The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Special Orchestra CD

Last night I was on the elliptical machine when my iPod nano shuffled to Gerudo Valley, track 4 of The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Special Orchestra CD.  The CD was a special pack in with The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword which I regrettably didn’t play as much as I have played the soundtrack.

I don’t think of myself as a super video game nerd, and my friends who do play video games can vouch for my lack of game playing ability.  But this collection of music I think stands out as good music, exceeding what I would have expected from a video game soundtrack or a television or cinema score.  Of course there are little moments when musical cues provide a thrill associated with memories of gameplay; if at anytime in real life I were to hear the secret notification and a key falls out of the sky I think it would be the best thing ever.  (Main Theme Medley, 0:48)

 

Track Listing for The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Special Orchestra CD

  1. The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Medley
  2. Kariko Village – Twilight Princess Theme
  3. The Wind Waker Symphonic Movement
  4. Gerudo Valley
  5. Great Fairy’s Fountain Theme
  6. Twilight Princess Symphonic Movement
  7. The Legend of Zelda Main Theme Medley
  8. Ballad of the Goddess from Skyward Sword

Yesterday I found out that Viz (VizKids) published a translation of the Legend of Zelda manga series and I may have purchased all ten volumes.  I was reviewing one for Edelweiss but didn’t realize there was a whole series.  I had finished Ocarina of Time Part 1 and wanted to continue on so I checked at the bookstore I was in and on the shelf I found all ten of them sitting there, waiting for me.  I immediately looked online and read about the ten volumes — hopefully soon to be more than ten with the upcoming release(s) for Skyward Sword — and perhaps as a rash impulse buy I grabbed all of them.

As a confession, I haven’t finished most of the games.  This is one of the reasons people give me grief about video games; that and lack of skill.  However the manga are helping me fill in the plot holes.  It’s a little better than reading spoilers online…Plus, if I don’t buy books, bookstores may cease to exist as we know them. :-/

Anyhow:  positive review, both for the CD and the Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Part 1.  One jar containing a fairy out of one jar slot.

Edit:  I forgot to mention that Koji Kondo is responsible for much of the Legend of Zelda music.