FM synth that punches way above its weight class on PC-98 hardware. Brandish 2: The Planet Buster is Falcom's 1993 dungeon crawler sequel, and the Falcom Sound Team JDK pushed that Yamaha chip harder than it had any right to go.
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"Stranger - Wandering Swordsman" opens with this restless, driving melody that just screams lonely adventurer, "BATTLE POINT Ver.A" hits with frantic energy that evolves across four increasingly intense variations throughout the game, and "Ninja Yashiki - Spilling Innocent Blood" goes full dark with a tight, menacing groove.
The zone themes shift constantly. Wharf, castle, laboratory, each one its own world in FM synthesis. "Karl, Your Are Shining" near the end carries genuine emotional weight. Falcom always knew how to land a character moment even through a sound chip.
If you know what JDK stands for and still chase that 90s Falcom FM sound, this is essential listening.