The Best and Worst of Zelda: Overworld Music Part Two

Hello readers! Brian here with the twenty-second edition of “The Best and Worst of Zelda.” Today we’ll be covering the second half of the Zelda series’ overworld themes, beginning with the Great Sea and making it all the way to Hyrule and Lorule from A Link Between Worlds. I’m really appreciating your feedback and opinions, and I’d love to see some more topic suggestions for the future, so keep them coming!

The newer Zelda games feature more game-specific music. By this I mean that there’s a lot of deviation from that classic Hyrule theme to further emphasize each game’s specific themes. For this reason, this batch of games will be a bit more interesting to analyze. So, without further ado, let’s begin!

To frequent readers of the series, it should come as no surprise to you that The Wind Waker is my all-time favorite Zelda title. There’s something about the ocean that’s just so serene. I found myself often wanting to just stay in the ocean for hours, just sailing arund with no intended purposes. Some of this is in the art style, which I will discuss further in a separate editorial, but a good deal of the enchanting aura the sea gives off is in the music. The driving drum beat along with the blaring horns give a sense of adventure necessary for any Zelda game, but in this game specifically it works well with the general idea of having this huge body of water to explore. You can find secrets everywhere you look, and this music lends to that searching and finding. Another great example of thematic work in this tune is the heavy use of wind instruments, as well as the nautical, pirate-esque rhythm that consistently beats on in the background. Now I will be honest, there is some nostalgia that plays a factor in me loving this theme so much, but I believe that even on a purely objective level it is an excellent piece of music, especially for the overworld it accompanies.

I’m going to break a bad streak I’ve been on lately, and I’m going to finally mention Four Swords Adventures. The game gets a very small amount of recognition, despite the fact that it is rather enjoyable and definitely has some innovative gameplay an mechanics, but in all the music is mostly taken directly from other Zelda titles. The overworld theme is no exception, in that it is once again that good old Legend of Zelda theme again! There are a few minimal changes, but it really isn’t at all worthy of much analysis. Repetition can be a good thing, so I don’t so much mind it, and in all honesty there wasn’t much to do (musically speaking) with the themes that the game brings to the table. Similarly, The Minish Cap reuses the age-old theme as well, but makes up for it by having memorable area themes for different parts of the overworld (as with many other Zelda titles). There is a part of me that would like to have seen new music coming from these renditions of Hyrule, but the truth is that the music fits well, and I can’t complain.

And we’ve made it now to a fan-favorite theme, Twilight Princess‘ Hyrule Field. I am a huge fan of this piece, and I think it works extremely well with some of my favorite parts of the game. For one, it takes some influence from Ocarina of Time in that it has multiple sections where one instrument will play a theme, and then a second instrument will repeat that same theme. It also has the same progression that Ocarina of Time‘s Hyrule Field has, beginning with a steady rhythm and upbeat melody, transitioning into something much gloomier, and then returning to the less ominous, more adventurous theme, then transitioning again into an intense, romantic sort of tune. It outlines Twilight Princess quite well in my opinion, where the themes of darkness, adventure and intimate character relationships are prominent. That drum beat never slows or stops until the sun sets, at which time it just disappears. The night music is even more interesting then the day music, though not nearly as catchy or enjoyable. It is extremely creepy, and evokes loneliness and eeriness. It’s excellently creepy, and that weird vocal part sticks in your head for a while. I don’t think I very much like the feeling this piece gives me, but that’s what’s great about it!

Phantom Hourglass has a theme that is obviously and rightfully inspired by its predecessor’s gorgeous Great Sea theme, and this rendition is certainly different and interesting. There is nothing so special about it, but the adventurous theme remains. I applaud Nintendo’s job at watering down The Wind Waker‘s music so well and putting it on the DS, as I imagine doing such a thing successfully is rather difficult. My largest complaint comes from the system’s natural lack of sound quality. When I played The Wind Waker, you could really feel engulfed in that ocean, but the lack of instrumental sounds and the overbearing horns on this track make it a bit more difficult to really get into it. It’s not really a valid complaint, because it’s comparing two things that should not be of the same quality, but it still somewhat lowers my opinion of the piece.

Spirit Tracks is a game that I adore almost exclusively for its soundtrack. There is something to be said for switching up the musical influence in a series, and this game’s Celtic themes work wonders. I’ve been going on about the importance of “adventure” in an overworld theme, and Spirit Tracks delivers that powerfully. It isn’t just that insanely catchy melody that does it, it’s everything about the tune. The tempo is specifically set to match the click-clacks of your train, which I find both amusing and intelligent, the flute matches the specific musical theme within Spirit Tracks, and even reminds me somewhat of a train whistle. Even better yet, the in-game train whistle is in tune with the music! I understand the criticism of the transportation system in this game (although I personally enjoy the train), but this music is enough to make that so-called “boring” experience into something bearable to say the very least. As a short personal anecdote, I remember going to the Symphony of the Goddesses for the second time and hearing their Spirit Tracks medley, and this theme was simply amazing when preformed by an orchestra. I am surprised this song has not appeared outside of the original game, but I have a feeling we may hear it sometime soon!

Speaking of orchestras, Skywward Sword offers the first fully orchestrated soundtrack to any Zelda game ever. While I feel as if this was not as utilized as I may have preferred it to be, The Sky certainly shows off the impact that sort of thing can have. It’s noticeably more powerful, than prior overworld themes thanks to the full orchestration, and I really enjoy the two main themes it gets across. The first is this natural power that comes with flying, as if your taming the great beast that is the sky itself. The second is a very serene melody that let’s you take in the beauty of the sky and the islands around you. The switching between these two themes is what makes this piece so effective. It is loud and has great strength, but still gets across the serenity that comes with the idea of flying in the open air. It’s well put-together, and it’s an excellent example of the power of orchestration!

Lastly, we arrive at the newest entry to the Zelda franchise, A Link Between Worlds. Like A Link to the Past this game has two separate overworlds, each having it’s own very different theme. The first is Hyrule, unsurprisingly having the common and reused classic overworld theme, but this is no mere repeat. It’s most definitely the best version yet. Not only is the sound quality much higher than it has been previously, there is an added segment to the loop. The piece itself is a little bit longer than a minute, and just about 45 seconds in there is a brand new little trumpet riff that I very much enjoy. While this theme is undoubtedly excellent, the superior of the two overworld themes, in my opinion, is that of Lorule. Those familiar with A Link to the Past will notice that it is a remastered version of the Dark World theme, which makes plenty of sense considering Lorule is basically a remastered Dark World. The Super Nintendo, while it was an excellent console, was very limited in terms of sound quality by its 16-bit CPU, so while the Dark World theme has always been excellent, the quality has been sub-par for over a decade. A Link Between Worlds doesn’t add anything to the track musically except for an intense introduction, but the song itself is heard in an entirely different manner with the quality amplified to such an amazing level. The first thing noticeable is the rhythm section, consisting of an acoustic guitar and some strange percussive noises. The melody is played on a fiddle, later joined by horns, but for the most part the tune is centered around the two string instruments. Probably the most powerful part of the song, other than its catchiness and memorability, is the section after the melody has been played a single time. The second time, the fiddle plays the same notes one octave higher; it’s a simple change that really makes a difference as a listener. I think this piece is absolutely stellar, and a fantastic remake of one of my all-time favorite Zelda songs. Have yourself a listen!

Well, that’s all I’ve got for you guys today! I’d love to hear your opinion on the overworld themes from te Zelda series along with any suggestions you might have for topics next week. Check back every Tuesday at 11:00 AM Central Time for more! As always, thanks for reading!