Which Sonic CD soundtrack do you prefer?

[Tornado]

American version is better. Fact.

[Solkia]

I like mixing both of them.

[Dr. Mechano]

American version is better. Fact.

[VO.SUPER]

American version is better. Fact.

[Sean]

American version is better. Fact.

[Jacky]

Both are fucking awesome

US is at times ominous and edgier, JP is 90s dance awesomness,

My fav tracks, I think ALL timeline versions of JP Quartz Quadrant are amazinnnnnng, but for the matter, BOTH US/JP versions of Tidal Tempest are incredible.

[Gaming Misfit]

American version is better. Fact.

Reasons are always nice.

EDIT: Oops, sorry...didn't see Sean's post, honestly. My bad.

Edited January 28, 2012 by Gaming Misfit

[Velotix von Skruviktorrius]

Custom soundtrack master race.

In seriousness, my opinion on the soundtracks and CD in general is well-known to anybody who's been here for a while, and is an example of the nasty elitist flamebait we're supposed to be avoiding, so the above is something I can actually contribute to the topic.

One of the last remaining advantages of the original Mega CD ROM over the new port is the fact that you can customise the soundtrack the game uses by swapping the MP3s. There seem to be several (similar!) examples on YouTube of people giving this a go and trying to match other music from the franchise to the game, with interesting results. The guy who made the above video did this for all seven zones and I'm taking a look... listen? right now.

So whilst I prefer the Japanese soundtrack for reasons I am long tired of discussing and to the point of fanboyism... you could always take a third option.

I really hate it when the media tags bug out. ._. EDIT : Oh there it goes. This one's a more interesting example anyway.

Edited January 28, 2012 by Velotix von Skruviktorrius

[JezMM]

I do wish the new port had (non-manual externally operated) custom soundtrack support. =C

Lol, if I could have a dream playlist, I'd have it so each playthrough it randomly selects JP/EU for one act, and US for the other. For Act 3 I'd prolly have it random or the same every time based on my preferences (hate Tidal Tempest Bad Future JP/EU so I'd never have that show up on Act 3).

I'd use US boss music for Bad Futures and JP/EU for good futures... and I'd have the Special Stage music alternate (starting with US, so the final stage also has US music (giving secret stage JP/EU music). It'd also match up nicely to the aesthetics of each one. Crystals - US, Sky - JP, Underwater Base - US, Rocky Waterfall Island - JP, Dark City - US, Psychedelic Venice - JP, Ominous Green Sci-fi - US, Secret Eggman Stage - JP.

Think I'd use JP/EU for "got through..." stage clear with US for "made a good future in...".

Ending themes I'd have random... Though perhaps use the instrumental versions for the bad ending.

Anyway, I ramble.

Edited January 28, 2012 by JezMM

[Semi-colon e]

Yeah I'd have loved an option in the port to not just change soundtrack, but pick each track individually. I'd definitely go Wacky Workbench Good Future US, but Wacky Workbench Present Japan, for example. Or at least have it so in the US track the Good Future theme plays on Metal Sonic if it's a Good Future. I loved that aspect of the original game, because the Good Future always sounded epic and dramatic as well as celebratory to me and made it feel, in some ways, more intense.

[Rusty Spy]

Been meaning to give my thoughts in this topic for a while so here we go. I don't have a preference as both soundtracks are absolutely brilliant in their own way, though I will say I find the JP version slightly more fitting for the actual gameplay, whereas I seem to like the US tracks more overall. To say I prefer one version and leaving it at that would be a great injustice as there is rarely a single stage where I prefer one soundtrack completely.

Palmtree Panic:

The US version is a lot better consistency wise and each track is good in it's own right. The Bad Future track in particular greatly trumps the JP version as the dull depressing, almost tribal theme better conveys the dead enviorment. The JP version has much better highs, but at the same time has it's lower lows. The Bad Future theme really doesn't do it for me. It sounds like it's trying to hard to be a remix of the other themes but 'evil', but it comes off sounding obnoxious. So I guess it's a tie, US is more consitent but not as upbeat as the JP version, but the JP version loses major points for the obnoxius Bad Future.

Favorite US track: Present

Favorite JP track: Good Future

Least Favorite track: JP Bad Future

Collision Chaos:

JP wins by default for being more inline with the stage's theme, but I still have a soft spot for the US version's surreal tone, in particular, the Good Future track for those sexy guitar riffs (something the US soundtrack will get SEVERAL bonus points for). Overall the themes aren't all that noteworthy, all very standard.

