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A jam submission

WiSHMASTER: The OSTView project page

An OST about a bunny alien collecting Magic McGuffins in space!
Submitted by R3 (@R3tron) — 5 hours, 20 minutes before the deadline
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WiSHMASTER: The OST's itch.io page

Results

CriteriaRankScore*Raw Score
Impression#14.4804.480
Quality#14.5204.520
Overall#14.2324.232
Composition#24.4004.400
Creativity#54.1204.120
Correlation to theme#303.6403.640

Ranked from 25 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.

Description
This soundtrack is heavily inspired from Sega MegaDrive, Super Nintendo, and Nintendo DS games and soundtracks, such as Kirby Super Star, Pokemon DPPt, Casltevania, and a little bit of Shantae! I also used FL Studio 12 as my DAW, classic soundchip VSTs, and video game soundfonts to compose the whole OST...

When composing, I envisioned this happy space exploring narrative about a lad and his friend meeting the "WiSHMASTER", and stopping an evil force from taking over the universe.

Each track serves as a point in the game's story. From the inspiring grand opening, to the fun, funky romps through different planets, to the chilling and epic battles of stopping Chaos in space, I made sure the OST had a sense of progression following "The Hero's Journey" plot structure found in most games. There's some atmospheric chill tracks, funky jams, happy tunes, and even some heartfelt moments near the end. All in all, using triangle and sine waves for motifs and melodies was very effective.

Message from the artist:
If you like cool adventure platformers, happy and prominent motifs, or even just chiptune music in general, then this is right up your alley!

Theme

Panspermia (Πανσπερμία)
Picture theme

How does it fit the theme?
The picture theme inspired me the most initially. I aimed to make this album draw in listeners with its atmospheric and versatile motifs, mimicking the cool colors and sight of the cosmic deer, preparing them for a grand space adventure. As for the "Panspermia" theme of "life existing throughout the universe", my main goal was to instill both senses of wonder and dread that the universe brings. More ambient chill song loops and thrashing cinematic evil motifs carry these senses of wonder and dread, respectfully. With a theme as vast, expansive, and overwhelming as the universe, I had to go all out in variety for a grand space adventure!

Link to streaming services
Primary:
https://soundcloud.com/r3tron/sets/wishmaster-the-ost

Secondary:
https://r3tronaut.bandcamp.com/album/wishmaster-the-ost

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Comments

Submitted (1 edit) (+1)

Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy Review |BasementRejects

Submitted (1 edit) (+1)

I. "Logo Start Up": I can see why this was not the first track to play. It does feel generic, but it's an excellent overture for your sonic palette, and the target audience is unmistakable from this point forth. There are hints here of the Genius to come.

II. "Galaxy Bound": at first, this feels generic, but the first Minor Chord puts it on par with Beethoven. The Spanish-sounding chords propel us onward as the breakdowns give us breathing room in Outer Space.

III. "Beyond the Stars": smooth and silky Rhythm and Blues melodies sing under the guise of a Sonic-era synthesizer lead. It's like listening to Genesis on a Genesis.


IV. "Onward to Adventure!": this track reprises the singing synthesizer from its predecessor whilst imbuing it in the echoing retro tones introduced earlier on.

V. "Space Girlfriend": she seems like someone I want to get to know, since the Sound Design makes me think of saving Amy from Metol Sanic.

VI. "Your Loyal Star Friend, Starlyte!": the hypnotic jazz progressions were a bold and appropriate move, picking up where the greats left off instead of merely emulating them.

VII. "Chaos' Theme": this one throws us for a loop with a Baroque-sounding harpsichord plug-in embellishing a Slavic dance of sorts. The melodic solos are all but virtuosic in their expressiveness and consonance with this dark and immersive throwback to Bach's century.

VIII. "Planet ShiverCrystal": Post Malone would rap over this, though I'd rather explore a Crystal Cavern or an Underwater City to it. The synth chords breathe life into these sparkling gems.

IX. "Luppyluppy, Space Kracken": unmistakably the race track, this one is an excellent testament to your proficiency in this genre. The transitions from dark, compact riffs into open-sounding lyrical melodies feel worthy of TouHou or Russian Pop Music.

X. "Planet Funkibunch": again, your flair for songwriting reflects in a funky bass groove and a highly appropriate jazz solo on the synthesizer. The piano chords remind me of classic Warren G, Dr. Dre, and Nate Dogg.

