Castlevania is another series I've been getting more into recently and it's really great. Even though I slightly prefer the Igavanias, the classic games are pretty stellar. As a whole, the series kept a pretty solid level of quality and the same applies to its generally phenomenal music. So it's about time for another Soundtrack Respective going over the music for the 2D Castlevania games (haven't played the 3D ones yet):
Castlevania: The first Castlevania game is incredibly solid on pretty much every level. Thoughtful level design, good difficulty curve, and consistently good soundtrack from start to finish. However, my biggest issue with CV1's music is the same issue I have with the game as a whole: It's too short. The entire score clocks in at a measly 13 minutes, and many of the songs don't even last a full minute, which just doesn't bode well compared to its many successors. That being said, for what it is, Castlevania does still have great music, and lots of catchy tunes that establish the spooky funk tone that the whole series would continue to stick to.
Highlights: Vampire Killer is the first song of what many fans call the "Big Three", the first three opening area themes that have shot up in popularity to become the most iconic tracks in the franchise. Personally, all three of them fall into Wily Castle 1 syndrome where I recognize their greatness but find them all a tad oversaturated when there are so many other amazing Castlevania themes out there... but that still doesn't mean Vampire Killer isn't the best track in this game in particular.
3/5 Stars
Castlevania II: Despite being a far worse game than its predecessor, Castlevania II's music is slightly better despite being just as short if not even shorter. The few tracks we do have though are a bit more complex and energetic than the ones in CV2, and you can really see Castlevania's rock influences start to show. Not really sure what else to say here, it's just some good music.
Highlights: Yeah, it's Bloody Tears. This is probably the Castlevania theme I find the most overrated, but I can't deny how hype it is.
3/5 Stars
Castlevania III: Castlevania III is the first soundtrack in the series to really knock it out the park, the vast majority of its tracks are absolute bangers. Vampire Killer from the first game had this fun funk vibe to it, so I guess Konami decided to make the entire soundtrack of the third game pretty much exactly like Vampire Killer, and it really paid off. There's also a bit more of a mysterious gothic vibe in some of the tracks like Clockwork, Nightmare, and Anxiety, and they play off with the more energetic tracks incredibly well. But what really elevates CV3's soundtrack is the Famicom version, which uses the console's improved sound capabilities to incredibly good use with some of the cleanest sounding chiptune on either the NES or the Famicom.
Highlights: AQUARIUS. Beginning is great and all, but Aquarius is like in my Top 3 tracks of the entire series. With an addictive melody, an energetic tone, and a nice dose of atmosphere, this is the definitive Castlevania track for me. Also, honorable mention goes to Mad Forest for being an absolute banger.
5/5 Stars
Super Castlevania IV: Super Castlevania IV is the most love-it-or-hate-it of the Castlevania soundtracks due to its more atmospheric tone. Either you love the vibes of it or you lament the lack of the classical-rock that defines the series. I was mixed at first, but SCIV's music is really starting to grow on me. The blend of experimental jazz, booming drums, and repetitive melodies is so unique for a video game soundtrack, with many tracks really sounding ahead of their time in how immersive and weird they are. Not every track is a home run, I find some of the boss themes noticeably weak, but when SCIV's mood hits, it really hits.
Highlights: Dracula's Theme in this game is absolutely transcendent. Those droning synths, the pattering notes, it's so haunting and melancholy making for a theme that's even wonderful to listen to outside of the game. And when Simon's theme kicks in halfway through the final battle, ah, it's so good!
4/5 Stars
Castlevania Bloodlines: Castlevania Bloodlines was the debut of Michiru Yamane, quite possibly the greatest Castlevania composer. From here on, she'd proceed to work on Symphony Of The Night, several of the handheld games, the two PS2 games, among several others. I don't think I can really mention her without saying she's gotten herself in a bit of... let's just say 2020-conspiracy-related controversies lately, which does make it a bit tough to just shower her with praise, so keep in mind that I'll specifically be talking about her music hear. Anyway...
With that being said, her debut with Bloodlines was absolutely fantastic. Yamane's blend of operatic goth and hard-hitting pop fits the vibe of Castlevania perfectly, it's almost like she was destined to make music for this series. On top of that, she manages to make the Genesis sound so good. While I find a lot of Genesis music to be a bit twangy and ear-grating, Bloodlines' music really plays to the console's strengths and dare I say rivals SCIV's soundtrack in sound quality. Speaking of which, Bloodlines continues the trend that SCIV of including the Big Three along with a stellar Theme Of Simon remix, but even with them, I still find the original level themes to be the highlight here. Reincarnated Soul, The Sinking Old Sanctuary, Iron-Blue Intention, and Calling From Heaven in particular being classics in my eyes. The only real weak spot in Bloodlines' music is that the boss themes aren't quite as good as everything else. Yamane's boss themes are generally pretty chaotic and frantic and she doesn't always pull it off, though they're still not bad! Just not as good as the high bar set by those amazing level themes.
