The Fire Temple Music in Ocarina of Time and its Real World Inspiration

The Perfect Atmostpheric Song in a video game doesn't exis-
Chanting begins
The Fire Temple in Ocarina of Time has had many stories spun about its so called "controversy." It's a decently well known fact that there are actually two versions of the song, and the version containing the chanting was actually removed from the game very early on. But today we are going to take a look at why the song was changed, what sort of impact both versions of the song had on the fire temple in the first place, and what real world influences may have inspired the game's composer, Koji Kondo, to create the Fire Temple Music in the first place.
Music breakdown starts at 4:37
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(Thumbnail art by Tom Garden)
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#firetemple #firetemplemusic #firetempletheme

[@SaveDataTeam]

Which version of the song do you prefer? Let us know down below! Check us out on all these platforms: Discord: discord.gg/kt9AJtp Patreon: Patreon.com/savedatateam Twitch: Twitch.tv/savedatateam Instagram: Instagram.com/savedatateam Twitter: Twitter.com/savedatateam Facebook: Facebook.com/savedatateam

[@camelazo]

obviously the first one , when i heard the bottom well stuff, shadow temple y ragequit the game!!!

[@dasfunkshhtine1858]

The fist one. I never heard the updated one until this video

[@skyholmes5322]

The second one. The first one just sounds like noise to me. Too busy and non-descript. The chanting just hurts me to hear.

[@PrettyNightmare69]

The original one. I have the one with the original Fire Temple music, it was a X-mas gift in 1998 lol

[@kittyunderwood8918]

The first one, but I understand why the changed it and completely respect that decision

[@Dalton2192theanimator]

Actually have one of the OG cartridges of the chanting fire temple

[@Braden724]

i do too!!

[@TheGreenCatto]

Bro make me the 3rd! Bro they must have made a ton before realizing they screwed up lol

[@jordanb6097]

The chanting just sounds dark to me. Like demonic almost

[@pema257]

Same!

[@milleniumfrisbee]

Me too. Grew up associating Muslim chanting with heat for years.

[@nam9085]

im muslim and i was extremely terrified when i was playing on an emulator and the theme played.. felt like the biggest 4th wall break i had ever experienced

[@SaveDataTeam]

That’s crazy, I can’t even imagine suddenly hearing a new song that was saying something personal to you in an old game. It sounds like the set up to a creepy pasta 😅

[@fatzuya437]

Me too, i often hear recitation of the Qur'an but this is creepy

[@Kefkaownsall]

@@SaveDataTeam weirdly now I would expect focus group on it but shrug 90s

[@lahoku]

So does this upset you or...? Curious to know.

[@Mufflin]

@@lahoku It really shouldn't tbh.

[@ChibiProwl]

I liked the version with chanting. The chanting added an aura of foreboding, and made you realize (IMO) that the Gorons were in grave danger.

[@SaveDataTeam]

^ I agree. It just has more character to it than the updated version.

[@omensoffate]

It’s racist !!!!! Reeeeeeeeeeeeee

[@ShrubbyCanine]

omensoffate ..what?

[@godofchaos6610]

The actual meaning of the chant is a long forgotten ancient tribe but its a cool thought.

[@KingKhan-xw7vq]

@Sharky bro what do you mean you don't know the details the first part of this video tell you it's an Islamic prayer

[@rinkun6689]

We need more chanting in zelda games, it’s so atmospheric, i love it

[@SaveDataTeam]

Agreed! 😁

[@biscuitmixx]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5vQp4eoo56koNU

[@yeetnugget9657]

It terrifys me

[@sup3414]

​@@yeetnugget9657 That's the point. Remember the Shadow Temple?

[@holyhandgrenade3]

So I actually borrowed my friends version of OoT waaay back when and was kinda surprised to hear this. As a Muslim kid, I kinda thought it was like these people were praying for Link's safety. But my mother was kinda confused when I showed it to her and thought it looked more like a hell, which would definitely be seen as insulting. That being said, I still think of this version everytime I remember playing through OoT and I still loved that game growing up.

[@IceGoddessRukia]

Kinda hell to those who hate fire levels tbh...

[@desireheard3540]

are you still Muslim?

[@fingernecklace4817]

haha what a cute thought! I think your childhood interpretation was the best. The Gorons were rooting for Link, after all!

[@Kevtarded]

Ngl I thought the chanting version was the only version, makes my cartridge feel a little more special than it already was

[@SaveDataTeam]

It’s not clear exactly how rare, since Nintendo didn’t release numbers on how many were made. But it’s definitely a lesser amount. Cherish it!

[@Werewolf914]

I had the original version on the N64 too, and I was really confused because I also have the Gamecube version that comes with Masters Quest, and the song was different and I was like "where'd the cool chanting go?"

