Mega Man: Manami Matsumae's' Mini-Masterpiece

Mega Man's Stellar Soundtracks Started Here.

Today’s post is brought to you by my good friend, Alexander Hellene! I highly recommend his excellent Substack, his sweet science-fiction trilogy (I’m not even a big sci-fi guy, and I really enjoyed the Swordbringer series), or his music reviews. He’s a true Renaissance man, and most importantly to this Substack, a lover of fine vintage video games. I couldn’t be happier to feature his work on the Sonoran Videogame Society.

This post is part 1 in his upcoming multi-part series on excellent video game soundtracks. Check out this introductory post to learn more information on this series.

As always, Sonoran Videogame Society is a Substack dedicated to playing and exploring video games with friends like you. Some posts are free, some are for paid subscribers only. Don’t forget to sign up here. Thanks for reading!

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Release Date: December 17, 1987 (Japan/North America), December 13, 1989 (Europe)
Composer: Manami Matsumae (credited as Chanchacorin Manami)
Rating: 6.7

Released in the waning days of 1987, Mega Man, or Rockman in Japan, was not a hit. But the “Blue Bomber,” as he came to be known, was the little robot that could, and would prove to power Capcom as one of the premier video game development companies of all time, a title they still proudly wear today.

In the early days of gaming, Capcom was killing it in arcades. Before Mega Man, before Resident Evil, before Devil May Cry, before Monster Hunter, before Street Fighter, before Marvel vs. Capcom, before Final Fight, before the Disney games, Capcom was known for 1942, Commando, Gun.Smoke, Legendary Wings, and Ghosts n’ Goblins, and the ports of these popular games to home consoles like the NES.

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But Capcom, as all the best and most restless of creators do, wanted to try something new. They wanted to try their hand at making games specifically and exclusively for home consoles. I’m sure money was involved in this decision as well, as the NES was proving to be not only the savior of the video game market, but an absolute cash cow. And thus Mega Man was born.

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Bringing in a small team of young talent, including director/artist Akira Kitamura, producer Takashi Nishiyama, artists Keiji Inafune, Naoya Tomita, Yasuaki Kishimoto, programmer Nobuyuki Matsushima, and composer Manami Matsumae.

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Inspired by anime and “rock paper scissors,” the Mega Man team came up with a concept where the player could choose which stage to play. Upon defeating each boss—the “Robot Master”—Mega Man would get each boss’s weapon upon defeating him. Further, in keeping with its inspiration, each Robot Master had a vulnerability to a specific weapons, so while players could best stages in an order, there would naturally be a preferred sequence depending on which stage was chosen first, as all bosses are equally vulnerable to Mega Man’s starting weapon. Upon defeating each Robot Master—six in the first game, eight in subsequent releases—the Dr. Wily stages would open up, providing a linear series of several challenging stages where players would have to utilize every tool at Mega Man’s disposal to win.¹

Rinse, repeat.

It sounds basic now, but this formula was fresh and novel in 1987.² And players really enjoyed it, those who played the game, despite its high degree of difficulty. The graphics, concept, gameplay, and spot-on controls really struck a chord with gamers. However, the game wasn’t the breakaway sales hit Capcom as hoped despite its dedicated following. That would happen with the sequel, but we’ll get to that later.

So why didn’t Mega Man sell like hotcakes? Maybe it was the box art, which looked like this in Japan . . .

. . . but looked like this in North America.

The European box art was much better, also:

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I’ll tell you what didn’t scare gamers away: the music.

Matsumae did a fantastic job on a new franchise with the NES’s limited sound hardware, the humble Ricoh RP2A03.

There were some definite learning experiences according to Matsumae:

I knew about the layout of the stages during the music composition stage. It’s important for there to be a balance of sound effects and music during testing, so there are times when we had to lower the volume down, but there weren’t any instances in which I actually had to change the composition of any of the music. The sound effects, which are one-note chords, play onto the music, which are three-note chords, so I had to do things such as shorten the sound effects, as well as adjust them so they don’t cut into the melody of the songs. But since it was my first time supervising such a project, there are places where the sound effects cause the melody to go away. (emphasis mine)

As you’ll hear, Matsumae describes her approach as melody focused:

When I joined Capcom, my superior (sempai) told me that I had to create melodies that were memorable. I haven’t forgotten those words even after three decades. I think my signature sound is thus melodies that are catchy and memorable. In other words, my songs are melody-focused. Whenever I’m asked to compose, people ask me to create something with the Matsumae signature sound! (laughs) I also like to use chord modulation in my tracks, so my melodies will feature this technique. I love thinking about how my melodies will turn out as I experiment with this during the composition process. (emphasis mine)

Now let’s check out some of those melodies.

Title Screen: There is no music at all on the title screen for Mega Man’s inaugural installment so, per the rules of this exercise, it will not be rated.

