Editing Music in Pikmin 3

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.

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. It also 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.

The soundtrack to ''Pikmin 3'' was composed by Asuka Hayazaki, Atsuko Asahi, and Hajime Wakai, with the additional music in ''Pikmin 3 Deluxe'' being done by Soshi Abe and guest composer Babi.{{cite web |https://x.com/Babi____/status/1322446810879721472|Post from Babi|Twitter}} Since the soundtrack to ''Pikmin 3'' does not have an official album, unlike {{p1}} did with ''[[Pikmin World]]'', the individual songs do not have composer credits explicitly provided by [[Nintendo]]. Alternative means have instead been used to identify each piece's composer:

*Nintendo's naming convention for audio files in their games includes the artist's initials. In the internal names, "w" denotes Hajime Wakai, "aa" denotes Atsuko Asahi, "o" denotes Asuka Hayazaki (maiden name "Ohta"), and "as" denotes Soshi Abe.

*A composer's unique music equipment can be used to determine what songs they've worked on.{{cite web |https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1s5wRceP34gaPr-CkNSnnlaCSEID5HjWTX4TSR_OxeqA/|Detailed spreadsheet that documents sound sources used in the series, maintained by fans|Google Sheets}} Songs that use sounds from Cubase are indicative of Atsuko Asahi's work,{{cite web |https://x.com/atnasahi/status/461027789181689856|Post from Atsuko Asahi on|Twitter}} while instances of sounds from the {{w|Korg Triton|KORG Triton Studio}} are likely by Asuka Hayazaki.

*Babi attributes four in-game songs and the ending theme for the [[Side Stories]] to herself on her [https://www.iambabi.net/works website]. Through e-mail, she has elaborated further on what songs these are specifically.{{cite web |https://www.pikminwiki.com/File:Babi_email.png|E-mail inquiry answered by Babi|Pikipedia}}

If enough identifying evidence is present to pinpoint the composer of a song, the song's composer will also be listed within this article.

[[File:Pikmin 2 Theme.png|thumb|300px|center|[[File:Pikmin2Motif.ogg]] "The {{p1}} motif", denoting Pikmin themselves.]]

|name=Title screen

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrIPHIXe6aU&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=1

|internal=STRM_BGM_Title_48k.bfstm

The main theme of the game, heard in the [[title screen]]. This fluent, swirling demonstration of the music program's aptitude continues the tradition of main themes being waltzes, although this one is the longest and most complex of the three. A harp and glockenspiel are most prominent with the melody (a transformation of the ''Pikmin 2'' motif into a scalar gesture), along with one grand flourish in the harp when the melody returns. Strings provide harmonies and interest using pizzicato and small divisi solos. Finally, the small sounds kalimba and marimba distinguish this as a Pikmin theme. The whole theme definitely plays the natural beauty of PNF-404; when it concludes, birdsong and rushing water sounds fade in, while the ensemble drones quietly around F major and its progression, a few instruments playing the ''Pikmin 2'' motif here and there.

|name=Day selection

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFwNK3oBYJQ&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=4

|composer  =Asuka Hayazaki

Heard in the [[day selection menu]] and [[saved game selection menu]]. The mood of this composition switches drastically from the main menu's, as the spatial view of PNF-404 and the focus on the Koppaite explorers demands a theme regarding Koppai. As such, the music is highly synthezised, with drones in synth string bass, oscillating harmonic accents, and spacey background sound effects over a bed of very shimmery overtone sounds and one panning drum-machine cowbell. The melody in this ballad-like drone is difficult to make out, but it begins as a development of the ''Pikmin 2'' motif. One of the instruments playing the melody (especially discernible at the end of the loop) is a cymbal-esque synthesizer that first debuted in [[Pikmin (game)|''Pikmin'']] in [[Music in Pikmin#The Distant Spring|The Distant Spring's theme]]. It will recur throughout the music of this game.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTQuMyFN5P4&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=30

Heard after the [[S.S. Drake]] takes off at the end of a [[day]], during the [[day results menu]]. This theme is a remaster of the [[Music in Pikmin#Today's Results|"today's report" theme]] of the previous two games. The bass-string drone is much more prominent in this version, which shows off the tune's progression of harmonies over a C bass. Also to note in this new version is a new oscillating chip-tone sound effect that accrues volume at the end of each measure. Some of the instruments in the mix have undergone a makeover, most particularly the arpeggiating instrument that in the first two games was more prominent; in this version it is a sound with low attack, making it sound like it is dragging. The main melodic instrument is still the same, however; it plays the separation of the spaceship from the natural ground environment.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jCcrrZC_GE&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=16

|internal = STRM_BGM_Mapselect_48k.bfstm

Heard inside the [[S.S. Drake]] during the [[area selection menu]]. Perhaps the most synthetic theme in the game, this track entirely plays to the technology and environment of the S.S. Drake's interior. A simple melody in a sine-wave synthesizer plays as pad strings and rotary synthesizers evolve beneath it. An echoing drum machine eventually enters the mix, along with some sound effects that might resemble spaceship computer sounds. When addressing "space" themes in this game, sound effects that rise or fall chromatically seem to be popular; they occur in a majority of the menu themes.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zitAr7nZbi4&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=71

 

 

