History Main / RecurringRiff

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' saw ''VideoGame/Fallout3'''s title motif is used in the exploration, [[BattleThemeMusic battle]], GameOver, and LevelUp themes. Also, the music box tune heard during "Baby Steps" is reprised for the "Tranquility Lane" quest. The ''[=FO3=]'' title theme returns in ''[[VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas New Vegas]]'', which was also scored by Inon Zur and includes some of Mark Morgan's themes from the first two games. ''VideoGame/Fallout4'', in addition to the main title theme, contains reworks of several ambient pieces from ''Fallout 3'', at least one of the battle themes is based on the ''New Vegas'' theme, one of the exploration themes is similar to Caesar's Legion's theme from said game, and Diamond City's theme appears to be based on that of Primm.

* Every ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' movie used similar instrumental music when replaying scenes from different perspectives (such as the lighting hitting the [=DeLorean=] at 88 MPH from the [[Film/BackToTheFuture first movie]], which is replayed at the end of the second and consequently the beginning of the [[Film/BackToTheFuturePartIII third]]).

* ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'' features a riff from "Forbidden Friendship" in many different contexts: first played in a minor key when Hiccup [[spoiler: attempts to kill Toothless]], on xylophone as Toothless and Hiccup become friends, as bagpipes and orchestra as they take their first flight together, on strings and xylophone in 3/4 time when Astrid rides Toothless for the first time, and continues to reappear throughout the score.

* In ''LightNovel/IsThisAZombie'', the first 10 seconds or so of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82B7ZFiJKGA Kumori Nochi Hare]] seems the find its way into almost every background music played in the anime in some form or another.

** Some of the recurring tunes from previous games in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' include Dinosaur Boss Battle, especially during the Stallord battle, the first riff of the original Kakariko Village music interpolated with a slow variation of the Dark World theme from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'', Goron City, Zora's Domain (almost identical to its ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' incarnation), the opening riff of the title music from the original ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda'', used in the intro sequence, Hyrule Castle, and Saria[='s=] Song, which is used as the Sacred Woods theme. Sadly, the original overworld theme is almost completely absent. The tune pops up on a more triumphant note about halfway though the ending credits and a few bars appear in the overworld music, but that's more-or-less it.

No relation to the ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' character [[TheSmartGuy Riff]]. See RecurringElement for non-music examples, ThemeAndVariationsSoundtrack for extreme examples of the "within a single work" version, and DiegeticSoundtrackUsage for a riff from the soundtrack (like theme music) appearing in-universe.

* ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER|1}}'' introduced several themes that appear elsewhere in the series - "Pollyanna (I Believe in You)", "Eight Melodies (Queen Mary's Lullabye)", "Humoresque of a Little Dog", and the theme to the NewAgeRetroHippie. ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'' also introduced "Eight Melodies (Sound Stone)", which was also reused multiple times (including being remixed with the first "Eight Melodies" tune to make "Sixteen Melodies" in ''VideoGame/Mother3'').

* The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PanyifCWFIc Saturos theme]] for ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'', which, as of ''[[VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn Dark Dawn]]'', seems to be becoming the BonusBoss battle music.

** Calamari Inkantation is a theme deeply linked with the Inklings -- and as the series goes on, seemingly marine life as a whole -- to the point that it's said that it "may as well be carved into [their] very DNA". This song shows up occasionally as background music, such as being the train station's jingle in Inkopolis Plaza, but it is most notably a recurring ThemeMusicPowerUp performed by the [[IdolSinger Squid Sisters]] during the FinalBoss of each installment's main campaign (receiving a new rendition each time), as well as [[spoiler:the BonusBoss of the ''Octo Expansion'']].

** ''Super Mario Bros. 1'' also launched the [[InvincibilityPowerUp Starman]] theme. Almost every Mario game with invincibility stars plays this theme, including many platformers, some [=RPGs=] and all ''Mario Kart'' games. The {{aver|ted trope}}sions are ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand'' and ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand2SixGoldenCoins'', where these stars play unique themes based on Music/JacquesOffenbach's "Galop Infernal" (better known as StandardSnippet/TheCancanSong). Although there aren't any invincibility stars in ''Super Mario 64'', the game remixes this theme for all of the power-ups. A metallic-sounding remix is used for the Metal Cap.