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Stage Select:

This is decent four-bar riff that is cheerful and appropriately “robotic,” but repetitive and grating after a few times through. There’s something about the timbre of it that feels like spikes being jabbed into my ears. Better select that stage quickly! 4.8

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Boss Select:

Matsumae’s jingle after a Robot Master has been selected is so iconic, it was used for most of the series. It only lasts less than 10 seconds, but it deserves a high rating for memorability and staying power. 7.0

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Cut Man:

Matsumae’s favorite piece in the game!³ Cut Man’s theme is a high-energy, eastern-tinged workout. I always liked the “blink blink” effect before each phrase, as well as the busy sub-melody. There is a fun “brrrRRRR” that ushers in the B-section; the sub-melody drops out here, which creates interest, but it highlights the sparseness of overall sound. Still, the melodies are well-constructed and resolve well, looping back on themselves satisfyingly. The percussion is nothing to write home about, but gives the melody a slight propose edge. Nothing about the theme screams “Giant scissors robot”—what music could, really?—but even so, it fits the stage. 7.5

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Guts Man:

Arguably the hardest Robot Master stage in the game, and one Matsumae had trouble beating during her testing.⁴ Guts Man’s theme has a good intro that is appropriately minor key and urgent. I like the tremolo on main melody, and it’s nice to hear the bouncing bass. The melody is moody and effective, but get used to it because it goes nowhere; there is no B-section or any deviation, so it’s a bit boring even if it does fit the stage. 6.0

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Ice Man:

Another difficult stage, thanks to the disappearing yoku blocks peppered throughout. But what about the music? I like the intro, with its snaky submelody; it gives a sense of uncertainty that, coupled with the chromatic buildup to the main melody, fits a level made of ice, where disappearing blocks confirm that things aren’t as they seem. The main melody is typical Matsumae, in other words, memorable, but the track overall has a very empty and sparse sound. Again, it sort of fits the theme but undercuts a lot of urgency this level needs. Bonus points for contrasting the major-key main melody with the minor-key intro/B-melody. I think more interesting bass and percussion would also have helped. It’s a “slippery” sounding theme, but doesn’t scream “ICE LEVEL!” 6.5

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Bomb Man:

Many players’ preferred first level, Bomb Man’s theme has a loping, easy-going tempo with a bright, cheery intro that least into another well-constructed, attractive melody that steadily ascends like the stage Mega Man must traverse. Great rhythms too. I like the little vibrato effect on the highest note of the A-melody before the B-melody comes in. Speaking of which, the second section is more minor key with some busy scalar runs underneath a slower counter melody, culminating in a slick syncopated arpeggio with a lower-toned, heavily filtered sound, before a short turnaround, culminating in dramatic up-and-down triplets acts like a staircase back to the main melody. The theme doesn’t sound “bomby,” but perfectly fits the stage’s look. As with many tracks, it could use better percussion and a more interesting bass part, but despite these shortcomings it’s great, and easily the best Robot Master theme in the game. 7.9

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Fire Man:

Ow, we’ve got a hot one here! I love the metallic percussion and bouncing octaves in the bass. Like Cut Man’s theme, this has an eastern flavor. The rhythm track adds tensions, as does the main melody when it repeats an octave higher—very effective! The turnaround chord progression adds a bouncy, push/pull rhythmic device that is very Mega Man and will be used on other soundtracks by different composers throughout the series, but Matsumae started it here. Bonus: this absolutely sounds like “fire level” music. 7.6

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Elec Man:

Disco, baby! Dig that percussion intro—makes you want to dance, doesn’t it? The main melody always reminded me of Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration,” though I’ve heard others say it calls to mind “Faithfully” by Journey. Either way, this is one fun tune. The chiming “ding dings” at the end of phrase are an excellent touch. The B-melody is great as well: the first two channels take over as rhythmic accompaniment like chiming guitars or keyboards while we get an upper-register bass solo for the melody. But again, it is overall sparse and empty sounding. The percussion, after starting off strong, becomes sort of an afterthought, which too bad considering that tie is a very attractive melody. But it fits the vertical nature of the stage, and likening “electric” to disco/dance music is very clever. 7.4

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Boss Theme:

Fights with Robot Master are wild, and so is their theme. It begins with a flurry of lower-register notes, building onto a busy, frenetic and uptempo rhythm, a short loop through a I-bVII-bVI-V chord progression that will raise your blood pressure while you fight, and while just listening to it. There’s dramatic tension and not much else. 5.6

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Wily Stages 1 + 2 Theme:

You’ve done it. You’ve finally fought through the Robot Masters and are ready to take on the evil Dr. Wily himself. But first, you need to make it thorough his castle and its gauntlet of traps. The melody for these stages is appropriately urgent, playing over a descending chord progression. I like when the main melody begins: one channel remains playing the intro melody, which is highly effective and reminds me of a emo song for some reason. The turnaround has some cool, tricky syncopated back-and-forth, but despite its plaintiff nature, doesn’t quite get the blood boiling. 7.2

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Wily Stages 3+4 Theme:

