Grant Kirkhope composing for a Mario game is the kind of sentence that would have sounded like fan fiction before 2017, but here we are, and the man absolutely delivered. "Two Worlds Collide" sets up the absurd premise of Mario meeting Rabbids with a score that's somehow both epic and goofy, which is exactly the tone the whole game rides.
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"Ancient Gardens" is vintage Kirkhope, that lush orchestral warmth he perfected in Banjo-Kazooie now draped over Mushroom Kingdom scenery. "Mid Boss Mayhem" brings the tactical intensity this XCOM-meets-Nintendo hybrid demands.
The enemy themes are a stroke of genius. "Ziggies!" "Hoppers!" and "Huggers!" each give a distinct enemy type its own musical personality, turning tactical encounters into something that feels choreographed. The boss progression for Rabbid Kong alone gets three tracks: "Rabbid Kong Rumpus," "Rabbid Kong Rumble," and presumably a third phase buried in there.
The Icicle Golem gets the same treatment with "Freeze," "Fracas," and "Finale," each escalating the intensity. The world themes show Kirkhope stretching into territory he'd never explored before. "A Song of Ice and Desert" bridges two biomes with a single musical idea, while "Hot Start, Cold Finish" and "Cold Start, Hot Finish" are cleverly mirrored compositions that flip the same journey.
"Sunny Side Up" and "Through the Lawns" bring that early-game optimism before "Tower Trouble" darkens the mood. This is one of the best Switch soundtracks period, and proof that Kirkhope's melodic instincts are timeless.