From my perspective "who" isn't quite the right question; this is what 1998 Final Fantasy-style symphonic jpop ballads sound like XD; Although "Eyes On Me" was so popular it may well have created the videogame symphonic jpop ballad as a category; Japanese RPG game music has always been emblematic to the gamer audience but before this era hardware limitations had restricted it to the "chiptune" MIDI electronica one thinks of as "videogame music".
Sticking with flagship Squaresoft games (same composer/songwriter for these - Nobuo Uematsu), Final Fantasy IX's theme was a direct rip of this formula:
Final Fantasy X (2001) had an Okinawan folk-inspired design that was reflected in the music:
By X2 (direct sequel - 2003?) we're back with mainstream jpop as represented by Koda Kumi (this is not the most interesting song in X2 - in which the main character is a superpowered pop star like Jem - but it shows the progression):
By Kingdom Hearts I-II we have Utada Hikaru in her 2steppy period:
Then with Final Fantasy XII (2006, the most recent one to date), we change composers and the in-game music sounds totally different, but for the ending theme we're suddenly back to the big symphonic ballad:
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1998Final Fantasy-style symphonic jpop ballads sound like XD; Although "Eyes On Me" was so popular it may well have created the videogame symphonic jpop ballad as a category; Japanese RPG game music has always been emblematic to the gamer audience but before this era hardware limitations had restricted it to the "chiptune" MIDI electronica one thinks of as "videogame music".Sticking with flagship Squaresoft games (same composer/songwriter for these - Nobuo Uematsu), Final Fantasy IX's theme was a direct rip of this formula:
Final Fantasy X (2001) had an Okinawan folk-inspired design that was reflected in the music:
By X2 (direct sequel - 2003?) we're back with mainstream jpop as represented by Koda Kumi (this is not the most interesting song in X2 - in which the main character is a superpowered pop star like Jem - but it shows the progression):
By Kingdom Hearts I-II we have Utada Hikaru in her 2steppy period:
Then with Final Fantasy XII (2006, the most recent one to date), we change composers and the in-game music sounds totally different, but for the ending theme we're suddenly back to the big symphonic ballad: