Minako Hamano: 50th Birthday Tribute

Today on the 28th of June 2019, we are celebrating the work and achievements of an individual who has made a significant contribution to the Metroid franchise. Fifty years ago on this day in 1969, Minako Hamano was born in Kyoto, Japan. Hamano-san has been involved in several high profile titles from Nintendo, which include franchises such as Donkey Kong Country, The Legend of Zelda, Super Smash Bros and most notably, Metroid.

Hamano-san joined Nintendo R&D1 in 1991 as a composer. Her first game was The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. Soon after that game, she became involved with Super Metroid. Working alongside Kenji Yamamoto, Hamano-san was the composer of the themes of the Wrecked Ship, Maridia, Kraid, Mother Brain and the ending credits theme, as well as Ridley’s iconic battle music, which became a staple of both the Pirate himself and the series. Hamano recorded a scream for Samus during the Game Over scene in Super Metroid, which was omitted from the game due to concerns over its suitability.

Later, Hamano-san led the composition of Metroid Fusion, and has had a role in nearly every Metroid game since. With Metroid: Samus Returns, she moved into a supervisor role, overseeing newcomer Daisuke Matsuoka’s take on her iconic tracks. With this feature, we hope to bring Hamano-san the recognition she richly deserves.

浜野様

メトロイドコミュニティーを代表して、シャインスパーカーズ一同、貴方様の50歳の誕生日をお祝いしたいと思います。

このような大切なイベントを祝うために、貴方の作品に対する感想をまとめた記事を作成しました。

浜野様の音楽は多くのメトロイドファンを魅了しています。 そこで、私たちは私たちの心を打つ、貴方の音楽の素晴らしさ・価値を貴方にお伝えしたいのです。

私たちは、多くのメトロイドファンを訪ね、お互いに協力して、浜野様に感謝を伝えるための記事を作りました。

記事の多くが英語で書かれており、翻訳の必要のあるものもあると思います。 しかし、是非とも浜野様には読んで頂きたいと思っております。

浜野様が素晴らしい誕生日を過ごして頂けること、そして、これから貴方の創作する全てのものに幸運が訪れることをお祈りしております。

Darren

Minako Hamano’s significant contributions to Nintendo has been an absolute joy to experience over the years. But in my honest opinion, I feel she has sadly been overshadowed by other composers who have worked alongside her. On her fiftieth birthday, I want to extend my congratulations and best wishes to her. I want to say thank you for the incredible memories and inspiration she has given me as a Metroid fan. Ridley’s theme is one of my favourite ever themes in video games, and such an iconic piece of music deserves my heartfelt respect. Happy Birthday Minako Hamano!

RoyboyX

Happy birthday to Minako Hamano. Hamano-san, your music is what transformed Super Metroid and every subsequent game in the series into a masterpiece, and you don’t get nearly the amount of credit you deserve. You composed both Maridia themes, and the unforgettable Vs. Ridley/Big Boss Confrontation BGM (Ridley, Draygon), which I’ve spent countless hours listening to while studying and working. Thank you, Hamano-san, for the wonderful music and atmosphere, and the years of memories. Enjoy this special day.

KomodoZero

I wish a very happy birthday to Minako Hamano for her dedication to the Metroid franchise and helping compose the atmospheric soundscapes for the series since 1994. It’s impressive to say that she was only 22 when she began composing for games with Link’s Awakening. I’m also going to be “that guy” for a moment to bring up her involvement in Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE, though only as a sound assistant, it’s always interesting to see a composer’s side work just to highlight their variety and give recognition where it is deserved. Here’s to a bountiful future in composition, no doubt we all can’t wait to see what she may have cooked up for Metroid Prime 4.

Glaedrax

Minako Hamano worked on some of my favorite themes of the whole Metroid franchise (especially Maridia and Mother Brain themes, as well as the famous Ridley battle music). Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion has really unique and iconic ambiences thanks to her work and I couldn’t be more thankful for that! I’m really looking forward to her work on the Metroid Prime 4 soundtrack if she’s involved in this game as well. Happy birthday Hamano-san!

Quadraxis

As someone who loves boss themes in general, especially Metroid’s, as a Metroid fan who can forget the iconic moment in Super Metroid when Mother Brain rises with a deformed body after seemingly thinking she was defeated? The accompanying theme that Minako Hamano created for Mother Brain perfectly suits the monstrosity and threat that she represents. Also being responsible for the composition of Ridley’s theme, being the base for one of my favourite versions, namely Meta Ridley’s, just adds to how remarkable she is at capturing the essence of alien characters as well. Happy Birthday to Minako Hamano, may she create new pieces of music in Metroid Prime 4 so I can enjoy listening to them over and over.

Renan

Super Metroid’s score is often credited only to Kenji Yamamoto, but it would be careless to ignore the important contributions made to it by Minako Hamano. In particular, her themes for the bosses give each encounter the sense of drama and intensity to go along with the battles. Later, in Metroid Fusion, she composed the soundtrack following a slightly different style, but always providing the right atmosphere for each environment. I wish her happy birthday and the best with her future career!

Amanda VanHiel

One of the most powerful aspects of the Metroid series is the score. Minako Hamano’s work set the mood for the game through the music. Her composition of Ridley’s battle music and Mother Brain added to the intimidation factor, especially during a time when graphics were more limited, so the game developers couldn’t rely on realistic and detailed design to make the enemies appear more daunting. So happy birthday Minako Hamano, and thank you for creating memorable score!

Here’s what the wider community had to say…

A huge thank you to everyone who shared birthday wishes for Minako Hamano. Happy birthday, Hamano-san!