Topic: What type of music should the series go with?

[Renonsgoods]

Anything done in the style and vein of SCIV's score is a winner for me.  I have an appreciation for music from the whole of the series, though.  Nor do I have any animosity towards the LoS soundtrack.  While it certainly took a different approach to its game music, I found it (independently) to have a very solid score.....far better than most games I've played in the last couple of years.  Perhaps if it had been done in a lesser fashion I'd have been pissed about it's "non-Castelvania-ish" feel, but as it stands I can't really complain.  I've come to love and accept it just as I have with the rest of the series' music.

[Odile Kuronuma]

I don't think the series should go with just one type of music. Variety works much better for a series like Castlevania (and any other series if you think about it). But it seems that Konami 's "recycling" a lot of CV music. I'm not talking about remixing songs from previous games. I love listening to new versions of  the old Castlevania tunes. But they all sound the same, and they're trying to recycle the SOTN formula . Not only  are they recycling the gameplay, but they're recycling the music too. And the result is not always good. POR for example has a pretty weak soundtrack. Only Victorian Fear, Hail from the past and Overture are really worth listening to IMO.
So yeah the series needs fresh blood,and as long it's good music, it will work for Castlevania.

[paulstanley]

How exactly are they copying Symphony, if I may ask? I can see the games are sticking to the same basic principle in their mechanics (exploration, etc.), but the music? The only thing that comes to mind is that Yamane has been a composer for some post-Symphony games, but other than that...

[Odile Kuronuma]

It's kinda hard to describe but they sound the same.It's the same type of music. Orchestral sometimes, with the use of more modern instruments(electric guitar, drums...)  I know that all those games have the same composer(Michiru Yamane).I find that her music has become  very repetitive.   Plus I think her masterpiece was SOTN, and every soundtrack she did for CV after that one was just a failed attempt to make something as good , with the exception of COD, LOI and Aria. OOE had good potential,  but I'm not really convinced by some of the tracks.
Still I don't get why Konami decided to stick with one composer who did most of the music for the metroidvanias, while they could have hired different composers and have more variety. If you consider games that came out before SOTN, they didn't sound the same. The music in CVIV has nothing to do with the one used  in Bloodlines  or Dracula XX.Those had great soundtracks, and in a way I wish  their composers   would come back and make CV music again, or anyone who can make good music, as long as it fits the mood in CV.

[X]

I know that all those games have the same composer(Michiru Yamane).I find that her music has become  very repetitive.   Plus I think her masterpiece was SOTN, and every soundtrack she did for CV after that one was just a failed attempt to make something as good , with the exception of COD, LOI and Aria. OOE had good potential,  but I'm not really convinced by some of the tracks.

Actually SotN had three to four different composers working on the music. Michiru Yamane is just one of them who contributed to the game's score. It is a shame that she is most credited for the score while the others are kind of left forgotten.

-X

[paulstanley]

It's kinda hard to describe but they sound the same.It's the same type of music. Orchestral sometimes, with the use of more modern instruments(electric guitar, drums...)

That's too broad a statement. If we think like that, I can point you to innumerable games that do music in the same style (orchestral + modern/electrical instruments).

Plus I think her masterpiece was SOTN, and every soundtrack she did for CV after that one was just a failed attempt to make something as good , with the exception of COD, LOI and Aria. OOE had good potential,  but I'm not really convinced by some of the tracks.

Curse of Darkness and Lament of Innocence are the only ones she did all by herself. The rest, she either co-composed with others (or in Harmony's case, just composed a single track) or didn't do at all (Circle of the Moon, among others).

The music in CVIV has nothing to do with the one used  in Bloodlines  or Dracula XX.Those had great soundtracks, and in a way I wish  their composers   would come back and make CV music again, or anyone who can make good music, as long as it fits the mood in CV.

Well...Bloodlines was also composed by Yamane.

Actually SotN had three to four different composers working on the music. Michiru Yamane is just one of them who contributed to the game's score. It is a shame that she is most credited for the score while the others are kind of left forgotten.

-X

False, as far as I know. The only tracks that had different composers were the Rondo ones (Dance of Illusions was just an arrange while Strange Bloodlines was composed by akiropito and arranged by Yamane) and I Am the Wind, which was written by Rika Muranaka, Tony Hayes and Jeff Lorber. It's otherwise 100% Yamane.

[Odile Kuronuma]

@Xenocide
Ah didn't knew that. Their names aren't displayed in the credits, as far as I know. But I do know that there has been 2 other composers(actually 3) who worked on some tracks. Chaconne C Moll comes to mind. Yeah it's a shame that the other composers aren't credited, and it proves that the more composers you have, the more variety there is. That's how you get amazing scores such as SOTN.

That's too broad a statement. If we think like that, I can point you to innumerable games that do music in the same style (orchestral + modern/electrical instruments).

Do i really need to describe Michiru's music? And yeah there has been many games that use the same type of music.That's how it works in the video game industry. You apply the formula that works the best, and in this case, ochestral/modern music works. Also you have to consider that many games got inspired by CV, not only in gameplay. But even if it's the same genre/type of music,  every composer has it own touch, something that makes you recognize his music.

Curse of Darkness and Lament of Innocence are the only ones she did all by herself. The rest, she either co-composed with others (or in Harmony's case, just composed a single track) or didn't do at all (Circle of the Moon, among others).

Well...Bloodlines was also composed by Yamane.

False, as far as I know. The only tracks that had different composers were the Rondo ones (Dance of Illusions was just an arrange while Strange Bloodlines was composed by akiropito and arranged by Yamane) and I Am the Wind, which was written by Rika Muranaka, Tony Hayes and Jeff Lorber. It's otherwise 100% Yamane.

