EDIT: IT'S THE THIRD GAME. UGH I don't know why I didn't think before my stupid mouth said that. Thanks for the correction! 1986 saw the release of The Legend of Zelda, quickly followed up in 1987 with The Adventure of Link. Totally blanked on that one.
Aw, stopped just shy of the Hyrule Castle theme...dang. That was the moment for me. That theme. That moment of little kid me feeling the eyes dilate, the goosebumps rise, and the long exhale...I knew I was in for a treat with this game then. Melody carried by the double basses I'm pretty sure.
I find it interesting how just by him figuring out the notes to a song from ALttP, Charles is accidentally playing other songs from across the Zelda franchise. 3:04 briefly becomes Zelda's lullaby. 3:43 begins exactly like the title theme of Ocarina of Time. And immediately afterwards at 3:48 he's playing all the correct notes for the beginning of the Song of Healing from Majora's Mask.
Zelda's Lullaby is from this game. I guess you didn't mean to imply it isn't, but many people don't seem to realise that (along with Fairy Fountain and lots of other themes reused in later games).
I LOVE that intro cutscene song. It's so nostalgic, and gives such a deep and somber sense of the depth of time in the lore. It fits perfectly with a story about ancient sages sealing off a great power.
I wonder if he'll ever cover it. Admittedly I only know the Temple theme from Zelda 2 but it's so good man, fucking dark link in melee was rock'n that shit circa 2001.
@@greenfox7657 That's something special about these tracks too, they're relatively short loops and there's not many of them, and yet they NEVER get boring
One really cool thing about the Great Fairy Fountain theme discussed around 11:40 is that it was very clearly based off of 70s-80s Japanese jazz fusion/city pop. Two good examples are Tatsuro Yamashita's "Morning Glory" and Maria Asahina's "Kokoro no Mamani". Super cool. A Link to the Past has such good music that still holds up today. The game was released 32 entire years ago, and its soundtrack still remains a favourite for me. The Great Fairy Fountain theme could easily put me to sleep. The music played during the ending credits makes me weep (and I'm in my thirties). A great game with a wonderful soundtrack.
That particular descending riff is far too common and predates the Japanese who probably took it from jazz. It goes as far back as the song 'the glow worm' by the mills brothers or even Chopin Fantasie Impromptuo. I did an analysis of the music of Zelda if you wanna check it out
For me it's gotta be the final track that only gets played when you've won the game and the credits role. Such a satisfying and feel good track that brings back themes from earlier in the game, as little cut scenes play out with the relevant characters or places, just such a perfect wrap up to the best Zelda game ever.
Holy hidden leitmotif batman! Not only is the chord ascent in the opening story intro a precursor to Ganondorf's theme, but the chord you play at 3:47 is LITERALLY the exactly same chord and same key as the opening chords to the Ocarina of Time opening. Never realized that before until you played it just now
I've been playing this game off and on for thirty freaking years and I had the same epiphany, don't know how I missed it. You actually hear it in this game to right before the fight with Ganon.
Koji kondo is so good at leitmotifs - he works the melodies into jingles everywhere! I don’t know if he was just a “exec producer” type credit on Super Mario Odyssey, but that has a wonderful original theme referred to again and again
3:45 this chord seems to come up a lot in Zelda when making depressing songs. First thing that comes to mind (because it’s in the same key) is the song of healing from Majora’s Mask
First! Love your content Charles. The attention you gave streets of rage was awesome. Zelda has amazing music. The composers really used the SNES technology to push great music for Link to the past, Final Fantasy IV, chrono trigger, Super Castlevania, Act Raiser, Super Metroid, etc. My father loved playing Link to the past.
@@_demitri honestly Zelda 2 is super underrated as a game. As a Zelda game it misses the mark because it tried to differentiate itself too far from Z1, but if you think of it as an NES sidescroller or Castlevania-type game, it's a great game. Definitely a bit undercooked, though, the progression is a bit too linear and there's clearly some stuff that they had to edit due to limitations on the NES, but it's a very fun game once you get the controls down.
Seal of the Seven Maidens is literally one of my all time favorite Zelda songs, and nobody ever talks about it. I’m so glad you’ve given it the attention it deserves!
The introductory cutscene track, which I’ve seen referred to by several names but I always stuck with Seal of the Seven Maidens, might even be my favorite song in the game. Obviously it could be argued that this is the game with the most iconic soundtrack in the entire franchise, laying the foundation for the majority of the series’ recurring themes, but even still I absolutely love this track and I feel like it’s one of the less talked about ones.
