Yoko Shimomura
Encyclopedia
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. From then until 1993, she worked for Capcom
, where she composed wholly or in part the scores for 17 games, including Final Fight
and Street Fighter II
.
From 1993 to 2002 Shimomura worked for Square
(now Square Enix
), where she composed for a further eight games, including the popular Super Mario RPG, Legend of Mana
, and Kingdom Hearts
games. Since then she has worked as a freelance composer, writing for over a dozen titles. Her works have gained a great deal of popularity, and have been performed in multiple video game music concerts, including one, Sinfonia Drammatica, that was focused half on her "greatest hits" album, Drammatica: The Very Best of Yoko Shimomura, and half on the music of a previous concert. Music from several of her games has been published as arranged albums and as piano scores.
, Japan on October 19, 1967. She developed an interest for music at a young age, and started taking piano lessons "at the age of four or five". She began composing her own music by playing the piano randomly and pretending to compose, eventually coming up with her own pieces, the first of which she claims to still remember how to play. Shimomura attended Osaka College of Music
, and graduated as a piano major in 1988. Upon graduation, Shimomura intended to become a piano instructor and was extended a job offer to become a piano teacher at a music store, but as she had been an avid gamer for many years she decided to send some samples of her work to various video game companies that were recruiting at the university. Capcom
invited her in for an audition and interview, and she was offered a job there. Her family and instructors were dismayed with her change in focus, as video game music was not well respected, and "they had paid [her] tuition for an expensive music school and couldn't understand why [she] would accept such a job", but Shimomura accepted the job at Capcom anyway.
, which she composed all but three pieces for. The first soundtrack she worked on at the company was for Samurai Sword in 1988. Final Fight
, in 1989, was her first work to receive a separate soundtrack album release, on an album of music from several Capcom games. The first soundtrack album to exclusively feature her work came a year later for the soundtrack to Street Fighter II. While she began her tenure at Capcom working on console game
s, by 1990 she had moved to the arcade game
division. She was a member of the company's in-house jazz band Alph Lyla
, which played Capcom video game music including pieces written by Shimomura; she performed live twice with the group, playing a bell during "Chun-Li's Theme" from Street Fighter II.
In 1993, Shimomura transferred to another game company, Square
(now Square Enix
). She moved to Square because she was interested in writing "classical-style" music for fantasy role-playing games
; at Capcom she was in the arcade game team and was unable to transfer to the console game team to work on their role-playing game series Breath of Fire, although she contributed one track to the first game in the series
. Her first project at the company was the score for the console role-playing game Live A Live
in 1994. While she was working on the score to Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
the following year, she was asked to join Noriko Matsueda
on the music to the futuristic strategy RPG
Front Mission
. Although she was overworked doing both scores and it was not the genre that she was interested in, she found herself unable to refuse after her first attempt to do so unexpectedly happened in the presence of the president of Square, Tetsuo Mizuno. These games were followed by Tobal No. 1
, the last score she worked on with another composer for a decade.
Over the next few years, she composed the soundtrack to several games, including Parasite Eve
and Legend of Mana
. Of all her compositions, Shimomura considers the soundtrack to Legend of Mana the one that best expresses herself. Parasite Eve on the PlayStation
had the first soundtrack by Shimomura that included a vocal song, as it was the first game she had written for running on a console system that had the sound capability for one. In 2002 she wrote the score for Kingdom Hearts
, which she has said is the most "special" soundtrack to her, as well as a turning point in her career; she named the soundtracks to Street Fighter II and Super Mario RPG as the other two significant points in her life as a composer.
Kingdom Hearts was wildly successful, selling more than four million copies worldwide; Shimomura's music was frequently cited as one of the highlights of the game, and the title track has been ranked as the fourth-best role-playing game title track of all time. The soundtrack has led to two albums of piano arrangements. Kingdom Hearts was the last soundtrack that she worked on at Square. In 2002, Shimomura left Square to work as a freelancer. She has built on the work she did while at Square; since leaving she has composed or is composing music for five Kingdom Hearts games and three Mario RPGs. She has also worked on many other projects, such as Heroes of Mana and various Premium Arrange albums. She is currently working on Kingdom Hearts 3D
and Final Fantasy Versus XIII
.
regarding the project, Shimomura commented that with the sheet music generated for the project, she would be interested in pursuing a live performance of Drammatica for fans if the opportunity arose. On March 19, 2009 that wish was realized when it was announced that Arnie Roth
would conduct the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
at the concert Sinfonia Drammatica in the Stockholm Concert Hall
, which would combine music from the album with performances of Chris Hülsbeck
's Symphonic Shades concert. The concert took place on August 4, 2009. On March 27, 2007 Shimomura released her first non-video game album, Murmur, an album of vocal songs sung by Chata
.
