Shinji Hosoe
"Metal Hawk" was one of the first games to be developed under Namco's then-new research and development (R&amp;D) video game division in Japan. The development staff focused on creating a game that was both fun to play and exhilarating, and one with powerful, impressive hardware capabilities, specifically in its motion simulator arcade cabinet. Shinji Hosoe composed the game's soundtrack with assistance from Kazuo Noguchi; early versions had additional sound and instrument channels with a more upbeat vibe; these channels had to be removed later on due to a lack of hardware space. Japanese voice actress Maya Okamoto served as the voice of the operator, which provides commentary during levels.