"The Ultimate Fight" is a battle theme that debuted inKirby and the Forgotten Land, serving as the theme music for most mid-boss and boss battles in The Ultimate Cup of theColosseum. It was composed byYuki Shimooka.^[1]

Composition[edit]

"The Ultimate Fight" is an upbeat battle theme that is played at 154 beats per minute, and composed primarily in the key of G minor. Most of the song is also played at 4/4 time signature. Much of the main melody is played with prominent usage of brass and string instruments, as well as making use of a combination of drum kits, taiko drums and conga drums for the percussion line. The first part of the song somewhat bears a resemblance in melody to "Sky Tower", but also incorporates elements from "Running Through the New World" near the end.

Afterwards, an intermission that incorporates elements from "VS. Dangerous Beast" (specifically based on "The Beast Pack's Final Stand") and "Plundering Beast Battle" plays at 3/4 time signature, while gradually changing the key to B minor for the next section of the song. The second section primarily changes up the main motif, and incorporates parts resembling leitmotifs from "Road to Victory" and "Northeast Frost Street" throughout. At the end of the song, it reprises the intermission portion, though playing only the "VS. Dangerous Beast" leitmotif, and then ends with a solo portion combining both conga and taiko drums before looping back to the first part.

If a boss reaches its last phase while "The Ultimate Fight" is playing (or after defeating the first of two mid-bosses in the appropriate encounters), additional percussion beats are added to the song. These primarily feature kick drums and tambourines, as well as additional taiko drums during the intermission segments.

Game appearances[edit]

Kirby and the Forgotten Land /Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World[edit]

"The Ultimate Fight" appears inKirby and the Forgotten Land and itsNintendo Switch 2 Edition as the theme music for theColosseum's The Ultimate Cup when battling mid-bosses,Gorimondo,Tropic Woods,Clawroline andSillydillo. It also appears as a leitmotif in two more themes that are featured in the Colosseum. At theWaddle Live! Corner Stage, this track is listed as Track 79, and playing it there will incorporate the two versions of the song together as a looping medley.

The first track that makes use of the aforementioned theme as a leitmotif is"Champion's Waiting Room", which is the music used for the rest areas in The Ultimate Cup. It plays primarily in F minor and at 147 beats per minute. It makes use of a unique melody that makes some slight deviations from the original theme while subtly incorporating some parts of "Running Through the New World". It was also composed byYuki Shimooka and can be found as Track 78 in Waddle Live! Corner Stage. The music starts playing 1/3 of the ways in before the battles withForgo Dedede,Leongar andFecto Forgo, and starts playing past the halfway mark before the battle withFecto Elfilis.

The second track is a faster-paced composition named"Decisive Battle: Ultimate Z", composed byHirokazu Ando^[1] and found as Track 88 in Waddle Live! Corner Stage. It is used as the boss theme for The Ultimate Cup Z in the Colosseum, and even overrides the boss music forPhantom King Dedede and the first phase ofPhantom Forgo Dedede. It is still played in the key of G minor and at a 4/4 time signature, however it now plays at a faster 176 beats per minute. The main melody is played on electric guitars and synthesizers, with Hammond organ and rock drums providing accompaniment. It also incorporates "Welcome to the New World!" heavily as a recurring leitmotif throughout the song.

"Decisive Battle: Ultimate Z" also transitions into a distinct second arrangement when a boss reaches its final phase (against Phantom King Dedede, this transition only takes place after its completion of its opening "End of Ice Age" attack). This version uses "calmer" instruments, such as acoustic drums and strings, offset by piano and electric bass playing more frantic rhythms than in the main arrangement. It also features an entirely different intermission segment where the bass and piano take the forefront. When playing the song at the Waddle Live! Corner Stage, the two arrangements are stringed together as a looping medley, like with "The Ultimate Fight".

Trivia[edit]

• The final phase versions of "The Ultimate Fight" and "Decisive Battle: Ultimate Z" have unique intro sections that go unused in the final game, mainly because these arrangements only play during the second phase of a mid-boss or boss. The former's intro section is the same as the original but with added percussion, while the latter's intro section is a completely unique arrangement using violin, piano, and acoustic drums.

Names in other languages[edit]

The Ultimate Fight[edit]

Champion's Waiting Room[edit]

Decisive Battle: Ultimate Z[edit]

References

• Music in Kirby and the Forgotten Land
• Music in Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World

• Articles which list Japanese names
• Articles which list Chinese names
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