A soundtrack trope. Basically, the application/adaptation of the musical form ThemeAndVariations to a work's soundtrack. That is, the work has a main theme, with much of the soundtrack consisting of different arrangements to fit the mood or situation. For example, instead of having bespoke songs for action set pieces or emotional moments, the composer may opt to switch out the instruments and/or play with the tempo, giving us the main theme but played with fast, bombastic electric guitar or slow, somber grand piano. Alternatively, this can manifest as "RecurringRiff, [[ExaggeratedTrope But More]]", where it is less an entire song as it is a specific musical snippet that appears all over the soundtrack.

This trope is a frequent occurrence in video games, as well as Western animated productions, thanks to the most popular and well-known composers during the early decades of both mediums (especially UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation) being heavily influenced by classical and jazz music.

See also VariableMix, where a video game automatically switches between different arrangements of a song depending on the current game state or a player's actions.

----
!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime]]
* ''Literature/{{Baccano}}'''s soundtrack has many pieces with the same melody as the main theme (note, not the same as the OP), but at different tempos and with different sets of instruments.
* ''Manga/ElfenLied'': Arrangements of "Lilium" (the opening credit theme) are used frequently as BackgroundMusic, covering scenes with wide arrays of emotions such as sadness, nostalgia, serenity, suspense, and murder.
* ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'':
** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00'': About half the tracks are remixes of one theme. Most of the other themes in the series get remixed a few times.
** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'', where the most prominent is Heero's battle theme [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-7O9KvZrzk "The Wings of a Boy Who Killed Adolesence,"]] but done subtly; sometimes the only tip-off is that riff of nine notes from the start.
* ''Anime/SSSSDynazenon'': barring the OP and ED, as well as anything originating from [[Anime/SSSSGridman the predecessor series]], all tracks are some variation of the tracks "All This Time" and "Dyna March."
* ''Anime/Stratos4'': A number of tracks, including one labeled "Mikaze's Theme" (for the lead main character), that all share a tune. At the last episode, this is revealed to be the tune of the second ending theme (which is used for the ends of whole seasons).
* The ''Anime/{{Voltron}}'' series used the theme motif (A C# D E) quite a bit in its soundtrack.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Asian Animation]]
* ''Animation/PleasantGoatAndBigBigWolf'': It's mostly obvious in the first season, where the theme music's melody is worked into a number of the recurring synth tunes within the show itself.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* ''Anime/FiveCentimetersPerSecond'': Most of the music in the film is an arranged version of either the piano theme from the trailer, or of "One More Time, One More Chance"
* ''WesternAnimation/CorpseBride'' uses parts of the melody introduced in the first 10 seconds of the movie for everything, especially the more sentimental moments.
* ''Anime/HowlsMovingCastle'' features perhaps three different themes, and the vast majority of the soundtrack is based on only one of them.
* The ''Franchise/HowToTrainYourDragon'' movies use several themes throughout their soundtracks, most commonly the one heard in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CJ96LGGP6w "Forbidden Friendship"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUWBm0Z-Xww "Test Drive"]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', the score is mostly comprised of various leitmotifs for different characters. Mei's theme in particular, first introduced in "Turning Red'' is used throughout along with the panda theme and Ming's theme.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Up}}'': The film's soundtrack is comprised of various leitmotifs for different characters. Ellie's theme in particular, first introduced in ''Married Life'', is used to indicate moods melancholic and adventurous, such as when Carl reminisces over Ellie or musters the willpower to go on a new adventure.
* ''Anime/VoicesOfADistantStar'': In the soundtrack notes, Tenmon remarks that he essentially created the soundtrack by writing a "Theme A" and "Theme B", and then made variations on those two themes to provide appropriate BackgroundMusic for every scene.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* The soundtrack of ''Film/TheLastAirbender'' film was mostly made of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2ADoCOQYfs variations of this theme.]]
* In ''Film/{{Titanic 1997}}'', most tracks that don't play during the iceberg collision or the sinking are mostly variations on either the "Southampton" Theme or the Love Theme.
