Gourmet Race (theme)

"Gourmet Race", also known as "Get Up and Go-Urmet!" and "Gourmet Go Go", is a musical track that first appeared in the Gourmet Race game of Kirby Super Star. It has since reappeared many times in the Kirby and Super Smash Bros. series, mainly in re-orchestrated and remastered versions. It is sometimes associated with King Dedede, but is not his main theme.

Composition[edit]

The offbeat rhythm of ska music gave Jun Ishikawa the flash of inspiration he needed to complete "Gourmet Race".

The original version of "Gourmet Race" is set in the key of C minor (which shifts to E♭ major in the final segment) at a tempo of around 186 beats per minute. It is set in 4/4 time, but has a marching rhythm similar to a galop. The instrumentation focuses heavily on brass instruments, and blends classical music with ska to create an upbeat sound.

According to composer Jun Ishikawa, the direction he was given for composing the piece was "a song in the vein of an athletic meet". The first thing that came to his mind was a song like "Csikós Post" by Hermann Necke, which is commonly played at athletic festivals in Japan. However, he had difficulty connecting the song to the style he had established for Kirby music. He eventually had the idea to make it more fitting with Kirby by incorporating a ska rhythm, and after this, he finished the melody in a flash of inspiration.^[1]

Game appearances[edit]

The very first Gourmet Race in action.

Kirby Super Star / Kirby Super Star Ultra[edit]

In Kirby Super Star and its remake Kirby Super Star Ultra, the theme is used in two of the three stages of Gourmet Race, and as such, is named after that game. It appears in Pumpkin Grand and Onion Garden, while Corn Hall instead uses a different theme.

The original version is titled "Get Up and Go-Urmet!" in the Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition Compilation Soundtrack.

Another theme with a similar melody appears in this title as well: "Peanut Plains".

Kirby's Dream Land 3[edit]

A version of "Gourmet Race" in a higher key appears in a few stages in Kirby's Dream Land 3, first appearing in Sand Canyon - Stage 2. It also plays during the Jumping Sub-Game.

Super Smash Bros.[edit]

In the first Super Smash Bros. game, an arrangement of "Gourmet Race" (titled "Dream Land Stage") is used for the Dream Land stage. It is similar to the original version, though with somewhat different instrumentation. It is arranged by Hirokazu Ando.

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards[edit]

An arrangement of "Gourmet Race" is used for the 100-Yard Hop Sub-Game in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards.

Super Smash Bros. Melee[edit]

Main article: Fountain of Dreams (theme)

In Super Smash Bros. Melee, a slower-paced orchestral version of "Gourmet Race" with a much more dramatic tone, titled "Fountain of Dreams", is used in the Fountain of Dreams stage. It can also play in the Green Greens stage in Adventure Mode and is one of Kirby's credits themes. It is arranged by Tadashi Ikegami. This version would go on to appear in several other games, both in the Kirby and Super Smash Bros. series.

In addition, the remix from Super Smash Bros. returns under the name "Dream Land N64", again playing in the Dream Land stage and also being used for the battle against Giant Kirby in Adventure Mode.

Kirby: Canvas Curse[edit]

An arrangement of "Gourmet Race" plays in Paint Panic in Kirby: Canvas Curse. It is arranged by Jun Ishikawa.^[2]

The staff credits theme of this game is also an arrangement of "Gourmet Race", but in major key and slower paced.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a heavy metal version of the theme appears, simply titled "Gourmet Race". It can play in the Halberd stage, and it is also used in Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary when fighting the false versions of Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede, and Olimar in The Great Maze. It is arranged by Motoi Sakuraba. A brief portion of the song is also included in the arrangement of "The Legendary Air Ride Machine" by Shogo Sakai.

Kirby's Epic Yarn / Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn[edit]

An arrangement of "Gourmet Race" plays in Castle Dedede in Kirby's Epic Yarn and Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn. This version is slower paced when compared to the original, but not as slow as the "Fountain of Dreams" version.

In Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn exclusively, a remixed medley of "Gourmet Race" and "King Dedede's Theme" is used for the Dedede Gogogo Sub-Game. It was arranged by either Akihiro Juichiya or Soshiro Hokkai.^[3]

Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition[edit]

In Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition, "Gourmet Race" is heard when selecting two of the games in the Kirby's History mode:

• Kirby Super Star plays the original version.
• Kirby: Canvas Curse plays its Paint Panic version.

In addition, the Paint Panic version also has a chance of playing during the Normal Challenge of Last Land in the New Challenge Stages mode, and, in the North American release only, the player can choose to hear an orchestral medley of "Gourmet Race" and "Green Greens" at the final stop (representing the year 2012) of Kirby's History. This version somewhat resembles the version heard in Super Smash Bros. Melee, mainly the intro.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe[edit]

In Kirby: Triple Deluxe, the theme, here called "Gourmet Go Go", appears as the theme for level 2 of Dedede's Drum Dash, arranged in a similar manner to the other songs in the Sub-Game. This theme is also the title screen music for Dededetour!.

