Listen to this Orchestrated Cover of the Dungeon Theme From The Legend of Zelda
Posted on January 05 2020 by Sean Gadus
The original Zelda (1986) is one of the most influential video games of all time. Whether it is the vast open world, the incredible second quest, or the game’s small but wonderful soundtrack, The Legend of Zelda has inspired generations of game designers and composers. The Overworld theme by Koji Kondo is one of the most covered songs in video games. However, other songs in the score are also revered.
In addition to the iconic Overworld theme, the Dungeon theme from The Legend of Zelda is another well-known song. This orchestrated arrangement of the “Dungeon Theme” by Rebecca E. Tripp imagines how the tune might potentially sound using more modern instrumentation. Overall, it is always exciting to hear composers and musicians create new arrangements of classic songs.
This rendition of the song uses the loop from the original 1986 game as its inspiration, but diverges from the original at certain points. The new arrangement adds layers of sound to a song that was extremely minimalistic in its original iteration. This new version uses strings to add dramatic flair to the piece and build tension in the first few moments. The song also includes percussion-like sounds (marimba/xylophone), piano, and choral elements to flesh out the sound of the piece. Overall, the song is less overtly “dangerous” sounding and instead embraces an air of mystery.
What do you think of this arrangement of the Dungeon theme from The Legend of Zelda? Let us know in the comments below!
Sean Gadus is a Senior Editor at Zelda Dungeon. His first Zelda game was Ocarina of Time, and he loves all of the 3D Zelda games from 1998-2011. He is currently replaying the narrative ghost story Oxenfree, and taking his first stab at playing Dark Souls. He wants to help build a kinder, more compassionate world. You can check out his other written work at The-Artifice.com.
