August 10, 2006
Reason for rejection: "Too narrow"
Update 2008: PoR and Bloodlines
The battle against Dracula and his minions has lasted 20 years now. With over 20 games, spanning 10+ game systems, the Castlevania series (known as Akumajou Dracula/Demon Castle Dracula in Japan) does not look to be letting up anytime soon; now more than ever before, the fanbase is incredibly solid. This list will briefly document what I deem to be the top 10 titles of this illustrious line of action games, which have over time evolved to include some RPG elements and more exploration-based gameplay.
10:Castlevania: Curse of Darkness (PS2)
I wasn't too sure which I liked more out of this one or Lament of Innocence, but with musical score which is ALL good, more exciting bosses, semblance of the SotN's RPG style and of course Trevor, I had to give it to this one. The most recent title of this cursed legacy, with good concepts introduced, just not all that hot most of the time.
9:Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (GBA)
Another toss up between this and Super Castlevania IV. The latter was a good game with some nice graphical effects and an 8-way whip. The music wasn't as memorable I recall, and most of the way through gameplay didn't rise to anything great imo. HoD on the other hand has had a hard time in some places, but I feel the crazily desgined castle (attributable to its great title btw!), the funky synth-style music and the lessend difficulty were not that much of a big deal. The introduction of Boss Rush was most welcomed, the game provided some solid platform action, but most importantly, Maxim's adventure was totally ace. Fast movement, an array of abilities from the get go, and the 'screw attack' bumped this one up for me.
8:Castlevania: Bloodlines (GEN)
Dracula is in Rome?! No, not quite, but it was cool to have a change of scenery for once with our heroes travelling around the world to foil yet another ressurection of the Count. It's one of the shorter games here, but the whole way through is good 16-bit fun. The mirror-splitting effect seen in a late level is better than any Mode-7 that Super Castlevania pulled off in my mind.
7:Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness (N64)
Some may call me crazy, but I actually liked this odd-one-out! The graphics were decent 3D, the sound was appropriately haunting and eerie, the atmosphere was defintely there. But there are some issues (still) with the controls and some crazy hard platforming, but persevere and you'll find a rewarding experience filled with deathly traps and cool bosses. Lots of replay too here, for an early Castlevania title anyway.
6:Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (NES)
It seems the final title for each trilogy (for NES, GB, GBA..) seems to do the ultimate service to the franchise, reinforcing elements of action with some new ideas of some sort and/or giving a more complete experience. Dracula's Curse may not look like much in 2006, but the game is still as fun as it was back in the days. The multiple routes and characters makes for some welcome variation not usually seen in an action title, the level design is mostly interesting, and the boss battles are some of the best from the 8-bit days. An inspiring work that rumour has it will be remade in the near future. Let's hope so!
5:Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS)
As 3D began to consume the mass gaming market, one title still proved that the ways of 2D still had its place. Fusing the refined Castlevania action with RPG-style levelling and customisation, and placing our protagonist in a large castle akin to Super Metroid's Zebes was a recipe for success. All fans of the current 2D games ought to try the 'maker' if they haven't yet. Although by current standards it doesn't compare as well, it's still another great romp with lots of stuff to see and do, some of the biggest bosses yet and some truly inspiring art & music.
4:Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (GBA)
The successor to the highly acclaimed SotN was surprisingly for the new portable on the block, the GBA. Despite how bad I put it, this was definitely a worthy addition and to this day, many still roam about this 'retconned' castle. The massive castle was translated well to the small screen, the music comprising of many remixed oldies is of amazingly high quality, the gameplay is tough as nails, and there's plenty of replayability to be had through the the bonus modes unlocked offering gamers a very long-haul bang for your buck.
3:Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (GBA)
Being the last of the GBA trilogy, we expected a lot from this one. It was good to see then that it lived up to most expectations. A difficulty level between that of the predecessors, good-quality brand-new music, a refined ability system which allowed for a lot of possible ways to whip your enemies up (and without a whip too!) and much more. Control is tight, the 'new' setting adds a breath a new life, and for some reason it's just so easy for me to pick this up and play anytime I'm wanting a quick fix of action.
2:Akumajo Dracula X: Chi no Rondo (TCD)
One of the last classic-style Castlevania games, it is unfortunate that this gem was not released outside Japan, and even moreso that Konami refuses to re-release this title on a current generation system or otherwise. The action is relentless the whole way through, the music is of an awesome quality, multiple routes enhance replayability, Rondo of Blood (English translation) is the pinnacle of the original arcade-action style.
1:Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (DS)
The direct sequel to the hit GBA game, this installment offers more of the same great soul-collecting gameplay with more detailed graphics, excellent music selection, exciting boss battles and the best bonus mode yet, which harks back to the classic games with team-based mechanics, limited levelling and a focus on core action. It plays like a dream, and except for the unnecessary stylus use for seals, there are no real complaints I have about this one.. Well maybe the fact that Julius Mode is so much fun, more so than Soma's quest!
And so it ends for now. Konami is not showing any signs of letting up so you can be assured of many more sequels/prequels to come. However, times change and so future games must introduce new quirks to impart freshness, thus avoiding repetitiveness. IGA seems to be understanding this somewhat with the next installment, Portrait of Ruin, giving us a mix of classic 2D-action and modern Metroid-style exploration spiced up with a unique dual-player system of play. I understand many may disagree with my chosen 10, but remember the limitations as I truly enjoyed most of the 20 odd games. May the series go on and on as sure as the sun will set and the dark moon will rise.
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