[@lreaves6643]

my cartridge has the original song too, the new one doesn’t sound right to me lol the nostalgia is strong

[@grimoire6223]

I literally relate to this. My cartridge was handed to me when I was six so I didn't know about an alternate version of the song until literally like 2 months ago. I also have the red blood in mine. I have mine on display right now

[@Radien]

I played the chanting version first, but it may have been on a borrowed copy. It was a long time ago and I can't remember. I let my sister keep the N64 and Zelda games when I moved out, because I had other versions, but I'm not sure whether that copy of OoT has the chanting. It's a grey cartridge, so possibly not. Not sure whether any of the first few runs were grey.

[@zada2423]

They should have brought in a vocalist to just sing the melody without actual lyrics. I’ve always known the original version. I just can’t picture it any other way

[@JohnZ117]

Or have them singing to the goddesses in a language similar to the inspiration, but not exactly.

[@Lunar994]

They probably didn't have time to do that.

[@E-Bizzy]

@@Lunar994 yeah koji kondo probably whipped up the new song in a night lol

[@ColoradoStreaming]

It is severely lacking without the chanting. They should have added some other vocals instead of completely removing it.

[@littlekitsune1]

I still have the version of the game with the "banned" theme, and I've always thought it was beautiful. Ominous, but also conveying a sense of strength and power. Fits the religious theme of a temple, the Gorons, and fire itself.

[@primalaspie]

Sadly, I no longer have my old N64 games, and I don't remember the music either, but I think mine had the theme because I remember my copy having the crescent moon on the mirror shield.

[@tomboyjessie1352]

I had a version of OOT without the chanting, but it did kept the Islamic symbol and Ganondorf's red blood.

[@primalaspie]

@@tomboyjessie1352 Ah, so I may not have had it. I only remember the shield; The last time I played my copy was when I was 7.

[@HopelessHermit]

(with little enthusiasm) ....but no, it's so offensive.....

[@beaniehead4]

@@tomboyjessie1352 yeah me too

[@rufusgreenleaf2466]

"Rated E for Everyone" *Wallmaster drops from the ceiling* *Five year old me:* 😳🥶

[@SaveDataTeam]

Wallmasters are the stuff of nightmares

[@rufusgreenleaf2466]

@@SaveDataTeam That and Redead's scream.

[@veralidaine97]

@@rufusgreenleaf2466 their screams made me want to pee myself!

[@muraalia]

I was 15 when I first played OoT, and I was too scared to play the Bottom of the Well or the Shadow Temple without my sister present. Can't imagine the nightmares I would've got if I'd been a kid. ^^'

[@rufusgreenleaf2466]

@@muraalia My first experience for Majoras Mask was when my dad was playing it back in 2000 and i sat and watched him. The earliest image i can remember of the game is changing masks with that eye-widened scream. It terrified me.

[@doctahinthehouse64]

When I was a kid I always thought that the original version was Ganon trying to summon the dragon or the Gorons chanting for help. Either way, it left an uneasy feeling and I loved it.

[@chrismoreland-martin2823]

That's a bad ass way to see it!!

[@ZombieLeo94]

The chanting felt like the prayers we hear from Mosques. Its quite comforting and mysterious.

[@ggarfieldd1741]

its more scary then comforting because when u hear something familiar to u with a scary ambience behind it it becomes insanely scary because it feels like a kind of 4th wall thing

[@ZombieLeo94]

@@ggarfieldd1741 well I felt like it is comforting, cuz i basically grew up in an Arab country and its something familiar to me, sometimes I hear it in the middle of the night and it helps me sleep better 😅

[@sixgm227]

@@ggarfieldd1741 obviously sound design was absolute garbage at thag time most sounds at that age would be scary

[@PikachuGamerSMT]

But they added music to it

[@missvida6251]

That's what it was. It's beautiful

[@MSOGameShow]

Funny how Nintendo "forgot" about their own rule about religion when in the previous game, A Link to the Past, the religion of Hyrule was going to be Christianity (though granted this was on display in the previous two games as well, as Link's shield in LoZ has a cross and some buildings in Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link have crosses on them). There's even concept art of Link kneeling before a crucifix. In fact, Link even does the "Sign of the Cross" during certain events in ALttP.

[@morganearp2265]

To be perfectly fair, Christians aren't going to flip out and become violently angry that their religion is referenced in a game.

[@MSOGameShow]

@@morganearp2265 Well I guess that all depends on how it's depicted, but I guess that's obvious. Funny enough I assumed LoZ was Christian anyway because I saw the Triforce as a representation of the Holy Trinity (though I guess it was representative of a "trinity", just not the one I expected).

[@mishaelcalhoun1165]

@Taiga's Tunes yes and no, Christian's rally against things they dont like. Not so much against chritizim or representations of their beliefs. That position is well documented to be held by another religion.

[@SJamesGill88]

@@mishaelcalhoun1165 So what you're saying is people don't complain when portrayed favorably in media?No fucking shit.