* In the German adventure movie ''F. P. 1 antwortet nicht'' (1932), composer Allan Gray (born Josef Zmigrod) makes good use of the main theme. In the course of the film you get to hear it as the song "Flieger, grüß' mir die Sonne" (Aviator, greet the sun for me) sung by the hero (Hans Albers in German, Conrad Veidt in the simultaneously produced English version, ''Flying Platform 1 Does Not Answer'', and Creator/CharlesBoyer in the French), as a march, as a foxtrot, a waltz, and in various pieces of incidental music. The song became a hit again in the 1980s in a cover version by the band Extrabreit.
%%* The soundtrack to ''Film/PansLabyrinth.''
* ''Film/{{Inception}}'' has its score built around orchestral variations on Edith Piaf's "Non, je ne regrette rien".
* The recurring themes of ''Film/HoneyIShrunkTheKids'' are [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UajRxWjrPR8 "Strange Neighbors"]] and the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlGuSboxrCw main title,]] this last being a riff on Raymond Scott's "Powerhouse".
* ''Film/YouNeverDreamed'' bases its short score on [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-_iqhl_Za8 "The Last Poem".]]
* ''Film/TheFountain'''s score uses several variations of "Death is the Road to Awe."
* Music/PaulMcCartney's soundtrack to the 1966 film ''The Family Way'' largely consists of variations on the main theme. It is lovely, though, to the extent that [=McCartney=] had it played as he walked down the aisle (the second time).
* The scores of most ''Film/JamesBond'' films will be variations of the film's own theme song, the classic James Bond 007 theme, or a combination of the two. (The film themes themselves often feature motifs from the series theme as well.) They're generally subtle, until the time comes for a ThemeMusicPowerUp.
* The ''Film/GalaxyQuest'' soundtrack was largely based on the titular ShowWithinAShow's theme.
* Once ''Film/TheGiver'' starts playing the piano, that tune dominates the score.
* ''Film/{{Eragon}}'': Patrick Doyle's score hinges on one main theme. Any other melodies are really subtle and one-offs.
* ''Film/GleahanAndTheKnavesOfIndustry:'' Three main themes appear throughout the movie, and ''boy'' does Samuel T Weston milk them for all they're worth!
* ''Franchise/{{Saw}}'': Aside from every film after the first one featuring a remix of said film's "Hello Zepp" as a [[ClimacticMusic climactic]] {{Leitmotif}}, much of the soundtrack across installments (especially in tense scenes) involves the constant recycling of compositions and specific sounds to create new music.
* ''Film/OurManFlint'' makes excellent reuse of Jerry Goldsmith's theme in modes from Samba to Go-Go, and everything in between.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' revival, every modern incarnation of the Doctor (from Nine to Thirteen) is granted their own theme, along with their companions, and many of the recurring villains. During the Eleventh Doctor's era, this approach to the series' soundtrack was taken one step further. From Series 5 to Series 7, every single episode contained some sort of variation of the Eleventh Doctor's primary theme, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V0O0QQV9Ac I Am The Doctor]]", or his secondary theme, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wvo-bYuruM The Mad Man With A Box]]", that was tweaked a bit and remixed to fit the tone and setting of the episode (from the dusty plains of the [[TheWildWest Old West]] to the high seas in the [[WoodenShipsAndIronMen Age of Sail]]).
* ''Series/GoodEats'' does this about three times or more per episode with the theme song.
* The theme song to ''Series/JeevesAndWooster'' is jazzy and upbeat. The episodes manage to make the tune span everything from sentimental to sad to sinister.
* ''Series/GreatBritishMenu''. All the music is based on the main theme, but there are something like 300 versions.
* The incidental music in Series 1 of ''Series/OneFootInTheGrave'' is all based on the theme tune; it comes across as EarlyInstallmentWeirdness when compared to the more diverse and inventive scores used later.
