Junichi Masuda's soundtrack for the original Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow games is iconic. Despite the limited hardware offered by the Gameboy, Masuda managed to create some highly effective music, and he did so with a little inspiration from his favourite classical composers.
SOURCES:
8-bit guy, How Oldschool Sound/Music worked: https://youtu.be/q_3d1x2VPxk
8-bit guy, Use your Gameboy as a MIDI instrument: https://youtu.be/3jxcKPoi5Kc
Interview with Junichi Masuda (2014): https://www.pocketmonsters.net/content/Interview_A_Conversation_with_Pokemons_Musical_Maestro
Gameinformer (2014), Pokemon music master: https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2014/05/13/pokemon%27s-music-master-the-man-behind-the-catchiest-songs.aspx
Dylan Tallchief, How Pokemon's CREEPIEST song was made
: https://youtu.be/tGx3SbzgW7E
Interview with Junichi Masuda: https://youtu.be/ARzkFSwPFIM
Korex, How the Pokemon music was made: https://youtu.be/XoHN7ON413U
Tuning the Koto: https://youtu.be/VQ0-3rND9pM
Nintendo Life, Interview with Junichi Masuda: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2016/07/junichi_masuda_on_the_process_of_composing_music_for_pokemon
How Music Was Made On Super Nintendo: https://youtu.be/jvIzIAgRWV0
Gameboy sound hardware: https://gbdev.gg8.se/wiki/articles/Gameboy_sound_hardware
Retro Game Mechanics Explained, Generation I Pokémon Cries Explained: https://youtu.be/gDLpbFXnpeY
Masuda on musical influences: https://www.gamefreak.co.jp/blog/dir_english/2007/10/index.html
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0:00 Introduction
0:21 Gameboy's limited soundchip
2:02 Counterpoint vs. Homophony
3:29 Celadon City
4:12 Pallet Town
5:45 J.S. Bach
7:15 Lavender Town
9:00 Viridian Forest
9:45 Stravinsky & Shostakovich
10:40 Mt. Moon
11:38 Pokémon Tower
12:05 Junichi Masuda
13:25 I wrote a chiptune piece