The Legend of Zelda is 40 years old! Happy anniversary!
I remember when I first got my hands on a copy of Skyward Sword. I hadn’t played many Zelda games at that point — only Ocarina of Time, a bit of Majora’s Mask, A Link to the Past, and everyone’s favorite: Four Swords (it was free on the 3DS at the time). After seeing a TV spot with Master Swords and Hylian Shields raining from the sky, I was overjoyed to finally play the next big Zelda game.
I was very surprised when I opened the game box to see not only the disc for Skyward Sword, but also a golden CD with bright red lettering; I was suddenly the proud owner of The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Special Orchestra CD. I’m pretty sure I instantly threw the game to the side and slid the CD into the family computer. The first piece I heard after hitting play was “The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Medley”.
“The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Medley” does what any good anniversary celebration does. First, it looks to the past fondly. Tunes like Spirit Tracks’ overworld theme and The Wind Waker’s “Dragon Roost Island” are treated to grand orchestral timbres. The orchestra then plays an understated variation on the Zelda Theme, slowly and boldly building back up through the familiar introduction to A Link to the Past’s “Dark World Theme”. Then, a short caesura multiplies suspense before an epic orchestration of the “Dark World Theme”. The “Zelda Theme” returns thereafter in counterpoint with its own introduction figure — the climactic point of the medley — before “Zelda’s Lullaby” brings the piece to a gentle close.
The medley also added fuel to my growing excitement for the series. The epic “Dark World Theme” especially encouraged me to get back into A Link to the Past, finally find the ice rod, and beat the game. The first time I heard the medley, I also didn’t know much (if anything) about The Wind Waker and Spirit Tracks. Hearing their musical themes early in the medley sparked my interest in exploring those corners of the franchise and their versions of Hyrule.
Lastly, the medley builds excitement for the future. Most immediately, it has to do this in the context of the CD, it’s the first of eight tracks and has to keep you hooked for the next seven. Because of this, the medley doesn’t end with a bang, but more expectantly. Rather than punctuating a celebration of the past, it ends with a comma that leads both into the next track on the CD and the future of the franchise.
Here at the 40th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, listening to the “25th Anniversary Medley” brings back the same feelings of nostalgia, wonder, and excitement. I’m crossing my fingers we’ll get a 40th Anniversary concert this year!
I chose to write about the “25th Anniversary Medley” for a second reason: this is Zelda Universe‘s 25th year! Zelda Universe has been bringing Zelda fans together longer than I’ve been alive, and its contributions to the community — the forums, discourse, resources — are still so important. With Zelda‘s 40th and ZU’s 25th coinciding, what better time to dust off that golden CD, pop it in the player, and celebrate with some great Zelda music?
Happy birthday Zelda, and happy birthday Zelda Universe! Here’s to another quarter century.
