Yellow Magic Orchestra influence on video game OSTs

[miles]

Yellow Magic Orchestra as a group and its members have hugely influenced video game music and electronic music as a whole. I don't have enough knowledge of music history to be able to accurately explain the full extent of the influence, but they were the most popular band in Japan for several years during the 70s+80s.

While listening to their music, I noticed some direct similarities in video game tracks:



Ryuichi Sakamoto - Tabinokyokuhoku // Sonic the Hedgehog - Scrap Brain Zone

* The first main melodies at the beginning of each song have the same chord progression (transposed 1 semitone from each other) and melody (with one note off) for like 5 measures






Ryuichi Sakamoto - Thousand Knives // Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney - Trial

* Trial uses the first 2 chords of Thousand Knives






Yellow Magic Orchestra - Simoon // Animal Crossing (GC) - 9 AM

* 9 AM and other tracks in this soundtrack use melodies and instrumentation reminiscent of Simoon's initial melody