Hitoshi Sakimoto
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese video game composer and arranger
. He is best known for scoring the games Final Fantasy Tactics
and Final Fantasy XII
, though he has composed soundtracks for over 70 games and arranged music for more than 40 others. He began playing music and video games in elementary school, and began composing video game music for money by the time he was 16. Sakimoto's professional career began a few years later in 1988 when he started composing music professionally as a freelancer, as well as programming sound drivers for games. Five years and 40 games later, he achieved his first mainstream success with the score to Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen
. Four years and another 40 games later in 1997, he joined Square
(now Square Enix
) and composed his first international success, the score to Final Fantasy Tactics.
In 2002 he resigned from Square to form his own music company, Basiscape, through which he continues to compose music for games such as Final Fantasy XII. Basiscape has expanded since its founding to 10 composers, and is currently the largest independent video game music production company. In addition to video game soundtracks, over the years Sakimoto has also worked on projects such as anime
series and vocal albums. His music has been played at numerous music concerts by groups such as the Eminence Symphony Orchestra
, and his work on Final Fantasy XII was arranged for the piano and published as a book of sheet music.
and participated in some brass and rock bands. A fan of video games, he began creating his own games in junior high school with some friends. While in his senior high school years, Sakimoto wrote for the computer magazine Oh!FM and compiled data about pieces of music he liked, becoming a self-professed "computer, games, and music geek".
Sakimoto started composing for games when he was 16, and was paid to both create the music and the program to play it for several games. Composing for these games was the first time he had ever composed music for any instrument. His debut as a professional gaming composer came in 1988, when he and his friend Masaharu Iwata
, whom he has worked with on numerous later titles, scored the shooter game
Revolter, published by ASCGroup for the NEC PC-8801
. Sakimoto also created the synthesizer
driver "Terpsichorean" to enhance the sound quality of the game's music; the synthesizer driver has been implemented into many games throughout the Japanese game market in the early 1990s. Despite Revolters success, he continued with his previous goal to become a video game programmer rather than a composer; however, his friends and colleagues encouraged him to continue composing game music. The recognition he gained within the gaming industry jump-started his career.
and PC-8801 games such as Starship Rendezvous and Gauntlet, as well as use his driver both in the scores he wrote and in other games such as Stone of Deigan in 1989 and The Witch of Barbatus in 1990. Between 1990 and 1992, Sakimoto worked on 24 different video games for several different companies such as Toshiba EMI, Artec, and Data East
. It was during this time that he composed his first solo score, for 1990's Bubble Ghost.
Sakimoto's first encounter with mainstream success in Japan came about in 1993 when he composed Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen
. The game was directed by Yasumi Matsuno
, and since the release of the title, he has chosen Sakimoto as a regular for his development team at Quest
and later Square
. Sakimoto also worked on 14 other titles that year, including Shin Megami Tensei
and Alien vs. Predator. Over the next few years, he would go on to compose for or work on over 40 more titles such as Tactics Ogre
and Dragon Quest VI
. In 1997, Sakimoto joined Square and composed the score for Final Fantasy Tactics
, which made him internationally famous, and was the score he was best known for outside of Japan until at least 2006. Although he worked on a handful of titles by other companies over the next few years, his next work for Square did not come until 2000, with the successful Vagrant Story
. It was his last score as an employee of Square; although he went on to first compose Breath of Fire V and Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis
for Capcom
and Quest
, after a couple of years of planning he resigned from Square to form his own company, Basiscape, on October 4, 2002.
. Through Basiscape, Sakimoto continued to compose for several different companies, including Square—now Square Enix
—with Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
. The company expanded in 2005 with the addition of composers Mitsuhiro Kaneda and Kimihiro Abe. After the huge success of 2006's Final Fantasy XII
, which he scored, demand for Sakimoto's compositions grew stronger with gaming companies and he decided to expand Basiscape again by hiring Noriyuki Kamikura, Yoshimi Kudo, and Azusa Chiba. It is currently the largest independent video game music production company, and continues to work on large titles such as Odin Sphere
and Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
. The composers for the company are able to procure individual work for themselves as members of Basiscape, as well as collaborate with other staff members on projects that are hired out to Basiscape as a company rather than any one composer, which allows the composers to remain freelancers while having the steady work of a full-time job. The company also handles sound effects and narration in addition to soundtracks for the projects that it works on, and at the end of 2009 expanded to start its own record label.
Sakimoto has also been involved in non-gaming projects during his career. He contributed one track each to the albums Ten Plants (1998) and 2197 (1999), which feature music from various well-known artists. Sakimoto collaborated with singer Lia
in 2005 to create the music for the album Colors of Life. He composed the music for two anime
series; Romeo x Juliet
(2007) and The Tower of Druaga: The Aegis of Uruk
(2008); as well as the original video animation
(OVA) Legend of Phoenix ~Layla Hamilton Monogatari~
in 2005.
and Michael Salvatori
, were special guests at a Play! A Video Game Symphony
event at the Orchestra Hall
in Detroit, Michigan
. He has developed a strong relationship with the Australian-based Eminence Symphony Orchestra
, and has attended several of their concerts. Sakimoto and Yasunori Mitsuda
made a guest appearance at their Passion event in December 2006. In April 2007, he appeared at Eminence's A Night in Fantasia 2007: Symphonic Games Edition, which featured three of his compositions. Sakimoto and Mitsuda collaborated with Eminence in July the same year to create Destiny: Reunion, a concert held exclusively in Japan. Eminence released Passion (2006) and Destiny: Dreamer's Alliance (2007), two studio recorded
albums that feature various compositions from the Passion and Destiny: Reunion concerts respectively. "Penelo's Theme" from Final Fantasy XII and a medley of pieces from Final Fantasy Tactics A2 were played at the Fantasy Comes Alive concert in Singapore
on April 30, 2010. Although there have been several official Final Fantasy concerts
dedicated to the music of the series, none have included music by Sakimoto. A book of sheet music from the music of Final Fantasy XII rewritten by Asako Niwa as beginning to intermediate level piano solos was produced by DOREMI publishing.
