Kirby and the Forgotten Land (#10692)

[Mentalo]

Is there any sound test like previous main games in the series?
I know that since Triple Deluxe, the sound test of the main games show who composed each song by showing different colored musical notes, so it would be cool if it was still the same here

[CHz]

I haven't personally verified but the answer appears to be yes, with a new color green for Shimooka https://w.atwiki.jp/gamemusicbest100/pages/9771.html

[RBM95]

After you complete the game, a new locale called "Waddle Live! Corner Stage" opens on Waddle Dee Town, which pretty much serves as a sound test option much like past Kirby titles, including the color-coded music note Easter egg.

I've put together the credits from the link CHz provided together with the official English names of the songs for further reference:

Spoiler:

01 Ready to Go! - Yuuta Ogasawara
02 Kirby and the Mysterious Vortex - Hirokazu Ando
03 Running Through the New World - Yuuta Ogasawara
04 Mysterious Mouthful Mode - Yuki Shimooka
05 Welcome to the New World! - Yuuta Ogasawara
06 Invasion of the Destroyed Town - Hirokazu Ando
07 Plundering Beast Battle - Yuuta Ogasawara
08 Natural Plains - Yuki Shimooka
09 Through the Tunnel - Jun Ishikawa
10 Kirby Dance (Short) - Yuki Shimooka
11 Wild Results - Yuki Shimooka
12 A Trip to Alivel Mall - Hirokazu Ando
13 Invincible Candy - Yuuta Ogasawara
14 The Smell of a Scary Beast - Yuki Shimooka
15 VS. Dangerous Beast - Hirokazu Ando
16 Stage Cleared! - Jun Ishikawa
17 Kirby Dance (Long) - Yuki Shimooka
18 Beginner Treasures - Yuki Shimooka
19 Everbay Coast - Yuki Shimooka
20 Abandoned Beach - Jun Ishikawa
21 Time Attack! - Yuki Shimooka
22 Blue, Blue Breeze - Yuki Shimooka
23 Fast-Flowing Waterworks - Yuki Shimooka
24 Wondaria Remains - Yuki Shimooka
25 Welcome to Wondaria - Jun Ishikawa
26 Circuit Speedway - Yuki Shimooka
27 Invasion at the House of Horrors - Jun Ishikawa
28 Pitch-Black Horror - Jun Ishikawa
29 The Wondaria Dream Parade - Hirokazu Ando
30 Waddle Dee Town - Hirokazu Ando
31 Please Don't Inhale the Cinema Patrons - Jun Ishikawa
32 Waddle Dee's Weapons Shop - Hirokazu Ando
33 Tilt-and-Roll Kirby - Jun Ishikawa
34 Tilt-and-Roll Kirby (Extra Hard) - Jun Ishikawa
35 Care for a Refreshment? - Yuki Shimooka
36 Lunch Rush! A Wave of Waddles - Yuki Shimooka
37 Waiting Room - Yuki Shimooka
38 Sword of the Surviving Guardian - Yuuta Ogasawara
39 Try Again Tomorrow - Yuki Shimooka
40 Interview - Yuki Shimooka
41 Admiring the Figure Collection - Hirokazu Ando
42 Welcome Back, Kirby – Hirokazu Ando
43 A Quick Nap - Yuuta Ogasawara
44 Winter Horns - Yuki Shimooka
45 Northeast Frost Street - Yuuta Ogasawara
46 Metro on Ice - Hirokazu Ando
47 The Battle of Blizzard Bridge - Hirokazu Ando
48 Dazzling Treasures - Hirokazu Ando
49 An Unexpected Beast King - Yuki Shimooka
50 Roar of Dedede - Yuuta Ogasawara
51 Defeat - Jun Ishikawa
52 Originull Wasteland - Yuki Shimooka
53 The Wastes Where Life Began - Yuuta Ogasawara
54 Pitch-Black Valley - Jun Ishikawa
55 Moonlight Canyon - Yuki Shimooka
56 Forgo's Treasures - Hirokazu Ando
57 Redgar Forbidden Lands - Yuki Shimooka
58 Enter the Fiery Forbidden Lands - Hirokazu Ando
59 Burning, Churning Power Plant - Jun Ishikawa
60 The Beast Pack's Final Stand - Yuki Shimooka
61 Masked and Wild: D.D.D. - Yuki Shimooka
62 The King's Turn to Shine - Yuki Shimooka
63 The Dream Discoveries Tour - Yuki Shimooka
64 The One Who Controls the World - Yuki Shimooka
65 The Beast's Prey - Yuki Shimooka
66 The Raging Lion Roars - Yuuta Ogasawara
67 Elfilin - Yuki Shimooka
68 Sudden Metamorphosis - Yuki Shimooka
69 Hunted by the Beast - Jun Ishikawa
70 Gemini Reunion - Yuki Shimooka
71 Two Planets Approach the Roche Limit - Hirokazu Ando
72 The Fate of Two Worlds - Yuki Shimooka
73 A Full-Speed Farewell from the New World - Hirokazu Ando
74 Soaring Determination: No Night Is Eternal - Hirokazu Ando
75 Welcome to the New World! (Full) - Yuuta Ogasawara
76 Secret Area: HAL Room - Yuki Shimooka
77 Secret Area: HAL Room 2 - Yuki Shimooka
78 Champion's Waiting Room - Yuki Shimooka
79 The Ultimate Fight - Yuki Shimooka
80 Isolated Isles: Forgo Dreams - Yuki Shimooka
81 Faded Dream of a Psychomeddler - Hirokazu Ando
82 VS. Psychic Power Given Form - Yuki Shimooka
83 Scattered Souls across Isolated Isles - Hirokazu Ando
84 Eternal Echo of the Thrilling Tour-our-our - Yuki Shimooka
85 Morpho Knight - Yuuta Ogasawara
86 Kirby, the Beasts, and the King - Yuki Shimooka
87 In Pursuit of Victory - Hirokazu Ando
88 Decisive Battle: Ultimate Z - Hirokazu ando
89 Try Again Tomorrow... Again! - Yuki Shimooka
90 Finding the Light - Yuki Shimooka
91 Hero Interview - Yuki Shimooka
92 A Thriving, Peaceful Town - Yuki Shimooka
93 Got 'Em All! Gotcha Machine Master - Hirokazu Ando
94 NEW WORLD: 100% - Yuki Shimooka
95 From Those Who Departed for Space - Yuki Shimooka
96 Welcome to the New World! (Bonus Track) - Yuuta Ogasawara

