Experimental Happine (xracecar_-_experimental_happiness.xm)

Overall Impression (7/10)

Better and more diverse sound than your average chiptune, with nice layering of different chip samples (e.g. channel 1-2 and 11-14) and cute arpeggios, but it doesn't come without issues.

Technique, Arrangement, Composition (6/10)

More "hi-fi" sound than many chiptunes with nice samples, panning and moderate use of effect commands. However, the choice to detune the two bass layers stops to work as soon as they play in fifths rather than unison.

Development (6/10)

Good use of panning and clean samples make the overall sound of the module enjoyable. However, as mentioned before, the fifth bass just sounds detuned in the overall mix (well, it IS detuned) and makes the lower frequencies slightly muddy. The mix would probably be much cleaner without this heavy detuning. Some minor detuning might work (E11), but E15 is too much here.

Creativity (3/10)

This is the main problem of the tune: After a nice start with some cute arpeggios, you just keep hearing the same pattern again and again, with some variation on the melody but everything else is just copy&pasted for more than two minutes. There is pretty much no musical development going on at all. The tune could be shortened to about half its length and actually be more interesting.

Enjoyment (6/10)

Due to the repetitiveness, it gets boring very quickly. Might keep it in the library for occasional listening, though.

Additional Comment

Hint: If you mute the main melody of a song and quickly jump through each pattern of the order list, and you keep hearing the same pattern again and again, it probably needs some sort of development.