l; he creates the orchestral sound by playing the music through a sequencer
instead of using a real orchestra due to the high cost. When composing a soundtrack for a video game, Sakimoto first sits down with the director or producer of the game and works out what emotions they want the game to evoke in the player, and after making a demo for them, sets out to create music that fits that feeling. He claims that his style of composition does not change when he works on non-game works such as anime
series, saying that only the tone of the pieces is different. He attributes any changes in his style over the years to his desire to constantly keep growing and learning new styles and techniques, saying that if you have not moved forward in your skill and style over time, "you've wasted your time".
He has stated that his biggest musical influences are "old techno and progressive rock" groups such as the Japanese electropop group Yellow Magic Orchestra
. When he was starting out in the field of music, he went under the pseudonym "YmoH.S", a reference to Yellow Magic Orchestra. He also cites the American jazz
musician Chick Corea
as a major influence. While creating the music for Final Fantasy XII, however, his biggest musical inspiration was former regular series composer Nobuo Uematsu
. Sakimoto enjoys listening to techno
and jazz fusion
in his spare time. While he sometimes gets inspiration while relaxing at home, Sakimoto feels that his best ideas come to him while he is at his studio concentrating. One of his favorite soundtracks he ever composed was the one for Vagrant Story.
Arrangement
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
. He is best known for scoring the games Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy Tactics
is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Sony PlayStation video game console. It is the first game of the Final Fantasy Tactics series and was released in Japan in June 1997 and in the United States in January 1998...
and Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...
, though he has composed soundtracks for over 70 games and arranged music for more than 40 others. He began playing music and video games in elementary school, and began composing video game music for money by the time he was 16. Sakimoto's professional career began a few years later in 1988 when he started composing music professionally as a freelancer, as well as programming sound drivers for games. Five years and 40 games later, he achieved his first mainstream success with the score to Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen
Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen
is a 1993 real-time strategy role-playing video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, directed by Yasumi Matsuno with artwork by Akihiko Yoshida...
. Four years and another 40 games later in 1997, he joined Square
Square Co.
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
(now Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
) and composed his first international success, the score to Final Fantasy Tactics.
In 2002 he resigned from Square to form his own music company, Basiscape, through which he continues to compose music for games such as Final Fantasy XII. Basiscape has expanded since its founding to 10 composers, and is currently the largest independent video game music production company. In addition to video game soundtracks, over the years Sakimoto has also worked on projects such as anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series and vocal albums. His music has been played at numerous music concerts by groups such as the Eminence Symphony Orchestra
Eminence Symphony Orchestra
- Piano Stories :Alexey Yemtsov performed the first Piano Stories concert on 15 April, at Verbrugghen Hall. Featuring work from Studio Ghibli, Yoko Kanno and Shirō Sagisu, Piano Stories marked the beginning of a series of concerts celebrating piano scores from a selection of anime and gaming...
, and his work on Final Fantasy XII was arranged for the piano and published as a book of sheet music.
Early life
Hitoshi Sakimoto was born in Tokyo, Japan. He began developing an interest in music beginning in elementary school, when he taught himself to play the piano and electronic organElectronic organ
An electronic organ is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally, it was designed to imitate the sound of pipe organs, theatre organs, band sounds, or orchestral sounds....
and participated in some brass and rock bands. A fan of video games, he began creating his own games in junior high school with some friends. While in his senior high school years, Sakimoto wrote for the computer magazine Oh!FM and compiled data about pieces of music he liked, becoming a self-professed "computer, games, and music geek".
Sakimoto started composing for games when he was 16, and was paid to both create the music and the program to play it for several games. Composing for these games was the first time he had ever composed music for any instrument. His debut as a professional gaming composer came in 1988, when he and his friend Masaharu Iwata
Masaharu Iwata
is a Japanese video game composer. After graduating from high school, where his musical projects included composing on a synthesizer and playing in a cover band, he joined Bothtec as a composer. He composed the soundtrack to several games there, beginning with 1987's Bakusou Buggy Ipatsu Yarou, and...
, whom he has worked with on numerous later titles, scored the shooter game
Shooter game
Shooter games are a sub-genre of action game, which often test the player's speed and reaction time. It includes many subgenres that have the commonality of focusing "on the actions of the avatar using some sort of weapon. Usually this weapon is a gun, or some other long-range weapon". A common...
Revolter, published by ASCGroup for the NEC PC-8801
NEC PC-8801
The NEC PC-8801 was an early Zilog Z80-based computer exclusively released in Japan, where it became very popular, by NEC Corporation in 1981. It was informally called the "PC-88"....
. Sakimoto also created the synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
driver "Terpsichorean" to enhance the sound quality of the game's music; the synthesizer driver has been implemented into many games throughout the Japanese game market in the early 1990s. Despite Revolters success, he continued with his previous goal to become a video game programmer rather than a composer; however, his friends and colleagues encouraged him to continue composing game music. The recognition he gained within the gaming industry jump-started his career.
Career
After Revolter, Sakimoto's music and synthesizer driver earned him immediate recognition in the industry, resulting in him being asked to score several Game BoyGame Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
and PC-8801 games such as Starship Rendezvous and Gauntlet, as well as use his driver both in the scores he wrote and in other games such as Stone of Deigan in 1989 and The Witch of Barbatus in 1990. Between 1990 and 1992, Sakimoto worked on 24 different video games for several different companies such as Toshiba EMI, Artec, and Data East
Data East
also abbreviated as DECO, was a Japanese video game developer and publisher. The company was in operation from 1976 to 2003, when it declared bankruptcy...
