CDGM-10018: Rom Cassette Disc In NATSUME Vol.3 Powered by TAITO

[helziran]

Is... is it really true...? Can the day I've waited for for so long finally be here...? An official release of the soundtracks to Pocky & Rocky 1 & 2 (aka. "Kiki Kaikai") for the SNES. These have been right at the top of my wish-list since I first got into VGM collecting 15+ years ago. Clarice Disk are my heroes, first the Sunsoft miracle of 2011 and the earlier Natsume volumes and now this!

And they're throwing in The Ninja Warriors as well! Yep, its a good time to be a Hiroyuki Iwatsuki fan.

Calendar marked.

[GoldfishX]

Oh. My. Fucking. God.

YES! YES! YES!

FINALLY!

[ckain]

Heh 1UP for Pocky & Rocky.

[helziran]

Added the japanese tracklist from Clarice's site (http://claricedisc.shop-pro.jp/?pid=69677308).

Anyone feel up to translating the tracklist of this future classic? Pretty please...?

[helziran]

Added composer information.

About the composer "N. Tate" for The Ninja Warriors: the Wikipedia page claims N. Tate is a nick for composer Yasuo Yamate. Our profile page on Yamate says he uses the alias "Tate Norio" (as well as variations like "Tate-Norio", "Ta-Te-Norio", "Tate_Norio"). Is it a safe bet to assume that "N. Tate" is another pseudonym for Yamate (especially since it seems so similar to the others)? Should we put Yasuo Yamate in the composer field instead of "N. Tate"?

Still no idea who "A. Yamao" from Pocky & Rocky 2 is though...

[dissident93]

I've thought of this too, but I doubt it because Yamate was still apart of SNK in 1994. I'll change it back to N. Tate until more definite info comes up.

[CHz]

Jeriaska interviewed Hiroyuki Iwatsuki several years ago and got a bunch of details from him. I've unfortunately lost my correspondence with Jeriaska somehow, but if I remember correctly (and this is a big if), Iwatsuki didn't seem to know who N. Tate was, so that could potentially point to him being someone from outside Natsume. I'm pretty dubious that it's Yasuo Yamate though. Never seen him credited as "N. Tate" or "Norio Tate" in any SNK game; it's always "Tate Norio" in that order or just "Tate" in one or two cases.

A. Yamao is credited as やまお あすか (Asuka Yamao) in the Japanese version of Pocky & Rocky 2, so that's the full name. Only work I'm aware of for Yamao.

(From Iwatsuki: he composed all of The Ninjawarriors SNES except the stage 7 theme. Jeriaska didn't get any info from him about Pocky & Rocky 2.)

[helziran]

Thanks for the info, CHz! I changed "A. Yamao" to "Asuka Yamao" in both the composer and notes fields.

Originally Posted by CHz

Iwatsuki didn't seem to know who N. Tate was, so that could potentially point to him being someone from outside Natsume. I'm pretty dubious that it's Yasuo Yamate though. Never seen him credited as "N. Tate" or "Norio Tate" in any SNK game; it's always "Tate Norio" in that order or just "Tate" in one or two cases.

But if it turns out to be Yamate, maybe he used a slightly altered alias in his non-SNK work to differentiate it from his SNK work? Sort of a "flying-solo" alias, maybe. "Tate" is after all conspicuously close to "N. Tate". For us it might make a difference, but maybe whoever entered the credits into the Ninja Warriors ending scroll thought them to be equivalent (or just didn't care/wasn't as nitpicky).

Its probably best to keep "N. Tate" until we know more, though. Especially since there doesn't seem to be a source for the Wikipedia claim (which I now see has been changed to "N. Tate" ).

Originally Posted by CHz

(From Iwatsuki: he composed all of The Ninjawarriors SNES except the stage 7 theme. )

So at any rate, its basically almost all Iwatsuki's work except for one track by the mysterious N. Tate...

[dissident93]

If it is Yamate, then I wonder why Natsume contracted him to do only one song? Iwatsuki said he doesn't even know who N. Tate was, so I don't think he was the one who contacted Yamate.

[Snjóúlfur]

Just got this in, track 3 is actually:
これまでのお話…そして（プロローグ1）/改心した西洋妖怪たち(エピローグ1)
track 9 is:
我に返る豆頭/事件の手がかり/妖怪仲間救出（ストーリーBGM1）
35 is missing (情報をくれる民) and 38 is missing (仲間の家)
39 is:
仲間が増えた！/ 両を入手した!
track 44 is:
かぐや救出!? / 負けを認めた魅留鬼
track 45 is shortened to just 魅留鬼
track 47 is ももたろう救出!
track 49 is:
VS - 分福茶釜/雪女/鵺/魅留鬼 (すてぇじ五・六・八・九前半ボス)
track 50 is: すてぇじ六 雪の渓谷
track 58 is: 我に返った大納言~仲間とのお別れ（エピローグ）
track 59 is: 語りづがれゆく昔話（スタッフロール）

[helziran]

Got this as well now. Its a fantastic album exemplifying everything that's great about oldschool VGM, it comes highly recommended.

Also repeating my request/wish for a tracklist translation.

