Favorite Tunes #245: Vania Mania

I binge watched season 2 of Castlevania on Netflix (I thought it was freakin' good, FYI), and I've been playing through Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night on the PS4 via Castlevania Requiem. Needless to say, I'm in a major mood for Castlevania so this week's Favorite Tunes is all about Akumajou Dracula.

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (NES)

The first Castlevania has been remade/re-imagined a few times over, yet the game that truly needs a makeover, Castlevania II, has yet to be touched. Unless you already know what to do, trying to get through Simon's Quest is impossible without a guide and as such, is often viewed as the weakest of the NES trilogy. Thankful, the music is still aces.

Beginning - Akumajou Densetsu (FC)

Known as Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse outside of Japan. The plot of the first two seasons of the Netflix Castlevania takes clear inspirations from this game. I really do like the NES version of this game's soundtrack but I cannot deny that the Famicom's extra channels do make the soundtrack have that extra pop.

Den (Stage 7) - Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (PCE)

What is widely regarded as the best traditional (non Metrovaina style) Castevania game, this game was stuck in no export for you status for the longest time. Over the past 11 years, it has recieved several re-releases outside of Japan, with the latest one being bundled with it's sequel, Castlevania Symphony of the Night on the PS4 until the title Castlevania Requiem. As fun as Metrovania style Castlevania games are, it's nice to return to the series more liner roots from time to time, which was one of the reasons Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon resonated so well with me. Rondo of Blood gives you multiple paths in many of it's levels, two characters to play as (as long as you collect the key and unlock Maria's cell in stage 2) and killer soundtrack.

Snake Head Medusa - Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (PS2)

From what I gather, most are in the camp that Castlevania should never go into the third dimension ever again. Leon Belmont, the protagonist of Lament of Innocence makes a portrait appearance in the Netflix Castlevania series on top of being mentioned by Trevor Belmont. If you've seen the dubbed version of Naruto and played this game, you might recognize Leon's voice actor. He also voices a famous copy night.

Marble Gallery - Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS)

The fact that this game is not going to be available on the PS1 Classic system coming out next month is criminal. Yeah, I imagine that you've heard countless others say something along those lines, but I do believe the game being omitted from the list is a travesty. I've been going through this game on the PS4 and despite not having played it in years, it still holds up beautifully. Michiru Yamane's soundtrack to this game is a wonderful contribution to the series outstanding music.

Ending Theme - Super Castlevania IV (SNES)

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Super Castlevania IV's soundtrack is INCREDIBLE! This is an early SNES releases and the music still sounds amazing to this very day. Well-loved tracks from previous games like Vampire Killer, Beginning and Bloody Tears sound great but the new music is also just as grand. And speaking of grand, check this finale track!

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Favorite Tunes #240: Turning Over a New Leaf

If you are in one of the areas that was called for evacuation for Hurricane Florence, I hope you're staying safe. We managed to get quite fortunate and have the storm pass over us here in Virginia. Anyway, for this week, there's a selection of tracks that reflects a few of the titles I'm currently playing and a few that I'm really looking forward to.

Home (Not) Sweet Home - 2064: Read Only Memories (PC, PS4, PSV, XBO, NS)

Do you like cyber punk? Do you like text based games? Do you like knowledgable, adorable robots with dome-shaped heads? If you answered yes to all of those questions, you should take 2064: Read Only Memories for a spin. I haven't played many games in this genre, but the pixel graphics and cyber punk setting were enough to stir my interest. It has an intriguing story, some wonderful characters and a really good soundtrack. This is far from the last time you'll see music from this game popping up.

Block Man Stage - Mega Man 11 (NS, PS4, XBO, PC)

If you've played the Mega Man 11 Demo, you've been exposed to Block Man's challenging stage. It keeps with the spirit of classic Mega Man with tough, but fair level design. It wasn't long before I was bobbing my head to the square one's level theme. True to most Mega Man songs, this one is pretty catchy.

Dwelling of Doom - Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (NES)

Perhaps it is because Halloween is coming up. Maybe it is because I've been listening to the Pixel Mixers latest release. Or maybe it could be that I'm stoked that the Belmont boys are in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. OK, its all three. Castlevania II is the black sheep of the NES trilogy with gameplay being a huge departure from the first, result in a highly cryptic title, one that is impossible to play without a guide. If any Castlevania game needs a remake, it is definitely this one. Music is aces, though.

#12 awake - Splatoon 2 (NS)

You do you need more annoyance in your life? Do you want to smash the nearest thing after the umpteenth attempt at a mission to end in failure? Well look no further than Splatoon 2's Octo  Expansion DLC. For a low price of $20 you can experience what it is like to lose your sanity trying to obtain a Golden Hairpin. Frustration aside, the Octo Expansion DLC is a very nice addition to what is already an outstanding game. The lore of Splatoon is expanded and you can get exclusive gear to use in the multiplayer matches. The sound team even went ham and gave us an entirely new soundtrack for this DLC.

Your Contract Has Expired - A Hat in Time (PC, PS4, XBO, NS)

I've been wanting to feature music from A Hat in Time here on Favorite Tunes but I haven't played the game yet, though I have been spoiled about some plot points thanks to a catch a videos on YouTube. This song came up in my recommended section and with the amount of views it had, I figured it was worth a listen. Rock on, Hat in Time. Rock on.

Town Hall - Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3DS)

This past Thursday's Nintendo Direct was either a roaring success or a huge disappointment. I feel like some people have insanely high exceptions for these directs and if/when they don't get what they wanted, they come out disappointed. Seriously, if you couldn't find anything to get excited about among all that stuff that was revealed, the hype gene may not be in you. There were a lot of good annoucements in the direct two of them being that not only is Isabelle gonna be a playable character in Smash, but a new console Animal Crossing is finally on the way.

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