XI. "Crane Game McGuffin": who thought that blues rock would sound so epic in chiptune mode???


XII. "Needle in a Sandstorm": the eclecticism just won't stop. This Harmonic Minor Scale reminds me that even a Desert Planet may be home to an Arabesque and thriving Culture of Dancers and Keyboard Virtuosos. The triplet runs are splendid, as well.

XIII. "Chaos is Back!": it's a real testament to the effectiveness of a Boss Theme when I recognize it from only the second time hearing it in my first listen.

XIV. "I WiSH to be Queen of the Universe!": the sudden rock hit partway through prevents an otherwise dainty childhood aspiration towards royalty from coming off as a broken tiara. I feel the foreboding passion for conquest.

XV. "Dark Chaos Looms": Chaos is still intimidating!! Ending the piece on a discordant chord is daring and effective, as well.

XVI. "Castle at the Edge of the Universe": again, we're hearing some of those more eclectic modes and Baroque stylings coming back, this time over a hard rock backbeat that modernizes them and sends them, as the title implies, to the very Edge of the Known Universe. It truly feels like a Medieval Castle situated on the Very Fringes of Existence.

XVII. "Darkest Chaos": this follows up the prior tracks in a manner that synthesizes them in a very climactic fashion.

XVIII. "Make it Count!!": by this point, all of these sounds have become familiar. This is nonetheless a solid summary of all that's come before it; it makes them all count. The breakdowns and soaring melodies also keep it from growing redundant.

XIX. "I WiSH to Make it All Better": how can you??

XX. "WiSH Granted, Old Friend": the sense of ghostly, angelic resolution in the chords succeeds in conveying the sense of resolution to which the title and track number allude.

XXI. "See You Next Planet!": everything that made this playlist enjoyable so far is summarized without reservation. The jazz chords, the ghostly ambience, the rocking drums, and the expressive melodies all send us off in style. See you next O.S.T. Jam!!

I did not want to do this, but I gave you Five Stars in every Category. It's incredible that you still had five hours to spare upon submitting this, but then again it's not like you had any shortage of material nor foresight.

[({R.G.||S.M.G.)}]

Developer (1 edit) (+1)

Wow. Just wow. No one's ever taken a deep dive analysis into my musical work before, so thanks for that, first and foremost!

It's very interesting how you noted a LOT of things I was actively thinking about, whilst cramming in about 2-3 songs a day for the album. The breakdown for breathing room in space in "Galaxy Bound", picking up on how I repurposed my motifs all throughout, exploring a Crystal Cavern or an expansive, cultural Desert Planet, the often rock and baroque tones of Chaos' presence and their passion for interstellar conquest... Hell, you even picked up on LuppyLuppy, a song I had originally intended to be a race mini-game track against time for a McGuffin!

Overall, I'm very glad I could sell you on the tones of the songs I was going for, Chaos' intimidation, the musical world building, and the feeling of resolution in the OST. Within that whole week, I had nothing but a dream for a cool lil OST to make, and frankly, a SHIT TON of time on my hands! To be honest, I couldn't contain my giddiness when I saw you had analyzed the music theory of every song. Made me think about what I tend to compose, both consciously and subconsciously! I'm thoroughly glad you enjoyed every facet of the album I worked so hard to make (thanks for the 5 stars!)
 Hopefully, I'll be able to top this album one day.

See you next OST!
-R3

Submitted(+1)

You inspire us, R3. I look forward to hearing your career blossom.

[({R.G.||S.M.G.)}]

Submitted(+1)

This sounds like the score of an ACTUAL game from the 90's. Love it!

Submitted(+1)

This is just a really impressive amount of work for a one week jam. The album is so good I bought a copy on bandcamp, the chaos tracks are my fav

Developer

Thanks a million for supporting the album! The chaos tracks were my favorite ones to make near the end of production!

(+1)

Really awsome I think 21 tracks is the most I've seen!

Submitted(+1)

The sheer amount of work you must have put into this in just a week is astounding. Even though it's not my preferred style of music, the quality is impeccable and it doesn't feel boring at all. All the motifs are very catchy. Well done!!!

Developer

Thank you so much! I'm very glad I could make something of great variety and quality that you wouldn't usually listen to!

