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The composer of both ''[[Pikmin (game)|Pikmin]]'' and ''[[Pikmin 2]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s '''music''' is Hajime Wakai. [[Pikmin 3]]'s soundtrack was composed and arranged by Asuka Hayazaki, Atsuko Asahi, and Hajime Wakai.
{{game icons|p=y|p2=y|p3=y|p4=y|hp=y|pb=y|pa=y}}
[[File:Pikmin 2 Theme.png|thumb|250px|Sheet music of a motif occurring throughout the series.]]
'''Music''' in the [[Pikmin series|''Pikmin'' series]] accompanies every part of each game, from ambient music during gameplay and [[menu]]s, to pre-rendered cutscene scores, to minor jingles for small events. The style is quite unique and extremely varied across the games, featuring many different instruments and textures that reflect the game environments on [[PNF-404]] and beyond. Most notably, much of the music is dynamic: gameplay events and parameters can add or subtract elements from the music. For example, entering [[combat]] will often bring a new intense percussion track into the mix, and the passage of [[Day#Sunset|sunset]] thins the music down to a quiet, peaceful rendition. [[Boss]]es in the games have their own themes, and [[Canon|non-canonical]] game modes (such as [[Challenge Mode (Pikmin)|Challenge Mode]] or [[Bingo Battle]]) have a different, less serious compositional style, to reflect the different structures and styles of gameplay. Overall, music gives the games more character and interest, and can even help direct the player's attention to important in-game elements.


== ''Pikmin'' ==
==General information==
Every [[area]] has a very different musical theme. The music changes depending on the time of day, specifically, during most of the day, the normal tune plays. But once the lights start to fade, and it's time to round up all Pikmin, the music changes to a calmer mood of what it once was.
The music that accompanies gameplay in the main games is dynamic, meaning that certain conditions of the game can add or subtract elements from the music. Most commonly, if an [[enemy]] is near or combating the leaders and Pikmin, the music will add an intense track of percussion and other instruments to its mix, further engaging the player in the combat. At [[Day#Sunset|sunset]], the music will subtract elements to become higher in register, thinner in texture, and calmer in mood, suggesting the approaching end of the day's events and complexity. As the games progress, this dynamism in the music becomes more and more a part of gameplay; after [[Pikmin (game)|''Pikmin'']], new mixes are added when Pikmin are carrying spoils (a high-register accompaniment suggesting success) and performing tasks like removing [[obstacles]]. While still an aesthetic addition, a beneficial consequence of this dynamic music is its ability to organize the psychology of gameplay. It can not only adjust the mood of a theme to reflect the efficiency and intensity of a day, but even direct the player's attention to something, and help categorize the many actions that Pikmin perform over the course of a day.


On [[Challenge Mode]], the music that normally plays for the current level is sped up, as well as the darker remix noted above.
Generally, the gameplay music of the ''Pikmin'' series has quite an avant-garde style, with many non-tonal progressions and harmonies that make themes more complicated and interesting. At times, a theme may be intended to be so complex that its streams of information cannot all be followed at once, directing the player's attention completely to gameplay rather than scenery. At other times, the music stands aside for gameplay by being serene or simple, playing more of an ambience to the environment than a theme to Pikmin's actions.  


Sometimes, when near an enemy creature, more percussion and occasional brass are added to the song. This is a good way to notice that you could be in danger. A great example of the music change is in the [[Distant Spring]].
During [[cutscene]]s, music is a predetermined length, often followed by a loop over a dialog segment; these cutscene scores can be played by many different sizes and types of ensembles. Pre-rendered cutscenes (such as the cinematics in ''Pikmin 2'') are normally scored by a Hollywood-style orchestra and electronics, making them feel all the more cinematic. Music during cutscenes is more prominent, since the player can do nothing to alter it or the events it scores.


