Pikmin 2 (#1488)

[RBM95]

With these titles on the limelight again, I figured it would be a good time to share something I discovered some time ago.

It seems like the internal files for Pikmin 2 contain specific folders named "Totaka" and "Wakai" that list various in-game songs separately, which may seem to indicate specific songs that Kazumi Totaka and Hajime Wakai may have been specifically involved with (also seemingly confirming that Totaka did indeed create music for the title, despite him being credited just as "Sound Director")

While I haven't done a thorough analysis myself or anything, this page on the Pikmin Wiki gathers all of the inferred information: https://www.pikminwiki.com/Music_in_Pikmin_2
(in general, the outdoor areas were by Wakai while the cave music was split between Totaka and Wakai)

Please note that this probably shouldn't count as definitive confirmation of anything, but it is still probably worth pointing out.

[PitSolitayrh]

These are hard to doubt, I'm still nicely surprised at how informative the wiki is in regards to the soundtracks.

Submerged Castle is a blatant Totaka track honestly, in hindsight we should have all known.

I wonder what his involvement as sound director was, other than putting the funny easter egg. More ambience I suppose.

[Waffles]

Totaka created a little of both music and SFX for Pikmin 2.
There was already dedicated a SFX guy (Takahiro Watanabe) creating the new enemy sounds, and bringing the hocotate ship to life with an ensemble of rattling and metal clanging.
Totaka notably focused on creating "subtle SFX". He is always very experimental, and is responsible for such strange decisions like treasures emitting low droning sounds in overworld areas, and also the really alien cave ambience (which, too, can only can be heard when treasure still exists on a floor).
By nature, it's designed to be very hard to notice, and provide useful information to players in a subliminal way.
Also, he voices all the main characters, excluding the Pikmin. There was an interview where he described how he had to grab his throat rather hard in order to make it sound so raspy.

[RBM95]

Originally Posted by Waffles

There was an interview where he described how he had to grab his throat rather hard in order to make it sound so raspy.

I believe the interview you are referring to is this one, in case anyone wants to check it out (for some reason they brought the entire Pikmin 2 sound team, which was/is rather unusual for these types of Nintendo website interviews).