Surface (theme)

Surface 1 is a theme from Metroid II: Return of Samus that was remixed in Metroid: Samus Returns. It was originally composed by Ryoji Yoshitomi and later remixed by Daisuke Matsuoka.

Description
In Return of Samus, Surface 1 plays throughout Phase 1 and in most tunnels that are either currently or formerly flooded with purple liquid. As such, it is one of the most ubiquitous musical themes in the game, playing in every area except Phase 6 and Phase 9. While the rest of the game's soundtrack consists of dissonant, minimalist, or tense themes, Surface 1 stands out for being one of the only upbeat and adventurous songs with a clear and distinct melody. It can be heard here:

Samus Returns features three remixes of the original theme. The first is a slow, quiet, atmospheric version, with the melody played with high bells accompanied by low ambience. When Samus Aran first arrives on SR388, this theme plays throughout the Surface. Gradually, it is replaced with other themes, with the second remix of Surface 1 taking over the southeast tunnels after the Scan Pulse is acquired, and Surface 2 taking over the planet surface after the baby hatches. However, even in the endgame, this first remix can still be heard in the northeast tunnels. It can be heard here:

As previously mentioned, a second remix (the one specifically titled Surface 1 by the Sound Test) plays once the Scan Pulse Aeion Ability Artifact has been collected. This one opens with deep choirs, similar to those heard in Chozo temples in Metroid Prime and Metroid: Zero Mission. Like the original theme, the melody here is exciting and energetic, performed by electronic synths. It can be heard here:

The third remix is briefly heard during the Staff Credits music, sounding bright and triumphant. This version of the melody is also played in a round. It can be heard here:

Trivia

 * The Great Temple theme from Metroid Prime 2: Echoes has a very similar melody to Surface 1, although it is not known if this was a deliberate reference.