The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time OST: A Masterpiece of Its Own

Released in 1998, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64 is considered one of the greatest video games of all time.

In addition to its gameplay, story, and graphics, this video game masterpiece is hailed for its highly innovative and enjoyable soundtrack composed by head of Nintendo music department Koji Kondo.

Over the course of the over 2 hour project, Kondo utilizes a range of instruments including orchestral strings, piano, harp, guitar and, of course, ocarina. Kondo also tastefully tapped a number of cultural influences for his composition such as Spanish Flamenco, Arabic scales and traditional chants from the Caucuses, beautifully merging elements of reality with the fantastical world of Hyrule and the Zelda universe. The final product is simultaneously inviting and challenging, flawlessly encapsulating the nature of the gameplay experience by engaging the player with the otherworldly [almost dark] vibe that's carried throughout the course of the game.

This is shown palpably in "Title Theme" which layers mellow violin and a playful piano melody with a shadowy ocarina concerto. The game's most exciting moments are accentuated by fast-paced, often dissident and stylistically detuned chords [e.g. "Ganondorf Battle", "Horse Race”], playing into the intriguingly uncanny theme. "Staff Roll Credits" is a beautiful tribute to this video game masterpiece and the staff that created it, concluding the player's experience with a sweet string and woodwind melody that signals resolve to the storyline and gameplay experience.

This beloved soundtrack both holds up as its own piece of work to this day and flows perfectly throughout the game it was composed for, easily blending into the background, enhancing the gameplay experience.