TIM-SFC05: Super Famicom Magazine Vol.5 Special Supplement

[CHz]

See this thread for general notes about what I'm trying to do with these albums: https://vgmdb.net/forums/showthread.php?t=6420.


This is the first album which gives game-by-game composer information. Or, at least, it's the first one we have scans for which show that information. Most of them are pretty tricky to read on the CD scan, so I used this as a reference: http://homepage1.nifty.com/c-akimo/m...ag_l/mag05.htm (dead link now, sorry).

01: Dragon Quest V
Listed composer: Koichi Sugiyama
http://vgmdb.net/album/1283 also duh

02~04: Axelay
Listed composer: Kukeiha Club (it only says 矩形波倶楽部, doesn't go with the full Konami Kukeiha Club name)
"Effect & Ending-1: AKI / Music Compose: Taro / ST2·Remix: M.C.ADA" - https://youtu.be/xz82qeaWd_k?t=162
EDIT (2021-03-25): Added actual in-game credits for this because the OST doesn't specify composition

05~09: Lennus
Listed composer: Kohei Tanaka
"Original Score: Kohei Tanaka" - http://www.vgmuseum.com/end/snes/d/pq_2.htm.

Akihiko Mori worked on a few of Tanaka's SNES scores in a technical role, Lennus II (sound design and performance) and Bounty Sword (sound design). As such, the "Morimoaly Grand Orchestra" (this should be "Morimori Grand Orchestra," the Japanese is モリもりグランドオーケストラ) credited for music performace should be him too. His roles in these games are occasionally listed as arrangement, like on the Bounty Sword OST. He is not credited with arrangement here though, at least on the disc.

Sound effects are by Don, a guy who worked on other Copya System games (Galaxy Robo, Lock On?). A few Japanese sites have started saying that he was also Akihiko Mori, including Mori's Wikipedia article, but I remain skeptical of this without sourcing. EDIT (2011-03-23): See below for sources provided by VRC-7!

10~11: Sonic Blast Man
Listed composer: ZUNTATA
"Sound: Zuntata, Ishikawa" - https://www35.atwiki.jp/sfcall/pages/803.html. The SNES soundtrack was mostly original (as it was a mostly original game, very different from the original arcade game), and these tracks are original compositions.

12~14: Garou Densetsu
Listed composer: Shinsekai Gakkyoku Zatsugidan
Track-by-track credits for the original arcade tunes provided by the liner notes on the OST (thanks Dag!): http://vgmdb.net/album/746.
SNES: "Sound: Shrimp H." - http://chibarei.blog.jp/gsl/sfc/garo/garo.html. This may be Hiroshi Ebihara (ebi/海老 = Shrimp, hara = H.), but I'm not sure he was active this early, since the first credits I could confirm were the MIDI Power Pro stuff starting in 1997. This Shrimp H. guy worked with Kennosuke Suemura on the SNES conversion of Garou Densetsu 2, and Suemura collaborated with Ebihara's company USP a few times later. EDIT (2011-03-23): Hiroshi Ebihara did in fact work on some SNES games, credited as "Ebiten" and "Ebisu." One of those games was a collaboration with Kennosuke Suemura. Seems solid.
EDIT (2018-08-05): These songs are actually the Neo-Geo original music and not from the SNES port.

15: Kinnikuman
Listed composer: TOGASHI NORIHIKO
Togashi listed the game in his old works list: http://web.archive.org/web/200301011.../txt/work.html.

16~18: Lord Monarch
Listed composers: Falcom Sound Team J.D.K. / E.S.C.

SNES remake of a PC-98 game. Track 16 is an arrangement of a song from the original game, and the other two songs are original compositions.

The original PC-98 version doesn't have credits, but the update Advanced Lord Monarch credits music to Mieko Ishikawa, Masaaki Kawai, and Atsushi Shirakawa: http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm14656138 (7:46, screenshot). I'm not sure if this actually indicates anything about the original music or not.

