If you’ve never heard any of the Castlevania soundtracks, you should rectify that immediately. For those who missed out on the massive boxset that Konami put out ten years ago, Konami will be upping the ante for you this December for the series’ 35th anniversary.
Up for pre-order on the official Japanese Konami store are the “Music from Akumajo Dracula Kuro” and “Music from Akumajo Dracula Aka” sets, which translated, are titled Music From Castlevania Black and Music From Castlevania Red. These two collections total 26 volumes divided into 13 CDs, and feature almost all of the soundtracks from the Castlevania series.
The two-pack will release on December 15, 2021 in Japan at ¥ 28,600 (approximately $250 USD). If you pre-order now, you’ll also be getting an additional 14-track CD. This will feature the MIDI arrangements of songs from 1995’s Castlevania: Dracula X.
If you managed to snag the original 2010 boxset, you’re probably wondering what the differences will be this time. Well, the DVD that was included in the original boxset is gone. In its place, apart from several arranged tracks for numerous titles, you now have both versions of the soundtracks for Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest and Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. You also get the extra tracks from the Saturn version of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, as well as the complete Castlevania: Harmony of Despair soundtrack.
Needless to say, if you’re a fan of Konami’s music and Castlevania (and who isn’t?), this is a must-have (particularly since the long out-of-print 2010 boxset now goes for ridiculous prices).
