Game composer music you like best?

Uematsu is for me. Hands down. I grew up to his game music.

Who's yours?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

heh, I had NO IDEA that when I read the title of this thread and opened it that the first post would have Uematsu as their favorite. ...no... seriously! /end sarcasm :P

My favorite composer changes almost daily so there is no way I can pick a clear-cut #1. RIGHT NOW, I'd have to say Kow Otani is at the top of my list. His score for Shadow of the Colossus is simply amazing and awe-inspiring... best damn soundtrack of 2005 and in the top 5 or so of all time, in my opinion.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I can't say as I have a solid favourite either

I can appreciate Uematsu as a classic (and can't wait to hear his new works with Hironobu Sakaguchi's new rpgs when they come out :P) - but their are other composers than just mr. uematsu as a cliched favourite (I'm sorry) it swings between what kind of genre I want to listen to.

Top current five

Yoko Kanno
Hitoshi Sakimoto
Yuki Kajiura
Masashi Hamauzu
Motoi Sakuraba

just to name (their possitions change all the time) ^^

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I was about to say that this thread has been done enough already, but it seems it's been at least a few months since the last one. So, oh well.

My favorite composer is Mitsuda.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Right now? Michiko Naruke. Not sure why she's become my favorite lately, but she is. Funny how these things work.

Honorable mentions: Tenpei Sato, Noriyuki Iwadare, Yoko Shimomura, Masashi Hamauzu.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Well, it seems the trend now is to not have solid favorites, cause it is for me too.

Right now my #1 is Michiru Yamane, especially for her works on OZ and Catlevania Curse Of Darkness, followed by Yoko Shimomura and Shoji Meguro.

I'm a bit disappointed of Valkyrie Profile 2 music, so Sakuraba isn't in my favorites FOR THE MOMENT. Let's see if I can enjoy it more with the Arrange Album... *shrugs*

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Hitoshi Sakimoto.
I think he has one of the most unique sounds in gaming, I haven't heard it anywhere else and I love it.
His only work that I think is mediocre (but still not horrible) is FFTA, aside from that FFT, FF12, Radiant Silvergun, Legaia: Duel Saga , BOF5, Vagrant Story, etc. are all superb and I look forward to his Mistwalker work. (ASH)

Some people accuse him of not being diverse, but those people need to listen to Legaia: Duel Saga.
In it he sounds like an entirely different composer from his Square works (FFT/FF12/VS), he does jazzy music, acoustic music, bagpipe music, and all sorts of other stuff and he does it all expertly, yet it still distinctively sounds like him. (I think he way overshadowed Mitsuda's tracks for the same game)

Other favorites are Yamaoka (Silent Hill), Mitsuda, Uematsu, Jesper Kyd, whoever did Suikoden 1+2, whoever did Sonic The Hedgehog 1 up to Sonic 3 & knuckles (it's supposedly Michael Jackson for Sonic 3, lol), whoever did MGS1, and Harry Gregson Williams. (technically a movie composer, but his work for MGS2 and 3 was awesome)

How ya doing, buddy?

I have to make a list...There are quite a few and I see no need to pick a "best" (especially when the qualifications vary). Obviously though, the higher up they are, means I think of them faster, so read into that as you will...

