Track of the Week: Frozen Hyrule (The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures)

Video games and snow levels go hand-in-hand. Whether you love their beautiful scenery or loathe their slippery mechanics, snow levels have been a staple of the medium since its earliest days, and it doesn’t look like that’ll change any time soon. With December officially upon us, we though it would only be appropriate to honor these levels and the wintry melodies they’ve given us, so for the next few weeks we’ll be highlighting some of our favorite snow themes from a variety of different Nintendo games, beginning with this piece from The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures:

There have been a number of beautiful snow themes throughout the Zelda series’ history, but one of my personal favorites is the Frozen Hyrule theme, which longtime Zelda fans will recognize is actually a remix of the Dark World theme from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Of course, it’s hard to improve upon one of the most iconic tunes in the entire series, but what makes this rendition so memorable is the way it successfully reinterprets the track, replacing the propulsive march of the original theme with a gentler, more subdued melody. Even when the tune reaches its heroic crescendo around the one-minute mark, it quickly reverts back to its initial starkness, any extraneous flourishes (like the driving snare drum that works its way into the theme 45 seconds in) fading away like light in a blinding snowstorm. This lends the piece an appropriately chilly air, which goes a long way in bringing the snow-wracked fields of Hyrule to life.

What are some of your favorite snow themes from the Zelda series? Share them with us in the comments!