Start Stage
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"Start Stage"[Japanese title] is a theme which originated from Kirby & The Amazing Mirror. In that game, it is used primarily in all hub areas, heard first in the Central Circle of Rainbow Route, and it can also be heard (with a slightly different composition) in the opening cutscene for the game. Since then, the song has made a few different appearances in much-later Kirby titles, specifically in reference to characters and other content from Kirby & The Amazing Mirror.
Composition[edit]
"Start Stage" is a relatively short track, completing a full loop in just under 20 seconds. It features a high-tone piano-like synth for its main progression, backed up by a supporting bass line, an airy angelic background pad, and a light amount of percussion. The track plays in a 3/4 time signature, with the last measure slowing down slightly in tempo before looping. Later adaptations of "Start Stage" typically eschew the main high-tone instrument with an actual piano.
Game appearances[edit]
Kirby & The Amazing Mirror[edit]
As mentioned above, "Start Stage" first appears in Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, and can be heard in all hub areas. It is also used in the rooms that come in-between battles against Dark Mind. An alternate arrangement can also be heard in the opening cutscene, in addition to playing in the Collection Room.
Kirby Star Allies[edit]
In Kirby Star Allies a new piano-based arrangement of "Start Stage" is used for the "pseudo"-HAL Room that Dark Meta Knight can encounter at the end of Guest Star Dark Meta Knight From The Shadows. Once discovered, this track can be found in the Jukebox as Track 164. This arrangement has softer percussion than the original version, and also progresses for eight measures rather than just four.
Kirby Fighters 2[edit]
In Kirby Fighters 2, the Kirby Star Allies arrangement of "Start Stage" is used for the Rewards List menu.
Additionally, if the player waits in the Options menu for 86 seconds, another variant of "Start Stage" plays, which is medleyed with Forest/Nature Area; a track that also first appeared in Kirby & The Amazing Mirror.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe[edit]
In Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, a rearrangement of "Start Stage" is used as the menu music for Crackity Hack in Merry Magoland. This version features punchier-sounding percussion and some electric guitar riffs to fit with the Sub-Game it's been paired with. This version of the song is titled "Crackity Hack - Title", and can be found as Track 75 in the Jukebox. It features white notes in the Jukebox, meaning it could have been arranged by either Kiyoshi Hazemoto or Yuki Kato.
Additionally, the original version of "Start Stage" can be unlocked after clearing all main Missions for Crackity Hack, and is Track 144 in the Jukebox.
Other appearances[edit]
Outside of the games proper, "Start Stage" and its rearrangements can be found in the following musical releases:
- Kirby & The Amazing Mirror Sound Plus - as track 4, and the opening cutscene version is found as track 2 on the same disc.
- Kirby Star Allies: The Original Soundtrack - as track 29 on Disc 4, titled "Start Stage/Star Allies Arrangement ver."
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | スタートステージ[1] sutāto sutēji |
Start Stage |
References
- ↑ Name taken from Kirby & The Amazing Mirror Sound Plus
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