Nintendo Infinite Techno

python music nintendo on December 17, 2025

A continuously, evolving Nintendo-themed techno generator that creates new music by blending MIDI patterns from video game soundtracks, custom synthesizers built from scratch with numpy DSP, WAV samples, and musical loops.

I started this project with Cursor by asking it to read in SonicPi + synthesizor code from a previous project, alongwith Super Metroid MIDI tracks, and generate a continuous, streaming techno remix. I was happy with the results so just expanded the concepts. The generator also support up/down voting, which further contributes the likilehood of a sound component appearing later on.

Listening to the music is a bit of a rodeo as sometimes there is some really good stuff, and other times it's "meh", or worse. :) Listen at your own risk. There is 100

Search for any of the "Super Metroid Infinite Techno" or "Nintendo Infinite Techno" tracks on Soundcloud: Nintendo Infinite Techno on SoundCloud

Kenny Cason · Nintendo Infinite Techno

Below is a mostly AI generated description of the project. I plan on open-sourcing the project but currently it has a lot of audio files that need to be removed from git history before publishing.

How It Works

Phase 1: Analysis (Startup)

When you launch, the generator analyzes three sonic layers:

MIDI Pattern Library

Recursively scans songs/ for all .mid files
Extracts note patterns from each track (bass, melody, lead, pad)
Categorizes patterns by their musical role:
- Bass: Low notes (< 65) with steady rhythm → drives the groove
- Melody: Mid-range melodic phrases (65-80) → main hooks
- Lead: High expressive lines (> 80) → chorus energy
- Pad: Sustained chords → atmospheric depth
Creates a pattern hash for each unique sequence (for rating/deduplication)
Special handling: FL Studio folder (619 EDM patterns) is randomly sampled (default: 100) to avoid overwhelming game soundtracks

Result: Library of ~1,300 bass patterns, ~3,200 melodies, ~1,000 pads ready to mix!

WAV Sample Library

Scans songs/samples/ for one-shot samples
Analyzes each file for quality and usability:
- Extracts clean attack/sustain (using onset detection)
- Measures RMS loudness (filters out quiet/noisy samples)
- Normalizes to 16-bit/44100Hz/stereo (prevents audio artifacts)
- Caches metadata for instant loading next time
Categorizes by filename/path keywords:
- kick, bd, drum → Kick category
- snare, clap → Snare category
- bass, sub → Bass category
- vocal, vox → Vocal FX category
No pitch shifting! Samples play at their natural pitch like a drum machine

Result: ~20 high-quality one-shot samples ready to trigger!

Loop Library

Scans songs/samples/loops/ for background musical loops
Validates duration (filters out accidental one-shots)
Normalizes format (16-bit/44100Hz)
Stores as atmospheric layer that plays 50% of the time (variable volume dynamics)

Result: ~15 loops for evolving background textures!

Phase 2: Generation (Runtime)

The generator creates music in sections (Intro → Verse → Chorus → Breakdown) with intelligent structure:

Pattern Selection Algorithm

For each element (bass, melody, lead, pad), the generator:

Gathers candidates from the pattern library
Applies folder weights (you can bias toward specific game soundtracks)
Applies rating weights (your 1-5 star votes influence selection):
- 1.0★ → 0.1x chance (almost never)
- 3.0★ → 1.0x chance (default)
- 5.0★ → 2.0x chance (20x more likely than 1★!)
Weighted random selection → picks pattern based on combined score
Stores full context (bass type, kick flavor, effects, loop state)

Hybrid Sound Engine

Every sound has a probability of being:

WAV sample (default: 50%) → Authentic drum machine character
Synthesizer (default: 50%) → Multi-parametered Python Synthesizors

You control the mix:

Slider in DJ Mixer Mode (0% = all synth, 100% = all samples)
Command-line: --ignore-wav (synth only) or --ignore-synth (samples only)

If a sample fails to load, it gracefully falls back to synth (or silence if forced sample-only).