Keep in mind that these are general "artist" credits and don't account for reprises from previous games (eg. "Welcome Back, Kirby" quotes Green Greens by Jun Ishikawa) or leitmotifs (a few songs seem to be based around "Welcome to the New World!", which according to the game credits was composed by Tadashi Ikegami).

[chiefonpop]

Originally Posted by RBM95

Keep in mind that these are general "artist" credits and don't account for reprises from previous games (eg. "Welcome Back, Kirby" quotes Green Greens by Jun Ishikawa) or leitmotifs (a few songs seem to be based around "Welcome to the New World!", which according to the game credits was composed by Tadashi Ikegami).

I think they are equivalent to arranger attributions. Even with the newer secondary motifs like the first stage music "Running Through the New World" (not to be confused with Ikegami's vocal song) are arranged by all 4 composers (surprisingly, even Ishikawa) in many instances, which makes it hard to determine the original composer. The well-known first stage version is arranged by Ogasawara, but most of versions of the motif are credited to Shimooka, although this is in part because Shimooka made all level map music.

Shimooka scored a lot more than I thought considering that he's new and last composer in the staff roll. His arrangement style is also very similar to modern Ando, so I mistakenly thought some of his works were Ando's. I think a lot of people have.

[Mentalo]

Ok, time for some speculation for Star-Crossed World (the Switch 2 expansion).
Music for this expansion was released officially ahead of time on twitter (and gradually these last few days on Nintendo Today).
It seems these music feature the characteristic musical note colors that you'd find in most of the recent Kirby games, the first one being Hirokazu Ando's light blue (the style is a total match), the second one being Shogo Sakai's (!) light purple/mauve (the guitars in the first few seconds REALLY confirm him having done this remix), and the third one being a brand new purple, maybe for a new HAL Lab composer? The third music kinda sounds like Yuuta Ogasawara though, so maybe his note color just changed lol (his color was yellow in past games).

I'm a little bit surprised by Sakai's involvement as a composer/arranger, since he did go freelance. But I guess this way, he can still work with HAL Lab occasionally.
And a new composer would make sense with Sakai and Ishikawa having left the company recently.

