We begin a new chapter of Pixelated Audio with our first solo show, and our first full-length tribute episode, this time honoring Manabu Saito. Saito was a prolific composer for System Sacom from 1987 to 1991, composing and arranging the music for over 15 games.

You may have heard his music in Yuurei-kun on Episode 91, but this time we take a deeper dive over his entire career. Listen to Saito's growth as a composer over four years and 25 songs in a wide range of styles.

"Yuurei-kun" key production staff. Manabu Saito (left)

Episode Track List:

0:00:06 Opening - Euphory (Sharp X1 - OPM)

0:04:36 Vertes - Euphory (Sharp X1 - PSG)

0:07:13 Track 2 - Fire Rock (Famicom Disk System)

0:09:58 The Dome - Dome (X68000 - OPM)

0:14:52 RPG Theme - Soft and Hard Stories (X68000 - OPM)

0:17:27 Bar - Chatty (PC88 - OPNA)

0:22:43 Stage 1 - Evolution (FM Towns)

0:29:12 Cave of Plateau - Providence (PC88 - OPNA)

0:32:18 Hell Hole - Yuurei-kun (MSX2 - PSG)

0:35:15 Grassland - Valna (PC88 - OPNA)

0:39:48 Driving Before Dawn - Soft and Hard Stories 2 (X68000 - OPM)

380,000km of Emptiness / 38 Man Kilo no Kokuu

0:43:55 A Pack of Cigarettes (X68000 - MT-32)

0:47:02 Snappy Time  (X68000 - OPM)

Manabu Saito and Sumeya Kunihiro

The Darkness of Kin / Yami no Ketsuzoku

0:50:44 Masayuki Izawa (X68000 - OPM)

0:53:22 Ending (X68000 - OPM)

The Darkness of Kin: The Final Chapter / Yami no Ketsuzoku: Kanketsu-hen

0:57:12 Kumaha's Attack (X68000 - OPM)

0:59:27 Lean Burned (X68000 - OPM)

The Darkness of Kin: Special / Yami no Ketsuzoku Special

1:02:53 Opening (FM Towns)

All Darkness of Kin music composed by Manabu Saito and Haruo Hosoya

Gemini Wing

1:05:33 Stage 6 (Arcade - OPL2)

Composed by Mikio Saito

1:06:20 Stage 6 (X68000 - CM-64)

Arranged by Manabu Saito

1:09:14 Darkness - Jerry Boy (Super Famicom)

Akira Yamaoka, Hirohiko Fukuda and Manabu Saito

1:12:49 Big Boss Attacks - Yuurei-kun (MSX2 - PSG)

1:13:42 Big Boss Attacks (Unused) - Valna (PC88 - OPNA)

1:14:58 Vertes Waterway - Euphory (Sharp X1 - OPM)

1:16:17 Vertes Waterway (Unused) - Soft and Hard Stories  (X68000 - OPM)

1:22:53 Ending (Unused 3) - The Darkness of Kin: The Final Chapter (X68000 - OPM)

Manabu Saito and Haruo Hosoya

LINKS GALORE!

Purchase Manabu Saito's music at Egg Music (JP)

Manabu Saito Memorial Website (JP), Additional memorial site (JP)

Research sites: VGMRips, Zophar's Domain, VGMPF, VGMDB, GDRI, Mobygames

Other great podcasts mentioned: Game Music Gaiden, The Diad Presents, Forever Sound Version