Poké-Musicology: Representing Music Cultures in Pokémon
The world of Pokémon has captivated people of all ages ever since its debut as Pocket Monsters: Red and Green in Japan for Game Boy in 1996. Now better known by its shortened title Pokémon, it has grown into a $92 billion industry that has lasted 25 years and spawned a trading card game, 122 other games, 21 movies, and 24 seasons of television. With such an expansive reach across the world, Pokémon has infiltrated every aspect of our media culture. Their musical contributions are no different. With each game having its own unique soundtrack and each movie and tv series spouting its own score, a wide variety of musical ideas have been created and presented that fans have enjoyed listening to for decades.
Creating worlds in the Pokémon Video Games
It is a well-known fact that each region in the Pokémon games has a real-world equivalent somewhere. For the first 4 games, the creators kept it “close to home” with the regions of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh all representing a region of Japan where the game was created. The real-life references for these four regions can be seen throughout Japan in their respective areas: Kanto, Kansai, Kyūshū, and Hokkaido (in that order). Basing a fictional world on areas that actually exist allows game designers the flexibility of using approximations of geographic locations and structures while also being able to change them however they please to fit the narrative. This can be seen in the locations throughout the games but also in smaller details such as the character’s clothing. The same applies to the music we hear during the journey.
Generations 1–4
In the case of the first 4 games, Mr. Junichi Masuda’s (programmer and composer for nearly every Pokémon game) goal for the music was not to emulate Japanese music. This was partially because of the tools that were available at the time to create the sounds. 8-bit and 16-bit games had to utilize very restricted programming in sound creation, so instrumentation was very vague. Masuda also had a very wide variety of musical interests including many electronic music groups such as Ultravox and the Yellow Magic Orchestra. This led to his ability to create a soundscape that was not specific to any area in the world besides that which was inhabited by his beloved Pokémon.
Generation 5
As the games evolved, so did the technology that was available to create the music that was used. This coincidentally lined up with the further globalization of the Pokémon franchise, leading to a change in scenery within the games. In the 5th generation of Pokémon games Pokémon Black and White, the player visits the Unova region. This was the first time ever the setting of a Pokémon game was outside of Japan. This game was based off the United States with an emphasis on New York as a hub. The Pokémon music creation team wanted to continue changing and experimenting with what “Pokémon music” could mean. This along with the fact that the United States is really a melting pot of cultures meant that every city was able to get a slightly different feel and genre of music. That being said, there are some elements that are very “American” in style. One example is the theme for Nacarene City which is undoubtedly very jazz inspired with a smoothly swung hi-hat beat and upright bass sound in the background.
Another great example is the other jazz style song for Nimbasa city. This piece is definitely more upbeat and more “Big Band”, with heavy brass sounds and a saxophone on the forefront of the mix.
While jazz music and all of its subgenres are popular around the world, it is historically accepted as getting its start in the US.
Generation 6
The next game in the series to come out was Pokémon X and Y. This game takes place in the Kalos region, which took its styles mainly from France. The Japanese have always had a reputation for being Francophiles and Mr. Masuda was no different. He took a whole team of researchers and spent months observing life in France. He told IGN that they tried to avoid making any of the music sound too French or European because they wanted the music to be more about how the player is intended to feel. However, if we listen to the main theme of the game, it has a very European sound with a symphonic orchestra utilizing high strings in the intro and french horns for the melody. A significant amount of the orchestral compositions that come out of Japan share this sound because of the European influence that permeates school band and orchestra culture.
This is also partially because of the evolution in sound technology, but it’s hard to not make the comparison. Perhaps the closest comparison we can make for a French sound is the music that plays when you enter Camphrier Town. This folksy tune seems to be straight out of a French movie scene as it utilizes the iconic sound of an Accordion for the melody. This instrument has been associated with French music since the late 19th century.
Generation 7
The 7th installment of the Pokémon video game series entitled Pokémon Sun and Moon takes place in the Alola Region. This is a not-so-subtle nod to Polynesian culture and more specifically that of Hawaii. In this game the composers leaned a little more heavily into the culture they were representing. Being able to combine original Pokémon classics with some “islander” flare. An example of this can be heard in the main Title Screen music. All is typical in the composition until about 45 seconds in when we hear the beating of drums (presumably a hand drum such as a Pahu) as well as a shaker of some kind (such as a set of Uli Ulis).
As the game progresses, further signs of the Polynesian music culture begin to show up. A fantastic example is “Welcome to the Alola Region” which features vocals resembling traditional Hawaiian Mele.
Generation 8
The most recent installment in the Pokémon main title series games is Pokémon Sword and Shield. The new Galar region features many concepts and ideas that resemble the United Kingdom. With this being the first “main series” game to appear on a console as powerful as the Nintendo Switch, many aspects of the Pokémon experience have been upgraded significantly. This includes the quality of the music. This British rock inspired soundtrack has blazing guitar solos, groovy bass lines, and thumping drums that bring you right into the world of 60’s and 70’s British hard rock. This can be heard both in the newest reimagining of the main theme song
as well as “Hop’s Theme” which even uses an old school rotary organ sound.
Conclusion
Pokémon has entranced the hearts and minds of multiple generations and those fans have come to know and love everything about the characters and story lines. While this game was made for entertainment purposes, in recent years it has grown to become a tool for cultural collaboration. Fans of all ages around the world are being exposed to cultures, and therefore music cultures, that they otherwise may not have experienced. This creates learning on a different level as players interact with this music and hear it as a part of their journeys. Creating a sentimental bond with music of other cultures can create an emotional connection that is important in forming cross cultural relationships. The world of Pokémon is bringing people together one song at a time!
