Michiko Naruke (なるけ みちこ, Naruke Michiko) (born August 13, 1967) is a Japanese video game music composer, well known for her work in the Wild Arms series.

Michiko Naruke
成毛美智子 (なるけ みちこ)
Born (1967-08-13) August 13, 1967 (age 57)
Chiba Prefecture, Japan
OriginJapan
GenresVideo game music
OccupationComposer
InstrumentKeyboards
Years active1990–present
LabelsSPE Visual Works, King
WebsiteSasakure.net

Composing career

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She used to work for Telenet Japan and Riot, but many people who worked for these two companies left, and along with Naruke, later started working for Media.Vision. She has composed music for games outside of the Wild ARMs series, such as Psycho Dream on the Super Famicom and the Tenshi no Uta series on the PC Engine. While it was speculated that Naruke composed under the pseudonym "Hassy" for the @MIDI albums, the composer herself has stated that Hassy is a separate individual (Hiroya Hatsushiba).[1]

She has made a number of songs for Media.Vision's Wild ARMs series. Occasionally, the main theme and ending theme of the Wild ARMs songs will contain lyrics, formerly being sung by Machiko Watanabe and Kaori Asoh. Most recently, for the tenth anniversary, a new vocalist has been introduced, Nana Mizuki. Her compositions in the Wild ARMs series include her signature whistling parts, whistled by Naoki Takao. Naruke has composed more than 400 songs for the Wild ARMs series. However, during the development of Wild ARMs: The 4th Detonator, Naruke fell ill, marking the first time in the Wild ARMs series that she did not compose the entire soundtrack.

In an interview for Wild ARMs: Piece of Tears, Naruke revealed items which she values, including her keyboard and rhythm machine, a pamphlet of Jerry Goldsmith, a figure of Kurokishi from "Gingaman", an original score of Bach, and a memorial vinyl disc.

Works

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Video games

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Year Title Role
1990 Legion Music with Hiroto Otsubo, Shinobu Ogawa, and Takaharu Umezu
Dekoboko Densetsu: Hashiru Wagamanma arrangement with Hiroto Otsubo, Minoru Yuasa, and Shingo Murakami
1991 Valis III (Mega Drive) arrangement with Takaharu Umezu and Minoru Yuasa
High Grenadier Music with Takaharu Umezu
Tenshi no Uta Music with Shinobu Ogawa
1992 Mirai Shounen Conan Music
Psycho Dream Music
1993 Tenshi no Uta II: Datenshi no Sentaku Music
1996 Wild Arms Music
1999 Wild Arms 2 Music
2002 Wild Arms 3 Music
2003 Wild Arms Alter Code: F Music
2005 Wild Arms 4 Music with Masato Kouda, Nobuyuki Shimizu, and Ryuta Suzuki
2008 Super Smash Bros. Brawl Arrangements[a]
The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road "RIZ-ZOAWD!", "My Home on the Hills"
2010 Guwange Arrangement[b][2]
2011 Noora to Toki no Koubou: Kiri no Mori no Majo Music
Half-Minute Hero: The Second Coming "To a Space Faraway", "Battle of Godwave"
2014 Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Arrangements[c]
2015 Zombie Tokyo Music with Noriyuki Iwadare
2016 7'scarlet "Koboresou na Tsuki"
Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey "Beyond the Tempest"
2018 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Arrangements[d]
Wild Arms: Million Memories Music with Saki Furuya, Naoki Chiba, and Kyohei Ozawa
2019 Rakugaki Kingdom "Regaining"
2024 Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Music with Motoi Sakuraba[3]
2025 Armed Fantasia Music with Noriyasu Agematsu[4]

Other

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Year Title Role
2006 FM Sound Module Maniax Music with several others
2009 Griotte no Nemuri Hime ~FEL ARY LU EN TINDHARIA~ Music with several others
2013 Feedback Music
Feedback 2nd Music
Feedback 3rd Music
Feedback 4th Music
2014 Game Music Prayer II Music with several others
THE LEGEND ARTISTS Otakara Hakken! Music with several others
Feedback 5th. Music
Feedback 6th. Music

Notes

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  1. ^ "Ocarina of Time Medley" and "Bramble Blast"
  2. ^ "Departure (Select)"
  3. ^ "Full Steam Ahead (Spirit Tracks)", and "Cut Man Stage"
  4. ^ “Bloody Tears/Monster Dance”, "Mad Monster Mansion", and "Let's Go to Seoul! (Fatal Fury 2)"

References

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  1. ^ "I have an idea of who Hassy might be," says the composer, referring to the pseudonym attributed to her on Wikipedia. "I think we might have even worked together a long time ago." Jeriaska (2008-12-20). "Michiko Naruke's Wild Arms, From Console to Stage". RPGFan. Archived from the original on 2009-02-08. Retrieved 2008-12-25.
  2. ^ "GUWANGE Arrange Album Original Sound Track". VGMdb. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  3. ^ Webster, Andrew (24 July 2020). "Suikoden's creators are crowdfunding a spiritual successor". The Verge. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  4. ^ "Music". wildbunchproductions.co.jp. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
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