After a slow start that had me genuinely worried about the continued success of the VGM Guessing Contest as a whole, we ended up with six competitors who tossed their Nintendo-branded hats into the ring. I can tell you that 45 out of 60 songs were at least somewhat identified, that the list of songs actually has 61 included, and that there was a one point difference between fourth and third place, which really stings with a five-dollar prize on the line.
But thank you to our competitors for putting up with this nonsense. Should you have entered and done better? Let's find out by hearing...
The songs!
- Bloody Roar (Bad Moon Rising) [APE!]
Identified by: N/A
You'd think for a series that can be summed up as "Animorphs but even more violent" that there'd be more than one game with a character who can transform into an ape. And yet! - Critical Velocity (Urban Striker)
Identified by: AmejinMayo (Solo!)
How did someone find this? As I said in my hint for this one, I only know this game because of its appearances in Taiko no Tatsujin, so it must have been in one of them at some point. Then again, I do have a penchant for choosing obscure racing games for these quizzes, as we'll see later on. - [THE INTRUDER] Persona -trinity soul- (Burning Men's Soul)
Identified by: KobaBeach (Solo!)
As I said in the main topic, you have to point out the intruder rather than knowing its origin. Another quizzer knew the source, but didn't make the distinction, which means they left those points behind, like Beaver. - The End is Nigh (RUIN)
Identified by: Nast, FourteenthOrder, AmejinMayo
Before settling on Ape Games, my gimmick was going to involve arrangements of classical music. This is a holdover from my initial attempt at finding sufficient examples. - Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey (Apex Predator) [APE!]
Identified by: AmejinMayo (Solo!)
Ape Bonus: AmejinMayo, FourteenthOrder
Look, I scoured the Wikipedia page of "Games Featuring Monkeys" like mad planning this out. Not everything's going to be a winner. - Pocket Card Jockey (Funky Monkey Style)
Identified by: AmejinMayo (Solo!)
I threw a few tracks into the mix that might be considered an Ape Game through some assumption or another, but sometimes you just get something like this where it has the word "monkey" in the name and it's just funny. Maybe I should have gone with EarthBound for one of these, since it's an APE game... - Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links (Supreme King Jaden Theme)
Identified by: N/A
I wanted to go with a Master Duel pick, but that had been done recently so I went with this instead. I just chose this track at random; if I was playing to my biases, you'd better believe Anna Kaboom would get the nod instead. Choo choo! - BlazBlue Chronophantasma (Sector7)
Identified by: AmejinMayo (Solo!)
Probably should have opted for a more recognizable track, or at least one that feels more like a Daisuke Ishiwatari one, but that bass line is so freakin' good that I couldn't help myself. - Ephemerid: A Musical Adventure (Spider Jam)
Identified by: AmejinMayo (Solo!)
When AmejinMayo sent in his answers, he had this listed as "Ephemeris". Thinking it was a typo, I asked him to clarify, only to learn that Ephemeris was an existing and very different game. You can thank the QWERTY keyboard for these points. - Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (Figurine Showcase)
Identified by: N/A
I feel like this game gets a bad reputation, probably because it's the only Kirby game on the Wii U. But everyone loved Canvas Curse! Why can't we appreciate this one as well? - Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp (Power of Money)
Identified by: Bean (Solo!)
Ska! Ska! I'm a crow! - Sonic Generations [3DS] (Radical Highway: Act 1 "Vengeance is Mine - Cash Cash RMX)
Identified by: Literally everyone (1.5 points for AmejinMayo for not listing the specific console)
Radical Highway's been confirmed for Shadow Generations, right? I really hope this version gets used again. - de Blob (Into It [Righteous])
Identified by: AmejinMayo (Solo!)
I remain pleasantly befuddled as to how this game did well enough to warrant a sequel. - Shantae (Zombie Caravan) [APE!]
Identified by: Sifi720, FourteenthOrder (both also got the Ape Bonus)
Shout out to someone from a non-raocow Discord server I'm on who reminded me of Shantae's status as an Ape Game. - Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge (Breegull Beach)
Identified by: Nast, FourteenthOrder, Bean
It remains really weird for there to be a Banjo game that had no new contributions from Grant Kirkhope. - Goof Troop (Lose My Way)
Identified by: Nast, AmejinMayo, Bean
AND I WATCH YOU WHEN YOU SLEEP
BUT YOU DON'T CALL ME BACK 'CAUSE I DON'T LEAVE MY NUMBER - Frog Fractions (Curiosity)
Identified by: N/A
This is one of the songs I was the most surprised to see unidentified. Maybe it doesn't stand out without an oral history of boxing accompanying it. - Game & Wario (Jimmy Lovin')
Identified by: Nast (Solo!)
