Beginning in 1987, Japanese composer Nobuo Uematsu forged the modus operandi for the integral music of the wildly popular Final Fantasy video game series. He imaginatively wove together motifs from classical music—the ubiquitous “Prelude” of early volumes is based on a Bach piece—with bits of new age serenity and soaring drama, all within the technical limitations of early Nintendo systems. His influence, range, and the complexity of his compositions increased as the franchise grew, and by 2000 he stepped aside for a revolving cast of composers, who’ve leavened his template with bits of bossa nova, flamenco, and progressive rock, among other genres.