Tommy Tallarico

Thomas V. Tallarico

Born	1968-02-18
Birth Place	Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
Nationality	American
Aliases	T. Tallarico Tommy Tallarico Studios Inc. Tom Tallarico Intimidated, but never duplicated
Website	tallarico.com

Tommy Tallarico is an American video game composer. He created video game music since the 1990s. He is one of co-founders of Video Games Live, a show where video game musicians play their composed music for games in a live band.

Tallarico started music when he was learning piano at age 3. He was first hired when he traveled to California and one of the producers of Virgin Games asked him if he wanted to test video games and he accepted. The first game he tested was the Game Boy version of Prince of Persia. While testing it, he noticed that there were no audio designers for the game, so he asked if he could work on the music and that he'd even do it free of charge. The staff at Virgin let him port Francis Mechner's complex compositions from the computer versions to the Game Boy. He later went on to found Tommy Tallarico Studios and worked as a contractor for various developers, providing music and sound effect.

For many years, Tallarico served as President of Intellivision Entertainment. On February 7, 2022, it was announced that Tallarico was stepping down as the CEO.

In November 2022, the YouTuber hbomberguy published a video that was originally intended to briefly investigate the origin of the Roblox "oof" sound effect. While the video deduced it was Joey Kuras that made the sound effect under Tallarico for the game Messiah, hbomberguy noted manipulative language by Tallarico trying to take credit for Joey's work. The video then takes a deep dive into the entire career of Tommy Tallarico, identifying the many lies about his discography such as being the "first American to work on Sonic". The video garnered over ten million views as of January 1 2024, and as a result, grabbed the attention of various members in the video game preservation community and original artists who worked with Tallarico.

Earthworm Jim

For decades, Tommy Tallarico was believed to have composed for Earthworm Jim 1 and 2. After hbomberguy's video, Tony Bernetich commented elaborating on his involvement with the game:^[1]

“

Currently I am working in the pit orchestra for the musical Oklahoma and the French horn player turned me on to this video when she found out I did the music for Earthworm Jim one and two. Yes, you read right….I did two levels on Earthworm one and all but two on Earthworm Jim two. In the 80’s I had just earned my masters in music comp plus a teaching credential from UCI while my wife was a tax auditor for the state of California. She always had my “reel” with her and while she was auditing Virgin Games in Irvine where Tommy worked, she hunted him down and gave him my reel. At that time Tommy was trying to create a banjo tune for Shiny Entertainment, the company that created Earthworm Jim, and I was playing piano at a 900 seat western themed dinner theater in Buena Park. At this theater I worked with a well known five-string banjoist and I asked him to “tab” some banjo rolls so I can add a bluegrass banjo tune for my reel….the same reel that my wife handed to Tommy Tallarico. Musically, Tommy is possibly one step above a garage band musician and was absolutely clueless when it came to banjo. Anyway, he paid me a couple of hundred bucks for the banjo file and tasked me with more music work for Earthworm Jim two. I also did some work on Madden Football and a Spot game for him. On Earthworm two most of the music was mine and years later I discovered that the other composer who created the music for level one was Cristophe Beck who composed music for TV and movies. In California, if you do music for a living, you have to wear a lot of hats or you wind up eating your kids, so in addition to composing, I was teaching, grading compositions for MTAC and performing and totally forgot about Tallarico. About twenty years ago my wife found a website with Tallarico explaining how he created the banjo file. She read it to me and I cracked up….the guy was lying through his teeth. So, judging from this video, he obviously has a problem with the truth….and I’m one of the hard working folk whose work he took credit for during his career.

„

Additionally, Tallarico took MIDIs from online and imported them into the game with very little modification,^[2]^[3] often referred to as "MIDI slapping". Given this information, all video game credits attributed to Tommy Tallarico should be analyzed under scrutiny.

Audio Development

Game Boy

Tallarico used a sound driver by Ed Magnin.

GEN

Tallarico used GEMS.

NES

Tallarico used Tommy T's Play Me Sound Editor.

SNES

Tallarico initially used Chip Level Designs' audio driver. Tallarico initially had to work with sheet music and would write it in assembly, like most other non-Japanese composers that utilized Kankichi-kun, until a MIDI sequencer was implemented.

On The Jungle Book, since Tallarico, Griffin and Arem didn't involved at development of SNES port, Mark Miller of Neuromantic Productions arranged his score using Sculptured Software's BMus by Steve Aguirre.

Earthworm Jim 2 and Madden NFL 96 used the SLICK/Audio sound driver from Bitmasters.

