Elevator (theme)

Elevator is a simple and minimalistic theme heard throughout the Metroid series, commonly playing near Elevators and Chozo Statues. It was originally composed by Hirokazu Tanaka.

Description
The Elevator theme made its debut in the first Metroid game. The high-pitched melody pierces through a repeating sequence of low-pitched notes. It can be heard here:

The Elevator theme returns in Super Metroid. In this version, the low notes have been reinterpreted as an ambient drone. The melody is played with beeping tones, reminiscent of Morse code. An additional harmonic sequence of repeating beeps has also been added. It can be heard here: Another remix is briefly heard during the end credits, heard here:

Debuting in Super Smash Bros. Melee, Brinstar Depths (Melee) has a brief interlude remixing the original Elevator theme from Metroid. This version is also orchestrated in Depth of Brinstar, as part of the Smashing... Live! album.

In Metroid Fusion, the Navigation Room theme quotes a few notes of the Super Metroid version's harmony.

In Metroid Prime, the Elevator theme is very similar to the version heard in Super Metroid. However, the melody is excluded from this version, stripping the song down to just its harmonies. It can be heard here:

Metroid: Zero Mission remixes the original theme, without the added harmony of the Super Metroid version. This remix is also played in Save Rooms, which were not present in the original game. It can be heard here:

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes features two separate remixes of the Elevator theme, both based upon the original version. The first is a faster-paced remix heard when using elevators, heard here: The second is a slower and darker version heard after a boss has been defeated:  The first remix returns in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Both of these remixes are also heard in Metroid: Samus Returns, despite the Elevator theme being completely absent from Metroid II: Return of Samus.

In Metroid Prime Hunters, a remix plays after defeating a boss. It sounds similar to the second Echoes remix, albeit with lower-fidelity instruments and compressed audio. It can be heard here:

Trivia

 * The melody is notably similar to the Westminister Quarters, the chimes commonly associated with clocks such as Big Ben.
 * Despite being heard in so many games in the franchise, the Elevator theme has never been included as a solo track in a soundtrack album or in a Soundtrack Gallery, and therefore has never been given an official title outside of internal filenames.