Awesome Music / Metroid

Like most Nintendo franchises, Metroid has no shortage of Awesome Music. Most games in the series have legendary soundtracks that are renowned for their atmosphere, tension, and excitement.

Unmarked spoilers below. You have been warned.

In-game tracks

Main series

Metroid / Zero Mission

• The original title theme deserves to be heard on the disk system. The Zero Mission version is so calm it's almost a lullaby.
• Samus's Fanfare immediately sets the stage for any Metroid game, letting you know that the awesome bounty hunter herself has arrived. It's so iconic it's been remixed for every single Metroid game since (minus Metroid II).
• The original themes for Brinstar and Norfair both set the mood for exploring an alien world. Brinstar's theme, the first one heard after gaining control of Samus, is upbeat and adventurous to hook the player's interest immediately, while Norfair's theme is more minimalist and mysterious as our heroine explores the deeper reaches of planet Zebes.
• Norfair in Zero Mission makes great use of deep choirs and high strings to make the volcanic caverns seem equally beautiful and dangerous. It even has some hints of the Super Metroid Norfair tracks.
• Kraid's Lair is surprisingly dark and ambient for an 8-bit chiptune while not being too oppressive, letting the player know that things are ramping up. Its remix in Zero Mission is equally awesome.
• Ridley's Lair is even creepier than Kraid's. It lacks the clear melody of Kraid's theme too, making it into a brutal and threatening track; you should not be down here. The Zero Mission version is especially creepy, as the strings ebb and flow in and out of your ears.
• The escape theme is fittingly dire as you race away from Tourian before it detonates, while (for the NES version) also containing a bit of a heroic flourish as the end of the game approaches. The theme from Zero Mission is a darker and more intense take on the original tune.
• Give it up for the original ending theme, which is epic with a slight melancholy edge to it. Made even better by the Zero Mission version. Japanese audiences with the disk system were treated to this version of the tune, which is the true original.
• Kraid's boss theme in Zero Mission is a retroactive remix of the second boss theme in Super - fitting, considering Ridley took the other one. It truly evokes the image of a lumbering dinosaur behemoth.
• Ridley gets his usual boss theme, which is treated surprisingly well by the GBA's sound chip. It's a bit more suspenseful than the usual Ridley remix.
• Two remixes of Crateria's caves are used in Zero Mission for clever purposes. During the "Solid Samus" portion of the plot, an arrangement similar to the Super Metroid version serves as the "!" music, while a sedate version closer to the Corruption version plays after the guards stand down.
• If you never get spotted in the Space Pirate Mothership, or backtrack to the entry where Samus' suit vanishes, you got this jazzy remix of the Super Metroid wrecked ship theme.
• After Zero Mission's Zero Suit segment, in which you've been hiding and running from Space Pirates, Samus finally gets her Power Suit back, and it's more powerful than ever. Cue the AWESOME jam, and it's time to kick. Some. ASS.
• Zero Mission's Mecha Ridley remix surpasses the original Super Metroid version in intensity. Its added electronic sounds give it an alien flair and help distinguish it from the real Ridley's theme.

