While we're here, let's not forget about Zero One's overpowered giant mecha/personal jet, Breaking Mammoth.

RIP to Rider vehicles.

IIRC, the Giger drones that were recolored from its CGI model got more screen time than the mecha itself!

Although that was its jet mode that Raiden piloted to blow up the satellite, so at least it played some role in the plot, however small.

I hope for V-Cinemas in Zero-One

- Cerberus Vulcan (Vulcan+Naki) & Valkyrie Assault Cheetah/Jackal vs evil rider/Raider (new Progrisekey)

ThousanDriver based with Zero-Two-type key.

- Horobi, Jin & Ikazuchi vs evil Rider/Magia with ForceRiser

Zero-One soundtrack albums don't come out until Sep 30. I am gonna go insane during the wait. I want to listen to Now Is The Right Time right now!! (The Humagear rap from episode 28 is also in there, which is cute.)

Also apparently there was one more insert song associated with Shining Assault Hopper that just never made an appearance. I'm gonna assume based on nothing right now that it's because the lyrics were probably all about the two satellites and two different worlds coming together much like Zero-One and Vulcan working together, but that wasn't how the context of the form came about at all so they were just like 'eeeeh lets not bother'.

Honestly, I can't decide if a song not appearing at all is better or worse than being used super poorly like Future Guardian or Black & White!

If it helps, Avex released a teaser for the CD Box:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NttKi3IkApU

Based on how the songs are arranged, I assume the missing track meant for Shining Hopper was "Rising Sun" which I can't remember hearing in the show, yet is placed in between "Find A New Life" and "Now Is The Right Time", not only that but all three tracks have instrumentals placed together as well.

Yeah, the title has ハイブリッドライズ！(HybridRise!) in it which absolutely means it's associated with Shining Assault Hopper, and I certainly would have recalled if a brand new melody had played for it at any point (it didn't!). The debut of the form even had a really nice imagery of the sun 'rising' behind it, it would have been perfect...!

The show as a whole made (good) use of the same few recurring themes, so any new piece of music (like Zero-Two's insert song, or that BGM during Metal Cluster Hopper's fight with the Ark in episode 37) would really stick out.

Uaaagh, what the heck! Horobi and Jin have battle themes that play off that one track with the ominous chanting. Rampage Vulcan has a battle theme that sounds like a different rendition of the usual AIMs theme. Oh and Zero-Two has cool instrumental mixes of it's theme song but those have an obvious and understandable reason for not seeing any use.

I know every year, there's always gonna be some things from the soundtrack that just get left in the album, but something about this year, with how nice all of it is and how heavily associated it is with specific characters and moments... It feels like that much more of a waste that they didn't actually get implemented, at least to me.

I have been waiting literally since the press conference where they announced the show to hear a full, clean version of Find a New Life. I knew we'd get there eventually, but man, I'm so happy the day is finally so close. Not to mention that the OST in general is ~maybe~ my favorite Rider soundtrack ever? It's definitely way up there!

Lots of fun tidbits from those track titles too, like the fact that the music from Aruto's near-victory against Ark-Zero with Metal Cluster Hopper is indeed meant to be Zero-Two's theme, or that somebody clearly messed up, because Vulcan's theme music is labeled as "Kamen Rider Vulcan & Valkyrie". :p

I also half-remember actually hearing that Rampage Vulcan theme at one point in the show, but I can't recall where, so I'll take FreshToku's word it wasn't in there.

:( :cry

The only time I ever remember a guitar blaring that triumphantly was Ichi-gata's theme during The First Generation. Though, it is possible that Rampage Vulcan theme played briefly during his and Naki's big bonding moment before fading in favour of the runway music, and I just don't quite recall.

If Ex-aid soundtrack didn't exist I think I would feel the same. this one comes close in 2nd place in my ranking.