Curiosity: The Songs of Zillion

The game that I will cite here was based on an anime. It is 赤い光弾ジリオン (Romanized: Akai Kōdan Jirion; in English: Red Light Projectile Zillion), released to the console Mark III in Japan and to the Master System in the West, where it arrived with the title Zillion.

赤い光弾ジリオン (Akai Kōdan Jirion) / Zillion Developed by: Sega Enterprises, Ltd. (in Japanese) Published by: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.

See more details in the following lines.

Despite its popularity and constant comparisons with the gameplay of the classic game Metroid, there are only few citations about their songs. It turns out that they are synthesized versions of some of the original songs from the anime that originated them, specifically the opening and closing themes, Pure Stone and Push!, respectively, and the song Break a trap for yourself.

I, as a Brazilian, was fortunate to watch the anime in the 1990s, on Rede Gazeta. If you have watched it in some way, you will probably recognize the songs that will be mentioned here. See the Brazilian opening of the anime in the video below:

Click here to watch the video on the YouTube website

If you have watched the anime before, you must have noticed that the Brazilian opening is different from the original, having only instrumental music instead of vocal music and does not show telop. The same thing happened with the ending theme. Unfortunately I do not know why this happened.

To enable readers to compare the music from the game and from the anime, I leave them here for your appreciation. I also leave the lyrics of the songs, so you can better enjoy this curiosity.

Click here to listen to the playlist of songs on the SoundCloud website

These songs shown above are from the game.
In the player, between parentheses, in front of the name of each song, I listed the names of places or situations in the game where the corresponding song is played.
For example: Pure Stone is played in the introduction of the game and part of the surface of planet X, between the LandCaridd (in Japanese: ランドキャリッド; Romanized: RandoKyariddo) and the entrance to the Noza base (in Japanese: ノーザ; Romanized: Nōza).
Do you not know the LandCaridd and you do not know who are the Noza? So let's see a short explanation.

Picture of the LandCaridd in the animation Zillion. It is a red vehicle used by the White Nuts group (em japonês: ホワイト・ナッツ; romanizado: Howaito Nattsu) to get around on land. White Nuts is an elite squad where the anime characters are stationed. On the first picture (at the top left) we can see Dave (the chubby man in green, an anime character, on his back) guiding the vehicle. On the second picture (at the top right) we can see the vehicle preparing to dock with BigPorter. On the third picture (at the bottom left) we can see the LandCaridd already docked with BigPorter, which is this large aircraft that carries the group's vehicles. In the last picture we have LandCaridd traveling through an arid region of the planet Maris.
Click on one of the images above to enlarge it

Pictures of the LandCaridd in the video game.
Click on one of the images above to enlarge it

The Noza is an alien race that has invaded the planet Maris to conquer it and make it their new home. They are the villains in the cartoon Zillion. Above, there are images of a Noza soldier in the cartoon (left) and some soldiers in the video game (right).
Click on one of the images above to enlarge it

After these explanations, let us return to the songs. Listen now the original versions of songs previously presented:

Click here to listen to the playlist of songs on the SoundCloud website

Pure Stone lyrics (Click here to see it)

ピュアストーン	Pyua Sutōn	Pure Stone
（Ｗｈａｔ！）　誰かの声が （Ｃａｌｌ　ｍｅ！）　私を呼ぶは　呼ぶは （Ｌｏｏｋ！）　視線を上げた （Ｓｔｏｐ！）　風が止まった	(What!) Dare ka no koe ga (Call me!) Watashi o yobu wa yobu wa (Look!) Shisen o ageta (Stop!) Kaze ga tomatta	(What!) The voice of someone (Call me!) Is calling me, calling me (Look!) I lifted my eyes (Stop!) The wind stopped
さびしい時間が 私をためすから	Sabishii jikan ga Watashi o tamesu kara	Because lonely times Try me
心にあるピュアストーン 輝いていて 一秒ごと自分を 信じたい	Kokoro ni aru pyua sutōn Kagayaiteite Ichi byō goto jibun o Shinjitai	There is a pure stone in my heart Shining Every second I want to believe in myself
Ｉ　ｄｏ　ｉｔ　夢が 化石になる前に早く Ｉ　ｇｅｔ　ｉｔ　腕を のばすのよ遠く　遠く	I do it yume ga Kaseki ni naru mae ni hayaku I get it ude o Nobasu no yo tōku tōku	I do it ― It is a dream That fossilizes before me, fast I get it ― My arm Reaches a place far far away
体のどこかで 弱気がブレーキかける	Karada no doko ka de Yowaki ga burēki kakeru	Where in the body Shyness applies the brakes?
ころがるのよ　ピュアストーン 傷ついたって 立ちふさがるすべて 突きぬけて	Korogaru no yo pyua sutōn Kizutsuitatte Tachifusagaru subete Tsukinukete	The pure stone rolls Even damaged Everything that blocks it It will break
心にあるピュアストーン 痛みの度に 輝き方少し 変えるのね	Kokoro ni aru pyua sutōn Itami no tabi ni Kagayaki kata sukoshi Kaeru no ne	There is a pure stone in my heart In painful moments The little way it shines Changes
ころがるのよ　ピュアストーン 傷ついたって 立ちふさがるすべて 突きぬけて	Korogaru no yo pyua sutōn Kizutsuitatte Tachifusagaru subete Tsukinukete	The pure stone rolls Even damaged Everything that blocks it It will break