SNES: "Sound: 大島俊一 (Shunichi Oshima?); Sound Coordinator: Takashi Kutsukake; Sound Composer: Falcom Sound Team J.D.K." - http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm8845179 (1:38, screenshots: [1] [2] [3]). E.S.C. isn't listed. Perhaps it's a company one or both of those first two guys belonged to?

19: Shinchou Kouki
Listed composer: Masamichi Iwasaki (岩崎 正道)
Name reading confirmed through the credits of Bogey: Dead 6? https://www.mobygames.com/game/plays...dead-6/credits

This game is often referred to as "Nobunaga Kouki," but the box and cartridge display the reading as "Shinchou": http://blogimg.goo.ne.jp/user_image/...9ac196d42d.jpg

20~22: Return of Double Dragon
Listed composer: Kazunaka Yamane
"Sound Composer: Kazunaka Yamane" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJD1s-_wd0o&t=1m00s. "Sound Designer" in the Japanese credits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQsdaGJkuyY&t=53m46s.

23~27: Aguri Suzuki F-1 Super Driving
Listed composer: Katsuhiro Hayashi
MobyGames also lists him as composer: http://www.mobygames.com/game/snes/r...-racer/credits.

28: Great Strategy Expert
Listed composer: Akiko Hashimoto
OST: http://vgmdb.net/album/4180. No composer breakdown between Hashimoto and Hirahara in the scans we have, but this disc gives this track to Hashimoto. EDIT (2016-07-11): There is a breakdown in the booklet, and it does credit Hashimoto for this track.
The game title is romanized as "Daisenryaku Expert" and is often referred to by that name, but the translation "Great Strategy Expert" appears on the box, cartridge, and OST.

29~31: SD Kidou Senshi Gundam
Listed composer: Studio Kumatarou
I've looked up this game before, and it lists Sabakuma Yuki as responsible for sound or music, can't remember which. I unfortunately can't provide proof, because the video is now inaccessible. It was this one: http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm7945259 (20:47).

This GMCL offshoot equates Sabakuma Yuki with Studio Kumatarou: http://www16.atwiki.jp/gmclw/pages/61.html. I don't see why this is necessarily the case, as opposed to them just being a part of it.

32~35: SUPER PANG
Listed composer: Alfh Lyra

Arcade: "Composer: Takaoka" - https://www.arcade-history.com/?n=su...detail&id=2737. I'd guess this is the same guy as the "H. Takaoka" in Adventure Quiz 2: Hatena? no Daibouken: http://www.arcade-history.com/?n=hat...detail&id=1093.
EDIT (2018-11-22): Forgot to edit this ages ago, but at some point we learned that Hiromitsu Takaoka was a Capcom composer.

SNES: "Sound Designer: Anie, Ojal" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eudlgPPX6y0&t=4m10s. The game also credits Takaoka, the original arcade sound designer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eudlgPPX6y0&t=3m52s.

Track 32 is credited as being the round select theme from the arcade version of the game, and 33 presumably the one from the SNES version. However, they are both tunes from the SNES version. Track 33 indeed is the game selection theme (16 Select Game in the SPC set at SNESmusic.org), which is an arrangement of the same theme from the arcade version. Track 32, however, is a stage theme (15 The Caribbean Sea), and it's also an original composition entirely. Good going, Tokuma Shoten.

Tracks 34 and 35 are also original pieces.

36: Song Master
Listed composers: Tsuyoshi Tanaka, Koji Abe
"Music Composer: Tsuyoshi Tanaka <JAM>, Cozy <JAM>" - http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm13695151 (16:49, screenshot).

The album lists both Tanaka and Abe for this one piece. It may be that both are only listed because they composed the game, and only one really composed this track. The publisher folks knew that Akiko Hashimoto specifically composed track 28 (see the Great Strategy Expert section above), so they may have had specific composer info for this one too.

37: Teitoku no Ketsudan
Listed composer: Hiroshi Miyagawa
confirmed heeah

38: Super Daikoukai Jidai
Listed composer: Yoko Kanno
Conveniently confirmed on exactly the same album as the previous track!