. It was during this time that he composed his first solo score, for 1990's Bubble Ghost.
Sakimoto's first encounter with mainstream success in Japan came about in 1993 when he composed Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen
Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen
is a 1993 real-time strategy role-playing video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, directed by Yasumi Matsuno with artwork by Akihiko Yoshida...
. The game was directed by Yasumi Matsuno
Yasumi Matsuno
is a video game designer. He is one of a few designers to have two games receive a perfect score by Famitsu magazine. Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy XII were critically acclaimed by the magazine with a 40/40 score.-Early projects:...
, and since the release of the title, he has chosen Sakimoto as a regular for his development team at Quest
Quest Corporation
was a Japanese video game company founded in 1988. They were originally known as Bothtec, which had developed The Scheme, a Metroidvania-style open world action role-playing game featuring music by Yuzo Koshiro, that same year....
and later Square
Square Co.
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
. Sakimoto also worked on 14 other titles that year, including Shin Megami Tensei
Shin Megami Tensei
is a console role-playing video game from Atlus that was originally released on October 30, 1992 and later on several platforms, although no installment was released outside of Japan. It was originally released on the Super Famicom and was later ported to the PC Engine Super CD-Rom and Mega-CD...
and Alien vs. Predator. Over the next few years, he would go on to compose for or work on over 40 more titles such as Tactics Ogre
Tactics Ogre
is a Japanese tactical role-playing game created by Quest. The game was originally released in 1995 on the Super Famicom in Japan and then re-released on the Sega Saturn in 1996 and the PlayStation in 1997...
and Dragon Quest VI
Dragon Quest VI
, Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Reverie in Europe, is a console role-playing game developed by Heartbeat and published by Enix for the Super Famicom as a part of the Dragon Quest series. It is the last Dragon Quest game in the Zenithia trilogy. It was released on December 9, 1995 in Japan...
. In 1997, Sakimoto joined Square and composed the score for Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy Tactics
is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Sony PlayStation video game console. It is the first game of the Final Fantasy Tactics series and was released in Japan in June 1997 and in the United States in January 1998...
, which made him internationally famous, and was the score he was best known for outside of Japan until at least 2006. Although he worked on a handful of titles by other companies over the next few years, his next work for Square did not come until 2000, with the successful Vagrant Story
Vagrant Story
is a Japanese-developed console role-playing game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. The game was released in 2000, and has been re-released through the PlayStation Network for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable consoles eleven years later...
. It was his last score as an employee of Square; although he went on to first compose Breath of Fire V and Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis
Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis
is a tactical strategy game developed by Quest. It was originally released by Nintendo in Japan in 2001 on the Game Boy Advance, then later released by Atlus in North America in 2002....
for Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
and Quest
Quest Corporation
was a Japanese video game company founded in 1988. They were originally known as Bothtec, which had developed The Scheme, a Metroidvania-style open world action role-playing game featuring music by Yuzo Koshiro, that same year....
, after a couple of years of planning he resigned from Square to form his own company, Basiscape, on October 4, 2002.
Basiscape
Basiscape composes and produces music and sound effects for various types of interactive media, most notably video games. Sakimoto says that he left Square to found the company because he did not feel that he had enough "freedom" as an employee of a game company, though he notes that the cost of that freedom is the difficulty in remaining close to the development team. At its founding, it comprised only three members: Sakimoto, Iwata, and Manabu NamikiManabu Namiki
is a Japanese video game composer who works mainly on shooter games. He has worked with game companies such as Allumer, NMK, Raizing and Cave...
. Through Basiscape, Sakimoto continued to compose for several different companies, including Square—now Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
—with Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. A spin-off of the popular Final Fantasy series, the game shares several traits with 1997's Final Fantasy Tactics, although it is not a direct sequel. The player assembles a clan of characters, and...
. The company expanded in 2005 with the addition of composers Mitsuhiro Kaneda and Kimihiro Abe. After the huge success of 2006's Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...
, which he scored, demand for Sakimoto's compositions grew stronger with gaming companies and he decided to expand Basiscape again by hiring Noriyuki Kamikura, Yoshimi Kudo, and Azusa Chiba. It is currently the largest independent video game music production company, and continues to work on large titles such as Odin Sphere
Odin Sphere
is a 2D fantasy action RPG video game. Developed by Vanillaware and localized and published by Atlus for the PlayStation 2 in 2007, it tells the interlocking stories of five different protagonists. Odin Sphere is considered a spiritual successor to an Atlus game titled Princess Crown and takes some...
and Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
is a real-time strategy RPG developed by Think & Feel and published by Square Enix for the Nintendo DS. It is a sequel to the best-selling 2006 PlayStation 2 role-playing game Final Fantasy XII....
. The composers for the company are able to procure individual work for themselves as members of Basiscape, as well as collaborate with other staff members on projects that are hired out to Basiscape as a company rather than any one composer, which allows the composers to remain freelancers while having the steady work of a full-time job. The company also handles sound effects and narration in addition to soundtracks for the projects that it works on, and at the end of 2009 expanded to start its own record label.
Sakimoto has also been involved in non-gaming projects during his career. He contributed one track each to the albums Ten Plants (1998) and 2197 (1999), which feature music from various well-known artists. Sakimoto collaborated with singer Lia
Lia (singer)
Lia is a female Japanese singer-songwriter who is a former member of I've Sound. Lia has also participated in happy hardcore singing, producing four such albums with this style of singing; these albums have her name in all capital letters. She is notable as the singer for the opening and ending...
in 2005 to create the music for the album Colors of Life. He composed the music for two anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series; Romeo x Juliet
Romeo x Juliet
is a TV anime series, loosely based on William Shakespeare's classical play, Romeo and Juliet, along with numerous references and characters from other Shakespearean plays. Though the anime borrows mostly from Shakespeare's story, the manga adaptation differs extensively from the original...