[[Strawberry Flower]] released a Pikmin-themed song, [[Ai No Uta]], along with the release of Pikmin, and later a number of other Pikmin-themed singles and albums.
==''Pikmin''==
''Composer: Hajime Wakai''
{{see|Music in Pikmin|t1=Music in ''Pikmin''}}
''[[Pikmin (game)|Pikmin]]'' has a soundtrack that generally reflects the small scale of the Pikmin and grows in texture and variation as more [[Ship part|parts]] of the [[S.S. Dolphin]] are recovered. Enemies and sunset can bring about dynamic changes, but the music is often meant mainly to score the natural scenery of the [[areas]] with an array of natural instruments. Contrastingly, themes about [[Captain Olimar]] and his ship are generally synthesized, to suggest their alien nature. ''Pikmin'' has the most melodically-driven soundtrack of the series, but few of its melodies or gestures become motivic.


The soundtrack for Pikmin 1 is called [[Pikmin Worlds]].
==''Pikmin 2''==
''Composers: Hajime Wakai, and Kazumi Totaka''
{{see|Music in Pikmin 2|t1=Music in ''Pikmin 2''}}
''[[Pikmin 2]]'' has perhaps the most varied soundtrack of all the games, thanks to its [[cave]]s. Cave themes are the first and only instance of [[Randomization|randomly]] structured music in the series, and ''Pikmin 2'' has [[Music in Pikmin 2#Caves|25 different minimalist themes]] with which to score each sublevel. This game also introduces in-game cutscenes, which have eclectic pre-rendered scores; and new complements to the music, triggered by conditions such as carrying [[treasure]] or playing as a particular [[leader]]. The music is generally more ambient in this game, but introduced in the cutscenes are new [[Music in Pikmin 2#Leitmotifs|leitmotifs]] that become very popular in this game and the next.


== ''Pikmin 2'' ==
==''Pikmin 3''==
''Pikmin 2'' features distinctive music in both the overworld areas and [[cave]]s. Music in caves is often minimalistic and appears to be chosen according to the difficulty and kind of hazards and [[:category:enemies|beasts]] that await the Pikmin and [[Captain]]s. In rest areas, a recognizable soft melody plays.
''Composers: Asuka Hayazaki, Atsuko Asahi, and Hajime Wakai''
{{see|Music in Pikmin 3|t1=Music in ''Pikmin 3''}}
''[[Pikmin 3]]''{{'s}} soundtrack has a much more atmospheric and often experimental mood to it, though new melodic motifs and some from ''Pikmin 2'' give it contextual stability. The music's dynamism now occurs regardless if the trigger is on-screen, making the music more effective as a gameplay tool. Afternoon time and variations in weather also provide new parameters for changing the music. Compared to the previous games, ''Pikmin 3'' uses much more advanced sound technology, allowing new instruments to score the high-definition scenery; particularly, unique synthesizer sounds are very prominent in this soundtrack. Quite a few themes in this game are re-orchestrations of ''Pikmin 2'' themes, giving the game itself a more modernized mood while establishing its reference point in the series.
 
The additional music in ''[[Pikmin 3 Deluxe]]'' was composed by Soshi Abe and Babi.
 
==''Pikmin 4''==
''Composers: Asuka Hayazaki, Kenta Nagata, and Soshi Abe''
{{see|Music in Pikmin 4|t1=Music in ''Pikmin 4''}}
''[[Pikmin 4]]''{{'s}} soundtrack is highly ambient, much more so than any other game in the series. Its main area themes in particular feature music that is very fragmented and sparse in melodic information, though the themes for cutscenes, [[bosses]], and side modes are more in spirit to what is heard in previous games. Possible in part by this new minimalistic approach, every single type of enemy will now also bring about a unique change in the music when a leader is nearby; each enemy adds a unique instrument or mix that is characteristic of the creature. Motifs established in ''Pikmin 2'' also reappear in some cutscenes, further tying in the many returning features from that game, such as the reintroduction of multi-floored [[caves]].
 
