Welcome adventurers! Grab yourself a tea or coffee, make yourself comfortable, and feel like you're on vacation on our island.
On my 10th birthday, in December 1996, I was given an SNES game called Terranigma. I remember eagerly anticipating my relatives' departure so I could start playing. Little did I know what life-changing adventure awaited me.
Terranigma was for us Europeans what Chrono Trigger was for most others. A tale full of dangers, trials, secrets, philosophy, and much more. All these themes were brilliantly underscored by the pieces of Masanori Hikichi and Miyoko Takaoka. I still remember spending extra time in certain villages just to listen to the music, or trying to escape Luran, a zombie filled city, as quickly as possible because the music perfectly underscored the eerie atmosphere. Even today, when I hear those pieces, I'm immediately flooded with nostalgic childhood memories.
A few weeks after my birthday (or was it months), I finally reached the finale and knew that all I wanted was to create video games myself. However, it took almost 21 years until I started developing Under the Island. When I reached a point where I needed a composer, I gathered all my courage and simply wrote Takaoka-san an email. Her response was that she wanted to see the game first. So I showed her what I had at that time, which was far below the current level of the game. But I was lucky, and a few messages later, she agreed to take on the music for the game. Thus, one of my greatest childhood dreams came true.
Here are some details about Takaoka-san:
Name:
Miyoko Takaoka
Credits:
Terranigma, The Granstream Saga, Alchemist Marie & Elie: Futari no Atelier, Wizardry I&II (PC ENGINE) and many more
Favorite video game soundtrack and why:
Takaoka-san: “My favorite game music is Dragon Quest 3. It was the game that made me want to make game music, and it was the first game I purchased on my own, so I have a strong emotional attachment to it. Rahmia's theme Heavenly Flight and the ending Into the Legend... give me goosebumps even now.”
Favorite composed song:
Takaoka-san: “I've never really thought about it, but my favorite songs are Terranigma's A Place to Return To and Departure. I don't listen to many of my own songs, but I have a strong attachment to Terranigma, so there are a lot of songs that I like.”
Her distinctive musical style seamlessly complements the diverse settings of Under the Island, transporting listeners from cozy villages to dusty deserts and intense boss battles with captivating harmony.
And of course, here's something for your ears. Here's an excerpt of the Igloo Heights theme from "Under the Island."
Did you enjoy the piece? Did you perhaps play Terranigma back then? Let us know in the comments!