(2007) and The Tower of Druaga: The Aegis of Uruk
The Tower of Druaga: the Aegis of Uruk
and its sequel, is an anime TV series, created by Gonzo and is an animated continuation of Namco's The Tower of Druaga franchise which began as an arcade game originally released in 1984...
(2008); as well as the original video animation
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
(OVA) Legend of Phoenix ~Layla Hamilton Monogatari~
Kaleido Star
is an anime series produced by Japanese studio Gonzo Digimation Holding. The series was created by Junichi Sato, who also directed the first season, and written by Reiko Yoshida...
in 2005.
Performances
Sakimoto has made numerous appearances at video game concerts that have performed his compositions. On July 12, 2006, he, along with Yoko ShimomuraYoko Shimomura
is a Japanese video game composer. She has been described as "the most famous female video game music composer in the world". She has worked in the video game music industry since graduating from Osaka College of Music in 1988...
and Michael Salvatori
Michael Salvatori
Michael Salvatori is an American composer, best known for his collaboration with colleague Martin O'Donnell for the soundtracks to the Halo video game series. Salvatori became friends with O'Donnell in college; when O'Donnell was given a job offer to score a colleague's film, Salvatori and...
, were special guests at a Play! A Video Game Symphony
Play! A Video Game Symphony
PLAY! A Video Game Symphony is a concert series that features music from video games performed by a live orchestra. The concerts from 2006 to 2010 were conducted by Arnie Roth...
event at the Orchestra Hall
Orchestra Hall, Detroit
Orchestra Hall is a concert hall located at 3711 Woodward Avenue in midtown Detroit, Michigan. The hall is renowned for its superior acoustic properties and serves as the home of the internationally known Detroit Symphony Orchestra , the fourth oldest orchestra in the United States...
in Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. He has developed a strong relationship with the Australian-based Eminence Symphony Orchestra
Eminence Symphony Orchestra
- Piano Stories :Alexey Yemtsov performed the first Piano Stories concert on 15 April, at Verbrugghen Hall. Featuring work from Studio Ghibli, Yoko Kanno and Shirō Sagisu, Piano Stories marked the beginning of a series of concerts celebrating piano scores from a selection of anime and gaming...
, and has attended several of their concerts. Sakimoto and Yasunori Mitsuda
Yasunori Mitsuda
is a Japanese video game composer, sound programmer, and musician. He has composed music for or worked on over 35 games, and has contributed to over 15 other albums...
made a guest appearance at their Passion event in December 2006. In April 2007, he appeared at Eminence's A Night in Fantasia 2007: Symphonic Games Edition, which featured three of his compositions. Sakimoto and Mitsuda collaborated with Eminence in July the same year to create Destiny: Reunion, a concert held exclusively in Japan. Eminence released Passion (2006) and Destiny: Dreamer's Alliance (2007), two studio recorded
Studio recording
The term studio recording means any recording made in a studio, as opposed to a live recording, which is usually made in a concert venue or a theatre, with an audience attending the performance.-Studio cast recordings:...
albums that feature various compositions from the Passion and Destiny: Reunion concerts respectively. "Penelo's Theme" from Final Fantasy XII and a medley of pieces from Final Fantasy Tactics A2 were played at the Fantasy Comes Alive concert in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
on April 30, 2010. Although there have been several official Final Fantasy concerts
Final Fantasy concerts
Final Fantasy is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and owned by Square Enix that includes video games, motion pictures, and other merchandise. The series began in 1987 as an eponymous console role-playing game developed by Square, spawning a video game series that became the central...
dedicated to the music of the series, none have included music by Sakimoto. A book of sheet music from the music of Final Fantasy XII rewritten by Asako Niwa as beginning to intermediate level piano solos was produced by DOREMI publishing.
Musical style and influences
Sakimoto composes his music by playing the pieces "briefly on the piano", and then working on a computer for more detailed arrangements. The style of Sakimoto's compositions is mostly orchestraOrchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
l; he creates the orchestral sound by playing the music through a sequencer
Music sequencer
The music sequencer is a device or computer software to record, edit, play back the music, by handling note and performance information in several forms, typically :...
instead of using a real orchestra due to the high cost. When composing a soundtrack for a video game, Sakimoto first sits down with the director or producer of the game and works out what emotions they want the game to evoke in the player, and after making a demo for them, sets out to create music that fits that feeling. He claims that his style of composition does not change when he works on non-game works such as anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series, saying that only the tone of the pieces is different. He attributes any changes in his style over the years to his desire to constantly keep growing and learning new styles and techniques, saying that if you have not moved forward in your skill and style over time, "you've wasted your time".
He has stated that his biggest musical influences are "old techno and progressive rock" groups such as the Japanese electropop group Yellow Magic Orchestra
Yellow Magic Orchestra
Sakamoto first worked with Hosono as a member of his live band in 1976, while Takahashi recruited Sakamoto to produce his debut solo recording in 1977 following the split of the Sadistic Mika Band...
. When he was starting out in the field of music, he went under the pseudonym "YmoH.S", a reference to Yellow Magic Orchestra. He also cites the American jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician Chick Corea
Chick Corea
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer.Many of his compositions are considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis' band in the 1960s, he participated in the birth of the electric jazz fusion movement. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever...
as a major influence. While creating the music for Final Fantasy XII, however, his biggest musical inspiration was former regular series composer Nobuo Uematsu
Nobuo Uematsu
is a Japanese video game composer, best known for scoring the majority of titles in the Final Fantasy series. He is considered as one of the most famous and respected composers in the video game community...