[@mishaelcalhoun1165]

@@SJamesGill88 no, re-read the comment to see what I was saying.

[@Hailstorm273]

I grew up with the original, so when I first heard the new version on the GameCube port, I was shocked.

[@lahoku]

AMEN! I was appalled at the sad edit to be allowed. Not sure why they removed it when a Link to the Past was basically Christianity ✝️ 🤦🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️

[@cobracommander6522]

I was to i played the original for 10 to11 years be for getting the GameCube port. i was 6 when i first got ocarina of time back in 98 so it was defiantly a shock to me.

[@shaobues]

@@lahoku i feel like christian concepts are so commonplace that most people dont think of them as religious. i didn't know christmas was a Christian holiday (technically its pagan but) until i was like 12

[@ggarfieldd1741]

i was more scared then shocked because it sounded familiar and it felt like it was breaking a kind of 4th wall break

[@iamjackspyramidshapedhelmet]

SAME I despise the new song I have to play on mute with the original track playing on KZbin 😂

[@Sourze91]

Very good reasearch! Seems soundtrack composer just sample as much as hiphop producer

[@MiketheratguyMultimedia]

I have to admit that between what was said in this video and another commenter's reference to the song "Let's Not Talk About It" it seems like Koji Kondo was a more unoriginal composer than I grew up believing.

[@amjadsulieman1148]

Wow.. I've heard that call to prayer many times.. definitely is enchanting.. mystical

[@SaveDataTeam]

The chanting in the original really lends itself to the temple. I wish they kept some form of chanting in the second version, but I can understand if Koji Kondo didn't have a lot of time to write a new piece and find a sound that wouldn't violate Nintendo's rules.

[@chabiibunny]

I still have the original one, i never really thought there were other versions. The fire temple just hits different with the chanting, it really gives it its unique fire temple feel of impending danger and a dragon lurking in the temple.

[@benjybuttons4303]

I have the original, and personally like it way better. It just completes the atmosphere of the fire temple for me

[@alecfinn4785]

i wasn’t even born when this game came out and i even played the 3ds version of this game my first go around, and i can still say i prefer the original, the second version is too similar to shadow temples music for my taste

[@SaveDataTeam]

^ I agree 100%. It kind of robs the temple of its originality.

[@davidbrusilo9067]

Tbh I just now realized how similar the soundtracks are but now i also agree with you

[@bigdaddyg0blin388]

I always thought as a kid the moon and star shield was cool. Crazy to see they changes it in the cartriges.

[@yuuh193]

Awesome spot on video. I must inform you, and those who think that the replaced vocals came from the Shadow Temple, are only partially correct; It's not that Koji Kondo re-used the shadow temple composition/song, he reused the digital midi instrument patch. As in, I bet his thought process was "If I have to remove the vocal sample, I have to substitute it with other vocals. Therefor I should just write something and play it with digital vocal patch since I've been using that a lot anyways and it's been very useful." Other compositions from that era of his work feature the exact same vocal midi instrument sound. So, rather than "taking from" the shadow temple, he really just fell back on his trusty tools at hand, and we the players are very familiar with this one. Vocals make the song sound less square. It's too bad the chant is controversial, but good on him and the team for acting pretty well on their changes.

[@BexTheBoo388]

For some reason the higher "ethereal" sound reminded me of how you see heat waves irl coming off of hot asphalt or sand. Like it was the audio recreation of that visual.

[@crystaltorres5290]

I agree! That’s exactly how I hear it.

[@HybridGib]

Yeah, that's actually fitting now that I think about it

[@RainyWolf7]

When I was younger, the shadow temple scared me to death and I'd replay the game from that point every time playthrough

[@secant4810]

I've never been more proud to own a 1.0 cartridge than ever before. At least it didn't JUST give me rampant glitches lmao

[@HighPriestFuneral]

I think you made an excellent case for the religious side of things here. For years I thought "Kondo-san is Japanese, he was probably just looking for some slightly unnerving samples." But you had a great example for it actually being the Gorons praying while in captivity and having a leader among them rise their voice above the rest by using real world explanations.

[@ThereminHero]

That T-Square mario inspiration blew my freaking mind.

[@SaveDataTeam]

I literally just found out about it while doing some research on Koji Kondo for this video. I too was absolutely shook. 😅

[@OhioUltimate979]

Not gonna lie, the original is one of my favorite tracks. I would go sit in the Fire Temple when I wasn’t playing to just listen to that track on repeat.

