Two weeks ago, American football fans endured the lowest-scoring, seemingly longest-lasting Superbowl ever. There is a general consensus that the most exciting aspect of the game was the halftime musical performance.
Halftime is usually a time where fans get up to stretch their legs and grab a snack, but sometimes, halftime features a show you don’t want to miss. The Ohio State University Marching Band is renowned for putting on these must-see spectacles during their team’s halftime, and none may be more impressive than their tribute to video games. Of course, maybe I only think that because it includes an epic Zelda segment.
The OSU Marching Band performed its tribute to video games during the 2012 football season, and it was a surefire crowd pleaser. The show’s designers were extremely creative, utilizing band members and well-placed flags to reenact famous scenes from classic video games, including the missile-firing spaceship from Space Invaders, falling Tetris blocks, and Pac-Man unsuccessfully running from a ghost. In all, the show features music and accompanying visuals from seven familiar video game series (three from Nintendo: Super Mario Bros., Pokémon, and The Legend of Zelda).
Each segment is amazing, but the Zelda section takes the cake. After a brief rest in the middle of the show (at about 6:10 in the video), the band bursts into the intro of the Zelda “Overworld Theme” and forms the Hylian Crest. Suddenly, the drum line takes over as they break formation and scurry rapidly across the field. I’ll admit, the first time I watched this, I was let down because I thought that the 10-second theme was all we’d get of Zelda. Then, the next formation took shape.
Covering about three-fourths of the field is an enormous horse, none other than Epona herself. As the shape finalizes, the band begins to play “Gerudo Valley”. Then, in a truly spectacular show of skill, the band moves as a solid unit to make Epona gallop across the field and rear on her hind legs. This drives the crowd so wild that it actually becomes hard to hear the band. It’s so cool, in fact, that I had to make a gif of it.
But that’s not all! The band returns to the “Overworld Theme,” though this time slower and more dramatic. As it does, it takes the shape of the Master Sword. We can even surmise that it is the fully powered Master Sword, as lines of musicians signify light beams emanating from the Blade of Evil’s Bane.
As a band geek myself with several years of experience in drumlines, I know the hard work that goes into making a marching band show. It’s difficult to deny the tremendous amount of skill and dedication the OSU march band put into their video game tribute. Kudos to the band and to the designers of the program, who not only know their classic games but recognize the influence Zelda has had on the industry and popular culture.