Return of Samus / Samus Returns

• The title theme in Return of Samus is much different from the first Metroid's, going for a darker and more atmospheric opening - fitting for a game all about the extermination and utter genocide of a dangerous, misused species. It almost feels like you're floating in space yourself.
• Surface of SR388 is an upbeat and adventurous theme that hooks the player in, just like the old Brinstar theme. It is especially memorable due to being one of the few songs in the game that has an actual melody instead of being mostly ambience. The remix from Samus Returns starts with ambience similar to the Chozo Ruins from Prime before building up to the upbeatness of the original track.
• Omega Metroid Territory from the original game manages to stand out as a tense, sinister track, fit for exploring the eerily empty nest of the Omega Metroids.
• The original Queen Metroid boss theme overcomes the Game Boy hardware limitations and successfully evokes the terror of fighting a giant monster. In the remake, the Queen Metroid boss theme is even more terrifying than the original, even incorporating a Dark Reprise of said original theme around a minute in, while also carrying quite a bit of inspiration from Mother Brain's theme, having a similar beat and instruments.
• The staff credits music from Return of Samus is easily the most upbeat and celebratory piece in a soundtrack that otherwise largely consists of dark ambience. Then Samus Returns came along and made it even better, turning it into a medley of classic Metroid tunes that makes it feel like the series has finally received its well-deserved recognition in 2017.
• The title theme from Samus Returns starts with a powerful and ominous version of the franchise's main theme, before segueing into a beautiful remix of the Return of Samus title theme. And then, when the original shrill chords from Return of Samus start playing in their full 8-bit glory... it becomes positively chilling.
• The file selection screen uses a remix of the Corruption Gunship theme, which in turn is a remix of Samus's theme. It gets the listener pumped for embarking on their mission to SR388.
• The classic Super Metroid theme was even brought back in Samus Returns, where it's the first game to officially refer to it as Samus' leitmotif.
• Metroid Caverns 2 from Samus Returns is dark, spooky, and atmospheric... but what truly makes it impressive is that it remixes a series of annoying high-pitched beeps from Return of Samus (often cited as an example of the game's unmemorable soundtrack) and turns it into something far more fitting for a Metroid game. One might imagine that this is how the song was originally intended to sound back in 1992, when the Gameboy hardware just couldn't produce atmospheric music.
• While Arachnus' usual theme from Fusion was given to Diggernaut, he didn't go without a replacement song. While lacking the intensity of the original, it goes for a more funky and lively approach that'll have you bobbing in your seat. Makes sense for one of the game's first unique bosses.
• The theme for the Area 7/Chozo Laboratory (also used in the E3 2017 trailer) is perhaps Daisuke Matsuoka's best work yet, being an exciting track that blends together elements of other staple songs from the Metroid series, including Samus' theme.
• Nothing quite like stepping into a red-glowing door for the first time, only to be met with the blaring horns of this game's remix of the Lower Norfair and Magmoor Caverns theme. It's as though Kenji Yamamoto wondered, "How can I take my old composition and make it even more aggressive and powerful?"
• While perhaps less scary than the Omega Metroid theme, the Zeta Metroid battle theme is incredibly catchy and intense, with a fast beat that really gets the adrenaline pumping.
• Diggernaut's theme takes the familiar rhythm from the Arachnus-X and Berserker Lord boss themes and then just keeps cranking up the intensity, making for an absolutely relentless boss battle theme.
• Few Metroid boss themes convey sheer primal terror quite as effectively as the remake's Omega Metroid battle theme.
• The final boss theme from Samus Returns - all three phases. They're all basically the theme of Ridley, with each phase having a progressively more intense variation of it. And of course it's going to be awesome anyway - it's Ridley!

Super Metroid

• Super Metroid's title music, probably still one of the most ominous intro themes ever featured in a video game, even after all these years.
• The Super Metroid theme used in the prologue was so good, it has since supplanted the Crateria theme as the official leitmotif of Samus Aran herself. Starting off dark and mysterious, before resounding into heroism and hope.
• One of the series' most iconic themes is also one of its most awesome: the first boss theme, which would come to be known specifically as Ridley's theme. While it wasn't originally exclusive to Ridley, serving as the boss theme for Draygon and the Torizos and also functioning as the escape theme, his moments using it were so memorable that it became his Bootstrapped Theme.
• The music that plays in Crateria, just after landing on Zebes. The haunting, atmospheric Nothing Is Scarier approach to Zebes planetfall made the inevitable Space Pirate appearances frightening despite being expected.
• In Super Metroid, the "Crateria Theme" invokes a sense of heroism and the call to adventure, setting the tone for the game in general. It also makes a dramatic return at a critical point in the final boss battle just after Mother Brain murders the Baby Metroid. There isn't a player alive whose heartbeat, EEG reading and adrenaline release rates didn't all immediately synchronize with the pulsing bass rhythm, prior to blasting Mother Brain with the newly-acquired Hyperbeam whilst screaming the blackest curses in their vocabulary.
• Brinstar - Overgrown With Vegetation Area (aka Green Brinstar) is very catchy and upbeat, capturing the feeling of delving into an exotic alien jungle and uncovering its mysteries.
• Brinstar - Red Soil Swampy Area (aka Red Brinstar) is dark and atmospheric, making the most out of its droning beats, ominous choir chants, and haunting melody. It conveys a sense of bleakness, melancholy and loneliness beautifully.
• The second boss theme, which has been attributed to Kraid in recent years but also served here as Phantoon and Crocomire's themes. While the first boss theme sounds more cunning and exciting, this one trades the menace out for a massive, imposing tone, nicely contrasting the two.
• While it lacks the intensity of the other two boss themes, the mini-boss theme used for Spore Spawn and Botwoon is downright hypnotic. It somehow synchronizes perfectly with the Spore Spawn's disturbing undulation.
• Lower Norfair from Super Metroid was pretty sweet, made very memorable by its relentless and aggressive choir and brass. It sets up the appropriate sense of dread for the area in which you fight Ridley.
• Then there's the hauntingly beautiful West Maridia theme.
• Mother Brain's second form theme as she's handing your ass to you on a silver platter. In a game full of brooding slow to mid-paced tracks, this theme song manages to sound refreshing, if not outright sinister and terrifying!

