It is truly surprising when one comes to realize that characters and gameplay are not the only thing that can truly make a game memorable, or even timeless. Even the most likable characters and engaging stories can me made or broken by what some may view as ancillary components to a game. Whether we have noticed it or not, music is a huge factor in how a game truly affects a player. Would Halo really feel as epic without that haunting Gregorian chant giving way to a driving drum and string ensemble? Would Nathan Drake seem as heroic without the bold trumpets and exotic drum beats giving a sense of worldly adventure to the Uncharted series? I know many people, myself included, who have to fight back the tears after just hearing the first few bittersweet notes of “Aerith’s Theme” from Final Fantasy VII. It has always been a fact of life that nothing moves us like music can.

For almost ten years now, video game composers Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall have been running a concert series known as Video Games Live. The show consists of live music performances from video games of all different eras of gaming. Retro games like Tetris and Asteroids share the stage with contemporary hits like Metal Gear Solid, World Of Warcraft, and the Legend Of Zelda series. The show also includes videos, live-action performances, and interactive segments that go along with music. In the almost-decade that the show has been running it has included performances and arrangements from all kinds of video game composers, including Andrew Aversa, known as Zircon, and his wife Jillian.

 

The fourth and newest collection of songs for the VGL tour includes Andrew and Jillian’s arrangement of “Zelda’s Lullaby and The Skyward Sword Theme” from the Legend of Zelda series. The above video for their song, shot in the California Redwood National Park, features Aversa herself performing the song as Zelda. Also be sure to check out more of their videos on Jillian’s YouTube channel. Let us know what you think in the comments below, and let us know some of your favorite video game music is.