39: Assault Suits Valken
Listed composer: Opus Studio Inc. ((株)オーパス)
All music was done by Masanao Akahori: http://vgmdb.net/album/5285.

The album specifically lists the company Opus (that's what the "(株)" means, shorthand for kabushiki gaisha). I have a hunch that "Opus"/"Opasu" was never truly an alias of Akahori, but was misinterpreted as one in cases like this where the company was credited for something he did.

40~45: Super Mario Kart
Listed composer: Soyo Oka
It's already known that Oka did the whole soundtrack and Taro Bando didn't write any music: https://vgmdb.net/forums/showthread.php?p=25197. Oka is also the only one credited on this album!

[VRC-7]

Originally Posted by CHz

Sound effects are by Don, a guy who worked on other Copya System games (Galaxy Robo, Lock On?). A few Japanese sites have started saying that he was also Akihiko Mori, including Mori's Wikipedia article, but I remain skeptical of this without sourcing.

I'm pretty sure it's him. He's credited as "Don" on Shien's Revenge, and the programmer on Scotland Yard for the Game Boy is "A.Mori."

Originally Posted by CHz

12~14: Garou Densetsu
Listed composer: Shinsekai Gakkyoku Zatsugidan
Track-by-track credits for the original arcade tunes provided by the liner notes on the OST (thanks Dag!): http://vgmdb.net/album/746.
SNES: "Sound: Shrimp H." - http://bgr44.speedgamer.net/gsl/sfc/garo/garo.html. This may be Hiroshi Ebihara (ebi/海老 = Shrimp, hara = H.), but I'm not sure he was active this early, since the first credits I could confirm were the MIDI Power Pro stuff starting in 1997. This Shrimp H. guy worked with Kennosuke Suemura on the SNES conversion of Garou Densetsu 2, and Suemura collaborated with Ebihara's company USP a few times later.

It probably is Ebihara. It looks like Suemura was with USP before he started Studio PJ (see Super Bonk).

Speaking of Studio PJ, do you know where the name "P.E. Young" on the Studio PJ profile came from? I see that name on Power Rangers for the Genesis.

[CHz]

Originally Posted by VRC-7

I'm pretty sure it's him. He's credited as "Don" on Shien's Revenge, and the programmer on Scotland Yard for the Game Boy is "A.Mori."

Someone is credited as Don on Shien's Revenge. Why does he have to be Mori and not a distinct person? That's what I'm trying to say.

Music and sound effects are credited to M. Hirasawa, Tsukushi, and Don. The first two should be Michiya Hirasawa and Tsukushi Sasaki of Mint, so Don was probably, though not guaranteed, part of Mint too. I don't see how that shows Don was Mori, unless Mint provably only ever had three sound guys.

Shounen Ninja Sasuke credits sound design to Don and 森森ROCK'N BAND (Morimori Rock'n Band). Since Mori in all likelihood worked on Paladin's Quest as Morimori Grand Orchestra, a game where Don is credited, he's probably Morimori Rock'n Band too (though this logic chain is getting a bit tenuous). Don and Morimori are credited separately for the same thing. It's rare, but occasionally people are credited under multiple aliases. Or, the Morimori Rock'n Band thing may just be a cute "performance" credit that isn't really a person. But Don and Mori being separate people also seems to me to be a perfectly plausible explanation.

The Scotland Yard credit seems a little questionable. Mori probably has a Copya credit with Paladin's Quest, so it could definitely be him too, but being credited as a straight programmer seems a bit out of place for his career. The game doesn't have any other programming credits besides him, and there's a separate music composition credit, so it seems that programming is exactly what A. Mori did. Are you aware of any other non-sound programming credits for Akihiko?

Basically, the Don = Akihiko Mori thing is interesting, and the timelines roughly match up (Don's last work was around 1994, which is about when Mori's activities with Mint started), but I don't really see anything that convincingly shows Don is or is not Mori.

Originally Posted by VRC-7

It probably is Ebihara.

