The Legend of Zelda Series

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

OoT > MM > WW

Like I said, I can't rank TP or SS because I'm not familiar with those game's soundtracks.

[Nel_Annette]

Girahim's theme (and Levias) is where it's at. I actually did like what I was hearing of Faron Woods while playing it, but it didn't stick.

[Spark Of Spirit]

A Link To The Past has the best soundtrack in my opinion. It just hits every note perfectly.

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I do like the atmosphere the best for being as bright as Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker and being as dark as Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess. The Dark World theme is still my favorite Zelda theme.

[talonmalon333]

My favorite Zelda song is the credits theme to TP. That's just really emotional. Heck, that's basically why TP has my favorite soundtrack in the series. It's the most emotional overall. WW has my 2nd favorite soundtrack cause it's the most versatile. With things like the Dragon Roost song, there is just so much variety to that soundtrack. I also love the OoT and MM soundtracks, but in my opinion they are held back a bit by the console's sound quality. Just a little bit, though.

[Kiddington]

I'd rate the soundtracks as such:

OoT > ALttP > TP > MM > WW

I absolutely love OoT's soundtrack, as I'm sure you're well aware. The ambiance is just beautiful in almost every situation. ALttP is just a great soundtrack all around, TP is more emotional but it works really well, and MM's fits the dark tone of the series of a tee. I hate to push WW all the way to the back of line like that, because it has some really great stuff as well.

Honestly, there isn't a bad soundtrack to be had in this bunch; it's basically just a ranking of absolute favorite to slightly less favorite. The only one I can't comment on is SS, as I haven't played it yet, buuuuut... it sounds like I'm really not missing much. 

[Spark Of Spirit]

Here's an odd tangent. I hope they never put a game in the timeline between OoT and ALTTP. I really like the build up of having no hero for such a long time that when Link appears just about no one remembers there was ever a hero and it makes his constant victories surprise even Ganon by the end. It's kind of silly to mention, but it's really the only Zelda game like that. Every other one has an inkling of knowledge about a previous hero except ALTTP (they only talk about long ago wars) where an unknown hero comes out of nowhere. He not only stops the wizard, but ends up saving a whole world of darkness with the odds wildly stacked against him.

That's probably why it's my favorite Zelda story.

[Rynnec]

I think ALTTP happens in the timeline where Link never became the Hero of Time, so to a good majority of Hyrule there never was a hero at all.

The only thing they can really explore in those games is the Imprisoning War.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I think ALTTP happens in the timeline where Link never became the Hero of Time, so to a good majority of Hyrule there never was a hero at all.

The only thing they can really explore in those games is the Imprisoning War.

You're right. The Sealing War talked about in the ALTTP opening was fought by the sages and knights to seal Ganon away in the Dark World which held until ALTTP and Link arrived to stop him. Basically after OoT and "the hero fails" the Sealing War ended with Ganon trapped in the Dark World so there was no Ganon for Link to fight until ALTTP.

Even if they picked another villain for Link to fight in that timeline it wouldn't work because Ganon is literally sitting over there looming over the world in wait.

It's why I'm glad the 3DS game isn't a prequel because it wouldn't make a whole lot of sense. Though I would hope it's post-Link's Awakening just so it can bookend that era.

[Nel_Annette]

It's kind of funny that in a way, but looking at the entire timeline, the thing that keeps happening to Ganon (getting defeated, only to come back somewhere down the line) seems to apply to Link too on the Decline timeline. He's ultimately killed by Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time, but he comes back in A Link To The Past (not the same Link of course, but you know what I mean.) Seems like no matter which piece of the puzzle you remove, history will just replace it somewhere down the line, so no side can ever truly achieve a permanent victory. I have no doubt that a new Ganondorf would eventually be born in the Wind Waker timeline, if they choose to continue it.

[talonmalon333]

Spirit Tracks has one of the better soundtracks in the series. Don't care what the haters say.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W_bFLwB0WY

[Spark Of Spirit]

To be fair, after ALTTP in that timeline Ganon only comes back through necromancy (and only once is he not a mindless beast or a vision) and Ganondorf and Aganhim (I can never spell that right) never reappear. Maybe the reason they never followed up on Zelda 2 is because that's actually the end? 

Who knows?

[talonmalon333]

I always thought it would be interesting if there was some spin-off playing as other characters avenging the Hero of Time during the Imprisoning War.

Maybe the reason they never followed up on Zelda 2 is because that's actually the end? 

Zelda 2 always seemed to have a finality fairy tale ending to me. "Link wakes up the princess from her slumber, Ganon's resurrection is prevented, Hyrule is restored, and they all live happily ever after" sort of thing.

[Nel_Annette]

By the time Zelda 2 comes around, so much time has passed since Skyward Sword (for crying out loud, the "first" Princess Zelda that Link's trying to wake up was born some time after ALttP), that the Goddesses and Hylia appear to have been completely forgotten and Hyrule is somehow practicing Christianity.  Also interesting is that I think Hyrule Historia mentions that by the first Legend Of Zelda, Ganon's become such a mindless beast that he doesn't even remember ever being Ganondorf.

I love the mythos so much. <3

[Rynnec]

Funny thing about Ganon returning in the Wind Waker Universe is that there were a lot of theories back in the day that Vaati would be the one to revive Ganon (mostly based on Ganon's final words). I'd really like that if it actually happened.

By the time Zelda 2 comes around, so much time has passed since Skyward Sword (for crying out loud, the "first" Princess Zelda that Link's trying to wake up was born some time after ALttP), that the Goddesses and Hylia appear to have been completely forgotten and Hyrule is somehow practicing Christianity.  Also interesting is that I think Hyrule Historia mentions that by the first Legend Of Zelda, Ganon's become such a mindless beast that he doesn't even remember ever being Ganondorf.

I love the mythos so much. <3

That's what I love about the split timeline, all the different outcomes and possibilities.

[Spark Of Spirit]

After ALTTP, we're left with three Ganon resurrections.

1. Oracles - It's literally a mindless beast and Twinrova failed.
2. Link's Awakening - It's a nightmare so it's not him, just a vision.
3. Legend Of Zelda - Properly resurrected (all those attempts must have finally lead to perfection) only he seems degraded from before. Plus I think Link actually purifies the ashes (this I can't remember right) so that prevents him from coming back and Zelda 2 seems pretty intent on wiping whatever spell they kept trying to use to bring Ganon back from existence.

Otherwise I don't really see why they never followed after Zelda 2 unless that really is the end of that timeline as far as the battle is concerned.