Koichi Sugiyama
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese music composer
, council member of JASRAC (Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers, and Publishers), and honorary chairman of the Japanese Backgammon
Society. He is best known for composing music
for the Dragon Quest
video game series, which is published by Square Enix
, and several Japanese anime
and TV shows, such as Space Runaway Ideon
, Cyborg 009
, and Gatchaman.
A classically trained conductor, he is considered a primary inspiration for other game music composers such as Nobuo Uematsu
, and has been referred to as a "Big boss of game music." He is also known for being a Japanese right-wing revisionist
.
, Japan
. While growing up, Sugiyama's home was filled with music, which ultimately inspired his passion. In high school, he began to recognize his passion, and wrote various small musical works.
After graduating from the University of Tokyo
with full honours in 1958, he went into the reporting and entertainment sections of cultural broadcasting
. In addition, he joined the Fuji Telecasting Co. as a director
. In 1965, he left the telecasting company as a freelance director, and in 1968, he quit directing and concentrated on music composition.
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Sugiyama composed for musicals, commercials, pop artists, and for animated movies and television shows, such as Kagaku Ninja Tai Gatchaman
and Cyborg 009
. He also assisted Riichiro Manabe
with the composition for Godzilla vs. Hedorah
, composing the record single of the soundtrack, and conducting for some of the tracks.
was by a fan letter he wrote them regarding a PC shogi
game in the early 1980s. After Enix's staff overcame the shock of receiving a handwritten postcard from a celebrity of Sugiyama's stature, they were so impressed by his depth of knowledge and appreciation of games that they decided to ask Sugiyama to write the music for Dragon Quest.
Sugiyama started composing for the PC-8801, and was working for Enix
at the time. His first video game composition was for the game Wingman 2. In 1986, he composed for his second video game, Dragon Quest
, for the Famicom
. Dragon Quest
would become the series he was most known for. Sugiyama says it took him five minutes to compose the original opening theme. His classical
score for the game was considered revolutionary for console
video game music.
Sugiyama was the first video game composer to record his video game music with a live orchestra. In 1986, the CD, Dragon Quest I Symphonic Suite, was released, utilizing the London Philharmonic Orchestra
to interpret Sugiyama's melodies. The soundtrack
's eight melodies (Opening, Castle, Town, Field, Dungeon, Battle, Final Battle, and Ending) set the template for most role-playing video game
soundtracks released since then, hundreds of which have been organized in a similar manner.
In 1987, he composed for Dragon Quest II, and then held the very first video game music concert in the world. "Family Classic Concert" was arranged and conducted by Sugiyama himself. It was performed by the Tokyo String Music Combination Playing Group on August 20, 1987 at Suntory Hall
, Tokyo, Japan. "Dragon Quest I Symphonic Suite" and "Dragon Quest II Symphonic Suite" were performed. The "Family Classic Concerts" have always had excellent turn outs; since then, Sugiyama has held over eighteen of them all across Japan.
Sugiyama continued to compose for video games from 1987 to 1990. In 1991, he introduced a series of video game music concerts, five in all, called the Orchestral Game Concerts, which were performed by the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra and Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. The performances included over eighteen different video game composers, such as Koji Kondo
, Yoko Kanno
, Kentarō Haneda, Nobuo Uematsu
, Keiichi Suzuki, as well as Sugiyama himself. These concerts were held from 1991 to 1996; during this time, Sugiyama composed for other video games and arranged for some of them to be performed in the Orchestral Game Concerts.
In September 1995, Sugiyama composed the Dragon Quest Ballet
. It premiered in 1996, and returned in 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2002. During those years, he also released the Symphonic Suites for the Dragon Quest games he had worked on thus far.
Koichi Sugiyama's non-work related hobbies include photography
, travel
ing, building model ships, collecting old cameras, and reading. He has opened a camera section on his website, and he also has his own record label "SUGIlabel" which he started on June 23, 2004.
