Last year's announcement of a lovely-looking vinyl boxset featuring the Breath of the Wild soundtrack caught many a Zelda fan's attention. Featuring a classy blue-gold box and loads of the game's incredible key art, it's a beautiful collection billed as "the first time a Nintendo soundtrack has been commercially released on vinyl outside of Japan."
Alongside the larger 8LP set, Nintendo and Laced Audio have also produced a 34-track 2LP set that's commensurately budget-friendlier, and as of 4th September, both collections are now out. Nintendo of America kindly sent us the larger Limited Edition (which features fancy effects on the discs - more on that soon), so let's take a closer look and see if it's worth the asking price.
First off, as you'd expect for the price ($49.99 / £49.99 for the 2LP LE version, $194.99 / £159.99 for the full LE set here), this is a handsomely presented package from the moment you peel off the plastic. The gold detailing over the blue pattern on the cover looks exceptional, and sliding out the inner section reveals familiar artwork of Link scaling a rockface at sunset.
Taking out the eight slipcases, you get eight more artworks, while the rears show the tracklisting in the blue/gold style to match the outer box. Inside each slipcase is another sleeve with glossy art depicting Link, the Champions, and some enemies over the matte background. I appreciate how the inner sleeves open along the top; unlike some vinyl packages, the discs here won't accidentally roll out when you pick one off the shelf.
The reverse of those inner sleeves has a hole revealing the Sheikah symbol printed on the disc labels, and the discs themselves are pressed with a "splatter effect" in the Limited Edition version (the 2LP LE version features a blue-and-white marble effect).
The blue/white and gold/white splatter over transparent vinyl alternate per disc - odds are blue, evens are gold. It's certainly eye-catching, and I love how it illuminates over a light source (I'm going to assume that uplit turntables exist and look fabulous).
However, the haphazardness of the splatter here feels more Splatoon than Zelda; it doesn't quite jibe with the ornate detailing elsewhere in this set. Also, slipping out Disk 4, I was struck by Revali's impish grin and got the distinct impression he had dropped a 'bomb' from a great height all over the disc. The thought just popped in there, and from that point I couldn't unsee/unthink it whenever I took out a 'gold' disc.
Each to their own, but I wonder if the blue/white marble would have been more fitting. Either way, the non-limited, slightly cheaper black vinyl option would feel appropriately classy if you can't get hold of, or aren't keen on, the Limited Editions.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/the-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild-deluxe-8lp-boxset-a-suitably-epic-soundtrack-celebration