Music written by Yoko Shimomura for Kingdom Hearts made up one fourth of the music of the Symphonic Fantasies concerts in September 2009 which were produced by the creators of the Symphonic Game Music Concert series and conducted by Arnie Roth. Legend of Manas title theme was also performed by the Australian Eminence Symphony Orchestra
for its classical gaming music concert A Night in Fantasia 2007.
Music from the original soundtrack of Legend of Mana has been arranged for the piano and published by DOREMI Music Publishing. Two compilation books of music from the series have also been published as Seiken Densetsu Best Collection Piano Solo Sheet Music first and second editions, with the second including Shimomura's tracks from Legend of Mana. All songs in each book have been rewritten by Asako Niwa as beginning to intermediate level piano solos, though they are meant to sound as much like the originals as possible. Additionally, piano sheet music from Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II
has been published as music books by Yamaha Music Media.
, Frédéric Chopin
, and Maurice Ravel
as some of her influences on her personal website. She has also stated that she has enjoyed "lounge-style jazz" for a long time. Despite these influences and her classical training, the diverse musical styles that she has used throughout her career and sometimes in the same soundtrack include "rock, electronica
, oriental
, ambient
, industrial
, pop, symphonic, operatic, chiptune
, and more". She draws inspiration for her songs from things in her life that move her emotionally, which she describes as "a beautiful picture, scenery, tasting something delicious, scents that bring back memories, happy and sad things... Anything that moves my emotion gives me inspiration". Shimomura has also stated that she comes up with most of her songs when she is doing something that is "not part of [her] daily routine, like traveling." Although her influences are mostly classical, she has said that in her opinion her "style has changed dramatically over the years, though the passion for music stays the same." Shimomura has said that she believes that an important part of "the creative process behind music" is to "convey a subtle message, something that comes from your imagination and sticks with the listener, without being overly specific about what it means", rather than only writing simple themes with obvious messages. Her favorite track that she has ever composed is "Dearly Beloved" from Kingdom Hearts.
Arrangement
Osaka College of Music
is a private university in Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1915, and it was chartered as a university in 1958.-External links:*...
in 1988. From then until 1993, she worked 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...
, where she composed wholly or in part the scores for 17 games, including Final Fight
Final Fight
is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up game originally released by Capcom as a coin-operated video game in . It was the seventh game released by Capcom for their CP System arcade game hardware...
and Street Fighter II
Street Fighter II
is a competitive fighting game originally released for the arcades in . It is the arcade sequel to the original Street Fighter released in and was Capcom's fourteenth title that ran on the CP System arcade hardware...
.
From 1993 to 2002 Shimomura worked for 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...
), where she composed for a further eight games, including the popular Super Mario RPG, Legend of Mana
Legend of Mana
Legend of Mana, known in Japan as , is the fourth game in the Mana series. The game was released for the PlayStation in Japan on July 15, 1999 and in North America on June 7, 2000, with a delayed release in Canada...
, and Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts
is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The first game in the Kingdom Hearts series, it is the result of a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company. The game combines characters and settings from Disney...
games. Since then she has worked as a freelance composer, writing for over a dozen titles. Her works have gained a great deal of popularity, and have been performed in multiple video game music concerts, including one, Sinfonia Drammatica, that was focused half on her "greatest hits" album, Drammatica: The Very Best of Yoko Shimomura, and half on the music of a previous concert. Music from several of her games has been published as arranged albums and as piano scores.
Early life
Yoko Shimomura was born in Hyōgo PrefectureHyogo Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :...
