Grasshopper Manufacture

• Featured, Game Music

  No More Heroes 2 Interview with Jun Fukuda and Nobuhiko Sagara

  May 13, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 5 Comments Share this No More Heroes 2 Interview with Jun Fukuda and Nobuhiko Sagara

  

  We had a blast with No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle, and are still awaiting word from Grasshopper Manufacture regarding a soundtrack release. While the game was released months ago in North America, it still hasn’t been released in Japan, and we’ve been fortunate enough to get some of lead sound designer and composer Jun Fukuda and sound coordinator Nobuhiko Sagara’s time to talk about their work on the title.

  We dig deep into the many artists that were recorded for the soundtrack, the influence of the game’s theme of revenge, the use of tracks from the No More Heroes Dark Side Remixes album, a No More Heroes 2 soundtrack release, and Fukuda’s and Sagara’s respective backgrounds that led them to their current roles at Grasshopper Manufacture. It’s a good time, so we hope you enjoy reading about what went into all the sound elements in No More Heroes 2!

  Hit the jump for our lengthy interview with Jun Fukuda and Nobuhiko Sagara from Grasshopper Manufacture. (more…)

• Game Music, Reviews

  Kill or be Killed: No More Heroes 2 Desperate Struggle (Game Review)

  March 20, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on Kill or be Killed: No More Heroes 2 Desperate Struggle (Game Review) Share this Kill or be Killed: No More Heroes 2 Desperate Struggle (Game Review)

  

  While nobody I know outside of the gaming industry has played the original No More Heroes, it apparently did well enough to warrant a sequel. It’s one of my favorite games on the Wii, so I was understandably shocked but ecstatic at the news of a sequel. I loved the quirky otaku humor of the first game, and it looked as though there was more of the same with some improvements in the sequel.

  The ending of the first game was so ridiculous that I had no idea how they were going to continue, but they’ve done it.  Lots of things have changed in Santa Destroy, and for us here at OSV where we focus on music, Masafumi Takada’s departure left a huge question mark as to how the sequel would feel.

  Well, let’s get on with our review after the jump! (more…)

• Featured, Game Music

  GDC 2010: Akira Yamaoka Talks Grasshopper Manufacture

  March 12, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 10 Comments Share this GDC 2010: Akira Yamaoka Talks Grasshopper Manufacture

  

  Okay, so it took us longer than we expected to get our interview with Akira Yamaoka, but it’s finally here. We had to track him down in person to get it done, but at least we’ve discovered a number of interesting things about his decision to leave Konami and what his role will be at Grasshopper Manufacture moving forward.

  Will he contribute to the Silent Hill series in the future? Was he involved with the No More Heroes 2 soundtrack? Will he be working on a follow-up to his solo album, iFUTURELIST? And what will his first major project be at Grasshopper Manufacture?

  Find out in our interview after the jump! (more…)

• Game Music

  Akira Yamaoka to Speak at GDC With Grasshopper Manufacture

  February 9, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 2 Comments Share this Akira Yamaoka to Speak at GDC With Grasshopper Manufacture

  

  Yes, we’ve all been hearing over the past few days that Akira Yamaoka has left Konami for Grasshopper Manufacture (we’re still working on that interview, so hang tight!). With GDC 2010 right around the corner, it was starting to look like it was going to be a relatively quiet year for the audio track, but in the latest update, a panel was announced featuring none other than Yamaoka himself.

  Titled “As Long as the Audio is Fun, the Game Will Be Too,” the lecture will delve into Yamaoka’s past 20 years in game design and game audio, exploring the parallels between the two areas. Most interesting of all? He’s listed as Akira Yamaoka of Grasshopper Manufacture Studio. Doesn’t get more official than that. His lecture will be on Friday for those who are attending, and you can count on us being there to tell you what he has to say.

  Be sure to check up on the GDC website from time to time to see new panels that are being announced daily. Are you surprised to see him out on the lecture circuit so soon after his big move?

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