LMH Mixtape #252: Dear My Brother

Dear......my brother.  I hope this letter finds you well.  Please find enclosed a brand new mixtape!  I hope you enjoy these totally bonk tracks.  They include "Mechanical Castle (Inside the Castle)" from Ganbare Goemon 2, which is a very fun and energetic jam.  Also included is a pumped up motivating track, "Progression (Stage 3)" from Final Soldier for the PC Engine.  "Temple" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is a classic track, beloved by many.  This is just a sample of the mmm-poppin' music in store for you, so please feel free to get full-on into it.  Sincerely,...your sibling.

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MANATREE'S AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS

Instant favorite: Ganbare Goemon 2 - Mechanical Castle (Inside the Castle)

Another favorite: Final Soldier - Progression (Stage 3)

Nostalgic favorite: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link - Temple 

Track listing and original episode:

https://www.legacymusichour.com/2022/09/episode-252-dear-my-brother.html

LMH Mixtape #251: Fours

A lot of great tracks on Episode 251.  Starting things off is "Unused 1" from Choujikuu Yousai Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie, which features some really cool orchestra hits and a very catchy beat.  "5 Minute Score Attack" from Coryoon: Child of Dragon has that motivating "get up and save the universe" sound that is common in shoot-them-ups, and also features some great rock style drums.  "Final Battle" from Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals is a very powerful and emotional track with triumphant trumpets and a very singable melody.  "Title" from Pinball Fantasies features the distinct arpeggio sound common in western VGM tracks.  Check out the cool call and response section towards the end of this track.

That's only FOUR of the many amazing tracks in store for you within this mixtape, so get ready for a bunch more!

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MANATREE'S AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS

Instant favorite: Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals - Final Battle

A little spicy Latin flavor: RockMan: Mega World - Wily Tower: Wily Tower 1

Arpeggios galore: Pinball Fantasies - Title

Good things come in fours today: Crisis Force - Stage 3: Mystic Space 

Track listing and original episode:

https://www.legacymusichour.com/2022/08/blog-post.html

LMH Mixtape #250: Death Train

All aboard!  You've got your ticket, and this mixtape is a non-stop thrill ride through the third and fourth generation of video game music, including:

"Prime Blue" from Tenchi Souzou, also known as Terranigma outside of Japan, which has a mystical and magical sound with some really smooth bass guitar.  "Level 4" from Contra Force has that distinct Tomoya Tomita style which takes full advantage of the NES' sound capabilities.  "Train" from Knight Move starts out with a simulated train whistle, letting you know that this train is not stopping any time soon.  And it must be mentioned that "Washington" from Time Cop has some fun and memorable voice samples that will leave you quoting "FBI!...GET ON IT!" for the rest of the day.

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MANATREE'S AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS

Instant favorite: Tenchi Souzou - Prime Blue

Another favorite: Contra Force - Level 4

Unreleased but not unloved: Love Quest - Ending/Staff Roll

Track listing and original episode:

https://www.legacymusichour.com/2022/07/episode-250-death-train.html

LMH Mixtape #249: Sports 6

For Episode 249, the Legacy Music Hour returned to a classic genre: Sports!  This was the sixth time focusing on this topic, and once again it doesn't disappoint.  Getting pumped up for game night?  Check out "Prime Time Theme" from Prime Time NFL Starring Deion Sanders for some triumphant sounding NFL music.  "Events List" from Track & Field for the Game Boy is sporting that classic Konami sound.  And "Tournament" from '96 Zenkoku Koukou Soccer Senshuken is an incredibly smooth Super Famicom track.

Not only do sports games have really good music, but there's a lot a variety within the genre as well.  What track brings home the first place trophy for you?  Let's find out.  On your marks, get set, enjoy!

