TOP Track #25 - "Brinstar"

• Track: "Brinstar"
• Composer: Tanaka Hirokazu
• Game: Metroid
• System: Nintendo Entertainment System
• Release: August 1987

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It's no secret that "Metroid" is one of my favorite franchises. Along with Final Fantasy, Metroid was probably one of my favorite NES games. It is the Kid Icarus that isn't as insanely difficult, and it didn't scar me for life (Melongenophobia). Samus Aran is a personal hero of mine, one of the first and best examples of a video game heroine who dresses appropriately for her role and isn't defined by stereotypical gender roles (Other M excluded from this vision of Samus Aran). I wrote a two-part comprehensive article on just what an inspiration I believe Samus Aran to be and how I hope to see a return to this classic character (and departure from Other M) in the future. Click for Samus Aran article! Part 1 & Part 2!

The music of the "Metroid" series is something I often talk about because it helps build on the themes that are prevalent in the series. "Brinstar" is no exception. The music in Metroid is often used to amplify its themes of lone explorer on a hostile planet surviving against all odds. Many of the tracks are haunting and build a dramatic tension, but "Brinstar" breaks from that to feel more like the beginning of an epic adventure. As Samus lands on Zebes to defeat the Space Pirate threat, this song captures her intrepid adventurer spirit, not knowing quite yet what dangers await beneath the surface of the planet.

- TOP
@TOPGamingBlog

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This game is so hard! I usually die (and give up) in the first ten minutes of playing. But of course it's hard, like many of its contemporaries on the NES. That's what makes these games fun in their own way. Nothing is handed to you. It's because of my inability to advance, I listened to "Brinstar" more than anything else because I was always starting over! I enjoy this song, I really do, but it starts to wear you down when you're trying (miserably) to overcome this whale of a game. DAMN YOU, METROIDS!

Being completely honest, I much prefer Stemage's take on "Brinstar." The remix will really get you going. The original seems too subdued in this day and age. It does have that great nostalgia factor, though, and it works great for its time. The small range of sounds they were able to utilize makes compositions on the NES all the more impressive, but I can't help but be reminded of other titles (Kid Icarus, Paperboy) when I hear "Brinstar." Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

- Deez
@Deezer509

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Derivative Tracks