But in the future, a new castle emerges during a solar eclipse. It was praised for its difficulty, gameplay, soundtrack, and visuals. Simon Belmont, an heir to the Belmont family, has come to follow the path of his ancestors by driving Dracula to the grave once again. It introduces multiple playable characters, all with a unique gameplay mechanic to make each one useful in different situations. It’s good, but it’s not 2D Castlevania good. This masterpiece entry remains one of the best games for the NES. Soma Cruz’s mission to destroy Dracula takes place in 2035. The character movement is still slow and the enemies aren’t the most original, but the soundtrack is excellent, especially for Nintendo’s original handheld, and sub weapons make an appearance again. 2, 10 Of The Darkest Things You Can Do In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Assassin's Creed Valhalla: 5 Best Things About A Heavy Build (& The 5 Worst), Ranking The 10 Best Witcher Characters Of All Time, 10 Best Video Games About Gangsters, Ranked By Metacritic Score, Pokémon: 5 Fire-Type Moves That Are Overrated (& 5 That Are Severely Underrated), Nintendo Switch: The 15 Most Relaxing Games To Play (That Aren't Animal Crossing), Skyrim: The Real World Influence Behind The Nine Divines, 5 Ways Spider-Man: Miles Morales Is Better Than The 2018 Game (& 5 Ways It’s Worse), Pokemon Sword & Shield: 5 People Who Got Awesome Gifts In Surprise Trades (And Five People Who Got Screwed Over), The 10 Best Open-World Games Of The Last 5 Years (According To Metacritic), Flock Off! This follow-up to Castlevania Bloodlines takes place in WWII and remains the first of the games to incorporate multi-player elements into the series. While purists argue that the gameplay made the game easier, it offered players a power trip through Dracula's castle unlike any other. It's also the first Castlevania I ever played. It is fitting a game that molded itself after classic movies would become a classic itself. 1. Castlevania (1986 – NES) The soundtrack also pales in comparison to some of the other titles in the series, making it a so-so entry, though it's one that is still worth picking up. It demands you understand precise timing, the precise way to play it. Easily the best of the NES Castlevania games, this game is fan favorite. An excellent game, Circle Of The Moon was the first Castlevania on the Game Boy Advance system. Castlevania Judgement sounded like an interesting game, at least on paper. If you think the coolest Castlevania game to play isn't as high as it should be then make sure to vote it up so that it has the chance to rise to the top. RELATED: Smash Detail: Luigi Being In Dracula's Castle Has Been Castlevania Canon Since 2013. Aside from the name, the whip, and Dracula, the game doesn’t really have too many similarities to the series; there are no sub weapons, enemies are largely uninspired, and the fight with Dracula is ridiculously underwhelming. Die. It is one of the hardest games for the original NES, but not due to poor gameplay mechanics or level design. games not included. Posted by Dom Ruskin on Jul 20, 2017. I know that some of the game’s weaker points are due to the limited hardware and development practices when the game was released, but in the scope of the series, it’s pretty bad. For some reason, the classic formula just feels like a miss when designed for Sega's 90s offering. God Of War would come a few years later and become one of gaming’s most popular franchises; Lament Of Innocence was the continuation of the decline of a once proud series. The game is a fun adventure that was a worthy follow-up to Rondo of Blood and Super Castlevania IV but never surpassed them in terms of quality. We're ranking all the Castlevania games from worst to best. The finest Castlevania made for the NES, and quite possibly one of the best games on Nintendo’s history making console, Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse is an excellent continuation of the series. Most notably, interesting NPCs add to the cryptic feel of the game. Belmont's Revenge - Amazing music for the system, smooth gameplay. The story is interesting, gameplay is tight and engaging, and the game looks gorgeous for the era of consoles that it was designed for. Home › Collectorian info hub › All 34 Castlevania Games, Ranked from Worst to Best. However, some of the boss encounters feel uninspired and the level progression can be confusing when playing with the different characters. However, the environments are still repetitive and poorly designed, the colors are muddy and mute, and the game just feels generally lacking. Castlevania Judgement. As I mentioned above, the series is really pretty great for what it is, generic third person action with a recognizable name that'll bring in the bucks, but in the grand scope of a series as storied as Castlevania, you can do better when youi're looking for a Belmont lineage simulator. Enemy and boss design is top notch, the castle is well constructed and fun to explore, and sub weapons are contained in armor and items that must be equipped to be used. I'd actually play the original N64 Castlevania over this, but I'd be more willing to drive myself off a bridge instead, preferably with a trunk full of these cartridges. Even