For some reason the dark world theme in a link to the past always stuck out to me as something special. It's a driving minor key heroic march that really drove home that you were in a wild dark place that you were just thrown in to without warning. You have to come out alive and master both the light and dark worlds to be the hero, and the music always amp'd me up
Link to the Past was my favourite game as a kid. The music made you feel like a hero going through foreign lands. Great Fairy Fountain was also one of the first songs I ever learned on the Guitar and was the entire reason I started to play it in the first place.
I still remember the day I got the game on release day. Plugging it in after school then hearing this intro song. The graphics, the music, the thunderstorm. It was magical.
Haven't finished the video yet, but I hope you'll cover other Link to the Past tracks, mainly Hyrule Castle and Dark World Theme! VG music is my favorite and I really dig your content. Cheers!
This was my first Zelda game. The song starts with Ganon’s theme, then morphs into the into song when you first boot the game and you get the story introduction cutscene.
I love watching you hear for the first time a piece I've heard literally hundreds of times, and anticipating the parts that are gonna make you lose your mind 😄
Link to the Past music is a great example of music being the emotional lead in such a simple game. Falling rain with the story telling melody at the beginning of the game is a special kind of nostalgia for sure. My favorite part of the soundtrack has to be the intro of the dark world. To have the game blow open after a boss fight and leave you feeling both capable and anxious of what's to come. That and the cue to play is the music itself, once the music hits after the dialogue you know it's your moment and you go down the steps.
Love hearing the og vgm through Charles's ears - and then hearing it translated to piano. Explains how bands like The Consouls turn vgm into amazing jazz 💖
You really found one of the best videogame soundtracks to analyze! There is so much in this game! My favourite songs in this game are: The intro (that you analyzed) The Castle theme The Dark Forest Theme The Ending theme (which is so epic that I used it as the walk-out song when I married my wife) You should do some more analyzing of music from this game. I would love that! :)
This was my first game growing up. I remember replaying it as an adult and crying the first time I heard the music. The entire soundtrack is incredible, but you should definitely check out the Dark World theme and Battle with Ganon. The arpeggios in Battle with Ganon in particular are kind of insane.
The song accompanying the end sequence is my favorite. This also may be my favorite video game, with Chrono Trigger a close second; both featuring highly evocative scores.
For me it's the intro that always get's me, that rundown and buildup is so epic.... the main reason i started playing piano is zelda and nintendo music in general. There's one specific video that made me want to play 'Zelda piano Medley, by the channel gluecks'.
Broooo~ This game has so many good tracks! The castle dungeon, the overworld, and the Dark World themes all are so good and I can totally see you making this kind of video for each!
6:16 - It's wild how Kondo had these incredibly rich chords in mind when he composed for a system in 1990. The guy really knew what he was doing. Charles illustrating it wonderfully here on his piano. I had no idea the opening piece was so simple/complex. I will ALWAYS get a kick out of CC going way back in time and pulling out the chord progressions in these games. I get to hear them in a whole new light! Keep going buddy!
those chords from the seconds after you time stamped are used literally in the order he played them, the way he played them, in botw and totk as mipha and sidons theme. wild
0:19 This reminds me of the castle theme in Super Mario Bros 3 in Super Mario All Stars for the SNES….the SNES would always have that cool reverby crunchy trumpet sound that made the mighty scary castle type sound. It’s amazing.
@@Elisio_ This is more a signature of the SNES's SPC 700 sound chip. It had very little RAM (64K) in which you had to store all the sound samples, the music sequence itself, _the program to play it_ , AND the buffer memory for the built-in delay DSP effects. So the "reverb" you could apply was more of a very short delay with feedback.
This has and will likely always been my favorite Zelda game. I have played so much of this game and never really thought about the music before. Fun to watch you break it down.
I’ll compromise and say SNES era was the golden era of vgm as it was the perfect blend of limitations to really push creativity and not just rely on samples just carrying the music. Good composition during this era was still mandatory, as it was integral to immersion and selling the game. Revisiting these classics lights a light in my soul as these are the games I grew up with. As an aspiring composer, Chrono Trigger, LttP, SMW, FFMQ-FF6, MMX, SoM, long list of others from this era all hold special meaning to me and “were the best” in their own ways - I look at the music in this era as the soul of the games they were in.
That prologue theme you broke down is one of my favorite themes in all of Zelda. So poignant; there's pain and loss and beauty and love in it. A great theme for the backstory of link to the past that makes you feel what was lost.
