Lower Brinstar

This article is written from the Real Life point of view

“	I'm always trying to include at least one musical piece from the previous title to satisfy old Metroid fans. It's like a present for them. For example, the music we used by following this theory is the jingle when Samus appears on the screen, and the music we prepared as the present for Metroid fans are the pieces for the lava caves in Metroid Prime and underwater music for Metroid Prime 2.	„
—Kenji Yamamoto

"Torvus Catacombs" redirects here. For the room in the Torvus Bog, see Catacombs. For other uses, see Brinstar Depths (Disambiguation).

Lower Brinstar is a theme originating from Super Metroid. It was composed by Kenji Yamamoto.

Description

In Super Metroid, Lower Brinstar plays in the lower right section of Brinstar, in the swampy area full of red soil. Therefore, it was originally titled Brinstar Red Soil Swampy Area (ブリンスタ 赤土湿地エリア) by Super Metroid: Sound in Action. It also plays in the middle tunnel of Crateria if Samus enters it from Brinstar and the lowest part of Maridia connecting it to Brinstar. This theme is dark and mysterious, with a pulsing drone, choir chants, and a somber melody performed by a flute and piano.

The Super Metroid version of this theme has been performed in orchestra thrice. In 1994, it was one of the themes arranged as part of a medley by the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. The medley arranges the songs to be quieter and darker than ingame; Lower Brinstar is particularly sombre. In 2012, it was arranged again by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Crouch End Festival Chorus as part of Super Metroid: A Symphonic Poem, a medley released on the compilation album The Greatest Video Game Music 2. The medley emphasizes a more lighthearted approach to most of the tracks, in contrast with their eerie portrayals in Super Metroid. Finally in 2013, the theme was arranged by the WDR Radio Orchestra as part of Into Red, Into Dark, which combines it with Crateria - The Space Pirates Appear for a more sinister interpretation of the theme.

In Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Lower Brinstar was remixed as Torvus Catacombs. This remix plays in the submerged subterranean chambers beneath the Torvus Temple of Torvus Bog. It is also featured in the Soundtrack Gallery of New Play Control! Metroid Prime 2: Dark Echoes and Metroid Prime Trilogy. This remix is slower and exchanges the original's earthy and organic instruments for a heavy emphasis on synths, giving it a cold and industrial feel. Notes from Torvus Catacombs are also integrated into Swamp Chika Dark, the dark and ambient theme of the corresponding location in Dark Torvus Bog.

Another arrangement is featured in the middle section of Area 5 in Metroid: Samus Returns. This remix is titled Lower Brinstar in Samus Archives Sound Selection, Area 5 in the Sound Test, and Brinstra (an apparent misspelling of Brinstar) in the internal files. This remix combines elements of Brinstar Red Soil Swampy Area and Torvus Catacombs, but overall has a more serene and beautiful tone, sounding less dark than Super Metroid and less cold than Echoes.

The theme from Super Metroid can be heard here: [1], the theme from Echoes here: [2], the theme from Dark Torvus here: [3], and the theme from Samus Returns here: [4]