Heard in the [[Side Stories menu]]. This theme shares the same chord progression as the Mission Mode menu and Bingo Battle menu themes, but is at a slower pace, and has instrumentation very similar to the day selection menu theme. This makes it a hybrid of the menu themes of Story Mode and the alternative game modes, emphasizing how the [[Side Stories]] are a hybrid of the 2 game styles. The theme also has a strong drumbeat and many light percussion elements in the background to add to the theme of space. This theme is exclusive to ''Pikmin 3 Deluxe''.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5hWHnXBEcg&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=65

|composer  =Atsuko Asahi

Heard in the [[Bingo Battle menu]]. This menu is very similar to the Mission Mode menu; in fact, this theme is the same theme, in the same key, merely played with half-time percussion. This time however, a fanfare announces the theme, and it is accented by trumpets, a tuba, a military percussion, again over a synthesized music bed and sound effects. The whole mood still captures the space background, but feels much more like an appropriate preparation for battle.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnFFlys_WYs&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=75

 

 

|link=https://youtu.be/HA78oKMGXuc

|internal=SideStory_Result.as.48.dspadpcm

Heard during the results menu of a Side Stories mission. This shares some similarities to the Mission Mode results theme, such as the strong snare drum rhythm and the sound of the bass synth, and shares some similarities to the [[Music in Pikmin#Level Select|saved game selection menu theme from ''Pikmin'' and ''Pikmin 2'']], such as the ostinato in the background and some of the sound effects. The melody, played on a brass-like synth, prominently uses the {{w|Tresillo (rhythm)|Tresillo rhythm}}. Interestingly, [[The President]] indicates that he composed the song in the dialog box when the player gets a platinum medal. This theme is exclusive to ''Pikmin 3 Deluxe''.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp2XqMK54QU&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=2

Heard after selecting the game from the Wii U menu, when it is [[loading]]. A theme rather dissimilar from anything else in the game, this quiet theme merely wanders in a simple waltz using instruments that are similar to real instruments but that have synthesized distinctions. The percussion is bottle-like, the melody is ocean-harp-like, and the string drone late in the tune is violin-like, but they all have intended differences from the real sound. This theme is not in ''Pikmin 3 Deluxe''.

|name=Story Mode opening

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDp5pnQOGRE&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=3

{{transcript|Galactic date: 20XX. At the far reaches of space lies a planet on the brink of ruin. The planet's name: Koppai. Due to a booming population, booming appetites, and a basic lack of planning, Koppai's inhabitants have all but exhausted their food supply. Their only hope is to find another planet with edible matter. Accordingly, they send unmanned scout vessels called SPEROs out into space. To their dismay, the search is proving fruitless. Just as they're about to give up, the final vessel reports back with news of a miraculous discovery. They mobilize to investigate the planet which they name PNF-404. Koppai's last hope rests on three intrepid explorers. At last, the explorers' 279,000-light-year voyage nears its end. But, as they initiate the landing sequence, something goes horribly wrong.|block=y}}

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.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQzoihSGESQ&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=5

|internal =demo_BossEDie2_CharlieTheme.aa.32.dspadpcm.bfstm demo_c00_CharlieTheme.aa.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

Heard after [[Captain Charlie]] awakens in the [[Distant Tundra]], and being rescued from the [[Vehemoth Phosbat]]. This brief fanfare is heroic, but the clapping beat behind it decreases its power and seems to encapsulate it on a small scale. This seems like the theme that Charlie would have chosen to introduce himself, powerful but easily understood.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYlvCnIC5ns&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=7

|internal = demo_a02.o.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

Heard when something Pikmin-related is discovered, such as a new [[Onion]]. This is a remaster of the [[Music in Pikmin 2#Peculiar discovery|"peculiar discovery" theme]] from the previous game, beginning with a small percussive gesture when a leader first notices something. The marimba from the previous game is now a tremolo guitar, and the flute is now a synthesizer; the theme appears to be a more modernized, streamlined version of the previous rendition, playing both the Pikmin and the futurism of the new Onion design.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V4VY3mgqQA&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=6

|internal = Minigame.aa.32.dspadpcm.bfstm Minigame_Introless.aa.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2Nob9h1iqw&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=8

|internal = demo_c06.o.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

Heard when Charlie is attacked by the [[Vehemoth Phosbat]]. In a horror-film-like turn, high {{w|Aleatoricism#Music|aleatoric strings}} and horn cluster chords put Charlie in a suspenseful environment. When he realizes the horror behind him, the music swells to a high-contrast cluster, but without any accent for a jump-scare; instead an ocean harp glissando leaves Charlie's story unfinished.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUScT71SbFE&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=9

|internal = demo_a00.o.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

Heard when [[Alph]] wakes up in the pool of water in the [[Tropical Wilds]]. A mainly whole-tone texture accents Alph's awakening, with {{w|col legno}} strings, a music box, and a clarinet playing the main gesture. A vibraphone and one other instrument travel the whole-tone scale, eventually closing into the early "Alph's Crash Site" theme.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sDAIic0Vzg&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=11

|internal = demo_a01.o.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYU950P0alI&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=14

|internal = demo_glad.aa.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

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.