If this came bundled with the Wii U, it would have gotten the appeal of the console across loads better than Nintendo Land ever could. - Marvel VS. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (Network) [APE!]
Identified by: N/A
I thought I was so clever with this one. It's not in the new collection since that's solely a port of the arcade version, and its presence in only a few console versions made it a toughie, but a possible one for those who heard the soundtrack online or something. But then something else happened...
Vampire Chronicle for Matching Service (Net)
Identified by: AmejinMayo (Solo!)
I got hit with a mix-up myself! I had no clue this song was used in this other game even if it makes sense that it'd carry over from one Capcom fighter to another. Full marks and an additional bonus point for pointing out my mistake that could potentially mislead quizzers into thinking there were only nine Ape Games. - Pizza Tower (Cold Spaghetti)
Identified by: SiFi720, FourteenthOrder, AmejinMayo
Hey there, everyone! - Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (Sky-Blue Eyes)
Identified by: FourteenthOrder, AmejinMayo
I still ship Cissnei and Zack, and there's nothing Square Enix can do about it. - One Piece: Pirate Warriors (Don't Let Her Cry I)
Identified by: N/A
Here's my hot take: Wano wasn't that good of an arc. The aesthetic got a little tired after it lasted so long, the "everyone powers up" event paled in comparison to Enies Lobby, and Kaido's ultimate defeat felt a bit anticlimactic. - Flower, Sun, and Rain (I Love You, Porgy)
Identified by: AmejinMayo (Solo!)
This is one of those songs I listen to when I need an ego death, because holy crap I'll never make anything one percent as beautiful as this. - Pokémon Puzzle League (Koga)
Identified by: KobaBeach (Solo!)
My sister and I have lyrics we sing along to this song, and by lyrics I mean it's the phrase "Koga's a ninja so too bad" in various forms. If it's the version that plays when someone's on the brink of losing, the intro to that version's lyrics are "he, sure, is, a, ninja!" - Donk! The Samurai Duck! (Select Screen)
Identified by: N/A
If All the Not Sonics ever makes a return, I sincerely hope this is one of the showcased titles. - Touch My Katamari (Hello World)
Identified by: FourteenthOrder, Bean
Half-identified by: AmejinMayo
If someone asks you to touch their Katamari, decline their offer. - Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore (World Map)
Identified by: SiFi720, FourteenthOrder, AmejinMayo
I still haven't tried this one out. All I know is that Vinny voices a frog and there's a scene with a blacksmith that goes on for a lot longer than you think it should. - Metropolis Street Racer (When She Comes Back)
Identified by: N/A
It is criminal that TJ Davis hasn't been brought back for more games besides this and Sonic R. - Wii Fit (Yoga)
Identified by: Nast, FourteenthOrder
Wii Fit genuinely helped me lose weight and develop an exercise routine. And got me to do math with my butt. Lot less butt math in the real world than I was led to believe. - Super Monkey Ball 3D (ROCKIN' COMMANDER) [APE!]
Identified by: N/A
Half-identified by: FourteenthOrder (Solo!; also got Ape Bonus)
I'm not sure how serious FourteenthOrder was by saying all unguessed tracks were Super Monkey Ball, but it paid off. I suppose I should have considered the Ape Bonus to be null if more than ten were guessed, but it felt more like one universal guess than several smaller ones, if that makes sense. If it's any consolation, it wouldn't have affected the final results. - Trombone Champ (Trombón Fuerte)
Identified by: AmejinMayo (Solo!)
You can't play as a baboon in this one, right? It's just a beloved mascot? (The mask doesn't count. That's not playing as a baboon, that's playing as a human in a baboon mask.) - Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 3 (Inexhaustible Energy)
Identified by: N/A
Half-identified by: AmejinMayo (Solo!)
