In my previous entry for Tetra’s Treasures, I briefly mentioned how the early-2000s was a special, nostalgic time for me. As a child, it was a thrill to home from a long day of school to play video games. I was completely enamored by them. There were times when I would mooch off my older brother and steal (I mean borrow) some of his gaming magazines/guides to read during break periods at school. And when I wasn’t listening to Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory or Meteora on the bus ride home, there was a good chance I was listening to a certain Zelda soundtrack on my CD player. So for this article, I want to take a trip down memory lane and reminisce about the Majora’s Mask Game Music Soundtrack CD Set from Nintendo Power.
In 2000, Nintendo Power published a special issue featuring Majora’s Mask, and a new item became available for purchase through the magazine: the Majora’s Mask Game Music Soundtrack CD Set. The soundtrack cover was made of paper, with an image of a battle-ready Link featured on the front (one of my favorite pieces of official art, actually) and an ominous portrait of Skull Kid gracing the back. The soundtrack itself contained 112 tracks spread out over two discs, with 59 tracks on Disc 1 and 53 tracks on Disc 2.
Nintendo Power’s online store also offered a special bundle that included the Majora’s Mask soundtrack, game cartridge, player’s guide, and a one-year subscription to the magazine. Unfortunately, in 2012, Nintendo chose not to renew its licensing agreement with Future Publishing, so the publication ceased after 24 years of production. A sad day, indeed. The Nintendo Power era truly was a special time for anyone who grew up with the magazine.
While searching online, I have seen listings for this particular CD with prices ranging between $30 and $90, which is a little more costly in comparison to the Club Nintendo Majora’s Mask soundtrack published in 2013. Some may think it’s outrageous to pay such a price for a soundtrack that you have convenient access to online for free, but you can’t deny that there is still something special about listening to music on a physical CD. Or maybe I’m just old! Either way, I think this CD set has an enduring charm and is definitely a must-have for any Zelda fan or collector.
