Green Hill Zone plays in the eponymous level, the first in Sonic the Hedgehog (GEN). Originally composed by Masato Nakamura and released alongside the rest of the game in June 1991, it endures as perhaps the single most famous song in the entire franchise.
Title
All official soundtrack albums give the song's name as either "Green Hill Zone" or just "Green Hill."
Composition
Overall, "Green Hill Zone" is upbeat, matching the cheerful greenery of the level itself. After a short intro and a few bars heavy on held notes, the A-section of the song begins and introduces a "sparkly," abstract sound as a recurring background noise. This ends up becoming more prominent in the B-section, which shifts keys until the song loops back to the A-section. These are far from the only elements, of course - a steady percussion (consisting of a drumbeat and bass notes) and a background melody that contrasts the main line are also important to the composition as a whole.
Games
Sonic the Hedgehog (GEN)
The original version of the song was composed on an Atari computer by Nakamura and arranged for Genesis's YM2612 chip by Hiroshi Kubota.
Fittingly, this rendition is reused verbatim as one of the songs that can play on the Green Hill Zone stage in Super Smash Bros. Brawl (WII).
Sonic the Hedgehog (SMS)
With Green Hill Zone also being the first level of the Master System version, Yuzo Koshiro arranged the song for the console's SN76489 chip. Unsurprisingly, it sounds noticeably more stripped-down than on the YM2612 (particularly the percussion), though it retains the core main and backing melodies.
Sonic the Hedgehog (GG)
This version of the song is effectively identical to the Master System rendition.
Waku Waku Sonic Patrol Car (ARC)
During regular gameplay, the game plays a simplistic rendition of Green Hill Zone's theme. It is not known who arranged this version of the song.
Sonic the Hedgehog (IMOD)
This early mobile phone game, meant to throw back to the original Genesis game, features a version of Green Hill Zone's theme that preserves all of its original melodies. The instruments are another story, however - the percussion is noticeably quieter & the synths used for the primary melodies sound more staccato. In addition, the song pauses for a moment before looping.
Sonic Adventure 2 (DC)
Sonic Adventure 2, which was released nearly 10 years after the original Sonic the Hedgehog, commemorates the occasion with a hidden stage translating Green Hill Zone into 3D. It naturally plays a remix of the original level's theme, leaning heavily on retro-esque synthesizers with light orchestral string backing.
Since this rendition has never been included on an official soundtrack album, its arranger is currently unknown.
Sonic Battle (GBA)
Green Hill returns as an unlockable arena, bringing its theme with it. This arrangement features an entirely new melody for the first 9 seconds before transitioning into the original tune. This version is noticeably more intense, in keeping with the rest of the game's soundtrack - it features a slightly faster tempo, a prominent, driving bassline, and instruments that evoke squealing guitars.
Sonic Advance 3 (GBA)
The second zone in the game, Sunset Hill Zone, hearkens back to Green Hill and brings four separate remixes of the latter's theme with it:
- The zone's map screen features a slightly slower-paced rendition of the song that never progresses past the first verse, with a light-sounding backing melody. It is the only one of the four that retains the original key.
- Act 1 is pitched down slightly, features a more breakbeat-style percussion line, and alters some of the harmonies when compared to the original Genesis version of the song. However, it does preserve the tempo unaltered.
- Act 2 is significantly faster-paced, with the breakbeat percussion being more accentuated and the main melody sounding somewhat harsher than usual.
- Act 3 plays around with the original melody the most, launching into the last portion before the loop after the intro. It is also heavier on relatively unusual-sounding harmonies.
While the game does not indicate which of its composers was responsible for these songs, an unofficial analysis of their style points to Kenichi Tokoi being responsible.
Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis (GBA)
This port of the original game features a soundtrack often said to sound like MIDI versions of the Genesis version's music, Green Hill Zone included. The percussion is significantly weaker, in part because the overall instrumentation is less punchy and distinctive. The identity of the arranger is currently unknown.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (NDS)
Teruhiko Nakagawa provides an arrangement of Green Hill Zone's theme in the game's gallery. Every instrument in this version sounds like a synthesizer, leading to less variation within the song.
Sonic Generations (PS3)
Fittingly for a game celebrating the series' 20th anniversary, Green Hill and its theme returns as the first level in Sonic Generations. The remixes essentially set the stage for what to expect from each level's soundtrack:
- Classic Sonic (the original, pre-3D design) goes through Act 1, which is accompanied by a remix from Naofumi Hataya that primarily uses instruments similar to the original Genesis rendition (or, in some cases, the same ones). The primary differences include a constantly "clapping" percussion line and the addition of extra harmonies throughout.
- Modern Sonic goes through Act 2, whose remix hearkens closer to the style of music used in 3D Sonic games. Longtime composer Jun Senoue's take on the tune is faster-paced and rock-inspired, with a constant guitar and bassline throughout, but also heavily features a brass line as a complement. Whenever Sonic boosts, the song gains a filter to aurally emphasize his sheer speed.
- Standing outside of Green Hill in "White Space" (the game's hub world) plays a laid-back violin rendition of the stage's theme.
Since Sonic Generations (X360) is the same game as the PS3 version, all three songs are reused in that version. In addition, the first two appear unaltered in Sonic Generations (3DS), which also uses Green Hill as its first stage.
Sonic the Hedgehog (AND)
The 2013 iOS and Android ports of the first Sonic game feature a lightly remastered soundtrack, recreating songs like Green Hill Zone's with higher-quality samples.
Sonic Mania (SW)
Green Hill Zone reappears as the first level in Sonic Mania, and composer Tee Lopes provides two remixes of its music for each act. The first keeps close to the original, albeit with more lush, complex instrumentation across the board. The second, by contrast, takes much greater liberties with the overall style -- even though the tempo is not altered much at all, the overall sound is far more energetic and cheerful than the original version, with flourishes reminiscent of Sonic CD (SCD)'s soundtrack driving the song at several points throughout.
Likely owing to Nakamura owning the rights to the original composition, neither rendition of the song is available on the game's official soundtrack releases.
Albums
Links
