There’s just something about the squishy noises at the start of this song that get me, you know?

Metroid Prime seemed like a huge risk at the time of its release. You want to take a trusted Nintendo franchise and give it to Retro Studios and move it to 3D? That’s crazy talk! Crazy!

Turns out Metroid Prime was phenomenal (though I wouldn’t go so far as the Citizen Kane of gaming), and everything worked out great in the end. Sure, the sequels weren’t as good as the original and Other M eventually pushed the entire series into oblivion for a few years, but the Samus Returns remake was good! And maybe Prime 4 will be good too! Please?

Prime succeeded thanks to its exceptional atmosphere in its level designs. Controlling Samus felt more isolated and desolate than ever before as she traversed frigid landscapes and tightly packed corridors. The scan system was a fun way to add lore that was almost entirely optional. And the music…mmm.

There are several standout tracks from Prime, but today we’re going to focus on one of the first ones you hear. I remember getting to play this game for the first time, hearing this theme and going “OH DAMN” and staying at that screen for another 10-15 minutes. Back in my day, we didn’t have the YouTubes to play a song on repeat, so letting a static image screen burn my poor television was the best we could do. I have very few regrets, however.

Ultimately my roommate in college ended up spoiling the vast majority of Prime for me as he powered through the game in something like a 19-hour session, but it didn’t really matter. It was still a beauty to behold, and one of the reasons why the Gamecube has to be on the short list for the consoles with the best games. Take a trip down memory lane with this theme and all its squishy and synth-y goodness.

(I’ve also included the version from the credits and not the menu screen, which is an extended version of the song. More is better, right?)

Menu Theme (Metroid Prime)

Music to My Ears covers soundtracks or individual songs from video games. You can view all posts in the series by clicking here.