9. Forest Temple
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Perhaps a rather unconventional choice, this one, but the Forest Temple is without doubt one of my favourite dungeon themes of all time. So many dungeons these days seem content to resign themselves to dull, ambient background noise that criminally undersells any kind of tension or personality they might be trying to put across to the player, but just listen to those echoing… whatever instrument that is, and those creepy, offbeat voices “huh”-ing and “ah”-ing just after the one minute mark. Now that is atmospheric.
It also proves that Zelda’s not all about big, bombastic anthems that get your adventurer’s blood pumping (although several of those will certainly be cropping up in this list later on). It’s a marked departure from everything else we’ve heard in Ocarina of Time up until this point, and it makes everything, from Link’s sudden jump to adulthood to the Forest Temple itself, seem that much more alien and removed from what we’ve encountered before. It helps reinforce that there’s something not quite right about the Forest Temple, and this aural assault of echoes and reverberations from all corners of your speakers perfectly reflects its obsession with trickery and illusion.
Of course, many might argue that the Shadow Temple should be sitting here if we’re going to talk about atmosphere, but while the Shadow Temple is quite possibly the most spine-tingling, goosebumps-inducing dungeon theme I’ve ever heard, the Forest Temple wins out here because, well, it’s actually got a bit more of a melody and is a far more pleasant listening experience on its own. That, and it doesn’t make my skin crawl every time I hear it!
Great list! I don’t think I could pick 10, there’s just been so much great music in the Zelda series. Zelda 2’s warbly “instrumentation” (if you can call it that) bugged me when I was young, but I’ve come to appreciate it and it made me smile to see its main palace music on the list.
I’d love to hear a modern take on the original Zelda’s Level 9 music. Many previous dungeon themes have resurfaced in one way or another but unless I’m forgetting something, I can’t say I’ve heard that particular melody of dread and danger come up again.
Thanks! Ah, yes, Level 9. Man, that music’s creepy. It did, in fact, reappear in Four Swords Adventures in the Tower of Flames, but I know what you mean – it would be great to hear it used more often! :)
My 10 favorites in no particular order.
1. Main Hyrule field theme
2. Gerudo valley
3. Temple of time
4. Fairy fountain
5. 4 gods from majoras mask
6. Bolero of fire
7. Ballad of the goddesses.
8. Song of healing
9. Ganondorf thheme from Twilight Princess
10. Serenade of water.
All great tunes, Lukas! I was actually this close to including Queen Rutela’s Theme from Twilight Princess in the honourable mentions (a re-working of the Serenade of Water), but if I decided that if I included any more then I’d have a never-ending list!
I’m also a very big fan of Ganondorf’s Theme, especially the Twilight Princess version (that final battle music is just epic!), but it’s a close tie between that one and The Last Battle from Ocarina of Time when it comes to my top Ganon music!
Woah, I completely forgot about the Four Swords Adventures rendition! I think I played through that level exactly once… Thanks for the tip! :^)