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Originally released August 23rd, 2025
This album is composed of excerpts from the very famous series of video games: Grontaldo's Castle. Beloved by generations and needing little introduction, the infamous demon Grontaldo and his equally infamous castle have become a staple of gaming history and it's little wonder why: these games have captivated audiences of multiple generations even as they evolved through different genres and styles with the advancement of gaming technology and sensibilities. No less remarkable are the songs that gave each installation in the series its signature sound. Now, for the first time, composer Wilson Kneiszel has recorded new versions of some of the greatest hits from the Grontaldo soundtracks using state of the art audio equipment so we can hear a sweeping panorama of the series in higher fidelity than the simple bleeps and bloops we all so fondly recall from the originals.
This album is split into three sections, each representing a selection of songs from a different installment in the series.
Spotify: Coming Soon!
Apple Music: Coming Soon!
YouTube Music: Coming Soon!
The track listing on Grontaldo's Castle provides a narrative context for each of the songs within the series, and is an important part of the album.
This is the song from the first level of the original Grontaldo's Castle, way back in that age where video games were short, pixelated, and punishingly difficult so kids would get their money's worth out of them. Set in a dark fantasy world, the player takes control of a famed demon hunter with mystical powers who is en route to a castle to slay the wicked Grontaldo, who has been terrorizing the village for generations.
The second level of Grontaldo's Castle, set in the surrounding woods, is particularly challenging thanks to the darkness which intermittently blacks out the entire screen except the characters' and enemies' eyes. Good timing is needed to avoid falling.
In the entryway to the Castle, the player is assailed by troublesome spirits who lift pieces of furniture and décor from the background to hurl at the player. It's a tricky level on your first playthrough because you never know which parts of the background will suddenly become projectiles. Luckily, it's the same every time. Unluckily, you will have to play through the previous levels to get back to this point if you lose all your lives.
This level featured one of those fancy rotating backgrounds, where rather than advancing to the right as they normally do, the player instead circles the outside of a tower as they jump from platform to platform on their way up, dodging bats and other hazards. Be careful, some of those bricks are loose! Grontaldo awaits at the top.
This song plays after defeating Grontaldo atop the tower and locking him in a 500-year slumber within the power gem, the protagonist is enveloped in a mystical shroud and slowly descends from the tower. It's a melancholy moment as they survey the destruction below and ponder the consequences for future generations. They've granted the realm respite from the demon monster, but knowing Grontaldo will return beyond their time leaves the future unknown (and leaves the door open for innumerable sequels).
The title track to the long-awaited sequel to Grontaldo's Castle, which came out during that awkward “low polygon” era. Set 500 years after the original, it details Grontaldo's return and ultimately his subsequent re-sequestering within the Power Gem. What it lacks in triangles and shading, it makes up for with enhanced role-playing elements and a bizarrely nautical theme, absent in its predecessor.
Scouring the sea floor in search of rare creatures, the protagonist comes across a gaggle of worms singing an eerie and unearthly song. They are gathered around a glowing gemstone, which Sam retrieves using his submarine's robotic arm.
At the surface once again, Sam's craft is boarded by pirates who easily overwhelm him—after all, he pilots a research submersible with no combat capabilities. They take everything he owns and seem particularly interested in the Power Gem. After they sail off, Sam watches in amazement as their ship suddenly explodes and a blindingly bright column of light shoots into the heavens. Grontaldo has returned and only Submarine Sam can stop him (with the aid of a ragtag group of misfits he encounters along the way whom he persuades to help).
This is the track for a stealth mission within the mazelike sewers below Grontaldo's compound. The player must sneak past the denizens of this subterranean tunnel system or risk getting eaten!
After night has fallen, the player's party is able to run along the ancient system that supplies water to Grontaldo's castle. To avoid detection, they have only the moonlight to guide them.
After sneaking into Grontaldo's castle and defeating Grontaldo, in a bizarre twist the heroes are picked up by passersby on a tandem bicycle with twenty seats and they ride off homeward, dappled by the light of the setting sun, their long shadows flicking across the passing trees as the credits roll. This strange conclusion came across as a non sequitur and was panned by critical audiences at the time who expected something more substantial at the end of their epic journey, but has now become a favorite scene among fans who have dubbed this trope—when expectations are subverted and tensions are resolved by the arrival of an unexpected and previously unmentioned character resulting in a lighthearted ending—a "Bicycle Ending" to call attention to similar instances in other media.
Set another 500 years in the future, this relatively recent installation in the series takes place after Grontaldo has returned and brought about the downfall of a utopian and highly advanced civilization that once lived in harmony with nature and technology. The earth having given way to monsters, the final remnants of humanity have retreated underground where they are slowly rebuilding their forces to take back the surface and oust Grontaldo from his futuristic palace in the sky.
This is the track from the first area, and where our protagonist—a simple miner on an expedition to find new ore deposits—encounters the mythical power gem—the very same gem used to capture Grontaldo and end each of his previous reigns of terror—setting the whole story in motion.
This is the song that plays while you are in the underground store run by the goblins, perusing upgrades to your equipment. In addition to the useful tools and items the player can buy, there are vats of live wriggling worms and enormous puffball mushrooms that occasionally release plumes of spores when hit by drops of water rolling off the stalactites overhead.
Having reached the surface and restored some of the essence of nature, meditating in the garden area allows the player to hone their abilities, apply to points to one of their different skills and unlock hidden powers. This area was also home to the beloved bonsai tree mini game that consumed more time than the rest of the game for many players as they tried to grow the perfect bonsai tree.
The player must ride the train to Grontaldo's Castle, fighting off enemies all the way, in order to prevent him from setting his despicable plan in motion. Be sure to duck for the tunnels!
After ascending the space elevator, the party must contend with myriad winged beasts in their final push towards Grontaldo's latest castle. Will they succeed in finally conquering him once and for all? Of course not. But they will trap him inside the Power Gem for another 500 years.
Another melancholy ending. The monsters have been defeated, Grontaldo once again trapped within the power gem, but the Earth has been devastated, and rebuilding will take generations. Hopefully this time, they can be prepared in another 500 years.