Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U

OST

Battlefield

One of the primary reincarnations of Smash for's "main theme", serving as the one of the main theme for both games as a whole. I personally consider this theme to be, without even a contest, the best Battlefield theme in the Super Smash Bros. series to date, and one of the best themes in gaming as a whole. It has a clear progression from its introduction to its ending, which feels like a self-reflective journey through the history of Super Smash Bros., 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 - you can focus on different instruments each time and discover something new 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 anticipation and wonder that was present while the game was still in prerelease.

This track leads with a bombastic crescendo, leading into the main theme. It vaguely feels heroic and cinematic... do I hear violin in there? 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. 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. 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. During the time of this phrase's repetition, it gradually bridges the main melody with the next section, which proves to catapult the song into a 180. 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, focussing primarily on the electric guitar that 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. It's not an abrupt break from elegance to seriousness -- as mentioned, even this section seems to relate to the other ones thematically. This is comprised of two sub-sections, with the first sub-section repeating a phrase once. After this, Battlefield sets up for its epic conclusion. The melody here overall holds tension for a long amount of time. 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.

With these three instances of every instrument directly working together in the same melody for the first time in the song, the section starting at 1:36 begins the culmination of all of the built-up energy the song has been holding back. The final climax of Battlefield This is definitely one of my favourite parts of the theme.

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.