In the second act of Concertvania we are going to focus on the two 16-bit, cartridge-based games in the Castlevania series:
And…
The two games were released several years apart, and on the two major competing systems at the time: Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis. Unlike the common practice to release the same game on different consoles, Konami decided to make an entirely separate game for the Sega Genesis.
First up on Concertvania Act II is…
Super Castlevania IV
Released in 1993, Super Castlevania IV’s audio was composed by Masanori Adachi and Taro Kudo (credited as Masanori Oodachi and Taro respectively). Ueno wanted to make the environment of Super Castlevania IV more interactive and was proud of how the game’s sound effects and music contributed to the atmosphere. It was released on Akumajō Dracula Best 2 in a compilation with Castlevania: The Adventure and Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge’s music. On June 21, 2017, the game’s music was released on vinyl by Mondo.
Castlevania Bloodlines
The music of Bloodlines was composed by Michiru Yamane, who later garnered acclaim for her score for Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and subsequent handheld Castlevania adventures. Though she once admitted to have worked under extreme pressure and deadlines, this soundtrack met the standards of the previous entries and is highly regarded on its own for its gloomy atmosphere.
The music for the second level, titled “The Sinking Old Sanctuary,” was reused in later Castlevania games, Circle of the Moon, for the Game Boy Advance, and Legacy of Darkness, for the Nintendo 64.The main themes for each of the first levels of the three NES Castlevania games (Vampire Killer, Bloody Tears, Beginning) are accessible in-game with a code, can be played in the sound test and one will be chosen randomly to play when the player obtains the maximum weapon power level. Also, Nothing to Lose (the Castle Keep theme for the NES Castlevania) was played in the final part of the first stage. Theme of Simon (from Super Castlevania IV) plays after defeating Elizabeth and before the battle with Dracula.
Without further ado, here is the playlist:
Gamatroid 