RBGY: Junichi Masuda
This where it all started, where the foundation that would define Pokémon scores was set. Listening back, it's striking in two ways: it's aged better than you probably remember, and it's also, in some ways, obviously aged. "Pewter City" is a trainwreck, the chromatic lines in the "Wild Pokemon Battle" track would stick around for GSC and then disappear for over a decade, and the town and route themes are in general a mixed bag. Much of the best music here is Masuda's creepier works – "Viridian Forest," "Lavender Town," "Silph Co." – an unexpected discovery considering the generally cheery tone of the series. The music in general is very busy – understandably so, considering the influence of Bach (as writing for the GB's chip certainly resembled the limitations of three-part counterpoint), and given that players would be listening to the music for long periods of time, having a bunch of different stuff that the ear could focus on is a virtue. It's only in retrospect, looking back, that we can say that, operating outside of the game, it's "too busy." The original soundtrack release's heavy reverb does the music no favors. Still – this is where it all began.