Fusion

• In keeping with Fusion's Survival Horror vibe, the background music in this game is very tense and ominous compared to some of the other games' more upbeat romps. It makes great use of low, droning strings in the back to generate tons of dread. Honestly every sector's theme is quite competent, so let's hear it for Sector 1 (SRX), Sector 2 (TRO), Sector 3 (PYR), Sector 4 (AQA), and Sector 6 (NOC).
• Unlike the other sector themes, which go for a more sinister and mysterious sound, Sector 5 (ARC) goes for a haunting and enchanting jingle. It's like you're trapped in a cave of ice with the sound reflecting off the crystals.
• Players have a real tendency to get lost in the Underwater Depths area. At least the beautiful music takes the sting out a little... seems to be a recurring pattern in water levels.
• Facing a Huge Reaction most often plays on the station's deck between sector visits, and offers a reprieve from the tension with a more upbeat, heroic theme that reflects Samus's determination.
• Environmental Tension is one of most intriguing and mysterious tunes in Metroid history and gets the player itching to explore the BSL Station.
• Environmental Mystery is insanely creepy. Doesn't help that it plays during moments such as finding Ridley's frozen corpse or realizing Adam is spying on you for the Feds.
• Similarly, when Environmental Disquiet starts playing, get scared.
• X Invasion really emphasizes the horror of the X gaining access to the environmental sectors aboard BSL.
• "Arachnus-X" is a tense boss theme for the first boss you encounter on BSL station, Arachnus-X.
• The Serris/Yakuza boss theme is fast-paced and intense, giving the listener a boost in adrenaline during two of the game's most high-energy boss fights.
• The SA-X Approaches, which sadly lacks the horrifying 'tap tap' of the footsteps for full effect (alternate version with footsteps here). And you pray it doesn't turn into Escape From The SA-X...
• The SA-X's boss theme is suitably terrifying, using much of the instrumentation found in its searching and chasing themes too.
• Nightmare's theme is fittingly creepy, but it isn't really meant to get the player pumped - it's more like an intimidating pattern to disorient the player into feeling like Nightmare has the upper hand.
• The heroic and climactic "Last Instructions", which gets its first debut with "Any objections, Lady?"
• The mandatory Ridley theme remix, played while fighting Neo-Ridley, is funky and cool - even though you probably won't hear it much thanks to Neo-Ridley constantly screeching. It is also significantly slower-paced than most Ridley remixes, bringing out the fact that this is not really Samus' old nemesis but rather a soulless copy.
• If Neo-Ridley's theme wasn't good enough, the escape theme gives us a more faithful and fast-paced remix of Ridley's theme.