, Japan on October 19, 1967. She developed an interest for music at a young age, and started taking piano lessons "at the age of four or five". She began composing her own music by playing the piano randomly and pretending to compose, eventually coming up with her own pieces, the first of which she claims to still remember how to play. Shimomura attended Osaka College of Music
Osaka College of Music
is a private university in Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1915, and it was chartered as a university in 1958.-External links:*...
, and graduated as a piano major in 1988. Upon graduation, Shimomura intended to become a piano instructor and was extended a job offer to become a piano teacher at a music store, but as she had been an avid gamer for many years she decided to send some samples of her work to various video game companies that were recruiting at the university. 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...
invited her in for an audition and interview, and she was offered a job there. Her family and instructors were dismayed with her change in focus, as video game music was not well respected, and "they had paid [her] tuition for an expensive music school and couldn't understand why [she] would accept such a job", but Shimomura accepted the job at Capcom anyway.
Career
While working for Capcom, Shimomura contributed to the soundtracks of 17 games, including the successful Street Fighter IIStreet Fighter II
is a competitive fighting game originally released for the arcades in . It is the arcade sequel to the original Street Fighter released in and was Capcom's fourteenth title that ran on the CP System arcade hardware...
, which she composed all but three pieces for. The first soundtrack she worked on at the company was for Samurai Sword in 1988. Final Fight
Final Fight
is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up game originally released by Capcom as a coin-operated video game in . It was the seventh game released by Capcom for their CP System arcade game hardware...
, in 1989, was her first work to receive a separate soundtrack album release, on an album of music from several Capcom games. The first soundtrack album to exclusively feature her work came a year later for the soundtrack to Street Fighter II. While she began her tenure at Capcom working on console game
Console game
A console game is a form of interactive multimedia used for entertainment. The game consists of manipulable images generated by a video game console, and displayed on a television or similar audio-video system. The game itself is usually controlled and manipulated using a handheld device connected...
s, by 1990 she had moved to the arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
division. She was a member of the company's in-house jazz band Alph Lyla
Alph Lyla
Alph Lyla , also known as Alfh Lyra or Alpha Lyla, is Capcom's "house band" composed of Capcom developers. Their best known work is most likely the soundtrack of the popular fighting-game Street Fighter II....
, which played Capcom video game music including pieces written by Shimomura; she performed live twice with the group, playing a bell during "Chun-Li's Theme" from Street Fighter II.
In 1993, Shimomura transferred to another game company, 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...
). She moved to Square because she was interested in writing "classical-style" music for fantasy role-playing games
Role-playing game (video games)
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...
; at Capcom she was in the arcade game team and was unable to transfer to the console game team to work on their role-playing game series Breath of Fire, although she contributed one track to the first game in the series
Breath of Fire
-Mobile games:Beginning in November 2003, Capcom began releasing Breath of Fire titles specifically for mobile phone devices in Japan. Each game was developed for use on NTT DoCoMo, au, and SoftBank brand cellphones that use the i-mode, EZWEB, or BREW services...
. Her first project at the company was the score for the console role-playing game Live A Live
Live A Live
is a console role-playing game developed by Square for the Super Famicom released in Japan on September 2, 1994. It was never released outside Japan, but it has been unofficially translated into English....
in 1994. While she was working on the score to Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, often shortened and officially known in Japan as , is an action role-playing game developed by Square and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . It was originally released on March 9, 1996 in Japan and on May 13,...
the following year, she was asked to join Noriko Matsueda
Noriko Matsueda
is a Japanese former video game composer. She is best known for her work on the Front Mission series, The Bouncer, and Final Fantasy X-2. Matsueda collaborated with fellow composer Takahito Eguchi on several games. Composing music at an early age, she began studying the piano and electronic organ...
on the music to the futuristic strategy RPG
Tactical role-playing game
A tactical role-playing game is a type of video game which incorporates elements of traditional role-playing video games and strategy games. In Japan these games are known as , a designation which might seem peculiar to native English speakers...
Front Mission
Front Mission
is a collection of video games and related media produced by Square, now Square Enix. The series was created by Toshiro Tsuchida and developed by G-Craft, a studio that was later absorbed by Square and is now with Square Enix as Product Development Division-6...
