How ONE Kirby Theme Went From 8-bit to an ENTIRE Orchestra
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- It's crazy seeing a GameBoy theme I grew up with come to life over 30 years later.
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What other Kirby themes have shown up across the entire collection???
Charles, can you cover the Vampire Killing theme from Castlevania?
It's funny you say this. WiKirby (The Kirby Wiki) documents each recurring theme in the series and all the various leitmotifs and remixes of that theme from other games. They even have clips of each instance on their corresponding pages! I would highly recommend scrolling through Wikirby and just listening to all the variations, starting with my favorite, King Dedede's Theme or All My Friends and the Setting Sun (Meta Knight's Theme)!
King Dedede's theme fight theme. I don't think it's ever missed a game.
Kirby's triumphant return is in so many boss themes.
ua-cam.com/video/cfHcxBVDHkI/v-deo.html Journey - Kirby and the Rainbow Curse .. i one heck of a banger!
17:57 Really glad you mentioned Jun Ishikawa by name! He's been making Kirby music since the original Kirby's Dream Land (30+ years ago!), and is responsible for something that wasn't mentioned in this video, the "Kirby Beach Aesthetic".
If you listen to other Kirby beach songs made by Ishikawa (Examples include "Aqua Star" from Kirby 64, "Bountiful Star" from Kirby Planet Robobot, "Reef Resort" from Kirby Star Allies, and "Abandoned Beach" from Kirby and the Forgotten Land), you'll hear a bit of Float Islands DNA!
If you ever feel like coming back to Kirby music, a topic I HEAVILY recommend is the fact that most mainline Kirby music over the past 3 decades has been made by only two people, the aforementioned Jun Ishikawa, and Hirokazu Ando, who first started making Kirby music with Kirby's Adventure on the NES (That said, new composers have joined HAL Laboratories in recent years.) There's a very nice juxtaposition between the two composers
For example, the bizarre techno arrangements at 9:40 & 9:55 were by Jun Ishikawa, and the jazzy rendition at 14:11 (Which is my personal favorite Float Islands arrangement) was by Hirokazu Ando!
A cool bit of trivia about Hirokazu Ando's compositional style (You might have detected this in Industrial Laboratory at 14:11) is that he disregards human playability in his music! He prefers to make songs with a simple melody, but complex backings (Citation for this is from a 2018 Forbes article called "The Music Of Kirby: Still Tickling Gamers Pink".) This mindset can be seen in songs like "Dreaming of Clouds" from Kirby's Return to Dream Land, "Fatal Blooms in Moonlight" from Kirby Triple Deluxe, and "Blue Blizzard Remix" from Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe. (All 3 of these songs are EXTREMELY HIGH recommendations personally)
By the way, some extra trivia, the Float Islands renditions at 5:13 & 13:42 with the cool reharmonizations were (most likely) done by Shogo Sakai, famous for making music for Super Smash Bros Melee and MOTHER 3.
(Last bit of extra trivia, I promise.) If any of this info interests you, you can read up on WiKirby for more composer facts!
That's a great comment!
Thanks for the info, really cool!
common christopher moon w
been seeing myself called “the tally hall christopher moon” so much that seeing the actual christopher moon is surprising
Goatopher Moon
I was so mentally prepared for a typical Green Greens/Gourmet Race analysis (also great songs, but everyone knows those). Seeing love for Float Islands was a pleasant surprise! Kirby has numerous masterpieces and it's nice to see more of them appreciated!
I thought Butter Building, Green Greens or King Dedede as Consouls fans requested those covers
I was prepared for those, but hoping for Dedede's theme as that's my favorite, this was a pleasant surprise instead
What's the name of the balloon/credits theme? It's always been my favorite as a kid.
I was also expecting Green Greens
Was definitely expecting gourmet race.
I love that Charles has leaned super hard into making content about video game and anime music. It's clear he has developed a much stronger appreciation for this stuff the more he dives into it rather than it being solely just catering to what he expects will get views. Love all of your videos Charles but hearing your analyses on some of my favorite tunes from my favorite hobby is so great!!
As a Consouls fan, my hobby is not the games but listening to vgm as jazz. Charles always gets my view when he does these videos 🙂
I don't mean to be that guy, but it's probably cause nerds pay the bills more than jazz folks would
I’m sure he does genuinely enjoy it, because what’s not to love. But also, catering to the video game and anime audience is way more likely to find you success than just talking about traditional jazz music
@@zynthio For sure!! I agree totally, that's what makes me happy. Watching him discover stuff and lending his expert ear and sensibilities to things near and dear to me is a real treat and I love watching his joyful laughs upon hearing certain clever musical devices in classic vg or anime tunes etc.