Other M

• The title screen is a hauntingly beautiful rendition of the classic Metroid title theme, plus some sinister strings and horns in the background fitting for a game all about mystery.
• The song that plays during the recap-loading screens is a creepy and cool rendition of the Super Metroid theme, with a bit of a militaristic edge to it.
• While it's not a very recognizable tune, falling a bit into the trap of atmospheric noise like the rest of the Other M soundtrack, the Sector 1 theme sounds like something out of Metal Gear and is definitely the best of the five sector themes.
• The lockdown battle theme is an exciting and cinematic song that plays when Samus gets locked in a room with some new enemies to take on. It feels like the situation is difficult, but not impossible to overcome.
• The Biological Experiment Floor is one of the few truly recognizable background themes in the game. It sounds like something straight out of the Metroid Prime series and really does hold its own as an atmospheric track, managing to come close to finding that perfect blend of atmospheric ambiance and minimalist yet catchy melodies that the rest of the series is well-known for. Shame it only plays in one room.
• The theme for the encounter with the Mystery Creature seems like a generic exciting battle theme at first. However, if you listen closely you can actually hear the theme of a certain giant purple space dragon cleverly hidden within. Try focusing on the percussion first and you'll figure it out. The song also plays during select battles with Cyber Zebesians and Mighty Griptians.
• Don't be fooled by the over-the-top cinematic intros for Vorash and Goyagma; these lava-themed bosses have some of the most impressive and memorable orchestral moments in the entire game once you hit their respective "chorus" segments. The former even got into Smash 4.
• The Rhedogian's theme is suitably exciting and has one of the clearest tunes out of all the Other M battle themes. The guy will show up a lot during your playthrough too, so be ready to hear this banger on multiple occasions.
• The new remix for Ridley's theme, "Nemesis Ridley", is the best song in the game and one of the best Ridley remixes ever. It merges Other M's orchestra with a classic Metroid tune, and after watching Anthony sacrifice himself for Samus, it's more than enough to get the player pumped to kick Ridley's ass.
• Approaching Sector Zero really captures the tense feeling of slowly building up to a big climax with its strings.
• While it's sadly quite brief, the fanfare in Final Mission Resolve will quickly get the player pumped to carry out the rest of the mission and honor Adam's sacrifice in Sector Zero.
• The final boss theme shared by both the Queen Metroid and Phantoon is fittingly frantic and frightening. It's one of the most melodic boss themes in the game, and truly feels like you're stuck in a situation way over your head.
• Although a bit repetitive, you'd be lying if you said the Desbrachian theme didn't get stuck in your head after first hearing it. Those drums are just too infectious, and the song really stands out for how primal and chaotic it sounds compared to the other more orchestral themes.
• The alternate title screen music that you get after beating the Playable Epilogue will get the intended emotion out of you better than anything else in the game.

Dread

• This rendition of the Title Theme is one of the most haunting yet, putting tons of emphasis on the creepy bass.
• During the traditional recap segment, another rendition of Theme of Super Metroid plays. A classic as usual.
• Artaria I is one of the most mysterious tracks in the entire Metroid series, likely why it was used in the game's first trailer. Once Samus begins figuring things out and getting stronger, Artaria II comes in with a more upbeat version. As Samus finishes up the area, it gets a complete overhaul in Artaria III that sounds reminiscent of older songs such as Sector 1 from Fusion and Tourian from Zero Mission. The fact that it is suspiciously similar to Sector 1 of Fusion can be interpreted as Foreshadowing of what kind of horror is contained inside in Elun.
• Corpius is an action-packed remix of the Artaria themes, making use of a ghostly synth and impressive brass to introduce Samus to the power of ZDR's wildlife. And once it goes invisible, a fittingly sneaky-sounding remix plays.
• The music for each Central Unit is a tense track that hearkens back to the theme from the original Mother Brain's gauntlet room. It sounds almost like a Prime song once their brains are exposed.
• Ah yes, the E.M.M.I. themes. The first is the unsettling Patrol theme. Just pray that it doesn't turn into the Chase theme, devolving into electronic panic as you run for your life.
• After defeating each E.M.M.I., their former zones get area-specific tracks that maintain some of the creepiness while also letting you know that you're safe now. Some of the better ones include Cataris' zone, Dairon's, and Ghavoran's.
• Cataris has a great theme full of low brass and piano, with a slow and thumping beat that almost seems to foreshadow Kraid.
• Lower Brinstar is back! The original Super version is already good, but Dread made it even better.
• Kraid's themes are just perfect for the corpulent dinosaur. While not an exact remix of his theme from Zero Mission, they still channel the exact same prodding rhythm and "giant" feel.
• Would it be a Metroid game without great water level music? Burenia I is serene yet sinister, while Burenia II brings you into the depths and conveys more of a mysterious atmosphere.
• Drogyga's themes are both quite disturbing, definitely hearkening back to themes such as Spore Spawn in Super and Nettori in Fusion.
• Ferenia is a masterpiece. It draws you into the mystery of the Chozo on ZDR, teaching you that this ghost town was once an inhabited sanctuary. It also establishes a Leitmotif for the Mawkin tribe which can be heard throughout the battles with the lingering Chozo warriors.
• The Robot Chozo Soldier theme has a great lo-fi synth and bit less emotional tension than their X-infected counterparts.
• Ghavoran sounds like it's trying to sound serene, but just can't escape the secret horrors lingering just beneath the surface. On the return visit after Elun, the song takes on a whole new meaning as the wildlife are assimilated by the X.
• Elun is so creepy. It perfectly encapsulates the despair at meeting the X and going "oh no".
• The Chozo Soldier theme is very intense. You'll be hearing it multiple times, so listen closely for the Ferenia theme hidden within.
• Once the X start freezing the planet over, Artaria Cooldown and Cataris Cooldown play. They're ghostly, icy mixes of the original themes. It almost feels as if the very air is crystallizing.
• The battle theme for Escue is fittingly reminiscent of "Flight of the Bumblebee". Its heavy use of violins is new territory for Metroid soundtracks, yet it fits right in.
• Golzuna's battle theme almost sounds like a Prime boss, featuring a slower tempo but biting strings and percussion.
• Experiment No. Z-57 has one of the most memorable boss themes in the game, fitting with its memorable battle. There's a real danger here that isn't felt quite as palpably in the rest of the soundtrack, as if the Experiment is a Knight of Cerebus bent on pushing Samus' abilities to their limits. It also contains a part of Tension Before a Boss from Fusion at the minute mark.
• Raven Beak's three phases feature a memorable little tune that will get stuck in your head as you try and try to beat the dang guy. The first is pretty standard; then the second phase gets dark and foreboding, beforing exploding in to the third phase where hope resounds and it almost seems like Samus can close out a victory!
• The final "battle" has some of the creepiest songs in Metroid history. The first song, playing during Raven Beak's transformation, is truly dread given form. It's just horrific. Then as he lurches towards you, this intense song plays.
• And finally the staff roll, as heroic and triumphant as ever.