Break a trap for yourself lyrics (Click here to see it)

Ｂｒｅａｋ　ａ　ｔｒａｐ　ｆｏｒ　ｙｏｕｒｓｅｌｆ	Break a trap for yourself	Break a trap for yourself
誰かの投げた言葉が 心に刺さって抜けない こんなはずじゃなかったのさ 傷ついてるなんて Ａｎｙｔｉｍｅ　ａｎｙｗａｙ　自信があるなら どんなときも　笑って過ごせた わなにかかったよな　Ｔｏｎｉｇｈｔ	Dare ka no nageta kotoba ga Kokoro ni sasatte nukenai Konna hazujanakatta no sa Kizutsuiteru nante Anytime anyway jishin ga aru nara Donna toki mo waratte sugoseta Wana ni kakatta yo na Tonight	The word thrown by someone Sticks in the heart and does not get out There was no such possibility Of being injured Anytime anyway If I had self-confidence At any moment I could laugh beyond measure I was caught by a trap Tonight
自分を甘やかすうち 深みに落ちてゆくのさ 気づかぬうちに壁をつくり 飛びこせなくなる Ａｎｙｔｉｍｅ　ａｎｙｗａｙ　わずかな不安が 胸のすきま　不意打ちかけるよ うちのめされたよな　Ｔｏｎｉｇｈｔ	Jibun o amayakasu uchi Fukami ni ochite yuku no sa Kizukanu uchi ni kabe o tsukuri Tobikose nakunaru Anytime anyway wazuka na fuan ga Mune no sukima fuiuchi kakeru yo Uchi no mesareta yo na Tonight	While I pamper myself I am falling into a deep place While I do not care, a wall is built I can not jump it anymore Anytime anyway a small uncertainty Advanced by surprise in an opening in the chest I was knocked out Tonight
Ａｎｙｔｉｍｅ　ａｎｙｗａｙ　自分に聞くのさ どんなことも　ベスト尽くしたか Ａｎｙｔｉｍｅ　ａｎｙｗａｙ　何もいつわらず 心開き余裕があるなら わなはほどけてゆく　Ｔｏｎｉｇｈｔ	Anytime anyway jibun ni kiku no sa Donna koto mo besuto tsukushita ka Anytime anyway nani mo itsuwarazu Kokoro hiraki yoyū ga aru nara Wana wa hodokete yuku Tonight	Anytime anyway I even ask myself What kind of thing do its best? Anytime anyway nothing is falsified If I had space in the open heart The trap would dismantle Tonight

Push! lyrics (Click here to see it)