though some of the areas were well designed, the entirety of the map was inferior to Circle Of The Moon, despite coming after it in the series. His favorite games include the Resident Evil Series, the God Of War series, The Half Life series, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and any Indies he can get his hands on. Castlevania Chronicles is often written off as just a remake of the original Castlevania. With its gothic aesthetic, developed platforming, RPG-elements, and action-adventure exploration, the Castlevania series took its throne in the pantheon of classic gaming. Castlevania is one of the most iconic names in video games, so to honor the long-running, vampire-ridden series, we decided to put together a guide to the best Castlevania games of all time. The lowest-ranked installment in the main franchise is 1987's Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, released for the Famicom in Japan before its eventual worldwide release on the NES.A direct sequel to the original game, Simon's Quest had the eponymous Belmont discover his wounds from his previous fight with Dracula haven't healed and are steadily worsening. A huge improvement over its predecessor, Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge is one of the finer action games on the Game Boy. Awful. This game remains the only Castlevania game for the Sega Genesis, featuring the appearance of two protagonists who are playable from the start of the game — the second being Eric Lecarde. While not superior to Dawn Of Sorrow, Order Of Ecclesia does a lot of things right. It's a great game. All 34 Castlevania Games, Ranked from Worst to Best. 'Castlevania II Belmont's Revenge' This was really a great game and I love it. Following yet another descendant of the Belmont clan, the whip cracking action is back, this time with the addition of a few more playable characters. But if you're gonna play a 3D Castlevania game, it better be Lords of Shadow. It was a small step forward, but it was still way too many steps behind the other classic games in the series. But what Harmony of Despair does is offer longtime fans of the series a chance to have fun. The game featured four levels that had different themes and could be completed in any order, much like the Mega Man series stage selection. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. Order of Ecclesia is the final Castlevania game to incorporate RPG elements. The Gameboy Advance is not a console often associated with great original RPGs, but Aria of Sorrow may be the best of the Metroidvania-games to follow Symphony of the Night. She only needs to trigger World War I to do it. The addition of effect cards made the combat that much better, as did the sub weapons and item’s available for use. Again, it’s not that it’s bad; it’s not just particularly Castlevania. For players who want an updated version of the original NES classic, but find Super Castlevania IV a little too easy, Castlevania Chronicles should rank above all the rest of the series. Indeed, who could anticipate 36 sequels would be released, nor could they anticipate multiple animated adaptations of the Belmont family's eternal struggle against the lord of darkness himself, Dracula. The exiled son of the Belmont family, Trevor Belmont, is forced to defend the countrymen who cast him out by throwing himself against the forces of evil. The anticipated sequel to the incredibly good (even by today’s standards), original Castlevania, Simon’s Quest gets bogged down in a lot of poor design choices and gameplay mechanics that make most gamers throw the cartridge out the window after the first few minutes. However, by drawing on gameplay components of earlier entries like Rondo of Blood, this game refined and honed what made the original game a masterpiece. While the future setting doesn’t change the gothic, Halloween-esque vibe the series is … Oh, and you better prepare for the final boss. The Best Castlevania Games, All 30 Ranked From Worst to Best 30. Alucard, the son of Dracula, has returned to finish the job he started years ago: to put his blade through his father's breast until the monster breathes his last. Usually, the origin of many a game series may pale in comparison to those that have followed in its formulaic footsteps, but the original Castlevania is still a fun, well made game. Castlevania is a very personal series for me. Earned my MFA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Released just a year after Circle Of The Moon, Castlevania: Harmony Of Dissonance is another Game Boy Advance exclusive release in the series. For the last couple of years, GameXplain has been playing every single Castlevania game on their live stream. The last Castlevania to be released on the Game Boy, you’d figure that Legends would probably be the best. Improving on its predecessor, the game features more varied, expertly designed environments, fun and interesting weapons, and excellent enemy and boss design. The original and still one of the best, Castlevania is a textbook example of how to make an excellent platformer. To date, it remains something of a swansong for the franchise. So, the team decided to release a two-part video series on their channel last week where they rank all 32 games