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MANATREE'S AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS

Instant favorite: '96 Zenkoku Koukou Soccer Senshuken - Tournament

Another favorite: ATP Tour Championship Tennis - Menu 1

Give this track a medal: Track & Field - Akihiro Juichiya - Events List

Track listing and original episode:

https://www.legacymusichour.com/2022/05/episode-249-sports-6.html

Episode 283: Happy Beginnings

Some good tracks on this episode, definitely.  And it's not just themed "happy beginnings," okay?  It's happy beginnings and more -such as sad endings.  Also on this episode, user Hammock treats everyone to a smooth VGM Karaoke performance, so you gotta stay tuned for that.  Full track listing below.

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Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Castlevania: Dracula X - Akira Souji, Tomoya Tomita (arr.), Masanari Iwata (arr.), Harumi Ueko (arr.), Masahiko Kimura (arr.) - Divine Bloodlines (Stage 1 BGM) - Konami - SNES - 1995

Aladdin - Yoko Wada (as Nasu-B) - Happy End in Agrabah - SIMS/Sega - Game Gear - 1994

Lucle - Fumito Tamayama - Title Screen/Cutscene/Stage 2 - Vic Tokai - Game Boy (Japan) - 1994

Batter Up - unknown - Sports News - Namco - Game Gear - 1991

Pac-Land - Hoyt Curtin - Homeward - Namco - Famicom - 1985

Surprise Attack - Miki Higashino (Pretty Miki-Chang), Hidenori Maezawa (Michael Maezawa), Yoshinori Sasaki (Moai Sasaki), Kozo Nakamura (La Nakamur) - Reap the Reward (Bonus) - Konami - arcade (Japan) - 1990

Aliens - Masanori Adachi - Stage 7 - Konami - arcade - 1990

Kujaku Ou - Toshihiko Takamizawa, Sachio Ogawa (Sting Ogawa) (arr.) - Ending (“Replicant Scandal”) - Sega Mark III - Sega - 1988

Valkyrie no Densetsu - Hiroyuki Kawada - Castle Theme - Namco - arcade (Japan) - 1989

Ayrton Senna's Super Monaco GP II - Masaru Setsumaru - Ending - Sega - Game Gear - 1992

Harley's Humongous Adventure - Brian Schmidt - Level Music 2 - Visual Concepts/Hi Tech Expressions - SNES - 1993

Low G Man: The Low Gravity Man - Nobuyuki Shioda (Eden), Norio Nakagata (Mr. N), Ryota Musha (Musya) - Chapter 4 - KID/Taxan - NES - 1990

Ganbare Pennant Race! - Atsushi Fujio - Other Match Results - Konami - Famicom - 1989

LMH Mixtape #248: The Legacy Bunch

Another traditional free play this week, so let's dive in.  We start things off with a PC Engine track "Story" from Aoi Blink which has a fun and carefree sound.  No time to relax though, because next up we're charging straight into "Stage 2: Military Fortress" from Super C which will get you pumped up.  We've also got some classic music from the great Nobuo Uematsu with "Shop" from Final Fantasy.  "A Mirage of Mind (Part 1) (Ending)" from the arcade game Metal Black is a great slow jam with some nice punchy drums that come in at the end.  "Overworld" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is an all-time classic NES track that surprisingly hadn't been played on the show until now.  The fun keeps going with "Go Straight" from Streets of Rage 2 which has that distinct Yuzo Koshiro energy.  Basically, there's a great variety of tracks to listen to here in this legacy bunch.

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MANATREE'S AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS

Instant favorite: Cross Wiber: Cyber Combat Police - Chapter 01

Another favorite: Super C - Stage 2: Military Fortress

Nostalgic favorite: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link - Overworld

Track listing and original episode:

https://www.legacymusichour.com/2022/05/episode-248-legacy-bunch.html

LMH Mixtape #247: Racing Games 4

For Episode 247, instead of the usual free play, the boizz returned to a classic topic: Racing Games.  This was their fourth lap around the course for this topic, proving there's still plenty of gas left in the tank when it comes to racing games.

