Scrapped OST for Rayman 2 iOS

[bunnieblaster]

When looking around the Rayman 2 iOS port's game files we found an excel sheet referencing an unknown composer (not Eric Chevalier). I contacted the guy, this is what he said:

On Sat, Mar 3, 2018 at 1:40 PM, Robin wrote:

Hi Alexandre,


My name is Robin, and I have a little question about some game I really like, Rayman 2: the great escape. When looking through some files in the Gameloft iOS port of Rayman 2, we found a file containing some information about the sound design. This mentioned your name as the composer of the soundtrack, even though the soundtrack in the iOS version is the same as the soundtrack on PC composed by Eric Chevalier. We were wondering if you were going to compose a new soundtrack for the iOS version of Rayman 2, but it was scrapped? Or did you have some other role in the sound design of the iOS version?


Thanks in advance,

Robin

---

Hi Robin,

I apologize for the late reply. Thanks for reaching out! :-)

To answer your question:

Rayman 2 was ported by Gameloft, back in 2009, if my memory is correct. At some point during the production, there had been a little misunderstanding at the HQ, between VP and procucers, regarding buying the rights of the original soundtrack or rescoring the game in-house. So I had been asked by the producers to redo the music but the VP, when he learned that, insisted we should get the original music (by Eric Chevalier) and pay whatever is needed  ( VP being a fan of the original game himself) . It's a decision I agree with despite the fact I had been working several weeks on it when the decision was taken. It's a cult game and it deserves its original sound and music, in that sense I was happy! That's pretty much it for my involvement on Rayman 2 iOS.


Is this game still on the app store? I'm curious to know where you found my name. In the credits of the game itself or in files?


Cheers,

Alex

---

Hi Alexandre,


Thanks a lot for the response! Very interesting that originally a different soundtrack was planned. Since you already started working on that for a few weeks, is there any ideas or music tracks you could share that you were working on? Was the new soundtrack supposed to be a cover of the original compositions, or an entirely new soundtrack?


As for your name, the developers of the iOS version left an excel spreadsheet with song descriptions in the files, this listed your name as the composer. I've included the spreadsheet in the email.


As of a few years, the iOS version has been taken off the app store for unknown reasons. Maybe you know more about this?


Again, thanks a lot for the response, hopefully there's still some tracks left. Curious what they would have sounded like! 

---

Hi Robin, 

Sorry for the late reply. Here's an excerpt of a rescored cutscene:

https://youtu.be/2XvNed7nHsg

That's funny to watch, more than 10 years later! :-)

Cheers,

Alex

[StelzenBomber]

Interresting....i would like to see how that would have turnd out

If they didnt get the rights btw this would be a MEAT BOY 2 basicly since for the newer ports (ps4 wii u) they couldnt get the rights to the tracks

Also, how did you get the IOS version i need it

[Greeness]

Interesting find! would he perhaps be able to provide us with the original music files? I think we should preserve it under RayTunes if possible.

[bunnieblaster]

I guess I should ask him if he made more music tracks and if he has the files.

[Shadowrayman]

Interesting, I can't believe they actually were going to change the music! Wonder what they sound like...

[StelzenBomber]

Interesting, I can't believe they actually were going to change the music! Wonder what they sound like...

it would probably be pretty good but... not accepted and hated because "it isnt the original"

[Ambidextroid]

Considering it was only the iOS port (not exactly something we were looking forward to) I imagine people would be more appreciative of a new soundtrack than if this was included in a remaster or something.
Either way, from that clip it seems like he'd captured the essence of R2 rather brilliantly, I would have loved to see what the game would feel like with a new soundtrack.

[Droolie]

it would probably be pretty good but... not accepted and hated because "it isnt the original"

It wouldn't be hated because "it isn't the original", no. It would be disliked because it isn't very nice to listen to.
It's timed well to the cutscene, but many emotions are either overdone or missed (e.g. 0:36, why put such an emphasis on rhythm there? And those castanets, or whatever they are, really stick out). The buildup to disappointment ("Not really... I feel weak" etc) also falls flat. Lastly, the arrangement doesn't sound very good, though that could be because it's an early track.

Still, it's a very interesting find and perhaps the rest of his tracks are better, so I'd like to hear more. If he wants to send you more I might put it on RayTunes, too.

[Ambidextroid]

I doubt that was the final product, it didn't exactly sound CD quality... Still, I didn't see all that much wrong with it, in fact I thought the robo-pirate motif was almost identical to the original. I liked the dense changes in tone, especially when Globox revealed the white lum.

[Greeness]

I see it as a similar case to the music in the N64 version, some of its changes are acceptable and sound good, while some sound inferior.

[Ambidextroid]

I wouldn't say the cases are that similar, I imagine the N64 only had inferior music due to hardware/budget limitations whereas in this case I think the music almost sounds more expressive than the original as it actually sounds like real instrumentation rather than R2's more synthetic sound.
Either way, better or worse, I still would have really liked to see someone else's musical take on the creepy atmospheres of R2

[The Jonster]

Huh. I just listened I found it to be quite accurate to the atmosphere of the game, maybe a few flaws here and then. Hm, imagine how the rest of the game would have felt for me if the rest of this soundtrack was composed and used instead of Eric Chevalier's.

[PluMGMK]

It would've been an interesting quirk of this version. And when you think about it, interesting quirks of versions are part of the fun of the Rayman series. Ah well!

[Greeness]

Bumping this because the original video is now inaccessible, did anyone have it saved or can contact the original composer?

https://youtu.be/2XvNed7nHsg

[ElZboub]

Luckily I had downloaded it as soon as I discovered this topic!
I just put it on my Mega account:
https://mega.nz/file/1xYznahR#ZB05ODpbp ... AbeOgK-CEs

[Greeness]

Luckily I had downloaded it as soon as I discovered this topic!
I just put it on my Mega account:
https://mega.nz/file/1xYznahR#ZB05ODpbp ... AbeOgK-CEs

Oh my god, you're absolutely incredible, thank you!

I think this should be saved on raytunes in some form just so we don't run into this kind of situation again.

[Elite Piranha]

Thanks to ElZboub for uploading the video to Mega.

[Adsolution]

I was interested in a remade soundtrack, but when I heard they don't even retain the original themes and motifs (as I guess they didn't have the rights to those as well), I didn't like it.

[Greeness]

Yeah, I don't think it's got anything over the original, but still is an interesting piece of history I'm glad we were able to recover.

I think it would've still been neat as a difference for the iOS version if anything.

[TTK]

does anyone have the file? the mega link is dead.