David Wise On Creating Gaming Soundtracks, 40 Years Later

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David Wise is a highly respected video game composer with a career lasting over 40 years. He’s created music for many popular games, starting at Rare in 1985 where he stayed until 2009. While he began with the game Slalom in 1986, he’s most famous for the incredible soundtrack he composed for Donkey Kong Country, released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo.

Before his recent work, David Wise was known for composing music for the classic Battletoads series. He even hinted at a Battletoads revival in 2018, which ultimately happened in 2020, and he contributed to the reboot’s soundtrack, though he wasn’t the lead composer. At Gamescom LATAM 2026 (where we also played Phantom Blade Zero), Ebaster had the chance to interview Wise about his career and the challenges and opportunities of composing music in 2026, considering how much technology has changed in the last four decades.

How 40 Years Shaped David Wise’s Musicality

Wise has shared that he’s involved in several projects, but he’s bound by a non-disclosure agreement and can’t reveal any specifics. I was interested to know how his work in 2026 compares to his earlier style. He explains, “I enjoy learning new software every few months – it keeps things interesting.”

People want to try new things and find fresh inspiration. Wise, who doesn’t consider himself a typical musician, is especially enthusiastic about learning musical notation. He’s eager to see how this knowledge can enhance his work composing music for video games.

Looking back at the beginning of his career, Wise notes a change in how he approaches projects. He used to get very frustrated when writing music in the 1990s, but says that feeling has lessened over time. “I don’t struggle with it as much anymore,” he explains.

Wise feels the current work environment is less stressful than it used to be, explaining that having more choices makes a big difference. He recalls a time when work was so demanding it was physically painful, but that’s no longer the case. He also points out that attempting to satisfy everyone is a recipe for frustration, so he avoids trying to do so.

David Wise’s Dream Projects, Interactive Music, & Next Games

Despite having worked on over forty video games throughout his long career, Wise doesn’t particularly enjoy listening to video game music when he’s relaxing. He actually prefers listening to bands or movie soundtracks. I was curious what kind of film he’d love to compose the music for, if given the chance and an unlimited budget.

Wise says one of his favorite movies is The Last Samurai because it’s emotionally complex and explores many themes—including love, war, and finding common ground. He’s particularly drawn to films with that kind of depth and emotional resonance.

Wise says that if he could work on any game, he’d love something with the same emotional impact as the movie The Last Samurai. He explains that while he’s mostly worked on more standard games, he’d be thrilled to have the chance to contribute to a game focused on storytelling.

Music that changes based on what players do can really enhance a game’s storytelling. Composer Nobuo Uematsu explains you don’t need incredibly complex systems to make it effective. Even small adjustments, like immediately switching to a more intense musical cue when a fight begins, can have a big impact. He also suggests briefly lowering the music’s volume beforehand to create a stronger sense of drama when the music swells again.

Wise has a point. When you think about some of the best game soundtracks from the last ten years – like those from Dark Souls 3, Final Fantasy 14, or the 2025 Game of the Year winner, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – it’s not so much about how the music changes based on what you do, but about the perfect timing of each song. The music itself is brilliantly composed, but how it’s delivered within the game is a huge part of what makes it so impactful and memorable for players.

Currently, composer Wise is creating music for two upcoming independent games: 99 Fails and Lucid. 99 Fails is scheduled to launch later this year. While Lucid doesn’t have a firm release date yet, a free demo is available on Steam. This demo offers a preview of David Wise’s recent work and showcases his musical talent.

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2026-05-06 22:42