Yoshihiro Sakaguchi
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Yoshihiro Sakaguchi worked for Capcom from the late 1980s to the mid 1990s. He worked as the sound producer and designed Capcom's sound drivers for the NES, SNES, TurboGrafx-16, and multiple arcade drivers. His most used driver is the NES driver which is responsible for the recognizable sound of Capcom games.
Sakaguchi originally joined Capcom in the 1980s with the intention of being a sound producer. However, he was also required to learn the hardware of the consoles they worked on. Though Sakaguchi is mainly known for his sound programming, he did compose music for a few titles including the arcade versions of Street Fighter and Final Fight. During the SNES era, Sakaguchi started focusing on sound programming while hiring other composers to write the music.
Sakaguchi decided to leave Capcom in the 1990s to become a sound designer and editor in the film industry, and has been doing so for over a decade. His studio is in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan.
Audio Development
NES
Sakaguchi programmed a sound engine in 6502 assembly. Like many other sound engines at the time, it required its user to enter musical notation using hexadecimal numbers for note pitch and length, as well as other effects.
Gameography
| Released | Title | Sample | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-02-08 | SonSon (FC) (ソンソン) | |
Sound Driver |
| 1986-06-13 | Ghosts 'N Goblins (NES) (魔界村) | |
Sound Driver |
| 1986-09-27 | Commando (NES) (戦場の狼) | Sound | |
| 1986-12-24 | Trojan (NES) (闘いの挽歌) | |
Sound Driver |
| 1987-??-?? | Higemaru Makaijima: Nanatsu no Shima Daibouken (MSX) (ひげ丸魔界島 〜七つの島大冒険〜) | Sound Composer | |
| 1987-02-01 | Avengers (ARC) | ||
| 1987-04-14 | Higemaru Makaijima: Nanatsu no Shima Daibouken (FC) (ひげ丸魔界島 〜七つの島大冒険〜) | Sound Composer | |
| 1987-06-?? | 1943: The Battle of Midway (ARC) (1943 ミッドウェイ海戦)) | ||
| 1987-07-?? | Section-Z (NES) (セクションZ) | |
Sound Driver |
| 1987-08-?? | Street Fighter (ARC) | ||
| 1987-09-24 | Ide Yosuke Meijin no Jissen Mahjong (FC) (井出洋介名人の実戦麻雀) | Sound Driver | |
| 1987-12-17 | Mega Man (NES) (ロックマン) | |
Sound Driver |
| 1988-02-?? | Gun.Smoke (NES) | |
Sound Driver |
| 1988-06-?? | Forgotten Worlds (ARC) (フォゴッテンワールド) | ||
| 1988-06-01 | 1943 Kai (ARC) | ||
| 1988-06-20 | 1943: The Battle of Midway (NES) (1943 ミッドウェイ海戦) | Sound Driver | |
| 1988-07-?? | Legendary Wings (NES) | Sound Driver | |
| 1988-07-20 | Bionic Commando (NES) (ヒットラーの復活: Top Secret) | |
Sound Driver |
| 1988-11-15 | Samurai Sword (FDS) (サムライソード) | Sound Program | |
| 1988-12-24 | Mega Man II (NES) (ロックマン２ Dr.ワイリーの謎) | |
Sound Driver |
| 1988-12-24 | Pro Yakyuu? Satsujin Jiken! (FC) (プロ野球？殺人事件！) | Sound Driver | |
| 1989-??-?? | Disney's DuckTales (GB) (わんぱくダック夢冒険) | Sound Driver | |
| 1989-01-27 | SonSon II (PCE) (ソンソンII) | ||
| 1989-05-19 | Destiny of an Emperor (NES) (天地を喰らう) | Sound Driver | |
| 1989-07-?? | Strider (NES) | Sound Driver | |
| 1989-09-?? | Disney's DuckTales (NES) (わんぱくダック夢冒険) | |
Sound Driver |
| 1989-12-?? | Final Fight (ARC) (ファイナルファイト) | ||