==''Hey! Pikmin''==
''Composers: Kento Hasegawa, and Masato Kouda''
{{see|Music in Hey! Pikmin|y1=Music in ''Hey! Pikmin''}}
''[[Hey! Pikmin]]''{{'s}} soundtrack is very different to those of the other games in the series, reflecting how its gameplay is also very different. It features melodically-driven themes featuring a large variety of synthesized sounds, often featuring audio effects like reverb. [[Area]] themes each have 2 versions: a main version for the "front side" of the area, and a secondary version, always more ambient and atmospheric, for the "back side", though these themes don't share a  structure; in fact the soundtrack lacks any dynamic elements. Every [[menu]] and boss has a unique theme, giving the soundtrack a wide range of styles and tone colors, and while there are few consistent elements throughout the soundtrack, most themes do reflect the calm nature of the game.
 
==''Pikmin Bloom''==
''Composer: Masato Kouda{{cite web|https://twitter.com/mtocoda/status/1455126250905686019|Post by Masato Kouda|Twitter}}''
{{see|Music in Pikmin Bloom|y1=Music in ''Pikmin Bloom''}}
''[[Pikmin Bloom]]''{{'s}} soundtrack is small but diverse. It features several different styles of music to accompany its menus, activities, and events. In general, its soundtrack is very light and positive-sounding, reflecting its genre as a mobile game. Some of its music comes from ''Hey! Pikmin''{{'s}} soundtrack.


Music in ''Pikmin 2'' plays as a number of different variations depending on a few variable factors. It varies when [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]] interfere with beasts or when they carry a [[treasure]], for example; and the tempo decreases as the active Captain loses life. When either [[Captain Louie|Louie]] or the [[President]] is the active Captain, the music often has a time signature of 6/8 or 9/8, instead of 3/4 or 4/4 with Olimar. Above ground, the music also changes depending on the time of the day, much like in the first Pikmin game.
==Music outside the main games==
===''Pikmin Adventure''===
''Composers: Ryo Nagamatsu, and Hajime Wakai''
{{see|Music in Pikmin Adventure|t1=Music in ''Pikmin Adventure''}}
In the Wii U game ''[[Nintendo Land]]'', a ''Pikmin''-themed attraction called ''[[Pikmin Adventure]]'' features several re-orchestration of themes from the first two games, as well as new compositions inspired by those. While the structures of these derivative compositions are quite true to the originals, their instrumentation is much more frivolous, reflecting the friendly, lighthearted mood of ''Nintendo Land''.


For the advertising of ''Pikmin 2'', another song from Strawberry Flower, [[Tane no Uta]], was used.
===''Pikmin'' Short Movies===
==''Pikmin 3''==
''Composers: Shigetoshi Gohara, Hajime Wakai, Ryoji Yoshitomi, and Mahito Yokota''
''Pikmin 3'''s music goes for having a more natural, simple, but atmospheric affect rather than having melodically strong tunes.
{{see|Pikmin Short Movies|t1=''Pikmin'' Short Movies}}
The [[Pikmin Short Movies|''Pikmin'' Short Movies]] were scored by a team of four, including Shigetoshi Gohara, Hajime Wakai, Ryoji Yoshitomi, and Mahito Yokota. The score includes brand new music and sound effects, though some additional music and sounds were borrowed from the previous titles, {{P1}}, {{P2}}, and {{P3}}.


Every area in ''Pikmin 3'' has a total of 4 music variations: Morning, Afternoon, Evening, and Weather. The "Weather" variation is shared by all the regions except the [[Formidable Oak]] and the [[Distant Tundra]], which have their own unique themes when Weather is active. All cave areas share the same soundtrack. 
===Promotional material===
{{see also|Promotional material}}
[[Strawberry Flower]] released a Pikmin-themed song, ''[[Ai No Uta]]'', along with the release of ''Pikmin'' (which sold more copies than the game itself), and later a number of other ''Pikmin''-themed singles and albums. The ''Pikmin'' OST is called ''[[Pikmin World]]''. For the advertising of ''Pikmin 2'', another song, ''[[Tane no Uta]]'', was used. In most trailers for ''Pikmin 3'', the game's own [[Music in Pikmin 3#Mission Mode (Levels 1-10)|Mission Mode theme]] was used.