Favorite US track: Good Future

Favorite JP track: Present

Least Favorite: JP Bad Future

Tidal Tempest: The more and more I listen to the two versions the more I come to appreciate the US version over the JP version. Maybe the JP version got a little annoying after hearing it over and over while playing the game or maybe it's because the US tracks are more dynamic and softer on the ears. I'll admit, the JP tracks get repetative compared the US. I mean, I love the JP Good Future, but the constnat jingling in the background gets annoying. As for the Bad Future, the JP version drops the ball once again with a repetative track that doesn't even have a decent melody, whereares the US version has a much better atmosphere. So I guess US wins this one.

Favorite US track: Good Future

Favorite JP track: Good Future

Least Favorite track: JP Bad Future (notice a pattern?)

Quartz Quadrant:

This levels themes are kinda hard to really give an opinion on since no matter how much I try to recall any of the tracks, my mind keeps going back to the Good Futures of both versions. Seriously they're probably the best the GF tracks in the game. As for the other time periods, US present is repetative (sorry, your guitars won't work on me this time) though I like how it sounds like the kind of theme for a level with fast minecarts, whereas the JP theme focuses more on the theme of a dense mine shaft filled with crystals and is one I greatly prefer to the US version. The Bad Future tracks seem to reverse themes, with the US having the theme of a one crystal cavern desecrated by machinary whereas the JP track gives the tone of a high-flying thriller through a deadly factory (something the actual level fails to live up to). Both are great tracks, but the US version better connects with the crystal theme than the JP theme. Overall JP version wins since it's 2 best tracks trump the US's best 2.

Favorite US track: Good Future

Favorite JP track: Good Future

Least Favorite track: US Present

Wacky Workbench:

Much like Tidal Tempest, I find myself growing fonder of the US version the more I listen to it, where the JP version gets repetative. What really seals the deal for me is how the US tracks sound like the kind of music used in a 90's Hard Work montage inside... well, a wacky workbench. It's both nostalgic and very catchy and upbeat...... buuuut there's always the bad apple. The Bad Future track doesn't convey any sort of negative tones you'd expect from the time period and overall is a pretty lame track. JP is just.... there. Only the first few seconds of the songs really grab me, particularly the Bad Future's intro with the sirens going off like the place is under meltdown. So US wins by a landslide.

Favorite US track: Present

Favorite JP track: Bad Future

Least Favorite track: JP Good Future

Stardust Speedway:

Ahhh Stardust Speedway oh how I love US Stardust Speedway. Not even a contest, US wins just..... forget it!.... The starry tone, the deep ambiant chorus, EVERYTHING about these tracks are amazing. I love the Bad Future's feeling of an epic confrontation in the apocalypse, I love the Good Future's feeling of a triving amusment park but still doesn't let you forget that you still have to deal with Metal Sonic and the final confrontation is just around the corner. If I have to talk about the JP tracks, two words; funkah akshun! Present and Bad Future are THE catchiest tunes in the game and I could listen to them for hours. And rather than going for the starlit highway in the sky, it sounds more like a funkier version of Speed Highway, especially the Bad Future, which really gives off the dialptated lawless city with crime running rampant feel. Good Future is meh.

Favorite US track: Bad Future

Favorite JP track: Bad Future

Least Favorite track: JP Good Future

Metallic Madness:

And so we come to it. Just to get it out of the way, JP wins. The present theme is fucking amazingly intense and so catchy (probably more catchy than Stardust Speedway Present). Good Future is a masterpiece, Bad Future doesn't really have the same heavy sound as the Present theme but I guess you could interpret it as an elaborate 'Game Over' screen that you can play. Like, you fail, get over it. And now onto the US version. I love the US version, that is I love the US Present theme. God do I love the US present theme. The completely ambiant, heavy instrumentation, that desolate base, that calm before the storm, the wailing guitar solo. Fucking Amazing. Where the JP Present theme is the intense infiltration of Eggman's final stronghold, the US equivilant is the calm right before everything explodes in an intense finale (which the game sadly falls flat on). Good Future is dumb, Bad Future has a good melody going on, but isn't as heavy as the Present theme so doesn't really leave an impression.

Favorite US track: Present

Favorite JP track: Present

Theme Songs:

Personally prefer Sonic Boom to You Can Do Anything. It just sounds more thematic to the character himself compared to YCDA, which is really catchy and equally awesome, but nostalgia will win this time. As for ending themes....... Comsic Eternity never did it for me. The tone feels very superficial and doesn't really seem to fit the ending cinematic. The smoother acoustic reprise of Sonic Boom feels more climactic and fits the montage ending cinematic more IMO.

