Shinji Hosoe

Game Music

Noisycroak’s First Game Composer Roundtable Discussion -Complete English Transcript-

August 15, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | 8 Comments Share this

While many of you may have missed the news, the guys over at Noisycroak in Japan (who you may recall from our coverage of Castlevania Judgment) recently hosted a composer roundtable to answer fan-submitted questions and discuss a wide range of topics involving the game music industry in Japan. Composer and studio head Hideki Sakamoto hosted the unprecedented event, which our own Chris Ling attended along with a number of Famitsu staff, and the results were pretty amazing.

What we have here is Chris’s English translation of the massive transcript that Noisycroak posted in to their website (in Japanese) a few weeks ago. Yes, a complete English transcript of all 17,000+ words! I’m definitely grateful to Chris for doing this for us, as well as to Sakamoto-san at Noisycroak for putting this together, Mitsuyoshi-san for coordinating Chris’s attendance, and to all the participants for taking part in this event and for letting us post the English-language transcript here for your reading pleasure.

While it’s quite long, there’s a lot of great stuff here. Nobuyoshi Sano is particularly hilarious, and it’s funny reading how Sakamoto-san was constantly trying to keep everyone on track (with mixed results). I found some of the discussion towards the end about game music concerts and “young” heroes to be interesting, but let us know what you think!

Read the entire transcript of the event after the jump. (more…)
Game Music, Reviews

Let’s Tap: Unique Concept, Fun Game, Amazing Soundtrack (Review)

June 24, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | 2 Comments Share this

I’ll be honest. Aside from knowing that Yuji Naka, Basiscape, and SuperSweep were involved with Let’s Tap, I barely knew anything about the game. Based on some videos I watched prior to its release, I thought it was mostly focused on running and jumping through a variety of mini-games using tap controls, but it turns out that this description only applies to the “Tap Runner” portion of Let’s Tap. There are actually a number of different games and modes to check out, with “Rhythm Tap” being my favorite.

So what is “Rhythm Tap,” you ask? It’s exactly what it sounds like, and that’s a rhythm game that utilizes tapping as the sole input mechanism. I know it sounds much too simple, but it’s actually really engaging and a whole lot of fun. Plus, with an amazing soundtrack provided by Basiscape and SuperSweep (you can win yourself a copy in our contest here), there’s no reason not to give the game a chance for the $30 asking price.

Read our impressions of “Rhythm Tap” and the other mini-games inlcuded in Let’s Tap after the jump. (more…)
Game Music, Reviews

Hosoe Goes Indie: Impetuth Original Sound Tracks (Review)

June 15, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | 2 Comments Share this

If you’re like me, you probably had no idea what Impetuth was, but were interested in it solely based on Shinji Hosoe’s involvement. As it turns out, the game is a retro-styled indie vertical shooter with a fantasy setting that looks absolutely amazing, and as you can imagine, the soundtrack is pretty good too.

Shinji Hosoe isn’t the only composer involved, however, as Shoichiro Sakamoto actually handles the majority of the score. While I admit that Hosoe’s tracks are probably my favorite, I can’t deny that Sakmoto’s contributions are also great, and the bottom line is that neither of the two will disappoint you when you consider that this album is only $5!

Hit the jump for our review of Impetuth and to find out where you can get your hands on it for not a lot of money. (more…)
Game Music, Reviews

Chicks With Mechs On a Spank Mission: POWER DoLLS 1 Soundtrack Resonance (Review)

April 20, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | 3 Comments Share this

Sounds like hentai, but it’s not. I guess POWER DoLLS is a strategy game series for the PC centered on an all-female combat unit that utilizes mechas. DoLLS interestingly is an acronym for “Detachment of Limited Line Service.” Is it all starting to make sense to you? Well, not for me either, but what I can tell you is that Hiroto Saitoh’s music for the series is amazing.

This album goes even further though, providing you with three different versions of the original POWER DoLLS soundtrack. There’s an FM version (awesome!), a MIDI version, and the focus of this release, an all-new arranged version featuring remixes from Saitoh, the SuperSweep team, and even ESTi from Korea!

This is quite the dream team, so join us after the jump for our review of POWER DoLLS 1 Soundtrack Resonance. (more…)
Game Music, Reviews

DJMAX TECHNIKA Exclusive Collection: A Generous Serving of Korea With A Dash of Japan (Review)

January 16, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | 4 Comments Share this

Here we are with another opportunity for me to share my love for composers from Korea. Just a couple months ago we reviewed the free La Tale Original Soundtrack, and if you were a fan of that release, you’ll be happy to know that most of the composers who worked on that game are featured on the DJMAX TECHNIKA Original Soundtrack. But that’s not all you’ll find here, as the soundtrack to this arcade rhythm game is just as diverse as any DDR release we’ve seen in the past.

So what is the DJMAX TECHNIKA Exclusive Collection? It’s actually a box set that can be purchased in Korea as a sort of accompaniment to the arcade game. Included are a Platinum Crew Membership, sticker sheets, a screen cleaner, a thorough booklet with lyrics, staff and composer biographies (in Korean), and of course, a two disc soundtrack. The first disc features the shorter in-game versions, while the second disc, titled “Platinum Mixing,” hosts extended and alternate versions of some of the tracks. This is truly an amazing collection.

Read our review after the jump. (more…)
Anime, Game Music, Reviews

When Anime and Game Music Collide: Get The Message Or Get Lost! (Review)

January 7, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | 8 Comments Share this

Whoever came up with this idea is a genius. How about taking a group of accomplished game composers and pairing them with talented anime vocalists and seeing what they come up with? That’s exactly what Message is, and it has yielded wondrous results. I was excited when it was announced, and completely satisfied after hearing it.

While I admit I’m not too familiar with anime vocalists, I’m sure you know most of the game composers involved, including Motoi Sakuraba, Kenji Ito, Shinji Hosoe, Yoko Shimomura, and Norihiko Hibino, just to name a few. As far as style goes, classical, experimental, cinematic, pop, and retro are just a few of the adjectives you can use to describe Message.

Read about what you’re missing after the jump. (more…)