Unlike in the past two games,''''' '''Pikmin 3'' does not have an extra variant of each song that changes when an enemy is nearby. Instead, a continuous tampani and cowbell beat is overlayed with the normal music to signify enemies in the vicinity.''' '''''Pikmin 3'' does, however, have unique music variants for when Pikmin are preforming tasks such are building bridges or carrying spoils.
===''Super Smash Bros.'' series===
{{main|Super Smash Bros. Brawl#Music}}
{{main|Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U#Music}}
{{main|Super Smash Bros. Ultimate#Music}}
{{ssbb}}, {{ssb4}}, and {{ssbu}} have stages that represent in the ''Pikmin'' franchise. These stages feature some tracks that either come from the ''Pikmin'' media directly or are remixes created on purpose for the ''Smash'' series.


All bosses share the same theme except for the [[Vehemoth Phosbat]] and the [[Plasm Wraith]], which both have unique themes. All minibosses share a remixed version of ''Pikmin 2's'' boss theme.
===''Donkey Konga''===
The drumming video game series ''[[mariowiki:Donkey Konga|Donkey Konga]]'' uses several songs from other Nintendo franchises. The Japanese version of the original ''Donkey Konga'' includes ''[[Ai no Uta]]'' as a playable song. The Japanese version of the original ''Donkey Konga 2'' includes ''[[Tane no Uta]]'' as a playable song.


For every official trailer of the game, [[Mission Mode]]'s main theme was used.
===Symphonic Legends - Music from Nintendo===
On September 23, 2010, {{w|WDR Rundfunkorchester Köln}} held a symphonic tribute concert in Cologne, Germany called {{w|Symphonic Legends – Music from Nintendo}}. The concert celebrated Nintendo's classic video game music by performing orchestral arrangements; the area selection themes from ''Pikmin '' and ''Pikmin 2'' were arranged by video game composer and orchestrator {{w|Hayato Matsuo}} into an orchestral medley entitled ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhbU0dAvbpc Pikmin (Variations on a World Map Theme)]''.


== See also ==
==See also==
*[[Strawberry Flower]]
*[[Strawberry Flower]]
[[Category:Audio]]
*[[Promotional material]]
[[Category:Pikmin 1]]
*[[:Category:Audio|Audio]] &ndash; samples of music on the wiki
[[Category:Pikmin 2]]
 
[[Category:Pikmin 3]]
==References==
{{refs}}
 
[[Category:Audio| ]]
[[Category:Music| ]]

Latest revision as of 20:59, November 16, 2024

Sheet music of a motif occurring throughout the series.

Music in the Pikmin series accompanies every part of each game, from ambient music during gameplay and menus, to pre-rendered cutscene scores, to minor jingles for small events. The style is quite unique and extremely varied across the games, featuring many different instruments and textures that reflect the game environments on PNF-404 and beyond. Most notably, much of the music is dynamic: gameplay events and parameters can add or subtract elements from the music. For example, entering combat will often bring a new intense percussion track into the mix, and the passage of sunset thins the music down to a quiet, peaceful rendition. Bosses in the games have their own themes, and non-canonical game modes (such as Challenge Mode or Bingo Battle) have a different, less serious compositional style, to reflect the different structures and styles of gameplay. Overall, music gives the games more character and interest, and can even help direct the player's attention to important in-game elements.

