ReMix:Paper Mario "Clash at the Koopas" 5:15

The monthly Dwelling of Duels arrangement compo turned 20 this month, so we've got more arrangements to celebrate! This time around, we have one originally made earlier this year for DoD's Mario Redux month, but spruced up since then for maximum impact! It was sent the day after openings closed for our Mario Month event (the 15 mixes of which are well worth your look), so let's extend that Mario Party with a double dose of DoD Paper Mario mixes for you. First up is Lucas Guimaraes, part of a nasty nonet of ne'er-do-wells with their rockin' rendition of Paper Mario's battle theme against the Koopa Bros.!

• Lucas Guimaraes: Arrangement, Mix, Baritone Saxophone, Alto Saxophone
• JohnStacy: French Horn
• Wurtzel: Trumpet
• Kenny Jr.: Drums
• Ivan Hakštok: Rhythm Guitars
• Extrinzic: Guitar Solo
• Ian Martyn: Rhythm Organ
• Biggoron: Organ Solo
• evilsonic: Bass Guitar

For any of you 8-bit gamers out there, the source tune was inspired by Super Mario Bros. 3's battle theme, which has a killer old school arrangement by AmIEviL, "Battle Rocks", that you need to drop everything and grab as well. If you like the Blues Brothers energy from that, you're also going to click with the more fiesty yet stylish Deep Purple-inspired presentation with this one. Judge MindWanderer was on board, even though he eventually asked the gentlemen to let a brother up due to the BIG MARIO ENERGY:

"Really fun arrangement, sort of a ska/surf rock fusion. It's long but doesn't wear out its welcome too much, although I do think it would be stronger with a bit more room to breathe a few times."

Yeah, the judges mentioned looking for the mixing to provide more dynamic contrast by emphasizing and de-emphasizing parts so that everything wasn't in your face the whole time. For my taste, I appreciate the presentation being raucus and energetic the whole way through; it definitely feels like an event where the band's putting their whole foot into it for the 5 minutes. If you rock, they're here to bring it for you, and it doesn't stop until the party gets shut down! Fellow judge Emunator dug the whole thing, particularly Biggoron's solo at 1:41:

"This is a really tightly-written ensemble, and the performances across the board are solid! That organ solo is particularly nuts, but all of the performers here are pulling their weight."

No kidding, not only with the organ solo being amazing, but Extrinzic's extended guitar solo at 3:06 also knocking folks to the ground too. Don't say you haven't been warned; be prepared, because you're going to get an unapologetic lesson in intensity from Lucas & co.'s lengthy clash. :-) Hell of a party here!