The release of Super Mario Galaxy in 2007 signified to Nintendo fans at large that coming with the then-current console generation would also be a bigger focus on having their games’ music recorded by a live orchestra, and Zelda fans, in particular, were especially excited. While Twilight Princess from the year prior had a live orchestral piece in its attract mode movie, the rest of its soundtrack (while still excellent) continued to use space-saving electronic samples and MIDI instructions owing to it being released simultaneously on the Wii and its predecessor, the GameCube.
For the next few years, fans could only imagine what the next big Zelda game would sound like without such limitations, but that question would be soon answered with Skyward Sword. While the game did have its share of controversy, one thing fans could agree on was that its orchestral, film-score style soundtrack was top-notch.
Now that isn’t to say that every single song in Skyward Sword’s soundtrack utilized live instruments — to be fair, neither did Galaxy — but the classical orchestra plays a much bigger role in this game than any in the series before or after. You can hear traditional Western string and wind instruments throughout the sky and the surface of Skyward Sword’s Hyrule, but the most readily available example of a full orchestral piece takes place whenever you hop on your Loftwing to fly through the game’s literal overworld to the next significant location on your adventure.
One thing an orchestra does well is delivering its message with pomp. Between the driving rhythm of the low brass and timpani, the soaring melodies played by the oboe, trumpet, and piccolo in turn, and added flourishes by the strings and harp, you really get the sense of freedom and adventure that soaring through the skies with your giant bird would provide. Whenever you find yourself in aerial combat, an additional layer of the snare drum adds just the right amount of urgency to the mix.
My favorite section comes when the excitement quiets down a notch and the melody moves to the low strings. It allows the player the space to breathe and take in their surroundings, while still keeping that established rhythm going in the upper strings and percussion. The song moves so effortlessly from jovial enthusiasm to subdued awe and back again that you never find yourself with a dull moment, even if one considers the vast expanse to be a tad empty.
With only a couple more weeks before Skyward Sword HD comes out, it’s nice to appreciate all the good things that came out of it, and having an orchestra being the wind beneath your wings is an especially good thing. The orchestral era of Nintendo’s game soundtracks is something to be treasured.