** ''Super Mario Bros. 1'' also launched the [[InvincibilityPowerUp Starman]] theme. Almost every Mario game with invincibility stars plays this theme, including many platformers, some [=RPGs=] and all ''Mario Kart'' games. The {{aver|ted trope}}sions are ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand'' and ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand2SixGoldenCoins'', where these stars play unique themes. Although there aren't any invincibility stars in ''Super Mario 64'', the game remixes this theme for all of the power-ups. A metallic-sounding remix is used for the Metal Cap.

* For the very observant, the ''Super Mario RPG'' Mushroom Kingdom theme was reused from Final Fantasy V's Tycoon Castle theme.

** The spin-offs have their own riffs as well. Among other songs, the ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'' games use a variant of the same song whenever you choose your species, and each [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo set of games]] has its own internal riffs; even In the Future of Darkness, despite being a side story that doesn't feature the player outside of flashbacks has its own distinct jingle.

* ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER|1}}'' introduced several themes that appear elsewhere in the series - "Pollyanna (I Believe in You)", "Eight Melodies (Queen Mary's Lullabye)", "Humoresque of a Little Dog", and the theme to the NewAgeRetroHippie. ''VideoGame/EarthBound'' also introduced "Eight Melodies (Sound Stone)", which was also reused multiple times (including being remixed with the first "Eight Melodies" tune to make "Sixteen Melodies" in ''VideoGame/Mother3'').

* The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PanyifCWFIc Saturos theme]] for ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'', which, as of Dark Dawn, seems to be becoming the BonusBoss battle music.

* The piano motif of ''VideoGame/MaxPayne'''s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv0y0On8ZGQ title theme]] is reused in both sequels.

* ''Film/TheAvengers2012'' started one for the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, a version of it was later used for ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy''

* ''VideoGame/EarthBound'' has a downright creepy sequence of notes that plays in various locations and battles.

** In ''Highly Responsive to Prayers'', many of the songs are based on the title theme's riff.
** In ''Mountain of Faith'', recurring themes include the pentatonic melody in the title theme, the chorus of the Stage 1 boss theme, and the waltz motif in the Stage 3 boss theme. The final boss theme incorporates all three of these.

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* In the Useful notes/PCEngine CD remake of ''VideoGame/{{Valis}}: The Fantasm Soldier'', the new arrangement of the title theme incorporates the main riff of "Sacred Sacrifice", the ''Valis II'' theme.

** ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance]]'' used the Intrude fanfare/Theme in VR, when playing as Snake in his [=MGS1=] costume. Pay attention during the "Opening Infiltration" segment of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2'', and you'll hear a little nod to the Fanfare as Snake lands on the Tanker.

* The soundtrack for the second season of ''LightNovel/SpiceAndWolf'' has a number of recurring themes remixed with different combinations of instruments and at slightly different speeds. The most prominent tune is repeated in five separate tracks: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0weEEULdw8M Shukusai no Hajimari]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El7kM2H5V1Y Ki no Ii Hitobito]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz19GjfNhcU Ookami to Odoru]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyGE2g0VclU Nezumi no Shippo Tei]], culminating in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8YWxcv_ZVg Matsuri wa Owari, Tabi wa Tsuzuki]].

* The original ''VideoGame/MarioParty'' includes shout-outs to earlier games. The tracks "Slowly, Slowly" and "Dodging Danger" are based on the World 6 and 8 map themes, respectively, from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3''. And the Magma Mountain course includes a section based on Bowser's Keep from ''Videogame/SuperMarioRPG''.