Highlights: The Sinking Old Sanctuary isn't just my favorite Castlevania theme, it's one of my favorite pieces of video game music period. Bloodlines was my first Castlevania and until that point, all I really heard from the series music-wise was the aforementioned Big Three. So when I got to Stage 2 and I was hit by this absolutely stunning and ethereal track, I realized just how much musical range this series truly has.
5/5 Stars
Rondo Of Blood: Rondo Of Blood is Castlevania's first CD quality soundtrack, and I cannot understate just how hard they went here. It has the same adrenaline-inducing 90s synth as Mega Man X4 (and I've already waxed poetic about how much I love that soundtrack), and pretty much every single song goes ridiculous hard. Once again, we have the Big Three here and I'd argue they have some of their finest remixes ever, but despite that, I once again think the original tracks manage to stand up right alongside if not even surpass them. Everyone loves Divine Bloodlines and Opus 13 (for good reason), but Cemetary, Picture Of The Ghost Ship, Den, and especially Cross A Fear and Slash are all fantastic in their own rights. Seriously, this whole soundtrack is that synthy Turbografx-CD sound at its absolute finest, a borderline flawless soundtrack and an easy contender for best in the series, though one other soundtrack does come pretty damn close to topping it.
Highlights: Where do I even start here? Divine Bloodlines is one of the finest opening area themes in the entire series, infectiously groovy and fun. Slash is a massive head-banger and adrenaline-pumping from start to finish. Opus 13 is just simply a massive bop. And as I said, Vampire Killer, Bloody Tears, and Beginning get some of their absolute best remixes here. But if I really had to pick my favorite, I think I have to go with Cross A Fear, which starts fun and groovy but slowly builds into one of the godliest and most powerful choruses I've ever heard. That synth lead, man, it just hits so hard!
5/5 Stars
Symphony Of The Night: Symphony Of The Night is good. It was one of the last games in the series I played though, so it and its music didn't feel quite as special as some of the games before and after, but that doesn't change the fact that it's yet another quality soundtrack from Yamane. Being the last CD-quality soundtrack we'd get for a 2D Vania, Symphony Of The Night feels like it blends Yamane's gothic and operatic stylings with the synths of Rondo Of Blood, and when it works, it works really well. Some of the best tracks in this game start off fairly simple but slowly build into a stunning climax, and there's a nice mix of genres from heavy rock to melancholic lullaby to smooth jazz. Like with Bloodlines, some of the boss themes and more atmospheric fare can be a bit more uneven, but overall, the hits far outweigh the misses.
Highlights: Lost Painting and Finale Tocatta, the two big "inverted castle" themes. They may be overused and poorly-looped within the game (especially Tocatta), but they are the two highlights of the soundtrack for me. Lost Painting is an hauntingly ethereal piece that never fails to give me goosebumps, easily one of my favorite themes in the series. Finale Tocatta, on the other hand, is a full baroque symphony that builds to one of the hardest climaxes in the franchise (shame you rarely hear in game).
5/5 Stars
Circle Of The Moon: Circle Of The Moon boasts an amazing soundtrack that takes a stellar batch of great new original themes, and blends them with phenomenal remixes of some of the best tracks in the series. And they didn't even use the Big Three this time. Along with Vampire Killer, we got Clockwork Mansion, Aquarius, and The goddamn Sinking Old Sanctuary. It's as if Konami knew what the best tracks in the series really were. While not one of the absolute best due to the aforementioned abundance of remixes, it's definitely in the upper echelon for just how quality it all is. It's definitely the best of the GBA soundtracks, and it sounds the cleanest too.
Highlights: The remix of The Shining Old Sanctuary takes one of the most beautiful and serene themes in the series and gives it a gritty rock bassline, and it works shockingly well, to the point where I don't even know if I like it more than the original. That being said, if I have to go with original tracks, I'm picking Awake, another stellar and criminally underrated opening area theme that should rank along with the best the series has to offer.
5/5 Stars
Harmony Of Dissonance: What... what happened here? Why does Harmony Of Dissonance's music sound so bad?! Circle Of The Moon's soundtrack was so good, why did this game's sound quality plummet so dramatically? From what I can tell it was because of all the visual effects on screen compared to CotM, but AoS used a similar artstyle and it sounded fine. And even if they really couldn't figure something out, how did Konami think this was okay to ship?! There are probably some good compositions here, not that I can tell when everything sounds like nails on a chalkboard. Easily one of the most accurate video game titles in history.