in the Castlevania series. IGN ranked it 19th on their list of the best NES games; the second and third Castlevania games were ranked 25th and 5th respectively. Konami’s best attempt to cash in on Capcom’s success with Devil May Cry, Castlevania: Lament Of Innocence is a poor substitute for Dante’s dual pistol, sword swinging action. Fall down a ravine? Polygon ranks every Castlevania game to date — with more than 30 games released over the past three decades, including fan favorite Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. The game also looks excellent for the previous generation of consoles. The soundtrack is vastly inferior to most of the series, the level design is bland and uninspired, and the gameplay feels boringly flat. Castlevania never really made the transition to 3D. The Castlevania series has a long, storied legacy.Starting as some of the most successful sidescrolling platformers ever made, turning into some of the worst third person action games ever made, and then ending up as some pretty okay third person action games, the franchise has definitely seen its share of ups and downs. However, the open world structure made the game feel lacking at some points as the series took a step away from its expertly structured levels. Not to mention, it really does serve as a breath of fresh air to take place this far in the series's future. And, yes, the Netflix series is based on this game. Debate this if you must, but you'll be wrong; when it comes to the Castelvania series, the Super Nintendo offering is by far the best for those that want to get the feel of the entire franchise on one cartridge. So much so that longtime producer Koji Igarashi publicly proclaimed that it was an “embarrassment to the series.” Ouch. Castlevania (キャッスルヴァニア, Kyassuruvania) (/ ˈ k æ s əl ˌ v eɪ n i ə /) is an action-adventure gothic horror video game series about vampire hunters created and developed by Konami.It has been released on various platforms, from early systems to modern consoles, as … 9 Amazing Quotes From The Devil May Cry Series, Pokemon: 5 Fire-Types That Are Overrated (& 5 That Are Severely Underrated), 10 Guilty Pleasure Xbox One Games (That No One Will Admit They Play), Pokémon TCG: The 10 Best Sun & Moon GX Cards. RELATED: 30 Hidden Details In The Castlevania Franchise Real Fans Completely Missed. The gameplay is superb, the adventure epic, and it even takes elements that didn't work in prior entries and does them right. Dracula is dead. However, before the glyphs can be applied to the hero Shanoa, she is betrayed, forcing her on a quest full of twists and turns. After all, without it, it wouldn't exist at all. However, designing games for small-memory consoles and cartridges is incredibly challenging during the console’s heyday, and it really shows in this first Castlevania game. The game is effectively crippled by a few of its integral mechanics: the day night cycle is announced by a lengthy in game message that pauses gameplay, progression is cryptic thanks to nonsensical items and misinformation fed to you by the town’s people, and an incredibly underwhelming battle against Dracula easily make Simon’s Quest the worst game in the Castlevania series. If you want to see the first part for yourself, as well… These, according to The Castlevania Dungeon are: Games by platform Castlevania (series) Yet, with all its cool features and lovely visuals, it just feels lacking as compared to Dawn Of Sorrow in some ways. It serves as a Best Of collection of sorts. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (Game Boy Advance) Symphony of the Night revived the open-world 2D gaming genre (Super Metroid was first, FYI) and made it a viable game design template for many. RELATED: Castlevania Collection For PS4 Has Been Leaked By Korean Board. PREVIOUSLY: 30 Hidden Details in the Castlevania Franchise Rel Fans Completely Missed, Richter Belmont, son of Simon Belmont, has a problem. While this game seems to miss the mark on evoking what makes Castlevania great, MercurySteam gives us a unique take surrounding the characters and fiction of it all. Legends may have been unfairly judged, being released just a few years after the incredible Symphony Of The Night, but the fact that it’s predecessor released multiple years before it is a better game, Legends will always remain one of the series’ biggest follies. There are no redeeming qualities for Legacy Of Darkness. It isn't just a great Castlevania game. The Castlevania series has a long, storied legacy. This late entry in the franchise received a mixed response upon initial release. It trades the gothic monsters of prior games to a hardcore anime aesthetic. