It's nearly 2am and I'm watching RetroLongplay as I try to doze off. It's a nice way to casually get exposed to games I haven't seen before, and - even more interestingly to me - music that uses techniques I want to learn.

Somewhat regularly, I'll hear a chiptune and find myself wondering: "Did they make it sound like this because it was what they envisioned, or did they want something else and this was all they could manage?"

I mean no disrespect. Mastering a new chip seems daunting, especially when it's cutting-edge and there _is_ no established aesthetic. People had tight deadlines. And so on.

My question isn't meant as shade; it's me wishing to know what the artist truly wanted.