Cave Stage
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- This article is about the theme from Kirby Super Star, and should not be confused with "Underground Stage" from Kirby's Adventure or "Cave/Rocky Area" from Kirby & The Amazing Mirror.
"Cave Stage"[Japanese title] is the theme that first played in the Cocoa Cave stage in Kirby Super Star. It was initially composed by Jun Ishikawa.[1] The theme has had a number of rearrangements, but not as many as other more notable tracks throughout the Kirby series.
Composition[edit]
"Cave Stage" is a theme set in the C Mixolydian mode and 4/4. It starts with a four bar intro that mostly only has one long dissonant chord, an inverted diminished triad, being held up by a synth, alongside the piece's main percussion and bass pattern. At the end of the fourth bar, a rapid array of short notes play in preparation for the next section (a trait present before every section change of the track), that introduces the song's first main motif: it is eight bars long, with the first four bar featuring groups of a long note conserving momentum followed by a descending passage of short notes, while the last four bar consist mostly of spread out detached notes. This motif is repeated with a different instrument in a higher pitch and with some changes along the way; in particular, more notes are added to the second half. The percussion then switches the track to its second motif, this one only two bars long and more focused on rhythm, and consists of three groups of four chords played at a consistent interval in a progression from C to B-flat and back, a trait that would later become prominent in tracks such as "Stage: Comical", "Mini-Game" or "Gorgeous-Go-Round". This motif is played twice in succession. Following are eight melody-less bars focused on the percussion and a quiet, chromatically descending bassline. The last four bars of this section feature additional percussion in their second halves. The second main motif is repeated twice again, followed by another eight bars of the same percussion section. The track then returns to the intro and loops.
Game appearances[edit]
Kirby Super Star / Kirby Super Star Ultra[edit]
"Cave Stage" made its first appearance in Kirby Super Star, and naturally reappears in the remake Kirby Super Star Ultra. It first appears in the Cocoa Cave stage in Dyna Blade. The theme also plays in the Planet Cavius stage in Milky Way Wishes.
Kirby Air Ride[edit]
In Kirby Air Ride, there are actually two distinct versions of "Cave Stage". The first is the version titled "Stadium: Target Flight", which is an orchestral rearrangement of the song which plays in the Target Flight Stadium mode in City Trial. The song is largely faithful to the original, but features an extra bit of melody at the end before looping.
The second track is a techno-based version of the song which plays in the Metal course in Top Ride. This version is simply titled "Top Ride: Metal", and is arranged by Jun Ishikawa.[2]
Kirby: Canvas Curse[edit]
A slow paced remix of "Cave Stage" known as "Rift Ruin" plays in the stage of the same name.
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse[edit]
A remix of "Cave Stage" plays in some parts of the Gondola Ride stage in Orange Woodland. This version is titled "Grievous Gondola Ride".
Kirby: Planet Robobot[edit]
The "Metal" remix from Kirby Air Ride is reused in Patched Plains - Stage 6 EX.
Other appearances[edit]
The original version of "Cave Stage" was included in the compilation album The Very Best of Kirby: 52 Hit Tracks.
The theme is featured in the episode Born to Be Mild - Part II in the Japanese version of Kirby: Right Back at Ya!. It is titled 爆走！デデデス・レース (Burn Rubber! Dedede's Race) on the album Kirby & The Amazing Mirror Sound Plus.
Track 43 from the Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition Compilation Soundtrack titled "Electro Kirby" features a remix of the theme in the background at part 0:39-0:56.
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 洞窟ステージ Dōkutsu Sutēji |
Cave Stage |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Very Best of Kirby: 52 Hit Tracks; while no specific credits are given, only Jun Ishikawa out of the two Kirby Super Star composers is credited for the tracks in the album.
- ↑ Kirby: Planet Robobot Jukebox
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