It's the Legend of Zelda and It's Really Rad

So, I've been slacking a bit on the blog front lately, and The Legend of Zelda is to blame. Or, Zelda, roommates, and the cardboard room. Now that we've made our living room livable, we've actually been spending time outside of our rooms. One day, Robin started playing The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past out there, so for the last week, every time I've left my room to get something to eat, every time I've gone to bathroom, every time I've walked in after school, I've been drawn into the Cardboard Box. Tiffany and I have both been glued to the TV watching Robin play, all of us trading strategies, pointing out secrets, and debating the highs and lows of the series.

So Robin finally landed the killing blow on Ganon and used the power of the Triforce to restore the land of Hyrule last night, and what did we do as soon the credits stopped rolling by? I broke out the NES and Tiffany started a new file on the first Zelda game. And this morning, before the others woke up, I started a new file of my own (I'm playing the Second Quest - the difficulty is absolutely as cruel as I recalled). They came in to watching me play, and mentioned that Tiffany had started playing The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess last night. Then Robin ran off for a minute and grabbed a Game Boy and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons. We're all addicts.

So, here's the thing - no one can be around this much Zelda without getting the music firmly stuck in their head, and I'm happy to have it there. It's brilliant stuff.

The first game's title theme, complete with poorly translated story screen

Between this Zelda folderol and a game I've started working on for school, I've had video game music on the mind lately.

Hyrule Castle Theme from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

I'm thinking of doing a short series here on video game music. It looks like I'll be having a busy week anyway, so this should at least be more interesting than a week of "I have nothing to blog about."

Title Theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

If you've ever played any of the Zelda games, you know the feelings that come from hearing just a few seconds of the series' music. If you haven't, maybe you'll learn a bit about what you're missing.

Gerudo Valley theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Of course, if we're going to talk about video game music, what better place to start than with THE video game song?

Do I even have to tell you what song this is?

In the world of video game music, there is one big name. There are scores of phenomenal video game composers - I'll be introducing you to only a small sample of the field's many geniuses over the next few days - but Koji Kondo is the champ. No question, no contest. This isn't my opinion. Opinions have no place here. Koji Kondo is the master of video game music. Everything* you hear above? Koji Kondo. He wrote the music for Zelda and Mario. You just can't beat a résumé like that.

Tomorrow: Part II of Koji Kondo.

Japanese The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past commercial

I was going to let the in-joke of this post's title remain vague, but I can't resist the urge to show you what I'm referencing.

Just be glad I didn't link to the other Zelda commercial

*Kenta Nagata, Hajime Wakai, and Toru Minegishi are also credited for the Wind Waker soundtrack. I can't any proof that Kondo composed this particular song, it's my understanding that he was heavily involved in overseeing all the music in The Wind Waker. Plus, I love the music in that game so much that I'm willing to miscredit a song and weaken my point if it means I get an excuse to place it on my blog.