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Adventures (album)
''Adventures'' is the eighth studio album by Japanese jazz fusion band T-Square, then known as The Square. It was released on April 1, 1984. Released before T-Square would have some of its members, themselves, go on to write and record music for video games (such as Mario Kart 8, both the Arc The Lad and Gran Turismo franchises), this album served as inspiration for game composers at the time of its release. It features the track "Sister Marian", which has been noted for its similarities to the ''Super Mario Bros.'' theme composed by Koji Kondo for the 1985 video game ''Super Mario Bros.''; in a 2001 interview, Kondo cited T-Square as an influence on his compositions. The album also features "Travelers", which inspired Guile's Theme from the 1991 game, Street Fighter II. Track listing Sources Personnel The Square *Masahiro Andoh: Electric and acoustic guitars *Takeshi Itoh: Alto saxophone, Lyricon The Lyricon is an electronic wind instrument, the first wind controller t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
T-Square (band)
T-Square (formerly known as The Square), stylized in all-uppercase T-SQUARE, is a Japanese jazz fusion band formed in 1976. They became famous in the late 1970s and early 1980s along with other Japanese jazz bands. They are known for songs such as "Truth", "Japanese Soul Brothers", "Takarajima", "Omens of Love", among others. During the first years simply The SQUARE was printed on the frontsides of their albums. After the renaming of the band to T-Square the imprint changed to T-SQUARE (all in Capital letters) and their typical logo became a capital letter T printed over a red square. During the years with the changing names of the band the logo got modified several times, reflecting the changing band names such as T-Square alpha (where an α sign got added to the logo), T-Square plus where the text "plus" was added centered next to the T in smaller letters. "Truth" has been used as the theme for Fuji Television's Formula One coverage from 1989 to 2000 and since 2012. A spec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Super Mario Bros
is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The successor to the 1983 arcade game ''Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series, it was first released in 1985 for the Famicom in Japan. Following a limited US release for the NES, it was ported to international arcade game, arcades for the Nintendo Vs. System, Nintendo VS. System in early 1986. The NES version received a wide release in North America that year and in PAL regions in 1987. Players control Mario, or his brother Luigi in the multiplayer mode, as they traverse the Mushroom Kingdom to rescue Princess Toadstool from King Koopa (later named Bowser (character), Bowser). They traverse side-scrolling video game, side-scrolling stages while avoiding hazards such as enemies and pits with the aid of power-ups such as the Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, and Starman. The game was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka as "a grand culmination" of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lyricon
The Lyricon is an electronic wind instrument, the first wind controller to be constructed. Invented by Bill Bernardi (and co-engineered by Roger Noble and with the late Lyricon performer Chuck GreenbergIngham (1998) p.184), filed for patent on October 5, 1971, by Computone Inc., patented under #US3767833 October 23, 1973 and then manufactured by Computone Inc. in Massachusetts in the early 1970s. The first lyricon was completed in 1974 with Tom Scott being the first customer for the instrument. The Lyricon was available in two designs, the first being somewhat silver and resembling a soprano saxophone and the latter, black and resembling an alto clarinet. Using a form of additive synthesis, the player was allowed to change between types of overtones with a key switchable between fundamentals of G, Bb, C, Eb, and F (allowing the instrument to be used to play transposed parts written for saxophones, trumpets, etc.) and an octave range that could be switched between low, medium, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hirotaka Izumi
Hirotaka Izumi (和泉宏隆, ''Izumi Hirotaka''; September 28, 1958 – April 26, 2021) was a Japanese keyboardist, pianist, and composer who was a former member of the jazz fusion band T-Square. Besides T-Square, he was also active in the bands Pyramid (ピラミッド) and Voyage (ヴォヤージュ). Early life and education Izumi was born in Tokyo, Japan on September 28, 1958. He started playing the piano at the age of four and, after listening to Bill Evans, aspired to become a jazz pianist. He attended Keio Senior High School where he was a part of the Jazz Circle of the school's Keio Light Music Society along with drummer Akira Jimbo. After graduating, he attended Keio University and graduated from the Faculty of Law, Department of Law. Career In 1982, he joined the jazz fusion band T-Square as a keyboardist and made his debut with their sixth studio album ''Temptation of Shapely Legs''. At the same time of his debut, he was working on the Fuji TV show ''Waratte I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Masahiro Andoh
is a Japanese composer and Guitarist from Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. From 1976 to 2021 he was the Guitarist and Leader of the Japanese Jazz-Fusion band T-Square. He was also one-third of Ottottrio, a supergroup led by three Japanese guitarists: himself, Hirokuni Korekata of KORENOS and Issei Noro of Casiopea. Andoh was also commissioned to create the music for '' Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits'' and '' Gran Turismo''. He is one of the performers for the band's composition, "Truth", the theme tune for Fuji Television's Formula One World Championship coverage (which has been in use since 1987) and the '' F-1 Grand Prix'' video game series. On February 1, 2021, Andoh announced that he would leave T-Square following the release of their next album and tour. Discography As a member of The Square/T-Square *''Lucky Summer Lady'' (1978) *''Midnight Lover'' (1978) *''Make Me a Star'' (1979) *''Rockoon'' (1980) *''Magic'' (1981) *''Temptation of Legs'' (1982) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Street Fighter II