* Most of ''Series/{{Shoestring}}'''s BackgroundMusic consists of either variations on the theme tune or stock BackgroundMusic that can be heard in other shows.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theatre]]
* ''Theatre/IdentityV'' (from the same producer as Tsukista) does this not only with the theme songs from each episode, but also with some of the music from the game that is the source material. The actually happy ending of episode 1 even ends with a positive key shift of the game's ''Dies Irae''-based theme.
* ''Theatre/{{Tsukiuta}}'' plays tend to have a slow piano version of the episode's theme song at emotional moments, in addition to other uses of the same melody throughout the play. The eighth play, ''Theatre/TsukinoEmpire'' has many examples.
* ''Theatre/{{Wicked}}'' does this with the chord progression and parts of the melody of "No One Mourns the Wicked", particularly the Overture. This theme is actually based on a piece from the {{rock opera}} ''The Survival of St. Joan'', in which Stephen Schwartz was musical director.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* The ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series loves to use this:
** Many of the tracks in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' have some element of "Main Theme of Final Fantasy IV", from the melancholy "Theme of Sorrow" to "The Final Battle". Also applies to the final boss theme of ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIVTheAfterYears The After Years]]''.
** Many pieces of music in the ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' soundtrack are primarily based around two recurring themes: "Liberi Fatali" to represent witches and "Eyes on Me" to represent love. Any piece that involves either topic will reference parts from the original song.
** A lot of the ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' soundtrack consists of reprises to "Suteki Da Ne". There are also multiple reprises of "To Zanarkand" and "Seymour's Theme".
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' is supposed to have one particular piece that recurs in almost every track in the game.
** Half of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'''s soundtrack is based off of one song, "The Promise."
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2'' follows its predecessor with many of its tracks based on "Wishes", the main theme of this game. Multiple reprises of "Paradox", the themes of Noel, Caius and Yeul and even "Blinded By Light" from the first game are prevalent too.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyType0'' has no less than 15 tracks on its 54-track soundtrack with the same trumpet and OminousLatinChanting combo tune.
* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'' also does this somewhat with Zelda's theme, including the opening and ending themes.
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' has a recurring progression in the title theme, Saria's Song, Zora's Domain, and others.
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' uses the {{Leitmotif}} of the eponymous mask as a basis for the music of Southern Swamp, Snowhead, Great Bay and Ikana Canyon (to symbolize that those areas are cursed by the evil influence of the mask).
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' does this with its main overworld theme, and to some extent its dungeon themes.
** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'', the themes heard in the four mainlands (Skyloft, Faron Woods, Eldin Volcano, Lanayru Desert) are remixed into slower, lower-pitch versions in the Silent Realm trials.
** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds'', the stage themes of the Lorule dungeons are all arrangements of the same motif, even the Desert Palace, which is in Hyrule and had a counterpart in ''A Link to the Past''.
* The ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' series and its spinoffs tend to like this a lot. Most main themes are typically the ground theme, which gets and an 'athletic' remix, but some games take it even further:
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'' was the first in the series to do it; every level theme is a variation on the same tune. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBp-hKT3l6w Ground,]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M_oIQn1uv0&feature=related Water,]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1-91wzpXo4&feature=related Dungeon,]] etc.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand2SixGoldenCoins'' has the main theme in some form in almost the entire soundtrack.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'' has the iconic main theme that's first heard in Bob-omb Battlefield. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBEUgYxgnoA Said theme,]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI8jT7LmoNA&feature=related Snow Mountain,]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-otEdq-Ozo&feature=related Slider,]] and to a lesser extent the HubLevel (Peach's Castle); its motifs are also used in the level complete, game over, and intro sequence tunes.
** In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'', Delfino Plaza's BGM is rearranged for the first three levels.
** In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'', the music for the levels Wild Glide Galaxy, Freezy Flake Galaxy, Starshine Beach Galaxy, Space Storm Galaxy and Slipsand Galaxy are all remixes of the music for the "Sky Station Galaxy" level, as with the game's title and ending themes and the bonus rooms. The theme was originally first heard in the latter half of Gusty Galaxy's music in the original ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy''.
