Kenji Yamamoto (composer, born 1964)

Kenji Yamamoto (山本 健誌, Yamamoto Kenji, born April 25, 1964) is a Japanese video game musician working for Nintendo, notable for composing music in many titles of the Metroid series, mainly Super Metroid and the Metroid Prime trilogy. Yamamoto also plays a role as a music director at Nintendo, overseeing audio for several of their games. He frequently collaborates with fellow composers Minako Hamano and Masaru Tajima.

For other people named Kenji Yamamoto, see Kenji Yamamoto (disambiguation).

Kenji Yamamoto
山本 健誌
Born (1964-04-25) April 25, 1964
Japan
Occupation(s)Composer, sound director, musician
Years active1987–present
EmployerNintendo
Musical career
GenresVideo game music
Instrument(s)Piano, guitar

Yamamoto's music utilizes heavy drums, piano, voiced chants, clangs of pipes, and electric guitar.[1] In development of Super Metroid, Yamamoto came up with some of the game's themes by humming them to himself while riding his motorcycle home from work.[2][3][4]

He was asked to compose the music for Metroid Prime to reinforce the series' continuity.[4] Developers from Retro Studios noted how the process of fitting all the sound effects for a world in Metroid Prime into 6 MB of space was crucial in producing a quality aural experience, as each sound had to be of very high quality. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption took advantage of the increase in the amount of RAM that took place when the series switched from the GameCube to the Wii; this allowed for higher quality audio samples to be used and thus a better overall audio quality.[4]

Works
YearTitleRole
1987 Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!![3] Music with Yukio Kaneoka and Akito Nakatsuka
1988 Famicom Wars[3] Music with Hirokazu Tanaka
1989 Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind[3] Music
1994 Super Metroid Music with Minako Hamano[5]
1995 Galactic Pinball Director, music with Masaru Tajima[6]
1999 Famicom Bunko: Hajimari no Mori Music with Kozue Ishikawa
2001 Mario Kart: Super Circuit Sound support
2002 Metroid Fusion Sound director
Metroid Prime Music with Koichi Kyuma
2004 Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Music
Metroid: Zero Mission[7] Music with Minako Hamano[7]
2005 Metroid Prime Pinball Music with Masaru Tajima
Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day! Sound director
2006 English Training: Have Fun Improving Your Skills! Sound director
Metroid Prime Hunters Sound supervisor
Excite Truck[2] Music with Masaru Tajima
2007 Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Music with Minako Hamano and Masaru Tajima
2008 Super Smash Bros. Brawl Arrangement
2009 Excitebots: Trick Racing Music with Masaru Tajima and Shinji Ushiroda
2010 Photo Dojo Sound supervisor
Donkey Kong Country Returns Music with various others[8][9]
2011 Rhythm Heaven Fever Sound support
Pilotwings Resort Music supervisor
Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword Music director
StreetPass Mii Plaza Sound supervisor
2012 Kiki Trick Sound supervisor
Brain Age: Concentration Training Sound supervisor
2013 Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D Sound supervisor
Tomodachi Life Sound supervisor
StreetPass Mii Plaza Sound director
Nintendoji Music director
2014 Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Music supervisor[10]
Pokémon Art Academy Sound supervisor
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Arrangement with various others
2015 Style Savvy: Fashion Forward Sound supervisor
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash Sound supervisor
Real Dasshutsu Game x Nintendo 3DS Sound director
Rhythm Heaven Megamix Sound support staff
Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE Sound support
2016 Mini Mario & Friends: Amiibo Challenge Music supervisor
Disney Art Academy Sound supervisor
Miitopia Sound supervisor
2017 Hey! Pikmin Sound progress management
Metroid: Samus Returns Music director[11]
2018 Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido Sound support
2021 Metroid Dread Music director
2023 Metroid Prime Remastered Music producer

References
  1. Mirabella III, Fran (11 November 2002). "Metroid Prime". IGN. Archived from the original on 10 December 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2008.
  2. Yamamoto, Kenji (24 August 2010). "A Blast From The Past: Metroid Prime 3 With Kenji Yamamoto and Retro Studios". Original Sound Version (Interview). Interviewed by Napolitano, Jayson. Archived from the original on 11 May 2019.
  3. Yamamoto, Kenji; Sakamoto, Yoshio. "Developer Interview, Volume 3" (Interview). Interviewed by Akinori Sao. Kyoto, Japan: Nintendo. Archived from the original on 9 April 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  4. Retro Studios; Yamamoto, Kenji (5 October 2007). "Interview with Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Sound Team at Retro Studios and Composer Kenji Yamamoto". Music4Games (Interview). Interviewed by M4G staff. Archived from the original on 28 February 2009. Retrieved 19 March 2008.
  5. Aversa, Jillian (23 October 2010). "Game music of the day: Super Metroid". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on 5 July 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2020. Composers: Kenji Yamamoto, Minako Hamano
  6. "Galactic Pinball". Planet Virtual Boy. Archived from the original on 19 June 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  7. Nintendo R&D1 (9 February 2004). Metroid: Zero Mission. Nintendo. Scene: Staff credits.
  8. Harris, Craig (17 June 2010). "E3 2010: Kensuke Tanabe and the Metroid Palm Tree". IGN. Archived from the original on 19 September 2018.
  9. Pearson, Kynan; Wikan, Mike; Ivey, Tom; Tanabe, Kensuke; Tabata, Risa (2010). "Iwata Asks: Donkey Kong Country Returns" (Interview). Interviewed by Iwata, Satoru. Nintendo. p. White-knuckled Action. Archived from the original on 17 February 2011.
  10. Goergen, Andy (12 February 2014). "Donkey Kong Country, Through the Years". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020. Original series composer David Wise has confirmed his return to work with Kenji Yamamoto to compose music for the game[...]
  11. MercurySteam; Nintendo EPD (15 September 2017). Metroid: Samus Returns. Nintendo. Scene: Staff Credits.
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