Halcandra: A New Enemy

"Halcandra: A New Enemy" is the theme for the cutscene with the same name from Kirby's Return to Dream Land and Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe. It was composed by Hirokazu Ando.^[1]

Composition[edit]

The Lor Starcutter approaches Halcandra.

"Halcandra: A New Enemy" follows the newly established trend from "A Visitor from Afar" of illustrating a cutscene with the use of multiple of its game's motifs. In this case, it mirrors many variants heard in "A Visitor to Afar" itself, reflecting the similar theming of arriving to and departing from Popstar.

The theme starts with a sense of exciting anticipation, set up by the dominant function of F major with a syncopated B-flat string bass and steady beeping on a C, mirroring the Lor Starcutter interior segment of "A Visitor from Afar". A clarinet melody hovers around the subdominant function, B-flat, with a phrase consisting of a rising minor third and descending major third. An oboe follows up a step lower with the same melody. As strings resolve the phrase, many instruments enter at once across different registers, and the Starcutter lifts off. After brief suspense, the tempo slightly accelerates, and a quiet syncopated pulsation similar to that of "The Lor Starcutter Reborn" begins, followed by harp glissandi, the beeping noise still persisting. The beeping ceases; a full group of strings play a unique variant of "Exploring the Cave"'s motif in the rhythm of this track's first melody. Upon repeating, the melody is brought into lower registers and turns minor, matching the grim yet majestic Halcandra.

Percussion intensifies as a dramatic version of "The Adventure Begins" marks the near arrival to the destination. "Magolor, the Far-Flung Traveler" is heard twice with this background: once in high woodwind registers and F minor, the next played by a trumpet and with an abrupt ending in C-sharp minor. Similarly to "A Visitor from Afar", the Starcutter's crash landing is marked by the falling phrase from "Road to Victory"/"Exploring the Cave", here in F minor, and ending on C minor's dominant in suspense. The beeping resumes quietly, now reprising its role from "A Visitor from Afar". Strings join in a manner similar to this track's beginning, only now in a sombre A minor context. The variant of "Four Adventurers: Cookie Country" from "A Visitor from Afar" and its ending phrase corresponding to the crash landing similarly return. However, rather than "Road to Victory", Kirby's offer to help is illustrated by a warm and gentle D major clarinet version of "Magolor, the Far-Flung Traveler" with supporting piano and marimba, joined by a rising phrase reminiscent of "Four Adventurers: Cookie Country" in between. The theme ends with a transition to harmonic major and then dramatic diminished harmonies as the camera pans from Magolor thanking the heroes to the Lor Starcutter's screen picturing Landia.

Game appearances[edit]

Kirby's Return to Dream Land / Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe[edit]

In Kirby's Return to Dream Land and its remake, "Halcandra: A New Enemy" plays during the cutscene with the same name. It appears as track 52 in the original's Sound Test and track 100 in the remake's Jukebox.

Additionally, this theme's two unique motifs appear in other cutscene themes, all composed by Hirokazu Ando:

• "Let Me Explain Everything" — track 81/122, includes the first melody from "Halcandra: A New Enemy" in the final section, both conveying the near departure and representing Landia.
• "Final Battle" and "Final Battle EX" — tracks 83/124 and 102/168, respectively; versions of "Bring On the Super Ability" with "Halcandra: A New Enemy" at the end: the main melody in the former and the "Exploring the Cave" variant in the latter.
• "Each to His Own World" — ending cutscene theme and track 107/129, features the main melody of "Halcandra: A New Enemy" in a tonally unstable context to represent Landia and the Starcutter's timely arrival.
• "Return to Dream Land" — staff credits cutscene and track 108/130. It includes both motifs from "Halcandra: A New Enemy" throughout its narration.
• "Crossing into the Parallel with You" — staff credits theme of Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler in Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe. and track 186 in the Jukebox. It features the final version of "Halcandra: A New Enemy" from "Return to Dream Land" (based on "Exploring the Cave").

Names in other languages[edit]

References