Junichi Masuda
Encyclopedia
is a video game composer, director
, designer, producer, and programmer
best known for his work on the Pokémon
franchise. He is a member of the Game Freak
board of directors
, and has worked at the company since 1989. He helped compose the music for games like Mendel Palace
and Smart Ball
before beginning to work on the first Pokémon games. On Pokémon Red and Green he worked mainly as the soundtrack and sound effects composer, as well as contributing some of the programming.
With the development of new Pokémon games, Masuda took new roles in future projects. He began to produce and direct games, and became responsible for approving new character models. His style seeks to keep games accessible while still adding increasing levels of complexity. His work sticks to older mainstays of the series, including a focus on handheld game consoles and 2D graphics
. His music draws inspiration from the work of modern celebrated composers like Dmitri Shostakovich
, though he used the Super Mario
series as a model of good video game composition. His video game ideas are generally drawn from everyday life and observation.
, Kanagawa Prefecture
, Japan
. As a child, his family often vacationed in Kyūshū
, where many of his relatives still live. There he spent his time catching fish and insects, an act that later influenced his video game design. Masuda modeled the Pokémon series' Hoenn Region after Kyūshū in an attempt to recapture his memories of summers there. In high school, Masuda played the trombone
; he soon discovered classical music, and was drawn in by works like The Rite of Spring
and Shostakovich's
Symphony No. 5
.
Masuda attended the Japan Electronics College, a technical school
in Shinjuku, Tokyo
, where he studied computer graphics
and C
programming language using a DEC Professional
. His daughter Kiri was born in September 2002; he named a character in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
after her.
since the company's inception in 1989. Masuda has been involved in every title that Game Freak has ever produced, and was one of the original developers of the Pokémon
series, beginning with Pokémon Red and Green. He now serves as a member of the Game Freak board of directors
.
He was first hired to compose and program video games. His first game at Game Freak was Mendel Palace
, a puzzle game for the Nintendo Entertainment System
. Next, he worked on Smart Ball
, and then on Yoshi, the company's first collaboration with Nintendo
. When the company first began releasing Pokémon titles, Masuda worked mainly as the composer, though he did minor programming work as well, and later began directing and producing them. His work on the first games included writing the program to play audio in the games, music, and sound effects. He directed and composed the music for Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
, and produced Pokémon Platinum
. He also produced Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
.
Masuda has been directly involved in the naming and design of many Pokémon. He has stated that one of the hardest aspects of design is making sure that a Pokémon's name and attributes will appeal to a global audiences. Since Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
, Masuda has been one of the main employees who approve or reject designs for new Pokémon. Most characters take around six months to design, while more central ones take more than a year.He also oversaw the composition of the Pokémon Stadium level music in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
.
provide an opportunity for social interaction that cannot be found on console systems
. He has stated that continuing use of 2D computer graphics
has been integral to Pokémon's success.
Masuda's musical style draws from a number of sources, particularly classical music
and the works of Igor Stravinsky
and Dmitri Shostakovich
. His favorite musical genre is techno
, and he has looked to the music of the Super Mario
series as an example of video game music that works well. Most of his ideas are inspired from simply observing real life and visualizing how he would design or draw outside objects. As a rule, he does not use previous characters as inspirations for new ones, instead creating each new one from independent sources.
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
, designer, producer, and programmer
Game programmer
A game programmer is a software engineer, programmer, or computer scientist who primarily develops codebase for video games or related software, such as game development tools. Game programming has many specialized disciplines all of which fall under the umbrella term of "game programmer"...
best known for his work on the Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
franchise. He is a member of the Game Freak
Game Freak
is a Japanese video game developer that currently creates games exclusively for Nintendo. It has developed the Pokémon series of role-playing games and several other games.-History:...
board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
, and has worked at the company since 1989. He helped compose the music for games like Mendel Palace
Mendel Palace
Mendel Palace, originally released in Japan as , is a 1989 action/puzzle arcade game co-developed by Game Freak and KID. It was published in Japan by Namco and in North America by Hudson Soft. Mendel Palace was Game Freak's debut title, and the first game designed by Satoshi Tajiri.-Plot:The...
and Smart Ball
Smart Ball
Smart Ball is an Action-adventure game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, known as in Japan. A sequel called was in production, but was never actually released.-Gameplay:...
before beginning to work on the first Pokémon games. On Pokémon Red and Green he worked mainly as the soundtrack and sound effects composer, as well as contributing some of the programming.
With the development of new Pokémon games, Masuda took new roles in future projects. He began to produce and direct games, and became responsible for approving new character models. His style seeks to keep games accessible while still adding increasing levels of complexity. His work sticks to older mainstays of the series, including a focus on handheld game consoles and 2D graphics
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
. His music draws inspiration from the work of modern celebrated composers like Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was a Soviet Russian composer and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century....
, though he used the Super Mario
Mario (series)
The video game series, alternatively called the series or simply the series, is a series of highly popular and critically acclaimed video games by Nintendo, featuring Nintendo's mascot Mario and, in many games, his brother Luigi. Gameplay in the series often centers around jumping on and...
series as a model of good video game composition. His video game ideas are generally drawn from everyday life and observation.
