![]() This man was employed by a little-known game company called Square, which would go on to create some of the best JRPGs of all time. While working in a music rental shop in Tokyo, a man propositioned Uematsu to score some video games. However, it wasn’t until high school that video games entered the picture. In addition to the Final Fantasy games, Uematsu has also composed music for several other franchises such as Chrono Trigger, Lost Odyssey, Blue Dragon, and Nier: Automata.Īt age 11, he started taking piano lessons and soon began to develop his own compositions. ![]() When it comes to writing sweeping, emotional RPG music and operatic anthems, there is simply no one better. He’s best known for his work on the Final Fantasy series, having composed music for every main entry in the series up until Final Fantasy IX. Right alongside Koji Kondo as one of the most iconic composers of all time is Nobuo Uematsu. It just goes to show that even the best in the business experience rejection and miss the mark sometimes! The theme we know and love today was the result of many iterations. It’s not wrong to say that Koji Kondo has had the single greatest impact on video game music as an art form.įun fact: the first few renditions of the classic Mario theme were universally panned by Kondo’s fellow Nintendo colleagues (including the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto himself). Overworld Theme from The Legend of Zelda seriesĪnd that’s just scratching the surface.Some of Kondo’s most iconic work includes: It’s impossible to pigeonhole Koji Kondo as having a particular style, as his catalog includes tracks in almost all genres, from afro-pop to Latin to heavy metal to bluegrass. That said, he’ll occasionally get back in the saddle and compose, gracing us with tunes like the Main Theme of Super Mario Maker and the Steam Gardens theme from Super Mario Odyssey. Perhaps it’s that philosophy that’s led to success… or perhaps he’s just an incredible composer who was in the right place at the right time.Īfter his work on The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Kondo took a more high-level director role at Nintendo, overseeing and maintaining that iconic Nintendo musical aesthetic. His philosophy, which he states often in interviews, is that the music in a video game mustn’t distract, but rather enhance the gameplay experience. His mastery of multiple genres in that soundtrack is unprecedented in game composition and worthy of the highest praise. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time soundtrack is, in my mind, a perfect soundtrack and his magnum opus. He brought a rare blend of technical and musical knowledge to the fledgling game company and has since composed some of the most memorable tunes in history. In university, he played in several rock, jazz, and fusion bands, the influences of which ultimately bled into his later composition work.Īfter seeing an ad at his university, he took a job at Nintendo as a composer, sound designer, and programmer. ![]() Kondo always had a fascination with music but never thought he’d pursue it as a career. ![]() He’s best known for his work on the Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda franchises, but he has also composed music for Star Fox, F-Zero, and many other Nintendo games. Koji Kondo is nothing short of a legend in the video game music industry. When you think “video game music,” a Koji Kondo song more than likely comes to mind. ![]()
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