This is the soundtrack to the hit game Zelda: Ocarina of Time released for the Nintendo 64, composed by Koji Kondo, Nintendo’s “music man,” who wrote the music to Mario and a number of other games. Let me clarify that there are two versions to this CD. One is the Japanese version, containing all the songs from the game. The other was the English version, available if you ordered it from Nintendo for $10 containing 29 Tracks + 6 Bonus. I will not be reviewing the English version, but if you want to purchase the English version, I will say this: Purchase the Japanese Version if you can afford it. From what I’ve heard, it’s much better. And it comes with a sticker!
Zelda: OoT also suffers from Secret of Mana syndrome. They repeat each track only once. Obviously, they needed to do that in order to cram EIGHTY TWO tracks in ONE CD! I think it has a listing in the Guiness Book of World Records under “Most Tracks Crammed in One CD” but I’m not sure. For cryin’out loud, just split the CD into two and repeat each song twice! This CD includes all the music from the game, even the short Ocarina tunes.
From listening to this CD, you can hear that the Nintendo 64 sound system is much more refined than the PlayStation’s. Compare Final Fantasy VII to this, and Final Fantasy VII ends up sounding like a bunch of blips and bleeps (No offense to Final Fantasy VII, of course). The songs vary from slow, lighthearted, bouncy, to downright evil. The overall theme to the CD is sort of happy and bouncy, with the exception of a few tracks. From the slow and thoughtful Kakariko Village theme to the nimble (and kewl) Gerudo Valley Theme, this CD is sure to satisfy any Zelda fan. If you loved Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64, and found the tunes played during the game stuck in your head as I did, then I would recommend this CD to you.
This CD is relatively easy to find at Anime Nation.
Freddie’s Overall Grade: 89%
