Latest Target add has a Zelda TP Collector's Box which includes a mini shield and sword and the game soundtrack (doesn't say if it's the complete soundtrack or not).  I printscreened the site:

http://www.mephtik.net/members/jay/zelda.JPG

Looks pretty cool, but $40 is a lot of money. 

A friend of mine picked the above up and will be selling me the CD.  I'm pretty sure it's the same promo disc that comes with the NP offer.

They've gotten to eBay. Sorry to disappoint, but the soundtrack seems it only include about 6 or 7 tracks, like the Nintendo Power release. It's shiny and nice if maybe a tad expensive (for a palm-of-the-hand sized) sword and shield. I'll have to swing by Target and hopefully pick one up tomorrow...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Wii-Zelda-Master-Sw … dZViewItem

I'm hoping that the rest of the music in the game is better than what's represented on those seven tracks. Aside from the field theme, they're dull (and the synth is just barely a notch above WW's).

I wonder what "Orchestra Piece #2" is.  Would Piece #1 be the trailer/demo track?

I meant to write this sooner, but....

I listened to all seven tracks from the ZELDA TWILIGHT PRINCESS OFFICIAL SOUNDTRACK, via MP3s off http://www.thehylia.com/, and I was quite pleased with what I heard.  Here's an analysis of each track.

1.  Orchestra Piece #2--I don't know if this is an alternate piece for the trailer or if it takes place somewhere else in the game, but it starts and finishes in the same style as that former track.  After a fanfare and a quiet yet somewhat mysterious interlude, the piece explodes into a rousing, epic piece of music, complete with full instruments and a choir.  The sound quality on this track is incredible--they really DID record an actual orchestra for this track.  Kudos.

All the rest of the tracks are MIDI.

2.  Hyrule Field Main Theme--As with Ocarina of Time, this is an all new "Overworld" with small hints of both the original Overworld and OoT's.  It's more mature-sounding than either of those two, both in tone and composition, but it definitely has that "Overworld"-ish quality to it.  There is also somber moment where we hear a synthesized male's chorus "aah"-ing while the remaining instruments continue to play.  It took me a while to get used to this track; I was expecting something along the lines of what the first version of this was (I can't remember the link, Kenny might know it, though), but before long it clicked with me.  The sound samples, BTW, sound really good--not on par with Paper Mario:  The Thousand Year Door or Fire Emblem, perhaps, but still well done.  Of course, this track--and all the others--are all enhanced with reverb, sort of as to give the feel that they are studio-mastered.

3.  Ordon Village--This is, I think, the first place in the game.  Nothing outstanding, but it's pretty much what you'd expect for a village tune: calm in nature and genuinely pleasant.  The first part of the track involves pizzicato strings (which open the song) serving as a "backdrop" for what sounds like a panpipe.  Later we hear woodwind and string instruments.  Not one of the more outstanding tracks, but it serves its purpose and is fitting with the game's location.

4.  Kakariko Village--Ironically, the only thing about this famous ALLTP pieces I identified were the opening six notes (played on what sounds like a high-pitched whistle).  The rest of it is basically mellow, with light percussion and woodwinds.  I'm sure the song is like this for a reason though.  I'll know when I play the game.

5.  Death Mountain--This is, I think, one of the most bizarre tracks on the album.  Not in an offbeat, wacky way as in, say, Majora's Mask or WindWaker, however.  It's the "Goron City" theme--with additional instruments:  percussion, brass, and woodwinds.  Having been so used to how the original sounding, hearing this new version was a bit surprising.

6.  Midna's Theme--One of my favorite tracks on the album, outside of the first two:  melancholy and mysterious in tone, and complimented well by somber-sounding strings as well as a oboe [clarinet?] solo.  Too bad it's short, though.

7.  Ilia's Theme--This is the only track where the datedness of the MIDI becomes apparent:  The central melody--played what sounds like a cross in between an ocarina or a pipe--sounds fine, but the accompanying instrument sounds like one of those cheap vibe sound samples on an old Casio keyboard.  That aside, this, too, is a short "new character" theme.  It's pretty and pleasant, if not particularly rousing.

All in all, I wouldn't bother purchasing the NP CD just for these seven tracks--downloading them may be preferable; that way you don't waste any money.  What's there, though, sounds very nice and I am personally looking forward to hear more than what I've already listened to from the game videos on the web.

-Jon T.

The Death Mountain music is one of three "Goron City" arrangements, but it's definitely the best of the three.

Also, there are quite a few arrangements sprinkled all throughout the game:

"Goron City" - three arrangements
"Great Fairies Fountain"
"Zora's Domain"
"Nocturne of Shadow" - beautiful!
"Song of Healing" - Majora's Mask music finally gets some love
"Seranade of Water" - extended and absolutely lovely

Also, the overworld theme (OoT's "Hyrule Field Main Theme" motif) is all over the soundtrack...  the game over screen, Zora River, two cinema scene arrangements (so far), the overworld (duh), and I heard it somewhere else too. 

They definitely need to release a full-fledge soundtrack now.  This may be the best Zelda score yet.

EDIT:  Also, Jon... is that a broken link or did they just take the MP3s down?  I'd really like to have those tracks...  Can yo upost the link to the page where the samples are listed?  I went to the media section and didn't find anything.

Try this:

http://www.thehylia.com/media/thumbnails.php?album=280

-Jon T.

Thanks!

"Hyrule Field Main Theme" is nice, but I wish they included the entire song as opposed to just this one iteration.  There are many more variations that switch in real time ala Ocarina of Time.

