Kirby has been in the news a lot over the past couple of months. While many people are excited following the announcement of Kirby and the Forgotten Land, this isn’t the only piece of news regarding the Pink Puffball. In addition to this upcoming 3D game, an arrangement of a famous song from the series is receiving some attention.
Recently, a classic song from the Kirby series received a nomination for a Grammy Award. The nominated song was an arrangement of “Meta Knight’s Revenge” part of the soundtrack for Kirby Super Star from the SNES. This new arrangement created by Charlie Rosen and Jake Silverman and performed by The 8-Bit Big Band featuring Button Masher was listed as part of the Best Arrangement, Instrumental, or A Cappella category.
As for the Kirby song, it probably sounds familiar but different at the same time to many fans. While this grammy-nominated arrangement maintains the same iconic melody that made the original SNES version famous, it takes advantage of a live band (something the 1996 version didn’t have access to). In addition to the added instrumentation, this arrangement performed by The 8-Bit Big Band features a smoother, groovier sound compared to the faster pace of the original. For those wanting to hear the song, it is available on YouTube.
While this isn't the first video game to get nominated for a Grammy, the list is surprisingly short. The only other game to receive a nomination was Journey in 2012. This critically acclaimed game included an impressive soundtrack composed by Austin Wintory. However, Wintory’s score for Journey failed to grab the award, as it went to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It will be interesting to see if this jazzy arrangement of “Meta Knight’s Revenge” performed by The 8-Bit Big Band can take the next step and win the Grammy.
For those interested in hearing more music performed by The 8-Bit Big Band, the musical group has a YouTube channel dedicated to video game music. Fans can find numerous arrangements of classic tunes from retro gaming consoles, with some featuring footage from the live performances. Some examples of other songs performed by the band include Bob-omb Battlefield from Super Mario 64 and Athletic Theme from Yoshi’s Island.
In addition, Kirby Super Star is available on the Nintendo Switch for those wanting to play the game. It is part of a collection of SNES games available through Nintendo Switch Online. Furthermore, Nintendo is offering a one-week free trial of the online service, giving players the perfect opportunity to check out the original version of this song in the classic game.
Source: IGN