Flute Boy’s Meadow – Blizzeta

Boss battle music is an excellent place to look if you want to see how diverse Zelda music became over the years. In the original Legend of Zelda, there was no separate track for boss battles until A Link to the Past. Even then, the same track was used for every boss. In Ocarina of Time, some more diversity was added: we had one song for mini-bosses, another for regular bosses, and then a different track for the “dinosaur” bosses, Dodongo and Volvagia. We finally saw a new twist on this in The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess when each separate boss got their own music (for the most part).

This gave the developers plenty of room to work with in making songs. Now, they could tailor each boss’s music to best match both the boss itself and the battle and environment in which you meet them. One of my favorite examples of these songs was the theme of Blizzeta, boss of Snowpeak Ruins. Jump in to hear it!

Track: Blizzeta Battle (First Half)
Game: Twilight Princess (GCN, Wii)

One thing that really stands out in the beginning of this song is its unconventional opening. The same musical track is played through the cutscene leading into the battle, so the intro to that track includes the music-box tune that accompanies Yeta’s admiring of the mirror. I always felt that this piece of music was paced excellently; it starts off sweet and innocent, and only begins to fade and sound darker once you’ve realized something’s up. The tune’s souring is timed perfectly with the cutscene.

After the fight begins, there is a certain airiness and something of a gothic feel to the music. Consisting mostly of a chanting choir backed by deeply resounding chimes, one can almost feel the frantic chill in this song. Very fitting for such a massive ice-based boss.

Still, for all the merits of the first half of the battle, the true value of this fight’s music lies in the latter half.

Track: Blizzeta Battle (Second Half)
Game: Twilight Princess (GCN, Wii)

For the most part, this song is completely different from its prior piece. The chanting and chimes are gone, replaced with a tense organ backed with more organ and an extra dose of ORGAN. Okay, yeah, there are other instruments here including tambourines and a reprise of the chants and chimes… but I can never get over that organ. Something about the rapid way it rises through arpeggios just… (insert hand motion imitating the explosion of my head here).

The quick rhythm and deep, foreboding tone of the second song here really help to make it feel more tense and important. It helps drive in the feeling that this is the clincher, this is the part of the battle that really matters. The previous part was only a warm up to what’s happening now. It makes the player feel like they have to finish this battle quickly before they’re crushed… although I must admit I have tarried once or twice on this battle and let Blizzeta keep crashing around so I could listen to this song a bit more.

Conclusion
So, that concludes this week’s Flute Boy’s Meadow! As always, be sure to let me know some of your thoughts about this song and the boss Blizzeta in general in the comments, and remember I am always open to requests as well! See you next week!

P.S. If you’re a fan of Zelda Dungeon and you enjoyed last year’s marathon, you may want to take a peek at our YouTube channel… Be sure to tune in on August 7th and onward, because a certain music feature writer just might be there.