This is a sub-page of Kirby's Return to Dream Land.
Usually, games in the Kirby series do not contain much unused music. It seems this game was the sole exception, as it's a treasure trove of many tracks that are even leftovers from previous cancelled projects in the series. All music is contained in DATA\files\snd\iuk_sound\stream.
Sub-Pages#
Cut Music#
Songs meant for Kirby's Return to Dream Land that didn't make the cut.
IUK_LP_DEDEDE3.brstm#
A track pulled from the Japanese Super Famicom version of Kirby's Star Stacker. It was most likely candidate theme to play in the first phase for Robo Dedede battle in Scope Shot, which in the final game is King Dedede's theme from Kirby Super Star, internally named in the game's files as dededesdx. This is evidenced by dededesdx being named BGM_LP_DEDEDE3 in the game's .brsar sound archive.
SuperCcopy_Break.brstm#
A very ominous, foreboding fanfare. The filename indicates it may have been a candidate track set to be played when entering a dimensional rift, a role filled in the final game by the track "Interdimensional Fanfare" (SuperCcopy_Break5.brstm). It's much louder and has a far more foreboding composition than the theme used in-game... almost too dark for merely entering a dimensional rift, which may've been why it was scrapped.
SuperCcopy_Break3.brstm#
Another fanfare that was set to be played when entering a dimensional rift, being much more triumphant and cheerful than the last one. The composition of this track is much more similar to the final track, but it's still very different in comparison.
Intro-Less Challenge Stages Themes#
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Unused "Time for a Challenge!" ( |
Unused "Rush to the Goal!" ( |
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Both of the Challenge Stage themes, "(Time for a Challenge! / IUK_LP_ROCK1)" and "(Rush to the Goal! / IUK_LP_ROCK1isogi1)" have unused variations that don't have intros. Said unused variations have "noi1" at the end of their filenames. Curiously, the mixing the tracks seems to be different compared to the versions use in-game.
M1_Danmatu01.brstm#
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Unused ( |
Used ("False Finale") |
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A candidate for the track "False Finale", consisting of Traitor Magolor's cries of pain when defeated. The final track seems to be based on this version, but shaves of half a second fromm the intro, and gives the track some improved reverb and mixing. The final track's filename is M1Dm1_32k.brstm
M2_Danmatu01.brstm#
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Unused ( |
Used ("Diadem, Destruction, Deliverance") |
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A candidate for the track "Diadem, Destruction, Deliverance", consisting of Magolor's last boss form crying in pain when defeated. Completely different screams and arrangement of sound effects, sounding a bit more gruesome and harsh. The final track's filename is M2Dm1_32k.brstm
gunshooting01.brstm#
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Unused ( |
Used ("Challenging the True Arena") |
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An unused, longer version of "Challenging the True Arena". It has an extra section of instrumental near the loop point with an added piano coming from Synthogy's Ivory plugin, making the theme sound frantic. The final track's filename is simply LOBY.brstm
Early Takes#
There are many tracks specific to this game that have earlier versions of them inside the stream folder. All of these tracks were composed and arranged by Hirokazu Ando. The differences between these tracks are often minuscule, but some of them have notable differences. It seems there were many struggles to get the soundtrack sounding just right. The order of appearance of the tracks below is taken from the game's Sound Test.
