I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for credit themes in games. As the game comes to a close, it’s a time to sit and reflect on the journey in the game I just went through, and really establish any feelings I had for it. I’ve done this since a young age, and in some cases, I would even cry as I finish a game because it was like a part of my life was finished and it was time to move on to something else.
When I was a youth, I had a habit of starting many games and not finishing them. This also includes a lot of my beloved Zelda games; both of the Nintendo 64 titles being the more noteworthy examples as those were, some would argue, my first real foray into the series. It wasn’t until The Wind Waker that I would finally beat a Zelda title. By the time it released I was older, wiser, and just a hair braver. It also helped that this iteration of Link was perhaps the most relatable one to me, what with him being an older brother.
Turning the game on for the first time after saving up all of my allowance (which makes this the first game I bought mostly on my own), it had even more of an impact. The Wind Waker always conjures up memories of turning all the loose change I had into dollar bills, with a curious bank teller asking me what I was going to use my money for, and I turn towards her, give a goofy grin and say, “I’m going to buy The Wind Waker!”
As I mentioned earlier, this iteration of Link is an older brother, but he’s also raised by his grandmother. Link also has a young sister, Aryll, and it was uncanny to me how similar it felt seeing these characters and their interactions. I’ve talked about this in-depth before, but a large reason as to why I wanted to see this story to its conclusion was because of that true bond I felt with this Link. It’s one of those kinds of feelings you never really forget even after many years pass.
My journey through The Wind Waker was one of the more memorable and unique experiences to me, as it established a lot of firsts. It was the first time I beat a Zelda game. It was the first time I tried for 100% in a game and succeeded. It was the first time I listened to a credits theme and really sat and listened and remembered.
It might seem strange that I’ve written to this point nothing about the credits theme, but that’s because to me, this theme encapsulates the entire journey itself. It is a song that so perfectly represents the adventure of the game and transcends beyond being just another song to me. When I think of The Wind Waker I always think of this credits theme. In fact, as I write this, I’m listening to it on repeat, and it’s making me rather emotional to think back on all of this. It is, to me, the quintessential representation of The Wind Waker at its core, with it being a triumphant piece but also with that twinge of sadness as the journey finally comes to an end. It is a playful yet at times a somber piece; just like The Wind Waker itself.
To me, music is more than just sounds. It is a representation of emotions and feelings utilizing said sounds. Music brings back memories, moves people to tears, helps us to vent our frustration, and helps us to just feel emotions as humans. These emotions are precisely what make us who we are, and even if that feeling comes from something like a video game, I think that this helps to show just how powerful this medium can be when its music is done well, and The Wind Waker is a masterclass in that regard.