. Sakimoto enjoys listening to techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
and jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
in his spare time. While he sometimes gets inspiration while relaxing at home, Sakimoto feels that his best ideas come to him while he is at his studio concentrating. One of his favorite soundtracks he ever composed was the one for Vagrant Story.
Video games
Composition- Revolter (1988) – with Masaharu IwataMasaharu Iwatais a Japanese video game composer. After graduating from high school, where his musical projects included composing on a synthesizer and playing in a cover band, he joined Bothtec as a composer. He composed the soundtrack to several games there, beginning with 1987's Bakusou Buggy Ipatsu Yarou, and...
- Bubble GhostBubble GhostBubble Ghost is a French 1987 video game created by Christophe Andreani and published by ERE Informatique.-Gameplay:Bubble Ghost is a 2D arcade game. The player controls the ghost using the computer mouse and makes him blow at a bubble. The objective is to guide a bubble throughout a number of...
(1990) - Metal Orange (1990) – with Masaharu Iwata
- Starship Rendezvous (1990) – with Masaharu Iwata
- Carat (1990)
- Devilish (1991)
- VerytexVerytexVerytex is a vertical scrolling shooting game that is exclusive to Japan. Players controlled the Verytex, a futuristic spaceship, on its journey to protect mankind from waves of enemies in six different levels.-Story:...
(1991) - Magical ChaseMagical Chaseis a scrolling shooter video game developed by Palsoft and released by Quest on the TurboGrafx-16 platform in 1991 in Japan, and 1993 in the U.S....
(1991) – with Masaharu Iwata - King Breeder (1991) – with Masaharu Iwata
- GauntletGauntlet (arcade game)Gauntlet is a fantasy-themed hack and slash 1985 arcade game by Atari Games. It is noted as the first class-based multiplayer game. Released during the emergence of popularity of other role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons, the game was a sensation, being one of the first true dungeon crawl...
(1993) – with Masaharu Iwata - Bad Omen (1993)
- Super Back to the Future Part II (1993)
- Ogre Battle: The March of the Black QueenOgre Battle: The March of the Black Queenis a 1993 real-time strategy role-playing video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, directed by Yasumi Matsuno with artwork by Akihiko Yoshida...
(1993) – with Masaharu Iwata and Hayato MatsuoHayato Matsuois a Japanese video game and anime composer, arranger and orchestrator. He has worked on titles such as Front Mission 3, Final Fantasy XII, the Shenmue series, and Magic Knight Rayearth. Inspired by his mother, a piano teacher, he graduated from the music composition department of Tokyo University... - Kingdom Grand PrixKingdom Grand PrixKingdom Grandprix, released in Japan as is a vertically scrolling shooter/racing hybrid arcade game created by Eighting/Raizing, it was later ported to the Sega Saturn. It is the second in the Mahou Daisakusen series, but the first to include the bizarre but original feature of being a...
(1994) – with Masaharu Iwata - X-Kaliber 2097X-Kaliber 2097X-Kaliber 2097, released as in Japan, is a Super NES action video game published by Activision.-Summary and gameplay:The game takes place in the near-anarchic future of the year 2097, in which the world's economy has been devastated, governments have collapsed, and organized crime has gained...
(1994) – with Hayato Matsuo - Moldorian (1994)
- Pile Up March (1994)
- Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (1995) – with Masaharu Iwata
- Chick's Tale (1995)
- Dragon Master Silk 2 (1995)
- Treasure Hunter GTreasure Hunter Gis a turn-based tactical role playing game developed by Sting Entertainment and published by Square . It was released on May 24, 1996. It was published on the Nintendo's Virtual Console service on December 25, 2007 in Japan....
(1996) – with Mitsuhito Tanaka (John Pee), Masaharu Iwata, Toshiaki Sakoda, Yoko Takada, Tomoko Matsui, and Akiko Goto - Terra DiverTerra Diveris a vertically scrolling shooter game released by Raizing in 1996. The game is unusual in that, rather than using a 3:4 aspect ratio to simulate the arcade feel of other shooters, it uses a horizontal monitor in the style of Giga Wing and Radiant Silvergun....
(1996) – with Manabu NamikiManabu Namikiis a Japanese video game composer who works mainly on shooter games. He has worked with game companies such as Allumer, NMK, Raizing and Cave... - The Adventures of Hourai High School (1996)
- Chip Chan Kick! (1996) – with Masaharu Iwata
- Bloody RoarBloody Roar (video game), known as Bloody Roar: Hyper Beast Duel in Europe, is a fighting video game originally developed by Raizing as an arcade game. It was later adapted for the PlayStation by Hudson Soft and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. The arcade version was released on July 7, 1997...
(1997) – with Masaharu Iwata and Manabu Namiki - Final Fantasy TacticsFinal Fantasy Tacticsis a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Sony PlayStation video game console. It is the first game of the Final Fantasy Tactics series and was released in Japan in June 1997 and in the United States in January 1998...
(1997) – with Masaharu Iwata - Radiant SilvergunRadiant Silvergunis a vertically scrolling shooter video game, developed by Treasure. It was released in arcades on the ST-V platform in 1998 and subsequently ported to the Sega Saturn, with added cutscenes by noted animation studio Gonzo...
(1998) - Armed Police BatRiderArmed Police Batrideris a vertically scrolling manic shooter arcade game developed and published by Raizing/Eighting in 1998. The player controls teams of flying jet bikes each with their own pilot; players can choose up to three of nine standard characters plus another nine unlockable characters from the previous...
(1998) - Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly CaliberOgre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber, sequel to Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, is a real-time strategy role-playing video game developed by Quest and published by Atlus for the Nintendo 64 in 2000. Though basically similar to the original Ogre Battle, it has borne some notoriety for significant game play tweaks that...
