Iam8bit’s Hero of Time album release offers up dozens of classic tracks performed by the 64-piece Slovak National Symphony Orchestra, giving classic console fans more than an hour’s worth of nostalgic aural bliss.
Originally released in 1998, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time went on to become one of the Nintendo 64’s biggest-selling titles of all time, and many fans regard it as a high point in the Zelda series as a whole. Multiple remix albums and symphonic arrangements of the game’s iconic soundtrack premiered in the years afterward, and iam8bit’s upcoming vinyl release targets a fan base of players who have fond memories of the N64 era.
While fans share an attachment to Ocarina of Time‘s original wavetable tracks, iam8bit’s forthcoming album release upgrades Nintendo’s classic soundtrack with backing from the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra, replacing the N64’s synthesized instruments with live brass, string, and woodwind arrangements.
The Hero of Time set includes two vinyl picture disc albums featuring green and purple Rupee designs. The collection is housed in a gold foil-stamped sleeve, complete with an ocarina-shaped die-cut cover and a rear-facing Triforce design. The album’s inner gatefold image features artwork from designer Ryan Brinkerhoff, depicting Hyrule Field during daylight and at dusk.
Though a track listing is not yet known, the two-album set is likely to span the majority of Ocarina of Time‘s soundtrack, including familiar melodies like Kokiri Forest, Lon Lon Ranch, and the Hyrule Field Main Theme.
The limited edition package is priced at $40, and Iam8bit is accepting pre-orders through Friday, December 9, at 10 a.m. PST. Hero of Time will begin shipping in the second quarter of 2017.
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