In late 2004, he finished and released the Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King Original soundtrack, and the Dragon Quest VIII Symphonic Suite.
In 2005, Sugiyama was holding a series of concerts in Japan with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra
with music from Dragon Quest VIII, as well as his classic compositions from the past. In August 2005, his music from Dragon Quest
was performed live at the European Symphonic Game Music Concert
. There, for the first time, his music was presented in a live symphonic concert outside Japan.
In 2006, Sugiyama began working on some diverse projects, one of them being the music for Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors
. On August 19, 2006, Sugiyama announced Dragon Quest IX's production in Japanese video game magazine Famitsu
by saying "I'm not sure when Dragon Quest IX will be released, but it seems that progress is continually being made. I'm personally excited."
Sugiyama's style of composition has been compared to late Baroque
and early Classical period styles. Composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach
and George Frideric Handel
are some of his inspirations, along with the type of melodic styles heard during the mid-20th century of American cinema. The influence of Arnold Schoenberg
can be heard in some of the dungeon music.
, Comfort Women
, and Japanese war crimes
during the Second Sino-Japanese War
and World War II
. Sugiyama completely denies guilt of the Japanese Empire. He is one of the first signatories in approval of the "The Facts" advertisement in the Washington Post.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, council member of JASRAC (Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers, and Publishers), and honorary chairman of the Japanese Backgammon
Backgammon
Backgammon is one of the oldest board games for two players. The playing pieces are moved according to the roll of dice, and players win by removing all of their pieces from the board. There are many variants of backgammon, most of which share common traits...
Society. He is best known for composing music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
for the Dragon Quest
Dragon Quest
, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
video game series, which is published by 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 several Japanese 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....
and TV shows, such as Space Runaway Ideon
Space Runaway Ideon
is a 1980 anime television series produced by Sunrise.-Production:Ideon was created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, and was the series he produced immediately following his most famous work, Mobile Suit Gundam....
, Cyborg 009
Cyborg 009
is a manga created by Shotaro Ishinomori. It was serialized in many different magazines, including Monthly Shōnen King, Weekly Shōnen Magazine, Shōnen Big Comic, COM, Shōjo Comic, Weekly Shōnen Sunday, Monthly Shōnen Jump and Monthly Comic Nora in Japan...
, and Gatchaman.
A classically trained conductor, he is considered a primary inspiration for other game music composers such as 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...
, and has been referred to as a "Big boss of game music." He is also known for being a Japanese right-wing revisionist
Historical revisionism
In historiography, historical revisionism is the reinterpretation of orthodox views on evidence, motivations, and decision-making processes surrounding a historical event...
.
Early life and television career
Koichi Sugiyama was born in TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. While growing up, Sugiyama's home was filled with music, which ultimately inspired his passion. In high school, he began to recognize his passion, and wrote various small musical works.
After graduating from the University of Tokyo
University of Tokyo
, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...
with full honours in 1958, he went into the reporting and entertainment sections of cultural broadcasting
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
. In addition, he joined the Fuji Telecasting Co. as a director
Music director
A music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
. In 1965, he left the telecasting company as a freelance director, and in 1968, he quit directing and concentrated on music composition.
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Sugiyama composed for musicals, commercials, pop artists, and for animated movies and television shows, such as Kagaku Ninja Tai Gatchaman
Science Ninja Team Gatchaman
is a 5-member superhero team that is composed of the main characters in several Japanese anime created by Tatsuo Yoshida and originally produced in Japan by Tatsunoko Productions and later adapted into several English-language versions...
and Cyborg 009
Cyborg 009
is a manga created by Shotaro Ishinomori. It was serialized in many different magazines, including Monthly Shōnen King, Weekly Shōnen Magazine, Shōnen Big Comic, COM, Shōjo Comic, Weekly Shōnen Sunday, Monthly Shōnen Jump and Monthly Comic Nora in Japan...