[@SaveDataTeam]

It’s a heck of a lot more memorable than the replacement song 😅

[@krisjolt]

Good to know you liked an Islamic chanting, ig

[@harrentoben2351]

that's the power of Islamic prayer :)

[@thebrowncow441]

You should listen to some normal Quran if ur interested

[@AJMitchell777]

That's so crazy! I definitely grew up playing the 1.0 version. There was chants in the fire temple, blood in the shadow temple, and ganondorf puked blood instead of green stuff at the end. 😂

[@jollyshambles]

Happy to say I pop in my v1.0 of this game often. Admire the red blood, chanting, symbols, glitches and all. Very exciting

[@777Rowen]

When I was a kid, I had the mirror shield with the original symbol on it, but had the new fire temple music. A friend of mine had the fire temple with the original song. It’s so cool! What an interesting video.

[@rokstar2001]

Growing up, I always saw the chanting as the Gorons crying out for help.

[@Jules-gv2eo]

I grew up with my uncles n64 and the original song on this game. I knew i noticed a big difference when i played the remastered

[@SaveDataTeam]

I’m jealous! I really like the original because it feels like it has more of an identity than the remastered version.

[@Jules-gv2eo]

@@SaveDataTeam yea it does. Such a creepy but cool song

[@KarimJovianGames]

I wish they kept the Muslim verses as a Muslim myself I love it. However, I can see why some were offended. Since tehy were looking for "SPOOKY" sounds and that kinda hurts when your faith that brings you peace is spooky to others lol. Back then in Japan they weren't really well knowing of Islam also. But still very cool that there was a "Muslim" temple in Zelda lol feels good to be repped in some way

[@RageBearer]

I believe hes got a point with the thought of the gorons praying to be saved from this dragon as a desperate plee for help so i think slightly different mix or making it distorted later in the track (drowned out by dragon sounds) might of helped the concept. However, not my religion so my opinion is worth but a grain of salt.

[@beardedmanace4942]

I can't say that it sounds spooky. It actually sounds mysterious which is in no way offensive.

[@Pyrox0401]

This was related to the fire temple mission. As a Muslim, I find this gesture insulting, because it relates something of holy importance to fire worshippers. No Muslim should find this a cool thing to see....

[@jamesvega6813]

@@Pyrox0401 they werent worshipping the fire tho? the fire is symbolism at best and a connection between the abrahamic religions and Zoroastrianism...and honestly.... thats kinda fucking dope to see something like that in a video game

[@Toproposearewrite2970]

I think it's the background music that makes it sound eerie. When it was played in that desert level it gave off a completely different vibe.

[@GrandCorsair]

It feels weird without it after being so use to it. I play oot over and over as a kid so I am so use to the original. It legitimately creeped me out as a kid. I felt like there was something watching me and I imagined these robed figures hiding in somewhere watching me and angry I'm daring to invade the temple. Child logic is a hell of a thing. Edit: I can't spell.

[@kalebwalker2644]

Actually geeking out right now. I have an original. I'm going to have to set up the old 64 and play it again

[@miguelonucr]

Awesome video, again!!! I have all three versions of the game. Whenever I replay OoT (which is once a year because it is my favorite game of all time), I always go with the original cartridge because of the chanting in the Fire Temple and the blood at the end.

[@SaveDataTeam]

Thanks again! Yeah I had no clue about all the version differences before I started doing the research for this video. It was really cool to see how they changed the game over time. 😅

[@The-Loon-belt-Extravaganza]

In the Ocarina of Time 3d 3ds version, the version I have (sadly☹️) the blood at the end is green, and barely noticeable unless you have an xl system

[@miguelonucr]

@@The-Loon-belt-Extravaganza Yeah, you'd need to play the first version of the original cartridge to see that, or a ROM of the first version of the cartridge on an emulator... It is quite satisfying because you can definitely see and enjoy the difference when you play the game.

[@arthurlima923]

I've always had these doubts (how did the mario music come to be? What are the strange sounds in the zelda tracks and why are they used?) nice to see a channel about this in a very educational and funny manner. Thank you!

[@SaveDataTeam]

Appreciate it! 😅

[@eden6601]

I'm already grown up and the chanting scared me for no reason. I didn't get to have the chanting version in game, but man, if i did, my 5 y-o self would've had a heart attack right there and then.

[@MiketheratguyMultimedia]

I definitely wouldn't say "no reason", it's legit spooky. I was 20 years old when I played the game back in 1998 and that specific temple really stood out to me due to the chanting. It seemed haunted.

[@DhmEl]

Great video! I was interested in this topic, and you did a great job explaining everything to me. You have very little subscribers compared to the quality of your videos, I hope your channel blows up soon!

[@SaveDataTeam]

Thank you very much! We’re growing slowly! Hopefully faster soon! Feel free to share our stuff with others! 😅

[@guyb6665]

I played the censored version first, renting the game and renewing it every 3 days from my local independent video store. I had got as far as the fire temple before borrowing a copy from a friend, who had the original version with chanting. It was scary, as in those days, these were the sort of things that weren't often changed.

[@corporalkills]

My brother always thought that the track was saying “elecktagon lady” which is then what we called it.

[@Goldenleyend]

My favourite fact about this song is definitely that the same sample was uded and removed from sfv, thanks!