Michiko Naruke (Wild Arms)
Daisuke Ishiwatari/N.EX.T (Guilty Gear)
Amedio (Princess Witches)
Toshikazu Tanaka
Masanori Akita (Enthusia Racing, TMNT)
Falcom Sound Team JDK (Ys, Legend of Heroes, many Falcom games)
Miki Higashino (Suikoden 1 and 2)
Mintjam (arrangements, Poteneko Academy)
Shinji Hosoe (Ibara, Megaman Battle Network Transmission, Dragon Spirit, Ridge Racer)
SNK New World Sound Team (KOF, various SNK franchises)
Yoko Shimomura (Legend of Mana, Mario RPG)
MASA (Dynasty Warriors)
Ken Nakagawa, Daisuke Achiwa, Akira Tsuchiya (the Atelier/Ar Tonelico composers)
Jun Senoue (Sonic Adventure/Heroes)
Masahiro Ando (Gran Turismo 1 and 2)
Noriyuki Iwadare (Grandia 1 and 2, haven't been too much into his later works)
Motoi Sakuraba (Valkyrie Profile, Star Ocean 2, can be inconsistant, but few are better when he's on)
Hiroki Kikuta (Seiken Densetsu 3, Soukaigi, Lost Files)
SSH (Lost Child, Sixty Nine, many arrangements)
Shoji Meguro (Megaten-related stuff)
Manabu Namiki and Masaharu Iwata (most for their shmup OST's, but it turns out Iwata did most of my favorite FFT tracks as well)
Masato Kouda, Ryuta Suzuki, Nobuyuki Shimizu (great job backing up Naruke on Wild Arms 4)

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Tenpei Sato and Motoi Sakuraba. They just have styles I like.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

My all time favorite as of now is Sakimoto. And I agree that people who think he isn't diverse enough need to check out Legaia Duel Saga. Heck, they should check out Soukyugurentai while they're at it. Some other favorites:

Hitoshi Sakimoto (Vagrant Story, FFT, BoFV, Tactics Ogre)
Motoi Sakuraba (Star Ocean 2, Valkyrie Profile, Shining the Holy Ark)
Yoko Shimomura (Parasite Eve, Legend of Mana, SMRPG)
Yuzo Koshiro (Streets of Rage 2, Actraiser)
Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy VI, Gun Hazard)
Kenji Yamamoto (Super Metroid, Metroid Prime)
Koji Kondo (SMB3, Yoshi's Island, Zelda OOT)

Since there are a few big Michiko Naruke fans here, I was wondering if anyone knew which particular tracks she might've done for Valis III, as it's one of my favorite soundtracks.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

My favourite varies on what I downloaded recently...and I've been downloading The Black Mages Albums so, it's Mr Uematsu at the moment, but Yasunori Mitsuda is probably 2nd...
Noriyuki Iwadare for Grandia II, the battle themes especially, means he gets 3rd...

But that list's guarenteed to vary in the very near future...

How ya doing, buddy?

Uematsu is one of the best, but recently has dissapointed me a little, I like his epic compositions, he's like the John Williams of the videogames
Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill series) is a GREAT composer, cheers for those two

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Currently I've been digging Tim Follin's stuff as I've stumbled across a few things I liked that I didn't know were by him also.

Other good ones are Akira Yamaoka, Noriyuki Iwadare, Yasunori Mitsuda, and Ayako Saso.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Yuzo Koshiro (Streets of Rage series,Revenge of Shinobi)
Michiko Naruke (Wild ARMs <3)
Noriyuki Asakura (Tenchu series,Way of the Samurai series + Rurouni Kenshin TV)
Daisuke Ishiwatari (Guilty Gear series. HEAVEN OR HELL. LET'S ROCK!)
Yoshitaka Hirota (Shadow Hearts series)
Dan Forden (Mortal Kombat series)
Norihiko Hibino (Metal Gear Solid series)

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I love Hitoshi Sakimoto and Keiki Kobayashi.

As for the former, I don't think even he lacks diversity that much. I've been a nut for him since Ogre Battle, 1993 and have heard almost all his works, but he has flexibly and effectively changed in his stlye with each work. Certainly some say that his work has been always the same but in general people often says that sort of critique when they don't feel drawn to something. In my opinion, they don't notice that it's not because his music are actually all alike but simply because they ain't so interested in him that they can't distinguish his each work. Anyway, surely he doesn't make music that features impressive melody, but it never means his music is predictable.