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. Overall, a good game. With the added gothic elements, enemies, and set pieces, the game remains a study in convincingly spooky design. It's so damn awful that it completely ruins any of the positives that the game might've had hidden within it. Most Metroidvania games owe Symphony of the Night a great deal of debt. Get hit? Since, the first launch, there have been more than thirty emphases of Castlevania, some … With such a varied catalogue that covers both polarities and everything in between, it's difficult to pinpoint just how all the Castlevania games rank against each other over the years. While the story made little to no sense at all, the level design was top, the visuals were great, the music was inspired and the difficulty was tough but fair. You don't have to seek out a descendant of the Belmont clan, or in some cases extremely strained ties, to the bloodline. Fighting for his eternal soul, Soma has to stop a cult wielding the flickering remains of darkness left upon the Earth. The third and final Castlevania game released for the original Game Boy was 1997's Legends, which followed the non-canonical adventures of Sonia Belmont.Sonia was the first of her family to battle Dracula as he rose to power and threatened Transylvania. Underrated in its day, Order of Ecclesia deserves to ranked among the best of Castlevania. The controls didn’t fare much better as trying to hit anything with your whip is an extreme chore, thanks to the awkward button mapping and horrible camera. There's a reason Symphony of the Night is remembered as one of the best PlayStation games to ever exist. It serves as a multi-player experience, taking elements throughout the franchise—characters, enemy, gameplay components—to craft a unique adventure. Combine this with the crappy enemy design, awful boss fights, and just general, “Oh my God why did I pay money to put myself through this” and you can plainly see why Castlevania 64 scores so low. Ranked: The five best Castlevania games. Slot machines and “erotic pachinko” (yes, really!) It's probably too hard for its own good, but it really does feel like the culmination of the entire franchise. Here are the best games in … To jump from a third person action game to a sidescrolling reboot is a bold move, and it didn’t pay off for the series this time around.Why they figured that deviating from the goodness of the original 2D by making the game interchangeable with any other sidescroller, instead of making it feel like a real Castlevania game, is beyond me. Just play it. It beats out its brethren with the feeling of love that seems to be present in every aspect of the game; Konami really put a lot of feeling into crafting this one and it shows, even today. Even though the game is a solid 3D action game, it’s just that, a 3D action game. It’s a largely forgettable third person action game with fixed cameras, lackluster enemies and bosses, and the Castlevania name pasted to the cover. The graphical enhancements are also something to be noted, as the game only came out a few years after The Adventure. We're ranking all the Castlevania games from worst to best. Stylistic, epic, and stunning, this game offers a gothic tale of love and vengeance, featuring some of the grimmest and intense visuals to appear in the franchise to this point. If you’re going to play any of the GamebBoy Advance titles, make it this one. Following the tradition of previous handheld entries, Portrait Of Ruin came out a year after Dawn Of Sorrow. Teaming up with the vampire's son Alucard, Sonia set out to destroy the monster and save her homeland. The last GBA game in the Castlevania series is also one of the best games available on the handheld. 2. 1. The only problem is he has to carve his way through Dracula's castle first. Castlevania Judgement sounded like an interesting game, at least on paper. Again, like most of the entries this far up on the list, the 2D platformers are not bad by any means, they're just not as superior as some of the other entries higher on this list. It's not the best the franchise has to offer, but it was a breath of fresh air the franchise needed at the time. The only one who can stop him is the descendant of the Belmont and Morris line, John Morris. for over 15 years ago I was so perfect in this game I had … It’s easily the most visually appealing of the Nintendo DS Castlevania games and has a lot of fun mechanics that set it apart. It’s sad that the series decided to put out so many lackluster games, because honestly they weren’t even trying at this point and decided to staple a beloved franchise's seal to it. The Belmonts have gone. The item and gameplay are fun but nothing crazy, and the castle design isn’t the greatest. Following yet another descendant of the Belmont clan, this one being particularly whiney, Lament Of Innocence sees more whip wielding action in a castle as you take on a lackluster story with forgettable characters. Castlevania, one of the greatest video game franchises of all time, has enjoyed a bit of a resurgence of late.The original game released on the Famicom … Loves different varieties of coffee. Well don't worry, we did all the work for you. Maybe it’s nostalgia rearing its ugly head, but Dawn Of Sorrow will always stand out as the superior DS experience for me. Although the game had better graphics, some superb level design, and some more flavor to its foes, the game is widely considered to be the worst of the three Game Boy Advance entries in the series. Many purists contest that this game ought to be in the top spot. It's classic gaming at it's best. Easily one of the worst in the series, Castlevania 64 was one of the worst games on the console. He — wait, haven't we heard this before? After many gamers were dissatisfied with Mirror Of Fate, the series decided to jump back