We are well within the theme, very sober and very neutral 8-bit instrumental. Times of silence, atonal passages (just after parallel 6ths, which contrasts even more).
But I find that it lacks a bit of overall direction, the unstructured melodies stick well to the theme, but almost only that for sometimes +10s, it's perhaps a bit much ^^' (afterwards it may be a choice assumed, and it fits well with the underground atmosphere)
The music is really very nice. The 8-bit instrumentation is controlled, and you can do a lot with just 4 channels. (The noise is perhaps a little too loud from 1'20). The riff is good and the development interesting.
Instrumentation in keeping with the original track, with good use of the noise channel.
I find it perhaps a little too rhythmic for an underground theme: the beginning reminds me much more of a Zelda ^^'. And there's actually an effective melodic progression that would have worked rather well for this mood.
We're partially in the mood of the original track, progressing to a more menacing mood, then also more “action”.
Perhaps the track should be renamed “underground - epic final boss” ^^' By the end, the track has taken us pretty far from the start, and maybe a little too far from the theme, but the progression is coherent and very nice to follow, with a classic (but effective) “wave” structure: we build up to a small climax, then drop back down to almost the same level as the beginning. Climb to a new climax, higher than the previous one, and drop back to zero, etc... I like it ^^'
Nice. The “underground” atmosphere is back, if perhaps a little too sinister. The very repetitive aspect + the sucessive addition of small elements also fits the theme well. A little more variety might have been nice.
The instrumentation is very minimalist, so there's not much to say except that the choice of instruments is appropriate.