. He also assisted Riichiro Manabe
Riichiro Manabe
is a Japanese composer who wrote the scores for numerous science fiction, horror, and kaiju films from 1956 to 1979. Among fans of these genre films, his music is has gained a less-than-positive reputation. His scores draw from jazz and dissonant modernism...
with the composition for Godzilla vs. Hedorah
Godzilla vs. Hedorah
, also known as Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster, is a 1971 science fiction kaiju film. The eleventh film in Toho Co. Ltd.'s Godzilla series , it was directed by Yoshimitsu Banno with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. It was the first film to feature Hedorah. The score was composed by Riichiro Manabe...
, composing the record single of the soundtrack, and conducting for some of the tracks.
Dragon Quest and video game career
Sugiyama's first contact with EnixEnix
The was a Japanese company that produced video games, anime and manga. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975 as and renamed Enix in 1982...
was by a fan letter he wrote them regarding a PC shogi
Shogi
, also known as Japanese chess, is a two-player board game in the same family as Western chess, chaturanga, and Chinese Xiangqi, and is the most popular of a family of chess variants native to Japan...
game in the early 1980s. After Enix's staff overcame the shock of receiving a handwritten postcard from a celebrity of Sugiyama's stature, they were so impressed by his depth of knowledge and appreciation of games that they decided to ask Sugiyama to write the music for Dragon Quest.
Sugiyama started composing for the PC-8801, and was working for Enix
Enix
The was a Japanese company that produced video games, anime and manga. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975 as and renamed Enix in 1982...
at the time. His first video game composition was for the game Wingman 2. In 1986, he composed for his second video game, Dragon Quest
Dragon Warrior
Dragon Warrior, known as in Japan, is the first role-playing video game in the Dragon Quest media franchise. It was developed by Chunsoft for the Nintendo Entertainment System and published by Enix in Japan in 1986...
, for the Famicom
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
. Dragon Quest
Dragon Quest
, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
would become the series he was most known for. Sugiyama says it took him five minutes to compose the original opening theme. His classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
score for the game was considered revolutionary for console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
video game music.
Sugiyama was the first video game composer to record his video game music with a live orchestra. In 1986, the CD, Dragon Quest I Symphonic Suite, was released, utilizing the London Philharmonic Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
to interpret Sugiyama's melodies. The soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
's eight melodies (Opening, Castle, Town, Field, Dungeon, Battle, Final Battle, and Ending) set the template for most role-playing video game
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
soundtracks released since then, hundreds of which have been organized in a similar manner.
In 1987, he composed for Dragon Quest II, and then held the very first video game music concert in the world. "Family Classic Concert" was arranged and conducted by Sugiyama himself. It was performed by the Tokyo String Music Combination Playing Group on August 20, 1987 at Suntory Hall
Suntory Hall
The Suntory Hall is a concert hall complex consisting of the "Main Hall" and the "Small Hall" located in the Ark Hills complex, near the U.S. Embassy and TV Asahi in the Akasaka district of northern Minato, a ward in Tokyo, Japan...
, Tokyo, Japan. "Dragon Quest I Symphonic Suite" and "Dragon Quest II Symphonic Suite" were performed. The "Family Classic Concerts" have always had excellent turn outs; since then, Sugiyama has held over eighteen of them all across Japan.
Sugiyama continued to compose for video games from 1987 to 1990. In 1991, he introduced a series of video game music concerts, five in all, called the Orchestral Game Concerts, which were performed by the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra and Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. The performances included over eighteen different video game composers, such as Koji Kondo
Koji Kondo
is a Japanese video game composer and sound director who has been employed at Nintendo since 1984. He is best known for scoring numerous titles in the Mario and The Legend of Zelda series.-Early life:...
, Yoko Kanno
Yoko Kanno
is a composer, arranger and musician best known for her work on the soundtracks for many games, anime films, TV series, live-action movies, and advertisements...
, Kentarō Haneda, 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...
, Keiichi Suzuki, as well as Sugiyama himself. These concerts were held from 1991 to 1996; during this time, Sugiyama composed for other video games and arranged for some of them to be performed in the Orchestral Game Concerts.
