Two Planets Approach the Roche Limit
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"Two Planets Approach the Roche Limit" is the final boss battle theme of Kirby and the Forgotten Land, used for the battles against Fecto Elfilis and Chaos Elfilis. It was composed by Hirokazu Ando,[1] and can be found as track 71 at the Waddle Live! Corner Stage.
Composition[edit]
"Two Planets Approach the Roche Limit" can be seen as two themes, one for each phase of the fight. The song as a whole is set in a 6/8 time signature at about 130 beats per minute.
The first part of the song is in C minor, and is around four minutes long. It features predominantly violins, but also female choir, triangle, bells, organs, and a bit of percussion. Most notably, however, it rarely uses patterns, creating a more chaotic or improvisational feeling. Several other melodies can be heard, like "Welcome to the New World!", "Running Through the New World", and "VS. Dangerous Beast". One part sounds similar to "The Battle of Blizzard Bridge", which Ando also wrote. Ando originally conceived of "Blizzard Bridge" in a three-part structure, with the third part heavily featuring slap bass; he ultimately restricted "Blizzard Bridge" to a two-part structure for length, but transplanted his idea for the third part into "Roche Limit".[2]
Once Fecto Elfilis has 40% health left, they will switch to the second phase as the music smoothly transitions to the second part of the song, syncing up with their "Space Debris" attack. However, Kirby can do so at nearly any point of the battle, and by extension at any point during the theme. As a result, "Two Planets Approach the Roche Limit" is an interactive piece of music that has 14 unique transitions between phases, with the version heard at the Waddle Live! Corner Stage using the 14th transition. During the battle with Chaos Elfilis, the transitional interlude kicks in once the time comes for Kirby to use Dome Mouth at the end of the first phase. The second phase of that particular fight starts with "Eternal Echo of the Thrilling Tour-our-our", but the second phase of "Two Planets Approach the Roche Limit" kicks in when 70% of their health or lower is left and they attack with "Deadly Sun Grazer".
The second part is very hard rock-like, with leading instruments changing to electric guitar and trumpets, the drums changing to double time, and the key jumping to E-flat minor. This part loops until the battle is over. Overall, this part of the song is similar to "Suite: The Star-Conquering Traveler ~ Fourth Movement: Hope of Birth", another final boss theme that Hirokazu Ando composed.
Etymology[edit]
The theme's name refers to Fecto Elfilis's attempt at making Popstar and the new world crash into each other upon being defeated. The Roche limit is the smallest distance between two objects at which one object's gravitational binding force at least matches the tidal force exerted by another object (i.e., the differential in gravitational force exerted by the latter along the length of the former); by crossing the Roche limit, the former object would disintegrate. By implying that the two planets are approaching a mutual Roche limit, the title suggests that Popstar and the new world would tear each other apart. The same terminology is also used for the French, Dutch, Italian, German and Spanish titles.
In Japanese, the theme is called いつしか双星はロッシュ限界へ (Before One Knows, The Double Stars Will Go to the Roche Limit). 双星 means "double stars", which are stars that look like they are close to each other when observed from Earth, either by coincidence or due to forming an actual binary system. A notable example of a double star is Antares, the namesake of Fecto Elfilis's spear.[3] 双星 can also mean "diaster", which is a stage in mitotic cell division in which the divided and separated chromosomes group themselves near the poles of the spindle preparatory to forming new nuclei. Thus, 双星 here is both referring to the new world and Popstar going to crash into each other, but also of Elfilin and Fecto Forgo fusing with each other to form Fecto Elfilis. The same terminology used for the Japanese title also applies to both the Chinese and Korean titles.
Trivia[edit]
- Between the hallway where Fecto Forgo chases the heroes, and the arena where the Fecto Elfilis fight takes place, ambient wind sounds in "To a Place That Reaches the Stars" can be heard blowing to the melody of "Two Planets Approach the Roche Limit".
- "Two Planets Approach the Roche Limit" is Shinya Kumazaki's favorite theme composed by Hirokazu Ando for Kirby and the Forgotten Land.[4]
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | いつしか双星はロッシュ限界へ Itsushika Sōsei wa Rosshu-genkai e |
Before One Knows, The Double Stars Will Go to the Roche Limit See #Etymology |
| Traditional Chinese | 總有一天雙星會到達洛希極限 zǒng yǒu yītiān shuāngxīng huì dàodá luò xī jíxiàn |
The Day When Two Stars Will Inevitably Approach the Roche Limit |
| Simplified Chinese | 总有一天双星会到达洛希极限 zǒng yǒu yītiān shuāngxīng huì dàodá luò xī jíxiàn | |
| Dutch | Twee planeten naderen de Rochelimiet | Two planets near the Roche limit |
| French | Deux mondes proches de la limite de Roche | Two worlds near the Roche limit |
| German | Zwei Planeten nähern sich der Roche-Grenze | Two planets approach the Roche limit |
| Italian | Due pianeti in prossimità del limite di Roche | Two planets near the Roche limit |
| Korean | 어느덧 쌍성은 로슈 한계로 Eoneudeot Ssangseong-eun Rosyu Hangyero |
Before One Knows, The Double Stars Will Go to the Roche Limit |
| Spanish | Dos planetas próximos al límite de Roche | Two planets near the Roche limit |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Waddle Live! Corner Stage
- ↑ Kirby and the Forgotten Land: The Complete Soundtrack booklet, staff roundtable discussion. While discussing 'Bridge' Ando notes: 実は、当初は３段構えにしようかなと考えていて、２周目でギターが出てきて３周目でスラップベースって思っていたんですが、２周目を作っているあたりで、実際のステージが思ったより短くて、曲の半分も聴きないうちにステージをクリアできちゃうことがわかったんです（笑）。（中略）だから、３周目はボツにする代わりに、「いつしか双星はロッシュ限界へ」に入れたんです。 Translation: In fact, originally I was thinking of a triple structure [for 'Blizzard Bridge'], so that the [electric] guitar would appear in the second go-around and the slap bass in the third go-around, but as I was writing the second go-around, I realised the actual stage was shorter than I'd thought, and that it was possible to clear the stage without even hearing half of the track. (laughs) [...] So I threw away the idea for the third go-around, and instead put this into 'Two Planets Approach the Roche Limit'.
- ↑ Kirby and the Forgotten Land Perfect Support Guide, page 359
- ↑ Nintendo DREAM interview on their website
