TikTok is no stranger to the occasional odd duet chain, but one of the more recent ones is recreating Kakariko Village from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and, to be honest, I am here for it.

It all started on September 29, when user Amanda Kaya uploaded a video playing the Kakariko Village theme on the guitar. Shortly thereafter, another user named Jay dueted Kaya with a melodica rendition of the theme’s recognizable melody line. From there, a particularly delectable brand of chaos began to take root as various users added their own videos to the chain, either providing sound effects or recreating the downright odd behavior of NPCs in the hit Nintendo 64 adventure.

It was one thing for user marce_chiriboga to provide the chickens and horse sound effects that sound as if they were ripped straight from the game, but it was? another thing entirely when user Megs added their version of the infamous Master Craftsman and when user Tim Settineri contributed their take on the Beggar character �you know, the character who keeps patting their legs and raising their arms to the sky in an endless loop? There’s even a user who added a very, very slow-moving windmill.

I often find that the internet has inspired the worst in humanity to bubble up to the surface. But, then I see the internet collaborating on this silly, but creative, duet chain and I am led to believe �as long as things like this continue to exist, maybe we’re gonna be alright. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go play The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the 50,000th time.

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Best The Legend of Zelda music ever

The Legend of Zelda series has magnificent songs across its history. From the adventurous "Hyrule Field" theme to the beautiful "Zelda's Lullaby," composer Koji Kondo is behind some of the best video game music. While there are many, many tracks to choose from, these 10 songs establish why The Legend of Zelda series is a fantastic source of music. Yes, I know "Gerudo Valley" isn't in it, but there's only so much you can put in a Top 10 list! Here is the best The Legend of Zelda music. 

10. Spirit Tracks - "Full Steam Ahead"

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The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is one of the black sheep of the series on the DS. However, it has some of the best The Legend of Zelda music ever in its overworld theme. "Full Steam Ahead" plays while Link is driving a train. The song gives a rush of excitement. The tempo and percussion of the track remind me of a moving train's engine and pumping steam. The tambourine simulates the steam while the drums sound like the engine. There's also a neat reference to the main theme of The Legend of Zelda within the track. Aaron Grubb published a neat Western version of the song that you'd expect to hear from a game like Red Dead Redemption. 

9. Breath of the Wild - The Blight Ganon themes

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To me, the weakest part of The Legend of Zelda's soundtracks is the boss themes. They're great for the series' intense combat moments, but they don't stick in your head as much as the battle themes of franchises like Final Fantasy or Kingdom Hearts. The Blight Ganon music from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is different, however. Scattered across Hyrule are different Blight Ganons that represent alternate elements. The Waterblight is more energetic, while th??e Windblight is more personality-filled with the accordion from Kass' Theme mixed into it. The core battle theme across all four versions is also epic with menacing piano tones and a powerful choir. Vetrom, in the above video, does a great job of encompassing all of the elements from each Blight Ganon track into one solid remix.

8. Skyward Sword - "Skyloft"

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The "Skyloft" theme in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is like a warm hug. It has a pleasant melody underscored by the fast strumming of a charming mandolin and the playing of a pretty horn instrument. The percussion is also lighter with a welcoming drum beat. This theme? defines Skyloft as a place of sanctuary and somewhere players can cool down after the tough dungeons that lie on the surface of Hyrule. Patti Rudisill does a wonderful performance of Skyloft with a fitting Violin and Viola cover of the track.

7. A Link To The Past - "Dark World" / A Link Between Worlds - "Lorule"

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The "Dark World" theme is another piece that helps establish that sense of adventure within you. The drumbeat compels you to keep going, while there's a thrilling melody in the forefront. The newer take on the song from A Link Between Worlds is stellar. ?The percussion is on point with a more charismatic, metallic drumbeat, while the main melody from the violin plays so well with the original 16-bit theme. The String Player Gamer has performed a brilliant symphonic metal violin cover of the track with a tasty solo? towards the end of the song.

6. Twilight Princess - "Midna's Lament"

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"Midna's Lament" is a striking piece from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. The piano piece is melancholy as Link tries to save his companion Midna from a horrible fate. The notes chosen for the song give off a mysterious vibe, and there's a reverberation effect that truly works for the strange atmosphere the piece is establishing. That vibe is then reinforced by a striking strings section in the middle of the track, possibly showing Link's strive to help Midna. The emotional core of "Midna's Lament" makes it one of the best The Legend of Zelda music pieces. Aaron Grubb once again brings a gorgeous Zelda cover, slowing down "Midna's Lament" and adding an effective ech??o to the piece.

5. Breath of the Wild - "Rito Village" / The Wind Waker - "Dragon Roost Island"

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The core theme of The Wind Waker's "Dragon Roost Island" is present within Breath of the Wild's "Rito Village" and it works so well. There's a tranquil feel to the piece with the calm piano opening and then the piece rises with the strings until the chill mandolin takes over with the "Dragon Roost Island" theme.  Additionally, the woodwind instrument (I'm guessing the flute) stirs your heart as it blissfully plays the melody. This piece is composed so well and perfectly reflects Koji Kondo's creativity within his composing, making it some of the best The Legend of Zelda music. Nico Mendoza does a great j??ob of interpreting the "Rito Village" theme for the acoustic and electric guitar. It also has a pristine violin pairing.

4. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link - "Temple/Palace Theme"

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Zelda II: The Adventure of Link isn't the most well-liked game in the series, but the "Temple Theme" is one of the highlights. In those early days of gaming, music was essential to establish the theme of the level, and this track nails it. The lower pitch of the 8-bit sound font establishes intrigue within the Temple as Link slashes his enemies and jumps to daring heights. The song then raises the stakes with a high-tempo section that keeps you on your toes while playing Zelda II. Many will know this track from Super Smash Bros. Melee's interpretation of the song, and it's fantastic. Lacey Johnson does a superb job of bringing that 8-bit flair with her keytar and adds a rock ?element that works so well with the composition.

3. The Legend of Zelda - "Main Theme"

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The Legend of Zelda's main theme across the series is still legendary. Remarkably scored in just one day by Koji Kondo (according to 1UP), this theme has a sense of grandeur. You're about to go on a big adventure, and the main title theme is momentous as the instruments build to a spectacle. The core melody gives the pla??yer excitement, even at 8-bit, as the piece takes twists and turns within the composition. The addition of the choir in future renditions from Nintendo is absolutely glorious as well. The Middle Ages does an intriguing take on the song with a version that features medieval instruments.

2. Ocarina of Time - "Hyrule Field"

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Some of the best The Legend of Zelda music occurs when you have a theme that excites you. That is indeed the case with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's "Hyrule Field." Right out of the gate, this theme sweeps you off your feet as you venture into the grassy area with Epona. That march drum beat and brass inspire you to move forward as the melody is complemented with harp sounds and imaginative string sections. Mohmega delivers a powerful rock cover of the song that feels like it belongs in Hyrule Warriors. 

1. Skyward Sword/Ocarina of Time - "Zelda's Lullaby"

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You could argue that "Zelda's Lullaby" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time or The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword could be the loveliest video game song ever. As the name implies, there's a soft melody that's played beautifully by the flutes, strings section, and harp. It truly places me at a sense of ease whenever I listen to it. Hopefully, we hear a new rendition of it in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Eliott Tordo does a uni??que, yet stunning c?over of the song with the Erhu, also known as a Chinese violin.

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Honoring some of the best games of all time

I think because games are still relatively new compared to other media, sometimes I don't think of them as having much history. But now that we're nearing fifty years of games as we know them today, preserving that history has become more important than ever, especially because the nature of games means it's tragically easy to lose both functioning hardware and software as technology rapidly advances. One party that is doing excellent work by way of games preservation is The Strong National Museum of Play with its World Video Game Hall of Fame, which is part of the larger museum known simply as The Strong in Rochester, New York. I do love a good video game museum.

[caption id="attachment_320392" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{[Image Source: The Strong Museum]}[/caption]In addition to hosting both in-person and online museum exhibits highlighting various aspects of video game history, The Strong National Museum is also home to the World Video Game Hall of Fame, which inducts between four and six games every year, beginning back in 2015. Now The Strong has announced its inductees for 2022, which beat out a pretty impressive roster of titles. The four games chosen this year are �drumroll please �Ms. Pac-Man, Dance Dance Revolution, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Sid Meiers' Civilization.

Unselected finalists included Assassin’s Creed, Candy Crush Saga, Minesweeper, NBA Jam, PaRappa the Rapper, Resident Evil, Rogue, and Words with Friends.

The Strong's website states that the World Video Game Hall of Fame "recognizes electronic games of all types that have enjoyed popularity over a sustained period and have exerted influence on the video game industry or on popular culture and society in general." Previous years' inductees include Pong (inducted 2015), Sonic the Hedgehog (inducted 2016), The Sims (inducted 2016), Pokémon Red and Green (inducted 2017), and Minecraft (inducted 2020), just to name a few.

Honoring the legacy of these games and starting a conversation around the impact these games have had on our lives is an important piece of the games preservation puzzle??, so it's cool to see that they do this every year.

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Steve Austin settles the Legend of Zelda debate

I don't know about you, but I have a hard time imagining professional wrestlers in any other context than, you know, wrestling. I'm not sure why the idea of these big, muscly men sitting down to play on a Nintendo Switch is so funny to me, but they're normal people who like video games, just like anyone else. We now know that Stone Cold Steve Austin and Cody Rhodes in particular are men of culture, because they both love The Legend of Zelda series.

We got a small glimpse into their lives as gamers after a tweet from the official WWE Network's Twitter (via VGC) let fans know about Steve Austin's show Broken Skull Sessions, the guest for which will be Cody Rhodes this week on May 6. The two played a game where Austin asked Rhodes to give answers after prompting him in different categories, and with Rhodes having only 30 seconds to respond to the questions. Simple enough, and Austin started with the most important category of all: Best Zelda game.

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Without missing a beat, Rhodes responded, "Ocarina of Time. Hands down." Austin wasn't having it, because he quickly responded with, "No dude, Breath of the Wild."

Rhodes claims this was a "bold choice," but I have to agree with Stone Cold Steve Austin on this one. Ocarina may have laid the groundwork for the modern Zelda era, but Breath of the Wild is a culmination of what the series could be. The other thing I love about this exchange is that they both so obviously care about their answers, and I imagine if they weren't under a time crunch, this would have spun out into a full-blown conversation. I know that I for one would love to see a fight where in between hits, the guys are yelling about which Zelda game is the best and why. Make it happen, WWE.

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