In September 1995, Sugiyama composed the Dragon Quest Ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
. It premiered in 1996, and returned in 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2002. During those years, he also released the Symphonic Suites for the Dragon Quest games he had worked on thus far.
Later career
Sugiyama also has completed other projects, such as the fanfares for the opening and closing of the gates in the Tokyo Race Track and the Nakayama Race Track.Koichi Sugiyama's non-work related hobbies include photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, travel
Travel
Travel is the movement of people or objects between relatively distant geographical locations. 'Travel' can also include relatively short stays between successive movements.-Etymology:...
ing, building model ships, collecting old cameras, and reading. He has opened a camera section on his website, and he also has his own record label "SUGIlabel" which he started on June 23, 2004.
In late 2004, he finished and released the Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King Original soundtrack, and the Dragon Quest VIII Symphonic Suite.
In 2005, Sugiyama was holding a series of concerts in Japan with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra
Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra
The , also known as Tokyō , is one of the representative symphony orchestras of Japan. The Orchestra was founded in 1965 by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, to commemorate the Tokyo Olympics ....
with music from Dragon Quest VIII, as well as his classic compositions from the past. In August 2005, his music from Dragon Quest
Dragon Quest
, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
was performed live at the European Symphonic Game Music Concert
Symphonic Game Music Concert
The Symphonic Game Music Concerts are a series of award-winning, annual German video game music concerts initiated in 2003, notable for being the longest running and the first of their kind outside of Japan...
. There, for the first time, his music was presented in a live symphonic concert outside Japan.
In 2006, Sugiyama began working on some diverse projects, one of them being the music for Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors
Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors
is a first-person adventure game by Square Enix exclusive to Nintendo's Wii game console. The game is a spin-off from the Dragon Quest series.-Battle system:...
. On August 19, 2006, Sugiyama announced Dragon Quest IX's production in Japanese video game magazine Famitsu
Famitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
by saying "I'm not sure when Dragon Quest IX will be released, but it seems that progress is continually being made. I'm personally excited."
Style
Throughout Sugiyama's works, motifs repeat themselves to maintain a consistency and nostalgic quality in the different installments. This is especially true for the Dragon Quest series. Each of the games include a nearly identical, upbeat theme song titled "Overture." In addition, Dragon Quest III-IX include a simple, casual tune on the saved game selection screen titled "Intermezzo."Sugiyama's style of composition has been compared to late Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
and early Classical period styles. Composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
and George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
are some of his inspirations, along with the type of melodic styles heard during the mid-20th century of American cinema. The influence of Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg was an Austrian composer, associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, and leader of the Second Viennese School...
can be heard in some of the dungeon music.
As a Japanese nationalist
Sugiyama is also a historical revisionist of Japanese history, especially concerning the Nanking MassacreNanking Massacre
The Nanking Massacre or Nanjing Massacre, also known as the Rape of Nanking, was a mass murder, genocide and war rape that occurred during the six-week period following the Japanese capture of the city of Nanjing , the former capital of the Republic of China, on December 13, 1937 during the Second...
, Comfort Women
Comfort women
The term "comfort women" was a euphemism used to describe women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II.Estimates vary as to how many women were involved, with numbers ranging from as low as 20,000 from some Japanese scholars to as high as 410,000 from some Chinese...
, and Japanese war crimes
Japanese war crimes
Japanese war crimes occurred during the period of Japanese imperialism, primarily during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. Some of the incidents have also been described as an Asian Holocaust and Japanese war atrocities...
during the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Sugiyama completely denies guilt of the Japanese Empire. He is one of the first signatories in approval of the "The Facts" advertisement in the Washington Post.
Video game soundtracks
- Wingman 2
- Dragon WarriorDragon WarriorDragon Warrior, known as in Japan, is the first role-playing video game in the Dragon Quest media franchise. It was developed by Chunsoft for the Nintendo Entertainment System and published by Enix in Japan in 1986...