But at least I can rock out to "Death Mountain".  The "Goron City" theme never sounded better!

Yeah, I LOVE the Death Mountain arrangement.  I'm impressed so far... especially after I thought Wind Waker was a step back as far as synth quality.

They had absolutely no shortage of the Zelda Limited Editions at my other Target. Here's a picture of them I took indiscreetly today. After almost losing hope I wouldn't find them, there they were hidden (chime hidden Zelda theme) in the far back near the wall in electronics. I picked up two, one of them will be going to a lucky friend of mine this Christmas.

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/6709/dsc01134ds5.jpg

I had no real problems with Wind Waker's score overall (the synth quality wasn't all bad on that one--particularly on some of the score's better tracks), but Twilight Princess is definitely above it by far.  It annoys me, however, that they STILL haven't announced a Japanese CD soundtrack release.  **Grumble Grumble...**

-Jon T.

On an unrelated topic, how much was that Tony Hawk skateboard thing?  Does it come with the PS2 game?

Same here, i was in Target.
Almost the whole shelf was still full.
Their display was facing out towards the aisle, in full view next to the toys with that skateboard right under it.
My jaw almost dropped to the floor when i saw the price.
Of course, I bought one though.  ;p

My Target had them locked away in the game cases.  For $40, I guess I can understand why.  Expensive!

There's...a rearrangement...of Zora's Domain?!?

...I've GOTTA hear that...one of my favorites!!!

Now that we know for sure what "Midna's Theme" is...  It's interesting that it's used in the opening theme just after the Twilight Princess logo appears on the screen...

Also, I might be hearing things... and making something outta nothin'... but does that "Kakariko Village" piece contain an excerpt from ALttP's "Dark Overworld"?  Listen closely about :30 secs before it loops...

I thought the exact same thing.  I don't know if it was intentional, but it certainly makes the song better.

Anyway, I almost forgot to share my ripped tracks with you guys.  There are some location spoilers in the track titles.  The notes files is slightly more spoiler-heavy, but nothing major.

I have a few other tracks ripped that I still need to edit, and then I will add those as well.  You can probably expect them tomorrow or Wednesday.

Nice!  I love 'Agatha's Castle' and the Zora Queen song ("Serenade of Water").  Keep 'em comin'.

I don't know about you guys, but I want to learn more about the nightlife in Amsterdam.

Nightlife is about the same as the daylife, except with lots more neon. Amsterdam's pretty liberal, after all.

It's nice to know that SOMEONE is making a soundtrack.  I'm beginning to lose hope that one will EVER come out at all.

-Jon T.

I haven't lost all hope, especially since the game only came out in Japan last week.  I'll be pretty annoyed if there isn't one...

That's what I'm worried about.  See, Nintendo's games haven't gotten decent, full-fledged soundtracks since Scitron produced the OSTs to METROID PRIME, ZELDA WW, and F-ZERO GX/AX, respectively.  There hasn't even been a SUPER MARIO SUNSHINE!  All that we've been getting are lame 5-track CDs as bonuses in Japanese magazines for titles like STAR FOX ASSAULT and FIRE EMBLEM PATH OF RADIANCE--both of which deserved better treatment than that.  I'm accounting that part of the reason is because neither of those games were particularly huge sellers.  I can only hope that ZELDA TP will sell enough to warrant the release of one, if not on GC than on Wii.  Even though the first day of sales placed TP surprisingly at 3rd place, at least it's only the first day of sales, and way too soon to consider it a failure.  Let's wait and see.

Either way, this wait is VERY, VERY agonizing.

-Jon T.

Well, if the supply of Wiis matched demand, they'd have sold a heck of a lot more copies of Twilight Princess.  My friend bought TP without the console just to make sure he could have it, but won't buy it until I can get my hands on the console to go with it.  Since this game is being regarded as the best Zelda to date, I don't doubt it will be popular enough for a soundtrack release.

Yeah, it's Zelda, so it'll get a soundtrack.  Majora's Mask sold only about 600,000+ in Japan (which isn't great for a Zelda title) and it got a 2-disc OST and arranged album (albeit the latter in limited quantities). 

Also, if I'm not mistaken, didn't Wind Waker's soundtrack come out like 3 months AFTER the game was released in Japan?

Yeah it did.  I just hope it doesn't take that long for a TP OST to be released.  If it does, well, there's nothin' I can do about it.

-Jon T.

EDIT:  Two weeks, and I STILL haven't heard anything.  HELLO!!!  What's up with Nintendo?!  Is ZELDA TP really that unpopular in Japan that they've decided to forego a CD soundtrack release?!  I want an answer, dammit!

bump

A couple of weeks is still too short-term to get all worked up about this... 
If you haven't heard anything by two Years, THEN feel free to go call up Happinet Corp and complain.

I wish the Hidden Village music was on this soundtrack or someone can get a rip of that song.  Has anyone else heard it yet and do you like it or not?

Hidden Village!?  WTF?  There's a hidden village?

Calm down, it has to do with a minigame later in the game.

LOL
Where the heck did that one come from?

Compared to other big cities in the world, Amsterdam has extremely little neon, I've always thought.
Plenty of liberalism though

Were you being silly or did you miss the post above his with the link to Amsterdam's nightlife?

I had my doubts but I've only been positively surprised.

Hyrule Field Main Theme is amazing, though it sounds a little different from the game version, and I love the new Kakariko Village theme. But the biggest surprise was the Twilight Hyrule music, it sounded like something straight from Silent Hill.. then put your sense-ability on and you have the perfect SH atmosphere.

The OST is definitely on my want list. Hope it gets a *proper* release soon.