Current State of Last Ninja remixes (top and least remixed)

[JemyM]

The list was updated 2022-04-16.

I first composed this list back in 2018, as inspiration to whomever would be interested to remix the least remixed Last Ninja tunes. Its based on how many of the Last Ninja tunes have an orange or higher rated remix on kwed.org (also counting Last Ninja Archives). Albums not included.

By now almost every tune is covered, most recently two excellent remixes of Last Ninja 3: Earth.

Top 5 Remixed Last Ninja tunes
Last Ninja 1 Wilderness in-game (subtune 7) = 26 remixes
Last Ninja 2 Central Park in-game (subtune 2) = 22 remixes
Last Ninja 1 Wastelands in-game (subtune 6) = 20 remixes
Last Ninja 2 Mansion in-game (subtune 12) = 15 remixes
Last Ninja 3 Intro (subtune 3) = 11 remixes

Least Remixed:
Last Ninja 2 (subtune 9) Office loader = 2 yellow rated remixes
Last Ninja 3 (outtake) LN3_Lvl_5_Temple_of_Earth.sid = never remixed, but also not used in game
Last Ninja R (subtune 5) Basement = 1 yellow rated remix

Only remixed once:
Last Ninja 1 (subtune 4) Palace Loader = Shen Lon
Last Ninja 2 (subtune 10) Office in-game = timmya4000
Last Ninja 2 (subtune 13) Final Battle = Jurek Raben
Last Ninja 3 (subtune 1) Game Over (the original is only 38 seconds) = Tony Caven
Last Ninja 3 (subtune 5) Air = Tony Caven
Last Ninja Remix (subtune 6) Office = Kjetiln, radio and extended variant)

Only remixed twice:
Last Ninja 1 (subtune 9) The Dungeons (in game)
Last Ninja 2 (subtune 4) Streets (in game)
Last Ninja 2 (subtune 6) Sewers (in game)
Last Ninja 2 (subtune 9) Office (loader)
Last Ninja 2 (subtune 11) Mansion (loader)
Last Ninja 3 (subtune 4) Earth

Notes:
Last Ninja R (subtune 1) Intro = This is just the original Dungeons in-game tune from Last Ninja 1
Last Ninja R (subtune 2) Central Park = this is a remix of the Wastelands in-game tune from Last Ninja 1, only one remix by Gavin Lucas mention this directly.
Last Ninja R (subtune 3) Streets = this is a remix of the Central Park in-game tune from Last Ninja 2, only one remix by X-formZ mention this directly.
The Dungeons (loader) and The Inner Sanctum (in game) are the same tune (subtune 11). One cover (Kristofer Ulfves) mentions the first directly and two (Kristofer Ulfves and TmX) mentions the latter.
Last Ninja 3 (outtake) "Level 5 Temple of Earth" exists in the SID archive but was not used in game.

[LaLa]

Fascinating list! Thanks for putting this together!

One question, though: how did you determine which subtune a remix actually remixes? Because as ziona and Slaygon found out a few months back on their Slay Radio show, the subtune designations on RKO for remixes (especially older ones) are not always correct. I don't know if it's because HVSC has shuffled some of the subtunes around in an update a long time ago, or whether remixes put the wrong subtune number into their submissions.

Regardless, to make your list more accurate it might be worth matching the remixes to subtunes by actually listening to them - unless you have done that already.

[JemyM]

One question, though: how did you determine which subtune a remix actually remixes? Because as ziona and Slaygon found out a few months back on their Slay Radio show, the subtune designations on RKO for remixes (especially older ones) are not always correct. I don't know if it's because HVSC has shuffled some of the subtunes around in an update a long time ago, or whether remixes put the wrong subtune number into their submissions. Regardless, to make your list more accurate it might be worth matching the remixes to subtunes by actually listening to them - unless you have done that already.

Except for two or three cases (very unusual remixes) I ignored remix.kwed and went by ear. The subtune designation I used were based on mp3's I made on the SID's as they were back in 2010. But before uploading this list I checked with HVSC 69 and they are still accurate.

Last Ninja 1 is the only game that is a complete mess. 3,6,1,7,2,8,11,9,4,10,5,11. And the 11 tune is both used for Dungeons loader and Inner Sanctum in game.

Last Ninja 2 follows perfect order but there were no Final Battle "in game", instead Mansion (tune 12) was used again.
Last Ninja 3 have 3 "non-tunes" but then follow chronological level-by-level order until 9 which is game over and 10 which is the outro.
Last Ninja Remix also follows perfect order but there were no loading tunes.

[JemyM]

Cool, five days after posting this I noticed that SoundLogic released a remix of The Palace (in game) and Crono a remix of Earth.

[Chris Abbott]

They've all been remixed, of course, exactly once by FastLoaders on "Ninja Musicology".