Yoko Shimomura knew what she was doing from a young age, and it was only a few years after Street Fighter II that she moved on to her first project with Squaresoft, LIVE A LIVE.Īnd, in this unique RPG, you start with seven short-form stories with a character select screen. Remember the “Guile’s Theme goes with everything” meme? Think about how unbelievably catchy “Guile’s Theme” is. What does it take to score a solid soundtrack to a 2D fighter with lots of characters? Answer: rock-solid memorable motifs that hit hard and make their full statement (both A and B) within a single minute, because the battle will be over by then.

Except for one character theme (Sagat), the entirety of the classic soundtrack was written by Shimomura. But her most notable achievement was writing the score to the legendary 2D fighter that helped make the genre what it is, Street Fighter II. Hardcore fans will know of her work on the RPG Sweet Home and her contributions to the first Breath of Fire. Yes, prior to jumping ship from Capcom to Squaresoft, Yoko Shimomura made waves. And I have a working theory: Street Fighter II. With the advent of the HD-2D style that debuted with Octopath Traveler, this graphical form brought new life to LIVE A LIVE in the same way a rock band, full orchestra, and choir did with its soundtrack.īecause my past reviews of this, one of Shimomura’s greatest (and earliest) works, boil down to little more than “hey this is really good,” it’s time I examine the essence of what makes this soundtrack so great. Perhaps it’s best things did take as long as they did. You can find evidence of this in my past reviews of the game’s original soundtrack for Super Famicom and arrangements for the game’s music on the Yoko Shimomura orchestral album drammatica. Namely, I’ve been begging for a remake or localization of LIVE A LIVE for two decades. Speaking of the original: I was perusing my own words about the old soundtrack and noticed a trend in my thinking. The LIVE A LIVE HD-2D remake exists, and it’s everything I could have wanted (and then some)! Teaming with Square Enix, composer Yoko Shimomura oversaw the production of the LIVE A LIVE HD-2D Remake Original Soundtrack, featuring a team of ten arrangers and over 90 musicians to build a musical experience that far surpasses the original Super Famicom classic soundtrack. 19 – Unto the Birds the Heavens, unto the Fish the SeasĢ6 – Go! Go! Steel Titan! (Japanese Version)Ģ7 – Go! Go! Steel Titan! (English Version)

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