Capcom never did fully realize the sequel potential of this game, but hearing its classic score rejuvenated and interpreted into a dynamic symphonic march is the next best thing. Star might not have been the first name to jump into my mind if I heard someone was doing an orchestral arrangement of this piece, but as it turns out - perhaps unsurprisingly given his consistently impressive track record - he's just the man for the job.
Love the relapse into the introductory percussive riff and swells towards the end, and the cliffhanger ending as well - stylized in a good way, and effective. There's an abundance of counterpoint and supporting parts added, the additional percussion is excellent and fitting, and portions like 2'36" give the action-hero style of the original a more serious, dramatic flair with flowing, legato ensemble strings and embellishment. Nitpick, but the string and percussion samples sound a notch above the brass being used, so there's a bit of a disparity when it's first given the spotlight, or when it's particularly exposed, but like a good cologne, the arrangement masks any real umbrage this might cause. Star's taken a breather from his own electronica leanings of late to give us this arrangement, which begins with an appropriate military snare shuffle, timpani, and some cool metallic chromatic percussion, then moves into a melodic, cinematic build before bringin' on the core theme at 0'29", covered by brass. This classic theme from Bionic Commando really needed an orchestral makeover - while the 100th mix posted here was my own (dated) electronica take on the immediately recognizable melody, it's more than flexible enough to be variously reinterpreted, and orchestral is perhaps a more natural setting in which to do so.
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