The music of Pikmin 3 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. In the spirit of compositions for the 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 leitmotifs in the game.
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 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.
It should be noted that all titles for Pikmin 3 music in this article and elsewhere are conjectural, as the tracks have no known official names.
Leitmotifs
These are small gestures that reappear throughout the game suggesting ideas or setting moods.
Menus
- Main menu
Main Menu | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Day select
Day select | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Today's report
Today's report | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- S.S. Drake
S.S. Drake | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Mission Mode menu
Mission Mode | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Bingo Battle menu
Bingo Battle menu | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
Cutscenes
- Loading screen
Loading screen | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Prologue
Prologue | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Captain Charlie's introduction
Captain Charlie's introduction | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Peculiar discovery
Peculiar discovery | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Tutorial
Tutorial | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Charlie's cliffhanger
Charlie's cliffhanger | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Alph awakens
Alph awakens | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Red Pikmin encounter
Red Pikmin encounter | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Found important item
Found important item | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Found important item (loop)
Found important item (loop) | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- New Pikmin type
New Pikmin type | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- New Pikmin type (loop)
New Pikmin type (loop) | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Found S.S. Drake
Found S.S. Drake | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- No signs of life
No signs of life | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Brittany's theme
Brittanys theme | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Nocturnal predators
Nocturnal predators | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Area loading
Area loading | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Land in a new area
Land in a new area | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Discovery
Discovery | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Discovery (loop)
Discovery (loop) | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Found Brittany
Found Brittany | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Brittany's theme reprise
Brittany's theme reprise | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Medusal Slurker encounter
Medusal Slurker encounter | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Rescued Brittany
Rescued Brittany | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Recovered important item (loop)
Recovered important item (loop) | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- End of day
End of day | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Pikmin suffering
Pikmin suffering | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Pikmin suffering (loop)
Pikmin suffering (loop) | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Pikmin suffering (loop)
Pikmin suffering (loop) | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Leader down
Leader down | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Pikmin extinction
Pikmin extinction | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- 'Game over:
Game over | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- 'Game over (loop):
Game over (loop) | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Land in Distant Tundra
Land in Distant Tundra | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Captain Charlie's theme
Captain Charlie's theme | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Louie's theme
Louie's theme | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Recovered Louie
Recovered Louie | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Louie escaped
Louie escaped | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Louie escaped
Louie escaped | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Found Olimar
Found Olimar (loop) | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Found Olimar (loop)
Found Olimar (loop) | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Olimar released
Olimar released | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Olimar released (loop)
Olimar released (loop) | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Mysterious Life-form appears (loop)
Mysterious Life-form appears | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Conclusion cutscene
Conclusion cutscene | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Epilogue (bad)
Epilogue (bad) | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Epilogue (good)
Epilogue (good) | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Epilogue (perfect)
Epilogue (perfect) | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Credits
Credits | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
Areas
Alph's Crash Site
Garden of Hope
Distant Tundra
Tropical Wilds
Twilight River
Formidable Oak
Caves
Bosses
Main bosses
Vehemoth Phosbat
Plasm Wraith
Mid-bosses
Mission Mode
- Mission Mode (Levels 1-10)
Mission Mode (Levels 1-10) | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Fortress of Festivity
Fortress of Festivity | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Mission Mode (Levels 12-15)
Mission Mode (Levels 12-15) | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Mission complete
Mission complete | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Mission results
Mission results | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
Bingo Battle
- Battle start
Battle start | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Bingo Battle 1 (natural)
Bingo Battle 1 (natural) | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Bingo Battle 2 (metal)
Bingo Battle 2 (metal) | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Bingo Battle 3 (toys)
Bingo Battle 3 (toys) | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- One Away!
One Away! | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Give it a Spin!
Give it a Spin! | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
- Victory
Victory | |
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External links | |
Internal name | Unknown |
Minor jingles
Trivia
- If a group of 20 or more Pikmin of one type are idle for long enough, they will begin to sing along with the area theme.
- If the leaders have 20 of each type of Pikmin following them, the Pikmin will sing the main theme to Pikmin 3. If the leaders have all types of Pikmin but have a group of 100 of only one type, the Pikmin will sing the main theme discordantly and unorganizedly.
- If the three leaders are moving without any Pikmin, they will occasionally sing the "Koppaite" motif, with the single lyric "Koppai", possibly meaning the motif is an anthem of sorts.
- A small glitch occurs when a day ends while the player looks at the radar (with the "play" button active, meaning time still passes). The music is put through a hi-pass filter and compressor whenever the map screen is active, making the music sound like it comes from small radio speakers. This filter was not programmed to turn off without player input, so it will remain over the "end of day" theme if it is active at the day's end (although the "today's results" theme will be normal).