** In ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii'', every track (besides the final levels) that isn't a [[MusicalNod reference to an older Mario tune]] is a rearrangement of the regular Ground theme. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0eD2ioPOqo Ground,]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO5F6Ms3AF0 Athletic]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrDRwNHsAVo Final Boss.]]
** In ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosU'', the entire Ground theme music set is remixes of the basic map theme. For example, compare [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaQutF1SB_4 Acorn Plains,]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjXTAqVI9Ws Frosted Glacier]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi_iY-iNQ6Q Rock Candy Mines,]] all of which are the same theme with a grass, ice or mountain/western remix. Same with the level music, see [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15XTBFolbNo the Athletic Theme]] and the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgJFjGLVlrw ice theme.]]
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker'' and ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker2'': For each level type, remixes of the main level theme play during the level editing process. And the new ''Super Mario World'' songs use the same recurring melody as all of the original game's level themes.
** ''VideoGame/MarioKart7'': All three nitro battle courses share the same tune but each one uses different instrumentation.
** ''VideoGame/MarioPartySuperstars'': Each board features three versions of its associated music: A modern remix that plays as the default, the original version which can later be switched to after the board is played once and its music is purchased in Toad's shop, and a special version with a more dramatic pitch and style that plays [[SongsInTheKeyOfPanic when only five turns remain]].
** ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion'': Though there aren't many distinct music tracks in the game, many of them are variations on the standard mansion theme. Compare [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLTNFo6Ib2A E. Gadd's Lab]] to the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7cSdL5E2ao standard mansion theme.]]
** In ''VideoGame/LuigisMansionDarkMoon'', the music that plays in each mansion is a variation of the same melody, arranged and orchestrated differently. Here's a few examples:
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW073cZERYI Glooomy Manor]] has a bass clarinet melody accompanied by piano and plucked strings.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrPv3QIk3w0 Haunted Towers]] has a pan flute melody accompanied by low strings, marimba, and a tribal drumbeat to create a more adventurous atmosphere.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_odtsLngYHg Old Clockworks]] has a harpsichord melody and pipe organ harmony to create a more classical and refined atmosphere. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZywFZarLh1M Clockwork Ruins,]] on the other hand, is an Egyptian style remix, fitting for the environment.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCO8nTXQB10 Secret Mine]] has the melody played on bells and a quiet electric bass harmony to create a mysterious atmosphere.
*** Numerous Ghost Themes, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q65SQ7Rt2gw these]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9wi-kKZfS0 two]] for example, are dark and suspenseful takes on the main melody.
** ''VideoGame/YoshisStory'' also has its main theme in many of its tracks. As does ''VideoGame/YoshisIsland DS''.
** ''VideoGame/YoshisNewIsland'' uses a single theme for *every* level outside of fortresses and castles. Those levels, along with bosses and other odds and ends, share a few other themes among themselves.
** The ''VideoGame/WarioLand'' games also do this, but to a lesser extent than ''[=SML2=]''. ''VideoGame/WarioLandSuperMarioLand3'' and ''VideoGame/WarioLandII'' both use variations of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylc8A3JYMic the theme]] first heard in the first level of the first game, while ''VideoGame/WarioLand3'' has many variations of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJzbFrym7ak "Out of the Woods."]]
* In ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'', much of the music is based on the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPZvZohReAg Pigmask Army's theme,]] being heard more and more often as Porky's influence spreads. Several other variations of other tracks can be heard throughout the game, too, even if the events in which they play have no relation to one another, such as the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJUy-j7M_6U hot spring theme]] being a slower version of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDX99s8wLA the track that plays when Wess dances to open the door in Osohe Castle,]] or how [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1Bw4G8b4jU the theme of the Tazmily hotel]] (post-TimeSkip) is rearranged for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWVfwYdKGoE the cinema in New Pork City.]]
* ''VideoGame/PunchOut Wii'' takes the ''Punch Out!!'' theme and culturally rearranges it for every boxer in Exhibition mode.