** Calamari Inkantation is a theme deeply linked with the Inklings, to the point that it's said that "may as well be carved into the very DNA of all Inklings". This theme shows up often in-game, appearing as a train station's jingle in Inkopolis Plaza, as part of the first game's credits theme, and as part of the background music in ''VideoGame/Splatoon2: Octo Expansion'''s Deepsea Metro as you complete more of the campaign. The song itself is performed by the [[IdolSinger Squid Sisters]] as a ThemeMusicPowerUp during the first two games' FinalBoss, as well as [[spoiler:the BonusBoss of the ''Octo Expansion'']].
** Just as Calamari Inkantation is linked to the Inklings, Octarians (or, at least, their military band Turquoise October) has a 5-note jingle called "Onward!" that shows up in quite a few tracks related to them. It appears in several of the tunes heard in the main single-player campaigns, even serving as the level clear fanfare and as part of DJ Octavio's boss theme in the first two games.

*** Neither of these bands restricted their use of this technique to just that one album. For example, in NIN's ''The Fragile'', the piano motif from "La Mer" reappears in "Into the Void". Pink Floyd used this in all their albums from ''Music/TheDarkSideOfTheMoon'' to ''Music/TheFinalCut''. On ''Dark Side'' there's the obvious case of the heartbeat motif which {{bookends}} the album, but "Breathe" returns not merely as a reprise but also as the harmonic backing to "Any Colour You Like". ''Music/WishYouWereHere'' has the obvious example of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and ''Music/{{Animals|1977}}'' has the obvious example of "Pigs on the Wing", both of which book end the album ("Sheep" also reprises elements from "Dogs"), but ''The Final Cut'' really takes it up a notch as there are a rather large number of motifs that make multiple appearances on the album.

** Just as Calamari Inkantation is linked to the Inklings, Octarians (or, at least, their military band Turquoise October) has a 5-note jingle that shows up in quite a few tracks related to them. It appears as the intro of each game's single-player themes, as the level clear fanfare, and [[BossRemix remixed into the final boss themes]] of the first two games.

* The ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'' series tend to use riffs of "You've Got a Friend In Me", and ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'' also uses riffs from "When Somebody Loved Me"

* ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'':
** Calamari Inkantation is a theme deeply linked with the Inklings, to the point that it's said that "may as well be carved into the very DNA of all Inklings". This theme shows up often in-game, appearing as a train station's jingle in Inkopolis Plaza, as part of the first game's credits theme, and as part of the background music in ''VideoGame/Splatoon2: Octo Expansion'''s Deepsea Metro. The song itself is performed by the [[IdolSinger Squid Sisters]] as a ThemeMusicPowerUp during both games' FinalBoss, as well as [[spoiler:the BonusBoss of the ''Octo Expansion'']].
** Just as Calamari Inkantation is linked to the Inklings, the Octarians have a 5 note jingle that shows up in quite a few tracks related to them. It appears as the intro of both games' first single-player themes, as the level clear fanfare, and [[BossRemix remixed into both final boss themes]].

* In ''VideoGame/TwistedMetalBlack'', the melody of Music/TheRollingStones' "[[RealSongThemeTune Paint it Black]]" pops up at several points in the soundtrack. Blink, and you'll miss it.

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* The riff of the ''Skate Or Die'' theme song ("SKATE OR DIE! DIEDIEDIEDIEDIE!") recurs in several variations in the second game (eg the mall theme, at least one of the cutscene musics).
* NintendoSwitchSports features several riffs from the VideoGame/WiiSports main theme acting as the jingle that plays before the start of a game.

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*** Neither of these bands restricted their use of this technique to just that one album. For example, in NIN's ''The Fragile'', the piano motif from "La Mer" reappears in "Into the Void". Pink Floyd used this in all their albums from ''Music/TheDarkSideOfTheMoon'' to ''Music/TheFinalCut''. On ''Dark Side'' there's the obvious case of the heartbeat motif which {{bookends}} the album, but "Breathe" returns not merely as a reprise but also as the harmonic backing to "Any Colour You Like". ''Music/WishYouWereHere'' has the obvious example of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and ''Music/{{Animals|1977}}'' has the obvious example of "Pigs on the Wing", both of which book end the album ("Sheep" also reprises elements from "Dogs"), but ''The Final Cut'' really takes it UpToEleven as there are a rather large number of motifs that make multiple appearances on the album.