As for the latter, you have to hear last ACE COMBAT series. His chorus songs are superb and there are many other instrument songs that attract me so much. However, he ain't far from prolific, but hasn't offered many works to the world. It's not fairly accurate, but it seems that he has joined in Namco in 1999 and has so far involved in about 8 titles and composed less than 80 tracks. I don't think it's enough. And his contributions to Soul Calibur 3 and Tekken 5 were quite boring. Maybe we can't meet his great pieces till next ACE COMBAT game which will be released in 2008 or 2009(I don't expect a PSP title at all).

I mean, Sakimoto for quantity and Keiki Kobayahi for quality.

Also, I like some composers:Nobuo Uematsu, Naoshi Mizuta, Kumi Tanioka, Kaori Ohkoshi and so on and I'm not an insensitive man who mention least favorite composers here(Indeed, I don't have dislikable composers. I'm just uninterested in them, rather than hate them).

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by valtiel

(Uematsu )he's like the John Williams of the videogames

Don't know why I feel itchy everytime I hear this statement.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Nobody said Hajime Hirasawa. I am saddened. His only and only title Star Fox, has one of the best musical scores in VG history. It's too bad he hasn't composed anymore.

I too like the works of Uematsu, despite what other people say in GFF. He seemed to have slipped after FFVIII, but he did a great job with AC.

Most amazing jew boots

Should mention Masaru "Go" Shina

Who composed the epic Tales of Legendia soundtrack and Mr Driller.
Not mention his (very small) contributions to Tekken 5 and Klonoa 2

Amazing music - just wish there was more of it!

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Well, Uematsu has been out from my favorite VGM composer for awhile. I realize he's quite overrated, he's not the best but yet the most popular.

My favorite composers are:
Koichi Sugiyama (Dragon Quest series)
I worship his works, truly master piece. if Dragon Quest IX is finished, we will have 9 suite of VGM music equal to Beethoven's 9 symphonies.

Koji Kondo
His works are so classical, I love Ocarina of Time the best. Mario bros music is good as well.

Yoko Kanno
She writes music as if she's breathing air. Seriously, this one is very diligent composer, she able to make a good main theme and very good harmony in each music she's working on.

Kentaro Haneda
I love his wizardry music his best, he's another baroqueish composer with affection toward jazz, just listen to his Wizardry Suites and Macross suite (thanks seanne). I really looking forward to listen his other works outside VGM, but it seems not much people even know he exists.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

The Ace Combat 5/Zero composers. Right now, I think they pawn everyone else's ass. (Just my opinion. Take it as that)

How ya doing, buddy?

Having been into classic rock music since I was like 5, Sakuraba would probably be at the top of the list.

Other favorites include Yoko Shimomura, Kenji Ito, and Koichi Sugiyama.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Yamamanama

Her, I believe.

I'm surprised only one other person mentioned Hirota. If Uematsu is the John Williams of video game music, then Hirota is... um... a very good composer as well.

Well, another great composer is Danny Elfman =P, so you can compare Hirota to him

(NOTE, I don't think John williams is the very best of film's scores, I said so because being the one who compose with some kind of classical epic style, and also being one of the most popular)

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

My favorites (in order of preference)

#1. Hitoshi Sakimoto
#2. Masashi Hamauzu
#3. Shoji Meguro

p.s. Vgm composers vs Film composers in my opinion

Koichi Sugiyama <-> John Williams (in reputation, musical styles, and in promoting game/film music to the concert hall)

Hitoshi Sakimoto <-> Danny Elfman (in director collaboration, musical styles, etc)

Motoi Sakuraba <-> James Horner (very talented, classically-inspired, yet sometimes done rip-offs)

FELIPE NO

Hamauzu is my favorite by far as I love how he does a piano right. Other favorites would be Sakimoto, Nakano, Iwata, Sakuraba, and Sugiyama.

How ya doing, buddy?

Uematsu,Yoko Shinomura, Koh Ohtani, Yasunori Mitsuda that's all the ones I can name at this point.

Jam it back in, in the dark.