. Although she was overworked doing both scores and it was not the genre that she was interested in, she found herself unable to refuse after her first attempt to do so unexpectedly happened in the presence of the president of Square, Tetsuo Mizuno. These games were followed by Tobal No. 1
Tobal No. 1
is a fighting game for the PlayStation developed by DreamFactory and published by Square in 1996. The game was DreamFactory's first release, as well as Square's first release on the CD-based console....
, the last score she worked on with another composer for a decade.
Over the next few years, she composed the soundtrack to several games, including Parasite Eve
Parasite Eve (video game)
is a horror action role-playing game developed by SquareSoft . The game is a sequel to the novel Parasite Eve, written by Hideaki Sena. It is the first game in the Parasite Eve series.-Gameplay:...
and Legend of Mana
Legend of Mana
Legend of Mana, known in Japan as , is the fourth game in the Mana series. The game was released for the PlayStation in Japan on July 15, 1999 and in North America on June 7, 2000, with a delayed release in Canada...
. Of all her compositions, Shimomura considers the soundtrack to Legend of Mana the one that best expresses herself. Parasite Eve on the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
had the first soundtrack by Shimomura that included a vocal song, as it was the first game she had written for running on a console system that had the sound capability for one. In 2002 she wrote the score for Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts
is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The first game in the Kingdom Hearts series, it is the result of a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company. The game combines characters and settings from Disney...
, which she has said is the most "special" soundtrack to her, as well as a turning point in her career; she named the soundtracks to Street Fighter II and Super Mario RPG as the other two significant points in her life as a composer.
Kingdom Hearts was wildly successful, selling more than four million copies worldwide; Shimomura's music was frequently cited as one of the highlights of the game, and the title track has been ranked as the fourth-best role-playing game title track of all time. The soundtrack has led to two albums of piano arrangements. Kingdom Hearts was the last soundtrack that she worked on at Square. In 2002, Shimomura left Square to work as a freelancer. She has built on the work she did while at Square; since leaving she has composed or is composing music for five Kingdom Hearts games and three Mario RPGs. She has also worked on many other projects, such as Heroes of Mana and various Premium Arrange albums. She is currently working on Kingdom Hearts 3D
Kingdom Hearts 3D
, is an upcoming game developed and published by Square Enix exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS, revealed at E3 2010. It is being created by the same development team that worked on Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, currently part of Square Enix's 1st Production Department. The game will be an entirely...
and Final Fantasy Versus XIII
Final Fantasy Versus XIII
is an upcoming action role-playing game published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and currently being developed by the company's 1st Production Department. Alongside Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2, and Final Fantasy Type-0, the game is a part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis Final...
.
Legacy
After composing soundtracks to over 35 different games, Shimomura has become one of the biggest names in video game composition, and has been described as "the most famous female video game music composer in the world". In March 2008, Shimomura's best works compilation album Drammatica: The Very Best of Yoko Shimomura was released containing her compositions from Kingdom Hearts and other games in a full orchestrated score. It includes music from Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Live A Live, Kingdom Hearts, Front Mission, Legend of Mana, and Heroes of Mana; Shimomura has stated that she chose music that was popular among fans and well-suited for orchestration, but had never been performed by an orchestra. In a 2008 interview with Music4GamesMusic4Games
Music4Games was a video game music information site originally launched in 1999. It focused on the video game soundtrack industry and claimed to target dedicated gamers, game music fans, audiophiles, students, composers, developers, publishers, producers, audio directors and music executives as a...
regarding the project, Shimomura commented that with the sheet music generated for the project, she would be interested in pursuing a live performance of Drammatica for fans if the opportunity arose. On March 19, 2009 that wish was realized when it was announced that Arnie Roth
Arnie Roth
Arnold "Arnie" Roth is an American, Chicago-based Grammy Award-winning conductor, composer, and record producer, best known for conducting numerous video game concerts. He is also a classically-trained violinist and a member of the Grammy Award-winning music group Mannheim Steamroller...
would conduct the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra is a Swedish orchestra based in Stockholm.The orchestra was founded in 1902 as the Stockholm Concert Society . The orchestra became a permanent ensemble in 1914. Since 1926, it has been based in the Stockholm Concert Hall...
at the concert Sinfonia Drammatica in the Stockholm Concert Hall
Stockholm Concert Hall
The Stockholm Concert Hall is the main hall for orchestral music in Stockholm, Sweden. Designed by Ivar Tengbom and inaugurated in 1926, it is the home to the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. It is also where the awarding ceremony for the Nobel Prizes, Polar Music Prize are held annually....
