The Legend of Zelda series is one of the most popular Nintendo series to date, rivaling the likes of Kirby, Donkey Kong and even Mario. It also contains one of the most extensive game lineups with 19 series entries and many spin-offs over its 30 plus year legacy. In the games you play as the young hero named Link who is tasked with saving Hyrule from the clutches of evil. You do this in very different ways depending on what game in the franchise you are enjoying, but generally you fight monsters, delve into dungeons, solve puzzles and explore the world around you. Many games in the franchise also introduce a new gameplay element never before seen in the franchise so the gameplay feels new and unique in each new instalment. It also has one of the most popular and recognizable soundtracks of all time. Music plays a very large role in this series’ games and I believe the best way to introduce the games into your life is through its command of music.
Most Legend of Zelda games have their own distinct soundtrack with new and vibrant songs that are soon to become classics; however, something about many of these songs feels like you have heard them before, especially if you are a fan of the series and have played the games before. It is almost like Deja Vu. You listen and you are sure you have heard this song before but you haven’t. It feels almost nostalgic while still maintaining its own authenticity and integrity. The reason for that is that a lot of the recognizable music in the Legend of Zelda is based off of the same melody or chord progression. To explain this foundation, we need to look at a specific game in the franchise released in 1998 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Ocarina of Time is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It is the first game in the franchise to work with 3D graphics; it is truly a groundbreaking game, not only for the franchise but for the gaming industry as a whole. It is a universally acclaimed game and some still consider the best video game of all time to this day. Many critics praised the music in Ocarina of Time and in 2001, three years after the initial release of Ocarina of Time, GameSpot labeled it as one of the top ten video game soundtracks. Part of this acclaim can be understood when you realize that the gameplay is based off of learning songs and playing them to move forward. While you progress through the game you learn songs (around 3-6 notes long) that when played cause different effects. These effects range anywhere from opening a specific location to teleporting to different locals to going back or forward in time (as its name would suggest).
Here is a video compilation of every single Ocarina of Time song that you learn throughout the game.
These series of notes become the foundation for a lot of the music that is then shown in the rest of the series. Within Ocarina of Time itself, various locations have music that is a variation of one of the tunes the player learns (usually the one respective to that area). This is then a trend that is repeated during most of the games to come after. It becomes almost like a theme that sparks an emotion related to any time you hear the melody.
Games in the series usually have soundtracks with songs that use Ocarina of Time as a foundation and then build their songs around it. The same melody used in ocarina of time will find their way into new soundtracks almost as a backtrack to the new music; it changes and adapts to the new scenario but keeps its identity. “Zelda’s Lullaby” is a classic of the series and you can hear the similarities from its rendition in Ocarina of Time to the rendition in Skyward Sword. It feels fresh but nostalgic at the same time. It is a very interesting combination that I personally have yet to experience with any other game franchise. Sure, Mario might have his iconic theme song, but it stays the same during most of the franchise’s legacy. Zelda music generally feels new but something tells you have heard it before. I wish to give special note to a particularly talented fan, Nathan Sharp. He takes the concept of repetition through chord progression and melody and applies it to his original music album, Songs of Time, where he creates original songs based off of Ocarina of Time. In many of the songs you can hear the games ocarina notes in the background that creates a similar effect to those of the game franchise.
Now of course there are exceptions. There is new music being created for the games, and there is recognizable music from the franchise that came before Ocarina of Time that is what new music is being based off of, but the concept is the same. Taking the simple melody and making it the backbone of the franchise makes all of the music feel both recognizable and beautifully new at the same time. It is a wonderful thing to listen to and experience for yourself. It is difficult to describe the exact feeling of nostalgia that overcomes me when I hear some of these melodies. It is like hearing the theme song of your favorite childhood cartoon but years after, having not heard it in what felt like a millennium. It is intrinsically familiar but somewhat different than how you remembered it. It’s a strange experience I would a hundred percent recommend.
Of course, the way to get the full experience is to play one of the games yourself. If you decide to give it a shot I truly hope you enjoy the story and the world as much as I do, and keep an ear open for any recognizable melodies you hear during your journey.
