The Mushihime-sama Original Soundtrack, gaining popularity just like the game, immediately sold out through it's online venue. This month, we talk with the two composers who worked on it, Namiki and Iwata. We'll hear their story, and about the music that's closely linked to it and those scarce Fantasy Shooters.

-Can you please tell us how you came to oversee this project?

Namiki: For me it started with being asked to make the Next Game Image: Dynasty which was recorded for the ESPGaluda OST. At that time, I was given only one rough sketch of Princess Reko to work with (laughs).

-And what kind of talks were there with you, Iwata-san?

Iwata: After Namiki-kun composed the Next Game Image track, I then accepted the actual soundtrack work from Basiscape, who currently owns it. We made some changes to the schedule, and it was decided that Namiki-kun and I would oversee the project together.

-Wasn't there a style in your previous works that would match you two well?

Namiki: When I was with 8ing I actually called on Iwata-san for some out-sourced music. Then after that, there were many projects we worked on together, not through any connection of our companies.

Iwata: Just before starting work on Mushihime-sama, we were making some consumer game soundtracks together.

Namiki: It's possible that had some type of influence on us being paired together for this project.

-The subtitle of the Next Game Image track is Dynasty...

Namiki: The rough sketch I recieved at the time, completely different than the [current] Princess Reko, was a girl courageously riding a beetle. When I did some research on beetles, there were many references to Hercules or some other dignified type of myth so I gave it the name Dynasty, making a reference to royalty.

-The fantasy world setting is rare in shooters these days, isn't it?

Namiki: It's hasn't been used much recently. When we started working on it, I was saying to Iwata-san how "there used to be quite a few games like this". The first meeting we were in was in a family restaurant. As we looked at the sketches there, both sides had the impression that the Mushihime-sama world would have that older 80's to 90's shooter feel.

-It certainly seems that there were a lot of games like that at that time.

Namiki: Actually, rather than follow in [those games'] footsteps, we thought what was important was what was in Cave's offer, "new songs that would bring a feel of excitement". Looking back, there are actually a lot of tracks with that excitement, most of which were purposely composed that way.