The Legend has Zelda has always been known for being of high quality in all regards. This of course extends to the musical compositions of the Zelda games. Ever since the original Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo Entertainment System, gamers have been drawn in by the catchy musical scores that have helped to define the series.
It has been over 20 years now since LoZ was first released and since then there has been almost just as many games that has continued to amaze us. The game-play, story, puzzles, and music has continued to be absolutely incredible. With so many great games it was hard for us to narrow things down to the top 5. However, in the end we have chosen these 5 Zelda games as our top 5 in terms of their music quality.
So now, we at The Hidden Triforce, present you our Top 5 List for the Legend of Zelda games with the best music.
#5 Link’s Awakening |
Number 5 on our list is Link’s Awakening. This classic Gameboy game was the first Legend of Zelda game I ever played. Ever since I turned the game on for the first time I was drawn in, largely from the music. Re-playing the game today will obviously show how the music is not the orchestration quality that we have in many games today, but overall the musical scores are very riveting. In fact, a large portion of the game revolved around music. Throughout the game Link retrieves various instruments that must be played to wake the slumbering Windfish. Some of my favourites from Link’s Awakening includes; The Ballad of the Windfish, Tal Tal Heights, the Title Screen song, and Animal Village |
#4 A Link to the Past |
Number 4 is A Link to the Past. This Super Nintendo classic was the only Zelda game to make it onto the console. However just about everything was improved significantly. The graphics were much cleaner and the game-play much richer. The music in aLttP was fantastic and for the first time in the series was able to effectively convey some form of emotions. For instance, the music of the Dark World had a feeling of urgency and I could tell that the game was about to get harder. The ending theme was very joyous and had an overall feeling of accomplishment and celebration. Some of my favourites from A Link to the Past includes; The Intro Song, Light World Overworld, Dark World, Hyrule Castle, and the Ending Theme. |
#3 Adventure of Link |
Number 3 is The Adventure of Link. Though AoL is often overlooked by many Zelda fans for its quirky game-play, its music is one of the best in the series.When compared to its predecessor LoZ one can definitely hear the vast improvement that was made in less then a year. Though the game’s sound quality is still that of most NES games, the overall catchiness is so much better. LoZ is best known for introducing the overworld theme that would become one of the most recognized songs of the Zelda series, but AoL would bring a lot of classic hits to the table. AoL also offered a greater range of songs and began to offer more of a variety of music for Zelda gamers. Some of my favourites from The Adventure of Link includes; The Intro Song, The Palace Theme, and the Shop Theme |
#2 Majora’s Mask |
Number 2 is Majora’s Mask. Once again this game often does not get the credit that it is due. Majora’s Mask was one of the most innovative to the overall Zelda formula but it also had some of the best music ever in any Zelda game. Many still find Majora’s Mask to be an Ocarina of Time ripoff, but MM is really a huge departure. The game is, first of all, much darker then any other Zelda game to date. The musical compositions were made up of lower tones and a unique blend of sounds not yet heard in the series. The music in this game is overall spectacular and lands Majora’s Mask a very close second place. Some of my favourites from Majora’s Mask includes; The Deku Palace Theme, Clocktown Theme, and the Title Theme. |
#1 Wind Waker |
So here we are, the number one best music in any Zelda game. To me the Zelda game with the best music ever is none other then The Wind Waker. This game was looked down upon from the moment it was announced and shown to have cartoon graphics. People to this day are still quick to dismiss The Wind Waker and many will not even give the game a try. However, The Wind Waker is now one of my favourite Legend of Zelda games for so many reasons. The cartoony graphics style actually enabled Nintendo to create one of the most expressive Links ever. To top things off, the music of this game was absolutely hands down incredible. The music of The Wind Waker was very Irish sounding and was a great decision on Nintendo’s side as it helped to further enhance the graphical appeal and make this game by far the most emotionally involved Zelda game yet. Some of my favourites from The Wind Waker includes; The Hero Prologue, Title Theme, House Theme, Outset Island, Dragon Roost, and Windfall Island |
So here it is! Our Top 5 Zelda games based upon the in game music. Do you agree with this list? If you feel a game should have been listed then please sign up and discuss on our Legend of Zelda Forums.