Four Decades of Video Game Music: The Lasting Impact of Taitō’s Zuntata Team
The video game publisher Taitō has produced countless hits over the years. A major part of their appeal has been the music and sounds that forge emotional connections between player and game. We talk to two creators who have been at the heart of Zuntata, Taitō’s game sound division, about what inspires their work.
Born in 1959, Taitō Corporation employee Ogura Hisayoshi pursued a degree in philosophy before joining the company in 1983, eventually becoming a key member of Zuntata until his departure in 2007. Known for creating the soundtracks of The Legend of Kage, Darius series, Arkanoid II, and The Ninja Warriors, Ogura's passion for music led him to start his own independent career as a composer and arranger, known professionally as Ogura Hisayoshi Onga Seisakushow.
His colleague, Ishikawa Katsuhisa, followed a different path. Born in 1969 and educated in sound engineering, Ishikawa too joined Taitō in 1990 and became a member of Zuntata. While initially hired as a planner, Ishikawa's love for video game music drove him to excel in sound creation, working on Darius series, Dariusburst, Psychic Force series, and Densha de Go! among other titles.
Together, these two legends have shaped the history of video game music for over four decades, their individual sound creations captivating audiences worldwide.
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