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Akumajo Dracula Best 2 :: Review by Jon Turner
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Album Title: | Akumajo Dracula Best 2 |
| Record Label: | King Records | |
| Catalog No.: | KICA-7506/7 (1st Print); KICA-7902/3 (Reprint) | |
| Release Date: | December 5, 1991; September 23, 1998 | |
| Purchase: | Buy at CDJapan |
Review
Get ready for another nostalgic collection of Dracula (Castlevania) music. This time it's two discs, one with the music from the SNES' Super Castlevania IV and another with tunes from the two Game Boy Castlevania games.
Ever since it was released in 1991, Super Castlevania IV has been a classic with diehard fans. I don't think it had to do with just the graphics, or the play control, but the music as well. In fact, this music has a darker, more ghoulish flair than even the NES Castlevania scores. While it uses familiar themes in some places such as (what else?) "Vampire Killer", "Bloody Tears", and "Beginning", it also introduces new pieces, such as the gripping, catchy, rocking "Theme Of Simon" and the deliciously spooky "Dracula's Theme". It really does send shivers down my spine every time I listen to it. Although there are plenty of catchy pieces in the score, most of the music is basically ambient and not especially hummable. Still, it was delightful to listen to these spooky piece again; I just wish they hadn't added in sound effects in some tracks and mixed the title and password themes together (you can't hear the themes separately).
As for the Game Boy Castlevania games, the sound quality, of course, is only average. However, the music is still great, even though they don't use any of the familiar tacks, like they did in Super Castlevania IV. However, there are some loud, bombastic tracks that will give you a blasting headache with their Game Boy synth, another drawback of this music.
Like the recently re-released Demon Castle Dracula Best, this CD is another recommended nostalgic treasure. The best reason to buy this album is for the Super Castlevania IV music, but diehard fans may find themselves enjoying the Game Boy music as well.
