David Wise

David Wise is a British video game music composer best known for his work at Rare, where he worked from 1985 to 2009. Most of his early game compositions were for ports of existing games to the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy or for licensed games, where he often arranged other people's compositions. But he started to really be recognized for his original game music, such as in Battletoads, Snake Rattle and Roll and Wizards and Warriors. His most prominent breakout was for the Donkey Kong Country series, the soundtracks he's best remembered for. Since leaving Rare, Wise is currently a freelance composer.

David Wise left an indelible mark on most of the games he composed music for, providing a distinctive recognizable feel to them. He excels at using musical notes to give ambient feel to music, and pulled this off fairly well even on the NES.

Not to be confused with the animation writer with the same name.

Video Games Music

 * The Amazing Spider Man (1990 / Game Boy)
 * Anticipation (1988 / NES)
 * Arch Rivals (1990 / NES)
 * Battletoads (1991 / NES): A surprisingly good soundtrack that most gamers never fully hear.
 * Samples: Intruder Excluder, Karnath's Lair, Rat Race, Speed Bike, Surf City, Theme, Turbo Jet, Wookie Hole.
 * Battletoads (1991 / Game Boy): A completely different game (and different soundtrack) from the NES game.
 * Samples: Stage 1, Stage 3.
 * Battletoads (1993 / Mega Drive, Game Gear)
 * Battletoads In Ragnarok's World (1993 / Game Boy): Which was an actual (abridged) port of the NES game.
 * Battletoads In Battlemaniacs (1993 / Super NES)
 * Samples: Bonus 1, Hollow Tree, Ragnarok Canyon, Roller Coaster.
 * Battletoads And Double Dragon (1993 / NES, Super NES, Mega Drive, Game Boy)
 * Samples: Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 5, Stage 6.
 * Battletoads (1993 / Arcade Game)
 * Beetlejuice (1991 / NES)
 * Beetlejuice (1992 / Game Boy)
 * Cabal (1990 / NES)
 * California Games (1989 / NES)
 * Captain Skyhawk (1990 / NES)
 * Championship Pro Am (1992 / Mega Drive)
 * Cobra Triangle (1989 / NES)
 * Danny Sullivans Indy Heat (1992 / NES)
 * Diddy Kong Racing (1997 / Nintendo 64)
 * Diddy Kong Racing DS (2007 / DS)
 * Digger T Rock (1991 / NES)
 * Donkey Kong Country (1994 / Super NES, along with Robin Beanland and Eveline Fischer)
 * Samples: Aquatic Ambience, Funky's Fugue, Jungle Groove.
 * Donkey Kong Country (2000 / Game Boy Color)
 * Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (1995): "Bramble Blast" was later beautifully arranged by Wild Arms series composer Michiko Naruke for Super Smash Bros Brawl.
 * Bramble Blast, Disco Train, Krook's March, Hot-Head Bop, Mining Melancholy, Snakey Chantey, Web Woods, Donkey Kong Rescued.
 * Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (1995 / Super NES, along with Eveline Fischer)
 * Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (2003 / GBA)
 * Donkey Kong Land (1995 / Game Boy, along with Graeme Norgate)
 * Samples: Cavey Cavey, Kremlantis, Snowy Pig Wings.
 * Double Dare (1990 / NES)
 * High Speed (1991 / NES)
 * Hollywood Squares (1989 / NES)
 * Jeopardy (1988 / NES)
 * Jeopardy 25th Anniversary Edition (1990 / NES)
 * Jeopardy Junior Edition (1989 / NES)
 * John Elways Quarterback (1989 / NES)
 * Jordan Vs Bird One On One (1989 / NES)
 * Marble Madness (1989 / NES)
 * Monster Max (1994 / Game Boy)
 * NARC (1990 / NES)
 * A Nightmare On Elm Street (1990 / NES)
 * Pin Bot (1990 / NES)
 * RC Pro Am (1988 / NES)
 * RC Pro Am II (1992 / NES)
 * Sesame Street 123 (1989 / NES)
 * Sesane Street ABC (1989 / NES)
 * Silent Service (1989 / NES)
 * Slalom (1987 / NES)
 * Snake Rattle and Roll (1990 / NES)
 * Snake Rattle and Roll (1993 / Mega Drive)
 * Sneaky Snakes (1991 / Game Boy)
 * Solar Jetman: Hunt For The Golden Warpship (1990 / NES)
 * Star Fox Adventures (2002 / Game Cube)
 * Super Glove Ball (1990 / NES)
 * Super RC Pro Am (1991 / Game Boy)
 * Taboo The Sixth Sense (1989 / NES)
 * Time Lord (1990 / NES)
 * Viva Pinata: Pocket Paradise (2008 / DS)
 * Wheel of Fortune (1988 / NES)
 * Wheel of Fortune Family Edition (1990 / NES)
 * Wheel of Fortune Junior Edition (1989 / NES)
 * Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1989 / NES)
 * Wizards and Warriors (1987 / NES)
 * Samples: Level 1.
 * Ironsword: Wizards and Warriors II (1989 / NES)
 * Wizards and Warriors Chapter X: The Fortress Of Fear (1990 / Game Boy)
 * Wizards and Warriors III: Kuros...Visions Of Power (1992 / NES)
 * Samples: Cave Passage, Knight, Knights Guild, Malkil Battle, Title, Wizard Guild.
 * World Games (1989 / NES)
 * WWF Superstars (1991 / Game Boy)
 * WWF Wrestlemania (1989 / NES)
 * WWF Wrestlemania Challenge (1990 / NES)
 * X The Ball (1993 / Arcade Game)