Submitted(+1)

90s vibes at max! Now I really wanna play that game! Fantastic job!

Submitted(+1)

God I LOVE this! It feels so nostalgic and I've only listened to this once (that is most certainly going to change). You nailed this, how you managed to make so many tracks with such quality in just over a week astounds me. 

Developer

Thanks! They gave me a week so I wanted to get all that I could out into an album. My love for SNES and DS era games was high that week.

Submitted(+1)

This is very professional, I can't compete with this WAAAAAAAH. jokes aside, you really did an amazing job, each track is well done even though there are 20, There comes a moment when I no longer listen to it critically, but as if I was listening to music like any other day.

Developer

Thanks, this really means a lot! I wanted to make this album sound like it'd come straight out of a game I'd play as a kid. Glad you enjoyed the music.

Submitted(+1)

Currently at Chaos' Theme and so far this has absolutely been the best entry in the jam, by far! Soundwise it could partly be on SNES and partly on GBA and maybe on DS. Compositionwise it could be in any retro console game around SNES era onwards. Really good work, I'm really impressed by the amount of content and the quality of it too.

Submitted(+1)

Ok, I'm now at Luppyluppy, and yeah my opinion about this being the best entry just solidifies every second! Very cool track!

Submitted(+1)

Yeah, listened through the whole thing and even though I still have exactly half of the entries to listen, I'm still going to jump the gun and say this should win the whole jam.

Developer

Thanks for the feedback! I was really inspired by the sounds and songs of the SNES and DS. I played a lot of Kirby games as a kid.

Submitted(+1)

Great job! It reminds me of OMORI soundtrack. I love music from this game! Your soundtrack is also fantastic! I love Space Girlfriend track ♥ It's very diversified. Probably my fav submission.

Developer

Thanks, Space Girlfriend was a very Kirby inspired song! OMORI had some real bangers, too! "See In Your Fantasy" being my favorite chill song.

Submitted(+1)

This is really fun!  Can definitely hear the kirby influence.

Submitted(+1)

That's so cool ! You've even thought of the logo sound haha ! Everything helps me to dive in some pokemon  memories on my own :) thanks for that !

Submitted(+1)

What a massive job! You impressed me, I loved your work. My favorite: Space Girlfriend.

(+1)

Very cool! I went back to my childhood with this soundtrack!

Submitted (1 edit) (+1)

First of all the artwork is amazing.
Second, you did a great job! Had some Chrono Trigger flashbacks. I guess that's the biggest compliment one could get. And I think we all appreciated the effort in making an entire OST of 20 tracks... 

Developer(+1)

Thanks a bunch! I'm glad I was able to pull off the album art and 20 track size alone!

Submitted(+1)

Whoa, this is awesome!

I love how much you used the sine lead. It really gives the soundtrack a cheerful whistle-y feel, without being too whimsical for the darker tracks. I especially liked the Space Kraken theme, between the 12/8 time and the rock organ.

I do agree with the previous comment that it sometimes feels derivative of its inspirations, but it was at least original enough that I wasn't picturing Kirby or Pokemon as I listened.

Developer(+1)

Thanks! I'm glad I could make the OST distinct enough while giving off that sense of nostalgia. As for the derivatives, I realized that I just loved going all out with the motifs and cinematic moments in my head! With more time to work on the album, I could've put more nuance into a few things, so I'm really happy people's criticism is giving me ideas for the future. Thanks again!

Submitted(+1)

Very well done! That huge nostalgia feeling did the trick for me. I won't lie, I giggled like a 8yo little boy on the first notes.

Submitted(+1)

I remember listening to your Beyond the Stars over the Discord and loving it. The entire soundtrack is just as good. HUGE nostalgia bomb for me, I could really feel the Kirby heritage in the choices haha. In some parts, it feels a little TOO derivative of the styles you were emulating, but on the other hand you nailed the authenticity. Planet Funkibunch was one of the ones that stepped outside the comfort zone I think, and that was a good touch to the album.


Also, the humor is great! The required crane-game track def made me chuckle. Love this entire album.

Developer

Thanks for the feedback, I'm glad you enjoyed the album!! Nostalgia did play a big part of making this OST, Milky Way Wishes (from KSS) being a main inspiration, and I did take the "reoccurring motif" ball and run with it. Glad I could give the album enough variety, too!