We start out with some classic Famicom tracks from Vs. Excitebike and Famicom Grand Prix: F1 Race.  We then move on to the Super Famicom with the smooth jam "VS Race 1" from Kat's Run: Zen Nihon K Car Senshuken.  If you're looking for some great elevator style tracks, "Race Result" from Suzuka 8 Hours and "Result" from Redline: F-1 Racer both deliver those smooth jazzy sounds that we can't get enough of.  Finally, we finish the race strong with an absolutely bonk jam "Like The Wind (B COURSE)" from the Sega arcade game Power Drift.  This time, instead of putting your feet up, it's time to put the pedal to the metal and race straight into this week's mixtape!

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MANATREE'S AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS

Instant favorite: Kat's Run: Zen Nihon K Car Senshuken - VS Race 1

Another favorite: Redline: F-1 Racer - Result

Yet another favorite: Suzuka 8 Hours - Race Result

So many favorites!: Power Drift - Like The Wind (B COURSE)

Track listing and original episode:

https://www.legacymusichour.com/2022/04/episode-247-racing-games-4.html

LMH Mixtape #246: Shoe Endorsements

Get yourself a shoe endorsement and put those shoes on, because we're about to hit the ground running with this mixtape.  Starting things off we have "Downhill," a high tension track from Winter Olympic Games: Lillehammer '94.  We keep the intensity up with "Report 1: The Ghost Train Bound for Hell at 24 o'clock" from GS Mikami: Joreishi wa Nice Body.

After that we'll get a bit more whimsical with "Tale a Free Ride ~ Let’s Go!" from Tommy Moe's Winter Extreme: Skiing and Snowboarding.  Listen for the "Ba Bu Ba Buba" voice sample.  Or do you think it sounds more like "Bu Bubble Bobble"? 

This is just a small taste of what's in store for you in this mixtape, so put your feet up (to show off your new shoes) and get into some great third and forth generation video game music!

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MANATREE'S AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS

Instant favorite: Winter Olympic Games: Lillehammer '94 - Downhill

Another favorite: Esper Dream 2: Aratanaru Tatakai - Time Traveling Train's Journey

Yet another favorite: GS Mikami: Joreishi wa Nice Body - Report 1: The Ghost Train Bound for Hell at 24 o'clock

Deserves an endorsement: Dragon Egg! - Stage 6

Track listing and original episode:

https://www.legacymusichour.com/2022/03/episode-246-shoe-endorsements.html

Episode 282: Super Famicom

Even though this might seem like an Oscar-themed episode, which it is, the main focus is Super Famicom.  That's right.  All the tracks on this episode are from Japanese exclusive Super Famicom games.  And user Jared serves up another VGM Karaoke.  Full track listing below.

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Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Albert Odyssey 2: Jashin no Taidou - Naoki Kodaka - Straying off in the Depth - Sunsoft - Super Famicom - 1994

Drift King Shutokou Battle '94: Tsuchiya Keiichi & Bandou Masaaki - Jun Enoki (?) (Opus Corp.) - Ending - Genki/Bullet-Proof Software - Super Famicom - 1994

Live A Live - Yoko Shimomura - Under the Fake - Square - Super Famicom - 1994

Mini-Yonku Let's & Go!! Power WGP 2 - Masaru Tajima - International School - Jupiter Multimedia/Nintendo - Super Famicom - 1998

Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 3 - Harumi Ueko - Success Mode Winter - Konami - Super Famicom - 1996

Final Stretch - Masanao Akahori (Opus) - System Configuration - Genki/LOZC G. Amusements - Super Famicom - 1993

Sound Novel Tsukuru - Mitsuhiro Arisaka, Shigeharu Isoda - Theme C - Success/ASCII Entertainment - Super Famicom - 1996

Masters: Harukanaru Augusta 2 - Yumi Satake, Yusaburo Shimojyo, Shigekazu Kamaki, Akira Tamada, Hiroshi Morita, Shunsuke Minomiya - BGM 3 - T&E Soft - Super Famicom - 1993

Pro Mahjong Kiwame III - Kazuo Oikawa, Yoshio Nagashima, Koichi Ishibashi - Expert Challenge Ending - Athena - Super Famicom - 1995

Itadaki Street 2: Neon Sign wa Bara Iro ni - Kyohei Tsutsumi, Koichi Sugiyama (advisor) - Stardust Princess - Tomcat System/Enix - Super Famicom - 1994

