For some reason, Nintendo has decided to block the soundtracks for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Super Mario 64, and Mario Kart Wii from YouTube without providing an alternative method of listening to them. While Nintendo is entirely within its right to remove said music from a platform, its baffled fanbase once again asks why Nintendo would do such a thing.
Nintendo is seemingly determined to end 2020 on a sour note as it continues to make disappointing decisions. Starting with the cease and desist order issued to The Big House Smash Bros. tournament, the Super Smash Bros. community was left outraged as the largest tournament of the year had been forcibly canceled. This was followed by Nintendo targeting Smash Bros. mod videos, the unwarranted ban of Twitch streamers playing Hyrule Warriors, and the cancellation of the Spaltoon 2 NA Open stream among others. And why would Nintendo stop there when it is on such a hot streak?
GilvaSunner, a YouTube channel dedicated to archiving high-quality videogame soundtracks, reported on Twitter that Nintendo Japan had blocked the soundtracks for Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, and Mario Kart Wii in their entirety from the platform. In addition, GilvaSunner posted screenshots of emails he had received from YouTube alerting him that their own videos of the soundtracks had been blocked. This means that only GilvaSunner is able to see these videos listed while the rest of the world cannot.
A quick look at the replies to GilvaSunner's tweet reveals that people have split opinions on this hit from Nintendo. GilvaSunner uploads complete unedited soundtracks that are not monetized, which some users feel is reason enough for Nintendo to be in the right. While it is completely within Nintendo's rights to remove this content from any platform, it does not offer an alternative method of listening to these soundtracks online. The removal of said soundtracks from YouTube means there is no platform where gamers can listen to them unless Nintendo plans to upload them itself.
This also raises concern for streamers. While Nintendo titles aren't among the most streamed games on any platform, its copyright actions against soundtrack videos may discourage streamers from playing Nintendo games in the future. It has yet to be revealed whether or not streamers will be affected by Super Mario 64 or Ocarina of Time soundtracks, but with DMCA takedowns being handed out like candy on Halloween, it's better to be safe than sorry.
Source: GilvaSunner