* Most of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'''s soundtrack consists of rearrangements of the same theme, first heard at around 1:18 in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLIZd7NpTbo opening theme,]] then heard in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLIZd7NpTbo "Prelude,"]] parts of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLIZd7NpTbo "Destiny,"]] as a DarkReprise in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2sT4ys8oWQ "Dry your tears, love. This is not goodbye"]] and as SadBattleMusic in [[https://youtu.be/iWO4ff1HXYY "Don't speak her name!"]] It's even a RecurringRiff in most of the boss themes.
* ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'':
** One of the most prominent examples is ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'', where the AnimeThemeSong Karma is also used for at least three in-game themes.
** ''VideoGame/TalesOfLegendia'' in particular used many motifs in its dungeon and town music, most of which are reprised for the final boss theme.
* ''VideoGame/TowerOfHeaven'' follows this trope to a T.
* The music in ''VideoGame/UltimaUnderworld II'' was a set of variations on a four-bar Phrygian progression theme.
* Much of the music in ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigations'' features Miles Edgeworth's theme, ''The Great Revival''.
* In ''VideoGame/TheSeventhGuest'', most of the music pieces, including the characters' {{leitmotif}}s, are variations of "The Game".
* Most of the music in ''VideoGame/{{Ikaruga}}'' is based on "Ideal", the first chapter's theme. Pretty much the only music that doesn't use this theme is "Faith"(Chapter 3).
%%* ''VideoGame/YsIVTheDawnOfYs'' and ''VideoGame/YsIVMaskOfTheSun''. This theme was also remixed a few times in ''VideoGame/YsVITheArkOfNapishtim''.
* Some of the ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'' games have this, eg ''5'', ''8'', and ''9''. ''Mega Man 10'' does it with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuj_I6MnVwY Silent Rain]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9Qf3mhLiZg Abandoned Memory.]]
* Most of ''VideoGame/TwistedMetal'''s songs use variations of "Asphalt Assault"'s guitar riff. The {{title theme tune}}, oddly, does not.
%%* ''VideoGame/TimeCrisis''.
* The ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' series:
** ''VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved'': The classic series theme, Enough Dead Heroes, Shadows, etc.
** ''VideoGame/Halo2'': The Last Spartan, the Arbiter's Theme, High Charity, and the Delta Halo theme.
** ''VideoGame/Halo3'': Finish The Fight, Farthest Outpost, and numerous motifs from the previous games.
** ''VideoGame/HaloReach'': Lone Wolf, Remember Reach, Ghosts and Glass, etc.
* ''Film/JamesBond'' games:
** The entire soundtrack of ''VideoGame/GoldenEye1997'' is, fittingly, variations on the ''James Bond'' theme song.
** The game of ''Videogame/TheWorldIsNotEnough'' does not have the classic Bond theme, but it does use variations of the eponymous theme from the film.
%%* ''VideoGame/PerfectDark'' and ''Perfect Dark Zero'' also do this to some degree.
* Many of the tunes in ''VideoGame/SyphonFilter: The Omega Strain'', such as Logan's Theme, Carthage Mall (Action), St Cetteo Square, Belaya Vezha (Action), Taherir Palace, etc. are variations of the main title theme. The [=PS1=] installments also have their own recurring themes.
* In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUnAU-Wc09E William Birkin/G's theme]] appears throughout the soundtrack, including the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGN2tEeye08&feature=related Street]], Courtyard, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa2aABRRmfs&feature=BF&list=PLAFCC2B8788DA6125&index=8 Front Hall]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSWd-uxQ9X0&feature=related Marshalling Yard]], and Extreme Battle themes.
* Nemesis's theme in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Nemesis''. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TddpWDSK1g "Feel The Tense"]] when he's nearby but offscreen, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6cLuqZTbfI&feature=related "Nemesis Theme"]] when you fight his first form, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBJQo-xSRxQ&feature=related "Unstoppable Nemesis"]] during the battle where he infects you with TheVirus, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09hQUVgdLsQ&feature=related "Nemesis Again"]] for his [[OneWingedAngel second mutation]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw7Wy6HAdIM&feature=related "Nemesis Doesn't Give Up"]] when you fight him in the Treatment Room, and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEi88VTq_Vg&feature=related "Nemesis's Final Metamorphosis"]] for the FinalBoss battle.
