Music in Pikmin 3: Difference between revisions

The '''music''' of {{p3}} accompanies every mode of the game, from themes and cues during gameplay to scores of cutscenes and menus, in order to enhance the various moods of the game and to direct gameplay. Generally, the textural style of the music reflects either the technology of [[Koppai]], the scenic environment of [[PNF-404]], or the progression of the story and the quirky nature of [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]]. In the spirit of compositions for the [[Pikmin series|''Pikmin'' series]], this installment features dynamic music that adapts to what occurs in the game, using parameters such as what tasks Pikmin are carrying out, the time of [[day]], and the weather in a particular [[area]]. Between gameplay, pre-rendered cutscenes are scored by a Hollywood-style orchestra, and in-game cutscenes are textured by varied loops and cues of music. Compared with the music of the previous games, this game's music is much more atmospheric and ethereal; melody is only germane in establishing {{w|leitmotif}}s in the game. This game's music also contains many more original synthesized instruments, to heighten the theme of futurism and to give the soundtrack personality.

The soundtrack to ''Pikmin 3'' was composed by Asuka Hayazaki, Atsuko Asahi, and Hajime Wakai, under no official name. Like the previous soundtracks in the series, all the sounds are synthesized or samples attempting to mimic real instruments. This installment of the series features the most advanced sound technology yet, producing very realistic representations of real instruments. However, unlike [[Music in Pikmin 2|the music in the previous game]], this game's music is all pre-rendered, not played note-by-note in real time; this allows for new instruments, new textures, and new experimentation with sound, at the cost of a less flexible soundtrack.

==Leitmotifs==

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[[File:Success and Adventure Motif.png|thumb|300px|center|[[File:SuccessMotif.ogg]] The "success motif", denoting a success or setting a victorious mood.]]

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{{infobox track

|name=Today's report

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{{infobox track

|name=S.S. Drake

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}}

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{{infobox track

|name=Mission Mode menu

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{{clear}}

|name=Side Stories menu

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{{clear}}

{{infobox track

|name=Bingo Battle menu

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{{infobox track

|name=Mission results

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{{clear}}

|name=Side Story results

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|header = y

}}

{{clear}}

==Cutscenes==

Most of the [[cutscene]]s of the game have pre-rendered soundtracks, as they are usually a specified length. The theatrical cutscenes have a Hollywood-style orchestra to perform them, plus electronics. Meanwhile, the in-game cutscenes can sometimes have a looped theme, since dialog occurs over the cutscene that requires player input to progress. These cutscenes can be performed by a wide range of ensembles and electronics, as they all have varying moods and contexts to convey.

{{infobox track

|name=Loading screen

|header = y

}}

{{clear}}

{{infobox track

|name=Story Mode opening

|header = y

}}

Heard during attraction mode, or when a new game begins. The first-ever narrator in the series (voice of Julian Macfarlane) reads the following passage, which contains key elements that change the soundtrack.

Before the passage begins, a dramatic percussion hit silences the audience, with a quiet A in bass strings immediately disconcerting the mood. After the galactic date, a synthesized bass joins this A, bringing overtones into the passing drone. Only when the narrator introduces [[Koppai]] does this texture change. Pad strings and a small gesture in a triangle wave follow the appearance of the planet, and tremolo strings in an F-Lydian chord accent the name "Koppai". The next sentence begins with a low tam-tam, and reverb from the previous gesture morphs into an organ-like synthesizer, violins playing open notes, and a small gesture in marimba accent Koppai's predicament, although focusing more still on its introduction. This fades into reverb; at "another planet", a new texture arrives. As it plays the technology of space travel and [[SPERO]]s, it is entirely synthesized, and quite major. Reverberant strings bring it down, however, clogging this initial texture until "to their dismay", when the whole texture ends on C minor and falters away. At "the final vessel", the music suddenly builds into a major orchestral sting, with full strings, horns, and timpani. The texture is by no means "miraculous" sounding; its dissonant blaring around D minor leaves the mood of PNF-404 very ambiguous. But this thins out to a simple triumphant counterpoint in pad strings when "they mobilize". At "Koppai's last hope", the theme gains power from a trumpet, and loses reverb to become more coherent. As the narrator pauses, a drum machine, timpani, and tambourine accent the space travel scene. A trumpet toots the triumphant "Koppaite motif", under a quiet chip-tone texture. A harp flourish sweeps out this beat at "nears its end". The music is now continued in the orchestra, but it quickly spirals into dissonant whole-tone harmonies as "they initiate the landing sequence". Percussion mounts the tension until the big release at "something goes horribly wrong", when the resolving high D sustains in violins over decaying cellos. It all fades, and when the three leaders plummet to PNF-404, only a lone shimmering drone in F returns. The final gesture is an echoing synthesized ''Pikmin 2'' motif, in a sustained chord context. Unlike [[Music in Pikmin 2#Opening cinema|the prologue in the previous game]], this ending is much more ambiguous, the major turnaround only suggesting the title of the game and not the fate of the Koppaites.