, which would combine music from the album with performances of Chris Hülsbeck
Chris Hülsbeck
Chris Hülsbeck is a video game music composer from Germany.He has written soundtracks for more than 70 titles, the latest being Star Wars: Rebel Strike for Nintendo GameCube. Many of his scores for the Commodore 64 are regarded as classics among enthusiasts today, most notably The Great Giana...
's Symphonic Shades concert. The concert took place on August 4, 2009. On March 27, 2007 Shimomura released her first non-video game album, Murmur, an album of vocal songs sung by Chata
Chata
is a Japanese singer who has performed theme songs for games and anime.She has also participated in various dōjin music circles. Her own private circle is called Usagi Kinoko.-History:...
.
Music written by Yoko Shimomura for Kingdom Hearts made up one fourth of the music of the Symphonic Fantasies concerts in September 2009 which were produced by the creators of the Symphonic Game Music Concert series and conducted by Arnie Roth. Legend of Manas title theme was also performed by the Australian 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...
for its classical gaming music concert A Night in Fantasia 2007.
Music from the original soundtrack of Legend of Mana has been arranged for the piano and published by DOREMI Music Publishing. Two compilation books of music from the series have also been published as Seiken Densetsu Best Collection Piano Solo Sheet Music first and second editions, with the second including Shimomura's tracks from Legend of Mana. All songs in each book have been rewritten by Asako Niwa as beginning to intermediate level piano solos, though they are meant to sound as much like the originals as possible. Additionally, piano sheet music from Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II
Kingdom Hearts II
is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and published by Buena Vista Games and Square Enix in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console...
has been published as music books by Yamaha Music Media.
Musical style and influences
Shimomura lists Ludwig van BeethovenLudwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
, Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
, and Maurice Ravel
Maurice Ravel
Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
as some of her influences on her personal website. She has also stated that she has enjoyed "lounge-style jazz" for a long time. Despite these influences and her classical training, the diverse musical styles that she has used throughout her career and sometimes in the same soundtrack include "rock, electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
, oriental
Mizrahi music
Mizrahi music refers to the music integration that combines elements from Europe, the West, and Middle Eastern/North African countries transported to Israel by migrating Jews. It is usually sung in Hebrew, literary Hebrew and Arabic slang...
, ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
, industrial
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
, pop, symphonic, operatic, chiptune
Chiptune
A chiptune, also known as chip music, is synthesized electronic music often produced with the sound chips of vintage computers and video game consoles, as well as with other methods such as emulation. In the early 1980s, personal computers became cheaper and more accessible than they had previously...
, and more". She draws inspiration for her songs from things in her life that move her emotionally, which she describes as "a beautiful picture, scenery, tasting something delicious, scents that bring back memories, happy and sad things... Anything that moves my emotion gives me inspiration". Shimomura has also stated that she comes up with most of her songs when she is doing something that is "not part of [her] daily routine, like traveling." Although her influences are mostly classical, she has said that in her opinion her "style has changed dramatically over the years, though the passion for music stays the same." Shimomura has said that she believes that an important part of "the creative process behind music" is to "convey a subtle message, something that comes from your imagination and sticks with the listener, without being overly specific about what it means", rather than only writing simple themes with obvious messages. Her favorite track that she has ever composed is "Dearly Beloved" from Kingdom Hearts.
Video games
Composition- Samurai Sword (Famicom Disk System) (1988)
- F-1 Dream (PC Engine) (1989)
- Final FightFinal Fightis a side-scrolling beat-'em-up game originally released by Capcom as a coin-operated video game in . It was the seventh game released by Capcom for their CP System arcade game hardware...
(1989) – with Yoshihiro Sakaguchi (uncredited) - Adventures in the Magic KingdomAdventures in the Magic KingdomAdventures in the Magic Kingdom is a video game released in 1990 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Its soundtrack was composed by Yoko Shimomura who also scored the Kingdom Hearts series.-Plot:...
