1. Junichi Masuda is a Japanese video game composer, director, designer, producer, singer, programmer and trombonist, best known for his work in the Pokemon franchise.
21 Facts About Junichi Masuda
1. 2.
Junichi Masuda was a member of Game Freak where he was an employee and executive at the company since 1989 when he founded it alongside Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori.
3.
In 2022, Masuda was appointed to be Chief Creative Fellow at The Pokemon Company.
4.
Junichi Masuda began to produce and direct games, starting with Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, and became responsible for approving new character models.
5.
Junichi Masuda's style seeks to keep games accessible while still adding increasing levels of complexity.
6.
Junichi Masuda was born on January 12,1968, in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
7.
Junichi Masuda was inspired by his time there to base the Pokemon series's Hoenn Region after it.
8.
In high school, Junichi Masuda played the trombone; he soon discovered classical music, and was drawn in by works like Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring and Shostakovich's Symphony No 5.
9.
Junichi Masuda's daughter Kiri was born in September 2002; he named a character in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire after her.
10.
Junichi Masuda has worked at Game Freak since the company's inception in 1989, and has been involved in nearly every title that Game Freak has produced.
11.
Junichi Masuda was one of the original developers of the Pokemon series, beginning with Pokemon Red and Green.
12.
Junichi Masuda was first hired to compose video game music, where his first game at Game Freak was Mendel Palace, a 1989 puzzle game for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
13.
Junichi Masuda has been directly involved in the naming and design of many Pokemon.
14.
Junichi Masuda has stated that one of the hardest aspects of design is making sure that a Pokemon's name and attributes will appeal to a global audience.
15.
Since Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, Junichi Masuda has been one of the main employees who approve or reject designs for new Pokemon.
16.
Junichi Masuda served as a member of the Game Freak board of directors.
17.
On September 28,2018, Junichi Masuda revealed that during the early years of developing Pokemon games, "game data was nearly lost in a computer crash".
18.
Junichi Masuda produced the Japanese ending themes "Pokemon Shiritori" and "Batsugun Type" for Pokemon Journeys with Japanese electronic group Pasocom Music Club.
19.
On June 1,2022, Junichi Masuda left Game Freak to The Pokemon Company, acting as Chief Creative Fellow.
20.
Junichi Masuda believes that handheld systems provide an opportunity for social interaction that cannot be found on non-handheld console systems.
21.
Junichi Masuda has stated that the continued use of 2D computer graphics has been integral to Pokemon's success.