All songs originating from games released between January 1st 1996 and December 31st 2000 are eligible. This covers most games released on PS1 and N64, the tail end of the SNES/Mega Drive/Genesis, the start of the Dreamcast, and the bulk of the second half of the Game Boy, among other platforms. However, please note that we are strictly following years here, not console. Full Rules:
- If you aren’t sure your song counts, nominate it! There’s bound to be grey area so don’t be afraid to push the boundaries.
- The song should originate from a video game. Covers and other alternate versions of pre-existing songs are acceptable if they substantially alter the original work (e.g. BioShock Infinite’s barbershop cover of “God Only Knows”)
- If there is a difference between regions of release for a game, all release dates are considered valid. For instance, if a game came out in Japan during one tournament’s time frame and North America during another’s, its songs would be valid in both tournaments. HOWEVER: you can’t nominate a song that’s been nominated during a previous tournament. Games can double-dip, but songs can’t.
- Remixes/new versions of previous songs are allowed so long as they are substantively different from the original version. There’s no explicit criteria here, so use your best judgment.
We’re also using a special nomination process! Do NOT nominate in the comments!
Instead, submit your nominations through this handy form: https://forms.gle/4UZTB2YxPNAJtdQb9
You can also see a list of all nominated songs here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Ru3PH4aW-iNp_U0zAgHdwPZglQChshd9mr7fDjRThow/edit?usp=sharing
To cut down on duplicate nominations, please check to see if your song’s been nominated before submitting. You can sort the list by game name if you want, which should make things easier (the form is read-only, so don’t worry about messing anything up!)
Nominations will be open until Friday, March 20th at 10:00 PM Pacific Time