Classic and beloved franchise 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Castlevania began its reign in 1986 in Japan as a series of action platformers. That’s whဣat every sequel was that followed until 1997 when the dawning of a new era began via Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
It took Super Metroid’s formula 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:from the SNES and added some RPG elements to it, and 🐭thus, the Metroidvania genre was born. The history is a bit more complex than that but that’s the simplest, most popular opinion on the genre’s birth. From herem Konami made six more games in this Me🐎troidvania style. Among the seven 2D entries, which is the best, or are they actually all equal?
7 Castlevania: Circle Of The Moon
This was a 2001 launch game for both the Japanese debut of the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Game Boy Advance, in March, and the North American one in June. It is the direct style sequel to Symphony of the Night, even though it has viಌrtually nothing to do with it story-wise.
✤It proved at the time that that game was not a one-note trial and that due to its success, this would primarily be the series’ gameplay hook from then on. It stars Nathan Graves, who is about as slow as NES heroes from this series. It’s a good game but just not as fluid with its controls as Symphony of the Night. This game is available on the Wii U Virtual Console.
6 Castlevania: Harmony Of Dissonance
Harmony of Disso𒊎nance was the follow-up to Circle of the Moon, which did fix at least one big issue: the speed and controls. Sprites were also bigger, but they were actually a bit too big. The visuals themselves also looked a bit blurry, partly 🔴due to this.
It released on the GBA in 2002 and starred Juste Belmont, although he played more like Alucard from Symphony of the Night than his whip-cracking ancestors. This game🌸 is available on the Wi🍷i U Virtual Console.
5 Castlevania: Portrait Of Ruin
Portrait of Ruin was a DS game that launched in 200ꦡ6. It’s actually the second game in the series to hit the system and provided a unique gameplay twist to the Metroidvania style. It starred Jon𒐪athan Morris and Charlotte Aulin, who were constantly attached to each other. Jonathan was more the weapons expert while Charlotte excelled at magic.
Players could swap them at will, which led to some interesting puzzles in the game. The game also featured many different environments, connected by paintings that all led to an infamous encounter that tied everything together. Another cool thing about it was that players could connect two DS systems together in order 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:to play cooperatively. An HD remake of this game could make this idea even better, or even a new co-o♈p Castlevania game,𓃲 one might dare to wish for.
4 Castlevania: Order Of Ecclesia
This was the last Metroidvania-style C🐲astlevania to come out in the series. Order Of Ecclesia was a 2008 DS game starring Shanoa. This game’s mechanic centered around Shanoa’s back, which contained a ma🌠gical glyph that could absorb enemy powers.
It’s not the first game to have a system like this but the back absorption did make it at least look different. It’s very clear to see a direct path from 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:this game to Bloodstained. Castlevania was the spiritual successor to the series, 🌜both of which are produced by Koji Igarashi.
3 Castlevania: Aria Of Sorrow
This game has an interesting twist to it. It was the first to take place more in the modern age instead of being 🧜a medieval fantasy. Aria of Sorrow released for the GBA in 2003 aꦯnd starred Soma Cruz. While it did take place in the modern era, it was still filled with plenty of aesthetics fans were used to such as gothic castles and monsters aplenty.
In this way, it was a little dishearteningꦗ to not see Konami go all the way with the futuristic setting of Japan. Either way it was and still is the best GBA entry in the series. This game is available on the Wii U Virtual Console.
2 Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night
The best title does not always go to the beginner. It’s a real tossup whether to put Symphony of the Night or one of its sequels on top. This remains as playable now as it did in 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:1997 on PS1. There’s not a single thing that has aged abo༒ut it between the gameplay, music, and graphics. The vo𓄧ice work could maybe be docked but the cheesy deliveries are also charming.
Plus, it is the only game on this list that has been ported more times than one can count including being backward-compatible . That’s the power of releasing not exclusively on a Nintendo platf🧔orm apparently, or maybe just Alucard’s power in general.
1 Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow
Symphony of the Night started the genre for this series, but Dawn of Sorrow perfected it. This was released 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:for the DS in 2005, which was the first entry for the series on the handheld. It is a direct sequel to Aria of Sorrow,♚ one of the very few times that this has happened in the seri꧂es overall.
Soma Cruz is still the star, trying to come to terms with the twist in Aria of Sorrow. Spoilers will not be needed to discuss how great this game is though. The only thing that doesn’t hold up pe🅷rfectly is its touch-based 🌜puzzles which work fine enough but are also not amazing.