[@JohnJApanovitch]

Since my childhood up to now, I think the only version I've played was the original one with the chanting. I've heard about the chanting and how controversial it is, but I think it fits with the layout and the overall theme of the Fire Temple itself.

[@eelamite]

i needa plsy this game again ten to 11 years later n actually complete it. holy shit you're alr bringing back plenty of memories.. got really spookt out - going out back then

[@Sagatta32]

I always found the fire temple track intriguing but also inthe way you described - twisted. Anyway We knew nothing else and took it for what it was. Lovely game, played as a kid.

[@perks6292]

My brother's friend left his pre-ordered Nintendo 64 gold cartridge copy of this game at our house and I distinctly remember this being the theme and not even realizing it was edited when this game came out on the GameCube. Awesome memories playing this game and watching my older brother play it too!!!

[@graysonrogers-barnes6302]

I actually have a cartridge with the crescent moon and star, yet no chanting in the fire temple from what I remember. It was wild to realize.

[@ishallneverdie2445]

same

[@PhoenixRiseinFlame]

No lie, I have a copy of OoT with the chanting and Moon symbols. I always thought that was the normal version until I found out they changed it.

[@Attackontrashcan]

Mine has the moon symbols just not the chanting

[@MrDragon123slayer]

My game has the letter B on the back but have the moon symbol is this rare mistake

[@michaelclements5793]

I also have second music theme, but star and crescent on some (not all) blocks and on the mirror shield. Cartridge stamp 11B.

[@bryanna72]

Mine has this cart 01B

[@aidopotato222]

I remember the chanting and the original version 😂👌

[@SaveDataTeam]

I’m jealous! I never had the original when I was a kid, so I only knew the edited version. The chanting gives the dungeon a much more unique feel!

[@LittleAl016]

Same here. And I got the version of the game that came immediately after the gold cartridge version.

[@aidopotato222]

@@LittleAl016 wow, the gold cartridge?

[@LittleAl016]

@@aidopotato222 I didn't the gold cartridge. Just a gray cartridge released around the same time. I didn't know that I had to reserve it at the time.

[@haunter93til]

My pops was so hyped for OoT when it came out he bought it right away so we had one of the copies with the original fire temple theme and red blood. I still have that copy! That original fire temple theme used to freak me out as a kid lol

[@HarmonicWave]

My original gold cartridge has "00" stamped on the back. It's the official version to me.

[@Corilo91]

Never expected to see Krishna Das singing in a Legend of Zelda video! XD Loved it!

[@SteakInMyHeart]

I got one of the originals! I think I'll hold on to it. Pretty interesting.

[@thestickopia4619]

I love the original. It sounds way more epic

[@SaveDataTeam]

Agreed, I wish I was able to experience the original version when I played it. Might have left me with a better opinion of the dungeon as a whole. 😅

[@goriya]

The version I played as a kid was a 1.0 gray cart, so I had the original audio. As a fairly young kid, it actually really bothered me at the time. It was so haunting and creepy-sounding and oppressive in its frequency and repetition. I imagined it was coming from the totems in the entry way. I didn't miss its absence on the re-releases, although I can hear some appeal in it now.

[@potatopotato3764]

Not him saying “a muslim phrase” b r u h Its an arabic phrase. Islam in not a language.

[@jessicadigiglio]

Thank you, someone finally said it.

[@m_js5709]

It's a Muslim phrase in that the phrase itself comes straight out of the Islamic religious text. Similarly "I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength" is a specifically Christian phrase as it comes directly from a Bible verse. Obviously it's in the English language but thats not what's being referred to. The origin of the phrase is being referred to and the phrases in the OG fire temple came directly out of the Muslim religious text, therefore it can be considered specifically a Muslim phrase.

[@marmite-land]

You keep refering to the instruments as "samples from the shadow temple" but both those instruments are used in other songs, like the goddess cutscenes, the ending, the temple of time, etc. The sample instruments are named "female_choir" and "male_choir" and that's it. When Koji Kondo redesigned the parts originally featuring the chanting, he stayed very close to the original vocal line, while being able to put in a second harmony behind. I think he wanted it to be harmony originally but the N64 wasn't capable of time stretching samples to match tempo even with pitch change.

[@tjwaldron2690]

I had the collectors edition on game cube when I was a kid so I’m biased toward the updated version. I still like the chanting I think it’s still a great vibe for the temple but I still like the updated version better. That ethereal chanting to me represents your desire to help the Goron’s and your sworn brother

[@nunya-ib8ij]

Dude your awesome that forest temple sample blew me away

[@matheusvasiliauskassoares4361]

Maybe spirit temple next? Its by far my favorite dungeon on the entire franchise and I feel like both the dungeon and the music are super underrated for how incredible they are

[@SaveDataTeam]

Honestly, I’d like to skip to it since I really don’t want to talk about the water and shadow temple’s music 😅. They’re kind of boring to me. But I’ll start doing some brief research and see if there is something more to them, just like the Fire temple.