Life
Masuda was born January 12, 1968 in YokohamaYokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. As a child, his family often vacationed in Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
, where many of his relatives still live. There he spent his time catching fish and insects, an act that later influenced his video game design. Masuda modeled the Pokémon series' Hoenn Region after Kyūshū in an attempt to recapture his memories of summers there. In high school, Masuda played the trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
; he soon discovered classical music, and was drawn in by works like The Rite of Spring
The Rite of Spring
The Rite of Spring, original French title Le sacre du printemps , is a ballet with music by Igor Stravinsky; choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky; and concept, set design and costumes by Nicholas Roerich...
and Shostakovich's
Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was a Soviet Russian composer and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century....
Symphony No. 5
Symphony No. 5 (Shostakovich)
The Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47, by Dmitri Shostakovich is a work for orchestra composed between April and July 1937. Its first performance was on November 21, 1937, in Leningrad by the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra under Yevgeny Mravinsky...
.
Masuda attended the Japan Electronics College, a technical school
Technical school
Technical school is a general term used for two-year college which provide mostly employment-preparation skills for trained labor, such as welding, culinary arts and office management.-Associations supporting technical schools:...
in Shinjuku, Tokyo
Shinjuku, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the busiest train station in the world and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration center for the government of Tokyo.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population...
, where he studied computer graphics
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
and C
C (programming language)
C is a general-purpose computer programming language developed between 1969 and 1973 by Dennis Ritchie at the Bell Telephone Laboratories for use with the Unix operating system....
programming language using a DEC Professional
DEC Professional (computer)
The Professional 325 and Professional 350 were PDP-11 compatible microcomputers introduced in 1982 by Digital Equipment Corporation as high-end competitors to the IBM PC...
. His daughter Kiri was born in September 2002; he named a character in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
are the third installments of the Pokémon series of role-playing games, developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. The games were first released in Japan in late 2002 and later released to the rest of the world in 2003 . Pokémon Emerald, a special edition version,...
after her.
Career
Masuda has worked at Game FreakGame Freak
is a Japanese video game developer that currently creates games exclusively for Nintendo. It has developed the Pokémon series of role-playing games and several other games.-History:...
since the company's inception in 1989. Masuda has been involved in every title that Game Freak has ever produced, and was one of the original developers of the Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
series, beginning with Pokémon Red and Green. He now serves as a member of the Game Freak board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
.
He was first hired to compose and program video games. His first game at Game Freak was Mendel Palace
Mendel Palace
Mendel Palace, originally released in Japan as , is a 1989 action/puzzle arcade game co-developed by Game Freak and KID. It was published in Japan by Namco and in North America by Hudson Soft. Mendel Palace was Game Freak's debut title, and the first game designed by Satoshi Tajiri.-Plot:The...
, a puzzle game for the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
. Next, he worked on Smart Ball
Smart Ball
Smart Ball is an Action-adventure game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, known as in Japan. A sequel called was in production, but was never actually released.-Gameplay:...
, and then on Yoshi, the company's first collaboration with Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
. When the company first began releasing Pokémon titles, Masuda worked mainly as the composer, though he did minor programming work as well, and later began directing and producing them. His work on the first games included writing the program to play audio in the games, music, and sound effects. He directed and composed the music for Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. With the enhanced remake Pokémon Platinum, the games comprise the fifth installment and fourth generation of the Pokémon series of RPGs...
, and produced Pokémon Platinum
Pokémon Platinum
is a title in the Pokémon series of video games. It was developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It is an enhanced remake of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl in the same vein as Pokémon Yellow, Crystal, and Emerald were for their respective games...
. He also produced Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
are enhanced remakes of the 1999 video games Pokémon Gold and Silver. The games are part of the Pokémon series of role-playing video games, and were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS...
.
Masuda has been directly involved in the naming and design of many Pokémon. He has stated that one of the hardest aspects of design is making sure that a Pokémon's name and attributes will appeal to a global audiences. Since Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
are the third installments of the Pokémon series of role-playing games, developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. The games were first released in Japan in late 2002 and later released to the rest of the world in 2003 . Pokémon Emerald, a special edition version,...
, Masuda has been one of the main employees who approve or reject designs for new Pokémon. Most characters take around six months to design, while more central ones take more than a year.He also oversaw the composition of the Pokémon Stadium level music in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
.
Influences and style
Masuda approaches each of his games with the mindset that a beginner should be able to easily play it. To this end, he layers more complicated concepts, introducing them to the player in a simple manner, and building from there. He believes that handheld systemsHandheld game console
A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable electronic device with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place...
provide an opportunity for social interaction that cannot be found on console systems
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
. He has stated that continuing use of 2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
has been integral to Pokémon's success.
Masuda's musical style draws from a number of sources, particularly classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
and the works of Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
and Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was a Soviet Russian composer and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century....
. His favorite musical genre is techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
, and he has looked to the music of the Super Mario
Mario (series)
The video game series, alternatively called the series or simply the series, is a series of highly popular and critically acclaimed video games by Nintendo, featuring Nintendo's mascot Mario and, in many games, his brother Luigi. Gameplay in the series often centers around jumping on and...
series as an example of video game music that works well. Most of his ideas are inspired from simply observing real life and visualizing how he would design or draw outside objects. As a rule, he does not use previous characters as inspirations for new ones, instead creating each new one from independent sources.