(1999) – with Masaharu Iwata and Hayato Matsuo - Vagrant StoryVagrant Storyis a Japanese-developed console role-playing game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. The game was released in 2000, and has been re-released through the PlayStation Network for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable consoles eleven years later...
(2000) - Tactics Ogre: The Knight of LodisTactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodisis a tactical strategy game developed by Quest. It was originally released by Nintendo in Japan in 2001 on the Game Boy Advance, then later released by Atlus in North America in 2002....
(2001) – with Masaharu Iwata - Kuusen (2001)
- Legaia 2: Duel SagaLegaia 2: Duel SagaLegaia 2: Duel Saga, known as in Japan, is a 2001 role-playing video game developed by Contrail and published by Sony in Japan and Eidos Interactive in North America and Europe...
(2001) – with Yasunori MitsudaYasunori Mitsudais a Japanese video game composer, sound programmer, and musician. He has composed music for or worked on over 35 games, and has contributed to over 15 other albums...
and Michiru OshimaMichiru Oshima, is a Japanese composer who has worked on several video game, movie, and television titles. Her works include composition for the video games Genghis Khan II: Clan of the Gray Wolf for Super Nintendo, Ico for PlayStation 2, Legend of Legaia for the PlayStation , is a Japanese composer who has... - Tekken AdvanceTekken AdvanceTekken Advance is a fighting game released for the Game Boy Advance. It is not canonical to the Tekken storyline, but it follows the events of Tekken 3, and it uses sprites from Tekken Tag Tournament for the characters.-Gameplay:...
(2001) – with Atsuhiro Motoyama - Breath of Fire: Dragon QuarterBreath of Fire: Dragon QuarterBreath of Fire: Dragon Quarter, known in Japan as , is a PlayStation 2 game originally released on November 14, 2002. It is the fifth role-playing game in the Breath of Fire series.-Gameplay:...
(2002) - Perfect Prince (2002) – with Shinji HosoeShinji Hosoe, also known as MEGATEN and SamplingMasters MEGA, is a Japanese video game composer and musician most famous for scoring Ridge Racer, Keyboardmania 3rd mix and many early 1990s Namco arcade games. He also created the in-game music for Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse...
and Ayako Saso - Final Fantasy Tactics AdvanceFinal Fantasy Tactics Advanceis a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. A spin-off of the popular Final Fantasy series, the game shares several traits with 1997's Final Fantasy Tactics, although it is not a direct sequel. The player assembles a clan of characters, and...
(2003) – with Ayako Saso, Kaori Oukoshi, and Nobuo UematsuNobuo Uematsuis a Japanese video game composer, best known for scoring the majority of titles in the Final Fantasy series. He is considered as one of the most famous and respected composers in the video game community... - Gradius VGradius VGradius V is a Japanese-developed shoot 'em up video game published by Konami for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console in 2004. Gradius V was largely developed under contract by the Treasure team responsible for Radiant Silvergun and Ikaruga under supervision of Konami's internal development...
(2004) - Stella Deus: The Gate of EternityStella Deus: The Gate of EternityStella Deus: The Gate of Eternity is a game for PlayStation 2 published in Japan by Atlus in North America by Atlus USA and in Europe by 505 Games. It is a Tactical RPG genre game with highly stylized artwork and animated cutscenes.-Gameplay:...
(2004) – with Masaharu Iwata - Mushihime-samaMushihime-samais a manic shooter developed by Cave and released by Taito in 2004. It was ported to the PlayStation 2 in 2005. The game has an insect theme as all of the enemies resemble various insects such as beetles and butterflies. The game is set in various forest environments...
(2004) – with Masaharu Iwata, Manabu Namiki, Shinji Hosoe, Ayako Saso, and Shoichiro Sakamoto - ArtePizza (2005)
- Wizardry Gaiden: Prisoners of the BattlesWizardryWizardry is a series of computer role-playing games, developed by Sir-Tech, which were highly influential in the development of modern console and computer role playing games. The original Wizardry was a significant influence to early console RPGs, such as Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy. ...
(2005) - Bleach: Heat the Soul 2 (2005)
- Zoids: Full Metal Crash (2005)
- Monster Kingdom: Jewel SummonerMonster Kingdom: Jewel SummonerMonster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner is a turn-based role-playing video game developed by Gaia and published by Sony Computer Entertainment and Atlus for the PlayStation Portable console. The game was released in February 2006 in Japan and in February 2007 in North America.The game takes place in a...
(2006) – with many others - Fantasy Earth: Zero (2006)
- Final Fantasy XIIFinal Fantasy XIIis a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...
(2006) – with Masaharu Iwata, Hayato Matsuo, and Nobuo Uematsu - Battle Stadium D.O.NBattle Stadium D.O.Nis a Japanese fighting game for the GameCube and PlayStation 2 featuring characters from the three popular manga series published by Weekly Shōnen Jump. Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, and Naruto, hence the D.O.N...
(2006) - Digimon World Data Squad (2006)
- GrimGrimoireGrimGrimoireis a real-time strategy video game from Vanillaware and Nippon Ichi for the PlayStation 2.-Plot:Lillet Blan is a young magician admitted to a prestigious magic school, the Tower of Silver Star. Though she attends normal classes for the first four days and meets the various professors and students,...
(2007) - Final Fantasy XII: Revenant WingsFinal Fantasy XII: Revenant Wingsis a real-time strategy RPG developed by Think & Feel and published by Square Enix for the Nintendo DS. It is a sequel to the best-selling 2006 PlayStation 2 role-playing game Final Fantasy XII....
