For anyone who has ever played a Zelda game at any time
during its run, it is apparent that the music is a very important part of the
series. With the recent release of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds,
I thought it would be a lot of fun to reflect on some of my favorite music from
the series. These are in no particular order. I also did not include ever Zelda
game. As I have not played every Zelda game. Because money.
The Legend of Zelda – Hyrule Overworld Theme
Obviously this list would not be complete without the most
iconic song in the series. As is the case with many people, I have incredibly
fond memories of this song as The Legend of Zelda was one of the first games I
owned. I remember being shocked at how large this interconnected game world
was. This sense of wonder was only complimented by the incredibly epic score
that accompanied us while we journeyed into the wild. I still constantly catch
myself humming this song. At this point, even non-gamers are familiar with this
theme.
Zelda 2: Adventure of Link – Temple
Zelda 2 is one of the oddest entries in the Zelda series
(not including those damn CD-I games). It featured a Final Fantasy/ Dragon
Quest style overworld map and cool side scrolling towns, dungeons and enemy
encounters. This departure from the first game often results in this one taking
a lot of heat from fans. Despite this fact, it cannot be said that the music
was not up to the amazing standard set by the first game. The temple theme is
oddly haunting and mysterious. I have to admit, I would have completely
forgotten about this song if it was not for the amazing remix the put into Super
Smash Bros. Melee. Both are below:
Original:
Melee Ver.:
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening – Tal Tal Heights
For all the video games I play, I sure suck at them. Link’s
Awakening has always been a point of shame for me. It is probably my favorite
handheld Zelda game (the port of Link to the Past does not count), yet it also
(for me) the hardest Zelda game I have played. I played this one twice and
never beat it. Urg. But I do fondly remember the first time I ever heard Tal
Tal Heights. It is like an extremely up-beat and triumphant song that has elements
of the traditional overworld theme. It is just glorious to listen to and gets
you pumped for the end of the game.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past – The Dark World
Good lord, this is where things start to get tough. A link
to the past is arguably the most recognized and revered game in the series. It
introduced many elements that, for better or worse, are still used in the
series to this date. Having said that, this game features an INCREDIBLE
SOUNDTRACK that is arguably the best in the series. I will never forget the
song that played when you enter Hyrule and have to fight your way through it.
And how about the hauntingly playful music it plays when you enter the forest
to find the Master Sword. But the song that sticks out in my head will always
be The Dark World. It was when Link entered this realm that the stakes became
higher and a whole slew of dangerous dungeons and enemies were introduced. I
FREAKING LOVE IT. It is an intense song that really gets across the fact that
things are different in this realm.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – Gerudo Valley
This game. THIS game. THIS GAME. This is arguably the most
influential game in the series. This brought Zelda gloriously into the third
dimension. This blew our minds and shattered our expectations as to what a
Zelda game can be. With this game came a slew of higher quality sound that
introduced some of the most iconic music in the series. Who will ever forget
the playful tune of the Kokiri forest or the incredible Hyrule field theme?
Because I have no ability to make choices, I have to include two songs from
this game. FUCKING GERUDO VALLEY is a song like no other. This style is so
unique for a Zelda game. It really helped set this area apart from the rest of
Hyrule. I think my jaw actually dropped when I heard this song for the first
time.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – Forest Temple
As for the second, I will never forget the Forest Temple
Theme. The first dungeon for adult Link to tackle brings him back to where he
grew up. This temple is creepy as hell, and the music greatly complimented this
tone.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask – Clock Tower
This is my favorite game in the series. In my opinion, this
game has a few flaws as a Zelda game: a small number of dungeons, smaller and
more segmented game world, having to relive the same 3 days, a constant time
limit on your actions and an intro section that takes a damn long time to get
through. Having said all that, this game probably has one of the most
interesting and darkest stories in any Zelda game to this date. The tone and
atmosphere of this game are incredibly oppressive, what with that terrifying
moon hanging over your head. If you stop to stare at it HOLY SHIT YOU CAN SEE
IT MOVING SLOWLY TOWARDS THE PLANET WHAT THE FUCK!?!?! I have played a lot of
survival horror games and I used to watch a lot of horror movies, but they
seldom seem to scare me. This game, to this day, freaks me out. Listening to
the music makes my heart rate increase because it reminds me of when I was
playing this game as a kid of 13. I think the dichotomy of normal lighthearted
Zeldaisms next to ALL THE FREAKY SHIT made this game incredibly unnerving.