The fanfare then continues into a looping section, which is a new rendition of the [[Music in Pikmin 2#Success|success theme]]'s loop, although thinner, and with a softer percussion mix and melodic instrument. All of the synthesizers used here are once again very adept at conveying a "space explorer" mood.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZEPYXKxb_c&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=13

|internal = demo_get_pikmin.w.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

The simple and playful loop that follows has an easy melody and not very many instruments; it allows the player and the leader to adjust to a new type of Pikmin. It also plays the characteristics of the Pikmin, such as if a Pikmin is demonstrating its ability during the cutscene. Before it loops, it slows down.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LS---x8kAA&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=15

|internal = demo_a10_00.o.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnds7sIHFjQ&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=22

|internal = demo_a10_2_Connect.aa.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb6JgDGJpAQ&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=26

|internal = demo_a10_03.o.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

Heard when Alph explains rocketing into orbit at sunset to escape nocturnal predators. When Alph first hears the strange alien calls (of a [[Whiptongue Bulborb]]), his panic incites a {{w|Bernard Herrmann|Bernard-Herrmann-esque}} gesture in high strings and discordant brass. Afterwards an atonal loop plays, with a main synthesized sound and metal percussion that set the mood almost of a horror B-movie. It is clear that the music is trying to convey the strange sounds as the noises of an extraterrestrial being; the atonality suggests that this being means the player harm.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7LXJunYcO0&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=31

Heard whenever an [[area]] is [[loading]] at the start of a [[day]] (or at a specific time of day), [[Mission Mode]] stage, or [[Bingo Battle]]. More of a sound than a theme, this progression ebbs from a C fifth drone to C major, using very simple synthesizers and a lot of evolving reverb to break down the complexity surrounding the menus and prepare the player for the new complexity of the gameplay area.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWhEcb8VhXY&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=17

|internal = demo_CourseIn.o.32.dspadpcm.bfstm demo_CourseIn_d00.o.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

Heard whenever something important needs explaining, such as the [[Pikmin limit]] or a new signal showing up in the [[Garden of Hope]]. This is a remaster of the [[Music in Pikmin 2#Explanation|"explanation" theme]] from the [[Pikmin 2|previous game]]; the composition and instrumentation are the same, but now with the technical advancement behind ''Pikmin 3'''s music, the gesture is clearer and more realistic. It leads into a loop as the leaders explained what they have discovered.

Heard as a leader explains a gameplay-related discovery. This is a remaster of the [[Music in Pikmin 2#Explanation|"explanation" theme]] from the [[Pikmin 2|previous game]]; with the technical advancement behind ''Pikmin 3'''s music, the gesture is clearer and more realistic. The harmonic progression is different, however: in ''Pikmin 2'' the loop progresses C major, G major, C major, G ''minor''; whereas in ''Pikmin 3'' the progression is only a loop of C major, G major.

|link=https://downloads.khinsider.com/game-soundtracks/album/pikmin-3/48.%2520Brittany%2527s...%2520Asleep%2521.mp3

Heard when Brittany is spotted lying on the ground in the [[Garden of Hope]]. As Brittany was not expected to be found in such a dubious state, the music takes an atonal turn, with a horror-film-style buildup (and tambourine rattle) to a six-hit release in synthesizer and strings, in a way resembling the style of the [[Music in Pikmin 2#Final Floor!|"Final Floor!" theme]] of the previous game. One can also hear the first instance of a {{w|flexatone}} in the ''Pikmin'' series.

|link=https://downloads.khinsider.com/game-soundtracks/album/pikmin-3/49.%2520Brittany%2520Awakens.mp3

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX3QOXzdl4g&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=24

|internal = demo_b07_JellyfishFind.aa.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3ohan3OD40&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=21

|internal = demo_b13_Briagain.aa.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AX0nDx7f2s&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=25

|internal = demo_get_Equipment.w.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

Heard when the [[S.S. Drake]] recovers something important, such as the first piece of [[fruit]] or the [[Data Glutton]]. This theme highly resembles the [[Music in Pikmin 2#Collected treasure|"collected treasure"]] theme of the previous game, except instead of a [[Music in Pikmin 2#Leitmotifs|"Hocotatian" motif]] in a natural-instrument ensemble, this new synthesized melody is the latter half of the "Koppaite" motif. The new bit tailors off into the classic loop from the previous game, however, with remastered synthetic drones but with the same old instrument to play the "end of day" motif and its accompaniment.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_4QdMiVgcE&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=28

|internal = demo_dayend_normal.w.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

Heard when a [[day]] ends. This is a remaster of the [[Music in Pikmin 2#End of day|"end of day" theme]] from the previous game; all of the original instrumentation is intact, but the reverb has more depth and the whole piece generally sounds crisper. Unlike the previous game, ''Pikmin 3'' has no alternative "end of day" themes depending on how productive the day was, despite seemingly being intended to, [[Unused content in Pikmin 3|originally]].

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a0TV_cZU7g&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=37

Heard when a non-Red Pikmin suffers [[fire]] for the first time, and when a non-Blue Pikmin is [[water|drowning]] for the first time. This four-note gesture is the same that introduces the [[Medusal Slurker]], albeit without the second cymbal crash. The theme may be distressing, but the small ensemble and high xylophone and synthesizer put the distress on the very small scale of the Pikmin.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jmMVaCEX08&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=39

|internal = demo_z17_PikuminDrown.aa.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

Heard whenever a [[leader]] loses all their [[HP]]. This is a new rendition of the [[Music in Pikmin 2#Leader is down|"leader is down" theme]] of the previous game, featuring the same composition but with a few differences. The synth bass in the previous game is replaced with a marimba sound, and the whole texture fades into a synthesized filter at the end. These changes, including making the whole theme less melodic and less prominent, can reflect that one leader being downed is less of an urgent problem with three leaders to begin with. However, ''Pikmin 3'' does not supply different versions of this theme based on how many leaders are left.