| 1990-02-23 | Code Name: Viper (NES) (人間兵器デッドフォックス) | |
Sound Driver |
| 1990-03-01 | Adventure Quiz 2: Hatena? no Daibouken (ARC) | ||
| 1990-04-?? | Mercs (ARC) (戦場の狼Ⅱ) | Sound Program | |
| 1990-06-?? | Disney Adventures in the Magic Kingdom (NES) | Sound Driver | |
| 1990-06-08 | Disney's Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (NES) (チップとデールの大作戦) | Sound Driver | |
| 1990-08-08 | Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight (NES) (２０１０ ストリート ファイター) | Sound Driver | |
| 1990-09-?? | Little Nemo: The Dream Master (NES) (パジャマヒーロー NEMO) | |
Sound Driver |
| 1990-09-28 | Mega Man III (NES) (ロックマン3 Dr.ワイリーの最期!?) | Sound Driver | |
| 1991-04-05 | Tenchi o Kurau II: Shokatsu Koumei Den (FC) (天地を喰らうII・諸葛孔明伝) | Sound Driver | |
| 1991-07-19 | Disney's The Little Mermaid (NES) (リトル・マーメイド 人魚姫) | Sound Driver | |
| 1991-07-26 | U.N. Squadron (SNES) (エリア８８) | Sound Programming | |
| 1991-12-?? | Disney's TaleSpin (NES) | Sound Driver | |
| 1991-12-06 | Mega Man IV (NES) (ロックマン4 新たなる野望!!) | Sound Driver | |
| 1992-06-?? | Disney's Darkwing Duck (NES) | Sound Driver | |
| 1992-06-10 | Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (SNES) (ストリートファイターⅡ) | Sound Design | |
| 1992-07-17 | Final Fight (X68) (ファイナルファイト) | ||
| 1992-07-17 | Gargoyle's Quest II (NES) (レッドアリーマーⅡ) | Sound Driver | |
| 1992-09-?? | Warriors of Fate (ARC) (天地を喰らう2: 赤壁の戦い) | Sound Program | |
| 1992-12-04 | Mega Man V (NES) (ロックマン５ ブルースの罠！？) | Sound Driver | |
| 1993-01-15 | Wily and Light no Rock Board: That's Paradise (FC) (ワイリー&ライトのRockBoard ザッツ*パラダイス) | Sound Driver | |
| 1993-04-03 | Breath of Fire (SNES) (ブレスオブファイア～竜の戦士～) | Sound Programmer | |
| 1993-06-11 | Mighty Final Fight (NES) (マイティ ファイナルファイト) | Sound Driver | |
| 1993-06-12 | Street Fighter II': Champion Edition (PCE) (ストリートファイター2ダッシュ) | Sound Software Design | |
| 1993-07-11 | Street Fighter II: Turbo (SNES) (ストリートファイターII ターボハイパーファイティング) | Sound Design | |
| 1993-11-05 | Mega Man VI (NES) (ロックマン６ 史上最大の戦い！！) | Sound Driver | |
| 1994-??-?? | Super Street Fighter II (SNES) | ||
| 1996-03-22 | Tenchi o Kurau II: Sekiheki no Tatakai (PS1) (天地を喰らう2: 赤壁の戦い) | Sound Program | |
| 1996-09-06 | Tenchi O Kurau II (SS) (天地を喰らう2: 赤壁の戦い) | Sound Program | |
| 2001-07-06 | Breath of Fire (GBA) (ブレスオブファイア～竜の戦士～) | Sound Programmer | |
| 2016-07-19 | I Am Setsuna (PC) (いけにえと雪のセツナ) | Sound Design | |
| Unreleased | Titan Warriors (NES) | Sound Driver | |
| Unreleased | California Raisins: The Grape Escape (NES) | |
Sound Driver |
Aliases
Yoshihiro often used the alias Yuukichan's Papa, or spelling iterations thereof, suggesting he has a child either nicknamed Yuki or has yuki in their name.
In the ROM text of Commando (NES), his name is listed as Saka, a simple consolidation of his surname. The kanji "Saka" in his last name (坂) means "slope" or "hill".
Picture Gallery
Capcom Sound Team (second from left).
Circa 1990. BEEP! MegaDrive (Issue 14/November 1990) - Pg. 89.
Links
- squareenixmusic.com/features/interviews/yoshihirosakaguchi.shtml - Interview.
- w.atwiki.jp/gamemusicbest100/pages/3295.html - Atwiki.jp (Japanese).