General information[edit]

The music that accompanies gameplay in the main games is dynamic, meaning that certain conditions of the game can add or subtract elements from the music. Most commonly, if an enemy is near or combating the leaders and Pikmin, the music will add an intense track of percussion and other instruments to its mix, further engaging the player in the combat. At sunset, the music will subtract elements to become higher in register, thinner in texture, and calmer in mood, suggesting the approaching end of the day's events and complexity. As the games progress, this dynamism in the music becomes more and more a part of gameplay; after Pikmin, new mixes are added when Pikmin are carrying spoils (a high-register accompaniment suggesting success) and performing tasks like removing obstacles. While still an aesthetic addition, a beneficial consequence of this dynamic music is its ability to organize the psychology of gameplay. It can not only adjust the mood of a theme to reflect the efficiency and intensity of a day, but even direct the player's attention to something, and help categorize the many actions that Pikmin perform over the course of a day.

Generally, the gameplay music of the Pikmin series has quite an avant-garde style, with many non-tonal progressions and harmonies that make themes more complicated and interesting. At times, a theme may be intended to be so complex that its streams of information cannot all be followed at once, directing the player's attention completely to gameplay rather than scenery. At other times, the music stands aside for gameplay by being serene or simple, playing more of an ambience to the environment than a theme to Pikmin's actions.

During cutscenes, music is a predetermined length, often followed by a loop over a dialog segment; these cutscene scores can be played by many different sizes and types of ensembles. Pre-rendered cutscenes (such as the cinematics in Pikmin 2) are normally scored by a Hollywood-style orchestra and electronics, making them feel all the more cinematic. Music during cutscenes is more prominent, since the player can do nothing to alter it or the events it scores.

Pikmin[edit]

Composer: Hajime Wakai

See: Music in Pikmin

Pikmin has a soundtrack that generally reflects the small scale of the Pikmin and grows in texture and variation as more parts of the S.S. Dolphin are recovered. Enemies and sunset can bring about dynamic changes, but the music is often meant mainly to score the natural scenery of the areas with an array of natural instruments. Contrastingly, themes about Captain Olimar and his ship are generally synthesized, to suggest their alien nature. Pikmin has the most melodically-driven soundtrack of the series, but few of its melodies or gestures become motivic.

Pikmin 2[edit]

Composers: Hajime Wakai, and Kazumi Totaka

See: Music in Pikmin 2

Pikmin 2 has perhaps the most varied soundtrack of all the games, thanks to its caves. Cave themes are the first and only instance of randomly structured music in the series, and Pikmin 2 has 25 different minimalist themes with which to score each sublevel. This game also introduces in-game cutscenes, which have eclectic pre-rendered scores; and new complements to the music, triggered by conditions such as carrying treasure or playing as a particular leader. The music is generally more ambient in this game, but introduced in the cutscenes are new leitmotifs that become very popular in this game and the next.

Pikmin 3[edit]

Composers: Asuka Hayazaki, Atsuko Asahi, and Hajime Wakai

See: Music in Pikmin 3

Pikmin 3's soundtrack has a much more atmospheric and often experimental mood to it, though new melodic motifs and some from Pikmin 2 give it contextual stability. The music's dynamism now occurs regardless if the trigger is on-screen, making the music more effective as a gameplay tool. Afternoon time and variations in weather also provide new parameters for changing the music. Compared to the previous games, Pikmin 3 uses much more advanced sound technology, allowing new instruments to score the high-definition scenery; particularly, unique synthesizer sounds are very prominent in this soundtrack. Quite a few themes in this game are re-orchestrations of Pikmin 2 themes, giving the game itself a more modernized mood while establishing its reference point in the series.

The additional music in Pikmin 3 Deluxe was composed by Soshi Abe and Babi.

Pikmin 4[edit]

Composers: Asuka Hayazaki, Kenta Nagata, and Soshi Abe

See: Music in Pikmin 4

Pikmin 4's soundtrack is highly ambient, much more so than any other game in the series. Its main area themes in particular feature music that is very fragmented and sparse in melodic information, though the themes for cutscenes, bosses, and side modes are more in spirit to what is heard in previous games. Possible in part by this new minimalistic approach, every single type of enemy will now also bring about a unique change in the music when a leader is nearby; each enemy adds a unique instrument or mix that is characteristic of the creature. Motifs established in Pikmin 2 also reappear in some cutscenes, further tying in the many returning features from that game, such as the reintroduction of multi-floored caves.