Ahem. Enough gushing. First up: Clock Tower. This is where
Link meets the terrifyingly creep Happy Mask Salesman and his adventure starts
to form. This song is ominous and feels slightly depressing to listen to. It
fits perfectly with Link’s current predicament at the time it first plays.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask – Clock Town, Third Day
This song truly terrifies me. I kid you not, I cannot listen
to this song without getting a little freaked out. I have fond memories of
playing this game late at night with this song playing when I was scrambling to
get things done before the world ends. Afterward I would have nightmares, often
involving that FUCKING EVIL MOON. The upbeat rushed version of Clock Town with
the subtle ominous undertones gives this song a shockingly sinister feel.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask – Stone Tower
In my opinion, this is easily the best temple in the game.
It had incredibly clever puzzles, great music and often involved flipping the
whole damn dungeon upside-down. It truly felt like this dungeon was testing all
the skills you have learned up to this point. Also, creepy Elegy of Emptiness
statues are creepy. Natch.
Upside-Down Ver.:
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker – Molgera
Oh, thank God. This game is a marked difference tonally from
Majora’s Mask. This game took on a very controversial art style which was
divisive amongst the fans, leading some to write it off. I will admit when we
first saw “Cel-da” at Space World (Nintendo used to have their own video game
convention) I was disgusted and angered. Where was my adult “realistic” Zelda
game?! But my heart melted easily when I saw more of the game. Link has never
been more expressive and the world was incredibly vibrant. I love this game and
its unique art style. This depiction of Link is actually used quite often,
appearing in the Minish Cap, Four Swords Adventures, Phantom Hourglass and
Spirit Tracks.
The Wind Waker is full of memorable songs. Everything
from the charming theme for Outset Island to nautical battle themes, this game
has so many songs that I find myself humming randomly. My favorite song has to
be Molgera. Each boss had its own unique theme, but this one for some reason
has stuck with me all these years. This song keeps with the playful tone of the
game, but there are undertones to the song that make it sound like Link is in a
fairly dire situation. This feeling is increased when the song loops.
Daaaaaaaaaaaanmmmmmm...
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess – Hyrule Field
It seems that a lot of fans found Twilight Princess to be
disappointing. We were finally given our “realistic Zelda,” but it did live up
to the standards that many have placed on this series. Personally, while it is
far from my favorite Zelda game, I enjoyed it a lot, with sweet ass weapons
like the ball and chain and the duel claw shot. While certain aspects of this
game (particularly Zelda’s role) were a bit disappointing, there were some
great dungeons and some cool bosses.
There are some iconic songs within this game, one of which
is the incredible Orchestra Piece (Not sure of the song’s name) that was
introduced with the game’s first fully formed trailer. Another great song is
the battle between wolf Link and Dark Beast Ganon. Whenever I think of this
game, one songs always pops into my mind first: The epic Hyrule Field theme.
The incredible intro leads into a catchy tune that lends itself to the large
scope of the area you are about to explore. This song also changes when you are
approached by an enemy, much like it did in the past 3D games. At about 3:20,
the song just becomes amazing.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword – Skyview Temple
If you are still with me, I must thank you for sticking
around thus far. I apologize profusely, because there will be a lot of songs
included under this game. It is still too fresh in my mind for me to pick and
choose a couple that stick with me.