One of my favorite Zelda pieces is the temple boss music from Majora's Mask, which has an A section that alternates 3/4 and 4/4, a B section mostly in 4/4 but wrapping up with three bars of 11/8 and one of 7/8, and a C section that has the alternating 3/4 + 4/4 baseline from the A section but a pattern of held chords above it that alternate six beats and four beats.
Link to the Past was my first Zelda game and still my absolute favorite. A lot of people don't realize is that it was the game that established not only the bulk of the music from the newer games, but also a lot of the core gameplay. My favorite track though is the Hyrule Castle Theme, it's ominous yet triumphant.
this game really laid the ground work for not only how the franchise would continue, but how the music would sound. there are so many references and leitmotifs through out the music in the series that all come back to this game. and one would think it would become over used of over referenced, but the composures have really figured out the art of subtly referencing this game in ways that are refreshing and interesting, if you ever did a video series as a continuation of this one, i would be very happy! i love hearing musicians break down the music in this series.
Let's gooo, A Link to the Past!! One of my favourites Zelda games and the Dark World theme is also one of my favourite overworld themes of all time ❤️. I hope you make more videos of this game in the future.
This was my very first Zelda game and has a special place in my heart. Great music, great gameplay and even has fully customizable randomizer programs for it.
Favourite LttP track has to be the ending epilogue music. Its just so triumphant with its midi trumpets but knows when to calm it down and slow it so that that final blast at the end just hits so good with the midi timpani's!
I've always loved the intro theme to A Link to the Past, such a masterpiece. As for other songs I enjoy from the soundtrack, I'm def a fan of the Light World dungeon theme and the Dark World theme
Link between worlds is my favorite Zelda game, largely in part due to the soundtrack, which shared many reworked tracks from lttp. So cool to see you breaking this one down
I can't remember a time when I didn't know the way this piece sounds like the back of my hand, so the journey it goes on has always been totally obvious to me. Thanks for reminding me how beautiful it is
This is my "desert island" game. I know this music so well that it has appeared in my dreams. So happy to see you picking it apart (since I know basically nothing about music theory) I vote for the Gerudo Valley theme from Ocarina of Time next. That one really hits me every time.
If you get a chance, you should definitely do a break down of the Hyrule Castle theme. It's first iteration is in A Link to the Past, but you can hear it in several other newer Zelda games. In fact, a lot of the recurring theme songs start here with this game.
ALttP is a phenomenal game that transcends time. It's soundtrack is peerless and replicated and remixed across the entire Zelda series, with standouts like Dark World and Hyrule Castle being just some of my all time favourite compositions in videogames.
I feel like you can kinda hear the foundation for the song of healing! So cool to try and imagine how the composer thought to bring that section and repurpose it with some changes!
I love A Link to the Past (I haven't played all of it, but I sure do love the OST). Specially the Dark World theme, so cool, such thrilling atmosphere I even have an mp3 of it on my phone
I Love how many hidden melodies are in this starting track from LttP. Would be great to have a deep dive into Koji Kondo and see how his most influential themes have developed and how some motifs are being re-used for the same kind of feeling in future Zelda games. It creates another layer if you have played more Zelda games because of the music that makes you think; "somethings fishy is about to happen" or "Okay a pleasant Town, no need to be on guard for hidden traps or monsters".
I love how he shows how little Zelda stuff he has listened too. He played a bunch of motifs while rabbit trailing that I found myself humming and pausing too. No shade, Charles. Take this as a HUGE suggestion to look at more Zelda music. Also check out Zelda Music Theory, he seems to be inspired by you heavily.
I never noticed that this piece had such great things in it! That was a really cool video to watch! 👏👏 And iirc, this plays if you don't press start at the beginning, and after some time the game shows you the story and what lead to the events that occurs in the game
The “Ending” theme is incredible. There’s a RUclips video called Symphony of the Goddesses and they do an arrangement of it with french horn, cello, and a choir and it is epic. For the Zelda movie, this game is my #1 pick to adapt mostly because of the soundtrack.
Please do more from this game. This game has some great tunes. One of my favourite themes from that soundtrack is the Lost Woods theme. You only hear it in the early part of the game before the woods has been liberated from darkness, after that it's just the typical overworld theme, but the specific Lost Woods theme really is nice.
Anyone that's played it extensively will not be able to pick a favourite but the big highlights are the dark world's overworld and dungeon themes, and obviously Hyrule Castle. There's so many in there though, it's full of treats for your ears. Some of the shop themes are classic, and I think this is the first game to have the great fairy theme as well.
I never forget the first time I played it back in 91. Or the first time I played Donkey Kong in 1981 on the portable game & watch console. The music and sound from those games stay with you forever.