* Many of the ''Franchise/TombRaider'' games do this, e.g. the original trilogy uses many variations of the title theme ([[BootstrappedLeitmotif generally considered Lara's theme]]). The third game makes frequent use of the "Meteor Impact" motif from its intro cutscene.
* Most of the ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonor'' games. The first few games mainly use variations of the title themes, the player characters' themes (e.g. Patterson's themes in the first game and ''Frontline), and the recurring Nazi theme, along with motifs such as "Locating Enemy Positions", "The U-Boat", "Panzer Attack", "Border Town", "Clipping Their Wings", "Sturmgeist", etc.
* ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'' has its main theme, a jazzy little 1:30-ish tune. Which is remixed into a rock version, a techno version, a trance version... which isn't to say the entire OST is comprised of them, but you'd better get ready to get used to it.
* ''VideoGame/TheJourneymanProject'' has a new-age version of its main theme during the opening cutscenes, a muzak version in the Caldoria Heights apartments, a synth-orchestral version in the TSA, and a rock version for the EndingTheme.
* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'': Though it has a very extensive soundtrack otherwise, almost all of the original music in the game is based on the opening theme, by Nobou Uematsu. The variations include {{Musical Pastiche}}s of Sabre Dance and Ravel's Bolero.
* ''Videogame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'': Almost all, if not all, the soundtrack that does not originate from other games (including its predecessors) has [[https://youtu.be/20tkqTKxVj8 Lifelight]]. Including [[https://youtu.be/QCmMRCBuuPc Menu]], [[https://youtu.be/dOxZ6zt0Dds Battlefield]], [[https://youtu.be/rVsQBgH2CH8 Mob Smash]], [[https://youtu.be/vz8uCa_GRlA Results]], the UsefulNotes/{{Mii}} Fighters [[https://youtu.be/IRSfBooAVBY victory theme]] and many others. In a 2023 video for [[WebVideo/MasahiroSakuraiOnCreatingGames his Youtube channel]], Creator/MasahiroSakurai commented that this was done on purpose, in order to convey different emotions depending on the current context while keeping a memorable melody.
* The ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' series ''VideoGame/RogueSquadron'', in addition to using many songs from the movies, uses variations of the series' own theme.
* ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooieNutsAndBolts'': The soundtrack of the game is based on orchestral remixes of old melodies from the first two games.
* ''VideoGame/ConkersBadFurDay'': The game remixes the Windy area theme to make the Barn Boys, Bats' Tower and Uga Buga themes. It also does the same, though to a lesser extent, with the standard boss theme (which is played for Big Boiler and the Wankas), which is remixed into a rural version for the first phase of the battle against Haybot, and later modified more heavily into a military version played when Conker is eaching the coast of the Tediz island while escaping from it.
* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'': Every world (including the HubLevel) has an audio theme that is reused in different ways for its different sections.
* ''VideoGame/SuperBomberman'': was before the days of VariableMix, but it still used the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4ipq2P6_S4 same song for every world.]]
* ''VideoGame/NieR'''s soundtrack is predominated by "Ashes of Dreams", which has several variations on its own... and then shows up in "Dispossession" and "Yonah", both of which have ''their own variations''. [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic No complaints from the fandom, though.]] In addition, several other themes return in variant forms: [[spoiler:"Song of the Ancients"]] gets a dramatic DarkReprise for the boss fight with [[spoiler: the Twins]], "Kainé Salvation" returns as the lively "Kainé Escape", melancholy "Emil Sacrifice" becomes the TriumphantReprise "Emil Karma", and "Shadowlord" shows up several times.
* The SNES version of ''VideoGame/SimCity'' used variations of a main theme for each stage of your city's development.
* The [=PS2=] ''Spy Hunter'' games from ''VideoGame/SpyHunter2001'' use various rock and techno remixes of the ''Series/PeterGunn'' theme.
* ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare2'''s soundtrack is composed of a number of tracks based on the original six-note riff heard at the end of the introduction.