I hate to admit it, but in all my years of playing Zelda
games, this game was the first time I started feeling the dreaded “Zelda
Fatigue” that I kept reading about online and in reviews. While Skyward Sword
is still well crafted and a hell of a lot of fun to play, I felt like I was
being carted down a very narrow corridor for most of the game while the WORST
HELPER SINCE NAVI constantly chirped in my ear, telling me exactly what to do
before I could even venture to figure it out myself.
If there is one major accomplishment in this game, it is the
music. We were finally treated to orchestra style music in a Zelda game! While
not my favorite Zelda soundtrack, this game features some of my now favorite
individual Zelda songs. I gotta say, they did some really cool stuff with the
dungeon themes. The first proper dungeon, Skyview Temple, set the bar high.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword –Lanayru Mining Facility
The dungeon music continued to message my ear holes (vomit)
as I kept playing, each song more impressive than the last. The Lanayru Mining
Facility was probably my favorite dungeon and featured a really neat song to go
with the “lost civilization” feel of the area.
Past Ver:
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword – Scaldera/Tentalus
Where the music in this game truly blew me away was the mini
master and boss themes. The composers did not shy away from making every boss battle
sound like an epic encounter. The battle with Scaldera/Tentalus is particularly
striking as it sounds like a song from an old monster movie. This song is
incredibly fitting for battling both of these imposing monsters...
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword – Koloktos/Moldarach
However, my jaw dropped when I was treated to the theme of
Koloktos/Moldarach. When this song first started playing, I prolonged the fight
just so I could keep listening. This song is truly fitting of an epic struggle.
I find this song fits the battle with Koloktos more as this creature is a golem
with six arms and GIANT SWORDS. It’s a pretty fun boss fight!
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds – Hyrule Field
As we approach the end of the list, I find myself very
reflective of what the Zelda series has meant to me growing up. The original
Legend of Zelda was one of the games that shaped my childhood. At that time, I
would never have guessed I would still be playing games with that moniker to
this day. As a fan of the Zelda series, I always say that an average Zelda game
is still better than 90% of games that I play. This statistic is not entirely
accurate, but the sentiment is certainly true: I have never played a Zelda game
that I did not like (never played CD-I Zelda, shut up, never talk about it).
Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword were both a great deal of fun to play, but
they did not blow me away.
Needless to say, when a Zelda game completely surprises me,
it is a true delight. To be fair, many games in the series have accomplished
this. I believe it is a true testament to their quality. A Link between Worlds accomplished
this due to its allowing the player to tackle most of the dungeons in any order
they want. This game also allows the player to explore most of the overworld at
their own leisure. The ability to have access to many of the series major items
was a really great choice as well: the items you rent or buy dictate which
dungeons/ areas you will be able to explore.
Enough of my gushing. The music in this game is AMAZING (I
lied. I will keep gushing). This game features many remixed tracks from A Link to
the Past as they both take place in the same Hyrule, granted they are separated
by generations, to the point that the events of the previous game are now
legend (ha).
Because I am lame, I like to bring things full circle when I
can. This game features not one, but TWO renditions of the Hyrule field theme.
Bother versions are quite breathtaking.
Ver. 2:
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds – Lorule Castle
This game is bursting at the seams with incredible music.
Each dungeon is accompanied by a fitting tune, ranging from haunting, to catchy
depending on the theme. One song in particular gave me tingles just listening
to it... the theme for Lorule Castle. This is the last dungeon in the game and
the music is appropriately intense. The greatest part about this song is how it
keeps ramping up and becoming more epic as you get further into the dungeon!
While this feeling is not quite able to get through from just listening to it
rather than playing it, one can easily tell that this song is one to remember!
I love The Legend of Zelda. It is a series that is close to
my heart and it will likely always be. Whenever I get to play a new entry in
the series, I feel like I am treated to something new, yet something remarkably
familiar. The music in this series has always been of exceptional quality. I
can’t wait to hear what they come up with next!
Give credit where credit is due! Videos uploaded by slangman89, GilvaSunner, illmatic28 and
GAppears.
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