I'm, like, 99% sure I know this one because it was in the background of an old Proton Jon LP. The music in the background of old Proton Jon LPs honestly introduced me to a lot more musicians than I'd like to admit. - Yoshi's Woolly World (Snifberg the Infeeling)
Identified by: AmejinMayo (Solo!)
We need jungle, I'm afraid. - Bayonetta 3 (Theme of Bayonetta 3 - Al Fine)
Identified by: Almost everyone
My favorite game, Astral Chain 2. - 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim (-[ISOLEUCINE]-)
Identified by: AmejinMayo (Solo!)
After having beaten the game and read through the plot summary, I still don't think I can tell you exactly what happens in it. - Dragon Ball FighterZ (Islands) [APE!]
Identified by: N/A
In hindsight, it was probably not wise to include two three-on-three fighting games with heavy focus on team composition and ridiculously long combos that are considered Ape Games because of a character who is inspired by Journey to the West on the same quiz. - Deadly Premonition (Life is Beautiful)
Identified by: KobaBeach, AmejinMayo, Bean
It's never a comforting feeling when one of the songs you include as a gimme is only identified by half of the quizzers. - Mario Tennis [Game Boy Color] (Bowser's Two-on-One) [APE!]
Identified by: Literally everyone (1.5 points for AmejinMayo for not listing the specific console)
Ape Bonus: SiFi720, Nast, FourteenthOrder, Bean
Does Bowser have a proper leitmotif? It feels like his theme changes from one game to another with the exception of this and the Super Mario Galaxy duology. - Mega Man Legends (Apple Market)
Identified by: Almost everyone
No, Data, you're not playable, so this can't be an Ape Game. I'm sorry. - Fire 'n Ice (World 1 [Ice Rock Island])
Identified by: N/A
Honestly a front-runner for my favorite NES game. If you have Nintendo Switch Online, give it a shot. - Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido (Battle Vs. Kojiro)
Identified by: AmejinMayo (Solo!)
The last truly great 3DS game, and/or another reason the Switch should have come with a stylus. - Rocket: Robot on Wheels (Ring Course)
Identified by: N/A
I wonder what those Sucker Punch guys are doing now. - No One Can Stop Mr. Domino! (Staff Roll)
Identified by: AmejinMayo (Solo!)
How is it that Astro Bot has a Bot that refers to Incredible Crisis, of all things, but not this one? - Street Fighter 6 (König oder Feigling - Ed's Theme)
Identified by: FourteenthOrder (Solo!)
I still haven't picked up SF6, half because my laptop can't run it and half because I grew so attached to Birdie in V I don't think I could ever find a suitable replacement... but damn if I wasn't a little tempted when I first heard this. - Like a Dragon! Ishin (New and Old String Instrument War)
Identified by: AmejinMayo (Solo!)
I'm still on team "refer to this series as Yakuza", but I roll with the punches. - Paradise Killer (To the Heart)
Identified by: N/A
I am the audience for Paradise Killer, and I can tell you that you will probably not like it. But please, please, listen to the soundtrack. It's the best one of the decade, and makes an argument for best of the century. - Donkey Kong Country 3 [Game Boy Advance] (Rockface Rumble) [APE!]
Identified by: FourteenthOrder (Solo!; also got Ape Bonus)
"Oh, you're gonna love the soundtrack! About a fifth of it is just environmental noises!" - Breath of Fire II (Dying Corpse) [APE!]
Identified by: Nast, AmejinMayo, Bean
Ape Bonus: Nast, Bean
I got at least two guesses saying this was from Mega Man X or one of its sequels. It, uh... it isn't. - Neon White (Hellion)
Identified by: AmejinMayo (Solo!)
I was once one of the best Neon White players in the world*.
*on Switch... per the online leaderboards... and I was maybe in the top 20 at some point - Catherine (Also Sprach Brooks)
Identified by: Nast, FourteenthOrder
There's a Siivagunner rip that mashes this up with "C.R.E.A.M." by the Wu-Tang Clan, and I think about that rip a lot more than I should. - Injustice 2 (Main Theme) [APE!]
Identified by: AmejinMayo (Solo!)
