CAVE's arrange albums always deliver, and Deathsmiles' is no exception. The original arcade score by Manabu Namiki was already a gothic masterpiece, and these arrangements blow the instrumentation wide open. "Burning Halloween Town" transforms from frantic shmup accompaniment into a full-bodied rock arrangement that keeps the Halloween energy cranked to maximum.
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"Trembling Mad with Hatred in the Game of Death" has one of the best track names in gaming and an arrangement that lives up to it. "Lost Forest" and "The Witch of the Bottomless Swamp" represent the game's mid-stages with arrangements that lean into the fairy-tale horror atmosphere, while "Awakened Giant Beast" goes full bombast for the Stage C-2 boss encounter.
"Hades Castle" gets the dramatic treatment it deserves as the final stage theme, and "Waltz for the Aristocrat Ghosts" is exactly the kind of eerie elegance that makes Deathsmiles' aesthetic so distinct from other bullet hell games.
"Invitation from Another World" opens the album with the game's iconic intro theme reimagined, and "To the Wandering Beloved Souls" closes things with genuine emotional weight. The inclusion of the Xbox 360 menu theme is a nice touch for the console port fans.
"Memories of the Ruined Crystal Temple" and "Crossing the Ravine..." round out the stage coverage. If you've ever dodged thousands of pink bullets while listening to gothic orchestral rock, this is those moments given room to breathe.