For the second half of September, I've been spending my days playing 'Hyrule Warriors', the latest game in the Zelda franchise that departs from traditional gameplay in favour of 'Dynasty Warriors' battles, borrowing the characters, weapons and locations from the Zelda universe.
It's a fantastic game but the best thing about it is the music (which is also true to most other Zelda games). This game not only has a soundtrack combining Rock instruments with orchestral tunes but it also remixes existing Zelda tracks from past games into more exciting battle anthems.
Before you start to realise that I'm pretty much just repeating what I said about Super Smash Bros Brawl in a previous blog post, the point of this post isn't to tell you about my favourite tracks from this game. The reason you're still reading (and I'm still typing) is because I've picked 10 tunes that weren't used in 'Hyrule Warriors' that I'm hoping will be added along with the DLC after being remixed.
To give you an idea about the soundtrack of both Zelda games AND 'Hyrule Warriors', I've selected a couple of choice picks to compare the original and the remix.
First, there's the Boss Battle theme from 'Ocarina Of Time' followed by the 'Hyrule Warriors' version.
Then there's the Skyloft theme from 'Skyward Sword' and the 'Hyrule Warriors' mix, adding the Ballad Of The Goddess in there too to make it even more awesome.
As you can hear, they add some bitchin' guitars and successfully manage to improve tracks that were already damn good. Of course, these aren't the only pieces of music in the game but one of the few flaws about 'Hyrule Warriors' is that for a game that was essentially a love letter to console Zelda fans, the number of remixes from console Zelda games was not quite as high as it could've been.
So which tracks should've been added and given the 'Hyrule Warriors' treatment? In my opinion, the following ten (in no particular order):
1. Boss Theme - Majora's Mask
And now you've got Odalwa's chant stuck in your head!
An obvious pick but still an awesome one. Personally, I prefer this Boss theme to the one from 'Ocarina Of Time', if only for the galloping rhythm. It works well in 'Majora's Mask' due to the time-based gameplay and often by the time you've finished a temple to reach the boss, you're racing against the clock to beat them before it's game over. It's a shame the game only had about 4 bosses (not including the final one) but for the upcoming 'Majora's Mask' DLC, a remix of this battle track with a chugging guitar rhythm would be amazing.
2. Dragon Roost Island - Wind Waker
Personally, I wasn't a huge fan of Wind Waker thanks to the boring fucking sailing parts
Probably the best piece of music in the entire game despite not being featured as often as other tunes. Since 'Wind Waker' has a completely different art style to the other Zelda games and isn't really featured in 'Hyrule Warriors' (aside from a couple of pretty rubbish weapons you can get), it's unlikely we'll be seeing DLC featuring enemies and music from this game, even though fans would buy it in a heartbeat. However, a heavier remix of this calm island melody would be all kinds of awesome to fight to.
3. Mini Game Medley - Ocarina Of Time (1), Twilight Princess (2), Skyward Sword (3)
Dunno about you but that's definitely how I would hold a panicked chicken. Right over my head
OK, I'm not sure how well this would translate as a song to fight to but if 'Hyrule Warriors' can have music from the 'Skyward Sword' Bazaar and 'Ocarina Of Time' House interiors then there must be a way of making a mix of mini game songs from the three main titles that went into making this game. The hardest one to translate would probably be the 'Skyward Sword' one, as it's the slowest. But hey, with a bit of creative reworking, it's surely possible!
4. Zant Boss Theme - Twilight Princess
Shame his awesome attacks couldn't quite properly transfer over to 'Hyrule Warriors'
One thing that stuck in my mind with 'Twilight Princess' was the fun boss fights. Not only did each one have their own music but they also felt more fun than previous installments, particularly Stallord who easily has one of the best boss fights in the whole Zelda series! However, the Zant fight was something special. It involved multiple battlefields taking place across a variety of stages from OTHER boss fights in the game, each with a variation of the same tune. If you listen to the whole piece, you can hear it becoming more frantic and crazed, much like the character of Zant as the game progresses. Anyway, considering he's playable in 'Hyrule Warriors', it would've been neat to have this tune properly remixed instead of the Twilight-y song they had which merely borrowed elements of this one.