Gameography

Released	Title	Notes
1992-01-??	Prince of Persia (GB) (プリンスオブペルシア)	Arranged Francis Mechner's music.
1992-07-??	Jeep Jamboree: Off Road Adventure (GB)
1992-??-??	Batman: Revenge of the Joker (GEN)	Arranged Naoki Kodaka's music from Batman: Return of the Joker (NES).
1992-??-??	Monopoly Deluxe (DOS)	Music & Sound Coordinator.
1992-??-??	Muhammad Ali Heavyweight Boxing (GEN)
1992-??-??	Club Racquetball (MAC)	Sounds with Steve Henifin.
1992-??-??	Mick & Mack as the Global Gladiators (GEN)
1993-03-08	The Terminator (SCD)
1993-03-??	Caesars Palace (GEN)
1993-03-??	Out of This World (GEN)	Arranged Jean-Francois Freitas' music.
1993-04-??	Cool Spot (GEN) (クール・スポット)
1993-05-26	Mick & Mack as the Global Gladiators (GG)	Arranged by Matt Furniss.
1993-07-??	Color a Dinosaur (NES)
1993-08-20	Super Slap Shot (SNES) (スーパースラップショット)
1993-09-??	Cool Spot (SNES) (クール・スポット)
1993-10-21	Super Caesars Palace (SNES) (スーパーカジノシーザースパレス)
1993-10-19	Disney's Aladdin (GEN) (アラジン)	With Donald Griffin.
1993-??-??	Caesars Palace (GG)	Arranged by Matt Furniss.
1993-??-??	Cool Spot (AMI)	Arranged by Andrew Barnabas.
1993-??-??	Cool Spot (GG)	Arranged by Matt Furniss.
1993-??-??	Mick & Mack as the Global Gladiators (AMI)	Arranged by Andrew Barnabas.
1994-05-28	RoboCop Versus The Terminator (GEN) (ロボコップVSターミネーター)	Director of Music & FX.
1994-07-15	Disney's The Jungle Book (SNES) (ジャングル・ブック)	Original Music with Donald Griffin, Joey Kuras, Keith Arem and Stephen Clarke-Willson. Arranged by Mark Miller.
1994-07-??	Disney's The Jungle Book (GEN)	With Donald Griffin, Joey Kuras, Keith Arem and Stephen Clarke-Willson.
1994-10-??	Cool Spot (GB)	Arranged by Mark Cooksey.
1994-11-??	Race Days: 4 Wheel Drive (GB)	Original Music.
1994-12-09	Demolition Man (3DO)	Original Music with Keith Arem and Charlie Malone. Sound Effects with Joey Kuras and Keith Arem.
1994-12-17	Cool Spot (DOS)	Arranged by Adam Gilmore.
1994-??-??	Disney's Aladdin (AMI)	Arranged by Andrew Barnabas.
1994-??-??	Disney's Aladdin (DOS)	Arranged by Andrew Barnabas.
1994-??-??	Disney's The Jungle Book (DOS)	Arranged by Allister Brimble.
1994-??-??	Heart of the Alien: Out of this World Parts I and II (SCD)	"Out of this World" music.
1995-03-15	Earthworm Jim: Special Edition (SCD)
1995-11-15	Earthworm Jim 2 (GEN) (アースワームジム2)	Imported MIDIs from online for Moonlight Sonata's First and Third movement by Edward Grant. The MIDIs were used 1 to 1, with the exception of the third movement's tempo being changed. Continue theme.
1995-11-22	Spot Goes to Hollywood (GEN) (スポットゴーズトゥーハリウッド)	Reused game over tune from Cool Spot (GEN).
1995-11-30	Earthworm Jim: Special Edition (W32)
1995-11-??	Earthworm Jim 2 (SNES)	Continue theme.
1996-04-30	Earthworm Jim 1 & 2: The Whole Can O' Worms (DOS)
1996-11-30	Golden Nugget (W32)	Original Music.
1997-08-31	Treasures of the Deep (PS1)
1997-10-01	Golden Nugget (PS1)	Intro Music.
1997-??-??	Duckman: The Graphic Adventures of a Private Dick (W16)	With Todd Dennis, John Lawrence and Bill Hendrickson.
1998-09-30	Wild 9 (PS1)	Reused track from Earthworm Jim: Special Edition (SCD).
1998-10-31	Apocalypse (PS1)	Movie Scoring and Sound Effects.
1998-??-??	Beavis and Butt-Head: Bunghole in One (W32)	Reused music from Duckman: The Graphic Adventures of a Private Dick (W16).
1999-03-07	Beavis and Butt-Head Do U. (W32)	Reused music from Duckman: The Graphic Adventures of a Private Dick (W16).
1999-07-20	Prince of Persia (GBC) (プリンスオブペルシア)	Arranged Francis Mechner's music.
