Genesis music quality vs. SNES music quality

[Anarchist420]

Was wondering what other people here thought. Most people say the SNES sounds better, but recently I've heard some people say the Genesis gave better music quality.

I was thinking it depends upon the situation. Genesis music seems to have more dynamic range (extreme highs and lows are plentiful in genesis games), while the SNES sounds a little bit flatter; I've noticed that Genesis games had much higher audio bitrate from winamp.

We can all agree that the Genesis did a lousy job at voices and sound effects though.

 

[BoberFett]

SNES was a technically superior system in just about every way. I still loved my Genesis though.

 

[BD2003]

SNES by far. It could use real samples for the music and sound effects. Genesis was just crappy FM modulation. Not even comparable.

 

[HeXen]

Buf if the music sucks, then lot of good its quality does. Genesis usually had the better tracks. games like Shadow of beast, Thunder Force 3/4...etc.
I had both systems as a kid, maybe quality didnt matter comming from my TV's built in 5 inch speakersD:...like so many of us typically had, but i always preffered the genesis tunes overall. Even Neo Geo or N64 music wasnt much to listen to either. Now amiga..many great tunes there.

 

[Schadenfreude]

Buf if the music sucks, then lot of good its quality does. Genesis usually had the better tracks. games like Shadow of beast, Thunder Force 3/4...etc.
I had both systems as a kid, maybe quality didnt matter comming from my TV's built in 5 inch speakersD:...like so many of us typically had, but i always preffered the genesis tunes overall. Even Neo Geo or N64 music wasnt much to listen to either. Now amiga..many great tunes there.

Bzzt wrong

 

[mmntech]

SNES was released a few years later. Had a full digital audio system too while the Genesis was still using FM synth.

Some Genesis games had some solid soundtracks though. Sonic 3 is still one of my favourite game soundtracks. Heck, Michael Jackson worked on it. Plus, nothing could beat the Sega CD at the time of its release.

 

[Sadaiyappan]

This reminds me of the time I tried to create a NES emulator. Maybe I'll go back to that project.

 

[Fhistleb]

It depends on the game I loved the Contra Hard Corps and Castlevania soundtracks, really it depends on the game itself.

 

[MentalIlness]

SNES Super Ghouls And Ghosts. Almost the best music ever for a game on the Super Nintendo.

 

[CZroe]

While the composers on Genesis frequently impressed me, the SNES was by far and obviously superior.

 

[zerocool84]

Squaresoft games on SNES really showed how much better the sound on it was compared to the Genesis.

 

[SandEagle]

I miss the days of the 16-bit systems. Thunderforce III music rocked. Had both systems and SNES > Genesis

 

[Ichinisan]

SNES music was awesome.

Donkey Kong Country
Yoshi's Island
Zelda 3
Super Metroid
Illusion of Gaia
Chrono Trigger
Doom (best music of all Doom versions)
Street Fighter II

I loved the music composition in Sonic 2...but it was clearly inferior sound quality.

DKC2 had one of my faves:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J67nkzoJ_2M

 

[SneakyStuff]

SNES was better all around, but I still have fond memories of my Genesis. Anyone remember Vectorman?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhLgl4Tlb5M

 

[BoberFett]

I miss the days of the 16-bit systems. Thunderforce III music rocked. Had both systems and SNES > Genesis

Technosoft made Herzog Zwei also, I loved the sound track to that game. Herzog Zwei is, IMO, one of the greatest console games ever. My friends and I played hundreds of hours of that game. I can still hear the music.

 

[Ichinisan]

SNES was better all around, but I still have fond memories of my Genesis. Anyone remember Vectorman?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhLgl4Tlb5M

Completed the game on my first rental.

 

[Redshirt 24]

The SNES had better sound hardware, but the 16-bit folks did some amazing musical stuff on both sides of the fence (ActRaiser, Super Hydlide, the aforementioned Herzog Zwei, Axelay, and on and on).

 

[cixx79]

Hands down SNES had better sound.

 

[CZroe]

SNES' SPC700>Genesis' ...-o wate. Genesis didun efin haf uh deduhkatid sown prawsessore. AUTOMATIC FAIL!

 

[MustangSVT]

who the hell said genesis music sounds better? they are on crack.
even from the first gen snes games, sound/ music was much better on SNES.

for example, Act raiser.

/end thread

 

[HurleyBird]

SNES sound hasn't aged well. While it may have sounded more "realistic" at the time, those same songs sound like failed midi today. Genesis has a very cool retro synth sound and has aged much better.

And nothing on SNES comes close to Contra Hard Corps.

 

[SonicIce]

i love the genesis synth tunes. alot of them are still bad ass

 

[fatpat268]

Stickerbrush Symphony

 

[Chapbass]

SNES sound hasn't aged well. While it may have sounded more "realistic" at the time, those same songs sound like failed midi today. Genesis has a very cool retro synth sound and has aged much better.

And nothing on SNES comes close to Contra Hard Corps.

Chrono Trigger. timeless music.

 

[Born2bwire]

Yeah, I think it's pretty obvious that the SNES was much better in technical terms in pretty much every area compared to the Genesis.

Man, Castlevania IV was absolutely fantastic. The control, the graphics (Mode 7 let them have shit like rotating rooms) and the music was all fantastic. I never really had memories like that for the Genesis.