Castlevania Pachislot Original Soundtrack
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Album Title: Castlevania Pachislot Original Soundtrack |
| Record Label: Konami Digital Entertainment |
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| Catalog No.: GFCA-173 |
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| Release Date: June 24, 2009 |
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| Purchase: Buy at CDJapan |
Overview
Pachinko and pachislot machines have been popular among Japanese gamblers for decades, though the industry behind them has largely been separate from game and arcade manufacturers until recently. Over the last few years, there have been a string of official pachislot adaptations of video game franchises, including Resident Evil, Goemon, and Samurai Warriors. One adaptation that caught the attention of game music followers was Castlevania’s, which received a soundtrack release in 2009. Featuring a mixture of original compositions and classic reprises, it had potential to be an excellent tribute, but a few things let the album down.
Body
The album opens with an impressive vocal theme, “Trezire de Spirit”. Blending exuberant soprano and baritone solos with visual kei rock elements, composer Takeshi Kuramochi portrays the mood of the Castlevania series in a convincing and novel way. With its streamed vocals and cutting-edge samples, the composition is not limited by the hardware of the pachislot machine. That said, Takeshi Kuramochi ensured the track was loud and to ensure the track to be heard in the venue, limiting the range of the composition but not its direct impact.
Unfortunately, the instrumental compositions created for this soundtrack tend to short cinematic cues, rather than fully-fledged background music. All but two of these tracks are all built upon short loops that grow repetitive even during the 45 second playtimes of these tracks. Whether listening to “Lamp”, “Spirits of the Dead”, or “Atmosphere”, listeners will be desperate to press the skip button within a few seconds. The only exceptions, “Duet of Madness” and “Phase Cluster”, are still generic rock-orchestral fusions that end rather prematurely.
There are two good things to stay about the instrumental tracks. One is that there is an impressive variety of compositions, from the gritty rock sounds of Isaac’s “Impact of the Dark”, to the gothic orchestration of “Candle Rush”, to the soothing string solos of Angela’s “Parlante’s Flowers”. The other is that the samples are generally of adequate quality, albeit taken from very standard libraries that will be overfamiliar to most game music followers. Nevertheless, these twenty or so compositions are abominable for stand-alone listening and absolutely did not deserve a stand-alone release.
The only other tracks on the soundtrack are reprises from earlier Castlevania titles. Only one of these is a new arrangement, namely Kuramochi’s rock-orchestral take on “Bloodlines”, whereas the others are lazily reprised from existing soundtracks. Tracks such as “Vampire Killer”, “Bloody Tears”, and “Vampire Killer” gain particular mileage here, appearing in both their chiptune and updated renditions from Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. Michiru Yamane’s “Toccata in Blood Soaked Darkness” and “Bahjhet Mountains” from Castlevania: Curse of Judgment are excellent achievements that complement the opening vocal theme, yet are still rehashes and thus won’t satisfy most.
Summary
This soundtrack does reflect that pachislot machines have the potential to be a medium for rich and commanded game soundtracks. However, this soundtrack is not one such release. Series’ followers will be distraught that most of the reprises here are rehashes, as opposed to arrangements like Castlevania Judgment or Castlevania: The Arcade. What’s more, the majority of the instrumental compositions are brief, repetitive, and generic. The only selling points here are an enjoyable choral theme and an adequate take on an already overarranged theme, and that’s not enough to justify an expensive purchase.
Do you agree with the review and score? Let us know in the comments below!
1.5
Posted on August 1, 2012 by Chris Greening. Last modified on August 1, 2012.
About the Author
Chris Greening I've contributed to websites related to game audio since 2002. In this time, I've reviewed over a thousand albums and interviewed hundreds of musicians across the world. As the founder and webmaster of VGMO -Video Game Music Online-, I hope to create a cutting-edge, journalistic resource for all those soundtrack enthusiasts out there. In the process, I would love to further cultivate my passion for music, writing, and generally building things. Please enjoy the site and don't hesitate to say hello!
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