Heard whenever a [[Pikmin extinction]] occurs, when a player loses all Pikmin. This is a new rendition of the [[Music in Pikmin 2#Pikmin extinction|"Pikmin extinction" theme]] of the previous game, except many instruments have been removed to diminish the scale of the mood down to the three lone leaders. Now, only a penny whistle, a classical guitar, and a marimba score the loss of all Pikmin, certainly making the cue more solitary yet still conveying the forlorn yet hopeful mood well. The marimba and the classical guitar sounds particularly show off the advancement of the programs used to make music in the series.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moIZvRL7p4A&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=63

|internal = Gameover.o.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

Heard when a [[day]] ends with no [[juice]] remaining. A decelerating clock tick and baritone saxophone chime in to bring the playthrough's events to a sluggish close. Based on the whole-tone tendencies, the comical jaw-harp-like harmony, and the detuning timpani hit near the end, the introduction to this theme seems to be playing more to mocking the failure of the player than to the doleful fate of the Koppaites. It seems that its brevity was intended to sound anticlimactic, perhaps to give the player more hope and indirect encouragement to continue.

The loop that follows is drastically different from the cue right before it. More of a collection of sounds, this loop uses space and register very adeptly, filling it with far-fetched and unrecognizable textures. Each sound on its own is triadic, or at least tonally coherent, but together they all mold together into a juxtaposition of modes, providing a background music bed. The looseness of this theme can be explained by its anomalous purpose: this theme has to score the game after the game is over.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wesaf5NbZZo&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=43

|internal = demo_CourseIn_c07.o.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

Heard when the S.S. Drake prepares to land in the [[Distant Tundra]], but loses Brittany. To note is that at the beginning of this rendition of the "land in new area" theme that the cymbal crash is missing. It instead accents the S.S. Drake hitting an obstacle and losing Brittany. This perfect synchrony also includes the final note being a half-step higher than usual, to give the theme a whole-tone, ambiguous feel. Afterwards, a saw-wave synthesizer and {{w|Gong|tuned gongs}} descend chromatically to aurally follow Brittany on her fall into the cave.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74nS7sHYeWQ&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=46

|internal = demo_c23_CharlieRap.aa.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHQSYiUwJZs&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=51

|internal = demo_d06_02.o.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

Heard when Louie is brought back to the S.S. Drake, both times. This cue harkens back to the [[Music in Pikmin 2#Collected special treasure|"collected special treasure" theme]] from the previous game. The composition is the same, but the instruments are radically more synthesized and the rhythm is more pronounced by a drum machine. The "Koppaite" motif was used for all important items before this; since Louie is a [[Hocotatian]]; the [[Music in Pikmin 2#Leitmotifs|"Hocotatian" motif]] is referenced. It should be noted that what seems like a small noise from Louie during the cue can also be heard. After the cue, the same "collected treasure" loop plays, a theme for the analysis of important objects.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahGcrOG4Kkk&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=54

|internal = demo_b22.o.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

|link=https://downloads.khinsider.com/game-soundtracks/album/pikmin-3/204.%2520Formidable%2520Oak%2520%2528Exterior%252C%2520Wraith%2527s%2520Lullaby%2529.mp3

|link=https://downloads.khinsider.com/game-soundtracks/album/pikmin-3/204.%2520Formidable%2520Oak%2520%2528Exterior%252C%2520Wraith%2527s%2520Lullaby%2529.mp3

Heard when the leaders explain finding Olimar. Only a celeste and a voice-like synthesizer play here, creating a very eerie lullaby mood. Given the context of the Plasm Wraith looking over Olimar, this piece is remotely fitting but still extremely tense. The tension built from the previous cue is not released here, as the music takes an almost opposite judgment to the leaders about the situation. The calmness and thinness of this piece is not referenced again, as the Plasm Wraith is never this calm again.

|link=https://downloads.khinsider.com/game-soundtracks/album/pikmin-3/205.%2520Formidable%2520Oak%2520%2528Exterior%252C%2520Mysterious%2520Life-Form%2520Battle%2520and%2520Aftermath%2529.mp3

|link=https://downloads.khinsider.com/game-soundtracks/album/pikmin-3/205.%2520Formidable%2520Oak%2520%2528Exterior%252C%2520Mysterious%2520Life-Form%2520Battle%2520and%2520Aftermath%2529.mp3

Heard when the leaders explain how to handle carrying Olimar. From the initial held note this new loop appears, controlled by cellos and a {{w|goblet drum|doumbek}}. The violins waver in their notes slightly, which certainly makes the mood off-putting, but what really drives the tension home is the alien synthesizers that play. A ping-like sound and a synth bass play bits of the [[Mysterious Life-Form]]'s theme, which at the moment sounds very strange but which will soon sound familiar. In fact, it could be said that the Mysterious Life-Form's theme releases the tension accrued and sustained by this theme.

|link=https://downloads.khinsider.com/game-soundtracks/album/pikmin-3/206.%2520The%2520Mysterious%2520Life-Form%2520Appears.mp3

Heard when the [[Mysterious Life-Form]] materializes inside the [[Formidable Oak]]. This is the most {{w|aleatoric music}} in the game, beginning with the reversed sample of an ocean harp (to establish something wrong) and growing into a huge, rich, looping cluster of tension. High strings randomly rise while a horn cluster settles them, eventually just leaving a loop of low strings and horns playing imperceptibly together. The whole loop sounds like one sound, but it is a very rich texture that actually alienates the Mysterious Life-Form. The dissonance of this cue makes the Mysterious Life-Form seem more monstrous, and less adherent to anything else in the game.

|link=https://downloads.khinsider.com/game-soundtracks/album/pikmin-3/213.%2520Captain%2520Olimar%2520and%2520the%2520Cosmic%2520Key.mp3

|internal=demo_s02_ending01_mix.yr.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

Heard when Olimar is saved; the cutscene occurs this way no matter how much [[fruit]] was recovered. It begins with the Koppaites meeting Olimar, who is immediately characterized by the true [[Music in Pikmin 2#Leitmotifs|"Hocotatian" motif]] played resoundingly in trumpet (and later echoed in a horn section and a flute). The bold texture for Olimar contrasts with a softer, thinner texture for the awestruck Koppaites, in harp, thumb piano, and flute. This friendly texture stays for the remainder of the scene, as Olimar and the Koppaites exchange friendly dialog. One other element receives musical attention: the [[S.S. Drake#Cosmic Drive Key|cosmic-drive key]]: its appearance is almost comically chimed by a bell and the same choir used as a sound effect in the [[KopPad]].

