The Legend of Zelda games always have great music, and some of their most memorable songs occur in their various “overworlds”. With regards to Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess, that would be Hyrule Field.

If I had to describe The Legend of Zelda franchise in one word, it would most certainly be “Adventure”. I personally think that’s why the games resonate so well with so many people- a good Zelda game is about nothing more than a young boy having the adventure of a lifetime. That’s as pure and noble a premise as any, and is also what the overworld theme for practically every Zelda game is all about. The Hyrule Field themes from both Ocarina of Time and Twilgiht Princess are no exceptions, and I’ll focus on Ocarina of Time first. The song opens up with a great rift that immediately kicks it into gear, which is quickly followed by the fast paced drum and horn beats that set the pace for the song. In a way, it reminds me of riding Epona. The quick opening is reminiscent of spurring a horse into action, and the song’s basic beat has a galloping feel to it. Past that, the basic melody and instrumentation is very much suited for such an epic adventure. Everything is upbeat and grand in a way that’s fitting for a brave hero setting out to save the world.

At some point the song takes a turn. The notes and chords become discordant, and the melody becomes disorganized. There’s this high pitched shrill that’s particularly unsettling, and to me, this section of the song is representative of the struggles one would encounter on such an adventure. But it snaps back together almost as quickly as it spiraled out of control, and shortly after there’s a section that’s very peaceful in tone. I see this as representing the hero finally overcoming his or her trials, and quietly reflecting on the adventure afterwards. I feel like this quieter section really gives the entire song a lot more heart than it would have otherwise, and always makes me appreciate the scope of the adventure in a game like Ocarina of Time. The Hyrule Field theme just does a fantastic job at covering that scope, including all of the highs and lows you’d expect to experience on such a quest. That’s the main reason I like this song as much as I do.

I included the Hyrule Field themes from both Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess because they’re both very similar. The Twilight Princess version follows an almost identical pattern as Ocarina of Time, and is equally great in the same way. They both hit all the highs and lows that these epic adventures contain, which makes them fantastic overworld themes through and through.

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