[@matheusvasiliauskassoares4361]

@@SaveDataTeam honestly sometimes I forget that the "correct" order is shadow first spirit last, I always did the opposite

[@SaveDataTeam]

That’s super interesting! I usually always go Forest>Fire>Water>Shadow>Spirit. I know you can do a lot of them out of order. I did Fire first once, but not having the arrows was a little annoying, lol. I suppose the hover boots don’t add too much to the Spirit temple though.

[@matheusvasiliauskassoares4361]

@@SaveDataTeam my train of thought was "hmmm, I've been everywhere except that portion of the map" so, I completely ignored Navi, therefore, never kmew I should head to kakariko again. Glad I did that, Shadow temple is probably the one I hate the most and the portion to get to it is kinda boring, on the other hand, I loved every single aspect of Gerudo's Valley to Spirit temple

[@SaveDataTeam]

Yeah, the well going into shadow is not nearly as good as “hey, here’s a whole new culture/large map, and you have to fight your way through this gerudo compound before making it through a cursed desert!”

[@Thelunarraptor]

I always interpreted the sounds in the 1.2 version of the Fire Temple as an intense power flowing through the temple rather than something ethereal. I really appreciate the build up in the 1.2 version and think that part is really intense, but I find the chants more fitting thematically in the old version and more pleasant throughout the whole track. I feel like one of the few people who enjoys newer version more, and most of that is due to how intense the "ethereal" chant is. I bet an experiment mixing elements of the two would turn out phenomenal.

[@ARWINGx1]

One thing that I thought was strange, is that I'm pretty sure that the copy that I had, did NOT have the chanting. And yet, it did have the "original" symbol

[@bad3nergytroll]

Same. 100% that's how it was for me.

[@Evilfuzzl224]

It’s so bizarre to think there are 2 versions, I grew up knowing the 2nd version. But the 1st version is intriguing 🤔. I honestly like both. The OG version is more haunting, it gives you the feeling that the prayers are crying out to their imminent demise. The cries of despair and wanting someone to save their souls. Considering the Gorons are to be sacrificed and eaten by the dragon. But the second one is terrifying and creepy, like a chill going up your spine. Demonic chanting and moans. Like death is around every corner. It always freaked me out as a kid. But since it is a remix of the shadow temple song, it makes sense 😅.

[@thewarrior6784]

I prefer the "censored" version. It sounds darker and scarier.

[@DarkDrakee]

I prefer it mainly because I don't want to hear about "Allah" in a video game. Please, no. Definitely a very good choice Nintendo made there. I am an atheist and so I do not want to hear anything from any religion at all.

[@thewarrior6784]

@@DarkDrakee I don't really care personally. To me, it's simply a question of taste.

[@babithehuman2505]

While I do prefer the original, I also find the censored version to be creepier for some reason lol

[@thewarrior6784]

@@babithehuman2505 that's why I prefer the censored version.

[@abdola3ebelarab]

@@DarkDrakee so atheists are scared to hear Allah weird because it is the truth BTW iam muslim and was pissed because of this and glad the they removed

[@etps4444]

I used to watch my dad play OoT when I was really little, and I'm 99% sure his copy of the game had the original version of the Fire Temple theme. I can't go back and check since I'm not sure we even have his N64 anymore (even if we do, it hasn't really worked in years), but the original theme is the one I remember more. I remember it from before I ever received my copy of the 3Ds version of OoT, and I'm pretty sure he got his N64 copy fairly early on in the game's sales, so it's pretty likely his had the original theme. In any case, this is really neat!! I've always preferred the original theme over the removed version. I can understand the censorship, but the removed version has always really creeped me out. I didn't like playing through the 3Ds Fire Temple because of it.

[@ssryle]

I dont have it anymore but I had an OG copy of the game and I remember the chanting.

[@theCGIANIMA]

The Shadow Temple moans are from a synthesizer transcoded and compressed into N64 sound font. N64 had a lot of good memory and sampling power for small compressed audio clips, so they would end up turning single audio clips into a full European Notational instrument, ranging all scales and possibly 8 octaves. We do this in modern music production in DAW setups where we record a high quality sample and can pitch shift it to create an instrument, much easier than all of the hardware that Koji Kondo had to use in order to make this little influence in the music.

[@anasazidarkmoon]

I used to have one of the copies with the original Fire Temple music and the crescent symbol, until Katrina ate it. I was a seriously salty girl when I got my hands on another copy and heard the groaning they put in the song. The original version was beautiful and memorable, and I honestly thought that most of the chanting in the background was a choir repeating "Volvagia" over and over.

[@financialadvice4325]

Love the self awareness on using the same opening joke! You are truly a master of your craft.

