Early Motoi Sakuraba on the X68000 and it already sounds like he's trying to break free of every sound chip limitation. Zan: Kagerou no Toki was a Wolf Team strategy game from 1989, and this 1991 album pairs the raw FM originals with arranged versions featuring contributions from Noriyuki Iwadare and the Sargent Wolf Band.
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The original Age of Heat Haze is tight and punchy through the X68000's YM2151, but the arranged Decisive Battle blows it wide open with live instrumentation. Spring of His Life hits with this surprisingly emotional melody you wouldn't expect from a Sengoku tactics game.
Ephemeral Dream has that classic prog-rock energy Sakuraba became famous for. If you dig Tales or Star Ocean composers, hear where it all started.