Metroid Prime

Metroid Prime

• The classic Metroid Prime title theme is truly extraordinary. It gets even better when you make it to the main menu theme, which sits comfortably as one of the most recognizable songs in the entire Metroid series. And apparently it's in the Dorian scale, too, which makes it all the more awesome.
• When we saw Samus Aran for the first time not only in 3D but also in eight years, she had a damn good fanfare to herald her return. Welcome back, Samus. Our controllers have missed you. And a shorter, but no less triumphant welcome greets the player returning to a save file.
• The theme of the first level, the Frigate Orpheon is haunting and mysterious. It really sets the mood for scanning corpses and destruction as you try to figure out just what happened aboard the Space Pirate craft.
• The rather annoyingly catchy theme of the Parasite Queen. The song absolutely screams Metroid Prime, making heavy use of the synth strings, hard-hitting basses, and unique snares and percussion that we've all come to expect from the series. If you listen with headphones you'll also notice there's an electric guitar in the background starting around 0:35, which is easy to miss when playing the game on a television. Pity how one of the game's best tracks is used with the first (and easiest) boss... but hey, it got into Super Smash Bros.!
• The theme for Tallon Overworld does an awesome job of setting the mood. A very calm, but still awesome Brinstar remix. Stepping out onto Tallon IV for the first time with this tune slowly coming in is an unforgettable experience.
• The mini-boss theme used for the Plated Beetle, Sheegoth, and Cloaked Sentry Droid battles is also a very heart-pounding beat.
• Chozo Ruins is incredibly catchy. Especially in the Trilogy version of the game, it's very tempting to bob Samus's gun up and down to the rhythm of the beat while exploring the area.
• The three Chozo Temple themes are all great. Each just sounds so powerful and mysterious, truly giving a vibe of holy and sacred grounds.
• The Hive Totem battle music. Short-lived, but oh-so-awesome. The deep opening choir feels like you've just awoken some ancient being.
• The theme for Flaahgra is incredibly creepy and deliberate, fitting for a puzzle-like boss fight with a mutated plant creature. The fight was actually glitched in the first NTSC release of Prime, causing it to repeat the first thirty seconds or so throughout the whole battle. It wasn't until the PAL version, the Player's Choice versions, and the Metroid Prime: Trilogy came out that the full version was available in America.
• Prime took the already cool Lower Norfair from Super and remixed it for Magmoor Caverns. It manages to perfectly balance cool adventure vibes and dark mystery. This remix is so good it got yet another redux in Samus Returns.
• Phendrana Drifts is just so serene and relaxing, perfect for tromping through the puffy snow... and then Phendrana's Edge adds a catchy techno beat that'll have you swaying in your seat.
• Any track that immediately puts the player into paranoia mode, as the Space Pirates theme does, deserves credit.
• Anyone who doesn't get chills down their spine or run for the nearest exit when they hear Chozo Ghosts is not even human.
• Thardus' boss theme isn't something you'd listen to in your free time in any means, but hot dang is it creepy. Why did they give such a disturbing and intense song to a giant pile of rocks?
• Strangely enough, the Underwater Frigate ambience that plays in the tunnels before you actually get underwater is quite good. It's a haunting tune that echoes like you're really inside of an abandoned structure, and almost sounds like it's coming in over a radio.
• Underwater Frigate Reactor Core. It fits the mood perfectly and is utterly beautiful, adding to the ever-growing list of transcendent water level songs in video games.
• After a certain point in the game, the usual Tallon IV Overworld theme gets replaced by Tallon Overworld 2. When you first land on Tallon, you've lost all your powerups, you're stranded and helpless; this second theme comes in after your armory is starting to get decked out and you're on a roll. You're becoming a badass again, and by God does the music make you feel it.
• Phazon Mines. It's hauntingly great and will make you paranoid when you're in this place. Then comes the Phazon ambience theme, which is absolutely iconic and would go on to influence songs all throughout the rest of the series with its ghostlike synths and creepy crackling noises.
• The Omega Pirate's encounter is great. First there's its unique ambience theme, which plays as you enter the massive chamber and see it waiting for you inside a capsule. Definitely one of the creepiest Metroid songs ever, skillfully incorporating the usual Phazon ambience. Then the fight starts, and his battle theme is sure to make you shudder and run for cover. Get ready for waves of Beam Troopers!
• Meta Ridley is one of the most iconic of Ridley's remixes, being a tense techno mix of his usual Leitmotif. It even got reused in Prime 3 and landed a spot in Smash Bros.
• Let's give the titular Metroid Prime itself some love here. The Metroid Prime Exoskeleton theme is particularly awesome, using strings somewhat reminiscent of Mother Brain's final theme from Super. The Metroid Prime Core Essence theme is arguably even better, as a Boss Remix of the Metroid series' recurring title theme.