5. Song Of Storms - Ocarina Of Time
I always thought the secret tunnel from his hut to the graveyard was a bit suspicious, kinda like Sweeney Todd
Another iconic Zelda tune right here, and not just because it involves a paradox where you learn a song by travelling forward in time, learning it off a disgruntled windmill owner, travelling back and playing it to him, causing him to be disgruntled/learn the song in the first place (even though the song you learn is the exact one he's playing in his windmill all the time...). It's surprisingly catchy and even though various re-recordings of it are all awesome, the original played on the music box will always be the best. That being said, a heavier remix with guitars would certainly be appreciated, maybe if it's mixed with other songs you learn on the ocarina (although not the song from Ganondorf's Castle, like in Super Smash Bros Brawl).
6. Spooky Music - Majora's Mask
The whole sequence with the dying Zora is made even more chilling thanks to the music
I couldn't think of a better name for this one, since the same tune is used repeatedly in different levels but with different instruments. The sample I've chosen is from Great Bay Coast, since it's the creepiest to me, but the Mountain Village at Snowhead is also good. Slow and haunting, this theme for each of the four corners of Termina carries the weight of death that lingers throughout this game. Looking back on it, 'Majora's Mask' might have the most depth of any Zelda game. Shame I didn't find it as fun as other titles, although I'd buy a 3DS re-release without hesitation.
7. Koloktos/Moldarach Battle - Skyward Sword
The boss that made water temples tolerable
Easily my favourite action song from 'Skyward Sword' and quite possibly one of my top ten favourite Zelda boss battles (Koloktos, not Moldarach). To me, this is one of two songs from the game that prove it doesn't take Koji Kondo to make fantastic Zelda music. This song wouldn't require much of a change, just a few extra instruments and it's perfect for 'Hyrule Warriors'. It would've been cool to have Koloktos as one of the bosses to appear instead of The Imprisoned, which is a horrible boss fight in both games. Absolutely horrible and annoying. But sadly, it's also necessary.
8. Saria's Song - Ocarina Of Time
This took me way too long to complete as a kid
During Darunia's victory cut-scene, you can hear an orchestrated version of this tune being played. This is a nice nod to a scene from 'Ocarina Of Time' but honestly, it would've been much cooler to have a proper version of this classic Zelda song. Maybe if they decide to do Lost Woods DLC as an add-on to the Faron Woods level, they could spruce up this cheerful tune into a mystical remix (kinda like they did with the Sacred Grove in 'Twilight Princess').
9. Hidden Village - Twilight Princess
"Right, time to find those feckin' cats!"
A Wild West type tune that, again, only plays a couple of times in the game but is able to strike a chord with the average player. With a bit of extra power and a slightly faster tempo, those acoustic guitars would transform into a great battle track, perfect for the Gerudo Desert stage (same could be said for the Gerudo Desert song, although I haven't included it on this list).
10. Hyrule Field - Ocarina Of Time
"Oh look, a pretty floweSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHIT"
Despite the fact that the first level takes place outside Hyrule Castle on the fields of Hyrule, the theme from 'Ocarina Of Time' is surprisingly absent. Instead, we get a rip-off of 'Mars, Bringer Of War' by Gustav Holst followed by a remix of the original Zelda theme (which is great, admittedly). However, I'll never forget the excitement at hearing this upbeat tune for the first time. Having left Kokiri Forest after getting my first ocarina, it marked a momentous occasion in-game for me...then I got stopped by that fucking owl, but that's another story. Either way, it'd be great to hear a thundering remix of Hyrule Field from 'Ocarina Of Time' as opposed to the inferior 'Twilight Princess' one we got instead.
So that's my list. It's not perfect and I'll be honest, I was struggling to think of ten songs that I'd want as remixes but alas, it was possible. Are there any tunes you think would make great 'Hyrule Warriors' remixes? Perhaps more songs from 'Wind Waker' or any of the handheld/pre 'Ocarina Of Time' games? Let me know in the comment section and I'll check them out/add them if I agree. It's unlikely the DLC will add new tunes but I really hope they do, since it'd be a shame to have levels, enemies and objectives based on 'Majora's Mask' without the music to complete the atmosphere.
Also, apologies for the video game related post after my last one. I plan on reviewing Slash's latest album for my November post but I'm not sure when that'll be posted. Possibly towards the end of the month as I'm seeing him live with my awesome girlfriend then. I might combine the album and gig into one mega-review...or I'll review the album before the gig and add an update to it after seeing him live.
Who knows? I certainly don't.
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