30 Days of Video Game Music: Day 4 -- Music from a Console Exclusive Series

Check out the Day 1 post for the full challenge list.

“Lower Norfair” - Kenji Yamamoto & Minako Hamano*

Game: Super Metroid (1994, SNES)
Original: YouTube
Metroid Prime version: YouTube
Metroid: Samus Returns version: YouTube
Cover: Metroid Metal (MM Website)

This was a tricky one because I tried to take “console exclusive series” as literally as possible. That means no mobile games, no PC ports, no arcade games. Obviously Nintendo is the first place to look, but with those constraints, major franchises like Mario and Pokémon are already off the table! It also eliminates major legacy console players like SEGA, Konami, and Capcom since so many of their franchises are now PC-friendly as well. I tried to think of a series that was only ever released on a single console, but that was really tough, especially with the recent Panzer Dragoon remake. In light of that I settled for the wonderful Metroid, which has no arcade, PC, or mobile entries that I’m aware of.

This particular piece is probably my favorite of the great Metroid musical body of work (although “Brinstar Overgrowth” from the same game is a good candidate as well). This theme has been re-used in later games for good reason, and it’s a pleasant surprise every time it returns. The big brass intro sets the imposing mood immediately, and I love the choral main melody. Metroid is often praised as a highly “atmospheric” series, and pieces like this contribute strongly to that sense of engrossing solo exploration. Much like graphics, I don’t think there are many instances where music makes or breaks the experience of a game, but I do think Metroid would be a much less memorable series without its excellent music and sound design in general.

* I was not able to definitively find which of the two Super Metroid composers created this piece (or if it was a joint effort), so I’ve just credited both.