Haisei Mahjong Ryouga - Nobuyuki Shioda - Mahjong Game 3 - ASCII Entertainment - Super Famicom - 1995

Wizap!: Ankoku no Ou - Yoshiyuki Ito, Masumi Ito - Epilogue - SAS Sakata/ASCII Entertainment - Super Famicom - 1994

Shimono Masaki no Fishing to Bassing - Iku Mizutani, Kinuyo Yamashita - Hello - Natsume - Super Famicom - 1994

LMH Mixtape #245: Cleanly Shaved

We've got a new mixtape of tracks as fresh as a cleanly shaved face.  Rob brought a few tracks from the Madden series, including "Title Theme" from John Madden Football '92, which has some very cool crunchy bass that the Genesis excels at.  That is followed by a very catchy and melodic track ("Stage Theme 6") from Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu for the NES.  Your cleanly shaved face may be smooth, but not as smooth as "Play Menu" from '96 Zenkoku Koukou Soccer Senshuken which has that 80's smooth jazz sound combined with some classic R&B elements.  We cap things off with a very "Hip" track from the great Hirokazu Tanaka with "Stage 1" from Balloon Kid for the Game Boy.  With that said, it's time once again to enjoy some top tier video game music, so let's jump in.

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MANATREE'S AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS

Instant favorite: Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu - Stage Theme 6

Another favorite: Dial Q o Mawase! - Match

The smoothest shave: '96 Zenkoku Koukou Soccer Senshuken - Play Menu

Track listing and original episode:

https://www.legacymusichour.com/2022/02/episode-245-cleanly-shaved.html

LMH Mixtape #244: Fingers Crossed

Were you crossing your fingers in hopes of a new mixtape dropping?  Well, you're in luck, because we've got a good one for you.  Things start off on a bit of a creepy tone with a very 70's electronic track, "Ending Theme" from Skeleton Krew.  After that, Tomoya Tomita hits us with that classic Konami style in "BGM 3" from F-1 Sensation.  Gabe shared a very cool, Castlevania-like track, "Ending Credits" from Dark Law: Meaning of Death.  "Angel in Ocean (Map: Sea) (Valkyries' Island)" from Farland Story is a really magical sounding classical piece, perfect for any RPG adventure.  Of course that's only a few of the totally mmm-poppin' tracks in store for you.  So go ahead and relax those crossed fingers, because it's time for some great video game music!

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MANATREE'S AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS

Instant favorite:  Dark Law: Meaning of Death - Ending Credits

Another instant favorite:  F-1 Sensation - BGM 3

Spookiest track:  Skeleton Krew - Ending Theme

Track listing and original episode:

https://www.legacymusichour.com/2022/01/episode-244-fingers-crossed.html

LMH Mixtape #243: Donny Divanian

Rob was unable to make it for Episode 243, but he was there in spirit, along with special guest Donny Divanian.  As always, there's a lot of great music to cover in this mixtape.  Main Menu from Multi Play Volleyball would fit well on an Elevator Music episode, with parts sounding reminiscent of Pilotwings.  Main Theme from Kiki Kaikai is a PC Engine track with a strong Asiatic style.  Technical Training from '96 Zenkoku Koukou Soccer Senshuken has some great electric funk moments -listen for the extra funky bass breakdown section (is that a wood block or a dog bark?).  This mixtape closes out on a whimsical note with a classic NES track, "Shop" from Final Fantasy.  Go ahead, put on your best cool guy sunglasses, and dig some fantastic video game music.

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MANATREE'S AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS

Instant favorite: Multi Play Volleyball - Main Menu

Funky favorite: '96 Zenkoku Koukou Soccer Senshuken - Technical Training

Catchiest hook: Sakigake!! Otokojuku: Shippu Ichi Gou Sei - Chapter 1

Track listing and original episode:

https://www.legacymusichour.com/2021/11/episode-243-donny-divanian.html

Episode 281: AI

Brent and Rob go one-on-one for Episode 281 with the theme being "AI" or artificial intelligence.  Kind of an action-packed episode with talking about fires, a dramatic monologue piece by user Tenek, and a VGM karaoke by user Jared.  Full track listing below.