Link to the Past’s intro music is some of the best in gaming and no one ever talks about it. The way the player boots up the game and is instantly thrust into a scene of terror and suspense and the music sets the tone. Unforgettable.
If I could pick one game that I could play again "for the first time", this is always the one I pick. An absolute masterpiece in every single aspect, and such a huge part of my childhood.
Link to the past is like my favorite game of all time. I really like the Dark World theme. It's so grand and mysterious in it's scope. Like, no more messing around. Time to put on your big boy pants.
EDIT: IT'S THE THIRD GAME. UGH I don't know why I didn't think before my stupid mouth said that. Thanks for the correction! 1986 saw the release of The Legend of Zelda, quickly followed up in 1987 with The Adventure of Link. Totally blanked on that one.
Please cover Transformers victory's theme song.
Those chords still remind me of my childhood. I guess this game is firmly ingrained in my memories.
for some reason my brain goes to Vince Guaraldi / Peanuts (sounds way jazzier when played on the piano vs the game sounds)
The opening almost reminds me of Song For All Seasons (by Rennaisance) I know they're not the same chords, but it gives me the same vibes
Those chords are the same that's played when you pick up an item!
The goated Zelda game for a reason
I’m surprised to see you here joey
its up there with twilight princess but tp clears cuz midna 🥵 😩💦
bro is a sub
Omg it’s Ikurru
Definitely the 🐐. The soundtrack is a big part of it.
Aw, stopped just shy of the Hyrule Castle theme...dang. That was the moment for me. That theme. That moment of little kid me feeling the eyes dilate, the goosebumps rise, and the long exhale...I knew I was in for a treat with this game then. Melody carried by the double basses I'm pretty sure.
Yeah I hope he gets around to that one. Insane composition.
Same here, I really felt left hanging that he stopped there!
Agreed 👋🏻
The dark world theme is awesome too!!!
There's sooo much good music in that game! The fortune teller music always was stuck in my head
I find it interesting how just by him figuring out the notes to a song from ALttP, Charles is accidentally playing other songs from across the Zelda franchise.
3:04 briefly becomes Zelda's lullaby.
3:43 begins exactly like the title theme of Ocarina of Time.
And immediately afterwards at 3:48 he's playing all the correct notes for the beginning of the Song of Healing from Majora's Mask.
And when he introduces the 6 a little after 3:04 you can hear the chord sound like Nocturne of Shadow. It's wild how interwoven it is.
All of these themes play so well together as a suite- if you can play an instrument I recommend it!
DUDE 7:50 IS BASICALLY SONG OF HEALING
let's not forget the bassline for the first few chords is "Priest of the Dark Order" aka Ganon's theme for most of the franchise
Zelda's Lullaby is from this game. I guess you didn't mean to imply it isn't, but many people don't seem to realise that (along with Fairy Fountain and lots of other themes reused in later games).
I LOVE that intro cutscene song. It's so nostalgic, and gives such a deep and somber sense of the depth of time in the lore. It fits perfectly with a story about ancient sages sealing off a great power.
I couldn't think of anything better than that song to start off the game running off your house into a storm.
So much atmosphere right off the bat!
„Zelda II: The Adventure of Link“ (1987) for the NES was the second Zelda game. „A Link to the Past“ is the third.
And yet, a lot of people forget about Zelda 2 lol (me included)
I wonder if he'll ever cover it. Admittedly I only know the Temple theme from Zelda 2 but it's so good man, fucking dark link in melee was rock'n that shit circa 2001.
Correct!
its okay, zelda 2 is very forgettable
we don't talk about Zelda II
I hope you do more LTTP music! The Dark World theme and the Light World Dungeon theme are great too!
Those two and Dark World Dungeon are my favorites, incredible soundtrack.
@@Gnurklesquimp2this is my #1 game OST of all time. And #1 game overall too. No matter how many times I beat it, it has infinite replayability.
@@greenfox7657 That's something special about these tracks too, they're relatively short loops and there's not many of them, and yet they NEVER get boring
@@Gnurklesquimp2 koji kondo is a musical genius. Every Kondo OST is god-tier
The Eastern Temple. Mm. 🤌
One really cool thing about the Great Fairy Fountain theme discussed around 11:40 is that it was very clearly based off of 70s-80s Japanese jazz fusion/city pop. Two good examples are Tatsuro Yamashita's "Morning Glory" and Maria Asahina's "Kokoro no Mamani". Super cool.
A Link to the Past has such good music that still holds up today. The game was released 32 entire years ago, and its soundtrack still remains a favourite for me. The Great Fairy Fountain theme could easily put me to sleep. The music played during the ending credits makes me weep (and I'm in my thirties). A great game with a wonderful soundtrack.
