Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Dawn of the 25th Day: Top 10 Town Themes in Zelda

10.  Kakariko Village (Ocarina of Time)

Originating from A Link to the Past, this theme is always relaxing to hear.  It gives off that rural, village feel that comforts you into thinking you could stay a while and relax.  I always had fun zipping around the rooftops with my hookshot, with this calm track playing in the back ground.

9.  Windfall Island (Wind Waker)

Windfall Island is one of my favorite areas to explore.  Unlike your typical Zelda town, it feels extremely vertical, complete with hills and bluffs overlooking the ocean, and the main windmill in the center serves as a good spotting point for keeping your orientation.  The music is joyful and easy to get lost in as you spend hours running around the town, getting wrapped up in all of the villager's individual stories.

8.  Kakariko Village (Twilight Princess)

I love the flute in this newer Kakariko Village theme.  It makes the place feel much more deserted and desolate (which it very much is).  It's a beautiful locale wedged in a canyon, and the theme drives the western feeling home.

7.  Goron City (Ocarina of Time)

I think this song perfectly describes the Gorons.  It features heavy percussion and drums instead of delicate instruments, which is very suiting of the Goron's rougher appearance and nature.

6.  Ordon Village (Twilight Princess)

Ordon village may be the home of one of the most tedious tutorials in Zelda history, but at least the backtrack is calming.  Ordon Village gives you the sense that you could really spend time there, living a simple life.

5.  Zora Hall (Ocarina of Time)

A beautiful structure inside of a waterfall, the Zora Hall has music that perfectly fits its aquatic nature and beauty.

4.  Skyloft (Skyward Sword)

I loved Skyloft as a main hub for Skyward Sword, and the theme increases that feeling.  As an entire town floating in the sky, you get a close-knit feeling of community and really get to know the characters.  The island also opens up as you gain new tools and access more of the story, leading to more complex areas and even a dungeon that's been right under your nose the whole time.  The fact that this song is fully orchestrated just makes it sound extremely lively.

3.  Kokiri Forest (Ocarina of Time)

It's easy to spend most of your time in Ocarina of Time just exploring the first area of the game.  As a kid, it took me upwards of two hours just to find the sword, because I was having so much fun just navigating the town, talking to people, and of course, enjoying the wonderful song that permeated the forest.  Even after I had the Master Sword, I was eager to return as an adult and see what had changed in such a familiar locale.

2.  Outset Island (Wind Waker)

The theme of Outset Island is so innocent; the perfect peaceful place to spend your days lazily looking out at the open ocean.  It's an ideal setting for a kick-off to a grand adventure.  This song has a few callbacks to Kokiri Forest from Ocarina of Time; it's peaceful and charming and gives you the sense of a place you could call home.

1.  Clock Town (Majora's Mask)

As you go back in time to the Dawn of the First Day over and over again, you'll always be greeted with the same song.  You'll be spending a lot of time running around Clock Town, interacting with all of the townsfolk, helping them with their issues, and finding all of its secrets.  It's a godsend that the music for this place is so cheerful and addicting.

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