When the S.S. Drake lifts off, an immediate orchestral theme erupts with full strings and up-beat horn textures. An electronic drum kit kicks in with a cymbal crash and a synthesized texture plays the S.S. Drake accelerating into the atmosphere. Next comes an orchestral elaboration of the "Koppaite" motif, which only becomes richer and more victorious with time. When the leaders look back at the Pikmin from the air, the texture suddenly thins out to solo strings playing ''molto expressivo''. The texture builds as more strings and a {{w|mark tree}} enter the mix, until it all metamorphoses into a predominant version of the ''Pikmin 2'' motif, sung by Pikmin over strings. The orchestral texture barges back in to repeat this texture as an extended dominant, until the final resolving F major caps the whole scene's fade to black.

As the S.S. Drake leaves PNF-404 in the next scene, the music slows to an ostinato of quiet violins and basses, while woodwinds and cellos voice a gesture dissimilar to any motif; it is clearly building up to something. This something is a resolution in G major, with mainly a trumpet and crotales voicing what resembles an inversion of the "Koppaite" motif, followed by a simple scalar gesture in strings and glockenspiel. This repeats three times before the next orchestral hit, when Charlie tells Alph to prepare cosmic drive. The orchestra builds in the dominant key as the sound of cosmic drive intensifies, even switching to strange substitute harmonies, perhaps in the style of {{w|Gustav Holst}}. Finally, cosmic drive begins, and the orchestra hits several times in a whole-tone key of G, augmenting the weirdness of this science-fiction concept. A final triplet of hits from the whole orchestra plays before the S.S. Drake disappears in a flash; the music simply stops at this point, leaving one with the view and the aural nature of the void of space.

|name=Ending (modest supply)

|link=https://downloads.khinsider.com/game-soundtracks/album/pikmin-3/215.%2520Epilogue%2520%2528Bad%252C%2520Narration%2529.mp3

|header = y

 

 

|name=Ending (reasonable supply)

{{see|Cutscene#Reasonable supply}}

|name=Ending (healthy supply)

|link=https://downloads.khinsider.com/game-soundtracks/album/pikmin-3/219.%2520Epilogue%2520%2528Good%252C%2520Narration%2529.mp3

|internal =STRM_DEMO_s03_Epilogue03_48k.bfstm

{{see|Cutscene#Healthy supply}}

|name=Ending (bountiful supply)

|link=https://downloads.khinsider.com/game-soundtracks/album/pikmin-3/221.%2520Epilogue%2520%2528Best%252C%2520Narration%2529.mp3

|internal =STRM_DEMO_s03_Epilogue04_48k.bfstm

{{see|Cutscene#Bountiful supply}}

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERuiiudNEpE&list=PLQWz7Y_QbVVybS_Zs-S8pjt67Nkilgfmv&index=64

Heard after any of the epilogues, when the game is complete. This is by far the most varied of the credit sequences in the {{ps}}. Each scene in the credits' background has a different environment and different actions from the Pikmin, and the music adeptly scores each scene, while developing itself. The scenes are listed chronologically:

*(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.

*(0:34) A [[Red Pikmin]] attempts to chase a [[Yellow Spectralids]] in what is more clearly the [[Garden of Hope]]. Here the music takes a sidestep and scores this small scene with instruments from the Garden of Hope's theme, including an accordion and banjo. Its underlying development still exists, as can be heard in the underlying low clarinets and strings. At this point, the music is swung rather than a straight waltz.

*(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.

*(1:50) A camera pan-through shows many different Pikmin in the Twilight River practicing singing the ''Pikmin 2'' motif and eventually harmonizing to the song. There are just enough Pikmin shown in the scene for all the voices in the tune, and their voices are wavering and arrhythmic enough to sound more like an ensemble of non-professional singers than an instrument. This is also the first instance of Pikmin harmonizing together, getting more and more accurate as the piece progresses and deceptively becomes more and more orchestral. By the end of this scene, a trumpet and full strings accompany the Pikmin. As a fun secret in the credits, the final Pikmin shown, a Blue Pikmin on a branch, appears to be conducting the song. It waves its arms and makes noises that resemble, "Two, three..." as a conductor might gesture in a {{w|fermata}} such as this.

*(2:15) A camera zooms out from a passageway in the Tropical Wilds to reveal a large amount of Pikmin sitting on various perches, becoming a chorus of harmonizing Pikmin. The orchestra reaches its climax here, with a cymbal crash and grand enharmonic substitution chords from the Pikmin. As the texture thins out to a final E major chord in horns, the Pikmin voices disperse as the ''Pikmin 2'' motif is repeated one more time and a half. At this point the scene fades to black, and the final scene of the credits does not contain music (save for the sustain of the final note in the last scene). Since this scene is a cliffhanger for the [[Canon|canonical story]], it is played in complete silence to seal in the questions raised by it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heard during the ending cutscene of Olimar's Comeback. The first part of the theme contains long and epic-sounding chords to emphasize the lift-off of Olimar and Louie. The second part of the theme is composed by Babi, also featuring her own live voice performance. It retains the style of the Side Stories gameplay themes, and contains sparse notes between piano, percussion, strings, and some additional Pikmin voice samples. This theme is exclusive to ''Pikmin 3 Deluxe''.

