This is the slideshow that accompanied my paper at the 2015 North American Conference on Video Game Music held at Texas Christian University. It includes hyperlinks and audio examples to break down the compositional techniques discussed. Click on words and images on the slides to explore and deconstruct the chiptune style!

1. Compositional Techniques of
Chiptune Music
● A Presentation for the 2015 North American
Conference on Video Game Music
● By Prof. Christopher Hopkins, LIU Post Faculty

2. Goals
● This presentation explores the inner workings of the
audio processing unit of the NES and Famicom
and the extent to which they suggest audio design
choices and limitations for composition. We will
identify the techniques preferred by the
composers at Sunsoft games which comprise the
chiptune style. This style is reemerging as a
viable and marketable audio solution in recent
games with a retro or nostalgic aesthetic.

3. Dissertation
● Chiptune Music: An Exploration of Compositional
Techniques in Sunsoft Games for the Nintendo
Entertainment System and Famicom from 1988-
1992
– How did the composers at Sunsoft overcome the
limitations of the sound chips to create compelling
sounds and effects?
– This dissertation defines and acknowledges the
compositional tradition of this genre during the 8-
bit gaming era.

4. Great vs. Poor Chiptunes
● Exhibits a majority of attributes of the chiptune
style
● Exists to enhance the gameplay
GREAT
“Dr. Wily's Stage”
Mega Man 2
POOR
“Title Screen”
The Adventures of Rad Gravity

5. Sound Waves
● Chiptune style vs. Chiptune-sounding
– Adhering to compositional trends and techniques
from the 80s and 90s
– Not just using sound waves
SINE
SQUARE
TRIANGLE
SAWTOOTH

6. Sound Channels
● More than sounds...number of simultaneous sounds!
● NES
– 2 pulse, 1 triangle, 1 noise, 1 PCM
● Commodore 64
– 3, each can be sawtooth, pulse, triangle, or noise
● Amiga 500
– 4 PCM
● Game Boy
– 2 pulse, 1 triangle, 1 wavetable

7. Basic to Advanced
● Over the life of the NES/Famicom, composers and
audio programmers found creative, new ways to
expand musical possibilities from the internal
soundchip
– Repitching of delta-encoded samples
– Changes of note attack and decay
– Inserting softer sounds between main sounds
Pulse w/ 12.5% duty cycle
Pulse w/ 25% duty cycle
Pulse w/ 50% duty cycle

8. How Composers Programmed
● Family BASIC
● Compact Editor
● Digital Performer
● Hex Code
● MIDI to Hex Code
– Specialized tool
– Output needs editing for NES/Famicom
characteristic effects

9. Compositional Techniques
● Focus on melody
● Reuse musical motives
– Rhythmic
– Melodic
– Harmonic
– Micro & Macro
● Variation through
– Duty cycles
– Tempo
– Key
– Meter
– Dynamics
– Articulation

10. Artificial Reverberation
● Duplicate a part played a little behind the original
● The part in reverb can have variation in pitch and/or
rhythm
● PROS
– The part has a fuller sound
● CONS
– One less sound channel for other musical activity

11. Batman (1990)
● “Ending”
– Composer: Naoki Kotaka
– Pulse 1 plays melody
● Weak notes within melody give more natural decay
– Pulse 2 plays melody an 8th
note later
● Softer in volume than Pulse 1 channel
● Same duty cycle changes
Melody w/ reverb
Melody w/o reverb
Full

12. Looping
● Musical material at loop end must flow into that at
loop start in terms of key, meter, tempo
● PROS
– Saves a lot of memory
– Players remember the songs with repetition
– Accounts for music of variable length in gameplay
● CONS
– Short loops = frustrating repetitions
– Limits amount of musical development

13. Ufouria: the Saga (1992)
● “Boss 1”
– Composer: Naoki Kotaka
– Loops after 25 seconds
● PROS
– more repetitions
– increased familiarity
– increased desire to defeat the boss quickly
Melody
Full

