The Last Iceberg

The Last Iceberg
Sample of "The Last Iceberg" from Kirby's Dream Land 3.
Details
Debut appearance	Kirby's Dream Land 3 (1997)
Last appearance	Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe (2023)
Other appearance(s)	Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards Kirby's Return to Dream Land Kirby Star Allies
Composer(s)	Jun Ishikawa

"The Last Iceberg" is a theme from Kirby's Dream Land 3. This theme was originally composed by the sole sound composer for Kirby's Dream Land 3, Jun Ishikawa.

Composition

Transcription of the bass line in "The Last Iceberg" in its initial use. In the double-time reprise, only the first ending is used.

"The Last Iceberg" is based upon drum 'n' bass music and features a fast-paced tempo of 172 BPM (with some parts in half-time at 86 BPM) and a heavy emphasis on percussion. It is built around a principal motif in its bass line, largely set in G mixolydian but consistently making use of an augmented second. After a brief intro portion in 6/4 time composed entirely of sine leads, the track immediately kicks into gear with drum and bass, accompanied by a screeching siren-like synth that rises up for half a measure then falls over the course of the next several measures, additionally switching to common 4/4. The track shifts to a sparser drum line while the bass line mostly repeats the original motif, accompanied now by synth pads and chimes, but with a different ending that leads into a drum and synth brass interlude. An aggressive synth lead then repeats the original bass motif but in double time, with a denser drum line to match. This is followed by a prolonged section of synth strings slowly descending, backed by percussion that walks up and down in pitch. The track then transitions to a brief interlude in 5/4 time featuring the sine leads from the intro and then synth brass, which briefly switches to 6/4 for the last measure. The track then loops back to the initial drum and bass portion.

Game appearances

Kirby's Dream Land 3

In its debut game appearance, this theme features only in the last normal stage of Iceberg, where Kirby battles many Mid-Bosses in succession. Curiously, this is also the only stage of the game that does not switch to one of the Animal Friends themes when entering the Animal Friend rooms in the stage.

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards

Main article: Inside the Castle

"The Last Iceberg" in "Inside the Castle" from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards.

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards does not feature a standalone arrangement of "The Last Iceberg". However, while "Inside the Castle" is mostly a re-instrumented version of one of the Animal Friends themes from Kirby's Dream Land 3, it clearly replaces the original bass line with one that paraphrases the principal bass line motif from "The Last Iceberg". This version is in the key of F.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land / Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe

Main article: Into the Underground Waterway

"The Last Iceberg" in "Into the Underground Waterway" from Kirby's Return to Dream Land by Jun Ishikawa.

"The Last Iceberg" features prominently in "Into the Underground Waterway", used in Egg Engines - Stage 4. While much of the track is original, it borrows the rhythm of the "The Last Iceberg" bass line for much of the track, and quotes the bass line motif towards the start in a fashion reminiscent of the original track's double-time aggressive synth portion.

Kirby Star Allies

The original Kirby's Dream Land 3 version of the song is one of the tracks used in Sector A, where Kirby battles many ambushing enemies in succession.

Other appearances

This theme was remixed as "Electro Kirby" in the Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition Compilation Soundtrack. While numerous other themes feature in the track, the bass line from "The Last Iceberg" underlies almost the entirety of the track, giving way only to "Green Greens" for the final half-minute.

It was also present in the Kirby 30th Anniversary Music Festival, which featured a big-band arrangement of the original track's bass line and synth brass interlude as part of the "Kirby Through the Years: 1993-2004" medley.

• "The Last Iceberg" in "Electro Kirby" from the Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition Compilation Soundtrack.
• "The Last Iceberg" in "Kirby Through the Years: 1993-2004" from the Kirby 30th Anniversary Music Festival, arranged by Yuuta Ogasawara and performed by the Kirby 30th Anniversary Special Band Deluxe.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	アイスバーグ Aisubāgu	Iceberg
English	The Last Iceberg	-