David Wise
Rare's musical soul
David Wise composed Rare's most beloved soundtracks, from the atmospheric jungles of Donkey Kong Country to the orchestral sweep of Star Fox Adventures.
Overview
David Wise joined Rare in 1985 and stayed for nearly 30 years, scoring dozens of games. His Donkey Kong Country soundtrack—ambient, melodic, and deeply atmospheric—elevated SNES audio to new heights. Wise’s work combined memorable melodies with technical mastery, creating soundscapes that defined Rare’s golden era.
Fast facts
- Start: joined Rare at 18, initially as a musician and sound programmer.
- Breakthrough: Donkey Kong Country (1994) brought worldwide recognition.
- Technique: pioneered use of sampled real instruments within hardware constraints.
- Later work: returned to compose Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (2014).
Key soundtracks
| Game | Year | Platform | Notable tracks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slalom | 1986 | NES | Early Rare work |
| Battletoads | 1991 | NES | Driving rock themes |
| Donkey Kong Country | 1994 | SNES | Aquatic Ambiance |
| DKC 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest | 1995 | SNES | Stickerbrush Symphony |
| Diddy Kong Racing | 1997 | N64 | Varied genre styles |
| Star Fox Adventures | 2002 | GameCube | Orchestral scale |
Atmospheric mastery
Wise’s DKC work stands apart:
- Ambient textures: subtle environmental sounds layered with melody.
- Emotional range: from energetic mine cart themes to contemplative underwater passages.
- Sample quality: made the SNES sound richer than contemporaries.
Technical approach
Working within tight memory limits:
- Created custom instruments from small samples.
- Used reverb and delay creatively.
- Composed around the hardware rather than against it.