Those who have befriended me on facebook know this: I love instrumental pieces from video games. Why? Well, I guess it has to do with music's ability to bring a given story to life. Classical instrumental music is like video game music without a story. Within video games, that same genre of music has a chance to add more even details to a story.
Furthermore, I like orchestrations of many of these works. Sometimes, the inferior synthetic quality of game consoles just doesn't let the real sound shine through. May there never come a time when music with words takes precedence over instrumental music. Below are some of my favorite pieces of music. You'll notice that I have a strong preference for the march ballads. (note: all of these come in the form of youtube videos.)
Songs from Zelda that I like:
Midna's Lament: This is an unusual piece from the land of Hyrule. Most Zelda music is upbeat. This one is more of a somber reflection on the nature of mortality.
Dark Mountain: Gods yes! In my opinion, it's about the never ending struggle between Link and Ganon. FORWARD MARCH!
Great Palace: I couldn't find a good orchestration of this one, but this links to the original. As Link storms through the Great Palace, fierce Bird Knights continually assault him. Then, he comes to the Thunderbird, who is five times his size. And the last enemy.. himself. Unlike the other dark an almost metal melodies in AoL, this one is very reassuring. It's like the game is cheering you on with such an upbeat melody.
Hyrule Castle: Another march style ballad. This one really helped give A Link ot the Past that feeling of grandeur so many of us Zelda fans appreciate. Also, it has an amazing breakdown.
A Link to the Past Ending:When I heard this, it was the first time I'd felt happy that a video game had ended. What a delightful piece, it continues reveling in the mysticism that the storyline did, right up until the very end. Its synchronization to the on screen actions make it even better. When Link walks away from the pedastal, presumably returning to society to just be a normal guy, the player is left with the feeling that something astonishing just happened. Or at least, I was. My favorite of all game themes here, and perhaps my favorite piece of music as well.
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