Echoes

• The title theme for Echoes again takes a different direction from the rest of the series, going for a subdued yet badass electric guitar to get the player ready for one of Samus' most difficult adventures yet.
• While not quite as legendary as the first Prime's, the main menu theme for Echoes is nothing to sneeze at, being fittingly dark and cool compared to its more epic predecessor. Its choir melody was awesome enough to become the basis for the Metroid Prime Trilogy title theme. It gets an arguably better remix in the multiplayer mode.
• The Dark Trooper theme is very Prime, with alien-sounding synths and bass. It'll also scare your little brother, so make sure he's out of the room before waking these guys up.
• The Temple Grounds theme is one of the catchiest and funkiest main area themes in all of Metroid. Just listen to that percussion! Those maracas! It's perfect, getting you excited to start your journey while maintaining reverence for the temple of the Luminoth.
• While not the most musically stimulating, the themes for locations in Dark Aether are all very effective, thrusting you into the abyss of shadows. The Ing Hive has arguably the best one, perfectly combining the frightening, droning ambience of Dark Aether with the whistle-like synth of the Sanctuary Fortress.
• The theme of minor boss battles is quite frightening. Just picture the Grapple Guardian slowly stalking in circles around you to the rhythm.. *shudder*
• Echoes took the first game's Space Pirate theme and upped the ante, making it more sinister than ever.
• Dark Samus has one of the more energetic boss themes in the game and makes quite a splash. Makes sense, considering your battle with her is much more active and chaotic and less like a puzzle. Just listen to that guitar solo! Then there's the theme that lets you know she's nearby.
• The Amorbis theme seems to be based off the Parasite Queen's theme, which makes sense considering their shared status as first bosses.
• The ambience of Torvus Bog makes for a combination of beautiful and foreboding. This area was once a lush forest, but has been reduced to a dangerous swamp. And if the Red Brinstar theme from Super started out good, then Echoes absolutely perfected it with its remix used for the Torvus Hydrodynamo Station.
• The Chykka Larva's theme is quite similar to Amorbis' theme, plus some eerie whistling. Once it evolves into an adult, however, the song gets much faster and has added percussion, fitting for a nimble insect's beating wings.
• Thankfully, the coolest area in the game, the Sanctuary Fortress, also has one of the best themes. The place is still alive and full of the technological wonders of the Luminoth - only they're not the Luminoth's anymore.
• Quadraxis joins in on the slow-paced, deliberate Dark Aether boss themes. Its theme has odd Luminoth chanting in the background amongst the deep choirs, and some sort of shaking or rotating percussion permeates the entire tune. It works well for a battle wherein Samus methodically dismantles a giant mech.
• The first Emperor Ing theme is quite dramatic and frightening. It gets kicked into high gear during the fight with the Mutated Emperor Ing, which goes for a more traditional epic finale. Both songs fitting for the almighty leader of the Ing.
• The escape theme is just as frantic as its Zero Mission counterpart, with the added weight necessary to make it the final battle theme against Dark Samus in this game.