That particular descending riff is far too common and predates the Japanese who probably took it from jazz. It goes as far back as the song 'the glow worm' by the mills brothers or even Chopin Fantasie Impromptuo.
I did an analysis of the music of Zelda if you wanna check it out
Is your name “radiodread” inspired from Radiohead? 😅
@@i_DONT_get_IT Radiodread is a dope album by the Easy Star All Stars that covered a bunch of Radiohead tracks in reggae and dub. Worth checking out.
@@i_DONT_get_IT Yes 😌
Best game ever made
For me it's gotta be the final track that only gets played when you've won the game and the credits role. Such a satisfying and feel good track that brings back themes from earlier in the game, as little cut scenes play out with the relevant characters or places, just such a perfect wrap up to the best Zelda game ever.
agreed! Also the dark world theme is a very close second
Holy hidden leitmotif batman!
Not only is the chord ascent in the opening story intro a precursor to Ganondorf's theme, but the chord you play at 3:47 is LITERALLY the exactly same chord and same key as the opening chords to the Ocarina of Time opening. Never realized that before until you played it just now
I've been playing this game off and on for thirty freaking years and I had the same epiphany, don't know how I missed it. You actually hear it in this game to right before the fight with Ganon.
It sounds like Lake Hylia from Twilight Princess as well!
and its funny because when he plays the B♮ on top my mind goes straight to majora's mask's song of healing
Koji kondo is so good at leitmotifs - he works the melodies into jingles everywhere! I don’t know if he was just a “exec producer” type credit on Super Mario Odyssey, but that has a wonderful original theme referred to again and again
The leitmotifs are extremely ingrained, as well. Take a listen to Zelda Music Theory if you want a deep dive into that side of it.
3:45 this chord seems to come up a lot in Zelda when making depressing songs. First thing that comes to mind (because it’s in the same key) is the song of healing from Majora’s Mask
Also very close to the intro of Ocarina
It reminds a bit of Zelda's Lullaby, too
those are literally the first notes of OoT's title theme
Also heard the Song of Healing in that chord
Koji Kondo loves lydian
It’s not surprising you forgot about Zelda 2, but I bet you didn’t forget about the Temple theme from that game. One of the best NES songs ever
First! Love your content Charles. The attention you gave streets of rage was awesome.
Zelda has amazing music. The composers really used the SNES technology to push great music for Link to the past, Final Fantasy IV, chrono trigger, Super Castlevania, Act Raiser, Super Metroid, etc.
My father loved playing Link to the past.
It's the 3rd Zelda game, I believe. Zelda 1 & 2 both on NES.
Zelda 2 was such a disappointment. Speedruns now look sort of fun, but at the time it was so frustrating.
We dont talk about Zelda 2
@@_demitri honestly Zelda 2 is super underrated as a game. As a Zelda game it misses the mark because it tried to differentiate itself too far from Z1, but if you think of it as an NES sidescroller or Castlevania-type game, it's a great game.
Definitely a bit undercooked, though, the progression is a bit too linear and there's clearly some stuff that they had to edit due to limitations on the NES, but it's a very fun game once you get the controls down.
Seal of the Seven Maidens is literally one of my all time favorite Zelda songs, and nobody ever talks about it. I’m so glad you’ve given it the attention it deserves!
Agreed!
Amen
The introductory cutscene track, which I’ve seen referred to by several names but I always stuck with Seal of the Seven Maidens, might even be my favorite song in the game. Obviously it could be argued that this is the game with the most iconic soundtrack in the entire franchise, laying the foundation for the majority of the series’ recurring themes, but even still I absolutely love this track and I feel like it’s one of the less talked about ones.
Also, just noticed during Charles’ breakdown that the chord progression is the same, or at least very similar, to Ganon’s theme. Neat.
“Seal of the Seven Maidens”! I love that nickname.
For some reason the dark world theme in a link to the past always stuck out to me as something special. It's a driving minor key heroic march that really drove home that you were in a wild dark place that you were just thrown in to without warning. You have to come out alive and master both the light and dark worlds to be the hero, and the music always amp'd me up
ruclips.net/video/YsJ9d3rNgHM/видео.htmlsi=oyq_EEwpRJcZDnnK
No game has ever matched this one in my book. Everything just comes together so perfectly, not least the music.
Link to the Past was my favourite game as a kid. The music made you feel like a hero going through foreign lands. Great Fairy Fountain was also one of the first songs I ever learned on the Guitar and was the entire reason I started to play it in the first place.
I just love the passion you have for music.
