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What is the best song that Koji Kondo has ever composed?

bennywhatever said:
Dire Dire Docks and Forest Temple take the cake for me. I love those.

If only he did Link's Awakening, I could say "Tal Tal Mountain."
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Tal Tal Heights. I was just about to come into this thread and act all indignant that no one's mentioned it yet.

Edit: Oh wait, he didn't do the music for Link's Awakening. I'm an idiot.
 
He is a god of creating music as a whole. So many good songs. Anyway hard to choose, i'll go with zelda overworld theme.
 
wmlk said:
I don't like how everyone assumes that Kondo composes every track. There are a lot of talented composers in Nintendo, and I go to YouTube and see on GAF thanking Kondo and not appreciating the people who actually worked on the music.

Same thing with how Game Freak makes the Pokémon games, not Nintendo. Let's give those guys credit for literally heading one of the biggest franchises for anything in the world.
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I think it goes without saying that people are thankful for their work - it's just easier to thank a specific person or entity, especially if they're prominently involved.


This post also gives me a chance to say that the LoZ 25th anniversary soundtrack is amazing! I'm guessing it's only available second hand at an exorbitant price now?
 
dralla said:
I have the Galaxy OST's on my MP3 player. There's some good stuff on there to listen to while you're driving.
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massoluk said:
Shit the fuck...

Zelda orchestra and SM Galaxy sountracks have permanent place in my MP3 playlist.
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Most of galaxy's music wasn't composed by kondo. But he still has some excellent tracks. Like good egg galaxy
 
Probably either the Zelda Select Screen or the Castle music from A Link to the Past.

Also a bunch of stuff from the original Star Fox. That first level's music in particular.
 
The12thGripper said:
Kondo didn't arrange that version.
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Doesn't matter if he didn't arrange it, it is still his composition.
Why would you do that? said:
Runner ups include Spirit Temple (OoT) and the credits to Link to the Past:

http://youtu.be/c8sdSfEa26o

Seriously, one of the best credits music ever. I really wish Kondo would go back to composing whole game soundtracks...



I don't think he did those... I know that he didn't do Link's Awakening but not 100% sure about the other ones.




There's no shame of putting music you like on an mp3 player. About 90% of the music I listen to is video game music.
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I agree. It's very disappointing that Kondo only contributes a few tracks here and there now. He needs to be back in the lab scoring games again.

I also think ALttP has the best end credits music of any Zelda game (followed closely by Majora's Mask.

Also, Song of Healing is definitely Kondo. Ballad of the Windfish is not. Kondo was credited for use of his previous Zelda compositions in that game but all the new stuff was composed by others. I tend to credit Kondo for Ballad of the Goddess since it's just "Princess Zelda's Theme" melody reversed and arranged accordingly.

Yonafunu said:
The OoT soundtrack is amazing. The MM OST is awesome, but that was co-composed by Toru Minegishi, so I'm not sure who did what.
Same thing goes for WW and TP, which were both composed by at least 2 composers besides Kondo, with 3 for WW.
I'm always to call out tracks from MM and upwards for that reason.
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The Majora's Mask OST has like 112 tracks. Kondo composed 109 of those.

Codeblue said:
The Fairy Fountain Theme.

Simple, catchy, relaxing.
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Check this version out from the Re-Arranged album. I love strings in this one. The arrangement from Ze;da: Sound & Drama is really good too.
 
Zelda music is what justifies for Koji Kondo what another poster in this thread appropriately described as being "the John Williams of video games."

Fairy/File Select theme, Gerudo Valley, and Song of Storms are up there, but I have to note the man can write a damn good Zelda sidekick/companion theme:

Sheik: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Yc7kp_ETGU

Aryll: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UZ1_UfZlUc

Midna: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr-gy2b5TlY (note the use of the minor inverted Zelda's Lullaby)

Midna's Lament: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4o683oc6Qc (seriously if you weren't on the verge of tears during this portion of the game, and the surprising resolution to the situation, you are a cold, lifeless machine)

Agitha: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eJW0AiBn_o&index=101&list=PL4A2656CBD9104A26 (I know you have bugs...)

Groose: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9B1J_2wkeQ&index=154&list=PLZzKhgUfPukBv9Xm3lxGIm5FMQDddShxo


ps
While LttP and OoT may have set the stage for incredible Zelda music, the music in Twilight Princess is better.

EDIT: Removed one that was not a Kondo composition.
 
Also, I just want to share with you guys are few underappreciated Kondo gems that no one ever pays attention to:

Starfox 64 - "Menu"
No one ever mentions this song because folks never really hung out in the menu for this game, but the song is really quite lovely.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island - "Underground BGM"
A real underappreciated gem

And this overclocked arrangement will hit you in the feels.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - "Astral Observatory"
I really love this song. I may be the only one. But one day it'll get the arrangement it deserves. The Majora's Mask Orchestrations version wasn't very good.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - "Majora's Mask Battle"
The orchestral and arguably best version of this theme ("Majora's Incarnation Battle" cause it's so awesome wacky and wicked). But this character theme is one of the best in the entire series. "Majora's Theme" is also the main theme of the score... it's everywhere.

BONUS: This is what happens when one of my other favorite composers (Motoi Sakuraba) gets ahold of a Kondo classic - PURE MAGIC.
 
FreedomFighter said:
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - "Astral Observatory"
I really love this song. I may be the only one. But one day it'll get the arrangement it deserves. The Majora's Mask Orchestrations version wasn't very good.
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You're definitely not the only one. This is one of my absolute favorite tracks in Majora's Mask. It's short but just sounds wondrous.
 