* ''[[VideoGame/WaveRace Wave Race 64]]'': In true Kazumi Totaka fashion, nearly every track uses a variation of the theme song, or at least a RecurringRiff. This even extends to other areas like the options menu and the name entry screen.
* ''VideoGame/{{Descent}} 3'''s {{theremin}}-based title theme is remixed throughout the game, although there are also a few original music tracks.
* Each landmass in ''VideoGame/HyperdimensionNeptunia'' has its theme remixed once for its dungeons and again for the battles within said dungeons. The title theme has also been remixed and used in cutscenes at least a few times.
* All the pre-battle themes in ''VideoGame/TouhouHisoutenScarletWeatherRhapsody'' are remixes of the same song, which is also spliced into the title theme (which itself has been a variation on the same theme for every game in the series. The MissionPackSequel's title theme is also a remix of this song.
* Most of ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'''s in-game musics are based on the title theme's progression. In turn these have sub-variations when wandering the wastes, visiting a town, exploring a dungeon, or engaging in battle. ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' also does this, with additional variations for good and evil alignments, and the [[FinalDungeon Hoover Dam]] battle.
* In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', the music was mostly remixes of the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI1VpElKWF8 Encounter]] theme.
* In ''VideoGame/TheOregonTrail II'' the trail themes each have three variations, depending on whether your party is in good, fair, or poor health. More appropriately, the main theme is often played in trading posts and other minor stops.
* The gameplay themes in ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTheArcadeGame'' are mainly based on the "Heroes in a Half-Shell" theme from the animated series.
* ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' started adopting this since 2009, with ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureACrackInTime A Crack in Time]]'', ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankAll4One All 4 One]]'', ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFullFrontalAssault Full Frontal Assault]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankIntoTheNexus Into the Nexus]]'' following the method of introducing the theme triumphantly at the Main Menu, with reprises and variations heard throughout the rest of the game.
* ''VideoGame/RadiantSilvergun'': Every song in the game uses either one or both parts of Stage 3's[[note]]Stage 3 is the first stage to be played--[[AnachronicOrder the stages are numbered chonologically.]][[/note]] song, Return.
* ''VideoGame/ForzaMotorsport 6'''s soundtrack, which is all original compositions by Kaveh Cohen rather than using licensed songs like previous games, consists mostly of arrangements of the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TtPtf7jlV0 intro theme]].
* ''VideoGame/ChildOfLight'''s main recurring themes throughout the soundtrack are [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3o5YtTPvJ0 "Pilgrims on a Long Journey,"]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Byz6960tWxQ "Aurora's Theme,"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wew8kC4tvNQ "Magna's Heart."]]
* ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'''s soundtrack is this to the logical extension, as every single piece of music in the game is a remix of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixv_jRI6VqY its main theme]] using different instruments and beat.
* Much of ''VideoGame/{{Fe}}'''s soundtrack is variations of the HubLevel theme, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjhI-7ODkms Skogen]].
* In ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'', most songs incorporate variations of the [[https://youtu.be/5ov6lzqWjmk title screen]], [[https://youtu.be/ABXga9y0B3I Greenpath]], or [[https://youtu.be/6iu_Y2mRDx0 White Lady]] motifs.
* ''VideoGame/ToTheMoon'' has "For River", a song written InUniverse by Johnny for his wife, underpinning the vast majority of other songs.
* ''VideoGame/{{Celeste}}'''s soundtrack is primarily based on the piano arpeggio and synthesizer melody of [[https://youtu.be/N8OHSXvneOE "First Steps."]] Likewise, the ''Farewell'' expansion heavily reuses the violin motif from "Fear of the Unknown" in addition to the main game's theme.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Tyranny}}'', has a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaLTUNm9CKc distinct leitmotif]] that's either sung in a OneWomanWail or performed by strings in many of the game's tracks. It does double duty as the theme for [[EvilOverlord Kyros]], [[PlayerCharacter the Fatebinder]], and the ancient magics of the Edicts that, by the end of the game, [[spoiler:both characters can utilize]].