Update: Okay, since making this, I replayed Harmony to properly beat the true final boss, and you know what? I don't hate the soundtrack. The sound quality is certainly the weakest of the GBA games, but a game using chiptune isn't inherently a bad thing. The problem is that the composer, Soshiro Hokkai, was obviously trying to make a more atmosphere, jazzy SCIV-esque score that the console just couldn't handle, especially when Konami was prioritizing the visuals that hard. It's a shame because yeah, there actually are a lot of good compositions here and while some still manage to shine, some of them do cross the line into... well... dissonance. I don't think Harmony's soundtrack is bad or ear-grating, but I do think it was a waste of some pretty great potential.
Highlights: I gotta say, Offense And Defense is really good and I warmed up to it a lot. It's a hauntingly atmospheric track where the chiptune really doesn't hold it back all that much. It's a song that feels like what the entire soundtrack was trying to be, but was one of the few to actually reach that potential. Shame it's the track you hear the least!
2/5 Stars
Aria Of Sorrow: Aria Of Sorrow's soundtrack is good, perfectly solid Castlevania... but it's not amazing. I actually find a lot of it somewhat forgettable, which is a shame because there is a lot of really great music here, Yamane did another bang-up job. It's just that in a series like Castlevania, pretty good just isn't good enough, and it leaves Aria as the weakest of the Igavania soundtracks by quite a lot (Harmony exluded of course). The issue with Aria's soundtrack can feel quite low-key and chill, which I guess fits Soma as a character, but it makes for a decent amount of pretty forgettable themes. Aria's best music is often when it just goes full-on hard rock anyway, so I kinda just wish it did that more instead. Either way, still a good soundtrack, just not as good as it should've been.
Highlights: Despite being in an otherwise weaker soundtrack, Clock Tower is amazing. This track gets a lot of hype from fans and it's absolutely deserved, starting off mysterious and melodic before turning into a heavy metal head-banger with one hell of a chorus. The following track Underground Reservoir ain't half bad either, and neither is the catchy Top Floor theme.
3/5 Stars
Dawn Of Sorrow: Here we go! This is how it should be done! Dawn Of Sorrow's OST is everything a good Castlevania soundtrack should be. It's funky, gothic, and a consistent bop from start to finish. I'd even argue it's the funkiest soundtrack alongside Rondo which fits perfectly with Soma's cool, composed personality, but it's not too chill and muted to the point of feeling forgettable like Aria's soundtrack. Part of this is because of Masahiko Kimura who came in to compose half the soundtrack. He's responsible for the 64 games along with Dracula X, but this is easily his best work. All of his tracks rank among some of the best in the game, he nailed the Big Three remixes he was given, and he just gets Castlevania. That's not to say Yaman didn't kill it either though, she used the improved sound capabilities of the DS to great effect and the ending themes she worked on are some of her best. The DS is the peak of Castlevania musically (and gameplay-wise), but Dawn Of Sorrow's music in particular is slick and fun in a way no other soundtrack really manages to reach.
Also Amber Scenery should've been in the game, it's so good.
Highlights: Dracula's Tears is a Masahiko Kimura piece and it is one of the grooviest pieces of Castlevania music out there. It's so smooth and fun, never fails to get me bopping my head.
5/5 Stars
Portrait Of Ruin: Portrait Of Ruin is probably my least favorite of the DS soundtracks which is a real testament to how freaking good they are. Compared to Dawn Of Sorrow's more breezy tone, Portrait Of Ruin's soundtrack is heavy. The level themes are intense and hard-hitting, the boss themes are wild, and the gothic vibe is at its most unabashedly gothic. On top of that, they even brought in Yuzo Koshiro to make some tunes. Putting aside the fact that Koshiro is already a vgm legend, his soundtrack for Actraiser has been compared to Castlevania so many times that this almost seems destined. And as you'd expect, he absolutely kills it, even if he sadly didn't get to work on too much. Also, props for remixing non-Big Three tracks this time. Divine Bloodlines, Iron Blue Intention, and the Theme Of Simon Belmont are way better anyway.
Highlights: Hail From The Past is one of the best desert themes ever made. I love the ominous chime riff, the groovy melody, and that godly chorus, it's an easy Top 3 contender along with Aquarius and Sinking Old Sanctuary for me.
5/5 Stars
Order Of Ecclesia: Even by the very high standards of the past two DS soundtracks, Order Of Ecclesia still blows them out of the frickin' water. I truly cannot understate just how perfect OoE's soundtrack is. Every theme is great, every stage theme is phenomenal, and the sheer amount of 10/10 best-of-the-series tracks compressed into a single soundtrack is unreal. It has everything you'd want from a Castlevania soundtrack, from gothic rock to jazzy synth to elegant classical melodies, and yet it all manages to maintain that same dark and edgy vibe that perfectly fits one of the grimmest games in the series. It's also the longest of the 2D Castlevania soundtracks, and it never loses its quality through the whole thing. And the best part, it's almost all original. There are barely any remixes in sight. And look, I like all those iconic themes that keep showing up, but it says a lot about the quality of a Castlevania soundtrack that can stand up tall as one of, if not the best in the series entirely on its own. As I said above, I didn't think anything could top Rondo, but my god, did this one blow me away.
