There’s been a slight sense of anticlimax after the release of The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. It’s a very good game, of course, but perhaps a few steps shy of the greatness we expect of the series. Its new, indirect gameplay style, with Zelda conjuring echoes of objects and monsters to solve puzzles and win battles, asks quite a lot of both players and the game’s designers, and there’s a feeling that it isn’t fully realized. Even Princess Zelda’s first starring role in the series that has borne her name for 38 years comes with a troubling asterisk or two.

But there’s one aspect of Echoes of Wisdom that fully lives up to the sky-high expectations fans have of the Zelda series — perhaps exceeds them. It’s the music. In terms of musicianship, production, and the unexpected genius of the concept, this might be the best, most exciting, and most apt Nintendo soundtrack since… maybe Mario Kart 8?

That might sound like an odd comparison, but hear me out. Everybody knows that Mario Kart 8’s soundtrack kicks ass. Why does it kick ass? Partly because it reframes classic video game........

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