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Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Fishing Koushien - Hikoshi Hashimoto (Hikoshi Hasimoto) - Boat Fishing at Kenzaki - A-Wave/King Records - Super Famicom - 1996

Rise of the Robots - Jason Page - Military - Mega Drive (Europe) - 1994

Popful Mail - Mieko Ishikawa (comp., arr.), Atsushi Shirakawa (comp., arr.), Hirofumi Matsuoka (arr.), Takahiro Tsunashima (arr.), Masaru Nakajima (arr.), Naoki Kaneda (arr.) - Jungle - Falcom - Super Famicom - 1994

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein - Ronnie Shahmoon, Shahid Ahmad (arr.) - Darkness of the Crypt - Bits Studios/Sony Imagesoft - Genesis - 1994

Game Boy Gallery - unknown - Flagman - TOSE/Nintendo - Game Boy (Europe) - 1995

Casino Games - unknown - Information - Compile/Sega - Sega Master System - 1989

Ripple Island - Naoki Kodaka (Chokkun), Ryu - Ending - Tokai Engineering/Sunsoft - Famicom - 1988

Monster Pro Wrestling - Kanta Watanabe - Ending - Lenar/ASK - PC Engine - 1991

Energy Breaker - Yasunori Shiono - The Sky’s Brilliance - Taito/Neverland - Super Famicom - 1996

Wiz 'n' Liz - Matt Furniss - Name Entry - Psygnosis/Raising Hell - Genesis - 1993

Mini Yonku GB: Let's & Go!! All-Star Battle Max - Toshiyuki Ueno - Race Location - ASCII /Jupiter Multimedia - Game Boy (Japan) - 1998

LMH Mixtape #242: Wet Spot

There's a lot of great tracks in this free play mixtape, so let's jump right in.  The boizz kicked things off with a Mega Drive Meganet track from Teddy Boy Blues.  While actually a 90's release, it really embodies the fun sound of 80's pop.  After that you can put your mind to work on a little game of Backgammon for the Famicom Disc System.  Now that your mind is pumped up, take a new age journey with BGM 1 from MegaMind.  We've also got so much more, like a hot jam from Rushing Beat Shura for the Super Famicom, a very classic Konami bop from F-1 Sensation and a super smooth track from Super R-Type for the Super Nintendo.  And that's just a sample of the fantastic tracks in store for you in this mixtape, so when you listen to this one, try not to leave a wet spot!

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MANATREE'S AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS

Instant favorite: F-1 Sensation - File Select/Password

Another favorite: Super R-Type - As Wet As A Fish (Stage 3)

Blatant favoritism award: Mega Man 4 - Bright Man

Track listing and original episode:

https://www.legacymusichour.com/2021/11/episode-242-wet-spot_01569514735.html

LMH Mixtape #241: Best Of Year In Review 10

Episode 241 was the tenth Best Of Year In Review episode, so by this point you probably already know how this works.  Brent and Rob alternate, counting down their top ten favorite tracks that they discovered within the previous year (3rd and 4th generation only).  Gabe also counts down his top five tracks.  Did anybody have overlapping picks?  If so, the track will appear again within the mixtape.  Possibly even up to three total times if picked by Brent, Rob and Gabe.

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MANATREE'S AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS

No spoilers, other than to say these are all tenners!

Track listing and original episode:

https://www.legacymusichour.com/2021/10/episode-241-best-of-year-in-review-10_0454549991.html

LMH Mixtape #240: Competition

Episode 240 was another traditional free play with a nice variety of systems and styles.  We start off with some classic Famicom and NES tracks from Nekketsu! Street Basket: Ganbare Dunk Heroes and Flying Warriors.  Following that is the unmistakably unique and creative work of famed composer Yuzo Koshiro from none other than Streets of Rage 2.  "Look Out (Normal BGM)" from the arcade version of Tiger-Heli is a fairly minimalistic yet quite memorable track.  That brings us to "An-non TO*KI*ME*KI Street" from Undercover Cops, a really cool Super Famicom track that...umm...that makes use of sound effects within...IS SOMEONE GOING TO ANSWER THAT PHONE? 