P.S.: I know the game has leaked like 3 days ago but haven't seen its credits, but we'll know for sure in just a few days

[Eidolon2010]

Originally Posted by Mentalo

the third one being a brand new purple

Does Megumi Ohara have colored notes in previous games (and in which color ?) ?

[Bluestk]

I mean it seems more likely based on some other info that this is a new member on the team, or at least a member that hasn't made music till now (Yuki Kato is seemingly that member based on some other info but ig we'll see when the game releases)

[Eidolon2010]

Originally Posted by Bluestk

I mean it seems more likely based on some other info that this is a new member on the team, or at least a member that hasn't made music till now (Yuki Kato is seemingly that member based on some other info but ig we'll see when the game releases)

He didn't do any song in "Return to Dream Land Deluxe" ?

[CHz]

Originally Posted by Eidolon2010

Does Megumi Ohara have colored notes in previous games (and in which color ?) ?

Ohara was orange in Dream Buffet.

Originally Posted by Eidolon2010

He didn't do any song in "Return to Dream Land Deluxe" ?

There was no new note color in RtDL Deluxe. An external composer, Kiyoshi Hazemoto from Vanpool, has had his tracks colored white, and it wasn't clear at the time whether Kato was also from Vanpool and therefore also white or was part of HAL and simply didn't write any music.

[Mentalo]

Originally Posted by Eidolon2010

Does Megumi Ohara have colored notes in previous games (and in which color ?) ?

Her note color seems to be orange according to Kirby's Dream Buffet : light blue beeing Ando since Triple Deluxe, red/light red being Ishikawa also since Triple Deluxe, Yellow being Ogasawara since Star Allies, Green being Shimooka since Forgotten Land, lefting light purple, dark blue, orange, and white.
Light purple match already known Kirby Air Ride Sakai credited songs.
Dark blue match already known Ikegami songs.
Lefting white notes for external composers (only featured in past games songs from Fighters 2, Super Kirby Clash, Amazing Mirror, Tilt'n Tumble and Block Ball) and orange for Ohara.

Originally Posted by Eidolon2010

He didn't do any song in "Return to Dream Land Deluxe" ?

As far as we know, according to in-game jukebox, most of the new songs are attributed either to light blue notes (Ando), green notes (Shimooka), and white notes ("most" because I think there's like 1 music and some sound effects attributed with red notes (Ishikawa)).
So either all of those white notes songs were done by Kiyoshi Hazemoto and Kato is indeed a new HAL Lab employee and just didn't compose any music for that game, or both Hazemoto and Kato are external composers and worked on those white notes music.

[Bluestk]

I did contact Hazemoto one time and he told me he didn't know anything about Yuki Kato, making me think he wasn't part of Vanpool but rather a new employee for the company who did some sound effects late in development (there is also one HAL blog post that mentioned a new audio designer just by the name of "K", which while it does mention he joined in 2024, it could be a case similar to Megumi Ohara, where they both started doing some part time work before becoming a full time employee at the company)

[RBM95]

Sound credits for Star-Crossed World (spoilers in the video btw)

Lead Sound
Yuki Kato
Megumi Ohara

Lead Music
Hirokazu Ando

Sound Management
Yuuta Ogasawara

Sound
Yuki Shimooka
Jun Ishikawa
Shogo Sakai

Sound Support
Momo Kodama

Also, Tadashi Ikegami is credited as composer of the new "Twinkling Star Showers" theme song

[Bluestk]

I was wondering I could post bout this now but now we'll just have to see the note credits, 99% sure Yuki Kato is a HAL composer now though.

[CHz]

Music player scroll through: https://youtu.be/zBdbDh9CBCg?t=24135. The track numbering here appears to be off by one from a fully unlocked sound test (I'm guessing they missed one of the HAL room tracks), so I've taken the liberty of adding 1 to all the indices.

There are TWO new colors this time: in addition to the dark purple we saw from the soundtrack preview, there's also a deeper pink that's distinct from Ishikawa's red. This appears to be a new color for Shogo Sakai; even though the preview video shows his old light purple for "Lost in Alivel Mall," it's this pink in-game. I've left the dark purple tracks tagged with just <dark purple> because I guess we can't technically tell for sure yet if they're by Yuki Kato or this even newer sound person, Momo Kodama.

