DANSE MACABRE

One indisputable treat is rediscovering Kenji Yamamoto’s soundtrack, available here in both modern arrangements and the soupy bloops of the Famicom original. The second game even includes Super Famicom tracks from the 1998 remake. It may sound like overkill, but the composer’s contribution is key. In the crime scenes and the (allegedly) haunted hallways of an elementary school he taps into an unnerving, pulsing energy that would go on to serve him well in Super Metroid and later entries in the series. But he also gets to flex his more relaxed and jauntier register, as you prod at poky backwaters and butt heads with crankier cast members. And the final staff roll is a Castlevania-ish banger, almost inappropriately fun given the things you’ve just uncovered. A Super Smash Bros remix when?