Pinball

• The Pinball version of Brinstar is a hard rock remix that would later become the basis for the Super Smash Bros. Brawl version.
• Pinball also gave us its rendition of Tallon Overworld.
• Interestingly, this game's version of Meta Ridley sounds much more like his original Super theme with new instruments and less like the mix from Prime.

Hunters

• The mini-boss theme is surprisingly catchy, and has a jazzy bit-crushed electric guitar to carry it along. It somehow got into Smash Bros. too, so it must be doing something right.
• The hunters all share the same basic theme for their encounters with Samus, each with a slight difference. Kanden adds alien synths, Spire adds a beefy bassline, Sylux adds intense "Psycho" Strings, Noxus adds a noble choir, Trace adds creeping stabs (which get louder the closer you are to him, countering his cloaking), and Weavel adds a subtle electric guitar. From looking at the fandom, it seems to be widely agreed that Sylux's version is the best out of the six, unsurprisingly.
• Vesper Defense Outpost is a surprisingly atmospheric tune. It incorporates a military-sounding snare to really drive home the defensive nature of the structure.
• Interestingly, Gorea's theme changes to mimic the theme of the hunter whose Affinity Weapon its wielding, which can lead to some cool remixes and transitions from theme to theme. A unique move. The final phase, however, attempts to remix the Metroid title screen like the Metroid Prime Core Essence. In many ways, it actually surpasses it! The song is much more techno heavy and sounds like a true fast-paced battle.
• The First Hunt demo has some surprisingly good remixes, such as the original Brinstar theme ("Regulator"), Ridley's theme ("Survivor"), Metroid Prime's title theme ("Title Screen", which can also be found as an unused theme in the full version of Hunters) or the Item Acqisition jingle ("Mission Completed").

Corruption

• The title screen perfectly sets the mood for what's to come, sounding much more somber and climatic than its predecessors by making heavy use of the choir.
• The Gunship theme is very subdued, and has a deep, militant vibe. It's also a subtle remix of the Super Metroid theme.
• The GFS Olympus has a serene and atmospheric ambient track, fitting for a massive spacecraft during a time of relative peace. The theme makes a comeback later in Eastern Skytown too.
• The drone that plays in save rooms and rooms containing some important item, as well as a few other places. What makes it particularly awesome is that it's also a subtle remix of the Item Room theme from Metroid!
• The Berserker Lord theme is a thumping remix of Arachnus-X's theme from Fusion, and later got a remix of its own for Diggernaut in Samus Returns.
• Corruption once again takes the Space Pirate theme and ups the ante even further, making it epic and giving you a feeling of "OH SHI-!"
• Corruption takes the already-awesome Dark Samus theme and makes it unreal with this remix. This is no longer a simple rivalry, this is no longer about who gets to kill the Pirates first - this is about the fate of the entire galaxy!
• The main theme of the Bryyo is quite impressive, using a deep choir and elegant harp strings to paint the bitter image of a civilization torn apart by its own inhabitants.
• The mini-boss theme is short and a bit repetitive, but is certainly intense and will quickly get your blood pumping. The Defense Drone version adds some metallic percussion that sounds oddly reminiscent of old Tom and Jerry sound effects, which could fall under Narm or Narm Charm depending on your preference.
• Rundas' theme is not only epic, but also rather somber, perfectly conveying the sadness of fighting a former ally with its melancholy choir in the first half, before devolving into electric guitar and synth string madness in the latter half to show the horrors of Phazon. If you listen closely around the 1:30 mark, it might sound like a warped voice is saying either "don't cry, Samus" or "run away, Samus".
• The Leviathan theme is an interesting remix of the Phazon ambience from the first Prime game. This time it has some added string flourishes, giving the Phazon a hint of danger and dare I say intelligence that it lacked in its first appearance.
• Mogenar's theme is very fitting for a giant, out-of-control golem bent on your destruction.
• SkyTown's theme is beautiful and elegant, with a slight tinge of sorrow, as you explore the abandoned city above the clouds. The use of harp strings, female choirs, and church bells make it sound like you're exploring heaven, or at least what's left of it.
• The Steamlord theme seems almost out of place in Elysia, being a funky and mischievous romp.
• While it's not as mind-blowing as Rundas or Gandrayda's boss themes, Ghor's theme is still quite competent, and the fight will have you on the edge of your seat.
• Bryyo Ice, one of the most mysterious locations in the game, has a suitably mysterious theme, sounding quite similar to Phendrana Drifts from the first Prime.
• The music in the Metroid Xenoresearch Labs on Elysia is certain to make your skin crawl, and walking past all those Metroids in conveniently transparent containers doesn't help.
• The surprise remix of Crateria's Caves for the Pirate Homeworld was an unexpected but certainly welcome one. It also means that both of the Space Pirate themes can finally be in one game - funnily enough, it plays during another stealth segment too.
• Gandrayda's theme is fittingly playful and energetic, but also with a choir and pounding beat that tell you her childlike nature belies her truly immense power. It's the closest thing to dance music we're getting in the Prime universe. It also sounds very similar to Adult Chykka's theme from Echoes.
• Ridley's theme is again remixed for the fight against Omega Ridley, which sounds particularly dark and menacing compared to past versions.
• The GFS Valhalla theme is downright terrifying, borrowing tone heavily from Dead Space.
• The theme of Phaaze is the climax of the Phazon themes, sounding more alien and mysterious and surrounding you in the blue glow of its radiation. Samus is truly in the belly of the beast at this point, encountering more new wildlife in quick succession than ever before.
• The final boss, Aurora Unit 313, takes Dark Samus' battle music and mixes it into a foreboding theme reminiscent of those of Mother Brain. And then the second phase kicks it up a notch as you race to finish it.
• The credits and record themes are both elegant and stylish.