@@MegaTheman25 His videos about movie soundtracks get plenty of views too. Would you consider that part of a similar nerd audience? I wouldn't say so. It's more like covering every niche of pop culture generally gets you more traction than just focusing on one niche or music genre. Mmusic that is not part of some kind of pop culture zeitgeist will probably get less attention in general obviously.
It's so infectious how much you just legitimately adore music
music is best enjoyed with someone else, and watching someone discuss and break down a tune they can’t get enough of is just
UGH
Thank you Mr. Cornell :3
People who say Toby Fox only wrote one song and remixed it for the entire game of Undertale can scarcely grasp the scale done with Kirby's soundtrack.
Are there any themes from games that you can think of that have evolved like this over the years/decades?
@@extras5164The Legend of Zelda theme. Depending on the key you can call it the Title Screen, Overworld theme, or Zelda's theme. All 3 share the same from the original.
Then it became a reoccurring theme just like the Kirby example.
A point in their favor is that toby fox did that a lot of times in only a single game
The joy of a musician geeking out over Kirby music is infectious.
17:29 That stock footage of someone playing a Switch upside down 🤣🤣🤣
Bro, good catch. that's hilarious
Might be one of those games that made you flip and rotate the switch. :V
Nah man, he's an Australian.
It's pokemon.
@@luk3to Maybe they're evolving an inkay->malamar. :v
Wait, what the hell!? The All-Star theme from Melee is Float Islands in disguise!? I never knew!
Amen.
Sakurai you sly dog! That’s beautiful.
There is A LOT of Kirby theming in SSB.
To be fair, that version is moreso based on the Rest Area from Kirby Super Star. I'm a tiny bit sad Charles didn't bring attention to it first.
I didnt either until it got to 1:25
pointing out that the Rest Area music in Kirby Super Star is the slowed down version just threw me through a time portal in the best possible way
Something I like about Kirby is that the music feels more rewarding the more you know and listen. Final boss themes are often remixed with other themes you’ve been hearing throughout the game! First thing I find on a new Kirby soundtrack is the main theme/themes, the first stage, and the boss music.
Exactly and sometimes they have a bit of the final boss theme in the beginning of the game like in return to dreamland the first cutscene has a tiny bit of crowned
That's why I always replay kirby games atleast twice because things like that are just so cool
I have heard both the floating isles and the melee intro music many times and I never made the connection that they’re the same tune. That is BRILLIANT
Sameee
As soon as I saw that on screen it blew my mind 😭
Same here! Was just looking for a comment to see if I was alone on that. XD
Yep I did the surprised Pikachu face
I have a real jazz bias in my own writing. In my opinion, the Kirby series is the most beautifully composed of any Nintendo franchise.
It's out of this world gorgeous.
I really find the Kirby and the Forgotten Land one of my favorite soundtracks along Kirby Mass Attack. Mass Attack mostly made my childhood, so their tracks are more memorable to me. But Forgotten Land is very smart for using leitmotifs revolving on the main theme.
that and DK franchise have beautiful ost.
I agree honestly I think it has the best music of any video game ever
I think this series really influenced my taste in jazz
i saw this and immediately clicked. i like kirby… if you couldnt tell
Poyo confirmed
nice profile picture
Nice Earthbound pfp. Never woulda guessed you liked Kirby.
I love kirby too! 😃👍
Kirb
Glad you have taken a dive into one of the most iconic leitmotifs of the Kirby franchise. Love it! Speaking of which, there is no end to the reoccurring leitmotifs in this franchise, some of being reoccurring within the very games they debuted in.
*Sky Tower* from Kirby's Return to Dreamland has become a modern staple in Kirby's roundhouse of reoccurring leitmotifs, as have *The Far-Flung Traveler* and *CROWNED* as leitmotifs associated with Magolor, a character introduced in that game.
*The Noble Haltmann* practically courses through the vains of _Kirby Planet Robobot_ with there seldom being a track within the game that doesn't incorporate it, from the opening credits to the very final boss fight.
What I really love about this format is that it seems super genuine in its reaction-based, unscripted nature. We get to see Charles feel out the song and try to parse it down while also getting his initial reactions to the sound. It genuinely feels like I'm in music class again.
Agreed. The natural vibes give the content a great feeling.
Charles - great video! Something I think you missed is that the new melody added to the "Laboratory" version is the MAIN THEME of that game (Planet Robobot), called something like Noble Haltman.