Hey! Pikmin[edit]

Composers: Kento Hasegawa, and Masato Kouda

See: Music in Hey! Pikmin

Hey! Pikmin's soundtrack is very different to those of the other games in the series, reflecting how its gameplay is also very different. It features melodically-driven themes featuring a large variety of synthesized sounds, often featuring audio effects like reverb. Area themes each have 2 versions: a main version for the "front side" of the area, and a secondary version, always more ambient and atmospheric, for the "back side", though these themes don't share a structure; in fact the soundtrack lacks any dynamic elements. Every menu and boss has a unique theme, giving the soundtrack a wide range of styles and tone colors, and while there are few consistent elements throughout the soundtrack, most themes do reflect the calm nature of the game.

Pikmin Bloom[edit]

Composer: Masato Kouda[1]

See: Music in Pikmin Bloom

Pikmin Bloom's soundtrack is small but diverse. It features several different styles of music to accompany its menus, activities, and events. In general, its soundtrack is very light and positive-sounding, reflecting its genre as a mobile game. Some of its music comes from Hey! Pikmin's soundtrack.

Music outside the main games[edit]

Pikmin Adventure[edit]

Composers: Ryo Nagamatsu, and Hajime Wakai

See: Music in Pikmin Adventure

In the Wii U game Nintendo Land, a Pikmin-themed attraction called Pikmin Adventure features several re-orchestration of themes from the first two games, as well as new compositions inspired by those. While the structures of these derivative compositions are quite true to the originals, their instrumentation is much more frivolous, reflecting the friendly, lighthearted mood of Nintendo Land.

Pikmin Short Movies[edit]

Composers: Shigetoshi Gohara, Hajime Wakai, Ryoji Yoshitomi, and Mahito Yokota

See: Pikmin Short Movies

The Pikmin Short Movies were scored by a team of four, including Shigetoshi Gohara, Hajime Wakai, Ryoji Yoshitomi, and Mahito Yokota. The score includes brand new music and sound effects, though some additional music and sounds were borrowed from the previous titles, Pikmin, Pikmin 2, and Pikmin 3.

Promotional material[edit]

See also: Promotional material.

Strawberry Flower released a Pikmin-themed song, Ai No Uta, along with the release of Pikmin (which sold more copies than the game itself), and later a number of other Pikmin-themed singles and albums. The Pikmin OST is called Pikmin World. For the advertising of Pikmin 2, another song, Tane no Uta, was used. In most trailers for Pikmin 3, the game's own Mission Mode theme was used.

Super Smash Bros. series[edit]

Main article: Super Smash Bros. Brawl#Music.
Main article: Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U#Music.
Main article: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate#Music.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate have stages that represent in the Pikmin franchise. These stages feature some tracks that either come from the Pikmin media directly or are remixes created on purpose for the Smash series.

Donkey Konga[edit]

The drumming video game series Donkey Konga uses several songs from other Nintendo franchises. The Japanese version of the original Donkey Konga includes Ai no Uta as a playable song. The Japanese version of the original Donkey Konga 2 includes Tane no Uta as a playable song.

Symphonic Legends - Music from Nintendo[edit]

On September 23, 2010, WDR Rundfunkorchester Köln held a symphonic tribute concert in Cologne, Germany called Symphonic Legends – Music from Nintendo. The concert celebrated Nintendo's classic video game music by performing orchestral arrangements; the area selection themes from Pikmin and Pikmin 2 were arranged by video game composer and orchestrator Hayato Matsuo into an orchestral medley entitled Pikmin (Variations on a World Map Theme).

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Post by Masato Kouda on Twitter
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