Special Stage I prefer US, Little Planet I like both equally.

[TheOcelot]

For me both Soundtracks are fantastic. The option to switch between the two tracks on the Sonic CD 2011 remake is what you call definitive. First time I played Sonic CD was on the 2005 Gems collection (PS2). I desperately wanted to play CD in 1993 but never got the Mega CD, so I had to wait 12 years. I grew up with the US soundtrack.

As soon as I played CD on the gems collection I knew CD was my second favourite Sonic game of all time. The US soundtrack felt so much better compared to the other Sonic megadrive games music. Mind you with the different versions of the music for each time zone its hardly suprising. So when I found out there was a Japanese sountrack I was intrigued.

Overal lI prefer the Japanese soundtrack, but only just. The Japanese music feels very upbeat (poor choice of words maybe) and some of the music tracks are great to listen to over and over. Collision Chaos, Present music always makes me smile. The American soundtrack songs are better suited to the deisgn/atmosphere of the level, whereas some of the Japanes tracks sound great, but I think want on earth has this song go to do with the level design.

I have got the Sonic CD 20th anniversary Japanese soundtrack. Which I listen to a lot. To be honest I would say that both soundtracks sound fantastic when you play Sonic CD, but the Japanese sountrack sounds a lot better when just playing as a music CD on you car stereo or whatever.

My favoutite songs from each soundtrack are as follows:

Palmtree Panic:

Present: American Sountrack

Good Future: Japanese Sountrack

Bad Future: Japanese Sountrack

Collison Chaos:

Pre: Jap

GF: Ame

BF: Ame

Tidal Tmpest:

Pre: Jap

GF: Jap

BF: Ame

Quartz Quadrant:

Pre: Ame

GF: Ame

BF: Ame

Wack Workbench:

Pre: Ame

GF: Ame

BF: Jap

Stardust Speedway:

Pre: Jap

GD: Jap

BF: Ame

Metallic Madness:

Pre: Jap

GF: Jap

BF: Jap

Jap 10 - Ame 9

Boss Music - Jap

Final (Metallic Madness) Boss - Jap

Speed Up (power up) - Ame

Invincibility - Ame

Death music - Ame

Special stage - Jap

Opening theme - Ame (only just. The Japanese opening theme is pretty cool as well).

Ending theme - Jap

Title Screen - Jap

End of stage (& special stage) music - Ame

Little Planet - Jap

Jap 6 - Ame 5

So the Japenese soudtrack just wins. 16 against 14 overall.

Edited February 10, 2012 by MilesKnightwing

[Ebby]

Japanese. By a long shot. The only tracks that are even worth my time in the US soundtrack are Tidal Tempast Present, Tidal Tempast Bad Future, and Stardust Speedway Present. That being said, that last track mentioned is the only one I listen to in my spare time.

I disliked the US tracks so much that I only played the levels in the past and when I purchased a Japanese copy of Gems Collection I only played that version of the game. I'm sorry, but those tracks were ruined Nilsen got to them, I've believed this since I was 13... nothing will make me think differently.

[Chaos Rush]

I like the JP one better, despite the fact that I first played Sonic CD with the US soundtrack. The JP one sounds more "Sonicy", just more energetic in general. Also, the Past songs make more sense with the JP Soundtrack, since the Past songs are a variation of the Present JP themes. If you play the US soundtrack, then the Past songs make no connection to the Present songs.

[VO.SUPER]

I like the JP one better, despite the fact that I first played Sonic CD with the US soundtrack. The JP one sounds more "Sonicy", just more energetic in general. Also, the Past songs make more sense with the JP Soundtrack, since the Past songs are a variation of the Present JP themes. If you play the US soundtrack, then the Past songs make no connection to the Present songs.

I'm pretty sure that's the point. The past is supposed to be wilder and unfamiliar, hence why the Nilson decided not to make his themes sound similar to the past ones. I realize the limitations that kept him from changing the past themes as well, but I'm sure that's what he had in mind when he realized he couldn't change the past themes.