(1990) - Mizushima Shinji no Daikoushien (1990)
- Code Name: ViperCode Name: ViperCode Name: Viper, known in Japan as , is a side-scrolling action game released by Capcom in for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The player takes control of a special forces operative who must combat a drug syndicate in South America.-Plot:...
(1990) – with Yoshihiro Sakaguchi (uncredited) - Gargoyle's QuestGargoyle's Quest, is a platform/side scrolling adventure game with mild RPG elements from Capcom. It was released on May 2, 1990 in Japan and then in America and Canada in July. The main character Red Arremer made his debut in the arcade game series Ghosts'n Goblins...
(1990) – with Harumi Fujita (uncredited) - Adventure Quiz 2: Capcom World (1990) – with Yoshihiro Sakaguchi, Manami MatsumaeManami Matsumaeis a freelance composer of video game music. She used to work for Capcom's Alph Lyla group. In addition to the games with that group, her individual contributions include composition for Magic Sword, Mercs, Dynasty Wars, and sound programming for the original Mega Man. She got married to a...
, Junko Tamiya, H. Takaoka, and G. Morita (uncredited) - Little Nemo: The Dream MasterLittle Nemo: The Dream MasterLittle Nemo: The Dream Master is a platform game released on the NES in 1990 by Capcom. It is based on the Japanese animated film, Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland from Tokyo Movie Shinsha, which itself is based on the comic strip Little Nemo in Slumberland by Winsor McCay...
(1990) - Mahjong School: The Super O Version (1990) – with Masaki Izutani (uncredited)
- Buster Bros. (PC Engine) (1991) – with Tamayo Kawamoto
- The King of DragonsThe King of Dragonsis a 1991 side-scrolling hack and slash arcade game by Capcom that allows players to choose from five characters in order to travel through the kingdom of Malus and defeat the monsters that have taken over, as well as their leader, the red dragon Gildiss...
(1991) - Street Fighter IIStreet Fighter IIis a competitive fighting game originally released for the arcades in . It is the arcade sequel to the original Street Fighter released in and was Capcom's fourteenth title that ran on the CP System arcade hardware...
(1991) – with Isao Abe (credited as Pii♪) - Block Block (1991) – with Masaki Izutani
- Varth: Operation ThunderstormVarth: Operation ThunderstormVarth: Operation Thunderstorm is an arcade game in the vertical scrolling shooter genre, published by Capcom in 1992...
(1992) – with Masaki Izutani and Toshio Kajino - The PunisherThe Punisher (arcade game)The Punisher is a 1993 arcade game developed and released by Capcom. It stars the Marvel Comics' anti-hero vigilante Punisher, and co-stars S.H.I.E.L.D...
(1993) – with Isao Abe, Toshio Kajino, Syun Nishigaki and Nobu. Oouchi - Breath of FireBreath of Fire (video game)Breath of Fire, originally released in Japan as , is a role-playing video game developed by Capcom originally for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Initially released in Japan in April 1993, the game was later made available in North America in August 1994 by Square Soft, who handled the...
(1993) – with Bun BunBun BunBun Bun is a video game composer and sound designer best known for his work with Capcom. His real name is .During the NES era, he worked on the music for Mega Man 3 , Tenchi wo Kurau II, The Little Mermaid, and Darkwing Duck for Capcom...
, Minae Fujii, and Mari Yamaguchi - Live A LiveLive A Liveis a console role-playing game developed by Square for the Super Famicom released in Japan on September 2, 1994. It was never released outside Japan, but it has been unofficially translated into English....
(1994) - Front MissionFront Mission (video game)is a tactical role-playing game developed by G-Craft and published by Square Co., Ltd., and was released in Japan on February 24, 1995 for the Super Famicom. Front Mission is the first main entry and the first entry overall in the Front Mission series...
(1995) – with Noriko MatsuedaNoriko Matsuedais a Japanese former video game composer. She is best known for her work on the Front Mission series, The Bouncer, and Final Fantasy X-2. Matsueda collaborated with fellow composer Takahito Eguchi on several games. Composing music at an early age, she began studying the piano and electronic organ... - Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven StarsSuper Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven StarsSuper Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, often shortened and officially known in Japan as , is an action role-playing game developed by Square and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . It was originally released on March 9, 1996 in Japan and on May 13,...