I still remember the day I got the game on release day. Plugging it in after school then hearing this intro song. The graphics, the music, the thunderstorm. It was magical.
omg totally same memories
Koji Kondo is so amazing. He could do so much with so little and has such a huge breadth of range. May the way of the hero lead to the Triforce.
Dark World theme has to be epic for me, that first time I heard it, from when the wizard teleports you to the Pyramid was crazy.
I actually like the light world theme better.
@@Dewdrop0-6I actually dont care
Haven't finished the video yet, but I hope you'll cover other Link to the Past tracks, mainly Hyrule Castle and Dark World Theme! VG music is my favorite and I really dig your content. Cheers!
I remember setting up my cassette recorder to record the credit roll song of this game. One of the great soundtracks of that generation.
best Zelda game ever
...Fun fact: you can drop the name Zelda and you'd still be correct!
@@FantasticExplorers hhahahhahahahahahahhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahhahhahahhahahahahahh best joke ever 😅🤣😂
A link to the past is a great game, and has amazing music. So many childhood memories with this game.
This was my first Zelda game. The song starts with Ganon’s theme, then morphs into the into song when you first boot the game and you get the story introduction cutscene.
You know how looooong I've been waitin for dis?
I love watching you hear for the first time a piece I've heard literally hundreds of times, and anticipating the parts that are gonna make you lose your mind 😄
I love that you made this man. Game changed my life forever as a kid
Link to the Past music is a great example of music being the emotional lead in such a simple game. Falling rain with the story telling melody at the beginning of the game is a special kind of nostalgia for sure. My favorite part of the soundtrack has to be the intro of the dark world. To have the game blow open after a boss fight and leave you feeling both capable and anxious of what's to come. That and the cue to play is the music itself, once the music hits after the dialogue you know it's your moment and you go down the steps.
Love hearing the og vgm through Charles's ears - and then hearing it translated to piano. Explains how bands like The Consouls turn vgm into amazing jazz 💖
Check out Contraband Reloaded and J-MUSIC Ensemble if you haven't already
Lots of the early Japanese game composers were inspired by jazz subgenres so it makes sense their compositions work in that context.
@@Phil_529 love J-Music (Pat's a beast as are all his musicians) and I'll definitely check out Contraband Reloaded. Thx for recommending!
One of the all-time best Zelda games ever made. So excited about this breakdown of the music!
Chrono trigger part 2 , and "i am setsuna" is what im waiting for.
But zelda will have to get a part 2 , just so much depth in these games.
You really found one of the best videogame soundtracks to analyze! There is so much in this game!
My favourite songs in this game are:
The intro (that you analyzed)
The Castle theme
The Dark Forest Theme
The Ending theme (which is so epic that I used it as the walk-out song when I married my wife)
You should do some more analyzing of music from this game. I would love that! :)
This was my first game growing up. I remember replaying it as an adult and crying the first time I heard the music. The entire soundtrack is incredible, but you should definitely check out the Dark World theme and Battle with Ganon. The arpeggios in Battle with Ganon in particular are kind of insane.
Loved how jazzy you played this theme.
the intro theme is my favorite of the soundtrack, glad you covered it
The song accompanying the end sequence is my favorite. This also may be my favorite video game, with Chrono Trigger a close second; both featuring highly evocative scores.
It's a very jazzy sound. It can also be used for pop. I would know. It's awesome for pop.
For me it's the intro that always get's me, that rundown and buildup is so epic.... the main reason i started playing piano is zelda and nintendo music in general. There's one specific video that made me want to play 'Zelda piano Medley, by the channel gluecks'.
Broooo~ This game has so many good tracks! The castle dungeon, the overworld, and the Dark World themes all are so good and I can totally see you making this kind of video for each!
Would love to see more Link to the Past. Some absolutely incredible music throughout.
6:16 - It's wild how Kondo had these incredibly rich chords in mind when he composed for a system in 1990. The guy really knew what he was doing. Charles illustrating it wonderfully here on his piano. I had no idea the opening piece was so simple/complex. I will ALWAYS get a kick out of CC going way back in time and pulling out the chord progressions in these games. I get to hear them in a whole new light! Keep going buddy!
those chords from the seconds after you time stamped are used literally in the order he played them, the way he played them, in botw and totk as mipha and sidons theme. wild
0:19 This reminds me of the castle theme in Super Mario Bros 3 in Super Mario All Stars for the SNES….the SNES would always have that cool reverby crunchy trumpet sound that made the mighty scary castle type sound. It’s amazing.
pretty sure Koji Kondo composed those too :)
@@Elisio_ This is more a signature of the SNES's SPC 700 sound chip. It had very little RAM (64K) in which you had to store all the sound samples, the music sequence itself, _the program to play it_ , AND the buffer memory for the built-in delay DSP effects. So the "reverb" you could apply was more of a very short delay with feedback.