(1986) - Dragon Warrior IIDragon Warrior IIDragon Warrior II, known as in Japan, is a console role-playing game developed by Chunsoft and published by Enix in 1987 for the MSX and Nintendo Entertainment System as a part of the Dragon Quest series .The game's story centers on the prince on Midenhall who is ordered to stop an evil...
(1987) - Dragon Warrior IIIDragon Warrior IIIDragon Warrior III, known in Japan as , is a console role-playing game developed by Chunsoft and published by Enix . It is the third installment in the Dragon Quest series , first released for the Famicom in Japan, and then the NES in North America...
(1988) - JESUS: Kyoufu no Bio MonsterJESUS: Dreadful Bio-Monsteris a video game developed by Enix and published by King Records. It was first released in 1987 on the PC-88 as simply Jesus, and was later ported to the Nintendo Family Computer and MSX2 with the subtitle "Kyōfu no Bio Monster" appended. A sequel was released on the PC-98.The game's name refers to...
(1988) - Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen (1990)
- Akagawa Jirouno Yuurei Ressha (1991) (with Yasuhiro Taguchi)
- E.V.O.: Search for EdenE.V.O.: Search for EdenE.V.O.: Search for Eden, originally released in Japan as , is a side-scrolling action role-playing video game developed by Almanic Corporation and published by Enix for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Released in 1992 for Japanese audiences, the game was later translated and released in...
(1992) - Hanjyuku Hero: Aah Sekai yo Hanjuku Nare (1992)
- Hanjuku Hero Divertimento (1993)
- Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (1992)
- Super Tetris 2 & Bombliss (1992)
- SyvalionSyvalionis an arcade video game released by Taito in 1988. The player controls a metal dragon with shooter gameplay. This game was designed by Fukio Mitsuji, creator of Bubble Bobble.It was re-released for PC, PS2 and Xbox as a part of Taito Legends 2 in 2006.-Trivia:...
(1992) - Tetris 2 (1993)
- Torneko no Daibouken: Fushigi no Dungeon (1993)
- Itadaki Street 2: Neon Sign ha Bara Iro niItadaki Streetis a computer board game series originally created by Dragon Quest designer Yuji Horii. The first game was released in Japan on Nintendo's Famicom in 1991. Since then, sequels have been released for the Super Famicom and Sony's PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Playstation Portable and Nintendo DS...
(1994) - The Monopoly Game 2 (1995)
- Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Reverie (1995)
- Dragon Quest MonstersDragon Quest Monstersor Dragon Warrior Monsters, as it was known in North America, is a spin off series of the Dragon Quest games. Published by Enix Corporation , it sets the player in a medieval/fantasy world filled with magic, monsters and knights...
(1998) - Torneko no Daibouken 2Torneko: The Last HopeTorneko: The Last Hope, known as in Japan, is a console role-playing game for the Sony PlayStation.The game was co-developed by Chunsoft and Matrix Software and published by Enix in both Japan and North America in 1999 and 2000 respectively....
(1999) - Dragon Quest Monsters 1+2Dragon Quest Monsters 1+2is an enhanced remake of two Game Boy Color games, Dragon Quest Monsters and Dragon Quest Monsters 2, for the PlayStation. It was released only in Japan...
(2000) - Dragon Warrior VIIDragon Warrior VIIDragon Warrior VII, known in Japan as is a Japanese console role-playing game developed by Heartbeat and ArtePiazza, and published by Enix for the PlayStation in...
(2000) - Dragon Quest Monsters 2 (2001)
- Dragon Quest Characters: Torneko no Daibōken 3Dragon Quest Characters: Torneko no Daiboken 3is the third game in the Torneko series. It is part of the Mystery Dungeon series and contains randomly generated dungeons and uses turn-based action combat. It is the third Dragon Quest spin-off game in the Mystery Dungeon series...
