Kazumi Totaka
Kazumi-totaka.jpg
Born August 23, 1967 (age 57)
Super Mario–related role(s) Current voice actor for Yoshi, Professor E. Gadd, Birdo, and Captain Olimar; composer for several Super Mario games

Kazumi Totaka (Japanese: 戸高 一生) is a Japanese music composer for Nintendo, and mainly works with Nintendo EAD. He has composed the musical score to many games, including Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, Mario Paint, Yoshi's Story, Animal Crossing, and many others. He created the modern voice of Yoshi, used since Yoshi's Story, and has also voiced Professor E. Gadd since Luigi's Mansion and Birdo since Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour. He also voiced Shy Guy and Fly Guy until Nate Bihldorff took over in Mario Power Tennis, although his voice clips for them are sometimes reused in later Yoshi games. In addition, he provides the voice of Captain Olimar starting in Pikmin 2; his voice clips are reused for Olimar's costume in Super Mario Maker.

Totaka's Song

Main article: Totaka's Song

In most games that Totaka has composed for, he has inserted a short, nineteen-note song commonly referred to as Totaka's Song. This song is usually hidden, only able to be heard after meeting certain conditions. The Super Mario games it has been featured in are:

  • Mario Paint - If the player touches the O in the word MARIO when on the title screen, it explodes like a bomb, and Totaka's Song plays.
  • Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins - On the Game Over screen, after 2 minutes and 34 seconds, Totaka's Song plays.
  • Virtual Boy Wario Land - On the end screen that appears after the credits, Totaka's Song plays after a minute and 15 seconds.
  • Yoshi's Story - On the Trial Mode and Select Yoshi screens, Totaka's Song takes over as the music after 2 minutes and 10 seconds.
  • Luigi's Mansion - On the screen showing the controls of the Poltergust 3000 (which appears before training mode), Totaka's Song plays after 3.5 minutes of inactivity. Additionally, Melody Pianissima was originally intended to play the song on her piano, but this was removed from the final game.
  • Yoshi Touch & Go - In Marathon Mode, once the player reaches a mountainous area where clouds are being blown away and then pauses for 3 minutes and 45 seconds, Totaka's Song plays.
  • Yoshi's New Island - On the world map, if the player is in World 6, Totaka's Song plays after approximately five minutes. If they are in any other world, there is instead a brief pause in the music.
  • Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - There is a chance that one of the Yoshis that appear in the audience of certain courses will be humming Totaka's Song; although it is near impossible to hear during a race and cannot be heard in Highlight Reels, a clear version can be found in the game's files.[2]

Super Mario-related works

As composer

As sound supervisor or sound director

As voice actor

Media

  Mario Paint - Totaka's Song
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  Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins - Totaka's Song
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  Virtual Boy Wario Land - Totaka's Song
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  Luigi's Mansion - Totaka's Song
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  Luigi's Mansion - Totaka's Song (piano, unused)
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  Yoshi Touch & Go - Totaka's Song
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  Yoshi's New Island - Totaka's Song
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  Mario Kart 8 - Totaka's Song
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Gallery

External links

References

  1. ^ GameXplain. (October 11, 2018). Totaka's Song in Luigi's Mansion 3DS (Secret). YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  2. ^ http://tcrf.net/Mario_Kart_8#Totaka.27s_Song