Sonic Variety

The generator constantly evolves:

12 bass types: Deep, Acid, Wobble, Gritty, PVC, FM, Hollow, Punchy, Resonant, Sub, Pluck
30% bass layering chance (two bass layers for thicc sound)
4 kick flavors: Standard, Heavy, Tight, Punchy (changes per section)
Multiple synth voices: Brass, Saw, Bell, Pluck, Square, Sine (for lead/melody/pad)
6 effect types: Reverb, Delay, Distortion, Filter, Chorus, Dry
Background loops: Play 50% of the time for dynamic volume variation

Section Dynamics

Intro (12-20 bars): Builds energy
Verse (16-24 bars): Steady groove
CHORUS (24-72 bars): RIDES LONGER! Layered leads, big sound, 1.5-3x duration
Breakdown (8-16 bars): Tension/release

Controls

Keyboard

SPACE - Toggle recording on/off
V - Cycle view modes (Chaos → Minimal → DJ Mixer)
ESC - Quit
1-6 + ↑/↓ - Vote on what's playing (see Voting System below)

Mouse

Click red button - Toggle recording
Drag sliders (DJ Mixer Mode) - Adjust folder weights and WAV%
Click dropdowns (DJ Mixer Mode) - Change bass type, kick, effects

Voting System

Shape your perfect mix in real-time! The generator learns your preferences.

How to Vote

Hold a number key (1-6) and press UP ⬆️ or DOWN ⬇️ arrow:

1 = Bass Pattern      (Rate the current bassline)
2 = Melody Pattern    (Rate the melody/hook)
3 = Lead Pattern      (Rate the lead synth)
4 = Pad Pattern       (Rate the pad/harmony)
5 = Effect Settings   (Rate current effect combo)
6 = Background Loop   (Rate the current loop)

What Happens When You Vote

Immediate:

Visual feedback flashes on screen
Console shows: ⭐ ▲ BASS: super_metroid/brinstar → 4.2

Future sessions:

Higher-rated patterns play 20x more often (5★ vs 1★)
Full context preserved → exact sound recreation possible

DJ Mixer Mode

Press V twice to access the control panel!

Features

Folder Weight Sliders (Bottom)
- Bias selection toward specific game soundtracks
- Range: -100 (almost never) → +100 (10x more likely)
- Example: Set Super Metroid to +80, FL Studio to -50 🎮
WAV% Slider (Center)
- Control sample vs synth probability
- 0% = All synth, 100% = All samples
- Shows (wav) or (synth) indicators for each element
Bass Controls (Left Panel)
- Bass Type: Choose from 12 synth types
- Kick: Select kick flavor
- Effect: Apply bass effects
- Layer: Add bass layering (sub, resonant, deep)

Changes take effect on the next pattern change, not immediately.

View Modes

Press V to cycle through:

Chaos Mode - Audio-reactive visualizations (full CPU)
- Fractal patterns, color shifts, particle effects
- Reacts to bass, kick, and frequency content
Minimal Mode - Black screen (low CPU)
- Perfect for background music generation
- Still shows essential info (BPM, section, patterns)
DJ Mixer Mode - Control panel (medium CPU)
- Sliders, dropdowns, real-time controls
- See all active patterns and ratings

Sample WAVs

Super Metroid Lava Tides

Ninja Turdle Boss - PVC Techno V4

Installation

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Run the infinite generator
python super_metroid_infinite.py

# With options
python super_metroid_infinite.py --bpm=140 --flstudio-sample-count=250

Recording starts automatically! Press SPACE to toggle on/off. Files save as sm_infinite_<timestamp>.wav.

Command-Line Options

python super_metroid_infinite.py [OPTIONS]

Core Options

--bpm N - Beats per minute (default: 128)
- Try: 90 (chill), 140 (fast), 170 (jungle)
--flstudio-sample-count N - Number of FL Studio MIDI files to load (default: 100)
- Set to 619+ to load all EDM patterns
--width N, --height N - Window size (default: 640x480)