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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 the 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 leitmotifs 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.
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.
It 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 "success motif", denoting a success or setting a victorious mood.
Menus
The menus of the game have looping music beds that play the environment presented in the menu. Normally that environment has a spatial view of PNF-404, so the menu themes in this game especially adhere to presenting a suggestion of space and spaceships (the main menu being the exception).
The main theme of the game, heard in the main menu. 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.
Heard when selecting a day to start from in the Story mode. 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 cymbalesque synthesizer that first debuted in Pikmin in The Distant Spring's theme. It will recur throughout the music of this game; it is a sound unique to the Pikmin series.
Heard after the S.S. Drake takes off at the end of a day. This theme is a remaster of the "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.
Heard before the start of a day, inside the S.S. Drake. 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.
Heard when selecting a Mission Mode stage. This menu has a spatial background, but the menu itself does not necessarily suggest space. Thus the theme is not synthesized to the same degree as the S.S. Drake theme, for example. A synthetic bass, elaborate percussion, and chromatic sound effects form the foundation, but a rousing string section, trumpets, and glockenspiel and xylophone dominate the melody. These more recognizable instruments aid the excitement of preparing for a Mission Mode stage.
Heard when selecting a Bingo Battle stage. 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 a appropriate preparation for battle.
Cutscenes
To do: Can we find the name of the person who narrates the prologue and epilogue? Care to do so?
Most of the cutscenes of the game have pre-rendered soundtracks, as they are usually a specified length. The theatrical cutscenes have a Hollywood-style orchestra to perform them, plus electronics. Meanwhile, the in-game cutscenes can sometimes have a looped theme, since dialog occurs over the cutscene that requires player input to progress. These cutscenes can be performed by a wide range of ensembles and electronics, as they all have varying moods and contexts to convey.
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.
Heard during attraction mode, or when a new game begins. The first-ever narrator in the series reads the following passage, which contains key elements that change the soundtrack.
“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.”
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 SPEROs, 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 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.
Heard after Captain Charlie awakens in the Distant Tundra, and after he escapes 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.
Heard when something Pikmin-related is discovered, such as a new Onion. This is a remaster of the "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.
Heard when in a tutorial on how to control Pikmin or throw leaders. This small theme is entirely synthesized, with lo-fi percussion and a wah-guitar-like sound providing bass and harmony. The melody is very repetitious, and the loop is only so long, accenting the brevity but sealing in the effectiveness of the tutorial.
Heard when Charlie is attacked by the Vehemoth Phosbat. In a horror-film-like turn, high 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.
Heard when Alph wakes up in the pool of water in the Tropical Wilds. A mainly whole-tone texture accents Alph's awakening, with 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. This other instrument is a cicada-like sound, which will also be present in the Tropical Wilds theme.
Heard when Alph finds a lone Red Pikmin and it runs away. The babyish sound of the celeste and synthesizer in this cue accent the smallness, perhaps the silly or cute look of the Pikmin to Alph. However, tremolo strings build the tension for when the Pikmin is scared and runs away, leaving Alph and a solo clarinet rather confused.
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 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.
Heard when a leader is explaining an important discovery. This loop is a new rendition of the 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.
Heard when a new type of Pikmin is plucked or found. Again, a mixture of synthesizers and small natural instruments introduce the Pikmin, this time with a decoration of the Pikmin 2 motif. Notice how the melodic synthesizer detunes at the end of the cue, leading into the dialogue about new Pikmin.
Heard when a leader is talking about a new type of Pikmin. This simple playful loop 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.
Heard when Alph finds the S.S. Drake. Taking on a more triumphant and orchestral tone than the previous cutscenes, the S.S. Drake is introduced with a fanfare of the "Koppaite" motif, ending on a more ambiguous dominant F chord. Flutes provide small spurts of a harmony that will recur when this motif is used again, landing in a new area.
Heard when Alph first scans for life around the S.S. Drake. This small cue begins with almost a cartoonish mood, with a gracing flute and rhythmic staccato violins slowly descending as Alph's hopes for intelligent life are dashed. The cue ends in a small reprise of the main gesture in Alph's Crash Site, finishing with an uncertain dominant ♭9 E chord. This leads well into the surprise call from Brittany.
Heard during Brittany's first call to Alph. Brittany has a strange synthesized theme in A, built by a cutoff-oscillating saw synthesizer. A simple whole-tone melody on a second synthesizer establishes Brittany as remotely friendly, while the calm drum-machine percussion puts the urgency of her condition at ease. This theme is meant to quell any worry about Brittany's previously unknown fate.
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 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.
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.
Heard whenever the S.S. Drake lands in an area for the first time, besides the Tropical Wilds and Distant Tundra. This exultant gesture is the "Koppaite" motif at its best, signaled by triangle and timpani and carried by a trumpet section and an array of synthesizers, including one similar to the main synth in the "new Pikmin type" theme. The full, rich harmony of the final note lasts right up until the leaders emerge from their landed ship.
Heard whenever something important needs explaining, such as the 100-Pikmin cap or a new signal showing up in the Garden of Hope. This is a remaster of the "explanation" theme from the 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 "explanation" theme from the 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. One can particularly notice the difference in the harp.
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 "Final Floor!" theme of the previous game. One can also hear the first instance of a flexatone in the Pikmin series.
Heard when Alph calls Brittany and she awakens. This reprise of Brittany's theme adds a piano-glockenspiel hit to the beginning (a friendly tone to calm concerns about Brittany's state) and a new piano-esque melodic synthesizer to the mix. This increases the complexity of Brittany's theme, perhaps representing how much closer the player is to rescuing her.
Heard when the Medusal Slurker is first encountered, holding Rock Pikmin. This is a calmer, smaller-scale version of the boss introduction cue in the same game, suggesting a much smaller mini-boss. A baritone saxophone and bass clarinet form the only bass power, so besides the contrast of high and low registers this cue is not designed to generate much worry about the might of the enemy. The four-note accent is the same sound used to introduce a Pikmin suffering.
Heard when the crystal wall blocking Brittany is destroyed. Brittany is introduced with a small gesture, like Charlie was. But her gesture is resoundingly major and high-spirited, in high-register flute triads and glockenspiel arpeggios. Afterwards, a loop plays over Brittany's dialog that is much more natural than most of the other cutscene soundtracks up to this point. A harp, pizzicato violin, and quiet violin section play a subtle melody in A♭ sus, culminating in a very wholesome sound. The theme is almost enhanced by the cicadas droning in the background.
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 "collected treasure" theme of the previous game, except instead of a "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.
Heard when a day ends. This is a remaster of the "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.
Heard when a non-Red Pikmin suffers fire for the first time, or when a non-Blue Pikmin is drowning for the first time. This four-note gesture is the same that introduces 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.
If a group of 20 or more Pikmin of one type are idle for long enough, they will begin to sing along with the area theme.
If the leaders have 20 of each type of Pikmin following them, the Pikmin will sing the main theme to Pikmin 3. If the leaders have all types of Pikmin but have a group of 100 of only one type, the Pikmin will sing the main theme discordantly and unorganizedly.
If the three leaders are moving without any Pikmin, they will occasionally sing the "Koppaite" motif, with the single lyric "Koppai", possibly meaning the motif is an anthem of sorts.
A small glitch occurs when a day ends while the player looks at the radar (with the "play" button active, meaning time still passes). The music is put through a hi-pass filter and compressor whenever the map screen is active, making the music sound like it comes from small radio speakers. This filter was not programmed to turn off without player input, so it will remain over the "end of day" theme if it is active at the day's end (although the "today's results" theme will be normal).
