The Legend of Zelda -Twilight Princess- Bonus Soundtrack

	Album Title: The Legend of Zelda -Twilight Princess- Bonus Soundtrack
	Record Label: Nintendo Power
	Catalog No.: N/A
	Release Date: 2006
	Purchase: Buy Used Copy

Overview

I listened to all seven tracks from the The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess Official Soundtrack in MP3 format. Though three promotional soundtracks for the game were released, this was the largest of the three. Sadly, the game didn’t ever receive the three disc official soundtrack release it deserved. Nevertheless, I was still quite pleased with what I heard on this CD. The first track is orchestral whereas the others are MIDI. Here’s an analysis of each track.

Body

“The Legend of Zelda Orchestra Piece #2” opens the album with a full orchestral performnace. I don’t know if this is an alternate piece for the trailer or if it takes place somewhere else in the game, but it starts and finishes in the same style as that former track. After a fanfare and a quiet yet somewhat mysterious interlude, the piece explodes into a rousing, epic piece of music, complete with full instruments and a choir. The sound quality on this track is incredible — they really DID record an actual orchestra for this track. Kudos.

As with Ocarina of Time, the “Hyrule Field Main Theme” is an all new “Overworld” with small hints of both the original Overworld and Ocarina of Time’s. It’s more mature-sounding than either of those two, both in tone and composition, but it definitely has that adventurous quality to it. There is also somber moment where we hear a synthesized male chorus “aah”-ing while the remaining instruments continue to play. It took me a while to get used to this track; I was expecting something along the lines of what the first version of this was, but before long it clicked with me. The sound samples sound really good — not on par with Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door or the latest Fire Emblem games, perhaps, but still well done. Of course, this track — and all the others — are all enhanced with reverb, sort of as to give the feel that they are studio-mastered.

“Ordon Village” is the first place in the game. Nothing outstanding, but it’s pretty much what you’d expect for a village tune: calm in nature and genuinely pleasant. The first part of the track involves pizzicato strings (which open the piece) serving as a “backdrop” for what sounds like a panpipe. Later we hear woodwind and string instruments. Not one of the more outstanding tracks, but it serves its purpose and is fitting with the game’s location. Moving to “Kakariko Village”, ironically the only thing about this famous A Link to the Past piece I identified were the opening six notes (played on what sounds like a high-pitched whistle). The rest of it is basically mellow, with light percussion and woodwinds.

“Death Mountain” is one of the most bizarre tracks on the album. Not in an offbeat, wacky way as in, say, Majora’s Mask or The Wind Waker, however. It’s the “Goron City” theme, but with additional instruments: percussion, brass, and woodwinds. Having been so used to how the original sounding, hearing this new version was a bit surprising.

“Midna’s Theme” of my favorite tracks on the album outside of the first two: melancholy and mysterious in tone, and complemented well by somber-sounding strings as well as a woodwind solo. Too bad it’s short, though. “Ilia’s Theme” is the only track where the datedness of the MIDI becomes apparent. The central melody — played what sounds like a cross in between an ocarina or a pipe — sounds fine, but the accompanying instrument sounds like one of those cheap vibe sound samples on an old Casio keyboard. That aside, this, too, is a short “new character” theme. It’s pretty and pleasant, if not particularly rousing.

Summary

All in all, I wouldn’t bother purchasing the Nintendo Power CD just for these seven tracks. I’d recommend downloading these themes or, preferably, my three disc game rip. What’s there, though, sounds very nice.

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