Wrong. She might have done the soundtrack for COD and LOI all by herself, but it's not the case for  Bloodlines . She worked on it yes, but she's not the only composer . If i remember correctly it was the first CV game she worked on, with SOTN being the one where she really composed most of the music. As for the other composers who worked in Symphony, they are named respectively Y. Iwata, T.Ohsono and K.Okada. They're the ones who worked on Chaconne C Moll, the song that plays in one of the extra levels available only in the Saturn port of SOTN. And they're not credited,as far as i know . Michiru might be credited for the  music  that came after SOTN and even Bloodlines, but that doesn't necessary mean she did all the soundtrack .

[paulstanley]

I was talking original Symphony. I'm not sure why the Saturn port should be counted here since, besides its additions to the original soundtrack being minuscule and mediocre at best (Chaconne C. Moll and Guardian, perhaps, notwithstanding), it wasn't even handled by the same team of people. They just thought it would be cool if they added a few things onto it and ported it to the Saturn. It's a messy, rushed game that doesn't really deserve to be recognised in the same place as the original Symphony. But Bloodlines was also entirely composed by Yamane. At least, according to this. The only tracks that weren't composed by her are the X68000 arrange tracks.

[Odile Kuronuma]

My point is even though she is credited as the composer, whether in SOTN or NITM(the Saturn version), she didn't do all of the songs. And you said it yourself, if it wasn't for some of the tracks the score would have been 100% Yamane. As for Bloodlines,I'm not sure anymore. I just saw the credits and she's the only one credited.
And i'm sorry to disagree but NITM is worth playing. If it wasn't for the bad effects it could have been as good as SOTN. After all, the extra levels were meant to be in the PSX version, but they didn't have enough time to add them. Plus Chaconne C Moll and Guardian are really good songs. It's a nice addition to the soundtrack , and if you find it mediocre that's just your opinion.

[thernz]

I think it was more so a misunderstanding because SoTN usually prefers to the PS1 version while NiTM refers to the Saturn version.
You know, even though NiTM was the name of the JP PS1 SoTN too. That PS1 SoTN was all Yamane was his point. And he actually said that besides Chaconne C. Moll and Guardian, it was mediocre.

[darkmanx_429]

Old school 80's Metal all the way!

[Chernabogue]

Old school 80's Metal all the way!

Even if I disagree, because the Castlevanian atmosphere needs lots of different musical genres (depending on what kind of stuff happens in the game), I have to say HELL YES!

[DragonSlayr81]

Old school 80's Metal all the way!

Then you need Ryuji Sasai to compose. Dude made FFMQ's soundtrack 80s-rific with songs like:

Final Fantasy Mystic Quest-OST-LAST CASTLE

Too bad he doesn't do video game music anymore(or so I've heard). His OST for Treasure of the Rudras was awesome!

And while I wouldn't want the entire thing 80s metal, I can see some songs working. Toss in something with the style of Dio or Ozzy's Mr. Crowley and it could fit in quite well in a CV game.

But yeah, thinking about 80s metal in games really makes me wonder how cool it would've been had David Jaffe ran with his initial idea for God of War, giving it pure 80s metal soundtrack. I remember him talking about how he initially wanted the game to be combined with that era's metal to play off of the imagery of super violence and dark fantasy. Back in the day, metal's imagery was all about dark knights chopping heads off, necromancers, shambling corpses, steel and leather, hoarding barbarians and such. It fit like a glove. I even remember, playing games like Wizards & Warriors, the music was totally inspired by 80s metal, and the imagery fit pretty damn nicely. Sad the era's past, because I'd love to see a game that goes that retro route, using 80s metal(maybe even some 70s stuff) and banks on the whole dark fairy tale, princess with major cleavage, warriors that look like Conan the Barbarian, Thor the Warrior(from Gauntlet), or Ax Battler. And villainous, hulking knights with horned helms. Dungeons and caverns, dragons and heavy metal gore! I think that would kick more ass than setting the game to epic orchestral scores.

[darkmanx_429]

Even if I disagree, because the Castlevanian atmosphere needs lots of different musical genres (depending on what kind of stuff happens in the game), I have to say HELL YES!

Metal Bands and Castlevania
Metal Bands and Castlevania (Update)
My point. I am a hardcore Castlevania fan obviously. It's my favorite all time video game ever. I even own the original Rondo of Blood for TG-16 and the import version of Haunted CastleVania among other goodies, soundtracks, imports, etc. People forget that there are actually 2 generations of CastleVania. Before SOTN and the orchestra OST's, there was (in no particular preferences) the original NES title, Haunted castle, Dracula's Curse, Rondo of Blood and Super Castlevania 4. They were less influnced on the exploration elements and focused more on the action elements. Start the stage,whip enemies, defeat the boss, rinse, repeat...SOTN, the newer DS titles, Curse of Darkness focused more on the "Metrovania" elements, exploration, go to stage A - it is blocked, go to stage B to find the item to unblock stage A, etc.. The original NES titles, was made by IGA in the same vain as all the 80's monster movies and some newer movies in the following years like The Lost Boys. Don't get me wrong I love SOTN, but I am a generation one CastleVania fan. 80's rock all the way!

[darkmanx_429]

Then you need Ryuji Sasai to compose.

On a side note my bud, Warmachine is composing and performing all the music for our OST for our original fan made-game: Vamprotector.

http://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/index.php?topic=3623.0

It's all done in heavy metal style. We currently have 43 tracks completely done. (Not counting ones that we didn't use.)  He is more than a little talented. Most of the soundtrack is a mix of Castlevania and Contra songs, but we have a few singles in there.