{{infobox track

|name=Captain Charlie's introduction

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{{infobox track

|name=Peculiar discovery

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{{infobox track

|name=Tutorial

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{{infobox track

|name=Charlie's cliffhanger

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{{infobox track

|name=Alph awakens

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{{infobox track

|name=Red Pikmin encounter

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{{infobox track

|name=Found important item

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Heard when an important non-Pikmin item is discovered, such as the first piece of [[fruit]] or the [[KopPad]]. This is a new rendition of the [[Music in Pikmin 2#Success|success theme]], with more prominent flutes with vibrato playing the "success" motif, and a clearer sound in the harmony and bass, thanks to an acoustic guitar sound. Percussion is also added in this rendition, another element adding to the satisfying conclusiveness of this tonal motif.

{{clear}}

{{infobox track

|name=New Pikmin type

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Heard when a new type of Pikmin is plucked or found. Again, a mixture of synthesizers and small natural instruments introduce the Pikmin, this time with a decoration of the ''Pikmin 2'' motif. One should notice how the melodic synthesizer detunes at the end of the cue, leading into the dialogue about new Pikmin.

{{clear}}

{{infobox track

|name=Found S.S. Drake

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|link=http://downloads.khinsider.com/game-soundtracks/album/pikmin-3/019-signs-of-life-.mp3

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{{infobox track

|name=Brittany's theme

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{{infobox track

|name=Nocturnal predators

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{{infobox track

|name=Area loading

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{{infobox track

|name=Land in a new area

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|link=http://downloads.khinsider.com/game-soundtracks/album/pikmin-3/026-a-new-discovery-.mp3

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{{clear}}

|link=http://downloads.khinsider.com/game-soundtracks/album/pikmin-3/027-a-learning-experience.mp3

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{{infobox track

|name=Found Brittany

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{{infobox track

|name=Brittany's theme reprise

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{{infobox track

|name=Medusal Slurker encounter

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{{infobox track

|name=Rescued Brittany

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{{infobox track

|name=Recovered important item (loop)

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{{infobox track

|name=End of day

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{{infobox track

|name=Pikmin suffering

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{{infobox track

|name=Pikmin suffering (loop)

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|link=http://downloads.khinsider.com/game-soundtracks/album/pikmin-3/080-alph-down....mp3

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|link=http://downloads.khinsider.com/game-soundtracks/album/pikmin-3/101-pikmin-extinction....mp3

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{{infobox track

|name=Game over

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{{clear}}

{{infobox track

|name=Land in Distant Tundra

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{{infobox track

|name=Captain Charlie's theme

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{{infobox track

|name=Louie's theme

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|link=http://downloads.khinsider.com/game-soundtracks/album/pikmin-3/078-louie-analysis.mp3

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{{infobox track

|name=Louie escaped

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{{infobox track

|name=Found Olimar

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{{infobox track

|name=Found Olimar (loop)

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{{infobox track

|name=Olimar released

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{{infobox track

|name=Olimar released (loop)

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{{clear}}

{{infobox track

|name=Mysterious Life-form appears

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{{clear}}

{{infobox track

|name=Conclusion cutscene

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{{clear}}

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{{infobox track

|name=Credits

|header = y

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*(0:00) [[Blue Pikmin]] are walking through rain in the [[Tropical Wilds]] while [[Yellow Pikmin]] take shelter under a stump. As the credits have just begun, the texture is very thin, with only a {{w|Hang (instrument)|Hang drum}} and pizzicato violin establishing the waltz and the first gesture.