(2002) - Dragon Quest: Slime MorimoriSlime MoriMori Dragon Questis a Japanese action-adventure video game published by Square Enix in 2003 for Game Boy Advance. It is part of Square Enix's Ultimate Hits. The game is based on the fictional Dragon Quest universe with players controlling a slime...
(2003) - Dragon Quest Monsters: Caravan HeartDragon Quest Monsters: Caravan Heartis the third game in the Dragon Quest Monsters series, released only in Japan by Enix for the Game Boy Advance. The game was simultaneously announced with Dragon Quest VIII in Famitsu in 2002...
(2003) - Itadaki Street Special (2004)
- Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (2004)
- Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of MirrorsDragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrorsis a first-person adventure game by Square Enix exclusive to Nintendo's Wii game console. The game is a spin-off from the Dragon Quest series.-Battle system:...
(2006) - Dragon Quest: Shōnen Yangus to Fushigi no Dungeon (2006)
- Dragon Quest Monsters: JokerDragon Quest Monsters: Jokeris a Nintendo DS role-playing game published by Square Enix, and the fourth installment of the Dragon Quest Monsters series. Square Enix released the game on December 28, 2006 in Japan and in North America on November 6, 2007....
(2007) - Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies (2009)
- Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2' is a Nintendo DS console role-playing game published by Square Enix. It is the sequel to Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker and is the fifth game in the Dragon Quest Monsters series. It was released in Japan on April 28, 2010 and a US release on September 19, 2011, as revealed at the 2011 E3...
(2010) - Dragon Quest X: Mezame Shi Itsutsu no Shuzoku Online (2012)
Other works
- Symphonic Suite "Dragon Quest" (I - IX)
- Symphony "Ideon"
- Bukyoku (I, II) for strings
- Super Mario World (Arranged Version)
- Audio Symphony (No.1 & 2)
- Okinawa for cello and strings
- Sail on the Sea for piano 4 hands
- Ballon's Flight for piano 4 hands
- The Voyage of little Sindbad (Japanese TV)
- Science Ninja Team Gatchaman: The Movie (1979)
- Cyborg 009Cyborg 009is a manga created by Shotaro Ishinomori. It was serialized in many different magazines, including Monthly Shōnen King, Weekly Shōnen Magazine, Shōnen Big Comic, COM, Shōjo Comic, Weekly Shōnen Sunday, Monthly Shōnen Jump and Monthly Comic Nora in Japan...
(1980) - Space Runaway IdeonSpace Runaway Ideonis a 1980 anime television series produced by Sunrise.-Production:Ideon was created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, and was the series he produced immediately following his most famous work, Mobile Suit Gundam....
(1980) - Sea Prince and the Fire Child / Syrius no DensetsuThe Sea Prince and the Fire Childis an animated film by Sanrio, based on the story by Shintaro Tsuji. It is said to be a loose retelling of Romeo and Juliet, itself a European version of many tales of star-crossed lovers in a variety of cultures and eras...
(1981) - Godzilla vs. BiollanteGodzilla vs. Biollanteis a 1989 science fiction kaiju film written and directed by Kazuki Ōmori. It was the seventeenth film to be released in the Godzilla franchise and the second in terms of the franchise's Heisei period...
(1989) - Dragon Quest: Dai no Daibouken (1993)
- Mahô Kishi Rayearth / Magic Knight RayearthMagic Knight Rayearthis a Japanese manga series created by Clamp, a manga artist team made up by Satsuki Igarashi, Ageha Ohkawa, Tsubaki Nekoi and Mokona. Rayearth combines elements from the magical girl and mecha anime genres with parallel world fantasy....
(1994)(1995) (music supervisor)
External links
- Koichi Sugiyama profile and photo gallery at the Square Haven People Database
- Artist profile at OverClocked ReMixOverClocked ReMixOverClocked ReMix, also known as OC ReMix and OCR, is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and paying tribute to video game music through arranging and re-interpreting the songs with new technology and software, as well as by various traditional means...
- SoundtrackCentral.com Reviews of various Dragon Quest albums