[@LauraMC93]

Coming to this video super late but this just made me go looking for my copy and realised it's the original version based on the numbers on the back 🤯 thanks for the tip!! I always heard about this change but definitely don't remember the original music! Great series 🙌

[@heavy0119]

Nintendo should make another T-rated Zelda game change my mind

[@AdmiralAlfredo]

Toon Link stabbed ganondorf in his skull

[@maehwa9746]

There is no changing the mind of someone who is correct. To do so would be idiocy.

[@koji8872]

Botw 2

[@thedevilsadvocate8766]

The high ethereal soul drain most assuredly does fit in with the Fire Temple, my dude, and I'll even explain why. Remember in the Shadow Temple how there's that flavor block that says " Shadow Temple . . . Here is gathered Hyrule's bloody history of greed and hatred..."? The Shadow Temple was used by the Sheikah and Hylian royal family as a literal torture dungeon. It makes sense for their to be that high ethereal soul drain in the music because of how many beings perished within it's walls. Likewise with the Fire Temple. Remember, in the in-game lore, Volvagia took over Death Mountain and the Fire Temple before the Goron Hero destroyed it. The dragon demanded Goron sacrifices which it then ate. Since it's lair is at the heart of the Fire Temple all those sacrifices would necessarily have died within the temples walls. Meaning that it's entirely plausible that, just like the Shadow Temple, their souls could still be trapped there. Ergo, the high ethereal soul drain would make perfect sense within the lore.

[@SpeigeleisenII]

SQUADALA WE'RE OFF !

[@caucasoidape8838]

You must burrrrrrrrn!

[@WoomiestWoomy]

I always thought the chanting sounded like what you hear in a mall because of all the people talking.

[@Felidisasta]

I was really angry when I heard it. I’m not mad at Nintendo because I highly doubt they had the knowledge of its meaning which is completely fine, but I’m mad at the people who are saying it’s better than the new version . People don’t realise how offensive that can be

[@SurfTheSkyline]

Reusing the Shadow Temple's assets in particular can be justified (potentially retroactively) in that the Fire Temple holds Goron prisoners (regardless of what the original intent of the temple was) and the Shadow Temple has been hypothesized to originally have been a prison for various reasons. Also the Gorons being sacrificed/fed to Volvagia is thematically similar to the Shadow Temple in that it is clear that some sort of execution or sacrifice went on there.

[@shaekelley6500]

Another example of other things sampling that chant in one of monster hunters Mabs known as the jungle, known for having very much an abundance of ruined shrines scattered across the landscape the battle theme for that area when fighting monsters literally incorporates that chanting granted it’s not the full sample but it’s noticeable.

[@Rouyakan]

My brother got this game back when it came out, and his cartridge has the original theme. It's one of my favorite songs in the whole game, I always thought it was beautiful and powerful. And it really adds that "temple" feel, which makes sense seeing as it was a sample of prayer chanting!

[@mannykrause1804]

just binged this series and followed!

[@phillymoss2986]

Yoo this is crazy because I remember my N64 cartridge had that chant and moon wow going back on Switch + Expansion replaying years later and I noticed that song was off I loved that chant

[@blblbl115]

"Drums, wind blowing, and *chimes* at the build-up part of the track." You say chimes, I say tamborines.

[@MidnightMuffin]

Listening to the Fire Temple music for the first time with headphones, well...I wasn't ready, that's for sure.

[@davidbrusilo9067]

Funny how the sampling CD had 1000 recording but everyone used that one allah sound as if the whole cd just has Muslim prayers recorded on it

[@SaveDataTeam]

Yeah, it’s definitely an odd pull. The sample by itself is just kind of whatever imo. Not sure why so many people chose that specific one when there has to be more license free tracks of people chanting 😅

[@right_hand_power7960]

Most likely, some developers purposely chose the sample specifically because it IS a Muslim prayer. This might sound far-fetched. As the video shows, the sampling is used in Crusin for Egypt, and Street Fighter for Thailand. Islam is the national religion of Egypt, and the second most practiced religion in Thailand. Granted, these are just 2 examples. The chant, and the echo have a distinctive middle east, and far east tribal sound to them. That being the case, it would work well for in-game environments that are supposed to be in (real-world) middle, and far eastern locations, possibly even India, or just areas that are supposed to have a remote locale sound to them.

[@kieronireikets7884]

My brother had an og cartridge, and when I played through OoT3D with a friend a decade later, he didn't believe me when I told him that Ganon used to cough up blood

[@GURGLEGUY12345]

You know, I wonder how the franchise would look if Nintendo never had that policy against using real-world religious symbolism. The original religion of Hyrule was apparently supposed to be Christianity.

