Koji Kondo Talks Majora’s Mask 3D Music

Where would the Legend of Zelda be without its music? Legendary Nintendo composer Koji Kondo sat down with Gamespot at the recent Game Awards event in Las Vegas to discuss how he composes for games. Zelda came up a number of times during the interview as Kondo talked about Majora’s Mask 3D, his role in the upcoming Zelda Wii U, and why the series is his favorite franchise to compose for!

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There is a lot of speculation going around right now about Majora’s Mask 3D. What will they add? What will they take away? What will be changed? One area of speculation is the game’s soundtrack, with many wishing for a complete orchestral score. If you are in that camp, you are likely going to be disappointed. Apart from some cleaning up and re-balancing, it seems the score will likely remain the same as the original. In the interview, Kondo explains that the music and the gameplay are so intertwined that he fears any reworking would distort the feel of the game.

This news is likely to disappoint many, but with the music being such an important part of the gameplay it should be expected. Ocarina of Time’s remake did include one new orchestrated track after the ending, and while no mention of a similar piece for Majora’s Mask 3D have yet been made, they’re surely going to need something to play during those extra staff credits. Whether this will satisfy the fans remains to be seen.

In the rest of the interview, Kondo discusses how the game’s original soundtrack was inspired by Chinese Opera, and talks about the process of composing the confrontation with the mayor, a scene which he found particularly enjoyable to work on.

Besides the Majora’s Mask remake, Kondo was also asked about his involvement in the upcoming Zelda Wii U, and revealed that he will not be actively composing for the game. The task of crafting the new Zelda’s soundtrack will fall to Nintendo’s other talented composers. Kondo’s role in the production will be purely supervisory, allowing him to take a step back and view music from the player’s perspective.

It is a fascinating interview, and well worth a read. Were you expecting any changes in music of Majora’s Mask 3D? Think they’ll add an orchestral piece for the end credits like they did with Ocarina of Time 3D? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Source: Gamespot