The Physics of Video Games column is now onto soundtrack reviews. Why? Sound is physics. Also, the lovely Jeremy (the Gaming Futurist) told me to. We’ll review the horrendous, the masterpieces, and everything in between. If you have any suggestions, let me know. Obscure, popular, appalling, it doesn’t matter.
Super Metroid? I bet long time fans of the articles and book, as well as friends, would have never thought I would talk about Super Metroid… again. I absolutely love this game, check out my backlog to find out more. I don’t need to go into gruesome detail again as to why I think this game is so exceptional. Let’s get right to the soundtrack review, shall we?
To do proper justice to this incredible masterpiece, we will go through a number of the tracks in the order in which they appear in the game. When they introduce songs, and how they do is so masterful. It is amazing that so few people worked on this game considering how exceptional the final product is.
I would argue that the soundtrack is the weakest aspect of this game, as many songs can’t be enjoyed independent of the game, but since that was not the intent, it can’t be faulted for that. Each track matches the themes and sets the tone for each of the sections incredibly well. So it does what it is supposed to. Let’s go on our journey.
We will start our journey as the player lands on planet Zebes.
Click on the pictures to hear the songs.
The player is greeted by a very haunting song. The heavy and slow pace invoke a feeling of isolation; this is a perilous journey to the unknown. The darkness and emptiness of the planet is perfectly complimented by this track. The tempo of the song also forces new players to consider their pacing. Players had already fought Ridley on the ship prior to landing, so caution must be exercised when discovering this new territory.
As the player progresses, s/he will get the morph ball and missiles. This is promptly followed by enemies no longer lingering, they emerge from the shadows to attack Samus.
While not the strongest track in this extensive soundtrack, it does what it should do and sets the appropriate tone. The pacing is increased to match the new flow of the gameplay. This track suffers from repetitiveness and can’t really be enjoyed independent of the game. If I listen to the track outside the game, I get excited for a little bit because I think about playing again, but that dies off quickly. But at least it fits perfectly with the gameplay and is memorable.
Super Metroid does very well with changes in tone. Another perfect example is found when entering the Wrecked Ship.
The player is met with an industrial track that seems rather hollow. And wouldn’t you know it, that is exactly where the game takes place. There is no life, robots are shut down, there is evidence that things used to be active, but no longer are. Some aimless wandering will result in a series of dead ends and problem solving in order to reach Phantoon, the Wrecked Ship’s boss.
Flames bounce around the room, but no enemy is in sight. This song has been used earlier in the game (assuming you aren’t doing a speed run and using exploiting speed balls and wall jumps of course), and it is always used to alert the player that danger is on its way. I think this track conveys the mystery, with very few beats and long pauses, perfectly.
This is immediately followed by the intense boss theme when Phantoon is finally revealed. This isn’t a particularly long track, but it is intense and fits the mood perfectly. It has rapid pacing, excellent use of bass, and gets the player involved in the fight to a much greater degree. This track is used a few times throughout the game, and I think the consistency enhances the experience, as repetition done properly can be quite immersive. I think this is especially true since it is not the only theme used for bosses, but is used only for the ones that will unlock the room to the final boss.
Speaking of the final boss, let’s look at the song that ends the journey through Zebes, and end the review with it.
Heavy is probably the best word to describe this song. It has very deep tones that are quite intense and match the epic nature of the battle. The player is fighting a crazy version of the Mother Brain, and takes quite a beating doing so. The intensity is perfectly mimicked by the song. I couldn’t be happier with this being the last unique track to be found in the game. After killing the Mother Brain, a series of tracks that have been heard throughout the game in similar contexts are played, creating a soundtrack sandwich in a sense.
Speaking of sandwiches, if the Super Metroid soundtrack were food, it would be a sandwich. The bread represents the recurring songs that open and close the game, wrapping everything in a nice little package. The rest of the soundtrack are the contents of said sandwich. Each layer has a great role in the composition with some being more important and dominant than others but, all are valued. There is nothing on that sandwich that you hate. If any layers were missing, you would feel slightly empty and disappointed, but wouldn’t be able to explain why since it seems as though everything is alright. Super Metroid is now a sandwich, and I think everyone should eat it.
Dan
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