Rash said:
You're definitely not the only one. This is one of my absolute favorite tracks in Majora's Mask. It's short but just sounds wondrous.
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It's funny because I never finished Majora's Mask, only rented when it was released and my biggest memory is that song. Love it!
 
Oggmeiler said:
The ending theme to Super Mario 64 is so goddamn good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVKj3u8JUm0
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boehnercrying_fullsize.jpeg
 
Heartfyre said:
Hard to know who did what in the Super Mario Galaxy 2 soundtrack, but to post something different, I really adore Starship Mario 3. It makes me want to march around the room every time I hear it.
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Yea Kondo did the Observatory and Starship Mario themes in the Galaxy games, along with some others like Good Egg Galaxy.

Mahito Yakota was the main composer for both those games though (same with 3D World).
 
dude should be proud that he composed Comet Observatory. It's perfect for elegant fancy events like a ball or some shit
 
Also... you all need to appreciate "Hyrule Field Main Theme" from Ocarina of Time. It's one of the most impressive pieces of videogame music I've ever heard. It's COMPLETELY interactive and skillfully crafted. Kondo has been doing interactive music since Super Mario World, but this takes it to a whole other level.

The song has three movements:
  • If you're running, you get a very adventurous candence
  • You get a battle theme while you're fighting enemies
  • Then there's a very tranquil movement when you're standing still and admiring the scenery

It is truly amazing. I always wondered how they were able to program this track into the game because it segues between movements almost instantaneously. I got my answer in the Ocarina of Time 3D Iwata Asks:

Yokota said:
Getting back to Ocarina of Time, the music was different every time you went out to a dungeon on an adventure and came back to Hyrule Field, the main setting of the game. The general feeling of the music itself didn't change that much, but the melodies came along at different timing.

And even if it was the same song, if you were fighting an enemy, the tune would become more thrilling. Then, when the battle was over, it would return to the usual majestic music. When Link stood still, it would grow quiet. The music was constantly changing.
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And here's how Kondo did it:

Kondo said:
Right. Each group of eight measures ended with a chord that would lead nicely into whichever group started next. It sounded natural even when you played them randomly... So I made eight-bar patterns for the fights, too. As you got closer to an enemy, they would smoothly transition into fighting music.
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Fucking genius.

Here's the in-game version of Hyrule Field Main Theme.
Here's the AMAZING arrangement of Hyrule Field Main Theme from the OoT Re-Arranged Album. Those goddamn strings and that trumpet. Holy fuck.

NOTE: Kondo wrote in the OoT OST liner notes that this is just one possible way you could hear "Hyrule Field Main Theme" for the purpose of the album. The song is different every time you hear it based on player actions.

Also, Twilight Princess' overworld theme uses the same concept as this but expands on it even further.

And both Wind Waker's and Twilight Princess' overworld themes are based off of "Hyrule Field Main Theme" from OoT.
 
FreedomFighter said:
And both Wind Waker's and Twilight Princess' overworld themes are based off of "Hyrule Field Main Theme" from OoT.
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Y'know, I never noticed the direct melody connection to OoT in TP's field theme, but you're right! (but this is from someone who never noticed the OoT music callbacks scattered around WW the first time around.)
 
Everything in this thread is evocative, dynamic, cohesive and ultimately, beautiful. His entire portfolio is the "best song ever composed."
 
Super Mario 64 - Dire Dire Docks
Super Mario 64 - Road To Bowser

Absolutely amazing works.

By the way, Akito Nakatsuka's Zelda II soundtrack destroyed Kondo's Zelda 1.
 
My favorites have already been mentioned, but here they are again anyways:

Gerudo Valley - Ocarina of Time

Dire, Dire Docks - Super Mario 64

Staff Role / Credits theme - Super Mario 64

I miss the days when the songs were so good, they'd get stuck in my head and I could always recall the entire tune, no matter how much time had passed. That just doesn't really happen as often for me nowadays, at least not for Zelda / Mario. I swear this guy needs to lend a bigger hand in the soundtracks again.
 
I don't think I can name the best song he has ever composed but I have a lot of favorites (that have already been mentioned) like SM64's 1-2/underground remix, OoT's Hyrule Field theme, SM64's Koopa Road, OoT's Forest Temple theme, and SM64's Dire Dire Docks.
(imo) It's hard to pick a specific track out of his portfolio and hold it up as the "best" because all of his pieces are spectacular.

Also, Koji Kondo apparently created the Yoshi's Star Galaxy theme according GilvaSunner (the guy who uploads this stuff and generally includes the names of the composers), and I can't tell you how much I love this theme.
It captures all the fun of riding on Yoshi while still including that interesting tribal bongo beat that is generally associated with the character. Plus, I like pipe organs.
:P
 
wmlk said:
Same thing with how Game Freak makes the Pokémon games, not Nintendo. Let's give those guys credit for literally heading one of the biggest franchises for anything in the world.
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Well GameFreak doesn't make ALL the Pokemon games. Technically, Nintendo is involved in the development of the GameFreak Pokemon games as well. Not just on a production level, but they have programmers that do the networking program and localization program. They also have hardware teams making gadgets like the Pokewalker that was integrated into the games.
 
Probably something from Super Mario 64, OoT or MM. So many great and unforgettable songs, impossible to pick one. SM64 credits theme makes me nostalgic as fuck though so there's that.
 
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