(2007) – with Kenichiro FukuiKenichiro Fukuiis a Japanese video game composer and musician. Before working at Square Enix, he was employed at Konami. He is an arranger and a keyboardist in the band The Black Mages, formed in 2003. Additionally, Fukui arranged Angela Aki's "Kiss Me Good-Bye" from Final Fantasy XII. In October 2007, he left... - Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the LionsFinal Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lionsis a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the Sony PlayStation Portable and iOS. The game is an updated version of Final Fantasy Tactics for the PlayStation video game console....
(2007) – with Masaharu Iwata - Odin SphereOdin Sphereis a 2D fantasy action RPG video game. Developed by Vanillaware and localized and published by Atlus for the PlayStation 2 in 2007, it tells the interlocking stories of five different protagonists. Odin Sphere is considered a spiritual successor to an Atlus game titled Princess Crown and takes some...
(2007) - with Basiscape - ASH: Archaic Sealed HeatASH: Archaic Sealed HeatASH: Archaic Sealed Heat is a tactical role-playing game developed by Mistwalker and Racjin and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It was released on October 4, 2007 in Japan...
(2007) – with Masaharu Iwata - Final Fantasy Tactics A2 (2007)
- OpoonaOpoonais a role-playing video game developed by ArtePiazza and published by Koei for the Wii. The player follows the story of the titular Opoona as he attempts to find the location of his family from which he was separated after the occurrence of a mysterious accident during their travels...
(2007) – with Basiscape - Deltora QuestDeltora seriesThe Deltora Quest book series is the collective title for three series of children's literature fantasy books, written by Australian author Emily Rodda. It follows the adventures of three companions as they journey across the fictitious land of Deltora, endeavouring to recover the magical Belt of...
(2007) - with Basiscape - L no Kisetsu 2: Invisible Memories (2008)
- Valkyria ChroniclesValkyria Chroniclesis a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3. The game was released in 2008.The game is set in Europa, loosely based on Europe in 1935...
(2008) - The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road (2008) – with Kimihiro Abe, Masaharu Iwata, and Michiko NarukeMichiko Narukeis a Japanese video game music composer, well-known for her work in the Wild Arms series.-Composing career:She used to work for Telenet Japan and Riot, but many people who worked for these two companies left, and along with Naruke, later started working for Media.Vision...
- Elminage: Priestess of Darkness and The Ring of the Gods (2008)
- Coded Soul (2009)
- Crystal DefendersCrystal Defendersis a series of turn-based strategy video games developed by MSF/Winds and published by Square Enix. It comprises several iterations released for mobile phones and through online video game delivery services...
(2009) - Muramasa: The Demon BladeMuramasa: The Demon BladeMuramasa: The Demon Blade, known in Japan as is an action role playing game developed by Vanillaware and published by Marvelous Entertainment in Japan, Rising Star Games in Europe, and Ignition Entertainment in North America for the Wii...
(2009) - with Basiscape - Tekken 6Tekken 6is a fighting game developed and published by Namco Bandai. It is the eighth game in the Tekken franchise. It was released in Japanese arcades on November 26, 2007 as the first game running on the PlayStation 3-based System 357 arcade board. The game received an update, subtitled Bloodline...
(2009) – with many others - Lord of Vermilion IILord of Vermilionis an arcade-based fantasy collectible card game developed by Think Garage and distributed by Square Enix in which players control combat cards on an arcade play surface. The objective of the game is to destroy the enemy team's Arcane Stones and eliminate their servants in order to win the game...
(2009) - Valkyria Chronicles II (2010)
- Lord of ArcanaLord of Arcanais an action game for the PlayStation Portable, developed by Access Games and published by Square Enix.- Gameplay :Lord of Arcana is an action game that allows up to four players to fight monsters and demons some of which make cameo appearances from other Square Enix games.The gameplay is very...
(2010) - with Nobuo Uematsu - Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (2010) - with Masaharu Iwata
- Valkyria Chronicles IIIValkyria Chronicles IIIValkyria Chronicles III, known in Japan as is a tactical role-playing game, developed and published by Sega for the PlayStation Portable. It is the third game in the Valkyria Chronicles series and was released on January 27, 2011 in Japan....
(2011) - Guild01Guild01is an upcoming video game compilation for the Nintendo 3DS. It is being published by Level-5, and is being developed in cooperation with game designers Goichi Suda, Yoot Saito, and Yasumi Matsuno as well as Yoshiyuki Hirai of comedy duo America Zarigani. The compilation contains four games, each...
(2012)
Arrangement
- Stone of Deigan (1989)
- Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Lance (1990)
- Midnight ResistanceMidnight Resistanceis a side-scrolling action shooting game produced by Data East for the arcades in . The game was ported by Data East to the Sega Mega Drive in and by Ocean Software to various home computer platforms during the same year...
(1991) - Master of MonstersMaster of MonstersMaster of Monsters is a turn-based strategy game created by Japanese software developer System Soft for the MSX and NEC PC8801 later ported to a variety of consoles and PCs including the PC Engine, NEC PC9801, Sega Mega Drive , Sega Saturn and PlayStation...
(1991) - Dragons of FlameDragons of Flame (video game)Dragons of Flame is a video game released in 1989 for various home computer systems and consoles. It is a sequel to Heroes of the Lance. It is based on the second Dragonlance campaign module, Dragons of Flame, and the second half of the first Dragonlance novel Dragons of Autumn Twilight...
(1991) - Death Knights of KrynnDeath Knights of KrynnDeath Knights of Krynn is the second in a three-part series of Dragonlance Advanced Dungeons & Dragons "Gold Box" computer role-playing games, published by Strategic Simulations, Inc...