*'''Weather version:''' If it is raining in the [[Garden of Hope]], [[Tropical Wilds]], or [[Twilight River]], a completely different theme will play with its own enemy, task, and carrying mixes. If it is snowing in the [[Distant Tundra]], a different version of that area's theme will play.

|link=https://youtu.be/rzjMwL4lh3w?list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O

|internal=STRM_BGM_Tutorial.bfstm

|composer  =Asuka Hayazaki

As [[Alph]] first discovers [[Red Pikmin]], this music plays over the basic tutorial of Pikmin gameplay. The melody is simple and scalar and the toy piano sound adds to its toy-like mood, suggesting humble beginnings, even infancy. The elements in the level are expertly arranged so that the music develops in a satisfying way, which may somewhat aid the understanding of gameplay. A few parts of the melody and its context echo bits of [[Music in Pikmin#The Impact Site|The Impact Site's theme]].

*'''Main version''': Piccolo, clarinets, glockenspiel, muted {{w|almglocken}}, toy piano, detuned melodica, and jingling and hi-pass synthesizers.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmZ_mBSMUQ0

|internal=STRM_BGM_mapB_Morning.bfstm STRM_BGM_mapB_Day.bfstm mapB_Evening.o.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

|composer  =Asuka Hayazaki

The [[Garden of Hope]]'s theme is a beautiful representation of the season of spring. The textures are soft (the harp gestures especially delicate) and the melodic instruments and dynamics smoothly transition between each other. Interestingly, the Garden of Hope is the only area to have a different theme for the afternoon. The structure is the same, but different instruments surface and the chord progression changes in several areas. The afternoon theme is preceded by its own small, four-bar introduction.

*'''Main version''': Flute, pan flute, clarinet, bassoon, marimba, accordions, harp, glockenspiel-like synthesizer, and violins and violas.

*'''Task mix''': Hand drum, djembe, shaker, vocal synthesizer, and pizzicato cellos.

*'''Carrying mix''': Celeste and music box.

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

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvMW6YT0NGo&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=3

|linkp=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hSVCDK2wtE&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=4

|internal=STRM_BGM_mapC_Morning.bfstm STRM_BGM_mapC_Day.bfstm mapC_Evening.o.32.dspadpcm.bfstm STRM_BGM_Snow_Morning.bfstm STRM_BGM_Snow_Day.bfstm Snow_Evening.o.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

|composer  =Asuka Hayazaki

The [[Distant Tundra]]'s theme takes a lot of inspiration from the [[Music in Pikmin 2#Valley of Repose|Valley of Repose's theme]], mainly in gestural rhythms. However, this piece is a lot looser, with bouncy gestures, strange harmonic progression, and changing meter (although it always keeps its pulse) that all still carry the beauty of the frozen landscape. One secondary melodic instrument, the bell synthesizer, is the same one used in the [[Music in Pikmin 2#Perplexing Pool|Perplexing Pool's theme]].

*'''Main version''': Celeste, pad synthesizers, and bell synthesizer.

*'''Carrying mix''': Calliope, calliope-like synthesizer, and sleigh bells.

*'''Weather version''': Gamelan, pad synthesizers, and bell synthesizer.

*'''Sunset version''': Glockenspiel (long attack), thin handbell-like synthesizer, and pad synthesizers.

It always snows on the first day [[Alph]] and [[Brittany]] arrive in the Distant Tundra. In the weather version, the calliope-like synthesizer is replaced with an accordion.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvbxG8G8IxA&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=5

|internal=STRM_BGM_mapA_Morning.bfstm STRM_BGM_mapA_Day.bfstm mapA_Evening.o.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

|composer  =Asuka Hayazaki

The [[Tropical Wilds]]'s theme follows a strategy employed by a few [[Music in Pikmin 2#Caves|cave themes]] in the previous game: being overcomplicated so that the player's mind is directed away from the music. Using a large varied ensemble with complicated patterns of call-and-response, the theme actually directs attention to gameplay, rather than to the scenery and detail. The mind can only stream so much information at once, so it prioritizes this complex area's terrain and the elements within it. Thus, the music here could indicate a turning point for the difficulty of the game.

*'''Main version''': Kalimba, cowbell, {{w|overtone flute}}, cicada-like synthesizers, fifes, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OftdeE1pTeA udu], mallet-like synthesizer, bass {{w|marimbaphone}}, steel drum, accordion, and shaker.

*'''Task mix''': Conga, triangle, tube drums, pad and bass synthesizers, contrabass flute, and guitar-like synthesizer.

*'''Carrying mix''': Gong and celeste synthesizers.

*'''Sunset version''': Fifes, modified celeste, marimbaphone, udu, cowbell, and accordion.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khwVnJFOd1c&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=6

|internal=STRM_BGM_mapD_Morning.bfstm STRM_BGM_mapD_Day.bfstm mapD_Evening.o.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

|composer  =Asuka Hayazaki

*'''Main version''': Bassoons, handbells, shaker, acoustic guitar, accordions, pad synthesizer, and violin (also playing {{w|double stop}}) and viola.

*'''Task mix''': Congas, talking drum, synth bass, and vocal synthesizer.

*'''Carrying mix''': Glockenspiel-like synthesizer, and log drum.

