Forty years of nostalgia somehow poured into the Nintendo Music app; if there ever was a time for the soundtrack of The Legend of Zelda II: Link no Bouken to be released in full, with each ripped up to the NES and Famicom Disk System versions, it is now, after all. That will always be vintage game-level stuff.
Now, if by some eccentric fate you are one of the rare few that have not played this title or were not even born then, Zelda II was that weird sequel that went full-on side-scrolling action. The music? Absolute bangers. The Palace theme could very well have stuck to your mind for days. Now that one click away from clicking the music on over the app and window dressing it.
What is it about Nintendo making an announcement that immediately causes the Twitterverse to erupt? Just like clockwork some have gone online too crazy; Craft_monsta said, “Great improvement guys,” and I couldn’t agree more! But alas, there will always be the “cool but WHERE’S XENOBLADE??” lot. Brumski continued: “A 15th anniversary would have been an ideal time to add it here.” Right on! Let the company cook something first. Though, they obviously are releasing things slowly.
And then the Spotify debate begins AGAIN. KyleBlohm simply asked: “What about uploading it to Spotify đź‘€,” and, honestly, that speaks to exactly how I feel about this. Then, Dave19Brown83 had none of that: “Nintendo isn’t doing it ever. Let it go!” And he might be right, too. Nintendo does things on their own; that means that basically, they don’t allow any releasing of music outside their ecosystem. It bothers some, but this is just how they choose to operate.
A few of those responses are just wildly entertaining. For instance, a person named @nensondubois_ decided to rant about reverse-engineering the FDS hardware to play the music himself? I respect the dedication, but it is probably time, my friend, to actually just use the app. Next, @MaxHell44191966 chimed in with Palworld for absolutely no discernible reason: “Nintendo is burning down the game industry to destroy Palworld.” Sir, this is Wendy’s. We should be having a conversation on 8-bit Zelda music.
I mean, shall we talk about how many people are straight-up demanding OTHER soundtracks? @moashy_mango asked about Ocarina of Time tracks (not yet, sadly); @KumatoraKazooie wants EarthBound and Pokémon RBY, while @uhidk75 is straight-up demanding Pokémon Colosseum. The demand has come into being and Nintendo is definitely taking notes. In all probability.
One of the wholesome responses came from @CrunchyHyena: “Thanks. There are times when I cannot play due to GERD but imagine I am playing when listening to Zelda 2,”and that really hits home. Gaming music ain’t some mere background noise: It’s comfort, it’s memory; it’s part of the experience even if you cannot hold a controller.
Another question on everybody’s mind—starting, at least, with user SwimminginCrcle—is when this is getting added as a Switch app. Because at the moment, it is only on mobile, and having it on Switch would be a game changer. An idea of pulling it up on your TV while grinding through another game—that’s a dream right there.
They’ve been dropping soundtracks here and there kind of consistently, though. They went for Donkey Kong Country and Super Mario Galaxy 2, so Zelda II is kind of the logical if strange next step. Even Philipbeano quipped, “No way you guys followed up DK banana and Mario galaxy 2 with this,” but why not? It’s iconic in its own odd way.
More are in clear demand. The comments are a mash-up of pure hype, reasonable requests, and utter mayhem—which pretty much sums up Twitter in a nutshell. More classic game music, legally released, and accessible is always a win, even if it isn’t on Spotify.
Now sounds like an excellent time to go check out the Nintendo Music app if you haven’t done so by now. For the hardcore Zelda II fans or for those just into chiptunes, there is something there for you. And who knows? Maybe next up is Xenoblade. Or EarthBound. Or whatever else they’re begging for. Nintendo is slow, but they’re listening. Probably.
