all

[PIGEON1qwerty]

to be honest i like the real version a lot better and i dont care what otherrs think because its purely my opinion

[90sHeroMAXD]

This fits perfectly for the title screen.

[JohnnyP625]

Sometimes, Old consoles like Mega Drive are better than the New ones.

[dannysimion]

dude, now this is a nicer remix of it. it actually sounds like the old school genesis versioin! thanks for the upload. i'm gonna grab it!

[AerobianAngel]

Can't really call it better. Just another remix. Special, yes, but built upon the original. If it had an entirely new beat to it, then MAYBE I could accept it as "The Rightful Splash Hill Theme". Otherwise this is just a way of copying someone and adding a little something new to it. Besides, I like the original. If you don't, then fine.

Nice remix, by the way.

[yoshiroks777]

I love Jun Senoue, but what was he thinking when he made the tracks in this game? When fans are making better stuff than the company, there is a problem.

[Grunt121andtzm]

Sounds like sonic 3D.... so awesooooome~.....

[thenacanoroc]

this about a thousand times better than the original...

[MrSonicMoveDj]

dude this is like epic

[A113Pixar]

I should also say that there ARE things I wish Sega would have done with Sonic 4, such as using the classic designs and changing Eggman's name back to Robotnik (although it actually was always Eggman), but that's for me personally to appease the nostalgic in me. I understand this is why everyone's so mad at Sega since they're supposedly making this game for the retro audience, but when we don't like what they do then this is what fandom is for.

[A113Pixar]

This remix is awesome, but for some reason I don't seem to be that upset over the original as most of the other fans. Look at it this way: Nintendo made New Super Mario Bros. Wii to be a retro game, but just cause they did none of the music in that sounds exactly like the NES/SNES. It's probably the same with Sonic 4. Does that mean I don't think this is better? No. If Sonic 4 had been made on the Genesis for real I would love for it to sound like this, but I'm content with the music we did get.

[KomaruMedare]

@A113Pixar

I think that Gecko was trying to say that it sounded like Sega was trying to hard to emulate the structure and style of the original games' music, but without using the sound of the Mega Drive (or at least something close). And I tend to agree with him- the songs in Sonic 4 generally sounds like an amateur's first remix in FL Studio, rather than something that belongs on a official soundtrack.

[A113Pixar]

@KomaruMedare I actually heard somewhere that Jun Senoue originally wanted to reuse their old synthesizer for the Genesis games at some point, but they weren't able to find the same kind of old computer they used to compose the music before. That basically is the answer to why they used the music that they did. It was because of not finding the resources to do it, not Sega being intentionally cheap on us and never considering it at all.

[shalpp]

...even though they could do what everyone else is doing

Either use VOPM and 3xOSC and a noise plugin

or the marvel that is xm3smps

[DarkKyo64]

@A113Pixar I have heard of that too. But still I say bullshit on Sega's part. Their are now software programs on the internet where you can recreate the Genesis sounds and music on. Sonic fans do it all of the time. How come Sega just do what we have been doing for years now?

[carmatic]

@A113Pixar if some random guy on the internet can make a song like this and upload it to Youtube, what excuse does a Sega employee like Jun Senoue have anymore?

[SappinSentry]

Sega should hire you for the next parts of Sonic 4, because this kind of music is what they should've done in the first place. If they really wanted to go "retro."

[HHamza1989]

Wow, great remix !!!

[storerestore]

This is SO much better than the original. True to the original and FM/PSG instrumentation, and musically more comparable to the old Sonic games.

[UNLOVEDisBACK]

22 people pitched the original song to SEGA

[carmatic]

maybe this song is so good that its not allowed to be played in the Sega offices

[TheLegendarySuko]

This is WAY better than the original. 110x better doesn't even begin to describe it.

[RG7621]

@TheLegendarySuko Exactly, what's the point in having the good composer if you're not going to give him his right instruments.

[cyraptor]

I thought the music in Sonic 4 was pretty good actually, but this is fucking AMAZING.

[zevex747]

I think the original is just as good, in terms of musical quality.  HOWEVER, this one matches SONIC better.

[airstation828]

making this in 16-bit makes it even more u[beat and happy....i thought that could not be possible seeing its already a very cute and happy song

[mariox901]

Man why wasn't this in the game i mean this is The best version i mean it Surpasses Sega's version

[bonsayyeah]

Bravo!

[Extaticus]

This is, quite possibly, the single greatest rendition of this particular track ever created. Consider yourself wonderful.

[gjtrue]

Original is FAR better....

[ANNABECKDK]

@gjtrue shattap

[mariox901]

@gjtrue LIE just Lie

[ashfoxx85]

Yes... This is it... Perfect... I can now die happy...

[IffyJottere]

I gotta say, it though so many others have said before :Awesome song! I've been following your stuff since I stumbled upon your MegaMan X3 Genesis remixes and found them also awesome. You really do know your way around Sega sound!

[Kurofox4444]

Oh wow, really awesome! I was also quite disappointed with the one Sega made. This came out really nice, but I could see this being more of an arrange for the credits theme, I think the stage themes in sonic games are less cheerful than this. Despite this though, I think this came out much better.

[triadmaster]

sounds like something in pokemon lol

[EdgeHM]

I love the YM2612's sound. It has more character than the SPC700. I wish I had the attention span to learn how to use it.