Highlights: What do I even pick here? Do I go with the heavy riffs of A Clashing Of Waves? The frantic tragedy of Lament To The Master? The banging rock of Sorrow's Distortion? Nah, it's gotta be Shanoa's main theme, the most iconic song in the game, An Empty Tome. It's so smooth, energetic, and perfectly fitting for both Shanoa's character and the scenes in which it plays. And the developers knew it was good, because they used it as the intro for the game to wet your appetite before it shows up halfway through.
5/5 Stars
Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth: Castlevania The Adventure Rebirth is a weird game for me. It's a solid Castlevania, but I just... don't get what it wants to be. It tries to be a retro revival ala Mega Man 9 but doesn't go for any defined Castlevania artstyle. It remakes one of the least-liked games in the series, but it also changes everything to the point where it's basically a completely different game. You get the improved air control of SCIV, but you can't jump onto staircases for some reason. It's all so strange to me.
But the weirdest element here is the music, which remixes a variety of Castlevania tunes, but most of them are either from obscure entries in the series or are lesser known pieces themselves. And even more, none of the remixes are from Castlevania: The Adventure, the game this is meant to be a remake of to begin with! Well, okay, Battle Of The Holy did get a remix... that happens to be unused. And who did they even bring in to make these remixes? Manabu Namiki, who is far more associated with shmup games, FM synth, and amen breaks, none of which have anything to do with Castlevania.
That being said, despite the nostalgic anachronistic dissonance at play, we got a Castlevania soundtrack by Manabu freaking Namiki. That man is an FM god, right up there with Yousuke Yasui for me, and he really brought his A-game with these remixes. Crazy drum fills, Turtles In Time-esque orchestral hits, a lead that sounds a lot like the Sonic ring sound effect, this entire soundtrack is a hard-hitting adrenaline rush of Genesis nostalgia. Every single remix is super punchy and memorable, from the nonstop propulsion of New Messiah, to the spot-on recreations of Reincarnated Soul and Vampire Killer, to the groovy bass riffs of Lullaby Sent To The Devil and Something Loopy, to Aquarius simply being as incredible as always. And despite being unused, the Battle Of The Holy and Lost Painting remixes easily rank alongside or even surpass all the others in quality. Like with Circle Of The Moon, despite barely having an original song, the remixes are so well-executed that I rarely even notice or care. Namiki is just that good.
Highlights: Well, they're all remixes, so...
4.5/5 Stars
To cap things off, let's rank the 2D Castlevania soundtracks:
- Order Of Ecclesia
- Rondo Of Blood
- Dawn Of Sorrow
- Circle Of The Moon
- Bloodlines
- Portrait Of Ruin
- Dracula's Curse
- Symphony Of The Night
- The Adventure Rebirth
- Super Castlevania IV
- Aria Of Sorrow
- Simon's Quest
- Castlevania
- Harmony Of Dissonance
If there's one thing Castlevania soundtracks are known for, it's the first area themes. So you know what, let's rank those too:
- An Empty Tome (Order Of Ecclesia) - Hey, technically it counts
- Divine Bloodlines (Rondo Of Blood)
- Invitation Of A Crazed Moon (Portrait Of Ruin)
- Reincarnated Soul (Bloodlines)
- Dracula's Castle (Symphony Of The Night)
- Theme Of Simon Belmont (Super Castlevania IV)
- Awake (Circle Of The Moon)
- Bloody Tears (Simon's Quest)
- Beginning (Dracula's Curse)
- Vampire Killer (Castlevania)
- Pitch Black Intrusion (Dawn Of Sorrow)
- Castle Corridor (Aria Of Sorrow)
- Chapel Hidden In Smoke (Order Of Ecclesia)
- Successor Of Fate (Harmony Of Dissonance)
- The Sinking Old Sanctuary (Bloodlines)
- Aquarius (Dracula's Curse)
- Hail From The Past (Portrait Of Ruin)
- Sorrow's Distortion (Order Of Ecclesia)
- Cross A Fear (Rondo Of Blood)
- Lost Painting (Symphony Of The Night)
- Dracula's Tears (Dawn Of Sorrow)
- Iron-Blue Intention (Bloodlines)
- Lament To The Master (Order Of Ecclesia)
- Slash (Rondo Of Blood)
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