Unused |
Used |
Notes |
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"Magolor, the Far-Flung Traveler" |
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Earlier take on the track that plays in the main menu and inside the Lor. Only features different mixing and reverb. Going by the filename, it seems Hirokazu Ando had to go through 5 previous versions before landing on the 6th one. |
"Bring On the Super Ability" |
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Earlier take on the track that plays when getting a Super Ability. Only features different mixing, such as a louder glockenspiel at 30 seconds. The final stream's loop point is adjusted to be longer by a second. |
"Lor Restored!" |
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Earlier take on the track that plays after collecting Part Spheres and returning them to the Lor. Only features different mixing, having a louder intro. The finalized track has a more quiet and normalized intro. |
"Notification Fanfare" |
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Earlier take on the track that plays when getting miscellaneous notifications. Only features different mixing, being somewhat louder than the final version. The final stream is shorter by half a second. Going by the filename, it seems Ando had to do at least 16 whole takes prior to landing on the finalized version. |
"The Lor Starcutter Reborn" |
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Earlier take on the track that plays when in the "The Lor Starcutter Reborn" cutscene. Only features different mixing, with the first half of the song being somewhat louder than the final version. |
"Halcandra: A New Enemy" |
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Earlier takes on the track that plays when in the "Halcandra: A New Enemy" cutscene. The two earlier versions somewhat resemble each other, as their mixing differs from the final version in similar ways. The final track has a louder intro, and is also longer by a second. Going by the filenames, it seems Ando had to go through 6 previous attempts before landing on the final one. |
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"Ultra-Super Boss Battle" |
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Earliest take on the track that plays when getting a Super Ability in stage 6 of Nutty Noon and stage 3 of Dangerous Dinner. Incredibly different to the finalized version and even future unused takes. This arrangement is missing many instruments the finalized version uses, all from the Vienna Symphonic Library's Vienna Special Edition Extended pack. The lead organ is also instead an electric guitar. The final track does use the "Drive LP" electric guitar sample from IK Multimedia's SampleTank 2.5 XL in its second loop. However, said second loop is completely missing in this version, making it much shorter. It plays in a B minor scale at a prestissimo tempo of 203 BPM. |
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Earlier, 2nd take on the track that plays when getting a Super Ability in stage 6 of Nutty Noon and stage 3 of Dangerous Dinner. Compared to the previous take, it resembles the final track much more, as it now plays in E minor and also has a presto tempo of 190 BPM. However, the lead organ is still nowhere to be found, with the electric guitar from the previous version still being present. It also still lacks the second loop. |
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Earlier, 6th take on the track that plays when getting a Super Ability in stage 6 of Nutty Noon and stage 3 of Dangerous Dinner. Nearly identical to the 2nd take, but the mixing is different. |
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"Let Me Explain Everything" |
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Theme that plays in the "Let Me Explain Everything" cutscene. Features different mixing, with the intro being quieter. The glockenspiel sample from Vienna Special Edition Extended at 0:27 in the final track is missing in the early version. The final stream is also shorter by a second. |
"Final Battle" |
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Theme that plays in the "Final Battle" cutscene. Features different mixing, with the intro being louder, as well as a tempo of 184 BPM. The final track has a faster tempo of 187 BPM. |
"VS Waddle Tank" |
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Theme that plays when fighting the Waddle Tank in Scope Shot. Only features different mixing and reverb. The final stream's loop is adjusted to be longer by a second. |
"VS Mecha Kawasaki" |
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Theme that plays when fighting Mecha Kawasaki in Scope Shot. Only features different mixing and reverb. |
"C-R-O-W-N-E-D" |
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Theme that plays when fighting the final boss' last form. Features pretty different mixing, most notably in the intro to the track, as the tremolo effect on the strings is considerably different and less pronounced. Additionally, the metallic percussion in the background has less impactful reverb. The final stream's loop point is also adjusted to be longer by 6 seconds. The early version, humorously misspelled as "LassBoss", is timestamped with the date of April 19th, presumably of 2011, while the final track was apparently finalized 2 days later, April 21st, 2011. |
"Each to His Own World" |
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Theme that plays in the "Each to His Own World" cutscene. Features different mixing, with the intro having louder synths when weighed against the percussion and having a less refined synth choir beginning. The final stream is also shorter by less than half a second. |
"Return to Dream Land" |
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And, finally, we Return to Dream Land. These are earlier takes on the track that plays when in the staff credits. They only feature differences in mixing, and it seems every iteration was progressively more quiet. They also feature timestamps. The earliest rendition available is timestamped with June 14th, presumably of 2011. The following take was done in June 16th, 2011. The final version was done by June 22nd, 2011. |
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"Final Battle EX" |
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Theme that plays in the "Final Battle EX" cutscene. Similar to its sister track, it features different mixing, with the intro being louder. |
"Kirby Master!" |
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Theme that plays in the "Kirby Master!" cutscene. Features different mixing, and the applause at the end ends quicker than in the final track, leaving only a roaring crowd instead of fading alongside the crowd. |
Kirby for Nintendo GameCube Leftovers#
Tracks from the cancelled Kirby project for GameCube that were considered to be put in the game, but scrapped.
fanfare_GCK#
An unused fanfare with a noticeable Super Smash Bros. Melee and Kirby Air Ride feel to it, officially confirmed to be composed by Hirokazu Ando. The track doesn't make use of the Vienna Symphonic Library samples that Ando has used since Kirby's Return to Dream Land. Coupled with the mention of "GCK" in its filename, it seems this track was originally from the Kirby for Nintendo GameCube project. Unfortunately, it was ultimately decided to leave it unused. However, it would be rearranged in Return to Dream Land by Jun Ishikawa as the track "You Got a Part Sphere!".
