So I just went back to our Contra ReBirth review and realized that I had predicted the future! I noted that while there wasn’t enough music in Contra ReBirth to warrant a soundtrack, perhaps we’d see them bundle it with the Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth soundtrack, and that’s exactly what they’re doing! Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth doesn’t have a whole lot of music either, but I like what’s here, probably more so than I did the Contra ReBirth stuff.
Manabu Namiki returns once again (credited as a Basiscape composer, with the Basiscape logo even in the credits!), providing mainly reworked tunes from Castlevania’s past. There’s a good variety, and several of the tracks are catchy and nail the Castlevania mood perfectly. The game is a lot of fun, too, and pretty damn challenging!
More about that and the game’s soundtrack in our review after the jump.
First of all, this is pure Castlevania. No dashing, flailing whips, or equipping weapons. Christopher Belmont, an ancestor of Simon Belmont, tackles several stages with only his whip and one of five possible subweapons, just like it was meant to be. What’s new, however, is the non-linearity that’s been introduced by allowing players to take different paths to complete a level. Each level typically has a sub-boss and a boss, but sub-bosses can sometimes be bypassed if the correct route is found. It’s a lot of trial and error, and a lot of fun. And damn, the last two levels are tough.
Let’s talk about the music. The first think you’ll notice is this amazing jingle that plays in the Wii menu and before each stage that references “Vampire Killer.” It’s a great jingle that kind of starts with “Vampire Killer” before going off in another direction, sounding familiar but also new, and being all around awesome every time. I would have love to have seen this one on the recent Bad Dudes Jingle all the Way album.
As far as the stage music is concerned [Editor’s Note: See JI’s comment below to see where the individual tracks are from, as I wasn’t able to identify the majority of them], the first stage features a remix of “Reincarnated Soul” from Castlevania: Bloodlines. The remix is energetic and bouncey, appropriate for the first stage. I love the harpsichord. The second stage opens with jazzy notes and a groovy bassline that had me thinking it was going to go in a “Wandering Ghosts” direction from Symphony of the Night, but it quickly turns rock with chugging guitars and belltone arpeggios.
The third stage is my favorite track, taking on a fast-paced goth rock sound reminiscent of classic Castlevania titles. It has a positive ascending melody and lots of energy, really pushing you through the level. Things get a little more tough in the next level, which features a funky bassline, electric piano, and smooth synths. If I had to classify it, I’d say jazz fusion. As far as the final stage music is concerned, I listened to this one for a very long time, and it’s appropriately epic. It actually accompanies the series staple clock tower stage, and while it’s not quite as “gear”-like as past clock tower tracks, it’s still good.
The final area of the game features a pretty straightforward remix of “Vampire Killer.” It’s a nice treat for getting this far in the game, but it’s nothing incredibly special. When it comes to the game’s boss themes, they’re not that exciting, but the final boss track (another one I heard for long durations of time), is surprisingly tame. It has a nice swing to it, suggesting that Dracula is a classy vampire. It’s a great tune, and it certainly is grounded enough to let you think about what you’re doing while you’re playing. The final credits offer a somewhat bittersweet melody on acoustic guitar and a lovely, wavy synthesizer with lots of reverb, giving it a dreamy feel.
Overall, I’m happy with the Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth soundtrack. I suppose the fact that I’m a bigger fan of Castlevania than Contra plays into me liking this one better, but I really am enjoying everything here from the stage music to the jingles. I recommend picking up Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth on WiiWare (it’s a blast… even though it’s short) and checking out the dual Contra ReBirth and Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth soundtrack when it’s released.
Have you checked out Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth yet? Are you going to be picking up the game’s soundtrack?
Tags: Basiscape, Castlevania, Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth, Konami, Manabu Namiki, Music Reviews, Remixes, Reviews, Rock, Vampire Killer, WiiWare
I already picked Contra ReBirth and I’m gonna pick Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth when it comes out in Europe, and I’m definitely picking up the soundtrack too. Having said this, I feel painfully betrayed by this supposed remake of the original Game Boy game.
The original game is all about timing, you move slower than most enemies so you must whip’em at the right time so they don’t get over you. The game is also quite demanding whenever you have to jump over a pit, it’s very easy to fall to your doom. Most people hates the game because of these reasons but I have a soft spot for the game because it was my first Castlevania game. I can “easily” get to the last stage, but I fail miserably halfway into Dracula’s chamber on the real thing, so I could only beat the game on an emulator.
So, from what I’ve seen, this remake is only keeping the original story and timeline and is throwing everything else to the garbage bin, including it’s fantastic original soundtrack. Was it too much to ask for just a few new arrangements from the original score?
I don’t want to presume anything, but your write-up makes it sound like most of the themes are new compositions. In fact, all of the tracks (except for one midboss theme) are reused from past Castlevania games.
You presume correctly! I couldn’t identify the majority of these tracks (I didn’t stray too far from the core Castlevania series). Where are they all from?
Well, you asked for it:
*The jingle on the title screen is from Castlevania: The Adventure GB (the only carryover from the original game)
*The map and game over jingles are from the SNES version of Dracula X (Vampire’s Kiss)
*The jazzy stage 2 is the high score ‘Enter Your Name’ music from the old arcade Vampire Killer
*Stage 3 is from the second Game Boy Castlevania game, Belmont’s Revenge
*Stage 4 is the data loading music from Akumajo Dracula X68000 (remade as Castlevania Chronicles for PS1)
*The stage 5 clocktower is “AQUARIUS” from Castlevania III
*One of the stage boss themes is the final boss from arcade Vampire Killer
*The final boss theme is “RIDDLE” from Castlevania III (you’re right, completely underwhelming as a boss theme)
*The ending theme is from Belmont’s Revenge (Castlevania II GB)
The only track no one’s been able to identify is one of the area boss themes, so we can only presume it’s an original track. I think it’s very nice that they picked some lesser-known themes to re-use instead of the usual standbys like “Bloody Tears” and “Beginning”.
Hope this helps, and I hope I’m not stepping on your toes.
Woo! for collaborative teamwork! I think this write up was the last kick I needed to get me to buy the game (and the eventual soundtrack combo). And thanks to JI for the added details!
My apologies, by “arcade Vampire Killer” I meant “Haunted Castle”.
http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?game_id=8089
I was confusing it with the MSX game.
Nah, that’s super helpful. I didn’t know they were from other games. I suppose I should have recognized the Castlevania III tracks, but never played the Game Boy titles. Thanks for letting us know.