Who is Hiroki Kikuta?

Post by **Dr. Sheexy** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 8:16 am

Hiroki Kikuta is the guy who did the music for Secret of Mana and Seiken Densetsu 3.

Duh.

If you didn't know that, go stand in the corner and think about what you have done. The rest of you, stay here and listen to what else this guy has done. Consider yourselves enlightened by this experience. Hiroki Kikuta also did one other game soundtrack while working for Square. In 1998 the game Soukaigi came out, and it interestingly it features a track titled "Angel's Fear Again," a guitar and piano bit which does not seem to be similar to the "Angel's Fear" of the Seiken Densetsu series. The track, however, does remind me a lot of "Prayer of the Arctic Circle/Meridian Beast" from Secret of Mana. Perhaps this will be a Monday Music update sometime where you can decide if they are similar.

Around the time he was working on Soukaigi, Hiroki Kikuta became unhappy with the way RPGs were playing out and wanted to create his own RPG to show what the whole deal was really about. In 1997 he, with the help of SNK and others, founded Sacnoth Co. Ltd. and held the title of President and CEO through the years until Koudelka was released in 1999. Koudelka was almost completely designed, produced, written and composed by Hiroki Kikuta himself. The game featured an interesting mix of Survival Horror gameplay mixed with a grid-based battle system.

Unfortunately Koudelka was not very well recieved, and Hiroki Kikuta withdrew from the business. SNK would go on to transfer the Sacnoth to Aruze, where they would continue the Koudelka series as Shadow Hearts. His next adventure in gaming would also end unfulfilled, as the MMORPG Bukyo did not exit the testing stages.

Recently he has released a CD entitled "Lost Files" which contains many never-before-heard tracks from back around the times of Secret of Mana. Another recent work of his is providing the music to the game "Sora no Iro, Mizu no Iro," an H game that just came out in 2006 and has spurred an OVA, also featuring his music. The second episode of the OVA is due sometime in 2007.
If you know Japanese you can check out what Hiroki Kikuta is up to over at his website Angel's Fear. There is a blog there and more.

Danny · Post by **Danny** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:26 pm

After seeing you write so much and also seeing zero replys, I though that was a shame so yet me be the first to do so. Yeah, I do know a little of Hiroki Kikuta, but the guy dosen't like to be show himself in public that much. Sometimes I wonder why, but I figure that he has to have some good reason of doing so that's why I don't think of it that much.

His a hard guy to find anything about him on the internet so I'm glad that you made a topic about him and some research. After all, he made the mana games (well most of them) and some other ones too.

One thing not related is that the same guy who drawed Dbz also drawed Chrono Trigger and Krono Toriga, which is slightly different then Chrono Trigger, but still in Japanese. Will let the fans handle that game. Chrono Trigger's OVA movie is is good, but old and short. It's still pretty funny though, but Mystics never had a the same thing that the Humans had. Oh yeah, great topic Sheexy, sorry about that!

Deques says: "What?!"

Post by **Deques** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 6:08 pm

Chrono Trigger and Kurona Toriga is same game. Its slightly different because one is Japanese and the other English. Try to say Kurona Toriga 100 times and fast and you hear that something nice.

Why are you sorry that Sheexy wrote a great topic?

Also why the heck write about CT?

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Lost Files, eh? Maybe you can download it from Music Monday some times soon

Post by **koopa** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 6:22 pm

Interesting! I really love your who-is-wednesdays

Post by **Kassidy** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 6:26 pm

I think he meant sorry for going off topic.

And yes, CT and KT are the same thing... But... I've actually done some investigation and turns out that there is a different version... Well, sort of.

Releases of Chrono Trigger (in chronological (hurhur) order):
- Chrono Trigger - Kurono Toriga (Pre-release)
- Chrono Trigger - Kurono Toriga (Official Japanese Release)
- Chrono Trigger (US Release)

There are a series of differences between the first two, mainly to do with stuff that ended up not getting used in the final release, triggers in the code that weren't implemented, rooms having different layouts, techs that were removed, different sprites animations... Chock loads. It is an incomplete game, so Lavos' Second form (or a Beta thereof, I should say) isn't able to be fought.

Differences between the J and U release are merely down to translation, nothing more.

Anyway, back on to the topic in question, excellent write up, Sheexy. These are really progressing nicely.

Ooh, Lost Files would be nice...

Danny · Post by **Danny** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 6:26 pm

No, I'm sorry that Sheexy wrote a great topic, I'm sorry that I started talking about CT since the guy that drawed it is also great like Hiroki Kikuta. Chrono Trigger and Kurona Trriga is not same. Do you want me to send you the rom? The story is different and they say different things.

Eg. In the present the bridge is broken and there's people talking about it on both sides of it so you have to take the farie boat. In CT the bridge is only broken in the past not present so you don't have to take the farie boat. Also the status and item bar is also different. As well as the tech bar in battles and out. The characters also learn the techs in a different order. Eg. Crono learns luminaire before spin cut. Want more details? I know what I'm talking about and there different. After CT came the remake of KT. The the first Kt, but the remake of it. They should also make a remake of CT like that. Now you see what I mean?

And thanks for clearing that up Kassidy. That's what I meant to say. I'm sorry for going off topic.