Diggin' in the Carts

S01E03 The Dawn of a New Era

As the 1980s transition into the 1990s, the arrival of 16-bit technology transforms video games, making them more vibrant and dynamic than ever. A new wave of young composers, inspired by the sounds of earlier gaming eras, elevates video game music to unprecedented levels, with these advanced systems enabling a more cinematic quality. Meanwhile, the gaming industry is booming globally, driven by hits like Street Fighter 2, which propelled composer Yoko Shimomura’s music into the airwaves, echoing through newsstands, fish and chips shops, and arcades everywhere.