Video Game Music Appreciation: “Nintendo Tunes” Part 1

Hello guys,

Happy Saturday! I am here today to write about my first video game OST appreciation blog entry. These kinds of blog entries will feature personal picks of mine from specific OSTs or even whole soundtracks themselves. Each entry will have a specific theme.Today’s video game songs theme will be from Nintendo! Surprise!

At this very moment I am listening to “The Greatest Video Game Music” album preformed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. It is probably one of my favorite albums I ever bought. And yes, I am one of the people who still go out and actually buy CDs. Just like I am one of those people who actually still read books.

So, without much further ado I will begin with one of the most popular games from Nintendo. For many people, The Legend of Zelda is probably their favorite video game series of all time. Not only is the story great and the characters unique but, the music is a force to be reckoned with all on its own. From peaceful music playing in the background in Kakariko Village to boss battle music from Twilight Princess (the kind of makes you feel like you’re going to die), The Legend of Zelda offers a superb soundtrack with so many songs written to convey different emotions and are meant to bring a sense of nostalgia for long-time fans. When I first heard the tune that plays when the children in (Twilight Princess) Kakariko village were safely returned I couldn’t help but stop everything I was doing. I wanted to dedicate that moment just to remembering thinking about how happy those parents would be to know their children were safe. For people who have played through that game, it’s a strange and unfamiliar world filled with darkness and ambiguity. Probably not as much as Majora’s Mask but I’d say it’s next in line.

I would say one of my favorite recurring songs in the Legend of Zelda series would be the Shop theme. It’s light hearted. It’s catchy. I could listen to it all day! Of course, there are several variations of the Shop Theme but my favorite is the one from Ocarina of Time. Really, they’re all very similar. Why can’t they play this song in Gamestops or something? Or Walmart! Well, yeah it’d probably get old after a while but I’d be really happy!

Below I have posted several videos. They’re all variations of the Shop theme featured in different games across the series. It’s nice to be able to listen to them side by side and compare how each one is different.

Honestly the most annoying one (to me) is probably the Malo Mart one from Twilight Princess… It’s also the most unique baring almost no resemblance to how the Shop Theme usually is. And for anybody who knows, Beedle be awesome. OHHHHHHHHH! THAAAANKKKKK YOUUUUUU! (For those of you who have no clue what I’m talking about, just ignore it…)

I’ve really only just touched the iceberg with Legend of Zelda but I want to move on to some of Nintendo’s other great franchises. When you think of Nintendo who do you think of usually? He’s in red. He has a large nose. He’s a great jumper. And he’s Italian! It’s AH-ME MARIO!

I think one of my favorite songs from Mario games would be “Gusty Garden Galaxy” from the Super Mario Galaxy games. When I hear the main chorus line of Gusty Garden, I just think of Nintendo as a company. It is a reflection of their success and of their personality. When you hear Gusty Garden Galaxy, you just think, “This just screams Nintendo.” It’s playful, colorful, and at the same time just as musical and enjoyable as songs from Legend of Zelda or Final Fantasy. Isn’t that just perfect for a Mario game? Especially one like Super Mario Galaxy. Nintendo is a company that is so good at bringing family oriented fun to households without what people of this generation often think is necessary in a game. Nintendo proves you don’t need all the blood and violence to enjoy a great game. When I hear Gusty Garden Galaxy, I just take it as a great celebration of Nintendo altogether. Of course, I also picture Mario flying from planet to planet or collecting those adorable little star bits. It is equally playful and colorful as the world it was created for and has certainly reached my list of favorites from Nintendo.

Finally, I’d like to pick a less obvious choice. I mean, we all know that Final Fantasy has some of the video game industry’s biggest musical hits but, what about their newest hit game that goes by a different name? Bravely Default. Yes, that’s right. Bravely Default has probably some of the best game music I’ve heard in a long long time (from Nintendo specifically). I mean, don’t misunderstand. Zelda and Mario always have great music. But Bravely Default is this brand new game that came out recently and boy, I fell in love with its music in seconds. There were days when I just put the 3DS down just to listen to the music. I’m sure Agnes can wait just a little longer. I want to enjoy this moment.

I think what really impresses me about this particular soundtrack is the amount of variety it has. A lot of the musical tracks within Bravely Default sound mystical which matches the game. But then there are the songs like “Sailing the Sea” that almost bring tears to your eyes and songs like “The Land of Sand and its Great Clock” that fit the environment so much it just enhances the experience and brings it to a whole new level. These songs are such opposites. One is smooth just like you’re moving through the gentle waters of the ocean (assuming it actually is gentle) while the “Land of Sand and its Great Clock” is harsh, reflective of the unforgiving weather of the desert.

Personally, I fell in love with the gentleness of each note in every song. I mean, not every song can be accurately described as gentle (like boss battles or something). But, there are a lot of songs in the soundtrack that achieve that quality and it really says something about the people who composed the music. A light touch here. A gentle whisper there. It’s really quite beautiful. It is evident that much care was taken when writing this music.

That’s all I’m going to feature for now. Obviously, there are about 100 more songs I’d love to talk about here. Seeing as this is my first post in this particular category maybe it was a little rough around the edges. I’m still trying to get organized and figure out the best way to do a post featuring favorite songs. Nonetheless, I will work to make sure future posts are as organized and as enjoyable for fellow music appreciators as can be. Thanks for reading!

Sincerely,

7

Images used: Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass Image || Bravely Default Feature Image || Bravely Default Characters || Super Mario Galaxy Image