Good examples of games that simulated chords with arpeggios?

Looking for some cool examples that showcase this technique. Any good games or demos come to mind?

You won't find this technique in Japanese-programmed games, but you will find it in Silver Surfer, Solstice, M.C. Kids, Jurassic Park, and anything by Codemasters.

Homebrew game: Super Bat Puncher
Demo: Stars SE by ccovell and Memblers, whose music is a cover of the theme from Comic Bakery
Demo: High Hopes by Aspekt

Yeah, I was going to say, every time I hear that effect I feel like I'm playing a Codemasters NES game.

one of my favourites is the title tune of robocop 3 by jeroen tel.

Alberto Gonzales made two PAL NES soundtracks that are just covered in arps:
- Asterix
- The Smurfs

A few more from the Follin Bros:
- Wolverine
- The Incredible Crash Dummies
- Pictionary (track 3) has some very nice arps

Neil Baldwin:
- Hero Quest
- The Magician

There's probably a lot more to be found by looking for european developed games. It's not universal (e.g. I don't think David Wise was a fan of arps) but following it should lead you to find more.

Relevant video: "NES Audio: The Arpeggio Effect" by explod2A03

I would say to avoid Codemasters music, because although they use arpeggios, they do it in a very obnoxious way that isn't as pleasing to hear as, say, the arpeggios used by Tim Follin's music.

Wow, that video is exactly what I was looking for. Super useful.

I was always struck by how heavily Mortal Kombat 3 on GameBoy used arpeggios. I don't think I've ever heard anything similar yet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8URIPBym ... CBF0CE670D

Unless I'm mistaken, these games seem to do it.

Kid Icarus
Bubble Bobble Part 2
Final Fantasy III (NES)
Bad Dudes (though this is really rapid duty cycle swapping and not an actual arpeggio)

I guess you're right. But still, your first three examples are the same effect heard in the beginning of "Balloon Trip" from Balloon Fight, which is only two notes and quite a bit slower than the typical European arpeggio effect. Given what I've heard in cover versions of "Balloon Trip" in Brawl and elsewhere and in the outdoor theme of Super Mario Bros. 2, I think that's supposed to represent a tremolo.

I'm not musically (or anything really) inclined, so I guess you're right. If those sounds that rapidly switch from a series of notes are tremolos, then what would an effect similar to this be?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsEsaI3rdqk

Hard to say what part you mean exactly, but I'm guessing you mean vibrato.

Possibly chorus/echo? Duplicating one channel on another at a delay and slightly quieter (echo) and/or with a detune or vibrato (chorus).

If you want to hear Japanese composers do arpeggio, check out Magical Chase (sorry it's not on the NES):

Mainly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... 8g-s#t=921
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... 8g-s#t=265 (the tinkling sounds)
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... g-s#t=1704
etc.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles opens with a fading in arpeggio.

It's worth pointing out that those Japanese examples are of arpeggios in a more "classical" sense, where a chord is broken up into several deliberate notes as a part of the composition itself, which is different from "demoscene" (or "european"?) arpeggios, where the music engine can automatically toggle between 3 or more pitches rapidly in an attempt to literally simulate the chord.

They're similar, but they're still two different techniques.

ccovel's first and third examples there are not a different technique at all, very standard arps. TMNT's are not, though, that is true.

You're right, the first and third songs have demoscene arpeggios. Somehow, I managed to skip over those two links. I guess the promise of tinkling sounds caught my attention or something.

Not quite NES but Hitoshi Sakimoto's early work on the Genesis had a bit of it mainly in the pulse channels. Thinking Devlish. Also, the gamegear port of that and Gunstar Heroes were loaded with arps.

Castlevania 3 has an arpeggio effect, not sure if it's the same.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luxL5ufVTZM at 28 seconds.

I believe Captain America and the Avengers NES does this also, although only twice (to my knowledge).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6sLcGi1OTY at 0:01 and 0:16.

That Castlevania III example is a really interesting one, especially since the corresponding VRC6 Akumajou Densetsu track has the extra channels to play a full chord there and doesn't need the arpeggios. It makes the arps seem like a last resort when trying to port the sound to the unexpanded NES audio.

I always thought the stock NES, aside from the Triangle Wave's lack of volume, was well suited for whatever you needed. I never really liked the concept of sound expansion unless it was to add a new sound type, or to prevent sound effects from cutting the audio. Most efforts I've seen with expanded audio are Famitracker songs that seem to use VRC6 just because. Plus all of the best/memorable songs were conveniently written for the 2A03; Solstice theme (and any Follin soundtrack), Moon theme, Mario above ground theme, Sunsoft's music, Contra's music...

Yeah. And it's funny to read the YouTube comments on the linked video, and the corresponding video of the VRC6 version of the song: a lot of people seem to prefer the non-expanded version of the song. I wonder how much of that is only because the arpeggio is there.