The music of Pikmin 3 accompanies every mode of the game, from themes and cues during gameplay to scores of cutscenes and menus, in order to enhance the various moods of the game and to direct gameplay. Generally, the textural style of the music reflects either the technology of Koppai, the scenic environment of PNF-404, or the progression of the story and the quirky nature of Pikmin. In the spirit of compositions for Pikmin, this installment of the series features dynamic music that adapts to what occurs in the game, using parameters such as what tasks Pikmin are carrying out, the time of day, and the weather in a particular area. Between gameplay, pre-rendered cutscenes are scored by a Hollywood-style orchestra, and in-game cutscenes are textured by varied loops and cues of music. Compared with the music of the previous games, this game's music is much more atmospheric and ethereal; melody is only germane in establishing leitmotifs in the game.
The soundtrack to Pikmin 3 was composed by Asuka Hayazaki, Atsuko Asahi, and Hajime Wakai, under no official name. Like the previous soundtracks in the series, all the sounds are synthesized or samples attempting to mimic real instruments. This installment of the series features the most advanced sound technology yet, producing very realistic representations of real instruments. However, unlike the music in the previous game, this game's music is all pre-rendered, not played note-by-note in real time; this allows for new instruments, new textures, and new experimentation with sound, at the cost of a less flexible soundtrack.
