ReMix:Puggsy "Last Lucky Planet" 4:11

From newcomer CJthemusicdude comes our first arrangement of Psygnosis platform/puzzler Puggsy! Not to be confused with Bubsy (which still needs a mix of its own, eh?), this game stars an orange, somewhat conical creature and, more importantly, the musical stylings of prolific composer Matt Furniss. Out of his love for the theme in question, CJ resubbed this upbeat, hybrid cinematic/chip/electronica arrangement after taking judge feedback into account:

"I love this tune too much to give up after a rejection :p. So this resub is a pretty huge overhaul compared to the one I submitted many months ago. Style changes, instrument changes, production improvement, etc. Some fundamental things have stayed the same though. Hope you enjoy!"

Of the revision, Larry writes:

"You really explored a much larger sound palette with some stock but solid instruments, including a lot of great throwback sounds that evoked chiptune & MOD soundtracks, and you also employed much more substantial development and dynamics in the arrangement. You really showed something promising on this one, nice work!"

Emunator adds:

"The sequencing here is a tad mechanical, I agree, but the writing itself is very dynamic and musical, so it doesn't have as bad of a robotic feel overall. Sometimes the sounds feel a little bit stock-ish/generic... but at the end the really creative melodies and arrangement trumps all. I'm down with this, it's got a very old school vibe but I hope people will appreciate that for what it's worth."

It's a little cheesy to call anything & everything with a minor-key bell motif "Elfmanesque," but there are certainly less appropriate adjectives to describe the introduction, as CJ sets the stage with a watery, music-box vibe before introducing some nice cross-delayed synth chords and fleshing the accompaniment out. This is an arrangement that goes places - lots of development, transitions, and ideas, and it all holds together relatively well given the variety. The beatdrop at 1'39" really could have used heavier, layered, 'Monstrous Turtles' style drums, for more of a modern impact, but I love the major-key modulations that follow. Ultimately I think some improvement in the percussion arena and some more humanized performances would have improved this mix, but it's nonetheless a solid debut from CJthemusicdude which takes on a deserving, interesting source and makes some bold arrangement choices.