Ape Bonus: FourteenthOrder, Bean
One of my all-time favorite raocow running jokes is that whenever he encounters a maze of some sorts, there's a good chance he'll make reference to Superman 64 and one of Lex Luthor's infamous taunts. But he always says "solve my maze, Spider-Man!" and it gets me every time. In one of the Bangai-O episodes he says "Mega Man" instead. Still funny. - Cel Damage (Death Valley)
Identified by: N/A
I honestly feel like we need more games like Cel Damage. Aesthetically incredible, gameplay that works best in a co-op environment, at least one playable duck. - P.N.03 (Second Mission)
Identified by: FourteenthOrder (Solo!)
Well, at least it did what the Capcom Five were supposed to do and remained a GCN exclusive. - Excitebike 64 (Congo Course)
Identified by: N/A
My family and I like to all play as the same character so the narrator sounds really weird. "Nigel York takes out Nigel York! Nigel York takes a soil sample! AND IT'S NIGEL "THE DUKE" YORK WITH THE WHOLESHOT!" - Lollipop Chainsaw (Zombie Tackle)
Identified by: AmejinMayo (Solo!)
There's something a little sad about how even Grasshopper themselves seemed to have forgotten that RePOP launched. - Liberation Maiden (STEEL)
Identified by: N/A
I wasn't going to include this one, but I am contractually obligated to have at least three GhM titles whenever I host a quiz. Guess that means you can look forward to Frog Minutes or Diabolical Pitch next time. - Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (Quiz Club)
Identified by: AmejinMayo (Solo!)
I admit it, I put this one in here to see if I could fool anyone into guessing it was from APE OUT. But it fits anyways 'cause it's a quiz, right? - Bust a Groove (I Know)
Identified by: Almost everyone
The only reason I didn't opt for the far superior "The Natural Playboy" is because even thinking about it means that song gets stuck in my head for no less than 48 hours. Ah, crap. It's gonna be a long, catchy two days. - Dangeresque: The Roomisode Triungulate (Roomisode 3: Keep My Enemies, Loser)
Identified by: N/A
Hub-bump, to the front. Bump-hub, to the back. - Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon (Resurrection)
Identified by: FourteenthOrder, AmejinMayo
The only Far Cry game I own, even if I haven't played it yet. It's just kinda hard not to.
In 6th place, with 14 points... Sifi720!
For a solid two weeks I thought you were going to be first place automatically. If nothing else, you have my thanks for being the first to enter and keeping hope alive.
In 5th place, with 22 points... KobaBeach!
I'm surprised you didn't place higher after that six-pointer by getting the intruder. That said, I thought it'd be an easy one, so I didn't want to overvalue it.
In 4th place, with 26 points... Nast!
I genuinely apologize. I was hoping the gap between fourth and third would be more than a single point. Maybe this is why the quiz doesn't typically have prizes...
In 3rd place, with 27 points... Bean!
A few good identified Ape Games clench third prize. You're no chump when it comes to chimps!
In 2nd place, with 46 points... FourteenthOrder!
You may have taken the five-point penalty for using every hint on offer, but it clearly paid off. Second prize is yours; good work!
In 1st place, with a staggering 102 points... AmejinMayo!
I mean... was there any doubt after all those solos you got? Maybe it just means our tastes are on a similar wavelength, but either way it means you're the runaway winner and take home the grand prize. You're the top banana!
If you placed in the top three, please send me a DM if you'd like to accept your prize.
For a solid two weeks I thought you were going to be first place automatically. If nothing else, you have my thanks for being the first to enter and keeping hope alive.
In 5th place, with 22 points... KobaBeach!
I'm surprised you didn't place higher after that six-pointer by getting the intruder. That said, I thought it'd be an easy one, so I didn't want to overvalue it.
In 4th place, with 26 points... Nast!
I genuinely apologize. I was hoping the gap between fourth and third would be more than a single point. Maybe this is why the quiz doesn't typically have prizes...
In 3rd place, with 27 points... Bean!
A few good identified Ape Games clench third prize. You're no chump when it comes to chimps!
In 2nd place, with 46 points... FourteenthOrder!
You may have taken the five-point penalty for using every hint on offer, but it clearly paid off. Second prize is yours; good work!
In 1st place, with a staggering 102 points... AmejinMayo!
I mean... was there any doubt after all those solos you got? Maybe it just means our tastes are on a similar wavelength, but either way it means you're the runaway winner and take home the grand prize. You're the top banana!
If you placed in the top three, please send me a DM if you'd like to accept your prize.