Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U

OST

Battlefield

One of the primary reincarnations of Smash for's "main theme," Battlefield serves as a defining anthem for both games as a whole. I personally consider this theme to be not only the best Battlefield theme in the entire Super Smash Bros. series, but also one of the most impressive pieces in gaming as a whole. The track delivers a clear progression from its opening all the way to its conclusion, and it feels like a self-reflective journey through the history of the franchise, celebrating the series's legacy and evolution. Despite being an arranged, digitally-created track, I full-heartedly believe it rivals the production quality of fully orchestrated OSTs.

The interplay between the instruments is one of the most alluring aspects of this theme. You can pick out individual melodic phrases from the horns, drums, or especially the electric guitar, and they feel cohesive, even in isolation! When combined, these melodies not only harmonize but elevate one another, creating an experience that is only enhanced multiple listens over. This adds to the replay value of the track - each time you listen, you can focus on a different instrument set and discover new nuances in the composition, which ties into the overall thematic strengths of Smash for. Ten years later, and I still believe I haven't uncovered everything this track has to offer. The instruments in this track live in harmony, even if they aren't necessarily phonetically harmonic themselves.

This level of orchestral sophistication sets it apart from other tracks in the series, where the instruments often serve more as background elements made specifically to just "carry the song along", rather than equally integral parts of the song as a whole. I cannot stress this enough - this is why I still cannot get enough of this track even ten years after the game released. Just imagine my pure elation the very first time I came across this track - it's a high I genuinely will probably never be able to replicate for the rest of my life, especially when factoring in the impossibly high levels of anticipation for this game, capitalised by Nintendo via its prerelease trailers and fan coverage.

This track leads with a bombastic crescendo, leading into the main theme, establishing a sense of grandeur. The opening feels heroic and cinematic, with trumpets and horns (and perhaps maybe even violin?) driving the melody forward. It doesn't simply "begin" the song, but it is a statement that boldly clarifies and begets the triumphant nature of gaming's all-stars all participating in a real industry-defining showdown that has caught the attention of gaming enthusiasts around the world.

Oh, we're only seven seconds in.

From here, the primary section of Battlefield's (and Smash for itself) is backed by trumpets and horns, sprinkled with electric guitar, with a steady drum beat. It repeats a triumphant phrase once while modifying its ending to lead into the second section of the arrangement. It serves as a relatively steady warm-up for the rest of the track to rest on. It carries a simple and carefree undertone, easily reminiscent of Smash's earlier days on the Nintendo 64. This is probably my favourite part of the theme.

From here, the composition takes a slightly more airy tone, repeating a considerably longer musical phrase once over. While it is a distinct, bright melody, it is thematically similar to the previous one, doubling down on the athletic feel that was already established. It gradually bridges the main melody with the next section. It carries the narrative undertone of haphazard excitement. The melody plays out a bit safely and confined, continuing off of what worked in the previous section, which reminds me of Melee - the second game in the Smash lineage. This is probably my favourite part of the theme.

One minute and seven seconds in, you'll be whiplashed by the removal of all of the gracious and elegance you were taught to expect thus far. Things start to feel tense once the track transitions into a rock-heavy arrangement, dominated by electric guitar which took a backseat in the song thus far. Elements of drums and cymbals also carry this section. Despite how drastic this transition is, it's important to recall what I said about the impressive cohesion of musical phrases that are inherent to this track. The melodies remain connected, even as the tone shifts to one that's much more intense and aggressive. This is comprised of two sub-sections, with the first sub-section repeating a phrase once. The melody here overall holds tension for its entirety. The darker, tense arrangement here reminds me of Brawl, the third Smash game, incidentally known for its darker, more realistic story and artstyle. This is probably my favourite part of the theme, and definitely one of the most memorable.

At the 1:20 mark, the theme begins to resolve and set up for the final climax, building up on everything that the song has offered thus far. The horns here now have center stage alongside new bass guitar. The actual melody here returns to bright and energetic, and also enters a glimmer of anticipation as it nears the climax. This section seems to mirror Smash for Nintendo 3DS, whose early release held many people over until the larger and more celebrated game, Smash for Wii U, arrived months later.

From 1:36, the complete orchestration arrives at full force. The absolutely exhilarating culmination of instrumentation the song has been holding back arrives here, with both of the previously established members from rock and classical worlds uniting. Trumpets and horns lead with short, fast, and energetic lines, while the backing drums absolutely steal the show, delivering the militaristic response to the brass instruments. Of course, this is a musical equivalent to Smash for Wii U's launch - a highly anticipated game that has had millions watching reveal trailers for individual fighters and conferences from its lead developer. This part of the track demands to be taken seriously, as it reflects the grandeur of the game itself and positions Super Smash Bros. as an event akin to any major sporting event. It's important to me that works of art take themselves seriously - the track's arranger, Keiki Kobayashi, doesn't have to ask me twice.

The final climax of Battlefield is undoubtedly, by far, my favourite part of Battlefield! It expressively seems to carry the undertone that what Smash has built, over its years of bringing all of gaming's all-stars together, is here to stay.

I sincerely love this track.

This track has taught me the importance of recognising that every instrument in a song ideally has a clearly defined, cohesive purpose. In the direction of Battlefield for USM, I recommended to keep these points in mind.