Dracula X Rondo of Blood - It's just spethial.  I remember the first time I popped this game in my Duo, and I was like this music is awesome!, then the next level, I'd was like this music is even more awesome!!, and it just continued from there.  Then I had to take a nap because I was just too overwhelmed by stage 5.  Some of the most infectious themes ever, I just love this soundtrack.  As a side note, I was really disappointed with the PSP soundtrack to this game, the orchestral-infused style really doesn't work well with these tracks.

I suppose most people will like the original soundtrack better, partially because they're most familiar with it. Remakes usually leave me cold, but to my great surprise I found that I prefer the PSP remake's Dracula X score to the classic original. I like the original Dracula X score (although, as I mentioned above, its far from being my favourite in the series), but there was always that pop-element in the music that made it feel a little bit too groovy and un-gothic. I think the PSP remake's music fixes that flaw brilliantly, the music sounds epic and gothic, light-vs-darkness - 100% Castlevania.

I think most of the themes sound much more powerful now (especially "Beginning", which kicks the original Dracula X version's ass around the moon and back). They made a wise choice too when they replaced the mediocre boss theme "Dancing in Phantasmic Hell" with the new "Tues Deus Meus (in manibus tuis)", which must be one of the best boss battle themes in the entire series, and the new "Ending Theme" is much better than the old ones (especially Maria's). In fact the only composition I find better in the original is "Cemetery", and that one wasn't that special to begin with (the PSP version is pretty crappy, though). Also, it was a really bad choice to replace the rocking last stage theme "Den" with the crappy 68000 "Moon Fight".

The bonus arranges on the soundtrack CD were pretty good as well, especially the awesome "Airwave" version of "Bloodlines". Overall, I find the remake's soundtrack to be much better. (Although I feel I'm pretty alone in this... Anyone else feel this way?).

My thought is that it's worth about the same as the SPC set for Dracula X to me...That is, a good alternative listen (at times), but not enough to replace the original. I'm not interested enough to own the album (especially since I have the original w/the Bloodlines score). I didn't like the arranges at all though...They seemed kind of pointless.

The whole "gothic" element really isn't a factor for me when it comes to CV music, so I never really noticed the whole "poppy" thing with the original.

Does this include arranged too? I'm not a supreme Castlevania fan, but my picks are...

As for original, I've always liked Dracula II (Silence of Daylight is a favorite) and I grew to really like a few on Symphony of the Night.

Sota has a few outstanding techno remixes on Chronicles which includes his verson of Thrashard... and Wicked Child.

New Classic wins the arrangement ticket because it's just wonderfully done mixture of "new classical," especially the Theme from Legend of Dracula with the synth parts.

And Perfect Selection by Nazo Nazo Project because they make all their musics fun (yep, even like the rap tracks).

Naoto Shibata's Perfect Selection Battles are superb even if I find them a tad dry.

I have to say, the Dracula Battle albums are some of the earliest VGM albums I came across that really had me excited (still remember hearing the mp2 sample for Bloody Tears here way back when) and they sound way better now (almost 10 years later) than when I first came across them. Now THAT's how I like my Dracula X arranged...Why couldn't they have done "Rondo of Blood" though!? Looking at the Rockman Rock Arrange, is it really that hard to arrange stuff this style/way? Hell, is it this hard to make the ingame music sound like this? That'd be pretty nice.

Still a fan of Perfect Selection. Not every track, but it has moments for what it is (although probably one of Nazo Nazo's weaker efforts) and the singing tracks are nowhere near as bad as advertised. Never understood the hoopla over New Classic...I could barely stay awake through it.

I'm having a real hard time what to make of the PSP soundtrack as well... I think I like it but I'm not sure if I like it like it. Unlike most soundtracks where listening helps one form an opinion in this case it is only making it harder for me to arrive at a conclusion.

I also agree that Naoto Shibata's 2 (that I know of) Dracula Battle albums are teh awexome. I mean, if the lightning cover graphics didn't have you sold, I don't know what would.

That's what impresses me too, how well they have held up.  Despite being over a decade old, they are still the definitive Dracula HR/HM albums IMO.  Some of the tracks have a bit of 80's cheese, and I wish all the tracks had the heaviness of "Iron Blue Intention", but overall they still sound amazing.  And most doujin dudes still can't rock a Dracula track worth a lick with horrible sounding guitars and boring arranges.   If Goat remastered his tracks and released an official CD, he would give them a good run for their money though.