Crystal Dungeons
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"Crystal Dungeons" is a theme first heard in Kirby's Return to Dream Land. It was composed by Hirokazu Ando.[1]
Composition[edit]
"Crystal Dungeons" is a bit of a goofy track, in a C major key at roughly 170 BPM. Part of its silliness comes from the use of instruments like springy synths and what sounds like a melodica. The melody dips down, only to go back up in the same fashion, repeating the process several times throughout the song's A section. In the B section, the melody is played by a flute, dipping down to a C minor key, only to rise back up to C major rather quickly. A repeat of the A section then plays. Shortly after, the C section is played mostly by two chiptune synths, before having the usual springy synth rejoin them to finish it all off. A brief interlude connecting the ending and beginning plays, and the song starts over.
The data of the original Kirby's Return to Dream Land contains an arrangement of "Crystal Dungeons" which goes unused, featuring retro-style instrumentation. Still in the same key, but a little slower, it is labeled st_wado02. Interestingly, the final version is instead labeled st_doukutu (doukutu derives from 洞窟, "cave"), which doesn't imply much of a connection in terms of filenames. "wado" might be a shortening of wadoru di, or "Waddle Dee", but what it means in relation to the song is unclear.
Game appearances[edit]
Kirby's Return to Dream Land / Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe[edit]
This theme debuts in this game. It plays throughout most of Cookie Country - Stage 3, and a short section of Onion Ocean - Stage 4. It can be found as Track 12 in the Kirby's Return to Dream Land Sound Test and as Track 13 in the Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe Jukebox.
Kirby: Triple Deluxe[edit]
In Kirby: Triple Deluxe, the original version of the theme is reused in three stages: Lollipop Land - Stage 6 EX, Wild World - Stage 7 EX, and Endless Explosions - Stage 7 EX. In all of the listed stages, it only plays in puzzle rooms. It can be found as Track 072 in the Jukebox.
Other appearances[edit]
The theme is present on the Kirby Wii Music Selection CD, named どうくつたんけん (Exploring the Cave). This title would later be given to a different theme in Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe.
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | すいしょうのダンジョン suishou no danjon |
Crystal Dungeons |
| Traditional Chinese | 水晶迷宮 shuǐ jīng mí gōng |
Crystal Maze |
| Simplified Chinese | 水晶迷宫 shuǐ jīng mí gōng | |
| Dutch | Kristalgrotten | Crystal caves |
| French | Donjons de cristal | Crystal dungeons |
| German | Kavernen aus Kristall | Caverns made of Crystal |
| Italian | Caverne di cristallo | Crystal caverns |
| Korean | 수정 던전 sujeong deonjeon |
Crystal Dungeon |
| Portuguese | Masmorras de cristal | Crystal dungeons |
| Latin American Spanish | Calabozos de cristal | Crystal dungeons |
| European Spanish | Las mazmorras de cristal | The crystal dungeons |
References
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