after reading your reply i definitely agree with everything you said, they're all things that i definitely recognize now that you pointed them out. thanks!
i just uploaded the other 3 versions to my hulkshare account. all of them are WIP's so they're far from perfect. version 1 is really simple, a supersaw layered over a midrange. but i felt like the song could have an anthemic sound to it if i try different chords and different sounds, embellish the song a bit, the potential was there.
version 2 - i did this one 2 years ago, first attempt at remaking it. the vocals are still very rough because i abandoned that version before i got any further because i realized that between vocals, supersaw, NI Massive midrange - there was too much going on in the same spot and it wasn't going to work as i had planned.
version 3 is very similar to version 4 except no supersaws, i had a virus midrange layered with a midrange from my Pulse 2, to make it a slightly more aggressive/electric sound. also threw in an arpeggio in the background, added the half-time phases at the end of the first and second half of the song, added the catchy square-based counter melodies (one pops up in the first half, the other in the second half, same as in version 4). it's funny, everyone's favorite part of the song are those 2 little riffs i just slapped in there. the rest of the song i'd been work on forever and it's "eh" in their opinion compared to those little counter melody bits i made rather quickly one night lol. you can't win sometimes! i can't remember if i did LCR mixing on v3 like i did on v4.
version 4 i got rid of the arp, added the rides, replaced the Pulse 2 + Virus midrange layering with a new Virus midrange i made one night. then i went back to using supersaws with the new virus midrange and tried using LCR mixing. the midrange in the center. the supersaws at the sides - i duplicated, mono'ed, hard-panned the supersaw lead to L and R, then a 15-ms delay with one of the panned supersaws for the impression of more width. tried to give the 'catchy' square-based counter melodies more of a hollow sound than in v3.
v1:
http://www.hulkshare.com/csnurl33o7b4
v2:
http://www.hulkshare.com/dwkhzx2k0o3k
v3:
http://www.hulkshare.com/osr5vksgvnr4