Kirby Fighters Deluxe[edit]

The 100-Yard Hop version of "Gourmet Race" from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards is reused in Kirby Fighters Deluxe for the first part of the Team DDD battle in the Easy, Normal, and Hard difficulties.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U[edit]

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, the Super Smash Bros. remix returns under the name "Dream Land" (American English) / "Gourmet Race (64)" (British English), again playing in the Dream Land (64) stage, which returns as DLC; the theme is unlocked by downloading the stage. The Super Smash Bros. Brawl remix also returns, again playing in the Halberd stage. It is again named "Gourmet Race", though in the British English version, downloading the DLC stage Dream Land (64) causes its name to change to "Gourmet Race (Brawl)".

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse[edit]

In Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, "Gourmet Race" is the second song featured in the unlockable Music Room track "Kirby Medley". This track can be unlocked by collecting one of the Treasure Chests found in the Burning Secrets stage.

Kirby: Planet Robobot[edit]

In Kirby: Planet Robobot, the theme "Sky-High and Smitten", used in certain stages of Rhythm Route, is a loose arrangement of "Gourmet Race" in a funky jazz fusion style. It is arranged by Jun Ishikawa.^[2]

The Paint Panic version of the theme from Kirby: Canvas Curse is reused in Gigabyte Grounds - Stage 7 EX.

Kirby Star Allies[edit]

In Kirby Star Allies, an arrangement of "Gourmet Race" plays while viewing the "Crazy Mischief in the Stars" Celebration Picture, added in version 2.0.0. This version is based on the "Gourmet Race (Brass Band Version)" arrangement that previously appeared as part of the "Kirby: Sweet Gourmet Race" Nintendo 3DS Theme, and is arranged by Hirokazu Ando.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the Super Smash Bros. remix returns again under the name "Gourmet Race (64)", and it can play in any Kirby series stage, as well as Battlefield, its derivatives, Final Destination, and the area in Adventure Mode: World of Light based on the Gourmet Race game from Kirby Super Star. The Super Smash Bros. Brawl remix also returns, under the name "Gourmet Race (Brawl)", and it can also play in any Kirby series stage, as well as Battlefield, its derivatives, and Final Destination.

Kirby Fighters 2[edit]

In Kirby Fighters 2, the Gourmet Go Go Battle Stage reuses the "Crazy Mischief in the Stars" arrangement of the theme from Kirby Star Allies, but features a new version of "Corn Hall" as its secret song instead of the main "Gourmet Race" theme.

Kirby's Dream Buffet[edit]

A chiptune arrangement of the Gourmet Race theme is featured alongside "Hidden Corkboard" and "I'm a Hungry Pink Puffball!" as part of a track titled "Kirby's Ultra-Gourmet Memories". It can be unlocked by collecting all Character Treats and plays in the Character Treats collection.

A brand-new arrangement of "Gourmet Race" also has a chance of playing on any Battle Royale stage. This arrangement is also included alongside "I'm a Hungry Pink Puffball!" and "On a Fun Drive with You" in the medley that plays during the staff credits.

The Tetris 99 theme based on Kirby's Dream Buffet includes two of the game's arrangements of "Gourmet Race": the Battle Royale arrangement is used along with "Rolling-Quartet Jazz Band" when 50-11 players are left, while "Kirby's Ultra-Gourmet Memories" is used on the results screen after coming in 1st place.

Other appearances[edit]

The original version of Gourmet Race from Kirby Super Star is included in its companion album The Very Best of Kirby: 52 Hit Tracks.

The Gourmet Race theme has been performed live several times by orchestras, most prominently in the Kirby 25th Anniversary Orchestra Concert as part of the "Kirby Super Star Medley". It also appeared in the Kirby 30th Anniversary Music Festival as part of the "Go Go! Kirby Race Medley" (along with "Outlaw Driver", "Circuit Speedway", "Top Ride: Grass", and "City Trial: City").

Kirby Pupupu Train features an acoustic version of the theme that also features the Green Greens theme titled "グリーングリーンズ～激突!グルメレース/KIRBY PUPUPU TRAIN Ver." (Green Greens ~ Gourmet Race / Kirby Pupupu Train Ver.), included in the Kirby Pupupu Train Eki-melo Collection

The theme was also featured in The Sound of Kirby Café, in track 3: "Gourmet! Carnival / Gourmet Race". Unlike the original theme, the whole song is in major key instead of just the final segment.

In the Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition Compilation Soundtrack, the theme appears in both track 43, titled "Electro Kirby", and track 44, titled "Gourmet Race to Green Greens: Chamber Music". In the former, part of the song is featured in the background from 0:56 to 1:13, while in the latter, the whole song is featured, played alongside the Green Greens theme in a chamber music style, as the name of the track suggests.

A tango arrangement of the theme appears in 監修 日本常識力検定協会 いまさら人には聞けない 大人の常識力トレーニングDS (General Knowledge Training),^[4] a game developed by HAL Laboratory. It specifically appears in a quiz in which the player is tasked with identifying the genre of a specific song.

"Gourmet Race" is one of three Kirby songs included as a demo in the Kirby Otamatone Melody, an officially-licensed music toy.

The Kirby's Dream Buffet version of "Gourmet Race" is featured in an officially licensed collection of Kirby sheet music published by Yamaha Corporation.^[5] Notably, the back of the sheet music book marks the first time this specific arrangement has been given an official name in both English and Japanese.

Video gallery[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

References