All of these tracks and more, competing for your attention in this mixtape!

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MANATREE'S AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS

Instant favorite: Undercover Cops - An-non TO*KI*ME*KI Street

Another favorite: Flying Warriors - Rick’s Fight

Mellow and smooth: Super Turrican 2 - Submerged

Track listing and original episode:

https://www.legacymusichour.com/2021/08/episode-240-competition.html

LMH Mixtape #239: The Olympics

The Olympics was the theme of Episode 239, so you'll find quite a few sports tracks in this mixtape, and we all know sports games have some really top tier music.  "Arm Wrestling" from Track & Field II has that iconic Konami sound to get you pumped up.  It's not just fully pumped sports tracks though... "What is your birthday?" from Tarot Mystery is a really great new age sounding track that has a magical and mysterious energy to it.  "Ending" from Shatterhand is absolutely bonk, as one might expect from a game made by Natsume.  There's a lot of fantastic tracks in this mixtape that are sure to bring home the gold, so on your marks, get set, enjoy!

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MANATREE'S AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS

Instant favorite: Shatterhand - Ending

Another favorite: Funaki Masakatsu Hybrid Wrestler: Tougi Denshou - Balcony

Classic Konami Jam: Track & Field II - Arm Wrestling

Track listing and original episode:

https://www.legacymusichour.com/2021/08/episode-239-olympics.html

Episode 280: Making Connections

Like some previous episodes, Rob brings a secret theme along with his selections, and Brent and Gabe try to figure it out.  Maybe you can figure it out before they do?  Or maybe you can just dig the good music.  That's not even a maybe.  You will definitely dig it.  Happy new year.  Full track listing below.

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Game - Composer - Song - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Metal Combat: Falcon's Revenge - Yuka Tsujiyoko, Kenichi Nishimaki, Masaya Kuzume - Title Theme - Intelligent Systems/Nintendo - SNES - 1993

Madoola no Tsubasa: The Wing of Madoola - Naoki Kodaka - Title - Sunsoft - Famicom - 1986

Metal Slader Glory: Director's Cut - Takane Ohkubo - Invader's Identity - HAL/Nintendo - Super Famicom - 2000

Ax Battler: A Legend of Golden Axe - Psychedelic Chung (PP.Chung) - Unused/Unknown - Aspect/Sega - Game Gear - 1991

Metal Max 2 - Satoshi Kadokura - Wanted Person Battle - Crea-Tech/Data East - Super Famicom - 1993

Hexion - Junya Nakano - 2P Co-op Mode (“Penguin Dance”) - Konami - arcade - 1992

Surprise Attack - Miki Higashino (Pretty Miki-Chang), Hidenori Maezawa (Michael Maezawa), Yoshinori Sasaki (Moai Sasaki), Kozo Nakamura (La Nakamur) - Burning Fighter (Stage 3) - Konami - arcade (Japan) - 1990

Mini-Yonku Let's & Go!! Power WGP 2 - Masaru Tajima - VS Shining Scorpion - Jupiter Multimedia/Nintendo - Super Famicom - 1998

Iron Commando: Koutetsu no Senshi - Carlo Perconti - 21 Moorgate Street - Arcade Zone/Pack-In-Video - Super Famicom - 1995

Zig Zag Cat: Ostrich Club mo Oosawagi da - Masako Inata - The Valley - Opera House/Den'Z - Super Famicom - 1994

Metal Head - Teruhiko Nakagawa - Ammo Select - Sega - Sega 32X - 1995

Super Mahjong Taikai - Fiori Wakakuwa - Kou Shibusawa - Koei - Super Famicom - 1992

Cue Brick - Kazuo Noguchi, Masanori Oouchi - BGM 1 - Konami - arcade (Japan) - 1989