Robobot, Star Allies, and now Forgotten Land have been AMAZING with how they have woven their main leitmotifs across the existing kirby music to give it a new identify. In fact, in Planet Robobot, the main theme itself is part of the meta narrative!
Absolutely love the big emphasis on VG ost's lately. Easily brings in that nostalgia and answers the questions I too had as a kid and in some cases, an adult. Thank you for your work.
“Factory Inspection” in crystal shards is funky af, heck all of crystal shards music.🎉
The Crystal Shards soundtrack is fantastic. I don't think there's a single song in that OST I couldn't listen to for 20 minutes straight and not get bored.
I wanna mention how the "Mag Mount" theme from Canvas Curse is also a remix of "Castle Lololo" from Kirby's Dreamland, where the protagonist from Adventures of Lolo (the origin game for float islands' theme) appears as a boss
I just think that's neat
As a French Horn player, I love your perspective on how you hear music and chord progressions. I'm more focused on things that benefit a soloist style of playing where phrasing, resonance, and dynamics are highly rewarded and sometimes miss out on the basics of music composition that piano players are acutely aware of. Great stuff
when I was a kid, I was so into making Kirby inhale all kinds of characters and copy their abilities.
now I'm trying to inhale Kirby themes and copy its harmonies.
great video!!
Yes
Kirby music is always good. There is no such thing as a Kirby game without fantastic music!
I've been saying the same about Sonic OSTs. No matter how bad the game, the soundtrack is always a banger.
Jun Ishikawa is probably one of my favorite composers ever. Him and Hirokazo Ando made music for some of my best gaming memories growing up. Float islands was my favorite song from Kirbys dream land, followed by King DeDeDe's them, which was also just freaking awesome, but there is not a bad song in that whole game.....PERIOD!
Gonna be honest, I didn't even clock that the rest area theme and float islands were the same until today XD and I've been playing Kirby since the beginning, lol.
But this is why I love Kirby, the music is foundationally brilliant, and yet simple. Jun Ishikawa is a master of his craft and I'm happy Kirby has him.
Also to Charles, your enthusiasm for music is so lovely and infectious, you're a joy to watch! Thank you for the great video :3
Love seeing fellow kirby music fans geek out over this video
Your enthusiasm, delight, and sheer *joy* are infectious!
Sometimes I wait to watch your videos until I'm feeling a little bit low, because it's impossible not to grin while you're getting excited about music!
Oh yeah, and... Space Harrier has some great tunes I think you'd enjoy (and I'd love to hear you gush about them, too!)
Kirby and the forgotten land (the newest one) has one of my favourite game soundtracks ever, the way it blends some of the classic themes with a mysterious adventure score is awesome!
It's actually one of the games with LESS recurring themes from past titles. But when it does, it's pretty damn cool, shoutouts to "Scattered Souls across Isolated Isles", what a banger. Also not many people seem to realize that "Through the Tunnel" is quite reminiscent of Quiet Forest from 64... deliberately or not.
The main theme definitely sounds like "Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now," the theme to the old TV show Perfect Strangers. Once you hear it, you can't unhear it. >:D
Forgotten Land is also one of my favorite soundtracks from Kirby. I like the constant use of leitmotifs not only from the main theme but ALSO from older Kirby titles.
Alivel mall 🔥🔥
As a music producer in the works, I can say it is so fun stitching instruments from other video games together to make something
The Kirby music is so dreamy it always makes me think of falling asleep on a big soft cloud in the sky
I never get tired of people geeking out over how PHENOMENAL Kirby's music truly is, nor will I ever tire of people finding out that Float Island and the Melee All Star theme are one in the same. It fills me with boundless joy every time!
Thank you fore this video !
I didn't expect that this theme had as much of an impact on you as it did on me. I'm really glad you talked about it.
It's one of the first pieces of music that I took the time to analyze when I started playing music. A great reference!
Incredibly awesome to listen to the progression of the theme. Thanks Charles for leading me into a new realm of music appreciation!
My Childhood was playing Golden Sun and just leaving the Game Boy on to listen to Issac's Theme amongst all the other bangers in that game and then later realising it was the same guy who wrote the Dark Souls OST!
Golden Sun's soundtrack was fucking EPIC. Saturos' Theme is a banger.
Seeing you get so excited about this and the themes development was so enjoyable to see- I grew up on the kirby games and am an avid music enthusiast and just seeing what nintendo has done with music in their games is incredible! I particularly enjoy whenever they use live orchestras!
SUPER interesting how it was originally WAY back from a Lolo game, THEN made tribute to it by having a boss name Lololo!
Thank you for the great work, I really like your enthusiasm!
