Jam of the Day: Stalfos (The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword)

I’ve been diving into Skyward Sword a lot lately. The fact that it doesn’t use fully orchestrated music all the time makes it all the more powerful when it does. There is a lot to be said about the game’s clever use of layering elements to the situation, especially in dungeon music.

But one of the songs that really stuck out to me was the music that plays when you encounter Stalfos knights. It sounds downright evil, but a bit playful at the same time thanks to its rhythm. And since it comes practically out of nowhere to interrupt the more ambient location music, it perfectly plays into the surprise of suddenly being trapped in a room with a midboss. I can’t wait to hear what else the game has to offer.

While Hajime Wakai is in charge of the game’s music, series veteran Koji Kondo also contributed. However, I have yet to see any individual song credits.

Jam of the Day: Delfino Plaza Theme (GC: “Super Mario Sunshine”) by Yoshihiro Arita and his band (Mario & Zelda Big Band Live CD)

I am going on a camping trip. This will be the last Jam of the Day until either late Monday or Tuesday. Until then, enjoy this special summer-time jam! It’s the “Delfino Plaza Theme” from Super Mario Sunshine. A great track from a pretty fun game that get’s a lot of flak.

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK! :D

Jam of the Day: Middle Boss Battle by MOKA (The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Re-Arranged Album)

Koji Kondo’s score for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is definitely a classic. Song’s like “Gerudo Valley” and “Lost Woods” will live on in the memories of gamers for a long time. But tracks like “Middle Boss Battle” aren’t usually among people’s favorites.

Normally, that wouldn’t be among mine either. That’s where MOKA comes in. One of my favorite kinds of arrangements are those that take the songs I never thought much of and turn them into the highlights of an album. This is exactly what MOKA did with “Middle Boss Battle”. While far from my favorite track on the original soundtrack, MOKA’s remix is, in my opinion, the best on the Re-Arranged Album.