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Junichi Masuda

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Junichi Masuda

Junichi Masuda (Japanese: 増田順一 Masuda Jun'ichi, born January 12, 1968 in Yokohama) is one of the founding members of Game Freak and the current Chief Creative Fellow at The Pokémon Company. He is best known as a game director and composer for the Pokémon games.

He runs his Director's Columns on Game Freak's website, with many of the entries translated into English. In it, he has talked about why he has done his work in the Pokémon franchise the way he has and also has given out news about the games he is working on. It was through this column that the Masuda method, a method of obtaining Shiny Pokémon more easily, was first documented.

Early life and career

Masuda was born in the Kanagawa Prefecture, located in the real-life Kantō region, on January 12, 1968. His family would vacation in the Kyūshū region, which became the basis for the Pokémon world's Hoenn. As a teenager, he played the trombone and had interest in classical music, while also maintaining an interest in arcade games and their programming. He was working in a corporate office in 1989 when Satoshi Tajiri approached him and asked if he would like to join Game Freak, which was just beginning to form at the time. Masuda agreed and became one of the founding members of the company. 2009 marked his 20th anniversary with Game Freak.

The first game that Masuda worked on with Game Freak was composing the music for Mendel Palace, which was released in 1990. He also composed for Nintendo's Mario and Wario in 1993 and Sega's Pulseman in 1994. He also co-produced the Game Freak title Drill Dozer.

Work with Pokémon

Video games

Masuda was the sole composer for the handheld games Pokémon Red and Green. He developed a program called "Sound Driver" in the early 1990s, which was used to play music and sound effects in Game Freak's titles. This program was later used to create all of the original Pokémon's cries.

He has composed the music for every core series Pokémon game to date. Gradually, Masuda began to take on duties other than composing; however, he still has composed most of the battle themes. He was appointed sub-director for Pokémon Gold and Silver and has directed or co-directed every core series Pokémon game since Pokémon Crystal as well as Pokémon Box Ruby & Sapphire. He served as an adviser for Pokémon Stadium, Pokémon Stadium 2, and Pokémon Puzzle Challenge, and he was the supervisor for Pokémon Channel.

Masuda has also done design work for the Pokémon games. He designed the Hoenn region, and he was involved with game design that contributed to Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, although he did not directly serve as a designer for that game.

Masuda has been known by fans for his important and noteworthy announcements relating to the games, among his firsts being the aforementioned Masuda method. In 2008, Masuda revealed diamond dust to players of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl through his director's column by asking them to play on January 12. The phenomenon first occurred on his 40th birthday, and it was later discovered to appear on several other days in different years in different games. Slightly over two years later, Zoroark was first revealed by Junichi Masuda as a silhouette in the February 7, 2010 edition of Pokémon Sunday. Its full image was later revealed in the March 2010 issue of CoroCoro, alongside its pre-Evolution, Zorua.

Masuda opened his Twitter account on October 4, 2011 in order to communicate with fans. Soon after, Masuda gained the attention of fans once again because of his blog post that revealed information about the mysterious character N, including his name and its origin.

On February 26, 2012, Masuda appeared on Pokémon Smash to announce Black 2 and White 2.

On April 7, 2013, Masuda again appeared on Pokémon Smash to reveal Mega Mewtwo Y for the upcoming Generation VI games.

On July 4, 2013, at Japan Expo 2013, a video was broadcasted where Masuda announced that the Kalos region is based on France. The video also included Masuda's revelation of the Generation VI Pokémon, Honedge.

On May 31, 2022, Masuda joined The Pokémon Company, serving as Chief Creative Officer, vacating his position at Game Freak.

Animation

Masuda's music is rearranged for Pokémon animation by Shinji Miyazaki. He has also done original design for the series since Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire.

Masuda has also been involved with many of the Pokémon movies. Masuda was an original creator of the Pokémon movies Jirachi: Wish Maker, Destiny Deoxys, Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea, The Rise of Darkrai and Giratina and the Sky Warrior, as well as the The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters Out of the Gate!, and Pikachu's Island Adventure animated series specials. He also composed music for Mewtwo Strikes Back and The Power of One and contributed sound for Celebi: The Voice of the Forest. In Pokémon Heroes: Latios & Latias, he was involved with character staging.

Others

On keyboards in the group ＭＴＭ, Masuda composed the song battle gene Ｍ after gaining a request from Shōko Nakagawa. The song is based on Cynthia's battle theme, which is featured on Pokémon Diamond & Pokémon Pearl: Super Music Collection, Pokémon Black & Pokémon White: Super Music Collection, and Pokémon Black 2 & Pokémon White 2: Super Music Collection under the titles 戦闘！チャンピオン Battle! Champion, 戦闘! シロナ Battle! Shirona, and 戦闘! チャンピオン(シンオウ) Battle! Champion (Shin'ō), respectively.