* All of ''VideoGame/CityConnection'''s stages use variations of the main melody from Tchaikovsky's ''Piano Concerto no. 1: Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso'', mainly as [[MusicalPastiche pastiches of rock-'n'-roll songs]].
* Most of ''VideoGame/OriAndTheBlindForest'''s soundtrack uses variations of the Spirit Tree's or Ori's {{leitmotif}}s. TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, Mount Horu, uses different variations of its central theme for each of the side "puzzle" rooms. In the [[BonusDungeon Black Root Burrows]] from the [[UpdatedRerelease Definitive Edition]], which explores the previously untold backstory of Naru, the music tracks are appropriately mainly based on "Naru, Embracing the Light".
* ''VideoGame/OriAndTheWillOfTheWisps'', in addition to the aforementioned motifs from the first game, has a new leitmotif initially associated with [[https://youtu.be/dBb1jNnuiJY the owlet Ku]], but recurring throughout most of the soundtrack. Ditto the main motif of [[https://youtu.be/kd0zbNw1VOg the E3 2018 trailer.]]
* ''VideoGame/PartTimeUFO'' has one recurring melody throughout most of its soundtrack. What's present in every track is a funny voice that sings a phrase about the main character.
* Much of ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'''s music for every story chapter revolves around one particular song, usually the map music, which is then remixed and rearranged into incidental event and battle music used for that chapter.
* ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'':
** Most songs in ''VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot'' that aren't remixes of previous themes in the series feature the Noble Haltmann, the main theme of the corporation that serves as the game's villains, as their backbone.
** Most songs in ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand'' that aren't remixes of themes of previous games usually contain two motifs: Waddle Dee Town's theme and the theme of the first level.
* The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjugYHt2qGg main theme]] of ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSecurityBreach'' is rearranged quite a few times in the game's soundtrack. A creepy music box version plays on the title screen, an upbeat synth version plays while riding elevators and a sci-fi version plays in the Fazer Blast main lobby. There's are multiple more versions, but these ones are the ones you'll hear the most.
* ''VideoGame/WonderBoyIIITheDragonsTrap'': The 2017 remake turned the dungeon music and boss theme into this, giving them a different variation for the mood of each dungeon (and several more unused ones in the bonus OST).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/BunsenIsABeast'' uses nothing except variations of its theme song for its BackgroundMusic.
* ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget''. Gadget's theme in particular is arranged in a different way in every episode, and is a Recurring Riff in most of the other tracks as well. Nearly every track on the show's soundtrack contains at least a small bit of it. The other unique songs were often rearranged as well; Penny's theme had at least four different arrangements, probably more (though only one ended up on the soundtrack).
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' is deservedly famous for the many variations of its main theme, sometimes [[MusicalPastiche in the style of those of well-known movies or TV series]] or rescored to be played by various instruments, like a Jazz quartet, rock bands or renaissance musicians.
* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' uses this extensively. Specific themes and instrument choices follow each character as they appear in a scene, mingling and separating with their influence in key moments to the point where you can tell exactly who's in a scene without looking. The intro theme "We are the Crystal Gems" has variations play in scenes tied to the emotional development of Steven or the group as a whole bonding, such as when Steven first activates his shield, Centipeetle's sacrifice as Steven bubbles her Gem and promises he'll heal her, and when the Gems are congratulating Steven for passing their tests. Amethyst has a funk-influenced electric bass and drums, Pearl's music notably is dominated by piano that plays when she's in a scene such as her room, any of her musical numbers, or a solo note when it's revealed that [[spoiler:she had been repairing the communications hub]], Garnet, and by proxy Ruby and Sapphire have a low warm bass tone and reuse the melody of "Stronger than You" on occasion, Peridot uses a [[MusicalGag triangle wave]] synth that give off a futuristic feel, Lapis has piano and soft chimes with her own melody that gets remixed from "I am Lapis Lazuli", Jasper has a droning, synth quire pad and distorted drums that resemble a military march, and so on. Listing them all would take up a page in of itself.
[[/folder]]

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