Deeper into the bowels of Wily’s castle, the music takes a decidedly sinister turn. Mega Man rushes through water-filled tunnels and spike-laden corridors as a chromatic four-chord progression with throbbing bass steadily rises. There’s quick, undulating riff, and then the chord progression repeats an octave higher. After, there’s a back-and-forth chord sequence in that repeats itself in the lower octave before going back to the top. It’s really good mood music, but so short! The result of limited storage space, perhaps? Whatever the case, Matsumae evokes maximum emotion with just a handful of chords. 5.9

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Wily Stages Boss Theme:

The layered scalar riff is appropriately frantic and sounds like a I-bIII chord progression with the lower channels providing a half-time countermelody. It’s effective, but only lasts four bars. I do think it is more “sinister” sounding than the Robot Master boss theme, which befits obnoxious bastards like the Yellow Devil. I hate that guy. 5.8

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Ending Theme:

You’ve done it. You’ve beaten Dr. Wily and restored peace. Now, you ride home on a train, back to your creator Dr. Light and your sister Roll. You’ve truly earned a great closing theme, and Ms. Matsumae delivers. The poignant intro makes great use of a I-iv progression, which picks up steam going through a progression of chords and modulating to a new key before an uptempo variation on the somber main theme enters. I like the lower-toned bell-like sounds in the main channel, as well as the trade off with the twinkling descending phrase. There’s a third section with a melody that sounds like a riff on the Bomb Man theme, especially rhythmically. It all comes to a gyrating conclusion, culminating into a weird, unresolved, I think A7sus2 chord, which is a really interesting choice for the game’s conclusion, but fits with the melancholy mood. Remember: the never ending battle continues until all destructive forces are defeated. Fight, Mega Man! For everlasting peace! This is the best-written piece in the game by far. 8.1

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Let’s tally up our scores:

4.8 + 7.0 + 7.5 + 6.0 + 6.5 + 7.9 + 7.6 + 7.4 + 5.6 + 7.2 + 5.9 + 5.8 + 8.1 = 87.3. 87.3/13 = 6.71, which rounds down to 6.7.

This score feels fair and accurate to me. Though Matsumae did an outstanding job that set the tone for the entire franchise, these tunes have a sparse sound, the percussion is by and large absent or weak, and several themes are short. Still, there are some strong melodies, and that Mega Man feel was there from the get-go.

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I think Manami Matsumae knocked the Mega Man score out of the park. Though she contributed to Air Man’s theme from Mega Man II, Matsumae wouldn’t work on the Mega Man series again until the 21st century, arranging a track on Mega Man 9 and contributing a Robot Master theme to Mega Man 10 along with many other past Mega Man composers. She didn’t leave Capcom right away, though, creating music for arcade games like F1 Dream, 1943: The Battle of Midway, Final Fight, U.N. Squadron, Dynasty Wars, Mercs, and Magic Sword. She also worked, on several Game Boy, SNES, and computer games, and did music for breakout 2014 hit Shovel Knight, 2016’s Mighty No. 9 with Mega Man co-creator Keiji Inafune, and she’s still in the video game music industry to this day. Notably, Matsumae released an album called Three Movements in December 2017, featuring a combination of piano, chiptune, orchestral, and ambient music.

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A true pioneer, Manami Matsumae first blessed us with her talent on the very first Mega Man game, paving the way for the mega-successful franchise’s composers to come.

Next up: Mega Man II

1. Information about Mega Man’s development taken mostly from Wikipedia. While many express valid issues with Wikipedia, the site does do a good job of aggregating information and providing links to sources for further reading. As such, I will continue to use it as a source for the relatively uncontroversial topic of video games.

2. For more insight into the development of Mega Man, check out this interview with Kitamura.

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Mohammed: Indeed. So now, after all these years, what’s your favorite music from the original game?

Manami: Hmm, probably Cutman and the Ending. Cutman was the first song the planner gave the OK on, while I liked the ending because all the stages were upbeat tempos. I’m quite fond of the slow tempo of the ending.

Mohammed: Right. So, you said you didn’t finish the game. What stage gave you the most trouble, and made you give up playing? Guts Man stage was bothering me when I was a kid, but right now it’s definitely Ice Man stage. This guy is not as nice as he looks. (laughs)

Manami: Well, it’s Guts Man for me still. (laughs) I never got down the timing of jumping across the moving floors, so I always ended up falling. Guts Man and Iceman have those moving floors that appear and disappear, which I hate as they're so difficult. (laughs)

All of this stands as long as we’re talking about the product that was eventually released. In actuality, I’ve beaten the game only once! While developing a game, you have to verify the music and sound effects while playing through it. But since I was always dying at the Guts Man stage, I cried to the programmer, telling him that I couldn’t make progress on my checks, so I had him make a ROM with the game’t hit detection removed. So, no matter how many times I fell, or how many times an enemy hit me, or how many times I fell into a sea of lava, I never died. (laughs) I used that neutered ROM to beat the game and finish my checks.

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