Game credits

Discography

Masuda's work appears on the following CDs:

Song credits

Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue

  • Title Screen -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Pallet Town Theme -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Professor Oak -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Professor Oak's Laboratory -- Composition & Arrangement
  • A Rival Appears -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Road to Viridian City: Leaving Pallet Town -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Picked Up an Item! -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Battle! (Wild Pokémon) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Victory! (Wild Pokémon) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Obtained a Pokémon! -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Pewter City Theme -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Pokémon Center -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Pokémon Healed -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Pokédex Evaluation... You're on Your Way! -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Viridian Forest -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Guide -- Composition & Arrangement
  • A Trainer Appears (Girl Version) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Battle! (Trainer Battle) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Victory! (Trainer Battle) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Level Up! -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Caves of Mt. Moon -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Road to Cerulean City: Leaving Mt. Moon -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Cerulean City Theme -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Pokémon Gym -- Composition & Arrangement
  • To Bill: Leaving Cerulean City -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Jigglypuff's Song -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Vermilion City Theme -- Composition & Arrangement
  • The S.S. Anne -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Road to Lavender Town: Leaving Vermilion City -- Composition & Arrangement
  • The Poké Flute -- Composition & Arrangement
  • A Trainer Appears (Boy Version) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Battle! (Gym Leader Battle) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Victory! (Gym Leader Battle) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Cycling -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Lavender Town Theme -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Pokémon Tower -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Celadon City Theme -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Rocket Game Corner -- Composition & Arrangement
  • A Trainer Appears (Bad Guy Version) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Rocket Hideout -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Obtained a Key Item! -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Silph Co. -- Composition & Arrangement
  • The Sea -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Cinnabar Island Theme -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Pokémon Mansion -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Evolution -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Congratulations! Your Pokémon Evolved! -- Composition & Arrangement
  • The Final Road -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Final Battle! (Rival) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Hall of Fame -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Ending Theme -- Composition & Arrangement

Game Boy: Entire Pokémon Sounds Collection CD

  • Pokémon Techno -- Composition & Arrangement

Pokémon Yellow

  • Opening Movie -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Theme of Jessie and James -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Pikachu's Beach -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Pikachu's Beach (Results Announcement) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Connection -- Composition & Arrangement

Pokémon Gold and Silver

  • Opening Demo -- Composition (w/Gō Ichinose), Arrangement (w/Gō Ichinose)
  • Opening Demo 2 -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Title Screen -- Composition & Arrangement
  • An Adventure Begins! -- Composition & Arrangement
  • New Bark Town -- Composition (w/Gō Ichinose), Arrangement (w/Gō Ichinose)
  • Hurry Along -- Composition, Arrangement (w/Gō Ichinose)
  • Elm Pokémon Lab -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Route 29 -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Battle! (Wild Pokémon—Johto Version) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Level Up! -- Composition
  • Cherrygrove City -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Pokémon Center -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Pokémon Healed -- Composition
  • Battle! (Trainer Battle—Johto Version) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Route 30 -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Sprout Tower -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Union Cave -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Picked Up an Item! -- Composition
  • Ruins of Alph -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Battle! (Team Rocket) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Route 34 -- Composition & Arrangement
  • A Rival Appears! -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Battle! (Rival) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Evolution -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Congratulations! Your Pokémon Evolved! -- Composition
  • Battle! (Gym Leader—Johto Version) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Received a Gym Badge! -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Received a TM! -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Bicycle -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Burned Tower -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Route 38 -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Olivine Lighthouse -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Route 42 -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Radio Transmission -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Team Rocket HQ -- Composition & Arrangement
  • A Rival Appears! (Version 2) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Tin Tower -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Ice Path -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Dragon's Den -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Battle! (Gym Leader—Kanto Version) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Mt. Moon -- Composition
  • Pokégear Radio: Pokémon Channel -- Composition
  • Pokégear Radio: Unown -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Pokégear Radio: Pokémon March -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Pokégear Radio: Pokémon Lullaby -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Pokégear Radio: Poké Flute -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Victory Road -- Composition & Arrangement
  • The Pokémon League -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Battle! (Champion) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • The Hall of Fame -- Composition & Arrangement

Pokémon Crystal

  • Opening Demo -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Title Screen -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Battle! (Suicune) -- Composition & Arrangement

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire

Pokémon Ruby & Pokémon Sapphire: Super Music Collection

  • Steven Stone -- Composition & Arrangement

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen

  • Battle! (Deoxys) -- Composition

Pokémon FireRed & Pokémon LeafGreen: Super Music Collection

  • Rocket Hideout -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Pokémon Tower 1997 -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Strength of a Gym Leader -- Composition & Arrangement

Pokémon Emerald

  • Rayquaza Appears! -- Composition & Arrangement

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl

  • Battle! (Wild Pokémon) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Battle! (Trainer Battle) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Battle! (Rival) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Battle! (Gym Leader) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Battle! (Team Galactic) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Battle! (Team Galactic Commander) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Battle! (Team Galactic Boss) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Spear Pillar -- Composition (w/Gō Ichinose), Arrangement (w/Gō Ichinose)
  • The Legendary Pokémon Appears! -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Catastrophe! -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Battle! (Dialga/Palkia) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Lake Caverns -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Battle! (Azelf/Mesprit/Uxie) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Battle! (Legendary Pokémon) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Battle! (Elite Four) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Battle! (Champion) -- Composition & Arrangement