*'''Afternoon version''': Same as main version, but the intro contains a glockenspiel.

*'''Sunset version''': Soprano bassoons, celeste, glockenspiel, accordions, and violin.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwQTErlSx8I&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=9

|linkp=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5464xG_d0w&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=11

|composer  =Asuka Hayazaki

The [[Formidable Oak]]'s theme, which is more an ambience than a theme, is all designed to build a high level of tension for the events in the interior, using unrecognizable sounds and minimalism. Since there are no [[enemies]], [[obstacle]]s, or [[fruit]]s in the exterior area, there are no enemy, task, or carrying mixes; it also has no afternoon version. However, rain causes a rather dramatic change to the ambience, making it a definable theme with rhythm. The bass drops an octave lower, and a deceptively cheerful theme plays over the unnerving texture, in a style very similar to [[Music in Pikmin#The Final Trial|The Final Trial's theme]].

*'''Weather version''': Same as main version, plus glockenspiel, celeste, modified kalimba, and a new melodic vocal synthesizer.

There is also a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7utH56a7fAg&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=7&t=1m08s specific theme] for the sunset during rain. It is the same melody from the normal weather version, but shared between the detuned glockenspiel and celeste/wind chime sample, making it the thinnest theme in the game.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qx9R9WzNEI&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=8

|internal=STRM_BGM_Cave.bfstm

Every [[cave]] in the game, besides those in the [[Formidable Oak]], use this theme. Time still passes in caves, but the theme does not recognize the afternoon or sunset, and no changes occur due to weather outside. The theme itself is minimalist but still rather complex, directing attention to navigating the cave rather than admiring its ambience. One of the instruments used here is the Kurzweil K2500's "[[Music in Pikmin#The Distant Spring|cymbal thing]]" synth preset.

*'''Main version''': Piano, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkVBGSWYNEY pitched ride cymbal],  glass harp, pad synthesizers, vocal synthesizer, and sitar-drone-esque synthesizer.

*'''Carrying mix''': Music box.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7utH56a7fAg&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=7

|composer  =Asuka Hayazaki

Boss themes have to build a lot more tension than normal gameplay themes, so they normally incorporate more orchestral textures with specific sounds that produce great intensity. A feature of most of the boss themes in this game, as in [[Music in Pikmin 2#Bosses|the previous game]], is that the boss' actions determine changes or cues in the music. Except for the [[Plasm Wraith|final boss']] case, a boss theme will only play in the boss' vicinity, since the theme's dynamism is generally controlled by the boss and not the player.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fs4mfLdMoQ&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=15&t=0m00s

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fs4mfLdMoQ&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=15&t=0m24s

The common boss theme. A powerful orchestra sound with blaring brass in low registers and resounding strings and brass in high delivers a high-contrast, high-dissonance thrill of a theme. Compared to the [[Music in Pikmin 2#Common boss battle|previous game's boss theme]], this theme has freer percussion, now hammering out an irregular 7/8 time signature. The loop itself is not very long, because this theme normally does not last long before seamlessly transitioning into a different cue, prompted by the bosses' actions; once the cue is finished, this theme resets. Those actions and the cues they trigger are listed in the table below.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fs4mfLdMoQ&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=15&t=1m10s

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fs4mfLdMoQ&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=15&t=1m58s

Heard if Pikmin were captured during a boss attack, or during an especially dangerous attack. The extremely low registers return here, along with a heavy bass drum hit and dramatic rips in the horns. The high woodwinds and strings play a piercing punctual texture, almost as if expressively crying for help. This song also plays in ''[[Occupational Hazards]]''.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fs4mfLdMoQ&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=15&t=1m23s

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6eaUxTL-qw&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=13&t=0m00s

|internal = STRM_BGM_Ohbake_Lv0.bfstm

Heard at the beginning of the battle, when no [[electrode]]s are activated. Played rather like a horror film or fantasy soundtrack, this eerie detuned theme makes the invisible boss all the more ominous. Although a beat is added, the Vehemoth Phosbat drawing near adds a spooky texture that alludes to the noises heard when [[#Charlie's cliffhanger|Charlie was first captured]]. This added texture can be heard [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6eaUxTL-qw&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=13&t=0m43s here].

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6eaUxTL-qw&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=13&t=2m52s

|internal = STRM_BGM_Ohbake_Lv3.bfstm

Heard after any of the smaller [[electrode]]s are activated. Orchestral textures are added, but not in the normal boss manner. Many of the sounds present here are still detuned, or have somewhat alien qualities, to make the Vehemoth Phosbat appear more otherworldly and to increase the horror-like tension. Once again, when the Vehemoth Phosbat nears, it superimposes its odd texture over this, increasing the overall discordance of the theme. This added texture can be heard [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6eaUxTL-qw&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=13&t=3m35s here].

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6eaUxTL-qw&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=13&t=11m31s

|internal = demo_BossCLightOn.o.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6eaUxTL-qw&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=13&t=11m36s

|internal = BossC_LastChance.o.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6eaUxTL-qw&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=13&t=13m27s

|internal=demo_bossCDie.o.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

Heard when any boss is defeated; this extended version is for the [[Vehemoth Phosbat]]. Unlike the [[Music in Pikmin 2#Boss defeated|previous game]] that took a major {{w|Picardy third}} upon beating a boss, this game's boss theme chugs to a rather dissonant halt. In this extended version for the Vehemoth Phosbat, violins continue after the main cue is finished, slowly and continually ascending as the boss tries to fly away. This small gesture builds the final tension for the Vehemoth Phosbat's collision with the large light bulb, which truly ends the battle.