(1996) - Tobal No. 1Tobal No. 1is a fighting game for the PlayStation developed by DreamFactory and published by Square in 1996. The game was DreamFactory's first release, as well as Square's first release on the CD-based console....
(1996) – with many others - Parasite EveParasite Eve (video game)is a horror action role-playing game developed by SquareSoft . The game is a sequel to the novel Parasite Eve, written by Hideaki Sena. It is the first game in the Parasite Eve series.-Gameplay:...
(1998) - Legend of ManaLegend of ManaLegend of Mana, known in Japan as , is the fourth game in the Mana series. The game was released for the PlayStation in Japan on July 15, 1999 and in North America on June 7, 2000, with a delayed release in Canada...
(1999) - Hataraku Chocobo (2000)
- Kingdom Hearts (2002)
- Mario & Luigi: Superstar SagaMario & Luigi: Superstar SagaMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, known in Japan as , is a role-playing game developed by AlphaDream and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance in 2003...
(2003) - Kingdom Hearts: Chain of MemoriesKingdom Hearts: Chain of Memoriesis an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and Japanese studio Jupiter and published by Square Enix in 2004 for the Game Boy Advance. The game serves as an intermediary between the two larger-scale PlayStation 2 games in the Kingdom Hearts series. It was one of the first GBA games to...
(2004) - Mario & Luigi: Partners in TimeMario & Luigi: Partners in TimeMario & Luigi: Partners in Time, known in Japan as , is a role-playing game developed by AlphaDream and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console in 2005. It is the second game in the Mario and Luigi RPG series, and is the sequel to Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga for the Game...
(2005) - Kingdom Hearts IIKingdom Hearts IIis an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and published by Buena Vista Games and Square Enix in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console...
(2005) - Pop'n Music Carnival (13)Pop'n Music, commonly abbreviated as Pop'n, PM or PNM, is a music video game in the Bemani series made by the Konami Corporation. This game is known for its bright colors, upbeat songs, and cartoon character graphics...
(2005) – with many others - 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 Shinji Hosoe, Hitoshi SakimotoHitoshi Sakimotois 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...
, Yasunori Mitsuda, Kenji Ito, 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...
, Tsukasa Masuko, Yasuyuki Suzuki, Ayako Saso, and Takahiro Ogata - Heroes of Mana (2007)
- Luminous Arc 2 (2008) – with Akari KaidaAkari Kaidais a video game music composer. She has composed musical scores for Capcom games including Resident Evil, Dino Crisis and Ōkami...
, Yoshino AokiYoshino Aokiis a Japanese video game music composer. She began her career with video game company Capcom and later became a free-lance composer.-Life and career:...
, and Shunsuke Nakamura - Little King's StoryLittle King's Storyis a life simulation/role-playing video game co-developed by Cing and Town Factory for the Wii. The game was published by Rising Star Games in PAL regions on April 24, 2009, by Xseed Games in North America on July 21, 2009, and by Marvelous Entertainment in Japan on September 3, 2009.The player...
(2008) – with Yutaka Minobe - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 DaysKingdom Hearts 358/2 Daysis an action roleplaying game developed and published by Square Enix for the Nintendo DS with assistance from h.a.n.d. It is the fifth installment in the best-selling Kingdom Hearts series, and serves as an interquel beginning near the end of the first game, Kingdom Hearts, and covering the period...
(2009) - Kingdom Hearts codedKingdom Hearts codedis an episodic puzzle video game developed and published by Square Enix, in collaboration with the Walt Disney Internet Group for mobile phones. It is the fourth installment in the Kingdom Hearts series and is set after the events of the Kingdom Hearts II. The story focuses on a message written in...
(2009) - Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (2009)
- Pop'n Music The Movie (17)Pop'n Music, commonly abbreviated as Pop'n, PM or PNM, is a music video game in the Bemani series made by the Konami Corporation. This game is known for its bright colors, upbeat songs, and cartoon character graphics...
(2009) – with many others - Kingdom Hearts Birth by SleepKingdom Hearts Birth by Sleepis an action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix and Disney for the PlayStation Portable, serving as the sixth installment in the Kingdom Hearts series. The game was released on UMD in Japan on January 9, 2010, in North America on September 7, 2010 and in Europe on September...
