To please longtime fans, Yamamoto-san arrange classic Metroid tunes, including 'Silence' ('Item Room'), 'Save Room' ('Tourian'), and 'Splinter Hive' ('Gold Statue Room'). Atmospheric, but not exactly easy listening. The latter emphasize atmospheric minimalism, containing distorted echoes of the Light Aether themes ruptured by static discharge and punctuated by the violent dischord of the Ing battles. At the soundtrack's heart is the mix of light and dark, through the airy Luminoth themes and the Dark Aether themes. The best by far, however, is 'Title ~ Dark Echoes' with its haunting melancholic nostalgia, a longing to put right some mysterious loss. Quadraxis', which oozes Ing goo punctuated by metallic rumbles, behemoth in size. The battle themes also stand out, especially 'VS. Echoes' originality shines through the neon Tron-scapes of 'Sanctuary' with its tower chorale and poingnant electronic whistles, and the industrial clanging and insectile scritching of 'Temple Grounds'. Emperor Ing (Chrysalis)' (the 'Spider' form contains homage to Metroid Prime's title theme). Space Pirates' returns with tribal intensity while 'Phazon clangs' punctuate 'VS.

The 'swamp' feel from 'Chozo Ruins (Main Plaza)' was expanded to the mournful cries of the masterful 'Torvus Bog', and 'VS. As sole composer of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Kenji Yamamoto expanded the aural universe established with Prime while giving Echoes a unique flavor.

Metroid prime 2