(1991) - Mounted Soldier (1992)
- Two Crude DudesTwo Crude DudesTwo Crude, known in Japan as , is a beat 'em up arcade game produced by Data East. The game was later ported by Data East to the Sega Mega Drive in in Japan the same name as the Japanese arcade version, and later released outside of Japan as Two Crude Dudes.-Plot:The year is 20XX...
(1992) - Death BringerDeath BringerDeath Bringer is a Computer Roleplaying game published for the Amiga by Cinemaware. The game was released in 1988 in Britain as Galdregon's Domain and one year later in 1989 in the US as Death Bringer.-Story:The land is in turmoil...
(1992) - Captain America and the AvengersCaptain America and the AvengersCaptain America and the Avengers is an arcade game released by Data East in 1991. It features the Marvel Comics characters The Avengers in a side-scrolling brawling and shooting adventure to defeat the evil Red Skull.-Gameplay:...
(1992) - Champions of KrynnChampions of KrynnChampions of Krynn is the first in a three-part series of Dragonlance Advanced Dungeons & Dragons "Gold Box" computer role-playing games. The game was released in 1990. The highest graphics setting supported in the MS-DOS version was EGA graphics. It also supported the Adlib sound card and either...
(1992) - Dragon Master Silk (1992)
- Eye of the Beholder (1992)
- Seven Colors (1992)
- Tail Spin (1993)
- Aguri Suzuki F-1 Super Driving (1993)
- Alien vs. Predator (1993)
- The Little Mermaid (1993)
- J-LEAGUE Soccer (1993)
- Classic Lord (1993)
- Shin Megami TenseiShin Megami Tenseiis a console role-playing video game from Atlus that was originally released on October 30, 1992 and later on several platforms, although no installment was released outside of Japan. It was originally released on the Super Famicom and was later ported to the PC Engine Super CD-Rom and Mega-CD...
(1993) - Quiz Jipangu (1993)
- Side PocketSide PocketSide Pocket is a multi-platform series of pocket billiards simulator video games produced principally by Data East in beginning 1986...
(1994) - Nankoku Shōnen Papuwa-kun (1994)
- Shogi (1994)
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The MovieMighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (video game)Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie is the title of four different video game adaptations of the film of the same name, which were released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, Game Boy and Game Gear. While the games were ostensibly based on the film, they also featured...
(1994) - Super Ice Hockey (1994)
- Lorelei (1994)
- Swap (1994)
- Blue Garnet (1994)
- Pet Club: Inu Daisuki!Pet Club: Inu Daisuki!is a video game where a player controls a young female person who has to take care of a pet dog.-Summary:The object of the game is to nurture the dog from puppyhood into adulthood and even into old age. There are many breeds of pets and there are several different kinds of young female avatars to...
(1995) - Akazukin ChachaAkazukin Chachais a shōjo manga series by Min Ayahana. It was serialized by Shueisha in the manga magazine Ribon from 1991 and 2000 and collected in 13 bound volumes...
(1995) - Dragon Quest VIDragon Quest VI, Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Reverie in Europe, is a console role-playing game developed by Heartbeat and published by Enix for the Super Famicom as a part of the Dragon Quest series. It is the last Dragon Quest game in the Zenithia trilogy. It was released on December 9, 1995 in Japan...
(1995) - Bomberman: Panic Bomber (1995)
- Classic Lord 2 (1995)
- F1 GP (1995)
- Thoroughbred Breeder 3 (1996)
- My Best Friends (1996)
- Virtual Gallop Kisyudou (1996)
- Civizard – Majutsu no Keifu (1997)
- Traffic Confusion (1998)
- Battle GareggaBattle Gareggais a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up arcade game released by 8ing/Raizing in 1996.-Battle Garegga New Version/Type 2:It is a version without hidden fighters, Extended Mode, Harder Mode, Stage Edit, Special mode, and with different enemy bullets.-Story:...
(1998) - Roommate 3 (1998)
- Roommate W -Futari- (1999)
- Block Wars (2001)
- The Pinball of the DeadThe Pinball of the DeadThe Pinball of the Dead is a pinball video game created by Sega, for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance. It is based on Sega's The House of the Dead series of light gun games, particularly in The House of the Dead 2 version...
(2002) - B-Legend! Battle B-daman Fire Spirits! (2005)
Other works
- MCMXCI (1991)
- MYSTERY CASE in HI! SCHOOL! (1992)
- Be filled with feeling (1992)
- Great Wall (1993)
- G.T.R (1993)
- T•O•U•R•S (1994)
- Megami Tensei 1 and 2 (1995)
- Ten Plants (1998)
- 2197 (1999)
- Colors of Life (2005) – with LiaLia (singer)Lia is a female Japanese singer-songwriter who is a former member of I've Sound. Lia has also participated in happy hardcore singing, producing four such albums with this style of singing; these albums have her name in all capital letters. She is notable as the singer for the opening and ending...
- Legend of Phoenix ~Layla Hamilton Monogatari~Kaleido Staris an anime series produced by Japanese studio Gonzo Digimation Holding. The series was created by Junichi Sato, who also directed the first season, and written by Reiko Yoshida...
(2005) - Romeo x JulietRomeo x Julietis a TV anime series, loosely based on William Shakespeare's classical play, Romeo and Juliet, along with numerous references and characters from other Shakespearean plays. Though the anime borrows mostly from Shakespeare's story, the manga adaptation differs extensively from the original...
(2007) - The Tower of Druaga: The Aegis of UrukThe Tower of Druaga: the Aegis of Urukand its sequel, is an anime TV series, created by Gonzo and is an animated continuation of Namco's The Tower of Druaga franchise which began as an arcade game originally released in 1984...
(2008) - Iron Vendetta (2011)
- Tekken: Blood Vengeance (2011)
See also
- Music of the Final Fantasy Tactics series
- Music of Final Fantasy XII