===Mysterious Life-Form/Plasm Wraith===

|name=Mysterious Life-Form

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fakasKReEyg&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=10

|internal =STRM_BGM_Metaboss01_Escape.bfstm

Heard in the Formidable Oak's interior, while the [[Mysterious Life-Form]] is giving chase. While this composition is all about building tension, it also needs to build a mood of futility, as the Mysterious Life-Form is invincible and garners a great deal of control over the environment. Thus this piece has a very atonal gesture, the Plasm Wraith's motif, that repeats in two synthesizers. Over this, a theremin solos, creating an avant-garde but still highly tense environment. The futility comes from the fact that this intensity level is kept no matter how far the player manages to get from the Mysterious Life-Form, in a way saying that it will always catch up. An added sense of urgency also comes from the constant pounding of bass and tenor drums, along with the off-rhythm triangle-like percussion.

|name=Mysterious Life-Form (near Olimar)

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fakasKReEyg&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=10&t=1m13s

|internal =STRM_BGM_Metaboss01_Escape.bfstm

Heard when the Mysterious Life-Form is close to [[Olimar]]. This theme is extremely tense, perhaps the most tense in the game. In addition to the alien texture heard before, the percussion has been beefed with metal sheets, a polyrhythmic metal bar (perhaps the tensest element of them all), and dissonant staccato notes in basses. A new aleatoric texture has settled over the theme, as if the mood were not dissonant enough. The clutter is enough to give the Mysterious Life-Form a real element of fright, and certainly enough to spell out the danger it poses to the Koppaites and Olimar.

|name=Mysterious Life-Form (Olimar captured)

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fakasKReEyg&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=10&t=2m16s

|internal =Metaboss01_Catch.aa.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

Heard when the Mysterious Life-Form is escaping with Olimar inside of it. Now the tension and dissonance of the theme has backed down a little, but the Plasm Wraith's motif is still there and now a full orchestra is playing the urgency of rescuing Olimar. Fast brass stabs and string gestures articulate the commotion of quickly battling the Mysterious Life-Form, while percussion still pounds on to the same rhythm as before. In addition, a strange choir-like sound can be heard in the background, similar to the ambient noise heard in the [[Formidable Oak]]'s theme. If Olimar is freed, the theme will return to its normal state (far from Olimar) until the Mysterious Life-Form rematerializes, after which it can get close to Olimar once again.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ9bhTnRWNY&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=15&t=0m00s

|internal =demo_e02_BossETransform.aa.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

Heard when the leaders and Olimar make it out of the Formidable Oak's interior. This is the transition between phases of the boss battle, and although the first phase was tense, this transition cutscene needs to show that it is over. It does this with small iterations of the [[Music in Pikmin 2#Leitmotifs|"Hocotatian motif"]], a motif that is major standing alone but in this context is made an atonal gesture. It does offer a small mood of victory over the Mysterious Life-Form, but then the boss appears with its motivic instruments and figures until it transforms into the [[Plasm Wraith]], its appearance accented by a blast of low horns and trombones. After this, the Plasm Wraith absorbs all its excess plasm to become larger, and an ostinato in strings builds new tension for the impending phase of the battle, during which leaders and Pikmin are on the offensive side. Since the player is given power to combat the boss, the texture is of natural instruments and not alien synthesizers associated with the Mysterious Life-Form.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ9bhTnRWNY&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=15&t=0m23s

|internal =Metaboss02.aa.32.dspadpcm.bfstm demo_Mission_BossETransform.aa.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

This is the extent of the theme; neither the Plasm Wraith's actions nor the player's actions instigate any dynamic change to the theme. While it does not score a dynamic battle as effectively as the other, more dynamic themes, its rigidity could be considered more climactic and certainly ultimate to the game, similar to the [[Music in Pikmin#Final Boss Battle|final boss theme]] in ''Pikmin''.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ9bhTnRWNY&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=15&t=3m54s

|internal =demo_Metaboss_die.aa.32.dspadpcm.bfstm

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGA680z2hJ8&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=12

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.

The mid-boss themes also include new renditions of the same [[Music in Pikmin 2#Short attacks|cues used in ''Pikmin 2'']] for boss attacks and defenses, as well as a new rendition of the ending {{w|Picardy third}}. However, the attack preparation and long attack tracks are absent from this game.

|name=Mission Mode (stages 1-10)

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEgXY6zq8II&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=16

The theme for [[Mission Mode#Levels|Mission Mode stages 1-10]], in both "Collect treasure!" and "Battle enemies!". The bed under which the melody plays is familiarly inspired from the [[Music in Pikmin 2#Awakening Wood|Awakening Wood]]; the melody itself is a variation and elaboration of the ''Pikmin 2'' motif on penny whistle. The general texture adheres mainly to aerophones: brass and woodwinds, and seems rather thin. But it does not stay this way long before an enemy, task, or treasure mix fades in; in fact, this naked theme, after a few associations, can warn the player that their time is not being used efficiently. At one minute left, this theme's tempo accelerates to exactly 120 bpm, meaning it is synced with the clock (when the clock counts down from 0:10 it will be in time with the music). This synchrony is easily broken using the [[Radar#Go here!|KopPad's Go here! function]], since the music still plays while gameplay is paused.

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC8kuiR_LWQ&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=17

|composer  =Asuka Hayazaki

|name=Mission Mode (stages 12-15)

|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyIzmoQczgo&list=PLwyW5mbdZMGPzMMop2zbcJ84a8ZDveh4O&index=18

|composer  =Asuka Hayazaki