Ｐｕｓｈ！	Push!	Push!
好きならば好きと意思表示 欲しいもの　つかまえる	Suki naraba suki to ishihyōji Hoshii mono tsukamaeru	When you love, you declare it with love I grab something I want
ヒザを抱きしめた 両手ほどかなきゃ 恋や夢全部 逃げてゆくわ	Hiza no dakishimeta Ryōte hodo kanakya Koi ya yume zenbu Nigete yuku wa	I hug the knees I can not untie my hands Love and all the dreams Are fleeing
Ｐｕｓｈ！　Ｉ　Ｄｏｎ’ｔ　ｓｔｏｐ　Ｏｎ　Ｍｙ　Ｗａｙ ためらい無視した Ｐｕｓｈ！　Ｉ　Ｄｏｎ’ｔ　ｓｔｏｐ　Ｏｎ　Ｍｙ　Ｗａｙ 突き進むの　まっすぐ	Push! I Don't stop On My Way Tamerai mushishita Push! I Don't stop On My Way Tsukisusumu no massugu	Push! I Don't stop On My Way The hesitation was ignored Push! I Don't stop On My Way I move on
先回り　思いつめちゃダメ 風の街　流される	Sakimawari omoitsumecha dame Kaze no machi nagasareru	I should not go ahead and bother myself The city of the winds is taken away
悩むより早く 吐息より熱く しなやかな　Ｓｗｅｅｔ　Ｂｏｄｙ 動きだすわ	Nayamu yori hayaku Toiki yori atsuku Shinayaka na Sweet Body Ugokidasu wa	Faster than the worries Hotter than a breath The flexible Sweet Body Begins to move
Ｐｕｓｈ！　Ｉ　Ｄｏｎ’ｔ　ｓｔｏｐ　Ｏｎ　Ｍｙ　Ｗａｙ 狙いさだめたら Ｐｕｓｈ！　Ｉ　Ｄｏｎ’ｔ　ｓｔｏｐ　Ｏｎ　Ｍｙ　Ｗａｙ あきらめない	Push! I Don't stop On My Way Nerai sadame tara Push! I Don't stop On My Way Akiramenai	Push! I Don't stop On My Way When I try my luck Push! I Don't stop On My Way I never give up
まつ毛をふせても 心であこがれを見ている	Matsuge o fusete mo Kokoro de akogare o miteiru	Even with lowered lashes The desire is seen by the heart
Ｐｕｓｈ！　Ｉ　Ｄｏｎ’ｔ　ｓｔｏｐ　Ｏｎ　Ｍｙ　Ｗａｙ チャンスを待てない Ｐｕｓｈ！　Ｉ　Ｄｏｎ’ｔ　ｓｔｏｐ　Ｏｎ　Ｍｙ　Ｗａｙ 強引さが素敵	Push! I Don't stop On My Way Chansu o matenai Push! I Don't stop On My Way Gōinsa ga suteki	Push! I Don't stop On My Way I do not wait for a chance Push! I Don't stop On My Way The insistence is cool
Ｐｕｓｈ！　Ｉ　Ｄｏｎ’ｔ　ｓｔｏｐ　Ｏｎ　Ｍｙ　Ｗａｙ 狙いさだめたら Ｐｕｓｈ！　Ｉ　Ｄｏｎ’ｔ　ｓｔｏｐ　Ｏｎ　Ｍｙ　Ｗａｙ あきらめない	Push! I Don't stop On My Way Nerai sadame tara Push! I Don't stop On My Way Akiramenai	Push! I Don't stop On My Way When I try my luck Push! I Don't stop On My Way I never give up
Ｐｕｓｈ！　Ｉ　Ｄｏｎ’ｔ　ｓｔｏｐ　Ｏｎ　Ｍｙ　Ｗａｙ ためらい無視した Ｐｕｓｈ！　Ｉ　Ｄｏｎ’ｔ　ｓｔｏｐ　Ｏｎ　Ｍｙ　Ｗａｙ 突き進むの　まっすぐ	Push! I Don't stop On My Way Tamerai mushishita Push! I Don't stop On My Way Tsukisusumu no massugu	Push! I Don't stop On My Way The hesitation was ignored Push! I Don't stop On My Way I move on

The songs Pure Stone and Push! are sung by Risa Yūki (in Japanese: 結城梨沙; Romanized: Yūki Risa). Break a trap for yourself is sung by Yasuhiko Shigemura (in Japanese: 茂村泰彦; Romanized: Shigemura Yasuhiko), that even has an official website (in Japanese).

And here I close this post. I hope you enjoyed.

Links

Further reading:
● 作品データベース - Zillion page in Tatsunoko Production archives (in Japanese);
● Zillion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia;
● Zillion (video game) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia;
● >> >> Guia Definitivo de Zillion - WhiteNuts << << (in Portuguese, archived);
● Zillion Shrine;
● Hardcore Gaming 101: Zillion.

References:
Images:
Japanese game cover:
● Mark III - Akai Koudan Zillion (archived);

Cover of the Australian version of the game:
● Zillion / Akai Koudan Zillion (赤い光弾 ジリオン) - Australia All sides - Scans - SMS Power!.

Legal information

© 1987 Tatsunoko Production Co., Ltd. All the animation pictures shown here are property of their respective owners.
© 1987 SEGA. All pictures and songs of the game reproduced here are property of their respective owners.
© 1993 KING RECORDS. All the songs of the album 赤い光弾ジリオン ZILLION・LET IT ROCK！ reproduced here are property of their respective owners.