Music in Pikmin Bloom

To do: Add missing links and analysis. Care to do so?

Most moments of Pikmin Bloom have background music providing an accompaniment to the gameplay. This article lists each piece of music that appears in the game.

List of music

Main theme

Main theme
Internal name	bgm_main.wav
External links	Link

This theme plays when there isn't another theme to play, which includes the main menu and the map screen. The theme is very sparse, consisting of 4 chords that play for 15 seconds each. Each chord is made up of a mix of high notes on sustained piano, xylophone, and pad synthesizer, playing at random-sounding times, before the chord is left to fade until the next one. Some note sequences are similar to main Pikmin motif. The calm and open style of this theme sets an effective backdrop to the peaceful nature of the map and the game as a whole.

Flower Planting

Flower Planting
Internal name	bgm_flowerplanting.wav
External links	Link

This theme replaces the main theme when flower planting is activated, and also overrides other music tracks. Its incredibly joyful nature matches the joy of the player's Mii while planting flowers, and it does this through a high-pitched ensemble of piano, mallet percussion, woodwinds, and harp, playing simple melodies over mostly major chords, in an overall rather varied piece of music.

Lifelog

Lifelog
External links	Link

This theme plays in the group of menu screens that the Lifelog is included in. A guitar and a raindrop synthesizer play a short and sustained melody over each chord, with the large space between these melodies filled by the slow swells of a pad synthesizer. The resulting theme is calm and reflective.

Daily Lookback

Daily Lookback
External links	Link

This theme plays during a Daily Lookback and when the player receives items after leveling up. It is a remixed version of the area results theme from Hey! Pikmin. On top of a steady beat and a base layer of rising and falling arpeggios, various layers are added and removed on top, including a groovy bassline and a high-pitched synth melody.

Badges

Badges
External links	Link

This theme plays when viewing information about badges. It is exactly the same as the Sweltering Parchlands area selection theme from Hey! Pikmin. This theme has a celebratory melody to congratulate the player on the achievements they've made, but it is undermined by a mellow set of tone colors, reminding the player that is always more to do.

Shop

Shop
Internal name	bgm_shop_intro.wav bgm_shop_loop.wav
External links	Link

This theme plays in the shop. It has a very ambiguous sense of time, with percussive patterns of different lengths playing together to create a complex texture, and it is not clear where the downbeat is. The harmony in contrast is very simple and major, moving between F and B-flat chords.

Garden

Garden
External links	Link

This theme plays in the Garden screen where Pikmin can be fed nectar. Its main melody is based on the main Pikmin motif, played on a percussive cowbell-like instrument. It sits on top of a layer of light drums, and during parts of the loop, a simple bassline and piano part add some simple harmony.

Planter Pack

Planter Pack
External links	Link

This theme plays when viewing the Planter Pack. A groovy electronic bassline plays throughout the piece, providing a strong layer that various electronic ostinatos and percussion layers can play on top. A melody is formed incidentally by the interactions of the other parts. The overall atmosphere of the piece is digital and anticipatory.

Expedition

Expedition
External links	Link

This theme plays when an expedition is started and when viewing Pikmin on an expedition. This exciting piece captures the adventurous nature of the Pikmin on the expedition with a catchy steel-stringed guitar and bass riff that plays a simple pattern around the F chord throughout the song. On top of this are various short melodies played on a banjo or another guitar, featuring plenty of chromatic approaches and slides. The overall style is similar to bluegrass.

Mushroom Battle

Mushroom Battle
External links	Link

This theme plays during a mushroom challenge. It is based on the expedition theme, featuring a similar guitar and bass part, though additional instruments are added and the melody is different. It also changes chords more significantly, creating a blues-like progression. Parts of the piece feature chromatically ascending chords to build tension.

Mushroom Battle Results

Mushroom Battle Results
External links

This theme plays after a mushroom challenge is completed.

Weekly Challenge Preview

Weekly Challenge Preview
External links	Link

This theme plays when viewing information about a weekly challenge before joining it. It is a more minimal version of the main weekly challenge theme.

Weekly Challenge

Weekly Challenge
External links	Link

This theme plays when viewing an in-progress weekly challenge. It features a simple whistled melody over a major chord progression, accompanied by some varied percussion. After some time, there is a second section with a guitar solo.

Weekly Challenge Results

Weekly Challenge Results
External links

This theme plays when viewing information when a weekly challenge is completed or when it ends automatically at the end of the week. It is based on the main weekly challenge theme.

Tutorial

Tutorial
External links	Link

This theme plays in the first part of the tutorial. It is a slow waltz featuring an accordion playing the main part, along with some soft synthesizers, a guitar, and some ambient percussion. The piece is tranquil and mysterious, fitting for the introduction of the Pikmin.

History

The following changes have been made to the soundtrack over time:

Update or date	Changes
36.0	Changed the expedition theme to add quiet organ-like chords in the background.
37.0	Reverted the expedition theme to a version similar to the original, while still having slight changes to the guitar tone.
44.0	Added the Weekly Challenge and Weekly Challenge Preview themes.
47.1	Removed a variant of the Mushroom Battle theme that played when opening an in-progress mushroom challenge. It was based on the main mushroom battle theme, but replaced the steel-stringed guitar with a softer banjo, and didn't include a solo section, among other small differences.
October 24th, 2022	Added the Halloween Mushroom Battle theme. Its chord progression was similar to the main mushroom battle theme, but its instrumentation was radically different, being played by an orchestra. The melodies were slightly spooky-sounding, to fit the theme of Halloween.
November 1st, 2022	Removed the Halloween Mushroom Battle theme, as all Halloween mushrooms disappeared on this date.
December 14th, 2022	Added the Mushroom Battle Results theme, corresponding with the major changes to mushroom battles on this date.
62.1	Added the Weekly Challenge Results theme. (Before this update, the Daily Lookback theme was used at the end of weekly challenges.)