(2010) – with Tsuyoshi SekitoTsuyoshi Sekitois a Japanese video game composer, arranger, and musician who has been employed at Square Enix since 1995. As a composer, he is best known for scoring the video games Brave Fencer Musashi and The Last Remnant...
and Takeharu IshimotoTakeharu Ishimotois a Japanese video game composer, synthesizer programmer, and musician currently working at Square Enix. He joined Square Enix in 1999 as a synthesizer programmer on Legend of Mana, and worked for them on several games. In 2002 he moved to become a composer, beginning with World Fantastista... - Last RankerLast Rankeris a role-playing game from imageepoch and Capcom that was released in Japan on July 15, 2010 for the PlayStation Portable. In Last Ranker warriors are ranked by how they perform in battle by a combat organization called Bazalta, which is headquartered in the city of Ghandoar...
(2010) - XenobladeXenobladeXenoblade Chronicles, known in Japan as , is a role-playing video game published by Nintendo and developed by Monolith Soft for the Wii console. The game was announced during E3 2009, when a trailer was released to media...
(2010) – with ACE+, Manami Kiyota, and 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... - The 3rd BirthdayThe 3rd Birthdayis an action role-playing game develpoed HexaDrive and published by Square Enix. The game was made for the PlayStation Portable and marks the third entry in the Parasite Eve series...
(2010) – with Tsuyoshi Sekito and Mitsuto Suzuki - Kingdom Hearts Re:coded (2010)
- Radiant HistoriaRadiant Historiais a role-playing video game developed and published by Atlus for the Nintendo DS. The game's development team mostly consists of Atlus staff who previously worked on Megami Tensei games like Persona 3, Strange Journey, Nocturne and the Etrian Odyssey series. The development team also includes...
(2010) - Half-Minute Hero II (2011)
- Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance (2012)
- Final Fantasy Versus XIIIFinal Fantasy Versus XIIIis an upcoming action role-playing game published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and currently being developed by the company's 1st Production Department. Alongside Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2, and Final Fantasy Type-0, the game is a part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis Final...
(TBA)
Arrangement
- Sweet HomeSweet Home (video game)is a survival horror role-playing video game that was released for the Famicom in 1989. It features several elements of console role-playing games. Sweet Home was developed and published by Capcom and the game was never released outside Japan...
(1989) – original score by Junko Tamiya - Super Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
(2008) – "TetrisTetris (Game Boy)Tetris is a puzzle video game that was included as a pack-in title with the Game Boy at the handheld's release in 1989. It is a portable version of Alexey Pajitnov's Tetris. It was the first game compatible with the Game Boy Game Link Cable, a pack-in accessory that allowed two Game Boys to link...
: Type A", "Gritzy DesertMario & Luigi: Superstar SagaMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, known in Japan as , is a role-playing game developed by AlphaDream and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance in 2003...
", and "King Dedede's Theme"
Other works
- Parasite Eve Remixes (1998)
- Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II Premium Arrange (2004) – with many others
- Dark Chronicle Premium Arrange (2004) – with many others
- Best Student Council (2005)
- Rogue Galaxy Premium Arrange (2006) – with many others
- Murmur (2007) – original album with lyrics and vocals by ChataChatais a Japanese singer who has performed theme songs for games and anime.She has also participated in various dōjin music circles. Her own private circle is called Usagi Kinoko.-History:...
- Drammatica: The Very Best of Yoko Shimomura (2008)
- Kingdom Hearts Piano Collections (2009)
- Mushihimesama Double Arrange Album (2009)
See also
- Music of Kingdom HeartsMusic of Kingdom HeartsThe music of the Kingdom Hearts video game series was composed by Yoko Shimomura with orchestral music arranged by Kaoru Wada. The original soundtracks of the games have been released on three albums and a fourth compilation album...
- Music of the Mana seriesMusic of the Mana seriesThe Mana series, known in Japan as , is a console role-playing game series from Square Enix, created by Koichi Ishii. The series began as a handheld side story to Square's flagship franchise Final Fantasy, although most Final Fantasy-inspired elements were subsequently dropped, starting with the...