@@nickwallette6201 Thanks for the info!! but i already know all this bc i've composed songs with the limitations of the snes if that makes sense?
Perfect game, perfect soundtrack
The very next track is what is awe inspiring for me. Great breakdown.
This has and will likely always been my favorite Zelda game. I have played so much of this game and never really thought about the music before. Fun to watch you break it down.
Best game EVER
I've never noticed this, but the opening more dissonant chords are the same as Ganon's theme in most of the games. That's super cool!
This game has, dare I say, the best music of the SNES era.
Super Metroid is right up there with LttP.
Nah, that's Chrono Trigger
There is a ton of competition but I think Chrono Trigger clears
I’ll compromise and say SNES era was the golden era of vgm as it was the perfect blend of limitations to really push creativity and not just rely on samples just carrying the music. Good composition during this era was still mandatory, as it was integral to immersion and selling the game.
Revisiting these classics lights a light in my soul as these are the games I grew up with. As an aspiring composer, Chrono Trigger, LttP, SMW, FFMQ-FF6, MMX, SoM, long list of others from this era all hold special meaning to me and “were the best” in their own ways - I look at the music in this era as the soul of the games they were in.
@@joecwik super Castlevania 4 is also a really great soundtrack for SNES
That prologue theme you broke down is one of my favorite themes in all of Zelda. So poignant; there's pain and loss and beauty and love in it. A great theme for the backstory of link to the past that makes you feel what was lost.
One of my favorite Zelda pieces is the temple boss music from Majora's Mask, which has an A section that alternates 3/4 and 4/4, a B section mostly in 4/4 but wrapping up with three bars of 11/8 and one of 7/8, and a C section that has the alternating 3/4 + 4/4 baseline from the A section but a pattern of held chords above it that alternate six beats and four beats.
ruclips.net/video/YsJ9d3rNgHM/видео.htmlsi=oyq_EEwpRJcZDnnK
10:55 is the same chromatic progression as recurring ganon/ganondorf tnemes throughout the series
🤘
Link to the Past was my first Zelda game and still my absolute favorite. A lot of people don't realize is that it was the game that established not only the bulk of the music from the newer games, but also a lot of the core gameplay. My favorite track though is the Hyrule Castle Theme, it's ominous yet triumphant.
the best ost ever, i need more of this ost, church, guessing games, forest, turned into a rabbit, dark world, triforce chamber are my top favs
Koji Kondo is a god damn genius. What a composer.
this game really laid the ground work for not only how the franchise would continue, but how the music would sound.
there are so many references and leitmotifs through out the music in the series that all come back to this game.
and one would think it would become over used of over referenced, but the composures have really figured out the art of subtly referencing this game in ways that are refreshing and interesting,
if you ever did a video series as a continuation of this one, i would be very happy! i love hearing musicians break down the music in this series.
My personal favorite Zelda game, thanks so much for the video! Would love more deep dives into this soundtrack.
Let's gooo, A Link to the Past!! One of my favourites Zelda games and the Dark World theme is also one of my favourite overworld themes of all time ❤️.
I hope you make more videos of this game in the future.
This is one the first games I played and the songs are embedded deep within my soul
please go through the whole soundtrack, it's amazing.
i love the shop music that sounds like it's played on vibes/marimba
This is easily in my top 5 game soundtracks of all time. I would love to see you tackle more from A Link to The Past!
This was my very first Zelda game and has a special place in my heart. Great music, great gameplay and even has fully customizable randomizer programs for it.
Thanks for doing this one! This has been my favorite Zelda game for nearly 20 years now!
Favourite LttP track has to be the ending epilogue music. Its just so triumphant with its midi trumpets but knows when to calm it down and slow it so that that final blast at the end just hits so good with the midi timpani's!
I've always loved the intro theme to A Link to the Past, such a masterpiece. As for other songs I enjoy from the soundtrack, I'm def a fan of the Light World dungeon theme and the Dark World theme
Link between worlds is my favorite Zelda game, largely in part due to the soundtrack, which shared many reworked tracks from lttp. So cool to see you breaking this one down
I can't remember a time when I didn't know the way this piece sounds like the back of my hand, so the journey it goes on has always been totally obvious to me. Thanks for reminding me how beautiful it is
Saw a new Zelda video up and I'm here! This game introduced a lot of key elements of future games including music, so I'm excited for this one!
