Nowadays, everything is about "retro" charm. Hucards are charming. But back then, CD format was the way to go.
Even back then when I was little, I found a lot of games had corny CD music that doesn't seem to fit the game as well. Especially arcadey games, or arcade ports. The chippy music just kind of works right with the graphics. Alot of times, there ends up being this disjointed feeling with the music. Kind of like crappy Amiga games.
RPGs are the biggest exception. Those games look/sound great with CD audio.
I actually like when the games on CD resort to chiptunes as much as possible though.
Yeah, there are some games that have a lite feeling of disconnect between graphics and audio. But that's definitely subjective. I would say that the majority of CD games with CDDA tracks didn't have this, but I've seen posts about this issue and (they) feel that more PCE CD games have this issue.
I know you said you played these BITD (or approximately around that era), but age and previous experience also has a lot to do with it. My older son grew up in the PSX generation. He played 16bit generation games at the time too (and a some 8bit stuff), but he definitely has a completely different view point of that generation in comparison to someone that went through the 8 and 16bit generation.
I put you in that camp. While you might have played the TG16 BITD at age 5 or such, it's not the same having gone through the 8bit generation (or rather 3rd generation IIRC, because the first three are technically 8bit dominated) as an older child or teen. And then into the 16bit generation. And that's not a snide remark against you; you have a rather unique view and experience when it comes to gaming of those two generations. If anything, it's actually better in a few ways. You didn't have that, "I need better graphics, more colors! Better music! Better animation! More, more, more!". That the NES generation brought upon us, and just escalated in the 16bit era.
There was a time during the 16bit era, where I thought TG16 chiptunes sounded awesome/amazing, and then later on where I couldn't stand it - because they sounded inferior (that happened with the Genesis as well). When I imported Legend of Xanadu for the Duo, I was completely *pissed* that it had chiptunes. I was sooo mad. It took a long time for me to appreciate TG chiptunes. But even to this day, still loving my TG/PCE/Duo, I can only take so much PCE chiptune exposure. Strange that NES doesn't bother me in the slightest - love that sound.
But I digress. The only real disconnect that I experienced with PCE CD games, were sound FX. You have 6 whole channels to make more advance sound effects, yet they stick to the same 1 or 2 channel basic sound FX as early hucard. That used to piss me off. Especially after having experienced games like Gate of Thunder and Lords of Thunder. Where everything was top notch, in all departments.
Bonknuts, I think you are around my age (born 01.31.1975), and I agree with nearly everything you said, except that music is very subjective...and I think the compositions themselves become a crucial element. When presented with Red Book audio, but the tracks are bland, or mismatched to the game, or simply not captivating (for whatever reason)...well, a decent chiptune has a chance to worm its way into your heart.
I know some folks actually really get annoyed with the synths (synth horns, especially) used by the "Telenet House Band"...I don't feel the same way, but I always wondered if they would feel the same way if the tunes were PSG and didn't scream "old 80's synth" like the tunes on Valis II, say.
Arkhan identified an important element to all of this: as sampling of instruments improved, it birthed a weird uncanny-pseudo-realism that does not always appeal to everyone. Sometimes it works, sometimes it just sounds sterile, or pathetic, or "wannabe". For example, I don't mind sampled percussion, however sampled guitar can irk me at times...
Yet, I don't mind the synth horns in Valis II.
It's very subjective (what annoys me vs. what pleases me), but I prefer synth/chiptunes that DON'T try to match their real-world counterparts...I think this is what Arkhan was stating.
Sadly, a lot of sampling used in 16-bit era carts/PC games strike me as pseudo-realistic (we can have electric guitar lead!) when I would have preferred a 100% synth lead (no real-world analogue).
Of course,the fact that I love Valis II's "atrociously dated" horn synths seemingly contradict all logic/reasoning—so, f*ck it, it's too damn subjective.
Also, I didn't clearly differentiate the dynamic we are discussing (my own examples even conflated this):
Synth/sampling (professional instruments, studio, recorded for Red Book) vs.
Synth/sampling (machine generated by console/PC)BOTTOM LINE: I love chiptunes because I've always loved electronic music, especially unabashedly pure synth that relishes its own existence as a category unto itself, and not simply "lesser than real instruments"...
It saddens me that games shifted to generic orchestrated soundtracks, purely ambient soundscapes, short loops of music that repeat ad finitum but have no discernible beginning/middle/chorus/bridge/end, etc. etc.
I'll stop now. I think the bagels have arrived!