[Chaos Rush]

I'm pretty sure that's the point. The past is supposed to be wilder and unfamiliar, hence why the Nilson decided not to make his themes sound similar to the past ones. I realize the limitations that kept him from changing the past themes as well, but I'm sure that's what he had in mind when he realized he couldn't change the past themes.

tbh I don't think Nilson thought about it that deeply. I don't think he actually thought "I'm going to intentionally make the present and future themes different from the past themes because the past is wilder and unfamiliar", I'm pretty sure he thought something more like "cool I'm hired to do the US soundtrack. Oh look I can't change the past themes. Whatever, IDGAF, kthxbai"

[JezMM]

He clearly did work with what he had though, hence why the two US future themes have the same melodies, but the present (and automatically) the past don't. He gave each time period a distinct melody. If he really didn't give a fuck he could have remixed one melody between Present, Good Future and Bad Future and REALLY made the Past themes stick out like a sore thumb.

[Bot]

I have to say, I like both soundtracks but in different ways. I personally prefer the JP Soundtrack to listen to in-game, as I feel the atmosphere it gives off is much more in line with general Sonic level music, but at the same time I enjoy the US Soundtrack because it has a much more atmospheric feel in my opinion, and can be good listening material without playing the game. It also has a much darker edge to it in generally all time eras (Except the past, as of course the past tracks are the same in both versions), but I find the boss music and game over music for the US Soundtrack overboard.

I first played CD on Gems for my PS2 at around the age of eight or nine, and being in Europe we got the US Soundtrack (For some reason). At this time I had no idea that there were two separate soundtracks and indeed, always thought to myself how it didn't exactly fit the bouncy style of the other Classics. And since the US boss music was enough for me to mute my TV, the first time I got a game over... I didn't play CD again for another three months. I was much more enthusiastic to CD when I came across the JP Soundtrack but again, I now enjoy both soundtracks as they are both a pleasure to listen to in their own ways. I find the US Soundtrack to be, essentially, much more of an acquired taste nonetheless.

[Cyrus]

The JAP OST is very funky, and it's my favorite.

My favorite songs from the OST are:

All 3 Stardust Speedway tracks

Palmtree Panic Present and Good Future

Boss

Collision Chaos

Cosmic Eternity

Toot Toot Sonic Warrior

[G.U.N. Commander Gogol]

Of all my previous initial comprehensions and thoughts, now I understand the great and simple truth: US soundtrack is just plain better on every level, lel. 

This shit is just gorgeous on its own: from ultimately badass "Sonic Boom" through just as badass Tidal Tempest and Wacky Workbench, to the Speedway full of Stardust, dark cyberpunk notes and powerful invintation to the decisive battle with Metal Faker. I can listen to that all day long.

Sonic is a Badass himself - he surely deserves better than some funky crap of JP. 

[SonicOfAmerica]

I prefer the North American soundtrack of "Sonic CD" over the original JP/EU one. I just think the North American tracks better suit the surroundings than the JP/EU ones do.

Take the Present and Good Future themes of Palmtree Panic for example: The North American version sounds exactly like a tropical paradise, whereas the JP/EU versions just sound like something that would play during the Kids' Choice Awards, what with the children cheering and game-show-esque tune.

I prefer the NA version of Palmtree Panic's bad future as well. The North American one does a much better job at making the player feel like they've failed than the JP/EU version does. The original JP/EU version sounds more like something that would play at a dance party. The NA track sounds sad, creepy, and really tells you that you screwed up. The JP/EU track is just silly in comparison.

Another good example would be the bad future of Collision Chaos. The North American version perfectly fits the atmosphere of this creepy, long-deserted casino. The eerie guitar riffs, those ghostly sounds, what's not to love? The JP/EU version is far too upbeat for the scenario. The NA track makes you feel guilty for not destroying those robot generators and getting yourself in this mess. The JP/EU one does anything but that.

Before you point it out, I am aware that the JP/EU soundtrack is the original and that the North American soundtrack was only added when the game came to the USA and Canada. However, I still prefer the North American soundtrack over the original, because it does a far better job at fitting the stages and environment than the original soundtrack does.

Even listening to the two soundtracks on their own without acknowledging them as Sonic soundtracks, I prefer listening to the North American soundtrack. I prefer it not only as a Sonic soundtrack, but as a soundtrack in general. It's so ambient and has irresistible rock sprinkled throughout most of the tunes to boot.

Not that I have a problem with anyone who prefers the original JP/EU soundtrack. It's quite well known in the Sonic community that people generally prefer the JP/EU soundtrack over the NA one. I'm just one of the few people who disagrees with them.

[Chaos Incarnate]

It's always gonna be Japanese for me. It's the Sonic soundtrack I always go back to. Collision Chaos and Quartz Quadrant are some of my favorite level themes in the series, and I love the past remixes. I do love both versions of Sonic Boom though, and Stardust Speeway US is fantastic. The Japanese soundtrack is just so damn catchy, and it really puts you in the world of the game.