Daily Debate: Would You Like To See The Zelda Series Experiment With A Greater Variety of Music Genres?

Throughout the years, The Legend of Zelda has played around with music genres that one wouldn’t typically associate with the series. The Hidden Village theme from Twilight Princess, for instance, is wonderfully subversive with its Wild West-inspired sound. Similarly, the Middle Eastern influence of Ocarina of Time’s Spirit Temple theme is rather refreshing. That said, the series has mostly stayed true to its “classic fantasy epic” roots.

As a spin-off title, Hyrule Warriors experimented even further with a soundtrack comprised almost entirely of rock music. These arrangements of classic tunes complemented the game’s frenetic action and flashy animation. Perhaps it’s because I was already familiar with the original songs, but these remixes still felt distinctly Zelda, despite representing a completely unique genre of music.

I’d definitely be interested to see at least one proper Zelda entry take a similar approach to music. If you ask me, the prospect of a full-fledged western score sounds exciting, yet not too far outside of the series’ wheelhouse. Again, though, as it did with Hyrule Warriors, the music would need to work in tandem with the type of game it appears in.

What about you? Would a predominantly jazz-inspired soundtrack be up your alley? What if Nintendo brought the rock motif over to a mainline game? Are some genres simply too uncharacteristic of the series? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below!