[Snjóúlfur]

Just submitted it, but here you go:

Kiki Kaikai -Nazo no Kuro Manto- (Title)
Sayo-chan? Manuke? (Player Select)
The Story So Far, and then... (Prologue 1) / Reform of the Western Spirits (Epilogue 1)
Disaster! The Condition of the Spirits... (Prologue 2)
Zuzu Appears! (Prologue 3)
The Story Begins (Stage Select)
Chapter One - The Broken Shinto Shrine
VS - Zuzu (Chapter One Boss)
Zuzu Comes to His Senses / A Clue to the Plot / Rescue His Fellow Spirits (Story BGM 1)
The Existence of the Mysterious Black Mantle (Story BGM 2)
Chapter Two - The Chaotic Forest
A Boss Appears! (Boss Conversation Before Battle)
First Half Boss
Second Half Boss
Chasing the Unidentified Black Mantle ・ Castle of the Western Spirits (Story BGM 3)
Chapter Three - Secret Base of the Foreigners (First Half)
Chapter Three - Secret Base of the Foreigners (Second Half)
We Have to Hold Back the Western Spirits! (Story BGM 4)
Chapter Four - Fierce Battle in the Sky
Chapter Five - An Expectant Trap
Chapter Six - The Decisive Battle! Black Mantle
VS - The Mysterious Black Mantle
Don't Give Up, Sayo-san! (Game Over)
Grand Finale (Epilogue 2 ~ Staff Roll)
Opening
Kiki Kaikai -Tsukiyozoushi- (Title)
Princess Kaguya is Visiting from the Moon (Prologue 1)
The Oni Tribe Appears! (Prologue 2)
Princess Kaguya was Kidnapped... Consultation with the Seven Gods of Fortune (Prologue 3)
The Story Begins Again (Stage Select)
Stage 1 - Sayo's Shinto Shrine
The Seven Gods of Fortune's Lecture
Companion Selection (Player Select)
Stage 2 - Mountain Road
House 1 (People Provide Information)
Natsume Kiki Kaikai Theater
General Merchant
House 2 (Companion's House)
Gained a Companion! / Obtained Ryo!
A Boss Appears! (Boss Conversation Before Battle)
VS - Boss
Story BGM
Stage 3 - Pampas Grass Field
Kaguya Rescued!? / Miruki Accepted Defeat
Miruki
Stage 4 - The Bridge
Momotaro Rescued!
Stage 5 - Ashura's Corridor
VS - Bunbuku Chagama / Yuki Onna / Nue / Miruki (Stage 5, 6, 8, 9 First Half Boss)
Stage 6 - Snowy Valley
Stage 7 - Demon Island
Stage 8 - Dragon God in the Sky
Stage 9 - Demon God's Palace
VS - Ootomono Dainagon
Ga~me O~ver~
Don't Give Up, Sayo-san! (Continue / Password)
Purification Complete!! (Stage Clear)
Dainagon Came to His Senses ~ Parting with Companions (Epilogue)
A Legend to be Handed Down (Staff Roll)

The Revolutionary Army's Final Counteroffensive (Prologue)
The Ninja Warriors Again (Title)
Select Player (3 Android Builds)
Stage 1 - Business District (Day) ~ Airport
VS - Giganto (Stage 1 Boss)
Stage 2 - City Outskirts ~ Sewer
VS - Chainsaw Bull (Stage 2 Boss)
Stage 3 - Subway ~ Shopping Mall
VS - Phantom Gecko (Stage 3 Boss)
Stage 4 - Alley ~ Office (Parking Lot)
VS - Silverman (Stage 4 Boss)
Stage 5 - Harbor ~ Office (Lower Floor)
Stage 5 - Office (Middle Floor) ~ Japanese Style Room
VS - Jubei (Stage 5 Boss)
Stage 6 - Office (Upper Floor)
VS - Phobos & Deimos (Stage 6 Boss)
Stage 7 - Train Tracks in the Snow ~ Headquarters (Interior) Elevator
VS - Zeros (Stage 7 Boss)
Stage 8 - Headquarters (Innermost) ~ Machine Room
VS - Banglar's Troops (Stage 8 Boss)
Game Over
Stage Clear
The Revolutionary Army's Victory (Ending)

[Dag]

The liner notes contain a curious fax about the theme the music should follow, from Iwatsuki (Natsume Nagoya) to Yamashita and Mizutani (Natsume Osaka).
There is an small interview with Iwatsuki as well but no credits, unfortunately.

[Spirit_Chaser]

I'm so glad I found this website because there are a lot of wonderful soundtracks I probably would had never known about if it weren't for the vgmdb staff. I found out about this one a few days ago and immediately bought it. The Ninja Warriors Again is one of my top favorites. I had given up hope a few months ago thinking it would never get a release. I'll be looking forward to listening to the Kiki KaiKai games again too now that I'll have something better than the SPC sets.

[Spirit_Chaser]

I ended up being very disappointed with the quality of the Ninja Warrios Again. It sounds pretty muddy so it's hard to listen to certain parts of the songs and figure out what is being played. There's a fan made remaster that shows how it should had sounded.

[Robert_Chrystian]

Got Kiki Kaikai 2 composer breakdown in correspondence with Hiroyuki. CHz already updated it