Notably, the fanfare would later be appear in all of the 3DS Kirby games, as well as in Kirby Star Allies and Super Kirby Clash. It is officially titled "Kirby Perfection!" in Nintendo's "Nintendo Music" app.
KbyW Leftovers#
Return to Dream Land 's stream folder contains tracks all identified by the codename "KbyW". Since "KbyW" is not a codename for this game (instead going by "IUK" internally), it seems that they all come from the the last worked-on project from "The Tree Lost Kirby Games", originally projected for release on the Wii. They were all composed by Jun Ishikawa.
KbyW_HEITI1#
An extremely upbeat unused song with similarities to "Prism Plains" from Kirby Squeak Squad and "Perfect Sledding Weather" from this game. It also quotes "Beyond the Hill" and "Green Greens". "Heiti" is another spelling of 平地 heichi, meaning "plains" or "flatlands", suggesting this was originally a theme for a plains-related area. Although the composer of the theme is officially unknown, the filename and instrumentation suggests it was by Jun Ishikawa. Strangely, this theme is also present in the game's .brsar sound archive as BGM_LP_HEITI1.
Early Takes#
Several songs used in-game have earlier takes on their compositions that seem to use samples lifted almost entirely from the SNES, Nintendo 64, and GBA era of Kirby. It seems that these tracks were the ones that were originally going to appear in "KbyW", before being updated in Return to Dream Land to use other sample libraries and VST plugins to make the game be slightly more sonically consistent. The order of appearance of the tracks below is taken from the game's Sound Test.
Unused |
Used |
Notes |
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"VS Sphere Doomer" |
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Earlier take on the track that plays when fighting a Sphere Doomer. The intro of the track lacks some cymbal crashes, and the instrument at 0:15 uses the "Soft Trumpet" sample from Roland's U-220 sound module, known for its usage in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land. The filename indicates that this track would've been used as an alternate theme for Mid-Bosses. |
"Beyond the Hill" |
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Earlier take on the track that plays in stage 4 of Cookie Country. It opts to include many patches used in Nightmare in Dream Land from Roland's SOUND Canvas SC-8850 sound module and other similar products. The final track instead uses samples from the HALionOne and HALion Symphonic Orchestra plugins. Most notably, the lead trumpet instrument throughout the track uses the "Soft Trumpet" sample from Roland's U-220 sound module. The rising notes at 0:28 were 3 consecutive eights, while the final iteration makes them into a tuplet, more specifically, a triplet. It also features different reverb. The filename indicates it was set to be used as the theme for a stage taking place in a canyon. |
"Raisin Ruins" |
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Earlier take on the track for Rasin Ruin's level map. It opts to include many patches used in Nightmare in Dream Land from Roland's SOUND Canvas SC-8850 sound module and other similar products instead of samples from the HALionOne and HALion Symphonic Orchestra plugins. Most notably, the banjo that plays throughout the whole song is completely different and of higher quality, giving the track a different, more consistent sound when put alongside the rest of the soundtrack. The filename is a little unclear, but the presence of "FISH" could indicate this track was meant to be used in an area adjacent to water. |
"Exotic Pyramid" |
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Earlier take on the track that first plays in stage 2 of Raisin Ruins. Features different reverb and slightly different mixing. Seems like there wasn't much of a need to update this track. |
"Vestiges of the Ancients" |
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Earlier take on the track that first plays in stage 1 of Raisin Ruins. Its reverb is not as pronounced as in the final track, and is overall very different with its sample selection, hosting different percussion and many patches used in Nightmare in Dream Land from Roland's SOUND Canvas SC-8850 sound module and other similar products. The final track replaces them with samples from various Steinberg products, such as HALionOne and Groove Agent ONE. The track's filename indicates that it was set to be used in a mine area. |
"Onion Ocean" |
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Earlier take on the track for Onion Ocean's level map. Its reverb is different, and is overall very different with its sample selection, hosting different percussion and many patches used in Nightmare in Dream Land from Roland's SOUND Canvas SC-8850 sound module and other similar products. The Soft Trumpet sample from Nightmare in Dream Land is once again a notable patch that got replaced, and the Noise Band sample from Steinberg & mda's JX16 synth backing the Syn.Vox sample at 0:40 was also substituted with a flute. |
"Summer Sands and Cool Waves" |