This is my "desert island" game. I know this music so well that it has appeared in my dreams. So happy to see you picking it apart (since I know basically nothing about music theory)
I vote for the Gerudo Valley theme from Ocarina of Time next. That one really hits me every time.
love this, one of the greatest games of all time and the music played big part in that
I wanted an in-depth explanation of this song for so long, thank you so much!
Love the breakdown dude! 👍🏼 My favorite Zelda game, and I’d love to hear you do more tracks like the Dark World Theme!
If you get a chance, you should definitely do a break down of the Hyrule Castle theme. It's first iteration is in A Link to the Past, but you can hear it in several other newer Zelda games. In fact, a lot of the recurring theme songs start here with this game.
sooo much good music in this game. hope you break down some more
ruclips.net/video/YsJ9d3rNgHM/видео.htmlsi=oyq_EEwpRJcZDnnK
you know about these guys?
This was one of my favourite songs that I've ever covered. Coolest song in the entire Zelda franchise
Dude the palace theme right after this one is just as impressive if not more so. Fantastic video analysis. Cheers!
ALttP is a phenomenal game that transcends time. It's soundtrack is peerless and replicated and remixed across the entire Zelda series, with standouts like Dark World and Hyrule Castle being just some of my all time favourite compositions in videogames.
I feel like you can kinda hear the foundation for the song of healing! So cool to try and imagine how the composer thought to bring that section and repurpose it with some changes!
I love A Link to the Past (I haven't played all of it, but I sure do love the OST). Specially the Dark World theme, so cool, such thrilling atmosphere I even have an mp3 of it on my phone
I Love how many hidden melodies are in this starting track from LttP. Would be great to have a deep dive into Koji Kondo and see how his most influential themes have developed and how some motifs are being re-used for the same kind of feeling in future Zelda games. It creates another layer if you have played more Zelda games because of the music that makes you think; "somethings fishy is about to happen" or "Okay a pleasant Town, no need to be on guard for hidden traps or monsters".
I love how he shows how little Zelda stuff he has listened too. He played a bunch of motifs while rabbit trailing that I found myself humming and pausing too. No shade, Charles. Take this as a HUGE suggestion to look at more Zelda music. Also check out Zelda Music Theory, he seems to be inspired by you heavily.
I never noticed that this piece had such great things in it! That was a really cool video to watch! 👏👏
And iirc, this plays if you don't press start at the beginning, and after some time the game shows you the story and what lead to the events that occurs in the game
The “Ending” theme is incredible. There’s a RUclips video called Symphony of the Goddesses and they do an arrangement of it with french horn, cello, and a choir and it is epic.
For the Zelda movie, this game is my #1 pick to adapt mostly because of the soundtrack.
Please do more from this game. This game has some great tunes.
One of my favourite themes from that soundtrack is the Lost Woods theme. You only hear it in the early part of the game before the woods has been liberated from darkness, after that it's just the typical overworld theme, but the specific Lost Woods theme really is nice.
Love this game and listening to you break it down! My favorite music is in the Lost Woods in the Light World. Please do more from this game!
Amazing that for the first 90 seconds, your reactions ALSO lined up with if you were reacting to the gameplay footage
waiting patiently for part 2 thank you
That opening melody would sound nice in a jazz style with a piano
Anyone that's played it extensively will not be able to pick a favourite but the big highlights are the dark world's overworld and dungeon themes, and obviously Hyrule Castle. There's so many in there though, it's full of treats for your ears. Some of the shop themes are classic, and I think this is the first game to have the great fairy theme as well.
I never forget the first time I played it back in 91. Or the first time I played Donkey Kong in 1981 on the portable game & watch console. The music and sound from those games stay with you forever.
We need more from a Link to the Past! Amazing soundtrack!!
Link to the Past’s intro music is some of the best in gaming and no one ever talks about it. The way the player boots up the game and is instantly thrust into a scene of terror and suspense and the music sets the tone. Unforgettable.
I had the video muted for the first part, but I could basically hear the music in my head. My siblings and I played that game so much back in the day!
If I could pick one game that I could play again "for the first time", this is always the one I pick. An absolute masterpiece in every single aspect, and such a huge part of my childhood.
My favourite theme is definitely the epilogue fanfare, running into the end credits. Learned to play it as a teen - such a moving piece.
The more "live" segment at the end of the video was really engaging. Id love more like this!
Link to the past is like my favorite game of all time. I really like the Dark World theme. It's so grand and mysterious in it's scope. Like, no more messing around. Time to put on your big boy pants.