is a fighting game developed by Capcom and originally released for arcades in 1991. It is the second installment in the ''Street Fighter'' series and the sequel to 1987's ''Street Fighter''. It is Capcom's fourteenth game to use the CP System arcade system board. ''Street Fighter II'' improved many of the concepts introduced in the first game, including the use of special command-based moves, a combo system, a six-button configuration, and a wider selection of playable characters, each with a unique fighting style. It prominently features a popular two-player mode that obligates direct, human-to-human competitive play which prolonged the survival of the declining video game arcade business market by stimulating business and driving the fighter genre. It inspired grassroots tournament events, culminating into Evolution Championship Series (EVO). ''Street Fighter II'' shifted the arcade competitive dynamic from achieving personal-best high scores to head-to-head competition ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
GamesRadar
''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', ''Edge'' and '' Computer and Video Games'' were merged into ''GamesRadar'', with the resulting, expanded website being renamed ''GamesRadar+'' in November that year. Format and style ''GamesRadar+'' publishes numerous articles each day. Including official video game news, reviews, previews, and interviews with publishers and developers. One of the site's features was their "Top 7" lists, a weekly countdown detailing negative aspects of video games themselves, the industry and/or culture. Now, they are better known for lists of baddest depth segmented by genre, platform, or theme. These are divided into living lists, for consoles and platforms that are still active, and legacy lists, for consoles and platforms that are no longer a target for commercial game deve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Koji Kondo
is a Japanese music composer, pianist, and music director who works for the video game company Nintendo. He is best known for his numerous contributions to the '' Super Mario'' and ''The Legend of Zelda'' series of video games, among others produced by the company. Kondo was hired by Nintendo in 1984, becoming the first person hired by them to specialize in video game music. His work in the ''Mario'' and ''Zelda'' series have been cited as among the most memorable in video games, such as the ''Super Mario Bros.'' overworld theme. Biography Early life Kondo was born in Nagoya, Japan, on August 13, 1961. He began taking lessons on the electronic organ from the age of five. He improved his skills in the instrument in a cover band that played jazz and rock music. Kondo studied at the Art Planning Department of Osaka University of Arts, but was never classically trained or academically dedicated to music. With a love of arcade video games such as ''Space Invaders'' and the early ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gran Turismo (series)
(''GT'') is a series of racing simulation video games developed by Polyphony Digital. Developed for PlayStation systems, ''Gran Turismo'' games are intended to emulate the appearance and performance of a large selection of vehicles, most of which are licensed reproductions of real-world automobiles. Since the franchise's debut in 1997, over 90 million units have been sold worldwide for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation Portable, making it the highest selling video game franchise under the PlayStation brand. Overview The ''Gran Turismo'' series is developed by Polyphony Digital and produced by Kazunori Yamauchi. ''Gran Turismo'' can trace back its origins to 1992, when Kazunori Yamauchi set out with a group of seven to develop the original '' Gran Turismo'', which took five years to complete. The appeal of the ''Gran Turismo'' series is due significantly to its graphics, a large number of licensed vehicles, attention ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jazz Fusion
Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, amplifiers, and keyboards that were popular in rock and roll started to be used by jazz musicians, particularly those who had grown up listening to rock and roll. Jazz fusion arrangements vary in complexity. Some employ groove-based vamps fixed to a single key or a single chord with a simple, repeated melody. Others use elaborate chord progressions, unconventional time signatures, or melodies with counter-melodies. These arrangements, whether simple or complex, typically include improvised sections that can vary in length, much like in other forms of jazz. As with jazz, jazz fusion can employ brass and woodwind instruments such as trumpet and saxophone, but other instruments often substitute for these. A jazz fusion band is less likely to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arc The Lad
is a series of tactical role-playing games created by Toshiro Tsuchida and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Each ''Arc the Lad'' game often features recurring characters and locations, as well as a consistent timeline. Most of the stories in the series involves a cast of characters battling against the forces of an evil organization or empire, with monsters attacking the world alongside them. The series features a similar strategy-like battle system, which all games except '' Arc the Lad: End of Darkness'' follow. The series began with the release of ''Arc the Lad'' in 1995 exclusively for the PlayStation, followed up by a sequel a year later. Alongside seven other released games after II, the ''Arc the Lad'' series has also branched into other media such as manga, anime, and novels. Though the series enjoyed huge success in Japan, often regarded as a staple RPG of its generation in the region, Western sales and overall knowledge of the series are low due to its ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mario Kart 8
is a 2014 kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. It features the '' Mario Kart'' series' game mechanics, in which players drive go-karts using ''Mario'' franchise characters in various race formats. Items placed along the course may be used to hinder opponents or gain advantages in the race. ''Mario Kart 8'' introduces anti-gravity driving on walls or ceilings, and allows players to bump into each other for a short boost. It features single-player and multiplayer gameplay, as well as online multiplayer. The game was a critical success. Critics praised its new additions and courses, as well as its graphics and soundtrack. However, they criticized its limited battle mode. Since its release on May 29, 2014, ''Mario Kart 8'' has sold over 8 million units, and is the best-selling Wii U game. Post-release, ''Mario Kart 8'' has received several software updates and downloadable content, including additional characters, courses, and vehicles. On April 2 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