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Earlier take on the track that plays in stage 2 of Onion Ocean. The earlier track is significantly different with its sample selection, most notably on most of the lead instruments and the percussion, opting to include many patches used in Nightmare in Dream Land from Roland's SOUND Canvas SC-8850 sound module and other similar products. This gives it a very particular "GBA" feel, more pronounced than in other tracks. The final track instead uses samples from the HALionOne and HALion Symphonic Orchestra plugins, as well as updated percussion, which gives it a calmer feel. It also features less reverb, as well as a slower tempo, going from 151 BPM to 152 BPM. "MIZU" refers to " |
"Water Sliders" |
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Earlier take on the track that first plays in stage 3 of Onion Ocean. The earlier track is significantly different with its sample selection, most notably in the wind instruments and the bending synths, including usage of Kirby Super Star 's trumpet waveform from KORG's X3 synthethizer. The final track instead uses samples from the HALionOne and HALion Symphonic Orchestra plugins. The reverb is also different between the two. The filename indicates this was set to be used in a cave area. |
"A Stroll on the Ocean Floor" |
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Earlier take on the track that first plays in stage 4 of Onion Ocean. Not only does it use more samples from Roland's SOUND Canvas SC-8850 used since Nightmare in Dream Land, it also has various instruments missing from its composition, such as toms and jingle bells, most noticeable near the beginning sections of the song. The reverb is also more pronounced in the final version of the track. The filename suggests this was set to be used in a rainy stage. |
"Snowball Scuffle" |
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Earlier take on the track that plays in stage 1 of White Wafers. It opts to include many patches used in previous Kirby games from Roland's SOUND Canvas SC-8850 sound module and other similar products instead of samples from the HALionOne and HALion Symphonic Orchestra plugins. Even the samples from previous games that are still present in the final versions seem to have been adjusted a little, as the Fanta Bell sample from Roland's JD-990 synth that was first used in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards sounds different between both versions. Additionally, the guitar section before the loop point is composed a little different, and the percussion is also using a distinct selection of patches. The final version's reverb is also improved, and it received a tempo change, going from 148 BPM to 145 BPM. |
"Tumbling Ice" |
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Earlier take on the track that plays in stage 2 of White Wafers. It opts to include many patches from diverse Roland products that debuted in previous Kirby games, while the final version replaces some of them wth Steinberg's HALionOne and IK Multimedia's SampleTank 2.5 XL. The reverb was also adjusted, and the mixing was updated. "HEN" possibly refers to " |
"Perfect Sledding Weather" |
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Earlier take on the track that plays in stage 4 of White Wafers. The earlier track is significantly different with its sample selection, opting to include many patches used in Nightmare in Dream Land from Roland's SOUND Canvas SC-8850 sound module and other similar products. The final track overhauls the sample selection greatly, using HALionOne and HALion Symphonic Orchestra plugins, giving it a less plunky sound and a more "orchestral" quality to it, blending much better with the overall sound of the game. The filename indicates this track was set to be used in an area with cacti, most likely a desert. The vibe of the song also fits thematically. |
"Freezing Temple" |
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Earlier take on the track that plays in stage 4 and 5 of White Wafers. The earlier track appears to use the trumpet sample from KORG's X3 synthethizer that was first used in Kirby Super Star. The final track has different mixing and reverb. Other than that, both versions are very similar. What "TOUT" could mean is unclear, but it may stem from " |
"Nutty Noon" |
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Earlier take on the track for Nutty Noon's level map. Its reverb was significantly updated in the transition for Return to Dream Land, and the guitar that precedes the Syn.Vox section at 0:42 is completely missing, giving it less impact. After the Syn.Vox section ends, the percussion seems to be less full, while the used version has a richer selection of congas. Many mixing adjustments were also made to the track. Overall, the finalized version sounds more ethereal even with little changes. |
"How Many Did We Hit?" |
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Earlier take on the track that plays on the results for Ninja Dojo, as well as the tutorial section for the Challenges. The earlier track's reverb isn't as rich as the final version's, and the lead staccato brass instrument was updated to be of a newer sound source that has a more colorful timbre. |
"Time for a Challenge!" |