Metroid Prime Trilogy

• Metroid Prime Trilogy's menu theme is impossibly awesome, from its opening Terminator-esque drumbeats to its grand and epic choir melody.

Remixes

Nintendo Land (Metroid Blast)

• The Brinstar theme receives a Boss Remix during battles with Kraid, making the player feel powerful and confident as they go up against the towering Space Pirate.
• Who would have guessed that a mere party game would have one of the best official renditions of Ridley's theme? It's an intense and sinister arrangement of the Meta-Ridley theme, combining orchestral and electronic instruments to find that perfect sound for the Metroid series.
• Metroid Blast provides us with a thrilling remix of Lower Norfair/Magmoor Caverns, switching out the oppressive pounding percussion for a militaristic drumbeat but also adding more orchestration.

Super Metroid: Sound in Action

• The full orchestrated version of the Super Metroid theme, which takes the already-awesome melody and develops it further.

Super Smash Bros.

• The remix of Brinstar from Smash 64 gives us a glimpse at the soundtrack for a Nintendo 64 Metroid game we never got.
• Brinstar Depths (a.k.a. Kraid's Lair theme) from Melee is just as awesome as the original chiptune, which is even included in this remix.
• The original ending theme is made even better in Brawl.
• Brinstar gets yet another remix in Brawl, this time as hard rock with cheesy 2000's action figure commercial narration at the beginning. "Samus is under fire!"
• Brawl gave us a subtle yet awesome remix of the original Norfair theme.
• The Metroid Prime title and menu themes got a remix for Brawl, and it is hauntingly beautiful. It's a shame they covered up the beginning with unneeded narration.
• The credits theme from Super Metroid received an orchestral remix in Brawl, which bestowed upon it the title of "Theme of Samus Aran, Space Warrior." While this title originally belonged to the Crateria theme, the Brawl rendition proved to be popular enough that this theme officially became Samus Aran's leitmotif with the release of the Samus Archives Sound Selection CD in 2017.
• Ridley got to make a star appearance in Brawl's Subspace Emissary mode, and thus got his own boss battle theme remixed.
• Smash 4's version of the classic Escape may trick you with its chiptune opening into thinking it's the original, but give it a second and it will explode into a stunning orchestra.
• Someone decided Brinstar Depths needed a second remix, but this time with violins, in Ultimate... bless their soul.
• Ridley's theme also got a second remix for Ultimate, which made sense since the big guy finally made it in as a playable character!

Other

• Orchestral Game Concert #4 gave us some fantastic orchestrated versions of various Super Metroid tracks.
• Metroid Fusion Arranged Version is a medley of Fusion tracks that really plays up the Sci-Fi Horror aspect of the game, with plenty of unnerving "Psycho" Strings to keep your heart racing.

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