Pokémon Platinum

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

  • Arceus -- Composition & Arrangement

Pokémon Black and White

  • Coronation Day -- Composition
  • Battle! (Cheren/Bianca) -- Composition
  • Battle! (Wild Pokémon) -- Composition
  • Battle! (Trainer Battle) -- Composition
  • Battle! (Team Plasma) -- Composition
  • Battle! (Gym Leader) -- Composition
  • Route 4 (Spring) -- Composition
  • Battle! (N) -- Composition
  • Route 4 (Summer) -- Composition
  • Battle! (Elite Four) -- Composition
  • Battle! (Reshiram/Zekrom) -- Composition
  • Decisive Battle! (N) -- Composition
  • Battle! (Ghetsis) -- Composition
  • Route 4 (Autumn) -- Composition
  • Battle! (Battle Subway Trainer) -- Composition
  • Battle! (Legendary Pokémon) -- Composition
  • Battle! (Strong Wild Pokémon) -- Composition
  • Route 4 (Winter) -- Composition
  • Battle! (Kyurem) -- Composition
  • Battle! (Champion) -- Composition

Pokémon X and Y

  • Battle! (Wild Pokémon) -- Composition
  • Battle! (Trainer Battle) -- Composition
  • Battle! (Gym Leader) -- Composition
  • Battle! (Successor Korrina) -- Composition
  • Battle! (Xerneas/Yveltal/Zygarde) -- Composition
  • Battle! (Elite Four) -- Composition
  • Battle! (Champion) -- Composition
  • KISEKI -- Lyrics (w/Kenji Matsushima)
  • Battle! (Mewtwo) -- Composition

Pokémon GO

  • Battle! (Wild Pokémon) -- Composition
  • Gotcha! (Pokémon Captured) -- Composition
  • Evolution -- Composition
  • Professor Willow -- Composition
  • Walking (Map Theme) -- Composition
  • Night Theme (Lyrical Version) -- Composition[1]
  • Battle! (Ultra Beast) -- Composition[2]

Pokémon Sun and Moon

  • A Tapu Appears! -- Composition
  • Battle! (Wild Pokémon) -- Composition
  • The Festival in Iki Town -- Composition (w/Minako Adachi)
  • Trainers' Eyes Meet (Trainer) -- Composition
  • Battle! (Trainer) -- Composition
  • Island Kahuna's Theme -- Composition
  • Battle! (Island Kahuna) -- Composition (w/Gō Ichinose)
  • The Protector of the Island -- Composition
  • To the Altar... -- Composition
  • Solgaleo / Lunala Appears! -- Composition (w/Tomoaki Oga & Minako Adachi)
  • Let's Go to Ultra Space! -- Composition (w/Tomoaki Oga)
  • Battle! (Solgaleo/Lunala) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Battle! (Elite Four) -- Composition & Arrangement
  • Battle! (Tapu) -- Composition
  • Staff Credits -- Composition (w/Minako Adachi)

Pokémon Sword and Shield

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

In the games

050Diglett.png This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: images (QR code, his Super-Secret Base), quotes (team slogan, happy message, encouraging message)

Generation VI

Masuda made his first cameo appearance in the series in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire as the owner of a special Super-Secret Base in Mossdeep City that the player can visit after scanning a QR Code, which was first revealed in the Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Full Story Guide Book. The player can choose to challenge him and any of the three Grunts in his base to a Single Battle or invite him to their own Super-Secret Base. In battle, he uses three Cosplay Pikachu.

His team name is Team ジュン.



Generation VIII

050Diglett.png This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: missing image (his unique model in BDSP), quotes

Masuda appears in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl in the northwesternmost house in Hotel Grand Lake alongside one of his favorite Pokémon, Psyduck. He evaluates the player's Pokédex and gives them a Diploma both for completing the Sinnoh Pokédex and for completing the National Pokédex. Along with Yuichi Ueda, he is only referred to in-game as "Game Director".


Gallery

Core series game assets

050Diglett.png This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: Sprites from other games.
Generation II
Spr GS Guitarist.png
 C 
Guitarist Junichi
(Battle Tower) sprite
Generation IV
Rich Boy IV OD.png
 D  P 
Game Director
overworld sprite
Generation VI
VSGuitarist.png
 OR  AS 
Secret Base
VS sprite
Generation VIII
Mdl BDSP Overworld Masuda.png
 BD  SP 
Game Director
overworld model

Videos

#Pokemon20: GAME FREAK's Junichi Masuda

By The Official Pokémon Channel
This video is not available on Bulbapedia; instead, you can watch the video on YouTube here.


Trivia

See also

Bulbanews
Bulbanews has an article related to this subject:

References

  1. ↑ https://youtu.be/kTNfyr0IL_0
  2. ↑ https://twitter.com/PokemonGOAppJP/status/1533282461077196800
  3. ↑ Pokemon's Junichi Masuda: 'We weren’t explicitly targeting children' (Wired UK)
  4. ↑ Preview : Pokemon Platinum: Developer Interview! - GamePro.com
  5. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20230726120459/https://twitter.com/shotakageyama/status/1684015678322536448
  6. ↑ [1]


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