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Earlier take on the track that plays in Challenge Stages. It opts to include many patches used in previous Kirby games from Roland's SOUND Canvas SC-8850 sound module and other similar products instead of samples from the HALionOne and HALion Symphonic Orchestra plugins, as well as KORG's X3 synth trumpet sample that first showed up in Kirby Super Star. The final selection of samples combined with a big adjustment to the reverb makes the track sound much more polished. Like, seriously much better... Anyway, the filename suggests that this track was set to play in a "rocky" area. |
"Techno Factory" |
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Earlier take on the track that plays in stage 2 of Egg Engines. It opts to include many patches used in previous Kirby games from Roland's SOUND Canvas SC-8850 sound module and other similar products instead of samples from the HALionOne and HALion Symphonic Orchestra plugins. Not only that, but it's also missing many instruments througout the song. Coupled with the dry reverb mixing, this version of the track sounds a little more choppy, which is not necessarily bad, as it fits the context in which it plays very well. |
"Rush on the Railway Coaster" |
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Earlier take on the track that plays in stage 4 of Egg Engines. It opts to include many patches used in previous Kirby games from Roland's SOUND Canvas SC-8850 sound module and other similar products instead of samples from the HALionOne and HALion Symphonic Orchestra plugins. The most notable change is in the tambourine, as it was replaced in the finalized version with a version that sounds richer in quality. The synth that plays at 0:43 also seems to be improved. The reverb, of course, is different, though not by much. |
"The Long-Desired Land" |
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Earlier take on the track that plays outside the Lor Starcutter in Halcandra. The main difference is in the brass, as it uses the Soft Trumpet sample from Roland's U-220 sound module, known for its usage in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land. Other than that, the track stayed mostly the same. The filename indicates this was used as a theme that was supposed to play in a room before a boss, as "BOSSMAE" comes from "ボス |
"Another Dimension" |
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Earlier take on the track that plays in the areas inside interdimensional rifts. The track underwent a great update. Instead of using patches used in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land and Kirby: Squeak Squad from Roland's SOUND Canvas SC-8850 sound module and other similar products, the final track uses more refined instruments from Steinberg plugins, like HALion One, using a piccolo and a banjo that give the track a more cohesive sound. In addition, the reverb is more pronounced in the updated version and underwent a dramatic tempo change, going from an allegro tempo of 158 BPM to a vivace tempo of 165 BPM. |
"Kirby Dance (Long) - After Boss" |
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Earlier take on the track that plays after defeating a boss. It's missing a synth that harmonizes the track in the second half of the song. The reverb and the mixing is also different. |
Other Tracks#
Tracks with unclear origins that are left in the files.
st_castle2#
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Unused ( |
Used ("Sky Tower") |
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An unused version of "Sky Tower". The used version was originally composed for Kirby for Nintendo GameCube according to sound composer Hirokazu Ando, stating it was composed around the same time as "Road to Victory", which shows up in the E3 trailer of the game. The unused iteraion is named st_castle2.brstm internally, while the final version is named just st_castle.brstm. This suggests that the unused iteration came after this track. The instrumentation in this track uses many patches from Roland's SOUND Canvas SC-8850 sound module, with their waveforms lifted directly straight from older Kirby games, mostly from Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land. The composition style is also very reminiscent of Jun Ishikawa's work, so it's likely that this is a rearrangement done by him.
st_wado02#
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Used ("Crystal Dungeons") |
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An unused version of "Crystal Dungeons", whose original version was also composed for Kirby for Nintendo GameCube. It doesn't share a filename with the used version of Crystal Dungeons, being st_doukutu.brstm. Instead, it's called st_wado02.ogg internally, probably derived from "ワドルディ" (Wadoru Di), the Japanese name for Waddle Dee. A track with the filename of st_wado01 does not exist in Return to Dream Land. Like the track above, the instrumentation in this track uses many patches from Roland's SOUND Canvas SC-8850 sound module, with their waveforms lifted directly straight from older Kirby games, mostly from Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land. The composition style is also, once again, very reminiscent of Jun Ishikawa's work, so it's likely that this is another rearrangement done by him.