EDIT: Per two posts below vvvvvvv, dark purple is confirmed Kato

Spoiler:

097 Meteor Swarm of Dark and Light | Yuki Shimooka
098 The Star Awakens | Yuki Shimooka
099 Fallen-Star Volcano | Yuki Shimooka
100 Song of the Starfall Children | Yuki Shimooka
101 Meteor Shower's Arrival | Hirokazu Ando
102 Meteoric Beast Battle | Yuki Kato
103 Kirby Dance / Short (Starry Ver.) | Yuki Kato
104 Sparkling Results | Megumi Ohara
105 Lost in Alivel Mall | Shogo Sakai
106 Heart-Racing Beach | Yuki Shimooka
107 Fallen-Star Beach | Yuki Kato
108 Washed Away at the Cement Summit | Yuuta Ogasawara
109 Crossing Wondaria | Jun Ishikawa
110 Spinning Dream Parade | Jun Ishikawa
111 Frost Street Snow Park | Yuki Shimooka
112 TWINKLING SKATING RINK | Megumi Ohara
113 Freezing Wind and Some Snowmen | Hirokazu Ando
114 Wastes That Count Time | Shogo Sakai
115 Rally Raid Speedway | Megumi Ohara
116 Moonlight Canyon Labyrinth | Megumi Ohara
117 Meteor Swarm of Dark and Light (Kirby Alone Ver.) | Yuki Shimooka
118 Kirby's Tilt-and-Roll Festival | Jun Ishikawa
119 Admiring the Shiny Figure Collection | Megumi Ohara
120 Crumbly Fiery Forbidden Lands | Shogo Sakai
121 Crystal Beast Pack Volcano Battle | Hirokazu Ando
122 Panspermia, Caller of Ruin | Megumi Ohara
123 Prescient Stirring Fa-lu-wa-a Song | Yuki Shimooka
124 The Falling Star Now Pierces through the Lagrange Point - Sing of Radiant Theia | Hirokazu Ando
125 The Planet's Cradle | Yuki Shimooka
126 TWINKLING STAR SHOWERS (Full) | Tadashi Ikegami
127 To the Stage of Stardom | Shogo Sakai
128 Beast Drum of Meteors | Jun Ishikawa
129 Ultimate Extra Stars! | Hirokazu Ando
130 Try Again When the Stars Rain Down! | Yuki Shimooka
131 Champion Road of the Four Warriors | Jun Ishikawa
132 Revenge of Steel Wings (Kirby's Dream Buffet) | Hirokazu Ando
133 The Prince of Mirrors and Regret (Team Kirby Crash Deluxe) | Hirokazu Ando
134 The Battle of Sworn Partners (Kirby Fighters 2) | Yuki Shimooka
135 Judgment of the Malus Pumila (Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe) | Yuki Shimooka
136 Onward to a Pain My Heart Knows Well (Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe) | Hirokazu Ando
137 Suite: The Star-Conquering Traveler - Fourth Movement (Kirby Star Allies) | Hirokazu Ando
138 Eternally Stirring Fa-lu-wa-a Song | Yuki Shimooka
139 Two Planets Approach the Roche Limit (Starry Ver.) | Hirokazu Ando
140 Kindness and Light in the Stars | Yuki Shimooka
141 Fanfare of the Meteor | Hirokazu Ando
142 Kirby of the Stars Interview | Yuki Shimooka
143 This World's Light Complete | Hirokazu Ando
144 Everything Shines! Gotcha Machine Master | Megumi Ohara
145 STAR-CROSSED WORLD PERFECT! | Hirokazu Ando
146 Welcome Home, Hero | Shogo Sakai
147 Bless the Plains with Song | Yuki Kato
148 TWINKLING STAR SHOWERS (Bonus Track) | Tadashi Ikegami
149 Last Song (Incomplete) - NEICHEL'S Unfinished Track | Yuki Kato

[fusoxide]

Considering Ishikawa left the company a year ago now (oh, how time flies), I'm guessing his work on this game was his final project at the company before leaving. Not sure if Sakai's tracks were made before or after he left in early 2023, but I wouldn't be surprised if HAL continue to work with him as a freelancer, as they are doing with Ishikawa.

