AWESOME SOUNDTRACKS
Metroid Prime
Now, when I got the idea for this, Metroid Prime was one that I wanted to do for a while, but wanted to wait until I had gotten to and completed the actual game before I talked about it. As a result though, I will say that there are some spoilers that relate to the music which I will reveal. So be forewarned if you haven't played through this game and don't want it ruined for you.
(Although I would say you should definitely play the game as soon as you can; at this point it's probably one of my top 5 games of all time)
But anyway, let's get on with it.
Metroid Prime was a game released in late 2002/early 2003 for the Nintendo Gamecube and was the 4th game in the
Metroid series as well as the beginning of the
Prime series. What really makes this game stand out from the titles before it was not just the fact that it was the first 3D Metroid game, but also the fact that it largely takes place in the first person view, something that was considered controversial for the time. Now, while some may argue that it made the game worse to go into first person, I'm of the camp that it made for a hugely atmospheric adventure, and personally made the game so much more engrossing, but I digress. The soundtrack for this game was done primarily by Japanese composer Kenji Yamamoto, with assistance from Koichi Kyuuma. What really makes it interesting for me is the fact that much of the music from the game was remixed from previous Metroid titles like Super Metroid, but still manages to be so perfectly fitting to the setting and the game as a whole. The remixes of natural and organic sounds such as pianos and chants with electronic and unnatural sounds such as is something befitting of the game, where you seek to uncover ancient technology that is both at odds with and working with the natural landscape of the planet. The first theme for the Tallon Overworld is basically a remix of the theme for Brinstar, but compared to the original's sense of adventure and push to go at it, this new version's rising chants and meditative majesty makes it one that is a masterful piece in it's own right.
Coming from the last installment of this that I did with Bastion, Metroid Prime is a game who's music serves a different purpose. Where Bastion's soundtrack is one that led alot of great parts of the game, becoming something great in its own right, MP is a different beast. Prime's soundtrack is more subdued; something that works hand in hand with it's accompanying game.
Indeed, the music makes for a number of great moments in this game. One huge part that it helps with is helping to build the atmosphere. For those who haven't played the series, the one thing that makes a Metroid game above all else is exploration and the atmosphere that comes with it. As such the music has a way of setting the stage, from the majestic structures and mystery of the Chozo Ruins to the quiet serenity of the Phendrana Drifts to the toiling and boiling of the Magmoor Caverns to the twisted scientific monstrosities that await in the Phazon Mines.
Did I also mention that there are multiple tracks for each single area? For example, when you first enter the Phendrana Drifts, it's snow capped majesty is topped by a serene ambience which makes you feel as if the wind is brushing against your face from atop a mountain in deep thought. When you reach the Deep Lake Area of Phendrana, this discovery is accompanied by a track that perfectly represents the snow falling and the ice forming in a quicker way.
It's music for a number of bosses and enemies can serve as both your backup and the tool for your demise. The track that plays when you're battling Chozo Ghosts is so intense and foreboding that it fills you with a strong sense of dread whenever it pops up and the room grows dark and these unsightly spectres come into view. When you come upon a giant room with a cryogenic chamber holding
the largest Space Pirate you've ever seen, the track that starts playing when you're fighting this behemoth serves only to let you know how much longer it is until your eventual failure. In a way some of the more dangerous creatures and bosses you come upon have this quality to their music that ends up sucking the gung-ho ready-for-anything mentality you have if you're not careful. I know that this happened to me while playing and led to me getting trounced more than a few times.
On the other hand as well, it can serve to be the piece that makes you want to blast that last shot into your enemies and claim your victory. This is something I felt during the fight with Meta-Ridley, a robotically modified version of your arch nemesis who's accompanied by a more electronic remix of his theme to keep you going.
In the end though, what makes this a great soundtrack is just how cohesive it is with a great game. It doesn't feel like something just anyone would come up with and it definitely doesn't feel tacked on. This is something that's really meant to be heard while playing said game. That's why I didn't try to review it like
Bastion or give it a score, as I would rather have someone play through and experience the sounds the way that it was meant to be.
But yeah, here's a full
playlist if you don't have the time to actually play Metroid Prime (although I would highly suggest to make some), and have some of my personal favorite tracks in here too while we're at it.