Who composed the music and sound effects for the first Pokémon games?

Junichi Masuda composed the music and sound effects for the first Pokémon games.

Masuda was a key member of Game Freak’s original Pokémon team and contributed programming as well as audio work. The Game Boy’s limited sound hardware required memorable melodies and distinctive effects to be created from a small number of audio channels.

The music helped give different locations and battles their identities, from town themes to Gym and encounter sequences. Sound effects also made actions such as selecting commands, gaining experience, and using moves recognizable despite the system’s technical limits.

Masuda continued to hold major creative roles in later Pokémon projects. He is sometimes confused with anime composer Shinji Miyazaki, who wrote music for the television series, but the original game audio credits belong to Masuda.