Games by Platform
| Thumbnail | Title | Year | Platform | Publisher | Role | Musical notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Balloon Fight | 1984 | Famicom / NES | Nintendo | Composer | Rhythmically distinctive title and stage music; Joust-inspired action game. |
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Clu Clu Land
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Clu Clu Land | 1984 | Famicom / NES | Nintendo | Composer | Circular maze action; energetic score matching the game’s rotating movement mechanic. |
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Excitebike | 1984 | Famicom / NES | Nintendo | Composer | Driving racing themes; NES North America launch title. Among Tanaka’s earliest Famicom credits. |
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Metroid — Deep dive | 1986 (FDS) / 1987 (NES) | FDS Famicom / NES | Nintendo | Composer | Flagship work. Atmosphere-first score; sparse channels; alien ambient drone. FDS wavetable version vs NES 5-channel port. |
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Kid Icarus | 1986 (FDS) / 1987 (NES) | FDS Famicom / NES | Nintendo | Composer | Heroic platformer; fanfares and energetic themes balanced against FDS wavetable richness. Co-developed with Metroid by R&D1. |
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Super Mario Land | 1989 | Game Boy | Nintendo | Composer | Entirely original score; bright and melodic register distinct from Tetris GB. Often confused with Tetris because both are 1989 GB launch titles by Tanaka. Credited as “Hip Tanaka” in-game (authorship confirmed). |
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Tetris GB (1989)
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Tetris (Game Boy) | 1989 | Game Boy | Nintendo | Composer | Type A - arrangement of “Korobeiniki” (19th-c. Russian folk); one of the most-heard pieces of music in history. Type B and C are original compositions. |
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Mother (EarthBound Beginnings) | 1989 | Famicom / NES | Nintendo / APE Inc. | Composer | Beatles-influenced psychedelic RPG score; directed by Shigesato Itoi. Waltz, surf rock, and electronic ambience - radical for a 1989 Famicom RPG. |
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Dr. Mario | 1990 | Famicom / NES Game Boy | Nintendo | Composer | “Fever” and “Chill” - two of the most recognisable puzzle game themes ever written. Same compositions on both NES and Game Boy versions. |
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EarthBound SNES (1994)
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EarthBound (Mother 2) | 1994 | SNES | Nintendo / HAL Laboratory | Sound director, co-composer (with Keiichi Suzuki) | Tanaka’s final major credit. Sound direction alongside Keiichi Suzuki as primary composer. 200+ cues; SNES sample-based synthesis. One of the greatest RPG soundtracks. |