to third person action, and what a wise decision it was. The game is still worth a play through today for fans of the series, or fans of the genre in general. For that reason, it never gained the cultural significance of many of the games that rank above it. That said, if you're looking for a third person action game for the previous era's consoles packed with vampires, monsters, and other crazy Castlevania fodder, this series will definitely do. Richter controlled like a tank on crutches and was prone to cheap hits due to the jump into 3D for the series. Plenty of Belmonts and other characters have served as protagonists in Konami's Castlevania games, but which one ranks as … #10 Castlevania (NES) The original game to take the "Castlevania" name was a terrific game for the time, and is still a lot of fun to this day. Plus, it has that lovely N64 aesthetic, meaning that it looks like total poop most of the time. Combat is responsive, enemies are quick and challenging, and the level design and detail made it a graphical showcase for the Sega Genesis. Unfortunately, Castlevania’s early days are messy, with a handful of slightly altered ports released for different platforms and regions. The combat is the real standout this time around, with fluid, personal melee occupying most of the game’s time. Visually stunning for the Game Boy Advance, Aria Of Sorrow is one of the handheld’s best looking games available. There is a good reason; any of these four Castlevania games could rank best among them all, but Rondo of Blood is unique in that, for years, it was never released stateside. Unfortunately, there are far too many Castlevania games to rank coherently, therefore the following list will stick to the canon Castlevania games, the ones which come together to form the accepted story of Castlevania. Existing as a pure reboot of the saga, you play as Gabriel Belmont, a holy knight sent on a mission to combat the forces of evil. Symphony of the Night is a perfect amalgamation of RPG gameplay infused with extensive exploration, incredible pixel art, music, and, above all, a sense of fun. The controls are tight, the sub-weapons are varied and useful, and boss encounters are challengingly well constructed. The ability to whip in every direction allows a new level of gameplay that simultaneously keeps the game fun and keeps the game challenging. Considered by a majority of fans to be the best entry in the series, Symphony Of The Night is an excellent game in all respects. Super Castlevania IV is one of the last old-school Castlevania games. Instead of a reinvention, Mirror Of Fate becomes a study in mediocrity fairly quickly, and doesn’t move on for the rest of the game. Still a solid DS game, but not the best on Nintendo’s two screened handheld. The cream of the crop, Super Castlevania IV was a serious showcase of the SNES’ power. Considering he was already destined to slaughter the dark lord and all his minions, this seems an ample amount of motivation to go to his castle, and kick the snot out of the old Vampire Lord. He has to use his wits and whip to bring Dracula back to Hell. With some of the most beautifully designed environments and most devastatingly brutal enemies, Dracula’s Curse is the epitome of why gamers used to worship Konami before they became the industry’s mustachioed villain. Among the entries of this classic series, there are a few profound gems. The Castlevania series has a rich history on Nintendo consoles ever since the original game came first to the Japanese Famicom Disk System way back in 1986, and then to the NES a year later. Intricate details in the background, a full scale of movement with the whip for maximum monster killing ability, and the second best soundtrack in the series all this the ultimate Belmont disciple simulator. 4. 3DS Castlevania Nintendo DS PC PS Vita PS2 PS3 PS4 PSP Switch Wii Wii U … It's slick and stylistic without losing the challenge of the original game. Dracula has taken revenge on the country of Wallachia. The original Castlevania's remakes improve upon the original experience, but it cannot be stated enough: the original is a masterpiece. An open world adventure through Dracula’s massive labyrinth of a castle, many PlayStation owners remember guiding the flowing coat of Alucard through the platform heavy hallways. Actually, this is a pretty worthy pick if you're going to be playing any of the Castlevania series, but there are a few that are more worthy of your button-worn fingers. Following the events of Symphony of the Nights, a group created to combat Dracula upon his eventual return, the Order of Ecclesia, creates a trinity of glyphs to defeat Dracula. Still, a solid Game Boy experience for anyone who still may be lugging around a grey brick. Another PS2, fixed camera, generic third person action game with the Castlevania name attached to it. The aesthetics, the music, the level design, the bosses, the game feel, they're all sublime. At its core, the series has always been a 2D franchise. However, that doesn't lessen Dawn of Sorrow's value in the Castlevania series. Castlevania Judgement. Dracula has taken his girlfriend. Picking up after Aria Of Sorrow, the first DS Castlevania is one of the greatest Castlevania games ever made, without a doubt.