14. Arpeggiation
● Arpeggiate between 3 or more pitches to create
harmony
● PROS
– Frees up other sound channels
● CONS
– Needs to be moderate to fast as harmony
– Not as effective for slow tracks

15. Mega Man 9 (2008)
● “Galaxy Man”
– Composers: Ippo Yamada, Yu Shimoda, Ryo
Kawakami, and Hiroki Isogai
– Moderate arpeggiation
Arpeggiation Alone
Full

16. Hero Quest (1991 Prototype)
● “Final Track”
– Composer: Neil Baldwin
– Rapid arpeggiation
Arpeggiation Alone
Arpeggiation Slowed Down
Full

17. Samples
● Ideal for short sounds due to memory
– Sound effects
– Grunts, moans,
– Percussion hits
● NES/Famicom can repitch samples on the PCM
channel
● Sunsoft's signature sound due to samples
– Journey to Silius (1990)
– Fester's Quest (1989)
– Batman (1990)
Sampled bass
Sampled orchestra hit
Sampled percussion
short voiceovers

18. Famicom Expansion Chips
● Additional audio soundchip included within
cartridge or expansion unit
● PROS
– Add additional sound channels and/or sound waves
for sound and music design
● 4-note chords and more
● CONS
– Needs more memory
– Not accessible on the NES

19. Audio Expansion Chips
● Nintendo FDS (Famicom Disk System)
– Adds 1 wavetable channel
– The Legend of Zelda
● Nintendo MMC5
– Adds 2 pulse and 1 PCM channel
– Castlevania 3

20. Gimmick (1992)
● Only game to ever use the Sunsoft 5B chip
– Adds 3 pulse channels
– Needed to compete with Super NES market
● PROS
– Allows for richer musical elements
● CONS
– Takes up more memory
– More of the same timbres

21. “Good Morning” - Masashi Kageyama
NES Soundchip Alone Sunsoft 5B Alone Full

22. When/Where Does Retro Work?
● There are much fewer hardware restrictions on
sound today than from the 80s and 90s
● DO
– Write chiptunes to fit visual aesthetic and/or
gameplay
– Adhere to some or all of the sound limitations and
compositional techniques of yesteryear
● DON'T
– Use extended sampled voicework
– Expect realism

23. Mutant Mudds (2012)
● Composer: Troupe Gammage
– “The limited number of tonal voices would force
melody to the forefront in the same way that the
limited number of pixels in the visuals forced an
emphasis on silhouette.”
– “The NES style also provides an incredible focus on
melody, which helps the game achieve a more
iconic feel.”

24. Mutant Mudds (2012)
“World 1-1” – Examples of
● Artificial reverberation
● Slides
● Weak notes
● Fall-offs
● Grace notes
● Crescendo and diminuendoFull
Melody Slowed Down

25. Retro City Rampage (2012)
● Began life as an NES homebrew game called Grand Theftendo
● Chiptunes appropriate due to:
– 80s pop culture
– 8-bit visual aesthetic
– nostalgia

26. Retro City Rampage (2012)
● “Title Screen”
– Composed by Jake “virt” Kaufman
– Fits within chiptune style by:
● use of five channels like the NES and Famicom
● use of samples only for percussion
● use of sound waves available on the NES and
Famicom
Melody Slowed Down
Full

27. Chiptune Soundtracks
● Chiptunes have commercial appeal
– Shovel Knight (2014)
– JumpJet Rex (in Early Access)

28. Games Discussed
● Mega Man 2 (1988)
● Fester's Quest (1989)
● Batman (1990)
● Journey to Silius (1990)
● The Adventures of Rad Gravity (1990)
● Hero Quest (1991 Prototype)
● Ufouria: the Saga (1992)
● Gimmick! (1992)
● Mega Man 9 (2008)
● Mutant Mudds (2012)
● Retro City Rampage (2012)
● Shovel Knight (2014)
● JumpJet Rex (in Early Access)

29. Questions?
● Prof. Christopher Hopkins
– Official Website
– E-Mail
● North American Conference on Video Game Music
– Website