Video: Castlevania Music Analysis

Why is it SO GOOD?

Starting in the 8-bit video game era and continuing well into the 90’s, Konami was known for some of the best video game music. But even for Konami’s standards, the Castlevania series stands apart for its fusion of modern and baroque classical music.

Castlevania was well known for this fusion of classical, rock, jazz, and even techno way back in the NES days. But the music of Castlevania blossomed as more and more advanced hardware allowed musicians to be more and more creative. This all came to a crescendo (see what I did there?) with the dawn of the Igavania era and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

SOTN, because it was expected to be a throw-away, low-budget title was given the creative freedom and time to experiment and perfect the craft resulting in what is considered one of the best video game soundtracks of all time.

Need a deeper dive into the wonderfully macabre tunes of the series? 8-Bit Music Theory has you covered in the video below with detailed looks at some of the most iconic music from the series.