I always thought the Kirby composer (what's even his name?) was forgotten in the shadows of Koji Kondo and Nobuo Uematsu. So glad you're bringing this music back into view for peeps today! Especially this first gameboy game. It really was the best music. Don't forget the crazy and fascinating Castle Lolololo, and that first overworld theme...! Hurray man, I love your enthusiasm
Love this piece! Also, I really enjoy watching how hyped you get over quality music it just makes me so happy😁
The music in the Kirby games is so unbelievably special.
His enthusiasm about this is amazing
You should check out binks sake from one piece. Still in my opinion one of the saddest piano parts especially the walking down part when he said “it isn’t right leaving just the accompaniment” really made me cry. Even though Charles might not see this comment, would mean a lot if he would at least walk through it like he does with we are and coconut mall. Love ur vids man!
A theme like that has truly stood the test of time…!
canvas curse is underappreciated imo. that game was a blast.
I thought I loved music, but THIS guy LOVES music, lol.
Just found your channel recently, really enjoying it, keep up the good work!
Dude I literally absolutely love the level of excitement you get from doing this! 🎉
Loved this kind of video where you look at a theme and how it changes over time, would love to see more like this
Ooooh I like that Triple Deluxe menu iteration with that tremolo melody!
I never thought someone could be this excited for a couple chord changes its pretty awesome
Kirby OSTs were actually the reason why I got into music theory. I always loved the games growing up alongside the music (Grape Garden, Rainbow Resort, Cocoa Cave, Gourmet Race, Queen Sectonia, etc.), but when I found the sheet music to Gourmet Race, I just knew I had to learn how and why
Now I'm still flabbergasted by Kirby music. Especially Cocoa Cave, but all of them are honestly amazing. It's also one of the reasons why Kirby is my favorite franchise of all games
your enthusiasm and excitement for music really speaks to me. you're beautiful.
While still at the topic of Float Islands... Worth also taking a look at Grape Garden (from Super Star, not Adventure) which uses Float Islands as an intro but subverts it by being an original song, while still using a fairly recognizable rhythm section. Also Bountiful Star from Planet Robobot which does something similar.
I'm a simple man; I see a video on Kirby music, and I click. 😄
Awesome work as usual, @CharlesCornellStudios! I know you get recommendations constantly, but keeping things Kirby, I highly advise looking at "Kirby and the Forgotten Land", and scoping out either "Metro on Ice," "Northeast Frost Street," and/or "Battle of Blizzard Bridge." For whatever reason, all the cold tracks in that game absolutely kill it. Yuuta Ogasawara and Hirokazu Ando brought their A games for those tunes!
What I would give to see you break down all the music in Ocarina of Time..
Your energy, passion and love for music is unparalleled. Your enthusiasm is so infectious, it makes me fall in love with music all over again, every time I watch one of your videos.
11:20 yo Charles just GNOMED us?! in the year of somebody's lord 2024?
Abandoned Beach from forgotten land also uses float islands and is one of my favorites.
15:33 Just a replay button of Charles sounding like a gnome
FINALLY! FLOAT ISLANDS LOVE! Woooo it's so nice to see someone give Float Islands the credit it deserves! I think this is the first time I've ever ooohed and ahhed and HAHAH'ed and pointed at the screen at the same points Charles did, lol.
9:55 the beat change had me making the same face 😂
Finally someone talks about this series’ music in-depth
Kirby music is so special
That All-Star intro is one of my fondest music memories in gaming. Thanks for mentioning it :)
Perfect Song Good Choice! Has always been my Favorite Kirby tune. I use to just let the game sit there and jam. another Great Iconic Theme you should look into is Castlevania "Bloody Tears: and "Vampire Killer"
I love how happy he seemed listening to the original theme
I love how you seem more and more confident talking about videogame music. Cool stuff
I’m so happy to see you doing a lot of games and shows now!! They’re so interesting to breakdown as well as just being great music.
If you can I’d love to hear you react to RWBY music. The main writer starting out was Jeff Williams and there’s a variety of genres and styles depending on characters with their motifs. “Neon” and the “never miss a beat” remixes(?) are fun ones
I'm so glad there is people like you who pay attention to soundtracks so in depth and can truly appreciate how awesome they are!
by coincidence I recently learned save menu/rest area on the piano.
Good taste in Kirby music! It was an instant hit with me when I played superstar ultra as a kid!
You're the only other person I've ever seen be so passionate about video game music. It made me so happy watching you laugh and move your hands with the music. My family makes fun of me for doing that, but it's nice to know I'm not the only one who enjoys picking apart music.
