Outside the Ring: Top 7 8-bit Castlevania Theme Songs

Hey, WrestlingNerd. What the hell are you doing talking about video games? I thought this was a wrestling page?

This is my page and if I want to talk video games (Which I've done before), then I will do so. Now that we have gotten that out of the way, let's begin. I want to wish you all a Happy Halloween. Such a fun day of cavities, supernatural beings, and getting the crap scared out of you….I freakin' love this day. I figured for this special day that I would step outside the ring and talk about some video games that fit this holiday. I know my main thing is covering pro wrestling (Which I love doing), but I'm personally a bigger fan of video games. I'm not what you would call a hardcore gamer, but I do have a wide knowledge of video games and it's always something I look forward to doing on my spare time. When I think about video games in the month of October, it's almost impossible to not mention the Castlevania series. The horror cliches, the Belmonts, and of course Dracula would all be fun gameplay elements that defined the series……Mixed in with some frustrating elements as well. WHY THE KNOCK BACK!?! Hmph….Sorry. The Castlevania games are fun to play, but the games also featured some awesome soundtracks. That's why I'm gonna do a Top 7 8-bit Castlevania Theme Songs. For this countdown, I'm only gonna talk about the three NES games. Maybe another day, I'll look into Super Castlevania 4's music, but let's keep it 8-bit for the time being. As always with a top list, this is strictly my opinion and I encourage you to post some of you favorites or stuff I didn't mention. Believe me, it wasn't easy to narrow it down to seven since all the themes have an argument to make the list. Without further delay, let's begin….again. I'm such a dumbass. 

#7. Out of Time (Castlevania 1)

This is the tune you hear when you are taking your final steps towards Dracula's castle and are about to fight the demon himself. Of course, not without having to deal with hunchbacks and phantom bats. It's funny how the first boss is the game is now a regular enemy. That tends to happen a lot in video games, but why does it do more damage? Was I fighting the retarded version of these guys to start off? Are the later ones the guys who actually graduated from the School of Generic Villains? Regardless, one of the reasons I like this track is it sounds appropriate. It gives you that adrenaline rush and you know that when you hear this, evil is just a few walks up those stairs. The power of Christ, compels you, bitch!!!

#6. Aquarius (Castlevania 3)

I really like this tune because it's very upbeat. Seriously, you have to admit that you can start tapping your foot to this. Well, that's what I said when I heard the NES version. It wasn't until many many MANY years later that I heard the Famicom version to this soundtrack. Don't get me wrong. This song sounds great on the NES, but something about it really pops out on the Famicom. Leave it up to Japan to leave all the good stuff for themselves. Judge for yourself in which version you think is better. You can't go wrong with either. 

#5. Overture (Castlevania 3)

If you got to hear this tune in the game, you must be a freakin' miracle-worker. You know, a lot of people talk about how difficult Castlevania 1 is, but it doesn't compare to Castlevania 3: Dracula's Curse. This game will tear you a new asshole. How did NintendoCapriSun make this look so easy? Regardless, it's common to walk up a clock tower to fight Dracula. There's always some good music to be found at this part of the game, but this has to be one of my favorites. The music is setting the scene that you are about to engage in an epic battle with a vampire for the last time….In this century. Dammit!!!

#4. Vampire Killer (Castlevania 1)

If I listen real closely, I think I'm hearing this….

How dare you rank this fourth? This song IS Castlevania. You don't know what the f*** you're talking about. I hate this guy. Rabble, rabble, rabble, rabble…

Well, I am entitled to my opinion. I respect anyone that disagrees with me, but let's not try to  unleash a spirit bomb on the world, okay? Anyway, I really like Vampire Killer, but I just have a couple of other tunes that stick out in my opinion. At the same time, I cannot deny the greatness that is Vampire Killer. This is the tune that would help make Castlevania become one of most popular video game franchises ever. This is an upbeat tune that introduces you to the first level of the first Castlevania. Oh goodie, the stiff jump of doom and the Simon Belmont walk. Did I mention that the controls for these games weren't perfect? Yeah, the controls themselves were part of the reason these games were so difficult. I still enjoy these games, but even I'll admit that they have flaws. Anyway, let's Vampire Killer on to the next track. Wow, that was a terrible joke. 

#3. Beginning (Castlevania 3)

I love the tempo of this song. It pumps you up for the adventure that you are about to set out on with Simo--er, I mean Trevor Belmont and friends. The song reminds me a lot of Vampire Killer, which is interesting if you think about it. Vampire Killer was the first level theme in Castlevania 1, while Beginning was the first level theme for Castlevania 3. Konami likes to get you ready to whip away at evil. 

#2. Wicked Child (Castlevania 1)

Oh yeah, now we're getting serious. When I hear this tune, I imagine Simon climbing the stairs. I know a lot of you are thinking that's silly since Simon is climbing stairs in every level, but this is the one I picture. My favorite part of the song is when it starts to slow down. It just sounds epic since it almost gives you a sense of triumph. Whenever I finish off Dracula, I always hear this part of the song in the back of my mind. You know a video game song as done its job when you replace other video games songs with others. Get out of my head!!!

We can only have one for the 8-bit countdown, so let's reveal what it is…

#1. Bloody Tears (Castlevania 2)

Yeah, I bet many of you were wondering if I was simply gonna ignore Castlevania 2 since this is considered the black sheep of the series. Yeah, I know many of you have seen the AVGN review of this game and I have to agree with him. While they tried something different, there's so much hidden bulls*** that it just makes the game impossible to figure out without a guide. Yes, it indeed was a horrible night to have a curse if you had to play this game back in the day. Now, I'm not gonna bash the game since it gets more than enough hate. Trust me, you can look anywhere to see how much "love" this game gets. If there's one thing Castlevania 2 has going for it, it's the soundtrack. While short, the soundtrack still gives you that Castlevania atmosphere. Bloody Tears would become a staple of the franchise and I personally think this is the best 8-bit tune in the Castlevania series. The song sounds as if you're going out on a quest and are about to meet many hardships. The fact that you only had a certain amount of time to live or die gives you a sense of urgency, and I felt this tune fits that mood nicely. Castlevania 2 may be a flawed video game, but it brings forth one of the best tunes in video game history. 

And that's gonna do it for the countdown. I hope you enjoyed it. It was something a little different, but there's nothing wrong with trying something new. Even if you aren't a fan of the Castlevania series or never tried it, I would hope this list would encourage you to check out the series or give it a second chance. It's a great video game series that's a lot of fun, so give it a look someday. I wish all of you a safe and Happy Halloween. I'll see you guys and girls in the next one. See you next time.