I'm not really sure why I never thought of this before, but I checked out some old versions of USP website, and the earliest archived versions have some staff profiles. And, wouldn't you know it, Ebihara's does in fact list some SNES games: http://replay.waybackmachine.org/199...sp/ebihara.htm.

• Super Wagyan Land 2: Sound credited to Ebisu and Kennosuke Suemura.
• Shounen Ashibe: Sound credited to Ebiten (エビてん).
• some unreleased horse game
• SimTown: I guess he means SimCity Jr.? The end credits don't include any sound staff: http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm5803373 (7:24).

The profile doesn't say what he did in any of the games, but there are two Ebi's in the sound department. At the very least, this does substantiate that he was working on SNES games as early as 1992 (Shounen Ashibe), so him being Shrimp H. is looking pretty good now.

Originally Posted by VRC-7

It looks like Suemura was with USP before he started Studio PJ (see Super Bonk).

I've suspected that Suemura was an early part of USP before he started Studio PJ, 1994–1996 or so with definite fuzziness, but I've never been able to resolve that to my satisfaction. That Super Bonk thing is interesting, I don't think I've ever noticed before that the game does credit USP for overall sound production.

The other big lead is Kabuki Klash, which doesn't explicitly credit USP, but everyone else besides maybe Hiroaki Shiraishi (who may have just worked on the vocal theme, since he's not in the game's credits) are definitely USP. It may not mean anything, because special thanks are just special thanks, but the soundtrack for Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer thanks USP, and Suemura is the only composer for the game who wasn't a Technos employee: http://vgmdb.net/album/2352.

Originally Posted by VRC-7

Speaking of Studio PJ, do you know where the name "P.E. Young" on the Studio PJ profile came from? I see that name on Power Rangers for the Genesis.

He's also credited for arrangement in Super Robot Wars W, along with Osamu Aoki, Ryo Kasai, and Tatsuo Nishizono: http://staffroll.6.ql.bz/ai/W.html. Studio PJ is credited for overall sound production.

Potentially very interesting: Ebihara's old USP profile also lists the Genesis Power Rangers game. Game credits sound to P.E. Young and Ken-chan (Suemura seems likely. He doesn't list the game on his works list, but it's incomplete.). Again, his profile doesn't ever say what specifically he did, but perhaps Ebihara is also P.E. Young? I couldn't find any other shred of evidence connecting them other than this.

[VRC-7]

Originally Posted by CHz

Someone is credited as Don on Shien's Revenge. Why does he have to be Mori and not a distinct person? That's what I'm trying to say.

Mori's credited with Shien on this album.

Originally Posted by CHz

Are you aware of any other non-sound programming credits for Akihiko?

Assuming Mori is "Don," he is credited with both game design and "muzak" on Popeye 2 for Game Boy.

[CHz]

Originally Posted by VRC-7

Mori's credited with Shien on this album.

Most intriguing. I really wish we had scans so I could verify that one, but the source I've been using to double-check names and a few other sites do agree on Mori and Sasaki for those tracks.

[VRC-7]

A tribute to "Don" on the old Mint website

[Datschge]

Hearth breaking

[CHz]

Well I'm convinced. Nice find of that memorial. And R.I.P. Akihiko Mori, one of my favorite VGM composers ever.

In a way it's nice to have "new" material of his to listen to. I've been listening to "Scramble Attack" from Galaxy Robo pretty much nonstop since I first heard it last year.

[CHz]

Oh, and I suppose there's this from Koutetsu no Kishi 3:

[Datschge]

Ooooh, nice find!

[Doommaster1994]

Hello, I have a question regarding Yuki Sabakuma. Is she in fact Kumatoro/Kumagorou? I saw her name on a couple Dragon Ball Z games. Thanks!

[CHz]

Could be based on the name similarity, but I don't have any additional info on Sabakuma, including whether or not Studio Kumataro had any other members besides him/her. These TOSE guys, I swear sometimes.

[Jedi QuestMaster]

Thank you for the breakdown, CHz. It made tagging this disc much more manageable.