Kirby really does that! There's more tracks that keep coming up in the next games and it is amazing!
I really like Kirby's soundtrack, too. More people should listen to it....
Great video as always!
UA-cam suggested this to me because I was trying to find a specific Kirby song that I couldn't remember the name of (it was gourmet race), and I'm so glad it did! This guy has such infectious excitement about these songs and chords. I love it!
Yessssss I'm so glad you included the canvas curse one it is sooooo good
I was just thinking about this, such a mind blowing way the Kirby themes carry through the series
So glad you've covered a piece of Kirby's OST!! Hope you explore some other tracks from this amazing games
can't stop the shiver and tears while watching this
I see how excited video game music makes you and it reminds me of how I was when I was like 7 hooking my home stereo to my nes to record music on tapes so I could listen to them…. And my first song I learned to play was music from lufia and mega man when I was a little older… and to this day my main draw to a game always seems to its music…. Love your stuff man :)
this is great! even as a kirby fan, ive never realized how many of kirby's soundtrack was lifted from float islands!
I've been waiting SO LONG for a kirby video!! These games are FULL of incredible music, especially Forgotten Land!! If you ever do another one of these, you should take a look at the percussion in Battle of Blizzard Bridge!
YOOOOOO MY BOY KIRBY _LET'S _*_GOOOOOOOOOOOO_*_ DUDE!!!_
Hirokazu Ando is my hero
My depression was hitting me hard lately but seeing how happy music makes you made me feel something for the first time in a while. So for that I thank you
Holy moly that big band arrangement!!!
I love how much you are exited about chords xD
I love how the electric-ish versions and the big band version sound super jazzy. Almost like something you'd expect to hear at a cajun restaurant or nightclub.
Ok, y'all, this man loves Kirby. I do too!
Really though, I love that you can't contain your excitement for this Charles!
This whole video was a nostalgia trip for me, starting from the Float Islands theme, then to SSBM rest area, then you referenced foreverkirby who is literally the first UA-camr I saw when I looked up covers for Kirby Superstar Ultra.
I feel like if I could have Charles Cornell listen to whatever music I'm listening to and geek out over it I would enjoy it so much more. Your enthusiasm is so great!
Adventures of Lolo! What a blast from the past! I love that you nerd-out about the origins just as much as the music itself!
The musical evolution is phenominal accross all the series' history. So many themes from the first games return, recomposed to fit their specific environment. What I love most is when leitmotifs of certain songs appear in longer arrangements which leave story-wise implications of e.g. the origin of certain characters (most notably "The Stat-Conquering Traveller"); or how certain locations are connected.
YES A KIRBY VIDEO!!!! Some of these were insane, the Canvas Curse one blew my mind at the end.
I would not be upset if this became a video game music channel
Thanks for sharing! It made me remember my childhood, playing with the old game boy, searching for good lighting and before UA-cam came by. I remember leaving my game running just to listen to certain themes. My favorite one was Mario Land 2's ending credits theme. I would finish the game and leave it running for as long as the batteries could hold, lol.
LOVING this selection between incredible gaming music and anime music for the channel!
Love when you can track one tune or motif through a series
I love your videos! I know nothing about music theory, but I love your breakdowns because they help me hear nuances I otherwise would never pick up on!
Maybe an odd request, but I’d love to hear a breakdown of John Williams’ four-movement NBC News theme! I’ve always thought it was gorgeous!
You know Charles, going back to the music from Portal in the last video and also looking at this video from this guy compiling the video game variations. I was thinking you should check out “8-bit big band” their versions of portal music is amazing. They also do a lot of other game music as well.
Man I seriously envy your ability to just hear a tune and be able to discern elements of its composition. I know its like all time and practice but I am really not a person who's mind is built for music in that way. As far as I can tell that is. Maybe I just need the right teacher and everything would click but right now I just cant glean a thing on how to write music or listen to it and understand.
The amount of recognition, detail, and love you give to these songs from our childhoods needs to be documented in gaming history. SERIOUS props to you man!!
Kirby games tend to come out in the waning years of a platform. By that time, the programmers know everything about the architecture & get the most performance out of it. People usually talk graphics, but the music in the Kirby games is using every trick in the book to sound that good.
I think my favorite thing about the original version of this theme is the way the melody synth has that subtle swell to it that gives you that sense of floating on waves. Just brilliant melodic imagery.
My all time favorite kirby track, though, will always be "Trees In The Depths of The Earth" from Super Star. Such an intense melody that constantly changes and transforms. And just like with all the rest, it perfectly captures the part of the game that it's from.