*(0:17) Blue Pikmin are idling in water in the [[Garden of Hope]]. The first gesture repeats with glockenspiel, harp, and bass pizzicato added. This adds complexity and development, before the gesture is briefly set aside for some more detailed scores.

*(0:52) Several Pikmin watch as other Pikmin slide down the larger ice slide in the [[Distant Tundra]]. The music switches a new passage in a deceptively different key using the tuned gongs, jingle bells, and synthesized pad from the Distant Tundra's theme. This may sound like an entirely different turn, but the orchestra bassoon and strings can still be heard building behind it.

*(1:08) Pikmin idle in tulips, until they begin hiding from back to front. The frontmost Yellow Pikmin does not notice the threat, and nearly gets eaten by the revealed [[Whiptongue Bulborb]]. The Pikmin rise out of the tulips one by one, and watch the Whiptongue Bulborb leave until a Blue Pikmin is caught by a [[Swooping Snitchbug]]. This long scene has two parts. The first is a buildup to the Bulborb's attack, in gracing woodwinds, piano, and snare drum. The texture becomes increasingly thick and accelerates until the Bulborb's attack is accented by a cymbal crash and timpani hit. The Bulborb's failure and departure characterized by the bassoon gesture from the [[Twilight River]] theme, the Pikmin begin rising from their tulips with whole-tone harp and glockenspiel. As each one rises, they make a small noise, and the high-register waltz texture plays their scale. As more of them rise, they begin to make noises in rhythm, and even start to sing the ''Pikmin 2'' motif, until a gesture in piano and {{w|col legno}} strings abruptly accents the Swooping Snitchbug capturing the Blue Pikmin, ending the scene.

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*'''Afternoon version:''' The theme that plays at the beginning of the day is considered by this article to be the normal theme of the area. As the [[HUD#Sun Meter|Sun Meter]] reads noon, the music fades out for the bell chime and then comes back in with a new intro. Usually, the theme is the same before and after noon, but for the [[Garden of Hope]], the two are different. For the other areas, the links in this article are only to the afternoon intro, since the following themes are the same as morning.

*'''Sunset version:''' Once the [[HUD]] warns the player to collect all stray Pikmin before [[Day#Sunset|sunset]], the music changes to a thinner, calmer remix of ''part'' of the original theme. This completely replaces the original theme, and does not feature any of its own enemy, task, and carrying mixes, unlike the sunset themes in the previous games.

A new feature of ''Pikmin 3'' is that these parameters are global; the active leader does not need to be nearby a gameplay event for it to trigger a musical adaptation. This actually makes music a helpful gameplay element, for example alerting the player as to when Pikmin not on screen are in danger with the enemy mix. Also, when the active leader is [[hiding]], the music will fade out.

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{{infobox track

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'''Instruments'''

*'''Enemy mix''': Timpani, snare drum, crash cymbals, and bell collection.

*'''Weather version''': See '''[[#Rain|Rain]]'''.

*'''Afternoon version''': Same as main version, but piccolos, a full use of banjo, and pizzicato basses are added.

{{infobox track

|name=Distant Tundra

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}}

'''Instruments'''

*'''Enemy mix''': Timpani, snare drum, crash cymbals, and bell collection.

*'''Task mix''': DX electric piano, and pizzicato cellos and basses.

*'''Afternoon version''': Same as main version.

{{clear}}

{{infobox track

|name=Tropical Wilds

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'''Instruments'''

*'''Enemy mix''': Timpani, snare drum, crash cymbals, and bell collection.