[@lawlowmusic5571]

I actually had the cartridge with the updated Fire Temple Song, yet, the crescent moon and star still appeared on boxes and on the Mirror Shield

[@annysummer1206]

I personally like the second version of this theme more Maybe it's because I grew up with the second version, but to me the chanting in the original feels out of place

[@SaveDataTeam]

I grew up with the later version as well, but I always felt like it was one of the more boring themes (along with the Shadow Temple). I think they both have their place, but the story about the 2 versions are really interesting.

[@songbirdrebel5895]

Same here

[@Austin.D]

the same could be said about the newer version

[@AlmarAZL9S]

9:53+ I wish you had this in your Forest Temple Music video explanation because I loved the Forest Temple Music and wondered how they made it. You explained it but you missed one part later on in the music (which is my favorite part) on where the chant is from. I know now its a borrowed audio sample "Ethnic Vol. 1 African 098-B". Thank you.

[@SaveDataTeam]

Yeah, I didn’t really intend to make this into a series at the start, I just wanted to make a video and gush about how much I liked the Forest Temple’s theme. I may go back some day and redo it, but it’s just one of the older videos I made and I was a dumby back then.

[@ZoruaZorroark]

i certainly remember hearing the chanting when i played that dungeon way back when

[@meleefox3218]

Considering my uncle got me the game when it first came out and it still has the "uncensored" original content, I'm happy to say that I have a 1.0 cartridge. I'm NEVER getting rid of it or my N64.

[@Tera_GX]

Volcanos in fiction have a long history of being a site for sacrifice, which is exactly what Ganondorf has setup the temple for. The music probably reflects only that, with no consideration for potential history. This is from a time where "RPG" moreso meant "game with fleshed out story" in contrast to all other games.

[@ThatWolfFromHyruleGaming]

I remember playing OoT on N64 ages ago with the original version of the Fire Temple music. Later I ended up with another version of the game and thought my TV or N64 cables were broken and I was hearing something messed up. I hated how it sounded and wanted to hear the chanting again. It was so memorable. I went to some forums and asked others about the version differences and was told I was crazy because there was only one version (the removed one) and nobody knew what I was talking about. Since the sampling was discovered and well documented, I felt vindicated when I learned this years later. Its funny that you tease more samples in this video, even the Goron City theme has a sample. I think you can count on one hand how many songs in OoT don't have an audio sample or two in it.

[@SaveDataTeam]

Yeah, there is a great page listing a lot of samples I’ve used for this series, and it’s so crazy to see how many tracks he used: zeldauniverse.net/forums/Thread/152182-Samples-that-Koji-Kondo-used-for-scoring/?s=07bed64d36bfe02c087ceebe02fd7d55d84e7d09

[@Qlipphoth]

This one of my all time favorite video game songs ever.

[@leprishaun]

Not Zak looking like he’s come to haunt me, truely lighting struggles

[@conorreedR2C]

On the topic of Koji Kondo being *cough* "inspired" by fusion bands on the original SMB soundtrack: he clearly took a bit too much license using Friendship's "Let's Not Talk About It" for the Underground Theme. I imagine it's one of the reasons why, in later releases on other consoles, they changed the time signature from 6/8 to 4/4.

[@TheSpiralAim]

The tone of the call to prayer is much better for the feel of the temple, the only really jarring bit would be that it's a 4th wall break.

[@floridamankyle5461]

I always thought the chanting was actually saying "Volvagia-ee-ay-ee-ay Volvagia-ee-ay-ee-ay" as the Goron Chant to the dragon, I had an original cartridge of OaT, and I cant play the Fire Temple without the chanting, it is awesome.

[@jumpbacktome]

Version 1.2 features the original artwork for the Mirror Shield and the symbols on blocks. It wasn't until the game was re-released on future consoles (ie. the Gamecube Master Quest and Collection releases) that this artwork was updated. Happy to upload footage of my 1.2 gameplay to certify this for you if you don't believe me! :)

[@SaveDataTeam]

Nope, I completely misspoke in this video! My apologies

[@Hesperell]

For their "Redux" version of the track, the Zelda Reorchestrated people just replaced the "Allahu akbar" chant with "Gloria in excelsis Deo" from the traditional Latin Catholic Mass "De Angelis" that we sung every Sunday before switching to a polyphonic setting. I guess they figured that wouldn't be controversial since nobody chants in Latin anymore. You know except us, every week. Medieval II Total War used Kyrie I (Lux et Origo) mixed with some "Hosanna" and "Amen." Gregorian Chant is sampled and lifted all the time, taken out of context, used as ambient music. If you search "Gregorian Chant" on KZbin, fully half the stuff will be some New Age meditation soundscape that probably uses Benedictine monks singing about bashing skulls against stones in the background because it sounds peaceful and makes you feel like Enya.

[@SaveDataTeam]

Do you have a link to the Zelda reorchestrated video? I’d love to listen to it! (Sorry if it’s easy to find by searching, I’m out at the moment).

[@Barrelrollz]

I like your shirt. Finding two-tone collared shirts like that is a struggle.