[RBM95]

There was a Nintendo Dream web interview about Star-Crossed World, and at one point Shinya Kumazaki talks about the composers:

——　本編では小笠原雄太さん、下岡優希さん、安藤浩和さん、石川淳さん、そしてテーマソングで池上正さんが担当 されていました。『スターリーワールド』では、大原萌さん、酒井省吾さん、加藤優貫さんが加わり、豪華なカ ービィサウンドチームの総動員、全員となりましたね。

熊崎　「豪華」というのは私たちからいうのは気が引けますが、本作はサウンドチームオールメンバーで挑ませていた だきました。これまでのタイトル以上に、多様な個性のカービィサウンドが楽しめるのも本作の特徴になったか もしれません。
エンディングテーマは池上が、楽曲ではなく効果音などの作業は最若手の兒玉（ももさん）が担当していますの で、まさにハル研サウンドチームフルメンバーです。
特にリーダーの加藤には最後に聴ける「未完／ラストソング」の作成をお願いしました。カービィのゲームのた めとは考えず、歌姫が自らの気持ちを歌うために作られた曲となっているので、みなさんにも新鮮に聴こえたの ではないでしょうか。この世界で起きた過去の出来事や、歌姫が夢に見た未来が少し想像できる、ちょっと切な い歌になっています。ただ、歌姫自身はあの星で、最後には自分の気持ちを素直に表現でき幸せを感じたのでは ないでしょうか。ぜひゲームを最後までプレイして、聴いていただければと思います！
サウンドは最初に安藤（浩和さん）に草原ステージの「はじまりの流星群」を完成させてもらい、それをランド マークに多くのサウンドスタッフに本作らしい楽曲のイメージを固めていってもらいました。はじめからクライ マックスというか、前作をプレイ済みの方も遊ばれることを想定し、1面とは思えない温度感にしつつ、本作の 楽曲テーマの「歌声」を取り入れて作りました。ですが、さすがに本当にクライマックス過ぎたので、もう1曲 、少し温度を下げて作ってもらったのが、今の「はじまりの流星群」になります。

——　確かに、冒頭から聴こえる歌声は印象的でした。

熊崎　ちなみに、最初に作られたバージョンの「はじまりの流星群」は、レッドガル禁足地の最終ステージで使用して いる曲の後半部分にあたります。あまりにクライマックスらしい楽曲だったので、その後、本当にクライマック スのステージで採用しました。
楽曲は、それぞれのサウンドメンバーの個性を考え、誰がどのステージを担当するかを決めます。次に入れてほ しいフレーズを伝え、アイデアがあればこの段階で説明し、前後のステージとの整合性とテンションの上がり具 合から全体を調整します。最初は安藤、酒井、石川、とベテラン勢に発注をしていったのですが、ある程度固ま ってから、加藤や大原、下岡に現状のものを参考に作っていってもらう順序で進めました。多様な個性を育てつ つ、うまくバランスの取れたステージ曲が仕上がったかと思います。
最後の敵の曲も、歌によって引き寄せられた敵の存在を想像させるよう、徐々にコーラス部分が強くなっていく 構成にしています。ぜひ最後までプレイして、お聞きいただければと思います！
ウンドスタッフに本作らしい楽曲のイメージを固めていってもらいました。はじめからクライマックスというか 、前作をプレイ済みの方も遊ばれることを想定し、1面とは思えない温度感にしつつ、本作の楽曲テーマの「歌 声」を取り入れて作りました。ですが、さすがに本当にクライマックス過ぎたので、もう1曲、少し温度を下げ て作ってもらったのが、今の「はじまりの流星群」になります。

Of interest, Kumazaki explicitly mentions that Yuki Kato was in charge of "Last Song (Incomplete)", which does indeed confirm that Kato was in charge of the dark purple colored songs. He also clarifies that Momo Kodama did "sound effects and other tasks".

[fusoxide]

Originally Posted by fusoxide

Considering Ishikawa left the company a year ago now (oh, how time flies), I'm guessing his work on this game was his final project at the company before leaving. Not sure if Sakai's tracks were made before or after he left in early 2023, but I wouldn't be surprised if HAL continue to work with him as a freelancer, as they are doing with Ishikawa.

And as it turns out, he actually left in April 2023, according to the bio on his Mushio Funazawa website! Seems this was actually Ishikawa's first freelance game work.