*'''Weather version''': See '''[[#Rain|Rain]]'''.

*'''Afternoon version''': Same as main version, but the intro contains bass accordion.

{{clear}}

{{infobox track

|name=Twilight River

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}}

'''Instruments'''

*'''Enemy mix''': Timpani, snare drum, crash cymbals, and bell collection.

*'''Weather version''': See '''[[#Rain|Rain]]'''.

{{clear}}

{{infobox track

|name=Formidable Oak

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*'''Sunset version''': Detuned chorused glockenspiel, bamboo marimba, celeste/wind chime sample, and distorted modified vocal synthesizer.

{{clear}}

{{infobox track

|name=Cave

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{{infobox track

|name= Rain

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{{infobox track

|name=Boss battle intro

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{{infobox track

|name=Boss attack

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{{infobox track

|name=Pikmin vulnerable

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{{clear}}

{{infobox track

|name=Boss vulnerable

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{{infobox track

|name=Vehemoth Phosbat (all lights off)

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{{clear}}

{{infobox track

|name=Vehemoth Phosbat (small lights on)

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{{clear}}

{{infobox track

|name=Large bulb activated

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{{infobox track

|name=Vehemoth Phosbat (large light on)

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{{infobox track

|name=Boss defeated

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{{clear}}

The [[Plasm Wraith|final boss]] of the game has two forms, with two very different themes. These two boss themes do not function like the normal boss themes; there is little (although still significant) dynamism that the boss can trigger. Also, since the [[Formidable Oak]] is entirely designed for this boss battle, the boss theme is global, and the second phase of it completely replaces the Formidable Oak's theme.

{{clear}}

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{{clear}}

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{{clear}}

{{infobox track

|name=Escaped Formidable Oak

|header = y

}}

{{clear}}

{{infobox track

|name=Plasm Wraith battle

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{{infobox track

|name=Plasm Wraith defeated

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{{infobox track

|name=Mid-boss battle

}}

Mid-bosses in ''Pikmin 3'' are smaller bosses in the game that are larger and stronger than most enemies but that do not contain an important plot element. These are the [[Shaggy Long Legs]], [[Burrowing Snagret]], and [[Bug-Eyed Crawmad]] (the [[Baldy Long Legs]] does not trigger mid-boss music because it does not appear in story mode). They get their own theme that plays whenever the active leader is near, similarly to how boss themes worked in the previous games. The theme itself is a new rendition of the [[Music in Pikmin 2#Common boss battle|previous game's boss battle theme]]. The new theme is less brass-centered, with the melody in strings and a few muted horns instead. The percussion and synth bass are also more articulate.

{{infobox track

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{{infobox track

|name=Fortress of Festivity

|header = y

}}

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}}

Heard when a Mission Mode stage is completed, with a platinum medal. A grand flourish of brass, woodwinds, and percussion brings about this victorious rendition of the ''Pikmin 2'' motif. It works especially well with under one minute left in stages 1-10, or with over one minute left in stages 12-15, since those are both in the same key of F#.

{{clear}}

==Side Stories==

{{infobox track

|header = y

}}

{{clear}}

{{infobox track

|header = y

}}

{{clear}}

==Bingo Battle==

{{infobox track

|name=Battle start

|header = y

}}

{{clear}}

{{infobox track

|name=Bingo Battle 1 (nature)

|header = y

}}

{{infobox track

|name=Bingo Battle 2 (metal)

|header = y

}}

{{infobox track

|name=Bingo Battle 3 (toys)

|header = y

}}

{{infobox track

|name=One Away!

|header = y

}}

{{infobox track

|name=Give it a Spin!

|header = y

}}

{{clear}}

{{infobox track

|name=Victory

|header = y

}}

*In the "sunset" variant of ''Pikmin 3''{{'s}} title screen, if the player waits for the music to end, they will hear different sounds from the "daytime" variant. Along with birds, cicadas can be heard chirping, and even a sheep can faintly bleat. It is unknown whether this is supposed to be a real sheep, or instead a sheep-like enemy, because both are never seen anywhere else in the series.