1999-09-01	R/C Stunt Copter (PS1)	Reused music from Earthworm Jim: Special Edition (SCD) and Duckman: The Graphic Adventures of a Private Dick (W16).
1999-11-16	007: Tomorrow Never Dies (PS1) (００７トゥモロー・ネバー・ダイ)	With Todd Dennis and Howard Ulyate.
1999-12-??	Wings of Fury (GBC)
2000-03-31	Messiah (W32)	Recycled "Big Bruty" track from Earthworm Jim: Special Edition (SCD).
2000-08-30	Spider-Man (PS1)	With Howard Ulyate.
2000-09-07	Arthur's Absolutely Fun Day! (GBC)
2000-09-13	MTV Sports: Skateboarding featuring Andy Macdonald (GBC)
2000-11-07	Aladdin (GBC)	Arranged by Steve Collett.
2000-11-21	Spider-Man (N64)	With Howard Ulyate.
2000-11-??	Extreme Sports with the Berenstain Bears (GBC)
2000-12-05	Evil Dead: Hail to the King (PS1)	With Todd Dennis, Chris Rickwood and Jack Wall.
2000-12-20	Evil Dead: Hail to the King (DC)	With Todd Dennis, Chris Rickwood and Jack Wall.
2001-03-28	Evil Dead: Hail to the King (W32)	With Todd Dennis, Chris Rickwood and Jack Wall.
2001-04-19	Spider-Man (DC)	With Howard Ulyate.
2001-09-17	Spider-Man (W32)	With Howard Ulyate.
2002-05-20	Scooby-Doo!: Night of 100 Frights (PS2)	With Todd Dennis.
2002-08-12	Street Hoops (PS2)	Audio Director.
2002-09-12	Scooby-Doo!: Night of 100 Frights (GC)	With Todd Dennis.
2003-01-26	Black & Bruised (PS2)	Voice Over Producer.
2003-03-28	Devastation (W32)	Additional Tracks?
2003-08-27	Scooby-Doo!: Night of 100 Frights (XBOX)	With Todd Dennis.
2003-11-18	Fugitive Hunter: War on Terror (PS2)	Song and Sound Effects.
2004-03-16	The X-Files: Resist of Serve (PS2)	Audio Director.
2004-08-20	Fugitive Hunter: War on Terror (W32)	Song and Sound Effects.
2004-10-26	The Bard's Tale (PS2)	With Clint Bajakian, Michael Land, Peter McConnell and Jared Emerson-Johnson.
2004-10-26	The Bard's Tale (XBOX)	With Clint Bajakian, Michael Land, Peter McConnell and Jared Emerson-Johnson.
2005-06-27	The Bard's Tale (W32)	With Clint Bajakian, Michael Land, Peter McConnell and Jared Emerson-Johnson.
2006-06-06	AND 1 Streetball (PS2)	Audio Director.
2007-03-27	Purr Pals (NDS)	With Mike Rubino. Reused music from Duckman: The Graphic Adventures of a Private Dick (W16).
2007-11-19	Baby Pals (NDS)
2008-06-??	Purr Pals (WII)	With Mike Rubino. Reused music from Duckman: The Graphic Adventures of a Private Dick (W16).
2008-09-02	Defendin' De Penguin (NDS)	With Mike Rubino and Rod Abernethy. Reused music from Scooby-Doo!: Night of 100 Frights (PS2).
2008-09-02	Defendin' De Penguin (WII)	With Mike Rubino and Rod Abernethy. Reused music from Scooby-Doo!: Night of 100 Frights (PS2).
2008-09-16	Line Rider 2: Unbound (NDS)	Cut Scene and Other SFX.
2008-09-23	Line Rider 2: Unbound (W32)	Cut Scene and Other SFX.
2009-09-01	Monster Mayhem: Build and Battle (NDS)
2010-03-12	Monster Mayhem: Build and Battle (WII)
2010-10-25	Flip's Twisted World (WII)	Reused and re-arranged music from Scooby-Doo!: Night of 100 Frights (PS2).
2010-12-01	Super Tofu Boy (WEB)	Music Donated. Reused music from Color a Dinosaur (NES) and Spider-Man (PS1).
2014-06-??	Elephants Never Forget (WEB)	Audio courtesy of.
Unreleased	Akolyte (DC)	Composer?
Unreleased	Black 9 (W32)	Composer?
Unreleased	Black 9 (XBOX)	Composer?
Unreleased	Deuce (PS1)	Composer?
Unreleased	Felix the Cat (PS1)	Composer?
Unreleased	Major Damage (SAT)	Composer?
Unreleased	Mick & Mack as the Global Gladiators (GB)	Arranged by Jolyon Myers?
Unreleased	Mick and Mack in Global Gladiators (SNES)	Arranged by Steve Collett.